SHANNARA CHRONICLES Season 1

The Shannara Chronicles
A television series adaptation of the Shannara books by Terry Brooks
Genre: post-apocalyptic fantasy
Format: dvd box set

About The Shannara Chronicles:

The Shannara Chronicles roughly follows the storylines set out in The Elfstones of Shannara, set in the fictional Four Lands. As the series opens, demons start to return after being banished from this world to a place known as the Forbidding — locked by an ancient tree called the Ellcrys. The series chronicles the journey of Wil, Amberle and Eretria who, with the guidance of the last druid Allanon, must go on a quest to protect the Ellcrys from dying and releasing all the banished demons back into the Four Lands.

Source: Info in the About The Shannara Chronicles was taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shannara_Chronicles on 29/05/2017.

Book Trailer:

Allanon

My Thoughts:

For some reason I kinda imagined Allanon to be Gandalf-like, not that I'm complaining about Manu Bennett, mind. :)

The main reason I stopped reading the The Sword Of Shannara, four chapters in, is that I got annoyed with the "too stupid to live" (TSTL) element in it. I was kinda hoping that this would get lost in the translation from the book into TV series. That, was wishful thinking... *sigh*... With our heroes/heroines being TSTL, it's a good thing that our villains are such incompetent, eh?! Otherwise the fight of good versus evil is lost. As if that is not enough, Poppy Drayton can't act... *another sigh*... But anyway, the world building is beautiful. The cinematic effects are great and almost flawless. The plot is not bad. And, I really, really like the premise! **says the fantasy geek in me** Hopefully season 2 will see less TSTL and more kick-ass fantasy! By the way, is season 2 really happening??

Empirical Evaluation:
Cinematography = 4.5
Acting = 3.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Plot = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

FTC Disclosure:

This box set was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

TEMPTATION TRIALS Part 1 & Giveaway

The Book

Temptation Trials Part 1 by Brandy Truly
Genre: Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Romance

About Temptation Trials Part 1:

Temptation Trials
Part I
Will You Be Tempted? Will Love Save Your Soul?

One nation under his reign.

Cardinal sins of man caused humanity to pay the price. Cali Nasser grew up in a world succeeding World War III. The aftermath forced the world dictatorship that she must now live in. A new Regime arose from the ashes. They demanded obedience and cooperation from every citizen, even in matters of the heart.

One domain ... One accord … One nation. That is the moral code. In Cali’s eyes, it all revolves around a twisted plot for control.

It used to sicken Cali how people would allow the Regime to test their love through the Temptation Trials. That is, until she met Kincade. Cali’s entire point of view changes when she falls for him. She struggles with herself, debating if she should challenge the government’s law of arranged marriage.

Cali’s childhood friend, Stefani, always kept a positive perspective about their lives until she was threatened with the same dilemma, at odds over the man she loves.

Now Cali and Stefani face a desperate choice — submit to the Regime’s will, or fight for what they value most — love. Although lust, mistaken for love, could lead to damnation. Do they give up on love or sign up for the Temptation Trials, a reality TV show where every temptation is laid before them?

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Can love save their souls?

Rated Mature 18 +
Adult, Dystopian Romance with sensuality and sexual content.

Source: Info in the About Temptation Trials Part 1 was from the press kit from the publicity team.

Buy Link(s):
 

Meet The Author

About Brandy Truly:

B. Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old and is grateful to have accomplished this dream. She has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She’s addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of action and sci-fi. She writes New Adult and Adult, Romance. Sci-fi, Dystopian, and Paranormal genres.

B. Truly likes to explore different elements of sci-fi romance, and create various realms of reality. She also loves creating impossible situations for her characters to grow from and try to overcome.

B. Truly has three wonderful children and a husband who defines the person that she is today. She works full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Houston, Texas.

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Giveaway

$15 Amazon Giveaway:

5 pts (Comment on Facebook Banner)
https://www.facebook.com/BTrulysFantasies

5 pts (Comment on Twitter Banner)
https://twitter.com/BrandyTruly

5 pts (Comment on Blurb) Cherry Homepage

4 pts ( Tweet about Give-away)
https://twitter.com/BrandyTruly

3 pts (Follow on Goodreads)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276631.B_Truly

2 pts (Add to Read Goodreads, Temptations Trials Part I)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34396154-temptation-trials-part-i

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THE BATTLEMAGE (Summoner Book 3)

 

The Battlemage by Taran Matharu
Book 3 of the Summoner series
Read by Dominic Thorburn
Genre: epic fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

 

  About The Battlemage:

One boy's ability to summon demons will change the fate of an empire ... The epic conclusion to the fantasy trilogy described as 'Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings meets Pokemon'.

After the thrilling cliffhanger at the end of book two, we rejoin Fletcher and his friends in the ether, where they must undertake a mortally dangerous quest, all the while avoiding capture by enemies and facing foes more terrifying than anything they have yet encountered.

But this is nothing compared to what truly lies ahead for Fletcher, as his nemesis, albino orc Khan, is on a mission to destroy Hominum and everything and everyone that Fletcher loves.

Epic battles, dramatic revelations and breathtaking drama await in the third and final book in the New York Times bestselling Summoner series.

Source: Info in the About The Battlemage was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31687423-the-battlemage on 09/05/2017.

 

Ignatious

My Thoughts:

I like the story telling quality of this author, the world building is beautiful and the character development is solid. What I do not like is the author's tendency to have a cliffhanger ending and the good guys don't necessarily win. However, this being the third in a trilogy, we got a nice ending. Hurray!! Having said that, there is another book in this series, I presume to be the first in another trilogy or so, in this world. I like the thought that this book is not the end of it because I came to like this world so I am very happy to see more books coming out for this series and got an ending with this book at the same time! Kudos for this book!

There are a few issues in the story that I find a little too unrealistic, I had to force myself to turn a blind eye on them so as not to mar the beauty of the book... I mean, like, Zacharrias Forsyth and Inquisitor Rook are not stupid, and they could not immediately see that the staff could broadcast them to the entire nation?! So they condemn themselves and confess to boot, within earshot of the staff!! I mean... WTF! That is not just a weak plot, that is ridiculous! And that is the main reason that this book did not get a 5 out of 5. But despite that, this book did give an enjoyable reading time... you just have to be good at "selective inattention" and ignore weakness in the plot like that. Besides, Ignatious took a front and center role in the story! Who could begrudge that!!

  Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 4
Plot = 3
Narration = 5

  Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


  Books In The Summoner Series


 

The Author
	Taran Matharu is a New York Times bestselling author. He was born in London in 1990 and found a passion for reading at a very early age. His love for stories developed into a desire to create his own during early adolescence, beginning his first book at 9 years old. Straight after graduating with a First Class degree in Business Administration, Taran was keen to explore a new avenue and get inside the publishing world, landing an internship in Digital Sales at Penguin Random House, from June to September 2013. Thereafter, while taking time off to travel, Taran began to write ‘Summoner’ in November 2013 at the age of 22, taking part in ‘Nanowrimo 2013’. Thanks to Wattpad.com and updating daily, its popularity dramatically increased, reaching over 3 million reads in less than six months. After being featured by NBC News, Taran decided to launch his professional writing career and has never looked back. His SUMMONER series is published by Hodder Children’s (Hachette) in the UK, Australia and Commonwealth, Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) in the US and Canada, Hachette Jeunesse in France, Heyne in Germany, Planeta in Spain, Crown in Taiwan, Record in Brazil, EKSMO in Russia, Jaguar in Poland, Ecliptic in Bulgaria, Alpress in the Czech Republic, Ithaki in Turkey and Unieboek in the Netherlands.
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FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

THE INQUISITION (Summoner Book 2)

The Inquisition by Taran Matharu
Book 2 of the Summoner series
Read by Dominic Thorburn
Genre: epic fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About The Inquisition:

A year has passed since the Tournament.

Fletcher and Ignatius have been locked away in Pelt’s dungeons, but now they must face a trial at the hands of the Inquisition, a powerful institution controlled by those who would delight in Fletcher’s downfall.

The trial is haunted by ghosts from the past with shocking revelations about Fletcher’s origins, but he has little time to dwell on them; the graduating students of Vocans are to be sent deep into the orc jungles to complete a dangerous mission for the king and his council. If they fail, the orcish armies will rise to power beyond anything the Empire has ever seen.

With loyal friends Othello and Sylva by his side, Fletcher must battle his way to the heart of Orcdom and save Hominum from destruction… or die trying.

Source: Info in the About The Inquisition was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25689056-the-inquisition on 14/02/2017.

Image Source: chepren

My Thoughts:

I like the story telling quality of this author, the world building is beautiful and the character development is solid. What I do not like is the author's tendency to have a cliffhanger ending and the good guys don't necessarily win. What a bummer!

Annnd... I have a new favourite... Athena! Apparently she's a Gryphowl.

The down side of reading the second part of the story after a year of reading the first part, is that I have forgotten most of the characters and/or the plot. I struggled to recall who is who for the first two-thirds of the book to keep up with the story. Consequently the flow was not very fast at all.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 1
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 2.5
Plot = 4
Narration = 4

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Other Books In The Summoner Series

The Author
	Taran Matharu is a New York Times bestselling author. He was born in London in 1990 and found a passion for reading at a very early age. His love for stories developed into a desire to create his own during early adolescence, beginning his first book at 9 years old. Straight after graduating with a First Class degree in Business Administration, Taran was keen to explore a new avenue and get inside the publishing world, landing an internship in Digital Sales at Penguin Random House, from June to September 2013. Thereafter, while taking time off to travel, Taran began to write ‘Summoner’ in November 2013 at the age of 22, taking part in ‘Nanowrimo 2013’. Thanks to Wattpad.com and updating daily, its popularity dramatically increased, reaching over 3 million reads in less than six months. After being featured by NBC News, Taran decided to launch his professional writing career and has never looked back. His SUMMONER series is published by Hodder Children’s (Hachette) in the UK, Australia and Commonwealth, Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) in the US and Canada, Hachette Jeunesse in France, Heyne in Germany, Planeta in Spain, Crown in Taiwan, Record in Brazil, EKSMO in Russia, Jaguar in Poland, Ecliptic in Bulgaria, Alpress in the Czech Republic, Ithaki in Turkey and Unieboek in the Netherlands.
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FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

A GAME OF GHOSTS

A Game Of Ghosts by John Connolly
Read by Jeff Harding
Charlie Parker series Book 15
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook

About A Game Of Ghosts:

It is deep winter. The darkness is unending.

The private detective named Jaycob Eklund has vanished, and Charlie Parker is dispatched to track him down. Parker's employer, Edgar Ross, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has his own reasons for wanting Eklund found.

Eklund is no ordinary investigator. He is obsessively tracking a series of homicides and disappearances, each linked to reports of hauntings. Now Parker will be drawn into Eklund's world, a realm in which the monstrous Mother rules a crumbling criminal empire, in which men strike bargains with angels, and in which the innocent and guilty alike are pawns in a game of ghosts . . .

Source: Info in the About A Game Of Ghosts was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31351922-a-game-of-ghosts on 07/04/2017.

Buy Link(s):
   

My Thoughts:

I was eagerly awaiting this book because I wanted to know how the media, i.e., news & entertainment, are following up on Jerome Burnel's media furor... unfortunately, there is nothing about Jerome Burnel in this book. The only part of the Jerome Burnel book that remained is Moxie Castin. It seems he is going to have a long-term role in the series to replace Aimee Price as Charlie's lawyer. Not bad for him and for the series. Another plus with this instalment in the Charlie Parker series is that we see more of cute Sam! And Angel & Louise! *yey*!! As if that is not enough goodness, Jeff Harding effected a very realistic Welsh accent for one of the characters! That made me smile! However, I don't know why John Connolly killed one of the anti-hero, though... I hope that there would be some sort of explanation in the subsequent books. It was just too sad to just let it go like that.

The end was kind of an anti-climactic. But it was still a good read.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs & 9 mins)
Plot = 5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Charlie Parker Series:
                           

About John Connolly
	John Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which he continues to contribute. He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States. This page is administered by John's assistant, Clair, on John's behalf. If you'd like to communicate with John directly, you can do so by writing to contact-at-johnconnollybooks.com, or by following him on Twitter at @JConnollyBooks.
www.johnconnollybooks.com | twitter | facebook | google+ | goodreads | amazon

About Jeff Harding
	Jeff Harding is one of the most active American actors based in Britain. He is regularly seen in film and TV but he maintains interest in fringe theatre. He is particularly active in voice-over and radio. Having competed in rowing for many years, he still lives by the Thames and rows regularly – an appropriate sport for the reader of Ben Hur.
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FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.