Back To The Books Giveaway Hop

Sooo welcome welcome!! Since we already have enough giveaways ( they are at the sidebar under the followers - most of them international ) with books, i will give once more some swag!

Prize - 1 Winner:

Rules:

-Open International

-Deadline: Sept.7th 2011

- You do NOT have to be a follower, but it's always appreciated :)

CONTEST CLOSED!

Visit more than 300 blogs and giveaways at I'm A Reader Not Writer or

enter more giveaways in our own sidebar.

Book Review: Geist

Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists...

Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse.

But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows.

And if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in Hell is she returning to?

Geist (Book of the Order #1) by Philippa Ballantine
Paperback, 304 pages
Published 2011 by ACE

REVIEW:
Firstly this is one of the most beautiful covers i've ever seen in my life. The art is just plain amazing and totally makes you want to read the story without even looking the summary!

On the book now. Is it as good as its cover? Oh my...yes yes it is! Philippa Ballantine creates an original new world which gets you in from the first chapters. A story with mystery, lots of action, romance, friendship. There are so many books out there in fantasy worlds and most of them are around the same concept of heroes, and prophecies, and elves, and orcs, wizards,etc so Geist is definitely a nice change into those worlds with a combination ghosts,bits of steampunk and paranormal fantasy. There are no huge epic battles but there is some serious exciting action scenes with many twists though the story.

Another thing that i liked is how the characters are not teens who are new to the geist things but adults with lots of history behind. I liked how i learned the history of the world by learning more about their own history at the same time. And there is a character for everyone to like, a kick ass woman, a cute and bit shy at times but really strong (mentally and physically) guy, a hot exiled prince (who is actually pretty much awesome for more than his hotness!), a mysterious girl and many other secondary characters.

Even though the book is more of an introduction for the things to come, with many unanswered questions at the end, it totally stands alone as great novel. The first 2-3 chapters (how much i love when books start with an action scene!) where you meet everyone through some events are bit confusing since you don't know anything about this new world but it's actually really easy to adjust and remember everything.

The only thing i didn't like about the book is that i didn't pick it up earlier! Easy one of my favorite fantasy adventures which i can read again and again and stay with me through time!


The book is not YA, just saying. 

Thanks Philippa Ballantine for providing a copy of the book.

Movie Review: Colombiana

A young woman grows up to be a stone-cold assassin after witnessing her parents' murder as a child in Bogota. She works for her uncle as a hitman by day, but her personal time is spent engaging in vigilante murders that she hopes will lead her to her ultimate target - the mobster responsible for her parents' death.


Review:

When I saw that the movie was from the directors of Taken i was psyched! The movie was not disappointing but not amazing either. The acting was very good, the main actors were very believable all but the "romance" of Cataleya who was a stiff thing that barely showed any emotion. Now, on to the main movie. The plot was nothing unique, girl's parents are murdered in front of her, she vows vengeance, trains to be an assassin and so on and so on.

Then we have the first fake scenes in the movie, when a 9 year old girl runs away in a VERY spectacular way, I assume she was trained since she was a kid, but still its a bit excessive, then she reaches her uncle (who was awesome!) and agrees to train her as a killer just like that, with no argument whatsoever. After we pass another fake scene we start getting into the point. The scenes of assassination were pretty impressive and well shot as expected and some were almost believable.

Other than that the movie was more or less the same action movies with assassins, in the assassination scenes i bet that the protagonist wore no bra on purpose to excite the boys with her titties and nipples and stuff, the effects were good.

Well, other than that i only have to say that the movie was worth its time. It is not nearly as good as Taken but it was an interesting movie to pass the time. The choice of watching it in the cinema is up to you. If you like those kind of movies you will find it was worth the time, if not, then just wait for it to be out on DVD or you will cry your money.

Bookie Brunch - August 28

Welcome to Bookie Brunch!

Founder: Sasha Soren (Random Magic)

Come join the discussion!
*Every Sunday*

Your host this week:
Yiota & Nina from Splash of our Worlds
Guests:
Ashley at The Bookish Brunette (@BookBrunette)
Phanee at Funny Wool (@funnywool)
blackplume at Blackplume (@blackplumetwits)

Question Under Discussion
What's the most important part of a book for you, characters or plot?
Related topics to consider: Will you consider buying a book, because you liked the character even though you disliked the plot, and the opposite?

Yiota (host) @ Splash of our Worlds

>Hmmmm....i'm not sure how i can choose between them but i think characters might have a priority for me. A not good created plot sometimes can get used to or for curiosity and only i would not give up. But if i really dislike a character i don't think i can go on reading. The plot evolves around the characters and if they don't make the right to click to me, i would not care of the story or anything else. Something like life. We don't always like the "plot" but we are not giving up, on characters on the other hand....

>I would buy a book if i like a plot (by like i mean LOVE,ADORE,OBSESSED,MAGNIFICENT not just like) but i don't like the character but not the opposite. In a book, you can't dislike everyone. Someone will be there to like and let you follow the story you like so much. But if i can't connect to the story at all, i will probably fall asleep,so no character will save it.

And there are also times, the author do changes on second books,etc. So something i might disliked, it's "fixed". Again this apply to plot. I'm really mean with the characters. I don't remember ever giving someone a second chance. Especially if the person is the protagonist.

Nina (host) @ Splash of our Worlds

>It all has to do with the books I've read before buying the book. It has to do with the plot mostly, but if I read in the summary that it's about ex. a girl who meets a vampire guy and falls for him, and I have read vampire literature not long time ago, then I guess I'll pass or put it in my to-be-bought-and-read-someday list.

>Again, it has to do with the prevoius books I've read, but there have been times when I bought a book because the plot was really interesting, even thought I knew that the lead character will piss me off for some reason and, as for the other part of the question, I still choose books from the same series, because I like just one of the characters and not all of them ex. in The Southern Vampire Mysteries I like Eric more than I like Sookie and the whole book is from her point of view, and I only keep reading them for him.

Ashley @ Bookish Brunette

>To me, they are both EQUALLY important! If I despise the characters, then it doesn't matter how AWESOME the plot was- because I can't get past how much I hate the characters. And vice-versa... Even if I adore a character(s), it won't make the story-line and/or plot any better, if it is a disaster!

>No. I have to have the whole package... all or nothing. If anything was just 'meh' for me, then why waste my money when I could spend it on a different book that might rock my world? Now, say the first book in a series showed promise... then I would probably buy the second book if I disliked a character or the plot in the first.

Phannee @ Funny Wool

>When I am reading books, I find that both the characters and the plot are equally important. Sometimes, a plot can be really good; it might be a very original idea, or, even if it isn’t completely original, you can see that it has approached the matter at hand in a completely different way to others. The same applies to characters. Regardless of the plot, you can have characters who just barely scratch the surface (meaning that they don’t really stand out as something different) and you can also have characters that express themselves in a unique way; they have a voice, so to speak.
So, you see, both plot and characters are essential to a story. What if a story sounded so good plot-wise and when you got round to reading it, you found that the characters in it were so bland that the plot completely lost its appeal? It works the other way too; you might have a storyline where the only thing worth mentioning is the characters. The story actually flows through them; it is worth reading only because the characters make it worth reading – they have something different and meaningful to say, which you might not have encountered in other novels with similar plots. Both a good plot with bad characters and a bad plot with good characters make for an “incomplete” story. You need both to make it work.

>As for whether I would buy a book because I liked the character but not the plot or the opposite, I think it would depend. If I had had the chance to read a book as a review copy or I had borrowed it from someone and it turned out I hadn’t liked either the plot or the characters, I don’t think I would bother buying a copy of my own. But, if I had read the first book in a series and I didn’t like the plot/characters, then I probably would buy the second one, as I really don’t like leaving series unfinished. Even if I didn’t like either the plot or the characters, I would probably still try the second book out. I wouldn’t rush to get it as soon as it is published, but I would probably try to read it sometime in the future. (Which I don’t think many people do... Maybe I’m just weird.)

blackplume @ Blackplume

>Do I really need to choose only one? Both are important to me. I think they are both essentials to make a great book. You wouldn't have a good book without a good plot and you wouldn't have a story without the character. Choosing only one is really hard. Most of the time I go first with the plot because that's what really drives the story. A strong plot makes the characters more define and stronger. But there are books that I read because of the characters which usually in book series. When I get attached to the characters the plot doesn't bother me much. I delve into them mo matter what happens.

>In general, I buy books that piqued my interest. If the book is new to me or the author is unknown the story is my main concern in buying. But if the book is part of a series I already read, I still got this tendency to finished what I started even I don't like much the story. I'm always curious what happens next to the the characters I get attached to. So I guess I buy books because I want to read it whether it is for the story or the characters.

Take part and see the full Bookie Brunch Schedule.  

If you’d like to be a host/guest for an upcoming brunch: @StoryWings

If you’d like to bring goodies for a giveaway: @StoryWings

If you’d like to suggest a question: @LiederMadchen
If you’d like to browse all Bookie Brunch discussions (Archive): The Fluidity of Time

What do you guys think? Tell us your opinion and feel free to discuss at the comments, and come back multiple times and comment again, and again, and again....

GIVEAWAY

While sailing around the Caribbean, Ann Vanderhoof and her partner track wild goats in the Dominican Republic, gather nutmegs on an old estate in Grenada, make searing-hot pepper sauce in a Trinidadian kitchen, cram for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of the West Indies, and sip moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills.

For those who want to take these adventures into their own kitchens,she includes 71 delicious recipes linked to the stories she tells.
The Spice Necklace is a wonderful escape into a life filled with sunshine (and hurricanes), delicious food and irreplaceable company.
 Hardcover. 480 pages.

Rules:

>To win this cute travel book, please leave email info and thoughtful or interesting comment below.
>A winner will be picked at random. If host and guests agree that a
specific visitor comment is substantial,outstanding, or in some other way has particular merit, they can override random.org pick at their discretion.
>International
>Deadline: Sept.21st, 2011 - 12 midnight EDT

Brought by: Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Watch the trailer for Random Magic or browse this book

In My Mailbox - August 2011

Meme by The Story Siren

Okay..let's see if i remember what everyone bought :p

Anonymous Minion F:
A Storm of Swords by George Martin

Johnny:
Spectyr by Philippa Balantine - bought
Legends of the Dragonrealm by Richard Knaak - bought

Yiota
Virals by Kathy Reichs - gift
Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney - gift
Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade - won
Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman - bought (2nd hand)
Short stories of Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens,etc for kids - bought
Bookmarks, trading cards & my getglue stickers

What did you get this week? Leave your links at the comments :)

Stakeland, Movie Review

Martin was a normal teenage boy before the country collapsed in an empty pit of economic and political disaster. A vampire epidemic has swept across what it's left of the nation's abandoned towns and cities, and it's up to Mister, a death dealing, rogue vampire hunter, to get Martin safety to North Canada, the continent's New Eden.

REVIEW:
What you should know while reading this review is that when I started watching the movie, I was tired. I, basically, didn't really want too watch it, but I knew that I had to.

Good things: The lead actor, Connor Paolo, I've only seen him in Gossip Girl and it was really good to watch him in something completely different. As for the other members of the cast, some were good, others not so good. The world, this destroying USA was really good. I don't know where the movie was shouted but they found places without any soul, empty roads, which is rare in my country, and demolished homes.
Bad things: The story, it wasn't clear of what happened and how people transformed into those things, except for a reference. It was also a little similar to another movie I've seen called Zombieland, I mean that there were also rules to survive and there was also a rumored place where there were not these creatures. And the creatures, I don't know how the writers were thinking, but the creatures looked like zombies, they eat like zombies, but they were called vampires. They even had fangs. Also, back to the story, a thing that was particularly disturbing is that there was a group of people who were thinking that the vampires are good and they have a purpose being there. Basically, in my opinion, they were idiots. I understand the fact that there could be people who are opposite the others, but when it comes to men-eating beasts, how can you support them??

I mentioned before that I had a tiring day, which brings me to the funny part of my night. You know when you see a thriller you can, more or less, understand when a scary scene is going to follow. So, I was in the beginning of the movie, thinking that maybe I should turn it off and go to sleep, while another, small part of my mind was informing me that the scary creture is going to make its debut. But being tired meant that I was a little sleepy, so when the scary creature did appeared, I totally freaked out and scared. That was enough to wake me up and watch the rest of it with no problem.

Bottom line, it wasn't my best and it wasn't my worst. It was fine and light, you can say, for those who are fond of thrillers. But unless you like them, I recommend you to skip it.

Book Review: Immortal Wars

A bloody war is raging across the oceans, with the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals allied against the renegade Vampirates led by Sidorio and a heavily pregnant Lady Lola.

Meanwhile, Connor and Grace Tempest each have their own important roles to play- He as a pirate warrior at the heart of the battle, she as a powerful healer working with the war-wounded. As the twins face their greatest challenges yet, old allies and former foes return for the ultimate battle...

Immortal War (Vampirates #6) by Justin Somper
Paperback, 401 pages
Published 2011 by Simon & Schuster UK

REVIEW:
I was getting crazy from the waiting for this book! I just really love the series and after the last one, i had to read the next one fast.


Twists, action, killing...a lot of killing and blood actually and a few drops of romance and mystery make this book even better than the rest. I don't think something is missing from this book. The blending of young adult with a more darker environment, violence (that how vampires are you know...), magic, kick ass characters, how even small and not that important characters grow up and have their own little parts, sad moments, the fact that is war and not all good guys will live happily ever after and so many other things is unbelievable. You never get tired or bored. There is always something going on without being too much for one book, at the same time.

Main change for me is how much i liked both, Grace and Connor in this one. I usually liked Grace or Connor at some, depends how they change through the story. But i finally, we see how they grow up and matured and i loved both the good and bad sides of them. They are not perfect, they are not the same and they don't afraid to accept that.


Of course another big part of the book are our fellow bad guys, which are really mean. Especially Lola who scares me to death! She is just so mean, and bad and vicious! I highly doubt she loved Sidorio, even though he was the evil husband. I really wanted someone to hit her or something...i can't say she didn't get what she deserved. On the other hand i felt a sympathy for Sidorio. He might was a bad guy, but he was kind of an honorable man..or better vampire :p


Immortal War is the most epic of all the books. Sadly is the last one of the series (still some questions left unanswered - how dare you Mr.Somper!). If you haven't try the series yet, you should. I know i had fun and enjoyed each one of them for different reasons each one.

ALSO REVIEWED:

Vampirates - Demons Of The Ocean
Vampirates - Tide Of Terror
Vampirates - Dead Deep
Vampirates - Blood Captain
Vampirates - Empire Of The Night

Haven : Series Review (Season 1)

About: Shrewd and confident FBI Special Agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) has a lost past and an openness to the possibility of the paranormal. When she arrives in the small town of Haven, Maine, on a routine case, she soon finds herself caught up with the return of The Troubles, a plague of supernatural afflictions that occurred in the town at least once before. If that was not enough to draw her in, she also finds a link that may lead her to the mother she has never known.

Review: Haven! What an amazing series! The reason I decided to watch it was Yiota, I didn't even know what it was about when I started watching it.

Haven is not a very unique series because many of the weird things that happen in Haven I have already seen them happen in “Fringe”. On the one hand, this means that someone that likes “Fringe” would like “Haven”, on the other hand that is not completely true!

To begin with, the series is about a small town, where weird crimes take place and an FBI agent moves there to investigate them and also to find her mother. The agent is Emily Rose as Audrey Parker, in my opinion she is great for this role and also she makes a great team with Lucas Bryant as Nathan Wuornos, of Haven PD. But my favorite characters of the show are Eric Balfour as Duke Crocker, the port town's smuggler, who is a “bad boy” and Richard Donat as Vince Teagues and John Dunsworth as Dave Teagues, the editors of the Haven Herald (they are two lovely elderly brothers).

The first season has 13 episodes of 40 minutes each. In this season we get to know all the characters but there are many mysteries and secrets in Haven that we don't get answers about them. There is a second season two since July 14/2011 until September 30/2011 with 12 episodes.

Generally I love detective fiction, this series like many others take detective fiction to an other level by adding supernatural elements. Personally I really liked it and I am going to watch season 2 as well, I recommend it to those of you who like detective fiction and supernatural stuff !


**The show is being based on the Stephen King story "The Colorado Kid", a 2005 mystery novella**

Titan Quest:Immortal Throne Review

Overview:

Titan Quest™: Immortal Throne™ is the action-packed expansion to the 2006 RPG hit, Titan Quest. Brian Sullivan, award-winning co-creator of Age of Empires and Titan Quest, continues the epic story across the dark and more sinister Underworld of Hades.

In this epic quest of good versus evil, players will encounter the greatest villains of Greek mythology, brave the attacks of Cerberus, and hazard the banks of the River Styx. Along with new foes, players will find new allies. Players will interpret the prophecies of the blind seer Tiresias, fight alongside Agamemnon and Achilles, and use the wiles of Odysseus to conquer this dark new adventure.

• 10 Additional Character Levels - allows players to bring existing and new characters to new heights, along with higher level equipment and skills
• 8 New Character Classes - The expansion pack features an entirely new skill mastery, which combines with existing skill masteries to create eight new exciting character classes.
• New Exotic Monsters and Locations - Quest through exotic locations in the Mediterranean area and ultimately descend across the river Styx into the heart of Hades. Defeat terrifying new monsters on your way to victory!
• Artifacts & Enchanters - A new type of rare equipment that gives the player characters a powerful bonus. Plus, new non-player characters that can create artifacts from recipes.
• More Unique Equipment - Uncover hundreds of powerful new unique items and use Caravans to store them as you quest through the Underworld of Hades

Review:

Alright, lets get one thing straight about this game. There is killing, LOTS AND LOTS OF it. The main point of this game is run around KILLING anything you see, until you find bosses which you will KILL to forward the story, which also has sidequests which will involve you to KILL something or find something which is usually guarded by something you will have to KILL. After you KILL pretty much everything you see that doesnt have a quest over its head or is not human you will end up in the 2 final bosses which you will KILL, especially the final boss of the expansion which you have to KILL 3 times. After all this KILLING and more KILLING you will save the world twice and everyone will be happy, except the millions of creatures you just KILLED. Then you will be able to pass through a portal and RE-KILL everything in a harder difficulty which will give you access to better looking merchant equipment and generally more badass items and harder things to KILL. Now, some of you might wonder when will I start making any sense. Well that will never happen and you know it, however i will break down the KILLING in its parts.

Story:

Now, the first part of the game before the expansion is pretty interesting. You wake up in a house somewhere in Helos, in Greece...yes...IN GREECE BITCHES WOOT. And after you KILL a few satyrs and a boar you enter the main storyline. Monsters are running around in Greece causing mayhem (which you will KILL every single one of them or something) and you have to go and save the village. When you do that by KILLING the satyr shaman you get the quest that you need to give a message to Leonidas the king of Sparta, but when you reach there, in order for Leonidas to see you, you have to diplomatically talk down a centaur chieftain to stop his attacks.....Haaha I almost got you there, no you just KILL him and get on with it. Take the whole KILLING aside (which is pretty much the whole game) then you have a pretty interesting story. I think it had potential with the whole, 3 sort of mega monsters are severing the bond between the gods and mortals and free the Titan Typhon who threatens to destroy everything starting with the gods and blah blah blah.

It was rather nice that they managed to blend in Greek, Egyptian a bit of Babylonian and Chinese mythology into the game. And they managed not to completely destroy everything that is Greek in the process (I cant speak for rest of the nations since I dont really know how they were. But they seemed pretty close, at least Egyptian).

However the expansion came and they just could not resist butchering Greek mythology. Despite the undeniable epicness of the whole thing and the pretty clever and unique addition they did, meaning that you get to fight in the elysium fields to stop the army of Hades from killing all the spirits of the dead. So you get to fight (or more correct, just talk to) many legendary heroes like Agamemnon and Odysseus. Its pretty epic at a point where you actually enter the front lines and there are battle sounds, you see explosions from catapults from the BADASS spirits that are holding the advance of the EEEVIIIL armies of Hades, and eventually you kill Hades...

Now here are the basic questions, 1st: WHAT THE HELL DO DEMONS HAVE TO DO WITH HADES?, 2nd: WHY THE HELL WOULD HADES KILL HIS OWN PEOPLE? THE DEAD? 3rd: WHY IS HE THE BAD GUY?!
I know what many of you will say "but he is the god of the underworld he is eeviiil" BULLSHIT! Hades in greek mythology is the god of the dead, ergo he is dead, meaning he has no emotions. That does not make him evil. I know that many of you would say that he is probably pissed that Zeus got the whole epic Olympus theme and he got the stinking dead, but you forget one thing. He is DEAD, so he CANT FEEL the need to be jealous and stuff. Quite honestly, Poseidon seems more likely to be the one waging that kind of a war since he IS resentful and jealous of Zeus, unlike Hades who, well doesnt really give a crap. But, if you manage to accept the fact that the Greek underworld in the game is pretty much like Hell, then ok, its a nice game.
Features:

Here is where the game really shines. The classes are well versed, pretty close to what they could be in the ancient times and the fact that you can combine 2 classes and create one hybrid class was pretty interesting. There were so many ways to KILL something in this game it is just plain funny. You could even manage to recreate a hoplite with spear and shield which I have never seen so it was a bit of a bonus. They also managed to grasp the idea of the ancient times and what they considered magic. I believe they did a tremendous job making everything appear heroic meaning that even if you pick the healing class you get a couple of badass wolves and a nymph to KILL stuff. In short, you can be pretty amazing no matter what you do, the question is, what do you feel like playing?

Then we go to the whole item features. Well lets face it, those types of games are about 2 things, KILLING stuff, and looking good when doing it. So in the second part they did a pretty good job. Depending on where you are in the game you get to look in 5 ways, 1st like an ancient Greek badass hero, 2nd like an ancient Egyptian badass hero, 3rd like a Babylonian badass hero, 4th like a Chinese badass hero and finally like a Roman-like or ancient-looking like badass hero. The badass part is unavoidable. And just when you think its over, there is more. SET ITEMS! because looking good when KILLING stuff is important to this game. As it SHOULD.

Summing it all up:

I know most of you are not sure if this is a positive or negative review. Well here is the final answer. I pretty much liked the game. Yeah i know it was inaccurate in a lot of stuff, it was also repetitive and boring and, lets face it, finishing it without a trainer is almost impossible without at least another player to KILL stuff with you. But it is a good game when you are bored and want to KILL something. Overall, its an ok game that it is bets played with friends when you feel like having some fun without thinking about, anything pretty much :P. I recommend it as a stress reliever as well. Its a game that is worth its space

Poster / Cover Awards - August 2011

Another new meme! Hope you enjoy it!!! ^^

How it works?
We post the poster/covers of a book and a movie with the first thought in our mind when we see them and pick the winner!
When posted?
Once each month.

---------------------

by Yiota

Poster Nominees - Fringe TV Series

WINNER -"THE IS AWESOME OLIVIA DUNHAM":

They don't tell you much of the series. Actually none of the posters are really close but those two look really cool. And if you take a closer look at the black poster, on Olivia's hair there are math equations :p Nice idea! And the blue one, make me feel like she is dreaming about something really cool and i want to know more!

Cover Nominees - The Emerald Atlas

  WINNER - "THIS AWESOME AND CREEPY":

I have to admit that i like all of them for different reasons. But this one has something...it looks magical, creepy and interesting at the same time. It might be a little simpler on graphics against the others but if you have read the book, it actually tells you more of the story.

Which ones you will pick? Do you have the same reactions like me when you see them?

Rio : Movie Review

About: From the makers of the hit Ice Age series comes Rio, a comedy adventure about taking a walk on the wild side. Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he's the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu's female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had.

Review: Rio ! I have been waiting this movie for a long time. From the trailer I knew I was going to like it. Unfortunately it disappointed me in some parts. Overall the story was really good, a bird who can 't fly goes to Rio and the adventure begins!

I watched the movie in two parts (2 different days). The first time I started watching it I got a little bored, so I stopped the movie, but today that I watched the second part I was really exited. In the beginning the movie is a little slow and a little predictable but after some point it gets really interesting.

I fell in love with Rio, the graphics were amazing, in the whole movie I was thinking how much I want to go there! Also the music was really good.

Apart from the two birds, who I really liked, the sidekicks (the three other birds) were amazing too. So many famous actors were in this movie, Jesse Eisenberg (Blu), Jamie Fox (Nico), Will I Am (Pedro), Anne Hathaway (Jewel)... Actually Anne Hathaway was the only voice that I recognized.

To sum up, it was a good movie, I was expecting more but it was ok. For me it was a 6/10.

TV Series: Falling Skies (Season 1)

FALLING SKIES opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the six months since the initial invasion, the few survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency campaign against the occupying alien force.

At the center of the series is Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), a Boston history professor whose family has been torn apart. His wife was killed in the initial attack, and one of his three sons has been captured. Determined to get his son back and to ensure the safety of his other two sons, Tom must put his extensive knowledge of military history to the test as one of the leaders of the resistance movement known as the 2nd Mass, because of their location in Boston, Mass. They are constantly trying to gain intelligence about the aliens in order to one day outsmart and overtake them and hopefully rebuild their lives.

Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) co-stars as Anne Glass, a pediatrician who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic upheaval in their lives. Will Patton (Armageddon, TNT's Into the West) plays a fierce leader of the resistance, Weaver. The series also stars Drew Roy (Secretariat) as Hal, Tom's oldest son and a growing fighter in the resistance movement; Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom's youngest son; Connor Jessup (The Saddle Club) as Ben, Tom's son who was captured by aliens; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps Anne in the group's makeshift medical clinic. Colin Cunningham (Living in Your Car) is John Pope, the leader of an outlaw motorcycle gang and Sarah Carter (Shark) is Margaret, a wary survivor of Pope's gang.

REVIEW:
It's funny but all this summary above doesn't have spoilers. It's all the necessary info for you to know what the series are about. So if you avoid reading, you better take a look at it since i'm not gonna write a story summary.

Even though i'm not really fun of alien stories, Noah Wyle and the trailers made me wanna watch the series and i did. The first episodes are slow and with less action than the trailer made you think. It's mostly around what's happening inside the 2nd Mass than actual war. At the middle episodes you get some action but then it slows once more. The last final episodes are the best of the series, not only because they have more action but because you also get some answers to most of the questions of the story and leave you with a really good cliffhanger. Need to add, that with slow episodes the show did have something to offer that kept you in.

I was actually really impressed with the acting. I was already fan of Noah Wyle, but i saw many new actors who could actually act. In general i have to say i liked the casting choices. They fit the characters good. Biggest surprise for me was Drew Roy who i had previously seen only in Hanna Montana and a Disney movie (kinda of a big step up eh?). He was really good. And then another favorite of mine was Colin Cunningham, kinda of a bad guy, who made you think he actually is the person who portrayed.

Lastly, the special effects were some of the best i've seen in weekly series and it's understandable why the show only had 12 episodes. They did sign for a 2nd season so yay us!

It might be not the best series around, but certainly has its good and bad moments and i enjoyed most of it.

P.S: I hate the intro! Almost every time i thought my monitor had some kind of problem!

ALSO REVIEWED:

Falling Skies Graphic Novel 

Movie Review: Fast Five

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed in Fast Five. In this installment, former cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) on the opposite side of the law. Dwayne Johnson joins returning favorites Jordana Brewster, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderon and Don Omar for this ultimate high-stakes race.

Since Brian and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) broke Dom out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail.

Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey... before someone else runs them down first.

REVIEW:
Let's make clear that after Fast & Furious 4 i was really disappointed. So when i learned about a 5th movie like "really? again? o.O". Then came the first trailer....and old characters were coming back...and Dwayne Johnson was in too. So i was more like "hmmm...i see what you did there".

Finally i got my hands on the movie, after hearing so many good things wow. What i can say? It was a LOT better of what i expected. I think it's probably my favorite one!

Okay so the acting is not that magnificent, but we already knew that from the rest movies. It's all about cars and action. And the 5th movie managed to make it more interesting by creating a "Ocean's 11" robbery and actually creating a decent storyline! Yes! Many people for different roles. Totally liked the idea! And they pulled it of nicely.
It doesn't have many hot girls in there like the 2nd or the 3rd movie, but personally i don't care since i am a girl. Instead it has Paul Walker who is as cute as ever...and Tyrese Gibson..and Sung Kang. So it's a win!

As for the special effects? Do i really have to say something? From the trailer you can see what's job where done with them. I can say the same for the music. And instead of rushing it, they gave it a good 2 hours.

Most people say that Fast & Furious movies are mostly for boys because of the cars,action and the half naked girls. I was one of them too. But i strongly believe this one change it. It was like they balanced it more, so they can hit a bigger audience.I still don't know how big the female audience is but they took good care of it and i liked it. Every bit of action, gunfight, joke is totally worth it.

A 6th movie is on the works.

From Dust PC Game Review

A Modern God-Game where Nature is the Star!

From Dust is the latest original game concept by Eric Chahi, creator of the cult classic, "Another World / Out of this World".

Immerse yourself in a world as exotically beautiful as it is dangerous! You control the destiny of a primitive tribe against the backdrop of a world in constant evolution universe where mighty Nature reclaims what is hers; and your mastery of the elements is your people's only chance of survival...

Features:

Ground-Breaking Technology

Play in the sandbox of one of the most advanced real-time nature simulations, where everything you see and interact with evolves dynamically, offering a constantly renewed experience.

Unique Art Direction

Discover a large variety of environments: Tropical islands, volcanic landscapes, deserts and so much more.

Rich Story Mode.

Explore 13 breathtaking territories of emergent gameplay. Master the natural forces at play on a mysterious archipelago and help a primitive tribe to recover the lost powers of their ancestors.

Confront Mighty Nature

Protect your tribe against Nature's most devastating attacks. Face down tsunamis, wildfires, earthquakes, volcanoes, torrential rains Master Godlike Powers

Control the forces of nature to sculpt the world in your image. Hold back lava, stop raging waters, empty lakes, grow forests and raise mountains!

Live Up to the Challenge

Race against the clock on 30 additional maps in Challenge Mode. Each scenario is a puzzle-like challenge where time is of the essence.

Online leaderboards

Compare your Challenge Mode scores with the community on worldwide leaderboards.

Review

I could end this review with one word: AWESOME, but I think you want a bit more, right ?
Ok then let's get started. This game gives you the role of a tribe deity with the job of helping them survive some unbelievable harsh conditions, they even made a stage inside a huge volcano that the tribe must establish not one but 4 villages...

Gameplay: the gameplay rocks, many guys say that the control are too difficult or even imposible but I had no problem with that, it is simply point and click what is so difficult about it ?
Also I have heard many people complaining about crashes and bugs but I didn't experience any bugs at all, not even graphic glitches...

Story: well they tried to put a story in there about some highly developed ancestors of the tribe that could terraform a planet in a matter of seconds but they didn't really caught my interest, maybe if they put some hightech artifacts or something it would be more interesting.

Graphics: Now that is the hidden ace of the game. The physics simulation of the water, earth, fire and wind are extrordinary, and I played on radeon, I can only imagine how it looks on nvidia physx :D
The most awesome thing that I loved watching over and over again was randomly creating a mountain and then putting water on top of it, there were whole rivers forming with brances leading to pools and the sea :O I was really surprised when I first saw that, and in addition the water is eating away the earth making canyons as it passes by :D
And I have to say about the nicely animated cutscenes that, I don't know why but they remind me of the diablo II cutscenes.

I love terraforming in games and this game is all about it and to top that they have the most realistic physics simulation I have ever seen. Go buy it. And it is only for 15€ what are they thinking ?




Buy From Dust @ Steam

Book Review : Witch & Wizard

The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?

Witch &Wizard ( Witch & Wizard #1) by James Patterson
Paperback, 329 pages (other editions available)
Published 2009 by Random House

REVIEW:
So yeah i miss Harry Potter so when i see a middle grade book with magicians and stuff, i'm totally reading it. 


Patterson is really good at both connecting you with the characters and the story. The descriptions, the events were perfectly detailed and you didn't miss a spot. The fact that were chapters from the POV of both characters, made you connect and understand them better than it should be if it was only from one. They are different persons and the 2 POVs system works really good in this book. I didn't fell in love with the characters though. They were okay, and i didn't have problem with them but they will not stay in my mind for long.


Now, what was really the problem...We are in a dystopian world where a New Order rules and there are magicians. Unfortunately, you barely get enough info as what happened before, the magic powers and how they work. So while the story is interesting and well detailed as to what you follow at the moment, it misses some important background info. Even the first chapter is the New Order taking the kids away and we see them having powers just like that.


Witch & Wizard is a good book. Not amazing or wow. It's nice and enjoyable at the time you read it but i can't say it makes a change and stays with you forever. It was good as long as it lasted.

Hydrophobia Prophesy Game Review

Hydrophobia: Prophecy is the ultimate version of this jaw-dropping action-adventure set onboard a floating city, where terrorists take control and heroine Kate has to overcome her haunting childhood memories to fight back using all her skills and expertise as a systems engineer

2051. The world has become consumed by the ever rising tide of the global population flood. Fertile land has been reclaimed by rising oceans and expanding deserts, resulting in famine and poverty on an unprecedented scale. Water is now mankind's most precious resource, and conflict erupts wherever it flows

A new political and ideological struggle has arisen. On one side are the Malthusians, who seek to control and reduce the global population On the other side the Cornucopians, who want to find a technological solution to feed it. As desperation turns to despair, extremists on both sides are emerging

Only one buble of the old capitalist world survives. The Queen of the World is the largest ship ever to grace the oceans, a colossal city at sea where the wealthy elite live in exile from the chaos which surrounds them. Onboard this stateless paradise the Five Founding Fathers set about pursuing their Cornucopian research unimpeded

The contempt of the outside world is offset by NanoCell Corporation one of the five, who promise to develop nano-technology to purify sea water at the molecular level and make the deserts bloom with the food of the world. But as they move closer to their goal, the bitterness of fanatical Malthusians grows

The so called 'Neo Malthusians' timed their attack perfectly. 9.8 billion watched as they recast hope as hatred, following a prophecy to commit global genocide; drowning the planet with blood as they slash the worlds population to a mere half billion righteous souls'. A prophecy they will soon find themselves in a position to fulfil

Features:

Fast-paced action and breathtaking visuals; engage mind blowing "flow combat" unique floating cover where emergent gameplay results in a never-the-same-experience

Unleash floating oil fires, electricity and the power of the water to wipe out your enemy as you discover the terrifying truth of the Malthusian prophecy

Campaign includes puzzles, platforming and combat with Hydro-kinetic powers to ultimately control the water and culminates in a unique stand off battle where the player has to unleash the awesome power of tempest against her Malthusian nemesis

Over 200 collectables, 12 achievements and as an added bonus, players can unlock an epic Challenge Room

Review

Sorry about this but I will have to review this game the angry way...

Story: They had a wonderfull idea, they had a floating city, nano-biological terrorists, crazy millitary commandos, the best hacking minigame I have seen, and to top all that a nanobot buffed engineer who can control WATER, in a sinking floating city, a waterbender, and they just decided to take their idea, rip it, dip it in a buttload of shit and make us sip it while laughing behind our backs counting their money. They made a 3 HOUR campaign :O
WTF guys, even arcade games without save has more duration than that, and don't even speak about the extra challenges, those are EXTRAS they are not supposed to cover for the lack of campaign !
And from those 3 hours the first one is without weapons :'( You just run around climbing, hiding and hacking, the next one and a half hours are with the most epic handgun ever, it shoots sonic rounds, electric rounds, exploding rounds, semiautomatic rounds and even delayed bombs :O I wouldn't be surprised to find pokemon rounds for this handgun. The last half hour is with the nanobots that enables the heroine to control water, waterbend for the avatar funs, and how did they implement this awesome idea ? They made her raise thin, tall waves, like fat water tentacles, that pick up objects and enemies and hurl them away -.-
Seriously corporate developers ? so much have you been corrupted by little work - many money ? They got bored to add 2-3 animations so that we could use the waterbending ability !
I don't know about you but I would make floating water discs that fly around me at high speed protecting me from bullets and cutting enemies in half :D

Gameplay: The classic FPS/Adventure gameplay with some additions to make the movement and climbing more fluid, nothing special here except the fact that the developers made it so hard to control the waterbending abilitie that noone wants to do it even though it is fucking awesome :O
Seriously guys who decided to make the player keep pressing 1 keyboard button and 1 mouse button at the same time just to target the ability and then press 1 more button to fire it...

Graphics: I admit that the graphics are very nice, especially the water movements and the "wet camera" effects all around the game. But that is all, there are no breakthroughs or something, they just used the graphics engines they had already from other games :(

Overall don't buy this game, it took those very awesome ideas and fucked them up.



Don't buy this game @ anywhere.

Shazam: Lisa @ Lisa's World of Books

Lisa @ Lisa's World of Books

Twitter || Facebook

>What is the weirdest place in which you have written a review  
Great questions, I had to think about this one.  I think the weirdest is in a tent while we were camping.  It was one of those books that I just had to get my thoughts down right then or I would never get it how I wanted it.



>Do you get nervous by the color red?
Flashing red, yes.  My heart races whenever I see a police car and I have been pulled over only one in my entire life.


>Do you believe that bananas would win in an epic siege against apples?
Nope, I think the apples have more advantages, size & shape mostly.  The Bananas just are at a disadvantage in my book.

>Does a demon fox who lives inside you guide your hand while typing ?
Some days, I think that this is totally the truth.  Those days when I reread something and think to myself wow, I wrote that.  It could be good or bad.  Or just the crazy spelling errors.

>Does your pet visit you in you dreams to tell you which review to do next ?
Nope, my cat stays away. Except to destroy the phone book!

>Dulmbedore VS Gandalf. Who wins?
Gandalf for sure! Sorry everyone but he rocks!

>With which fictional character you have hooked up in your mind?
Oh, I don't think anyone.  I spend my extra time curled up with another book not fantasizing about characters.

>Do you create stories out of books you read with your own ednings and characters?
I wish I could do this but alas no.

>Weapon of choice?
Staff

>What are you most afraid of?
Clowns - they are just wrong.  It is irrational I know but just BLAH!

>What would you do if Voldemort hugged you?
I guess hug him back, everyone needs a huge every once in a while.  Even if you are evil.  Now, who knows what I would do after the hug, find a way to restrain him maybe.  Make it a trap.

>What would be your first thought if you transformed into a bird?
I so would be a PENGUIN!! That would make me happy because I love them!

>How often do you speak to yourself?
All the time.  I am a quality analyst IRL and when I listen to calls I talk to myself, the person taking the call even though they can't hear me.  It is pretty comical but my coworkers do it too!

>If we look under your bed what we will find?
Boxes of Legos and Books.  Probably some cat toys.  Maybe a cat. Mos likely some dust.

>What's inside your bag right now?
Oh boy let's check it out.  My wallet, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, an apple, a empty pop bottle (needs to be returned for 10 cents), a hair brush, address labels, a jewelry box with the bracelet from the cover of The Girl in the Steel Corset, my keys, and a package of almonds.

>Tell us something in your language
Hi, its nice to meet all of you!

>Favorite Element
water, i love the water. rivers, lakes ect.

>What's your occupation?
I am a Call Center Quality Analyst - what does this mean you ask.  When you get that recording that says 'This call may be recorded for quality assurance" I listen to those calls score them and provided feedback to the employees.


>Share a guilty pleasure of yours
Chocolate :)


>Do you think carrots will revolt against rabbits in the near future? 
Yes, I think they are sick of being stalked by the rabbits.  Its lettuce's turn at the chopping block.

>Do you think that the standard chair shape is a propaganda?
No, but I did find a really awesome bean bag real chair the other day that I would really love to have for reading.

>Do you think that there is a wizard living inside the dvd slot?
Yep, how else does it remember where you were the last time you took a DVD out in the middle of a movie. That and how else do you explain the scratches.


Thank you Lisa for answering all of our questions! And OMG YOU HAVE LEGO UNDER YOUR BED!!! Yes, that got me excited ^^

 

Want to be part of Weird Interviews too? Just click one of the pics to learn more.

1st Blogversary Party & Giveaway

We are 1 years old!!!!! Hell yeah!!! We did it!!!

I'm so proud of us right now! When i started i barely could get followers and people to write! But look now! 1 year, 6 bloggers, 562 posts, 2986 comments, 800+ Followers! I love how great we are all together! And i love how great is to see the blog active with visitors and reviews the last months!
Just wanted to say BIG THANKS to everyone who supported us in any way :) Hope next year will be as awesome as this one!

But enough with the blah blah...i know you want to party now...and of course be part at the giveaway. You better enter before you get to drunk to write down your entries properly.

Once again thanks for everything!

Rules:

-You MUST follow in one of those ways: either GFC (the follow thingy at the sidebar), Twitter or Facebook

-Deadline September 8th, 2011

-Europe people can enter both giveaways

-International open where BookDepository Delivers

-1 Extra entry available (via sharing)

- Giveaways Policy

-Leave questions at the comments

International Giveaway

1st Winner:

Bloodlines & Iron Knight

2nd Winner (you will pick one if you win):

Game of Thrones or Magician: Apprentice

or

3rd Winner:

Swag of 47 Bookmarks

Europe Giveaway (you can enter both giveaways)

1 Winner (you will pick one if you win)

One Hand Book (almost perfect condition) of either Incarceron or Bad Moon Rising

or

CONTEST CLOSED

Pirates Of Black Cove Game Review

It's the 16th century, the golden era of pirates, and this is your chance to become the pirate king and conquer the Caribbean. Start out as a humble pirate and earn fame and notoriety to become a recognized pirate captain.

Eventually you will be able to join infamous pirate strongholds like Port Royal, Tortuga and others. Getting promotions within the pirate brotherhood requires force, daring, guile and even deceit. But be careful because other pirates will be competing for promotions too. However, bribery, favors and outright assassinations will assure you climb the ranks faster. As you are promoted to higher ranks, you will own, manage and develop parts of the stronghold and entice other captains to join your fleet. After building your fleet destroy the other two pirate strongholds to become the King of All Pirates. Combining elements from fast-paced naval action to light town management, Conquest of the Caribbean is a game no pirate fan should miss.

Features:

Roam the open World with your Pirate crew and pick up missions as you sail the seas.

Notoriety and fame brings you closer to your ultimate goal: the King of All Pirates

Battle it out with rival pirates and nations on both land and sea

Experience life as a pirate through three campaigns and eras

Gather famous pirates to your crew, but be sure to keep them supplied with rum or they'll side with your rivals

Select your character from several different Pirate Captains, each with their own unique skills and features!


Review

Oh I love being a space pirate, all this ambushing and looting unsuspected cargo ships just passing through my area... totaly cool, and the booty is great :D
But enough talk about me, let's see what the latest cargo ship had on board.
Oh nice it is a pirate PC game, I love pretending to be a pirate XD

I have played many pirate games and all of them dissapointed me at the end for one reason or the other. My favorite ones were the Sid Meir's Pirates and the Pirates of the black cove.

Gameplay: This game has really the best gameplay out of all the pirate games I have played so far. It has a pretty nice naval combat system and a real time strategy battle system in land that I haven't seen before in a pirate game. The bad thing about this is that the units move too slow and it can get a bit boring in big land quests. Also they added the warcraft style hero system with levels and skills.

Story: The story, if you watch it, because most people just skip the dialogues, is average to nice and the game has some interesting cutscenes that totaly captivate the pirate era spirit with the music and the voice acting. The bad thing here is that after a while you notice that you are doing the same thing over and over again, it is actually a repeting pattern of land and naval combats with different enemies and on different stages, if you like the game's battle system you will have no problem with that.

Graphics: the graphics are surprisingly good, the camera is always at a distance giving the developers the chance to take the environment animations to another level without having to worry about the little details on the character models. The negative side is that I encountered many graphic related bugs that units on land got stuck between 2 planks on a bridge for example or between a wall and a torch.

Overall it is a fun game to play but it is a bit above average, it was another small disapointement in the pirate game industry for me, I recommend to buy it only if it gets below 10€.




Buy Pirates Of Black Cove @ Steam

Book Review: The Summoner

A United States diplomat disappears in front of hundreds of onlookers while attending a religious ceremony in the bushveld of Zimbabwe. Dominic Grey, Diplomatic Security special agent, product of a violent childhood and a worn passport, is assigned to investigate. Aiding the investigation is Professor Viktor Radek, religious phenomenologist and expert on cults, and Nya Mashumba, the local government liaison. What Grey uncovers is a terrifying cult older than Western civilization, the harsh underbelly of a country in despair, a priest seemingly able to perform impossibilities, and the identity of the newest target. Himself. The first work in a globe-hopping series whose protagonists investigate the world’s most bizarre and dangerous cults, The Summoner is a stylish, haunting novel of mystery and suspense that will linger long after the last page is turned.

The Summoner (Dominic Grey #1) by Layton Green
ebook, 332 pages
Published at December 2010 by FirstWard Publishing

REVIEW:
Summoner literally made my week. I was trying to read another book for 2nd time, and it was going really bad and i was in bad mood too. So i stopped and picked up the Summoner. From the 1st chapter i was so into it that i was reading and reading without noticing the time!


Layton Green's descriptions of Zimbabwe were fantastic! I haven't been there but he helped me see the place how the characters were seeing it. The people, the places, the culture and the life there..you can see them like you are there too. Then we have a story full of action, suspense and mystery with religion and belief as the main subjects. I loved how even though it includes so much information on everything the way it was presented neither tired me or made me have memory loss of events lately. It has it's calmer parts, the educational ones and some more thrilling ones.

Plus, a big variety of characters. From the protagonists to the secondary characters you see a multiple characteristics in their actions, the way they talk, etc which they remind you people from your life. If i have a negative is that i didn't connect as much as i wanted with the protagonists. Even though i know their back stories something was missing at times and i didn't feel them close to me. 


Another nice break from fantasy for me with an amazing thriller which made me want to get immediately the next installment (The Egyptian to be released at Aug.27th, 2011). Layton Green wrote without using the Hollywood style of that genre (ex. explosions or world domination or without any excessive events ) and created a great mystery/action book.


Thanks Layton Green for providing a digital copy for review.

Guild Wars: Nightfall Campaign Review

For characters native to Elona, the story begins as they join the Order of the Sunspears on the island province of Istan as promising new recruits along with a headstrong but loyal young warrior named Koss. As Spearmarshal Kormir is giving them a basic introductory greeting they discover that Corsairs have assaulted nearby Chahbek Village and they are immediately put to the test as they try to save the village from the pillaging and plundering. This latest assault is one of many recent increased Corsair attacks on Istan.
After defeating the Corsairs in the Chahbek VillageDunkoro, a wise military strategist and veteran monk. Curiously, they are challenged in a test by General Morgahn of the Kournan military which has been heavily present on the Island of Istan conducting unknown business. mission, the new recruits begin to train and rise in the ranks of the Sunspears. Before long, they are introduced to
Part of this unknown business becomes known as a Kournan emissary asks the players to investigate this young Kournan woman named Melonni who is snooping around asking questions that seem to relate to what the Kournans are doing. The players meet with Melonni only to discover an entire excavation team sent by Kormir to investigate some ancient ruins was wiped out and strange glowing purple marks left on their bodies. Strangely, soon after this happened, armed Kournan crews rushed into the site to do some excavation of their own.

Review:
Now in this review i will review things more in depth regarding guild wars as well as reviewing the campaign as it is. Most of you could say that its the same game that will be reviewed 4 times, but trust me when I say its not. It might be all connected in a way that every piece will create a final single game but each campaign (and the expansion) have distinctive differences. Its much like the Warcraft series, they are all in the same world, but each game had a different story. So shall we?

Since this is the final campaign of the Guild Wars series (yes i finished the first the third and the last before the second :P) there are many new features and improvements.

>2 New Classes: The Paragon who is a fighter/buffer who throws spears from a medium distance and enhances the abilities of his party members with shouts and chants making them stronger, healing them, giving additional effects to their attacks etc. The Paragon is a very interesting class and ranking 3rd on my top 5 classes (Rangers are first). The Paragon relies heavily on the party meaning that the more people around him, the deadlier he becomes since many of his skills, especially healing ones, rely on the allies around him.
The second new class is the Dervish, a scythe wielding warrior that his role mainly involves him/her charging in the enemy lines, striking everyone around him/her. The dervish is the 2nd favorite class as they can tank or/and deal damage. They are also really tough to get.

>Improved Animations and graphics. I dont know if that is true but I have noticed a slight change in the details and depth of the graphics. The portals have a better animation, the horizon has more details and overall i think its a more visually impressive experience.

>Heroes: This campaign features something that in my opinion, changed the gameplay drastically. Instead of the usual henchmen you got to have who were pre-created npc's that were of a specific class and served a role as a "healer" or "fighter" to make up in case you could not have a party with actual players. Heroes are fully customized henchmen, that gain levels, you can learn skills for them equip them, improve their armor etc etc. In short? the heroes are more or less like additional characters. A lot stupider off course, but still far better than the henchmen.

>More Newbie Friendly: In Prophecies the first campaign, you were more or less thrown to the deep and asked to swim. But in Nightfall and Factions there is a more noob-friendly approach, with a first tutorial mission that will explain to you the basics of missions, party and gameplay, making it a lot easier for new players to the game to step on their feet and set of to their epic adventure!

Story:
The new storyline this time is probably one of the most interesting ones so far. It involves around the return of an evil god and bring about the end of the world as we know it. WELL NOT ON MY WATCH HE ISN'T! The story if by far the most epic of the series. With a siege, a daring escape, a hideout, countless battles and finally a clash with a god! Arena net made sure that almost all mmo games are left behind in terms of epicness. What is also better is that Heroes have their own stories as well, so in various situations in the campaign you will have to make choices that will affect which heroes will join your party and what turn will the story will take. The story itself although not particularly unique keeps the player interested and, as all guild wars games, makes me actually FEEL like the protagonist. So dont expect you to be all mighty commander and then receive a quest that you have to go gather spider legs because a hunter is too bored to move.
In the epic conclusion where you actually kill a god although I expected it to be, excessive, it wasnt. The whole battle and the death made absolute sense since from the beginning of the campaign you know that "You never fight alone" as Kormir says. Also despite the fact that you win the battle the reason you dont die from the amount of energy released by a god is due to a sacrifice of another character, actually making you the follower, or second in command than being the all badass hero.

Finally another aspect that was more intense here was the humor that guild wars has. From funny dances to situations, to one-liners, Arena net made sure that even through your most epic moments you will have something that will make you smile or laugh. Particularly amazing is the movie quotes that sometimes appear or the even some characters. Specifically you cant possibly not chuckle or at least smile, when during the tutorial mission one of your heroes Koss does questions that will lead to answers that will teach you, but in terms of the story he should know, resulting in the leader Kormir saying something along the lines of "Remind me to talk to you about your knowledge in tactics Koss" and Koss responding like a kid in trouble, or the most hillarious moment, when you are about to fight the final god-boss, and if all players do the dance emote, the boss actually dances back, killing them all in the end and the screen writes "You Got Served"

To Sum things up:

Nightfall is one of the most interesting campaigns. They made some extra additions. It has a captivating storyline, interesting npc characters, humor and off course the amazing gameplay and funny situations that are ever present in Guild Wars