(Book Review) Not the Heir by Hudson Warm // Spoiler-Free

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.   My opinions are my own.

Title: Not an Heir

Author: Hudson Warm

Publisher: Hudson Warm

Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Synopsis:

A jealous prince. A legendary key. An enchanted forest.

In the kingdom of Silverkeep, seventeen-year-old Basil Avington is accustomed to his opulent life as a prince. That is, until the king’s unforeseen death. Now the future is approaching sooner than Basil thought. His twin—eldest by seven minutes—has stolen his first love, his dignity, and soon, will take the throne. There’s only one way for Basil to attain power: embarking on a perilous venture to find King Philip’s key, which, according to ancient lore, bestows the kingdom upon its possessor. But it’s been lost for centuries.

Armed with only a bejeweled sword and imaginative wit, Basil is not prepared for what’s to come. The magical forest of Golden Grove will pull him into a world of horse-legged satyrs, a stunning nymph, and the evil Ambrosia—a forest tyrant with baffling powers. His selfish hunt for the key will endanger his life, but failure would lead to an unbearable existence second to his undeserving brother.

Unfortunately, the Silverkeep throne seats one.

Review

This book reminded me of the world of Narnia especially when I was reading about the enchanted forest. I love every aspect of the world building in this story. The magical creatures just added more flavour to it. But I wish there had been a magic system with rules that would make the world more interesting. Nonetheless, this world was still intriguing to read. 

I like the story though I would prefer the plotline to be a bit more layered, especially the romance. I’m glad that Warm kept the story simple and easy to digest. The pacing was good. And I cannot help but be excited for Basil’s journey to discover the hidden key in the later chapters. 

Warm definitely portrayed the life of a jealous prince SO well that I could see his compressed pain on the page and that made me root for the character even more. I love the structure of how the kingdom worked. It really made me feel like I was right there watching the characters do their daily routine. Hence, it was real to me. This was a good debut, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

That concludes my review.

I rate this 3.5/5.

 

“Not the Heir” comes out today! Grab your copy now! 

 

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(Movie Review) The Lion King // Spoiler-Free

Based on Disney’s The Lion King by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton

Directed by Jon Favreau

Produced by Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Silver and Karen Gilchrist

Screenplay by Jeff Nathanson

Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and James Earl Jones

Genre: Musical

Synopsis: The plot follows Simba (voiced by Donald Glover), a young lion who must embrace his role as the rightful king of his native land following the murder of his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones) at the hands of his uncle, Scar (voiced by Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Review

I need to get this off my chest: I dislike everything about this movie.

Not because they changed the cast, but because of the acting of the new cast.  The conversations were too scripted and unnatural. I couldn’t connect with any of them. The essence wasn’t there. Young Simba and Nala didn’t have a sense of innocence and wonder compared to the characters in the animated movie. 

 

Timon was a disappointment. His irony didn’t come through. He wasn’t at all funny. I found him to be the meerkat who told bad jokes. It didn’t fit his character. Even James Earl Jones’ (who’s the original voice of Mufasa) character didn’t come across well. It sounded like someone trying too hard to be James Earl Jones.

 

This movie was a letdown. It is sad to see that most of the characters aren’t as well developed as the ones I watched as a kid in the original film, though the producers managed to avoid the plot holes found in the animation. But it missed the heart of the original and lacked the depth portrayed by the 1994 characters.

 

That concludes my review. I rate this 6/10.

 

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(Movie Review) Spider-Man: Far From Home // Spoiler-Free

 Based on Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

Directed by Jon Watts

Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers

Produced by Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal

Starring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Genre: Action

Synopsis: Parker is recruited by Nick Fury and Mysterio to face the Elementals while he is on a school trip to Europe.

Review

Not what I expected. I didn’t expect it to start as it did.

I enjoyed watching Peter Parker as a student, going on trips and juggling his crazy life. Now that is one thing I would like to see more of. His relationship with Mary Jane is simply different from the other versions/remakes. I love watching Peter’s stress building up from multitasking two things at once. Yes, I know I’m cruel but I live for that. Seeing the characters struggling is far more interesting and entertaining. We can get another sense of his student life as well as being Spider-Man. I need more of that. I also love that the movie portrays the awkwardness in teenagers which is rarely shown in shows.

 

I am glad that there are bits here and there of students noticing that their classmate is missing. And thank God that they didn’t act as though Peter Parker doesn’t exist as in most superhero movies tend to do. I love it that we as the viewers don’t have to go through another cycle of someone guessing who’s under the mask. To avoid spoilers, I can’t say more about this. It’s a  superhero cliche. It’s tiring and that needs to change but thank goodness it did in this movie. Nobody is that dumb after all. Well, that concludes my review.

 

I rate this 9/10.

 

I am looking forward to the third movie. THAT ENDING had me stoked, and I cannot wait for the next one!!!

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(Book Review) Karma’s Children: Discovery by Maverick Moses // Spoiler-Free

I received an advance reader copy of ‘Karma’s Children: Discovery’ from the author in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

Title: Karma’s Children: Discovery (Karma’s Children #1)

Author: Maverick Moses

Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Mastermind Resource Group

Goodreads Synopsis: After a tragic accident leaves a fellow high school student dead, Krista, Klause, and Kevin Atwood find themselves linked to each other, and entangled in a mysterious force that threatens
the lives of those around them.

Their mother, the physical embodiment of Karma, herself, has no idea what’s happening to her children—which leaves Krista, Klause, and Kevin alone to discover the purpose of their potentially sinister birthright.

Now, thrust into the grey area of a world that seems black and white on the surface, the children struggle to figure out the true nature of their dangerous new abilities, while getting pulled by two opposing forces hoping to corrupt their hearts and guide them against the other.

Will the Atwood siblings figure out how to control their powers before anyone else gets hurt? Or will they become corrupted by the darkness of their newfound abilities?

The first of a twisted urban fantasy trilogy, Karma’s Children: Discovery is wrought with hidden desires, evil in disguise, and action-packed mystery—perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Kim Chance.

Review

The writing style was a bit odd to me at first and it took me a few pages to get into the characters’ heads. It was a bit slow in the beginning but it did pick up the pace. I realised it was written in third person omniscient which I am not too familiar with. I usually cannot sync with the style but this book made it easy for me to understand, and it wasn’t that chaotic.

 

I felt like it had too many characters and I couldn’t keep track of each and every one of them. I wish the author had toned it down. Or maybe I am not used to reading about so many characters all at once.

 

All in all, I love the plotline as it is different. I love originality! It gave me some Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children vibes because of its intensity, level of darkness, and the richness of an unusual story. It is action-packed and has a retro feel to the tone of the story and characters. And that kept me entertained throughout.

 

I rate this 4/5.

 

If you are fans of Derek Landy’s The Demon Road Trilogy and Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children, I recommend this series.

 

“Karma’s Children: Discovery” is out now!!!

 

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(Movie Review) Mirai // Spoiler-Free

Other names: Mirai of the Future, Mirai no Mirai, Future Girl’s Future

Literally means Mirai’s Future

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Produced by Nozomu Takahashi, Yūichirō Saitō, Takuya Itō, Yūichi Adachi, Genki Kawamura

Language: Japanese

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Family, Drama

Starring: Moka Kamishiraishi, Haru Kuroki, Gen Hoshino, Kumiko Aso, Mitsuo Yoshihara, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Koji Yakusho and Masaharu Fukuyama

Music by Masakatsu Takagi

Edited by Shigeru Nishiyama

Synopsis:  In a quiet corner of the city, four-year-old Kun Oota has lived a spoiled life as an only child with his parents and the family dog, Yukko. But when his new baby sister Mirai is brought home, his simple life is thrown upside-down; suddenly, it isn’t all about him anymore. Despite his tantrums and nagging, Mirai is seemingly now the subject of all his parents’ love.

To help him adapt to this drastic change, Kun is taken on an extraordinary journey through time, meeting his family’s past, present, and future selves, as he learns not only what it means to be a part of a family, but also what it means to be an older brother.

Review

I found the movie simple but entertaining and relatable. Though I don’t have a younger sibling or siblings, as a child all you can think of is attention. That’s what this is movie is about – Kun throwing tantrums to get his parents to notice. But all he got was the harsh reality that “attention” fades as you grow older. It is part of growing up.

 

It was a bit strange at first when the fantasy element came to play. I thought it was Kun’s imagination. It could be or it couldn’t – it was up to the viewers to believe that such a thing can happen. I like it in a movie where it is up to the viewers to think whatever. I love that it is both experimental and meaningful. I like surprises! And what’s even cooler that it ties into the main plot. LIKE this thing happening to Kun as he travels through time IS meant to be. If you enjoy Meet the Robinsons, then I highly recommend this.

That concludes my review.

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