Review: A Promise of Fire [Adult/Sci-Fi]

A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #1) 

by Amanda Bouchet

Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice…

Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her…even if that means falling in love with her.

This book is not YA. It is suitable for adults and older readers due to sexual content as well as graphic violence.

My Thoughts:

In case you don't follow me on Goodreads, you might not be aware of my Ilona Andrews obsession. I got addicted to the genre of urban fantasy thanks to them and for a long time kept searching for novels that had an emotionally strong female and did not focus too much on world building (Basically Game of Thrones without the lengthy descriptions and family trees). I like intricate worlds but after a point I want to engage with the characters and not the world.

A Promise of Fire was a nice surprise. It had a strong and sassy heroine with an interesting family tree as well as a lot of political intrigue.According to Goodreads, it is to be a trilogy and the positive effects of this defined end can be seen when the plot progresses quickly and steadily.

I think the weakest link of the story is the alpha male in it. Though Griffin is a sweety, at times he just seems like a caricature when compared to Cat.His family has better character development. 

The book introduces us to an intriguing mythology. The secondary characters are well developed and certain scenes with them make the story almost unforgettable. 

Overall, I thoroughly recommend this book , especially if you're an Ilona Andrews fan or in the search for Percy Jackson for adults or a replacement for Trudi Canavan.

My Rating:

4.5/5

Movie Review: Your Name

Your Name

Japanese name: kimi no na wa

Blurb:

The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki's body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other.

Format: Animated Film 

My Thoughts:

I was lucky enough to watch one of the limited release shows of this film in a cinema hall. Before I start writing about what I thought about this film, I think a disclaimer is in order. I love anime and animated films so this review might be biased but I will be very surprised if this film does not win all the oscars in the animation category. 

Positives

• ART

I cannot stress how beautiful. How breathtakingly beautiful the art in this film is. I wanted to pause each frame and try to paint it. The sky, the monuments, the colours! All of them were amazing.  I'm going to try to find pictures to illustrate my point but most of them are not the best quality. You need to see this film in HD on a big screen or in the cinema to grasp how amazing the art is!

• MUSIC

The background music fit every scene. I still feel the emotions of the characters every time I hear the piano cover of 'Date 2' {as it is called on youtube, not sure what the official name is yet}. Apart from the original soundtrack and how well it fits the movie, I cannot stress how much the different sounds that add dramatic effect fit the film. There is a gong sound that plays every time there is a focus on the female protagonist's eyes when the comet is shown in the sky. The placement of this sound is brilliant. It shakes the audience out of it's wondrous stupor. You'll realise the importance of this sound when you see the film. 

• GEOGRAPHICAL AND CULTURAL MARKERS

The reason I was able to get immersed in the film was because of how real everything looked and how it focused on a realistic world building. There were clear cultural and geographical markers separating the urban from the rural. There was also a focus on myth making, more on that later. This is related to why the art is so breathtaking as well. The film's director focused on building the setting based on real places in Japan. You can read more on this here 

• FANTASTICAL and MYTHOLOGICAL ELEMENT

The focus on myths and creating a fantastical element that focused on God and time was extremely interesting. It really made you think and helped immerse you in the film's word-building. The idea of the threads and the entire body switching plot point were extremely entertaining. 

• STRONG CHARACTER BUILD UP

Both the protagonists were built up well. They were not one dimensional. I did think that the female protagonist (Mitsuha) could have had more build up than the male(Taki) but I understand why the focus shifted. Secondary characters were also built up well. 

Negatives

• PREDICTABLE STORY

The film uses a lot of tropes that are found in anime and even some found in films. Gender and body swaps are fairly common in films. Animosity between the characters is also common. I can't divulge more information about the plot without giving spoilers but a lot of the plot twists are predictable and a lot of tropes are used throughout the film.

• UNSTEADY and RUSHED START

The start of the film is pretty confusing. You're as confused as the protagonists. I also felt that there was a sort of rushed relationship that was formed between Mitsuha and Taki. They seem to become best friends almost instantly. The build up of a relationship would have been more believable.

• LACK OF EXPLANATION

Has this happened to people in Mitsuha's family before? Her grandmother mentions it and it's never mentioned again. Their friends never question how they get such weird habits every time they switch. And one more word which could be a slight spoiler so I'm just going to mention it..... PARADOX specifically a Time paradox. 

Overall, I loved the film and would recommend it to everyone. It's very close to being one of the best films I have seen in 2016 despite it's shortcomings. Let me end by saying that various individuals were crying or teary eyed when the film ended and I could not forget it even after days had passed.

My Rating:

JUST WATCH IT GUYS!

In HD or you won't enjoy it as much.

 

Review: November 9

November 9

by Colleen Hoover

 Blurb:

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.




My Thoughts:

You know how sometimes you just want to curl up under a blanket , make some popcorn and watch a romantic feel good film? Well if you want to read something that gives you the same feeling look no further than November 9.

Colleen Hoover generally writes some pretty heavy contemporary fiction but November 9 is dramatic,cheesy and predictable. It reminded me of One Day in parts and I can't recommend it enough.

The climatic twist was quite predictable and extremely dramatic which was the only thing that didn't really appeal to me but the way the relationship is built up between Fallon and Ben made my heart skip a beat. It was such a cute and brilliant way for two people to connect. It's highly unrealistic but it just works in the space of the novel.

Overall, November 9 satisfied my need for romance novels even though it was a young adult novel.It's not a feel good novel but it's like popcorn for the soul that can give fodder to your loveless (or add spark to your lovefilled) life.

My Rating:

3/5