Forbidden Kingdom Review

The Forbidden Kingdom
With Jackie Chan and Jet Li

A 21st century boy finds himself transported back to ancient China where he learns he must go on a quest to save the Monkey King with the help of two kung-fu masters.


It’s entertaining. The kung-fu is fun but not realistic. The plot is not anything profound. The underdog kid turns out to be the chosen one, the only one who can perform an important task. You have to be willing to accept the movie for what it is. The boy has to fight the bad guys with a ridiculously short time to train. The rivalry/friendship between his two teachers is predictable. The Monkey King is goofy. There is a fight between good and evil, some humor, kung-fu and even some more serious sad moments. But this movie is definitely light and fluffy. A movie with some action that you don’t have to think about too much.

WWW Wednesday (June 15)

To play along just answer the following three (3) questions...
*What are you currently reading?
*What did you recently finish reading?
*What do you think you’ll read next?

Leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves if you do not have a blog) in the comments of Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading?

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
It always pays to be prepared.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano
It got a little dicey at the end but I liked it.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I think I’ll read something by Clive Cussler. I don’t know what yet but it’s been a while since I’ve read something by Cussler and I think I’m in the mood for one right about now.

Madame Tussaud Review

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

(From the book flap)
Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dreams is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse – even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princess Elisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafes across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution… Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?



Moran does a wonderful job of bringing the time and place to life. There is a cast of wonderfully rounded, interesting, and complex characters. You become involved in the lives of these people. There is a lot of historical detail and you certainly can learn a lot about the French Revolution here and it comes from an interesting perspective. You watch as Marie and her friends and family try to continue to live their lives as the world is in turmoil all around them. Even though you know what is going to happen there is still a sense of tension as you watch the events unfold. The fear and terror as the Revolution becomes bloodier and bloodier can be felt. Moran manages to show a sympathetic side to the royal family’s plight as they, like the citizens, are caught in something that goes beyond all control. There is a sense of suspense as Marie tries to walk the line between the two sides and every move, even the slightest one, could be the one that sends her whole life and the lives of all those she loves to destruction. It is an exciting story that the reader can become immersed in and will end up following these people on the harrowing and emotional journey.


I want to thank Michelle Moran for providing a free copy for review.

Blood and Chocolate Movie vs. Book

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Blood and Chocolate with Agnes Bruckner and Hugh Dancy

The book is about a family of werewolves. They have been forced to flee from their home and find a new one. Vivian, our hero, is trying to find her own way in a pack dynamic that expects certain things from her that she is not sure she wants for herself. She has a softer side that she does not see in the pack and looks to the humans to find. The pack looks for leadership and safety while trying to leave behind a bloody mistake.

The movie is not about that at all. Vivian does fall in love with a human but there is not much the same after that. She is not even the one to initiate the contact with him or pursue the relationship. Some of the things that she liked about him in the book are missing in him in the movie, his sense of ‘pack’ with his friends, the fact that he is not as rough as the guys in her pack. He has no friends in the movie and he is tougher in a running and fighting sort of way. The relationship between them is less sexually driven in the movie so in some ways seems sweeter but in the process it changes their relationship. The rules of the pack are completely different. There is a leader already and he is a bit of a jerk. And the whole outcome is completely different. So different they are almost opposites. It’s impossible to point out all the things that are different in the movie. They are just not the same story.

For that reason it is hard to say which one I liked better. I think the book is more about Vivian and her personal struggle than it is a straight werewolf story. There is more action in the movie, more fights and chases. The movie is more a physical battle for Vivian than the emotional one that she has in the book. So it depends on what you are looking for. I thought both of them were worth a look, but if you read and love the book don’t expect the same from the movie or you will be disappointed.

Theme Thursday -- Numbers

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Hosted by Reading Between Pages.

Anyone can participate in it.
The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word) Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme is – Numbers

No. 4711 Original Eau De Cologne: Everyone made such a fuss when Calvin Klein created CK One, a perfume that could be worn by both men and women, but 4711 preempted this concept by about two hundred years.

 Let’s Bring Back by Lesley M.M. Blume

Black and White Review

Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge

(from the back of the book)
They were best friends at an elite academy for superheroes in training, but now Callie Bradford, code name Iridium, and Joannie Greene, code name Jet, are mortal enemies. Jet is a by-the-book hero, using her Shadow power to protect the citizens of New Chicago. Iridium, with her mastery of light, runs the city’s underworld. For the past five years the two have played an elaborate, and frustrating, game of cat and mouse.
But now playtime’s over. Separately Jet and Iridium uncover clues that point to a looming evil, one that is entwined within the Academy. As Jet works with Bruce Hunter – a normal man with an extraordinary ability to make her weak in the knees – she becomes convinced that Iridium is involved in a scheme that will level the power structure of America itself. And Iridium, teaming with the mysterious vigilante called Taser, uncovers an insidious plot that’s been a decade in the making… a plot in which Jet is key.



I like books about superheroes. I like the cool powers and gadgets and the fight of good versus evil. And this book has those things. But if you are not into those things it also has an exploration of the bonds of friendship and how strong and fragile they can be. It has betrayal, redemption and people trying to deal with all their assumptions and beliefs being challenged. It goes back and forth between the two main characters and between the present and the past. As you see the events unfold in the present you get to see how these two women became friends and then enemies. You get the point of view of both the by the book ‘good guy’ and the rogue ‘bad guy’. It is interesting to see how these two people who had similar backgrounds, training and experiences took such different paths in life. You can see both view points and the line between good and bad starts to get confused. Parts of it are predictable and some points seem obvious but I don’t think that ruins the story since it has a comic book feel to it. And there is a lot of comic book to the story, with the superpowers, the good versus evil, and it even has a plot to take over the world but I don’t think you have to be a comic book lover to like this story. There is a real feeling to the relationships between the characters and the conflicts within themselves that they have to face. And it is exciting and fun.

Theme Thursday -- Color

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Hosted by Reading Between Pages.

Anyone can participate in it.
The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word) Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme is – COLORS

Okay I don’t know where the time is going. The days are flying by. So it is Saturday already and I haven’t done the Theme Thursday yet. But better late than never. Right?


Lavender was soooooo not in her color wheel anymore. Not looking like this, anyway.

It clashed with her hair and made her skin look sallow.

Marty Andrews was now an autumn. Thus, fall colors would best suit her new pallor. Greens, gold, and a couple of shades of yellow were presently her complexion’s new friends.

But the color lavender?

Not so much.

--The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy

WWW Wednesdays (June 1st)

To play along just answer the following three (3) questions...
*What are you currently reading?
*What did you recently finish reading?
*What do you think you’ll read next?

Leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves if you do not have a blog) in the comments of Should Be Reading.


What are you currently reading?

The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy
I want to like this. And honestly, I’m only on page 16 so maybe I’m jumping the gun a bit here, but I don’t think this is going to be my kind of book. I’ll finish it anyway though. I always do for some reason.


What did you recently finish reading?

Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslakovic
Parallel universes and mysterious government agencies controlling information and ideas. It’s a fun rather fast read with a hapless, likeable hero who just wanted to go on vacation and meet his double but ended up involved in so much more.


What do you think you’ll read next?

Well, I have several things checked out from the library that I should read but I’ll probably end up reading The Loving Spirit by Daphne Du Maurier.

Books I Finished in May

Okay, so May did not turn out to be the month I got my blogging back on track. Maybe it will be June. Or July. Possibly August. Soon anyway, I’m sure. Anyhow, I may not have done much blogging but I did manage to read some stuff.


Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Moran can make her characters and settings come to life. This made me interested in the French Revolution even though I never really was before.

Immortality Inc. by Robert Sheckley
Basis for the movie Freejack. The stories are the same only in a very broad way. I think they are both worth a look.

Draconian New York by Robert Sheckley
Second in the series that I now want to find the first one of.

We Kill Monsters by Christopher Leone
Graphic novel about, you guessed it, killing monsters. But it isn’t all just monster killing action the characters are well written too.

How to Build a Robot Army by Daniel H. Wilson
Wilson’s books are fun and don’t require much thinking. I think I liked How to Survive a Robot Uprising better than this one but that might be because I read it first. Reading the two around the same time tended to make the second one sound somewhat redundant.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
There is a lot of information about snails here. And that is interesting. But it is also very interesting to see how Bailey becomes attached to and almost dependant upon the snail.

Hammer of the Gods: Mortal Enemies by Michael Avon Oeming
Graphic novel about Thor and Loki and Odin and them.

Werewolf Versus Dragon by David Sinden
Nice little story with dragons and werewolves and monsters of all kinds.

Killing Girl: A Sister’s Love by Glen Brunswick
Graphic novel about an assassin. It is a dark story and I really didn’t like the art so this one was not for me.

An Arsonist’s Guide to Writer’s Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
I like the voice that this book is told in and the quirky characters. I think I’ll read more by Clarke.

Then is the Power by Gerald Mills
I like the story here but Mills sometimes walks a very thin line with some of the characters. They almost go over the top into the unbelievable.

Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman
Graphic novel where all your favorite Marvel heroes are now zombies. It’s a bit gory and gruesome but all the best zombie stories are, aren’t they?

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Dean Hale
Another graphic novel. This one has a little lighter feel than most of the others I’ve been reading. It is fun and even silly at times.

Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslokovic
I have to admit that most of the reason that I read this was that I liked the title. But it turned out to be a good book too.

The Friday 56 (May 20th)

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to Freda's Voice.
*Add your (url) post to Linky on Freda’s post

This week the book is Then is the Power by Gerald W. Mills. Some of the characters are very close to being over the top but the story is pretty good so far.

The sentence:

Careful not to get any of the vial’s white powder on his shaking hands, he dusted all the remaining doughnuts, then flushed the empty vial down the men’s room commode.

Hey, no fair messing with a man’s doughnuts. That just doesn’t seem right.

Theme Thursday -- Male Person

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Hosted by Reading Between Pages.

Anyone can participate in it.
The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word) Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme is – Male Person (description of a man or boy)

Lyunov was a thin man, tall, with dark hollows in his cheeks and a wild shock of graying hair above cold brittle eyes. He wore neither uniform nor insignia. Other than a weak nod of stolid acknowledgement, he’d said nothing. By contrast, her once-skinny, insolent third cousin Boris had matured to become a stocky bull-of-a-man with bushy, dark reddish hair and a dominant forehead that gave him an evil profile. A man who was but one step from the top of the world’s largest intelligence organization, his manner could have been threatening…but it wasn’t. He, too, wore civilian clothes and was open-collared. In a certain way he still had the boyish look she remembered from the single time they’d met so long ago, but he was now a powerful man in a powerful organization that was itself the brains of a powerful army, in spite of his manner.

--Then is the Power by Gerald W. Mills

Journey to Promethea Review

Journey to Promethea
With Billy Zane

There is a tyrant on the throne and the people wait for the fulfillment of the prophecy that will bring back the spirit of an old hero in a young boy, who with the help of a special sword will bring about a time of peace.



It was rather amazing how bad this was. It starts with a little set up of the prophecy and then you watch three groups of people wander around in the forest badly delivering poorly written and sometime completely nonsensical lines and then getting into poorly choreographed and boring swordfights. Add to that a thin unoriginal plot, some really bad affects and costumes that look like they were cobbled together from what they could find in their closets and you have something not worth watching. The quality of the acting, writing and film itself suggest that a bunch of friends walked into the local woods with a video camera. Billy Zane tried but he had nothing at all to work with.

Theme Thursday -- Woman Relationships

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Hosted by Reading Between Pages.

Anyone can participate in it.
The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word) Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme is – Woman Relationships (relation that one can have with a woman like mother, aunt, grandmother, sister, girlfriend, etc.)

“You could go anywhere,” my mother said. Back then I thought she was the harder parent of the two and had had high hopes for me, so the disappointment weighed on her more heavily. I remember that my mother was a dry well at my trial when the jury brought back the verdict, although my father had wept loudly and wetly, and he was starting to cry now, too.

-- An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England by Brock Clarke

WWW Wednesdays (May 11)

To play along just answer the following three (3) questions...
*What are you currently reading?
*What did you recently finish reading?
*What do you think you’ll read next?

Leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves if you do not have a blog) in the comments of Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading?

An Arsonist’s Guide to Writer’s Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
I’m liking it so far.

Then is the Power by Gerald W. Mills
Well, that’s what is on the cover of my book but I think he changed the title to No Place for Gods.

What did you recently finish reading?

Killing Girl Vol. 1: A Sister’s Love by Glen Brunswick
A graphic novel, the story is alright but I don’t like the artwork.

Hammer of the Gods: Mortal Enemies by Michael Avon Oeming
Another graphic novel, this one about Odin and Thor and such. I liked the artwork better in this one.


What do you think you’ll read next?

The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy

Mockingjay Review

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

(from the book jacket)
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans – except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay – no matter what the personal cost.



I think once again Collins does a great job of giving you characters you can care about. You worry about them. Their anguish, mental and physical, makes you upset. You are sad when they die. And there are, of course, the people you don’t like too but even they evoke a strong reaction. And these strong characters get you emotionally involved in the story. And once again Collins explores some big issues. Katniss and the others have to deal with the horrors of war and the damage that it does to those who survive. They are faced with choices about how far they are willing to go to win a just war. Can they justify using the enemies tactics themselves? Katniss is overwhelmed by the war, the loss of her home, the fear for those she loves and the expectations of those around her. You are thrown into turmoil with her as she is pushed into a role that she never wanted but no longer knows how to avoid. I had a little harder time feeling for Katniss this time but that was only because the trauma she goes through, the trauma that makes you hide in the corner, that makes you apathetic and unresponsive is harder for me to relate to or envision than the fight for her life that she has been in in the past. And because this is the struggle she is going through in the beginning of the book it has a slower start than the other two. Mockingjay gives you a sense of hope because finally the people are fighting back but it is still a dark and scary world. Collins never gives her heroine and cure-all answer to the woes of the world. All of her plans and actions do not miraculously make everything better. Her choices are not at all clear nor are they without consequences. It is a compelling story but I’m slightly ambivalent about the ending. I’m glad that Collins does not pretty it up into something that is unreal and unbelievable. But there was a point when it seemed like the story just stopped for a moment and then continued after jumping over some important parts. It was good to take a look into the future a little bit but still leave the possibility open for anything to happen so you get a sense that the effects of the war will not fade quickly. But part of me feels like certain things were glossed over and left oddly vague.

The Friday 56, The Accidental Werewolf

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to Freda's Voice.
*Add your (url) post to Linky on Freda’s post

The book this week is The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy. My sister gave this for my birthday recently but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.

The sentence:

If she told them the truth, they’d tar her with a crazy brush and call for the men with butterfly nets.

Theme Thursday -- Female Person

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Hosted by Reading Between Pages.

Anyone can participate in it.
The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word) Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme is – Female Person (Description of a woman/girl…)


They were hags with hairy faces and popping eyes. Their bodies were round as chariot wheels and studded with arms and legs, three of each. Scuttling on these arms and legs they would glide up the walls and spin webs – each web as big as the mainsail of a Viking ship.

- Fafnir by Bernard Evslin

WWW Wednesday (May 4th)

To play along just answer the following three (3) questions...
*What are you currently reading?
*What did you recently finish reading?
*What do you think you’ll read next?

Leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves if you do not have a blog) in the comments of Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading?

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
It is interesting how attached to a snail someone can become.

Fafnir by Bernard Evslin


What did you recently finish reading?

How to Build A Robot Army by Daniel H. Wilson
After you build your robot army you will have to read his book How to Survive a Robot Uprising.

Immortality Inc. by Robert Sheckley
The basis for the movie Freejack. Although the two are not anything alike. Both interesting stories just not really the same story.


What do you think you’ll read next?

An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England by Brock Clarke

Books I Finished in April

It’s May 2nd. I meant to do this yesterday. Of course I also meant to do The Friday 56, the Theme Thursday, and the WWW Wednesday. And none of that happened either. Hopefully I’ll get back on track this month. Although it’s a bad sign that I’m already a day late.

Outlaw by Angus Donald
See my review here.

ExHeroes by Peter Clines
I wanted this to be better. I just didn’t find any of the characters all that interesting.

Rare Beasts by Charles Ogden
Nothing special. I can see why kids might like them but I don’t think I’ll be reading anymore.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
This is so sad. I loved it though.

How to Survive a Robot Uprising by Daniel H. Wilson
Something everyone should know. A surprising amount of real information.

Blazin’ Barrels Vol. 1 by Min-seo Park
Part of my new Manga obsession.

Zeus: King of the Gods by George O’Connor
A graphic novel about Zeus. That’s good stuff.

Plastic Man on the Lam by Kyle Baker
Another graphic novel but this one was not my cup of tea.

The Tain by Thomas Kinsella
An Irish epic. And a lot of names I can’t pronounce.

Clatter Bash! Review

Clatter Bash! by Richard Keep

Graveyard skeletons shake, rattle, and roll in this spirited Day of the Dead celebration!

The illustrations are bold, colorful, fun and, even though they are skeletons, cheerful too. A lot of the words are sounds like ‘honk-whiz’ and ‘whoosh-sploosh’ that make it fun to read. And the addition of the Spanish words is nice too. There is a very good explanation of the Day of the Dead holiday that tells you why and how it is celebrated that is easily understandable to all ages. It is a fun and informative book.

The Friday 56, Let's Bring Back

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to Freda's Voice.
*Add your (url) post to Linky on Freda’s post

The book this week is Let’s Bring Back by Lesley M. M. Blume. It is basically a list of things (words, customs, people, etc.) that have gone out of fashion that the author thinks should have a comeback. I’m only in the Bs but it’s interesting so far and I’ve even learned a thing or two.

The sentence:

She used to own Hollywood, and these days, all people can remember about her is the vague phrase “Bette Davis eyes” – the title of a grating song written in the 1980s that wasn’t even about Bette Davis.

It does seem unfair.

Theme Thursday -- Weather

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Hosted by Reading Between Pages.

Anyone can participate in it.
The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word) Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme is – WEATHER

As we near the Bastille, the rain drives harder. The streets have turned into rivers, carrying along mud and excrement.

- Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

Outlaw Review

Outlaw by Angus Donald

(from the back of the book)
In the bloody underworld of 12th century England, one man reigns supreme. Robin Hood steals from the Church and gives protection to the poor – but at a price. And the price is silence. Informers are mutilated, traitors are murdered, and all must submit to Robin’s justice. As Alan Dale, a young thief running from the law, is thrown into this violent world, he finds that to survive he must exploit his quick reflexes, light fingers and unique musical talent. Robin, a mentor and father-figure to Alan, teaches him how to fight and more importantly, how to win. But in the England of Henry II, dangerous forces are allied against Robin and his men and it will take more than luck, more than skill, if they are to survive the savage assaults by the Norman rulers and the treachery and betrayal from some of their own.


This tale of Robin Hood is dark, bloody and completely unromantic. This is not a story about a hero for the oppressed. Robin rules the forest and the people with an iron fist and is quick to dispense bloody punishment for transgressions. It could be an interesting concept but I had trouble seeing it. Robin has the loyalty of the people and Alan, the narrator of the story, loves him as does Friar Tuck but I don’t know why. The indefinable qualities that made him a leader of men, someone who draws people to him didn’t really come through. Alan was sympathetic at first but the more I got to know him the less I liked him and the less I wanted to see him succeed. I wanted to be able to root for someone in this story and I couldn’t. I wanted to want to know these people, and I didn’t. There is a lot of action. Sword fights, recues, betrayals, battles and lots and lots of killing. I like that Tuck was conflicted about his loyalty to Robin and there were some things he would not take part in. It gave a sense that Robin’s actions were not being totally excused. Donald does a good job of bringing the setting to life and by putting the meaning of some of the words right in the text (i.e. ‘he swung a heavy falchion, a thick bladed sword’) manages to keep it authentic without sending you to the dictionary. It is a harsh, grim, sometimes even vulgar story so don’t go looking for fairy tales here. There is enough fighting and blood to satisfy any action lover but it is the action that drives and carries the story and not the characters. And though I liked to book well enough I would have liked to see a little more balance between the two.

The Friday 56, Madame Tussaud

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to Freda's Voice.
*Add your (url) post to Linky on Freda’s post

This week the book is Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran.

The sentence:

“What should it matter who hands the queen her underwear so long as she’s wearing some?”

I quite agree but apparently it made quite a big deal to quite a few people. If it’s done wrong it starts all over. I can’t imagine having to get dressed like that.

Theme Thursday -- Emotion

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Hosted by Reading Between Pages.

Anyone can participate in it.
The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word) Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme is – EMOTION

“I did not know what she was until now,” he said. “But I knew the first time I saw her that she was something more than I could see. Unicorn, mermaid, lamia, sorceress, Gorgon – no name you give her would surprise me, or frighten me. I love whom I love.”

“That’s a very nice sentiment,” Schmendrick said. “But when I change her back into her true self, so that she may do battle with the Red Bull and free her people –“

“I love whom I love,” Prince Lir repeated firmly. “You have no power over anything that matters.”

-- The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle