magic

Movie Reviews 3/5: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Fantasy, Movie Reviews , , , , ,
I don’t own the poster, but it’s pretty.

3/5 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – mild spoilers possible

Summary:

A new twist on an old tale. A brother rises up against his brother to steal the throne. His quest for power leads him to corruption, power, and ultimately doom.

Additional Comments:

– beginnings reminds me of LOTR with the elephants

– nice use of magic. Weird music.

– bridge fight like Thor.

– dude who plays Littlefinger is in this.

– civil war? Jude Law’s character. Sacrifice… ouch.

– dude who played Bolton is also in it, Jack.

– dude from orphan black in here too. Donnie I think.

– all the slow motion stuff is tedious.

– Art becomes a fugitive.

– very public execution. The mage and rebels save him.

– the sword keeps kicking his behind.

– chase scene is disorienting.

– plot is standard yet still effective. Capture his friends.

– it’s like a very strange video game.

Conclusion:

If you like strange takes on medieval tales, like A Knight’s Tale, then the music choices won’t throw you. If you’re looking for a faithful rendition of King Arthur’s rise to power, then you might be a tad disappointed. It’s entertaining but in a weird way.

 

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.

Try Awakening. Or The Golden City Captives.


OR


Audiobook Reviews 4/5 Wendigo Fever by Kevin Hardman

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Horror, Paranormal , , , , , ,

 

Summary:

Errol Magnus, a deputy Warden for lack of a better title, sort of inherits responsibility for the region when his older brother, Tom, goes missing. Something big and scary is out there taking down people.

Additional Comments:

– Not sure why this book isn’t just called the Wendigo. It’s not really about the Wendigo Fever, that’s just sort of a sidenote. The cover confuses this issue even more as it makes it seem like WARDEN is the title and Wendigo Fever the subtitle.

– The worldbuilding is decent for such a short story. I think if I remember correctly, it’s one of those post-apocalyptic, set so far in the future we’ve come full circle to the past sorts of settings.

– The book is surprisingly lighthearted for being a horror story of the creepy things that go bump in the night variety.

– Errol’s fairly fleshed out as a character, but pretty much everybody else isn’t. Gail had potential, but she does little more than give Errol somebody to talk to while he explains stuff the reader needs to know.

– I can’t really talk about my favorite side character because that would be a spoiler, but suffice to say that there are a lot of colorful characters in this world.

Conclusion:

Interesting, short horror story.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Audiobook Reviews 3/5 Stars: A Turtle’s Magical Adventure by Wanda Luthman

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, children's , , ,

3/5 stars A Turtle’s Magical Adventure by Wanda Luthman

Summary:

Tad the Turtle’s journey to accept himself.

Additional Comments:

– The book contained some interesting world-building (like the wizard’s seeming absolute rule over the forest), but there wasn’t enough details to really make anything stick.
– I realize it’s a children’s book, but the turtle made quite a few nonsensical, extraordinarily stupid moves based on bad advice that it became painful to listen to.
– Things work out in the end.
– There’s very little sense of flow. He’s at school then he’s talking to neighbors then he’s wandering away to go get some stranger to magically improve his life. Where the heck are his parents?
– moral lesson – accept yourself as is, you are wonderful.

Conclusion:

I will absolutely be the first to admit I am not in the target audience, so if you have very small children and they have very good headphones it’s probably a great gift for them.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

 

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.


Awesome Audiobooks: 5/5 The Beast of Talesend by Kyle Robert Shultz

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, comedy, Fantasy , , ,

5/5 Definitely Worth Hearing

Summary:

Nick Beasley’s a magical sceptic until he’s struck with something that turns him into a beast. What follows is the misadventure of Nick and Lady Cordelia Beaumont trying to set all these wrongs to right.

Additional Comments:

  • The story hits all the right ridiculous notes. It’s a lighthearted, save-the-world story that pulls off a rather simple plot with style through dashes of wit and fun characters.
  • Nick and Lady Cordelia (sorry if I spelled her name wrong, I heard the audio …) are an interesting pair. There’s potential for them to become a couple in future books, but this one focuses on them being crazy partners of a sort.
  • Crispin’s a decent side kick, or at least I think that’ll be his role in any future works. I like that there’s a good sense of closure but enough of an opening that a sequel would feel natural.
  • The bad guy’s plan doesn’t seem very plausible but he fits the bill for power-hungry storybook villain.
  • The world-building is okay. There’s a section where Lady Cordelia basically explains magic for Nick’s sake but given that he’s spent much of his life actively disbelieving in magic, that sort of makes sense.
  • Nick’s surprisingly cool with being magically morphed into a monster.
  • The narrator’s British accent isn’t exactly Hollywood’s version but it fits the character and the story well. His performance adds a nice layer.

 

Conclusion:

If you’re in the mood for fun fantasy, this book would do.

 

The ebook is only $0.99, but go for the audio version.

It’s so much better as a performance.

As Always …

If you want the chance to get the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge.

If you’re an author (or a narrator) with an audiobook you’d like featured, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

Audiobook Edge and it’s Matchmaker Program are completely free now, but if you wanna donate anyway, go for it 😉

Please, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.

Prime Student – Oh, how I wish I was still a student.

Kindle Unlimited – Keep that Kindle Happy. 30 FREE trial

Awesome Audiobooks: 4.5/5 Hound’s Bite by E.J. Stevens

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, Paranormal , , ,

 

Summary:

Ivy Granger’s a snarky faerie princess. The main plot can be summed up in a quest to save harboursmouth from Herne the Hunter and his hounds.

Additional Comments:

– Not sure where the psychic detective part comes in since this is my first experience with the series. I’m assuming the detective bit had more to do with earlier stories. This story just has her running around the city trying to forge alliances and save the human population from a few crazy plots. There’s some mystery but very little detective work.

– The character voice Ivy has is awesome, but you gotta like snark.

– Content warnings: quite a few references to adult content (lots of innuendo); quite a few curses (and a few hexes thrown in too); definite references to the occult – can’t really escape that with a book stuffed full of mythological creatures (kelpies, faeries, vampires, etc).

– Side characters are well-developed, but I think that’s to be expected in a book 5 of a series. There are references to events that happened in previous volumes, but the work feels complete enough that you can jump in here without feeling too lost. There’s an opening for more without sounding like a blatant “buy my next book” plea.

– Narrators were well-picked. It was interesting to have a male and female split the narration duties. The sound effects were okay. It didn’t bother me, but I also don’t think it enhanced it too much either.

Conclusion:

If you like your heroine’s strong and weird, Ivy Granger’s the faerie princess for you.

 

As Always …

If you want the chance to get the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge. This will most likely be on Matchmaker.

If you’re an author (or a narrator) with an audiobook you’d like featured, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

Audiobook Edge and it’s Matchmaker Program are completely free now, but if you wanna donate anyway, go for it 😉

Er, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.

Prime Student

Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Prime

Free Kindle Reading App

Audible

Audiobook Reviews: Prestigium by Joseph Barone

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, Paranormal, Reader Resource , , , , ,

4.5/5 Paranormal Detective

Summary:

Tanya Cora gets drawn into a mystery with more magic than she bargained for.

Random Comments:

  • There’s a lot of world-building here, so it takes some getting used to. The informational sessions are handled nicely in that the main character genuinely isn’t aware of most of it, so the reader gets to learn as she does.
  • The MC – Tanya – has a habit of commenting on everything that can get tiresome on occasion, but mostly, it comes across as amusing. She’s got a semi-jaded view of the world, but that fits well with the cop persona.
  • It’s definitely the sort of story that’s more fun to listen to than to read.
  • The cover’s okay. I would like a more solid view of what the main character looks like. Something deeper, darker would be cool.
  • The reader gets cheated a bit in the end where the epic battle is concerned. I’m not looking for blood and gore, but some description would be nice. References exist, but still …
  • The narrator’s good. I’m a fan.
  • I enjoyed how the story took familiar magic and elements and added its own twist.

Conclusion:

A worthwhile fantasy story.

 

As Always …

If you want the chance to get the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge.

If you’re an author with an audiobook you’d like featured, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

Audiobook Edge and it’s Matchmaker Program are completely free now, but if you wanna donate anyway, go for it 😉

Er, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.

Prime Student – Oh, how I wish I was still a student.

Kindle Unlimited

Free Kindle Reading App

Audiobook Reviews: 4/5 Beggar Magic by H.L. Burke

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, middle grade , , , ,

Title: Unique Take on Magic

Summary:

Leilani and Zebedy overcome the cast differences to become fast friends and become embroiled in a mystery that

Additional Comments:

What I didn’t like:

  • Zeb’s voice sounded like a perpetually whiny 10-yr-old child.
  • Repeated use of “strains” as an expression. (“strains this” and “oh strains that” … at one pt I believe there was even an “oh, strains, the Strains can be…” expression)
  • A few plot points detracted from “kid appeal,” but generally, the story’s suitable for middle grade.
  • The characters whine quite a bit.

Neutral:

  • The book had a little trouble picking a mood. It started as a “girls from opposite worlds come together as friends tale” then morphed into a “Nancy Drew-like mystery” then turned into a teen romance and finally wrapped up as a feel-good “let’s fix our broken world” story.
  • Title’s unique but doesn’t really capture the story.

What I liked:

  • Brick. (Can’t say much more without spoilers.)
  • The fights between friends work.
  • The idea of magic being music is very interesting. The idea could be developed more.
  • Convenient yet satisfying end.
  • Contains likeable characters and unique world-building.

Conclusion:

It’s definitely a worthwhile read if you enjoy MG fantasy stuff.