Movie Review: The Avengers

Marvel's The Avengers-the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. In 3D at select locations.

The Avengers
Released: 2012
Runtime: 143 mins
Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy: Not Available Yet

REVIEW:
Finally!! And i mean FINALLY! Can't remember how long i have been waiting for this movie. And i'm even more happy that was as good as i expected. An over 2 hours long movie, and it didn't even feel that long. I certainly wouldn't mind for more.

As expected you get action with fights not only against Loki, but also between the Avengers which was even more exciting for me than the final battle. Amazing choreography need to be said. There were mistakes that hurt my eyes. Some of the people should have died from the very start, and some of the moves of the heroes weren't well placed and were a little "emm fake", but never mind that. They were only like 3-4 scenes and i'm pretty sure most people didn't even notice them.

You get to see a lot of all the characters, though the center was Iron Man, Hulk and surprisingly Hawkeye. I felt like they had more scenes than the rest (well..Iron Man definitely had!). Not that it bothered me :P I liked every single one of them. I liked the start, when they try to work all together but didn't really work out. The jokes written by the writers were as funny as i was expecting with Stark having some really good lines. There were times the movie fell more like a comedy than a super hero flick. Again, that doesn't mean you get any less of the story or the action.

The special effects don't really need to be discussed. They were obviously amazing. A friend also told me, that the 3D version of the film was also really good.

Now i'm waiting excited for Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2 and The Avengers 2. Those movies really fill you. I really don't know if the do justice to the comics but they are definitely enjoyable for me.

P.S: Stan Lee has a cameo scene again as in all Marvel movies.

Game Review: Blades of Time

Gunswords, booty (of the gold and jewels kind) and a cute outfit? All in a day's work. Play as the gorgeous gunsword-wielding treasure hunter Ayumi as she carves a path of destruction through a mysterious and dangerous island. While rich with bounty, the island is also caught in the throes of Chaos magic. Ayumi soon discovers that it is also the home of thousands of long-held secrets, including special powers and abilities that she can gain for herself. Using everything she can, she must find a way to defeat armies of menacing villains and a multitude of treacherous traps in order to break free of the possessed island's grasp. With a host of colorful characters, eye-popping visual appeal, tons of treasure and a huge variety of combat skills to master, Blades of Time will satisfy gamers hunger for an entertaining yet deep action game that even gamers new to the hack-and-slash genre will enjoy.

 Features:

Richly entertaining characters. From the young yet tough Ayumi, her wise and battle worn mentor Zero, and more. This character-driven story has a unique charm, banter and mystery all of it's own.

 Lushly designed environments. Experience huge and beautifully realized game locations, including snowy lands, jungles, ancient cities, temples and sky islands. Deep combat system. Unlock 40 set of skills, including melee, tactics, combos, as well as the powerful Order and Chaos forms of magic to defeat your foes.

Special moves change up gameplay - Time Rewind allows Ayumi to turn back time and produce a clone of herself to help solve puzzles, tackle hordes of enemies, and more. - All-new Dash ability means Ayumi can close the distance between herself and her enemy prey almost instantly, as well as travel quickly using environmental features.

 Robust multiplayer options. Fire up a co-op Campaign or battle in PvP

Blades of Time
Release Date: April 18, 2012
Rating: 5/5 stars
Console: PC
Buy: Amazon (UK)

Review:

It has been too long since a good action game came out on PC, I guess they were building up to the moment of this game's release. Blades of time has magic, katanas, guns, rocket launchers, aliens, demons, zombies, and a hot main heroine. Granted that she talks way too much, at an annoying level sometimes, but I find that her semi-british accent adds to her hotness. So let's get on with the details.

Gameplay: It went back to the basics FINALLY ! All those additions with level ups, skills, combos, equipments, aligment options, and a LOT other trash options for character development have a huge place in RPGs but ABSOLUTELY no place in a hack and slash action game. This kind of games are about only one thing: KILL THINGS ! Please big companies stop making a "me smash things" game feel like a chess match and let us enjoy the fighting and the hot animated girls in not-at-the-least-effective armors. This game has 2 or 3 combo moves that are impressive to watch, easy to remember and easy to execute, and this is awesome. It also adds some magic, or special moves, whatever, and some very basic leveling options that are veeeeeery easy to choose between them without much thinking about strategies. And the most amazing thing is the main character's, named Ayumi, special ability: she can rewind time and create "time clones" by going into her past. This creates the feeling that you are controling a whole squad of Ayumi clones all at once. AWESOME.

Story: The story is pretty straight forward, Ayumi is a treasure hunter and a member in the dominant treasure hunters' guild. The guild has a secret that makes it so reach, a parallel world full of treasures that the most experienced members of the guild can enter through a "magical" orb controled by the mysterious guild master. The orb is actually an alien technology space-time portal but whatever, just call it magical :P It has a few twists in the script to make it more interesting but, come on, say the truth, if you play this game you don't care about the script, you only care about smashing aliens and demons around with your katanas.

Graphics: The game has nice graphics, a little outdated maybe but still very playable, I would call them average to good for this kind of game. The important thing to say is that I didn't notice even a single rendering glitch, which I value waaaaaaaaay more than having the perfect realistic graphics engine. After all, the place is called Dragonland, fuck realism !

To sum it up, this game rules, it has the right ratio of violence to strategy and character development, it has only 1 kind of hidden collectable items, and badass characters. The only negative thing is that, at least on the PC version I played, it had a few bugs, not anything game breaking but they could get annoying in a tough battle, small chance to happen to be in a tough battle and have a bug at the same time but it did happen once to me. So go buy it guys ;)

Book Review: Whisper of Memory

Weapons training and winter formals...a deadly combination.

All Mia ever wanted was to fit in at Whispering Woods High. But being a portal-finder who dates a guy from another dimension sort of makes it hard. Mia's brother disappeared over a year ago, and agents from the IIA began policing people's movements through dimensions. She'd trusted Dr. Bleeker from the local university when he'd told her the IIA were the bad guys. But even a girl with an extraordinary ability to sense things can make mistakes.

Now two people are dead, and as a portal gatekeeper for the IIA, Mia needs to find Dr. Bleeker before he hurts anyone else. And her boyfriend Regulus, an Agent for the IIA, carries secrets of his own. Between learning about weaponry, finding the perfect dress for the winter formal, and catching bad guys, who has time to fit in?

Whisper of Memory
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 233 (ebook)
Part of Series: Whispering Woods #2
Purchased: For Review for tour
Rating: 4/5 stars
Buy: Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:
Whispering Woods has become one of my favorite series this year! The book are compelling and interesting, and while i didn't expect it they surprised me too.

Brinda Berry continues with the story of Mia and her involvement with the IIA problems. Since this is the 2nd book of the series, instead of an introduction we get to chance to get into action from the first chapters and learn more things about the "Pete" mystery and such. Yes it's a little more action packed which i totally enjoyed!

I loved how the characters grow and change! I said before that Mia, was getting at my nerves with her attitude from time to time but here she is different. She changed, she says sorry, she tries to fix her mistakes. I definitely not only liked her more but connected with her more too. We are also seeing a little more of Em which was a nice change. It's like she brings a light in the book. Austin even get his own chapters with Pete! Ha! Those were some of my favorite chapters ever! The author takes some times in this book to concentrate and show us a little more of the friendship and what means for them of Mia,Austin and Pete and her relationship with her dad and how she feels about him too.

Once again the book got me in from the first pages and i finished in one sit. I couldn't really stop no matter i was exhausted from a full day. A not so surprising "ending" comes but still sad. I do believe it made the book better, and i'm happy it happened. I'm so excited for the next book of the series! I do hope we get it soon :)

Book Review: The Waiting Booth

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal...

Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High--find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia’s drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it’s no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia’s secrets, she begins to wonder if there’s more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him...

The Waiting Booth
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 196 (ebook)
Part of Series: Whispering Woods #1
Purchased: For Review for tour
Rating: 4/5 stars
Buy: Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:
Firstly, i want to start on how great the book cover is. While it's not something special i really love it. Maybe because it looks so great, and it has been made for a self published author. I wish the book existed printed to buy it.

This is a book that no matter then negative things you find around you like it. The story is so compelling and interesting, with mystery, fun and action that made not just go through the whole book but to love it too. I liked how the romance was in balance with the more serious part of the book, and the real plotline behind. It had its moments, which i loved each one of them no matter how predictable they were and it felt so real. It made sense to me. The author didn't force nothing in the story, but everything takes place in its right time. And even though the book is small, it fills you like you've read one of the big 400 pages stories.


Now i said, there are negative things. I need to rephrase that into, things that didn't match with my style because they are not bad. I just don't prefer them.
The thing that confused me more were the descriptions of the characters or better the lack of it. I prefer to have a good solid image on how the characters look from the first chapter we see them, so i can have a good image in my mind. Here you get them, at about 40 pages, some later.
And next we have the characters. While i really liked all of them (especially Austin and Arizona..falling for those two!), there were times i wanted to punch Mia. One i remember really was, we were getting some answers to the questions and she was sarcastic all the time. I was like "please shut up and let them talk". The fact, that she sees her mistake though made me respect her. And second thing about Mia, how she always wanted to seem so strong and that she could handle everything and didn't want help. I could understand her at times but others seemed so childish.


Still as i said, i loved the book. It was fast and kept me at the edge of my seat all the time. And maybe the not perfect main character, made it even better. I just know, that it's a book i can re-read and enjoy it from the start again.

Giveaway: The Light Tamer

Jessie moved from New York to North Carolina one week after school let out for summer break. Her newly single mother and Jessie move in with grandma Gayle. Being a teen in a retirement area, is one more thing to add to her 'this sucks' list. It's bad enough to have to move, but even worse her alcoholic father left them as he went on a quest to be an artist in Greece.

Things begin to look up when she is reintroduced to Caleb, the dorky boy that saved her life one summer at the beach. Caleb is no longer scrawny and nerdy, he is now tall, dark and handsome. Caleb is a Light Tamer.

Jessie and Amber become fast friends. Amber is a no frills girl, her snarky comments and sassy attitude will raise a few eyebrows and have you laughing out loud. Amber is rough around the edges, a light tamer with only two years left to find the one she is bound to. Her father's surfing accident left her dad paralyzed and her brother dead.

This paranormal romance will keep you on the edge of your seat with humor, romance, and determination. Fall head over heels for Caleb and Jessie.

Official Site || Goodreads || Amazon 

Rules:

1 Winner each giveaway

US Residents can enter both

Giveaway - International

1 Ebook copy of The Light Tamer 

Fill this FORM

Giveaway - US Only 

Two Light Tamer cards, pen and blue beanie cap

Fill this FORM

Interview & Giveaway: Steven Shrewsbury

 INTERVIEW

Describe your book in one sentence.
SS: OVERKILL is a hardcore fantasy novel full of adventure and action, with plenty of dire twists and dragonfire to satisfy any palate.

What inspired you to write ? Did you take ideas from other books and movies?
SS: Originally or in general? I've wanted to tell stories since I was in the sand box, refighting the walls of Jericho with army guys. Music has always put ideas in my head, be they from Black Sabbath, Johnny Cash or Pantera. I think we all glean a bit from reading books or movies, probably why my material moves fast.

Did you do any research before you started or during the writing of the book?
SS: I read a great deal of history and at times a snippet sticks, like pre-flood europe or old dragon traditions. At times, I have fun and use ancient names and set them in a realm they became later on.

Which scenes were the hardest to write?
SS: I think the confrontation with Pergamus near the end. There was so much going on. Even if it painted clearly in my mind, that was tougher than the keel hauling scene or the fights.

How long has it taken you to write a book?
SS: I can do a first draft in a month, but subsequent drafts are hard to gauge. I probably do an overdraft in a month's time, but mind you, I'm not working on it every day. I work a great deal and have kids around, so, it goes slower. I just wrote a 61k first draft in January. How's that for NaNoWriMo standards? It depends on how inspired it is and if the voices in the head are consistent.

What's the best part of writing for you?
SS: That first draft explosion, the initial creation process. Oh, the next drafts are fun too, adding in things, pondering scenes and expanding them. The final edits bite, though. I'd rather slam my wang in a door than do that.

Are you working on anything other projects except writing, right now?
SS: I'd love to get my horror novel HAWG optioned for a film. Anyone who wants a tale about a 7 foot half-man, half-pig with steel tusks rampaging in a rural community, let me know.

Anything special you want to share with us?
SS: Keep looking for my name. You haven't heard the last of me. Hopefully, it'll be on the bookshelves and not in the newspaper.

BIG GIVEAWAY - 3 Winners - International

Goodreads Page
A set of ebooks:

+ short stories



Leave a comment with your email.

Movie Review: Battleship

Peter Berg (Hancock) produces and directs Battleship, an epic-scaled action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force. Inspired by Hasbro's classic naval combat game, Battleship stars Taylor Kitsch as Lt. Alex Hopper, a Naval officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones; Brooklyn Decker as Sam Shane, a physical therapist and Hopper's fiancee; Alexander Skarsgard as Hopper's older brother, Stone, Commanding Officer of the USS Sampson; Rihanna as Petty Officer Raikes, Hopper's crewmate and a weapons specialist on the USS John Paul Jones; and international superstar Liam Neeson as Hopper and Stone's superior (and Sam's father), Admiral Shane.

Battleship
Released: 2012
Runtime: 131 mins
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Buy: Not Available Yet

REVIEW:
Instead of doing a review from the list i have, i will surprise you with a movie i watched yesterday at the cinemas. Let's stay clear i had no expectations from the movie. The trailer didn't make sense. It's called "Battleship" and i only could think of, how the hell they are going to bring the Battleship game into a movie.Plus, Rihanna was in the movie?? We went with the gang just for fun and for the special effects.

I see it as a good thing i had no exceptions because i actually liked it and enjoyed it. I'm even happy i watched it at the cinemas. For starters, the special effects were so freaking awesome. What can those people do? With every new movie i 'm even more surprised with the details and the things they make. It was simply wow and for that only deserves a cinema or a Blu Ray watch. (Really good music too!)

And to come on the movie itself? The first 20 mins were little random as an introduction but then! Heck! It was full action packed! Instead of giving us a Transformers, with unnecessary romance scenes between the battle, and stupid jokes they went full action. No romance between scenes. No unnecessary scenes. Just boom boom boom! It was around the battle and only. Who said you have to force things in for a bigger audience. Do the movie right and will be good. And a story line, which yes had some holes from time to time, but it made sense and it actually made us discussing the movie and what will happen.

As for the casting. Another surprise there. Michael Bay, should watch the movie and learn. Rihanna was inn but they didn't give her scenes to make her the star of the movie. She was even full dressed all the time, her scenes were actually useful instead of cliche lines like Fox or Huntighton and other random "hot" girls that appear in movies. Yes, she is not a good actress..she is below average but she didn't really act. She was mostly there shooting stuff and at least you weren't getting annoyed by her presence.
The rest cast was surprisingly good too. They fit nice in their roles. They convinced me on what they were doing. Neeson didn't have many scenes, but he definitely stays in your mind.

In the end Battleship, is one of the movie that is full of action with some funny moments now and there without tiring you. It excites you. The trailer made more sense that you think. Alien Invasion. Ships. Battle. Explosions. And you get all that in their fullest.

Guest Post: Shannon Duffy‏

Shannon Duffy writes MG and YA. She is repped by the amazing Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is a mom of one boy, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. 

GUESTPOST

"About Spectral"

I wanted to write a witch story because I really enjoy reading them as well. For example, I loved Kelly Armstrong’s, The Summoning and that series, as well as Carolyn MacCullough’s, Once a Witch series. It’s fun to pretend you have all these powers, but are still human. I really enjoyed writing SPECTRAL.

With many witch books on the market, I think what sets this one apart is that for Jewel’s whole life, she isn’t aware she’s a witch, or that witches even exist. She’s been brought up to believe she’s living in the Witness Protection Program, when in fact the reality is extremely different. I can relate with Jewel and her journey throughout this story. No, I’m not a witch, nor did I live in the Witness Protection Program. *smiles* But having been raised pretty sheltered myself, I can relate to her naivety, and her struggles to grow in strength as a person that may come from having been raised in such a sheltered way. It was a fun, wild journey to take Jewel on, to finally see her come into her own, and embrace who she truly is…while falling hard for a boy along the way.

 Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.
Goodreads || Official Site || Amazon (US)

Book Review: Sela

Peace was fleeting. Vorham Riddess, Venur of Esra Province, covets the crystal ore buried deep in Leland's mountains. His latest device to obtain it: land by marriage to a Leland maiden. But that's not all.

Among Dragonkind, old threats haunt Mount Gore, and shadows loom in the thoughts of the Red who restored life to land and love. A dragon hunter, scarred from countless battles, discovers he can yet suffer more wounds.

In the midst of it all, Sela Redheart is lost, driven from her home with only her old uncle to watch over her. As the dragon-born child of Kallon, the leader of Leland's Dragon Council, she is trapped in human form with no understanding of how she transformed, or how to turn back.

Wanderers seek a home, schemes begin to unfurl, and all is at risk as magic and murder, marriage and mystery strangle the heart of Esra. A struggle for power far older and deeper than anyone realizes will leave no human or dragon unaffected.

In a world where magic is born of feeling, where the love between a girl and a dragon was once transformative, what power dwells in the heart of young Sela?

Sela
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 240 (ebook)
Part of Series: Leland Dragon Series #2
Purchased: For Review for tour
Rating: 4/5 stars
Buy: Amazon (US)

REVIEW:
Awesome awesome awesome! I really liked Redheart but i totally fall in love with Sela. Not only the author grows but same goes for the world and characters of Leland.

I said before, that the dragons in those series are amazing. A world fully created with certain ideas. mythology, history. Here i loved them even more. The previous book was darker in the aspect of dragons, and we even had a dragon as the main hero. Here they get a secondary role, which show us a different aspect and version of them. Of course, it's been some years after the events of the first book and you also get to see how they changed.

I liked Sela more than Redheart for many reasons. You get to see a little more of the Leland world. You follow more characters (some old ones and some new ones) and you get to see more of the humans and their world. It has more action and adventure. It has more mystery and it's more funny too. In general, the book is in a whole different level from the previous. From writing style, to story..everything seems like it leveled up. It got me in from the first chapter, and gave an originality to the world i knew.

And as for the characters. I liked all of them for different reasons. There are strong, fun, naive, clever, annoying, mean, ordinary characters. So many to connect with, and once again Kallon was my favorite along with Sela.

I could talk about the book, and each character and idea for hours. It made such a good impression to me. And it's definitely one of my favorite dragon books, exactly down under Eon & Eona which are the first (sorry Mr. Paolini..but it totally wins Eragon) ^^

Lying Season Excerpt & Giveaway

With all the vampire, werewolf and faerie books out there, it's easy to become numb to all things supernatural. The antidote? Darkhouse introduces two real and unforgettable characters, Perry Palomino & Dex Foray, amateur ghost hunters who are "attractive, relatable and oddly heroic," "flawed but loveable," "slightly crazy" and just the most endearing pair to ever tackle the paranormal...just don't call them normal. Darkhouse is a thrilling and sexy new take on concepts like Supernatural and The X-Files, bringing a breath of fresh air to a genre that has been inundated with the dead.

EXCERPT

He put his hand under my chin and tilted it up so that I was looking at him. It was OK. I liked looking at him.

“You’d be best to stay with me,” he said.

I couldn’t believe it. Part of me wanted to stay with him for some reason but the rational part knew that “some reason” wasn’t good enough. I shook my head violently.

“You? I don’t even know who the fuck you are. You give me a business card? I’m not going to be part of your rapist tower,” I said that last part a little too loudly.

He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. I guess he was a bit taken aback.

“Go then,” he said slowly. “But once you are out that window, run all the way back to your uncle’s place. Don’t stop to look at anything. Even if you run into something, just keep running. It would be better if you just kept your eyes closed the whole way.”

My body was covered in chills as he said that. I was suddenly afraid to leave his side. He seemed to know a lot of things that I didn’t.

“What’s upstairs?” I asked. “Do you know?”

He shrugged, rather nonchalantly considering the circumstances.

“I have an idea. That’s why I’m here.”

“Why are you here?”

“I’ll show you,” he said. He reached down and grabbed my hand. With his other he hoisted his camera on his shoulder. He eyed my own camera around my neck.

“You may want to turn that on. It’s better if we get as many ways of recording this as possible.”

Well, shit, son. If there was a moment that determined the course of my future, I’m pretty sure this was it. I had two somewhat simple choices. I could make a run for it and go back to Uncle Al’s. Back to the bonfire where my cousins and dear sister would still be drinking and revel in the normalcy of a Saturday night and forget I ever went to this horrid place and ran into this weirdo. Or I could go with said weirdo up the stairs in this decrepit old lighthouse, that was most likely condemned and unsafe, towards some unknown person (or thing) that was walking around, potentially waiting to murder us in horrible ways.

It didn’t seem like a very hard decision to make. In fact, I think 99.7% of people in the right frame of mind would have picked from column A and gone on with their merry lives as is. But for some freaking crazy reason, I thought that maybe, just maybe I should go with this stranger up those kelp-ridden stairs and towards the lair of unimaginable horror. You know, because it was the more interesting alternative.

I turned on my camera with my other hand and let Dex lead me away from the fresh air and freedom, towards the monstrous uncertainty that was waiting for us further inside.

GIVEAWAY
Darkhouse is free at the moment. So you can download it over here: Amazon || Barnes & Nobles || Smashwords
PLUS, leave a comment with your email to win any other book of the series!

In My Mailbox - March 2012.2

Hosted by The Story Siren

Nina's March Mailbox

Bought - Elixir by Hilary Duff
Bought - Beautiful Chaos by Garcia & Stohl (in Greek)
Bought - The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (in Greek)
Bought - Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris
Bought - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

What did you get this week?

Movie Review: 4.3.2.1.

Whilst Jo (Emma Roberts) is chained down in a dead end supermarket job, her friends are all out on their own seperate adventures: Cassandra (Tamsin Egerton) is jetting off to New York to meet her internet boyfriend; Kerrys (Shanika Warren-Markland) is on a one woman crusade fighting for female libaration and Shannon (Ophelia Lovibond) is on a one way trip to meet her maker. But a chance encounter with some diamond thieves sends thier separate worlds on a collusion course with not only each other, but fate itself. These 4 girls are about to have 3 days they will never forget, spanning to 2 cities. That is, if they survive.

4.3.2.1
Released: 2010
Runtime: 117 mins
Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy: Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:

I was really intrigued to watch this film from the day I first saw the trailer. Unfortunately, my friends weren't, so when the film actually arrived in the Greek cinemas, I had no one to go with. So, as it always happens, I waited patiently, until the DVD came out.

It's an interesting movie, that's all I can say. Now, don't tell me that the title is not interesting, because I think it was the thing that attracted me into watching the film in the first place.

It has a nice plot. It shows to you how life can easily change, and the characters were really different from one another. Each girl had its own characteristics and she was having different obstacles in her life. Despite, the chasing they were involved from the diamonds, they had personal issues to deal with. Each character is dealing with the situation differently, and I was so amazed to see myself in some sort of reaction, and I'm pretty sure, that you'll see yourself into those reactions too. The movie has it all. Bad-ass characters, pathetic characters, vilians, bad language, fightings, guns, not many drugs and obviously, sex of almost all kinds. So, if you have a problem with one of those, skip the movie completely. I, for once, had no problem at all.

Next thing I want to mention is the directing part. I didn't know Noel Clarke at all before watching the film, and for telling the truth, searching him online and finding out he is mostly an actor, I was a little worried when I read that he wrote and co-directed the film. But, I was so surprised to find out the way he choose to make it. See, he take every girls life in those three days seperately, so we watch one girl at the time, from the time they say their goodbyes till the time they meet again three days later, not four different stories at the same time, as we are used to. Amazingly done, the film deserved the good words the critics wrote about it.

Bottom line, it's a weird movie. Different from what we're used to, you're definetely have a problem watching it. But, I strongly believe, that ones in a while we have to see something different. I, personally, loved it. I can easily watch it twice or trice, but then it's just me. I leave it up to you, and please comment back to tell me your opinion.

Book Review: Here

Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before.

Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.

Here
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 350 (ebook)
Part of Series: On The Otherside #1
Purchased: For Review for tour
Rating: 4/5 stars
Buy: Book Depository || Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:
To comment on the obvious thing, which is the cover. I have to say that i really like how creepy and spooky it is. It doesn't really match the book, but still it's really nice.

I have to give congrats to the author, for making get out of my mind with guesses on who Even really is. Good thing they didn't mention it at the summary. At first i thought he was some kind of angel, then i though a vampire, etc etc...i'm not telling you who or what he is. It surprised me and gave such an amazing turn to the book,  that i literately starting screaming "yes yes yes" aloud. It's one of the best twists i've ever read. My mind didn't go there at all and i loved it. And when the book ended, i wanted even more.

Julia is an amazing narrator as well. I thought i will have problem, with her being all sad and stuff. But everything she did had an explanation. I could understand her. And no matter how bad she was, i liked how she doesn't trust Evan. She asks questions. Wants to know what happens. And at the same time, she sees how her life was and tries with small steps to fix it again.

There is also a triangle which i thought will annoy me. But gosh! It's one of the most beautiful and actually make sense, triangles! So well done..it's not bad vs good guy or something like that. The boys don't even hate each other. It just seems so real.

"Here" is a captivating story and i'm so happy i picked it up. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. I never expected to love not only the characters but the story that much.

In My Mailbox - March 2012.1

Hosted by The Story Siren

Yiota's March Mailbox

Bought - The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
Bought - The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
Bought - Galaxia #1: Wings of Cronus by Μάνος Λαγουβάρδος
For Review - Xor: The Shape of Darkness by Moshe Sipper
For Review - Point Of Origin by Amanda Havard

Thanks Moshe Sipper and ChafePress for the review books ^^

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

Book Review: The Sword and The Flame (The Forging)

In a world where magic and the sword rule and dragons are forgotten, a band of friends find each other but can they overcome their own fears and trials in time to fulfill their destiny? Their adventure begins in The Sword and the Flame: The Forging. Before a weapon can be used, it must be forged in the fires of life.

The Forging
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 216 (ebook)
Part of Series: The Sword and the Flame #1
Purchased: For Review by the author
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Buy: Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:
Found this book thought the amazing Emlyn Chand, and since she said to try i thought to give it one more chance. There are also words like "destiny", "dragon", "flame", so how can something go wrong with that combination?

What stand outs more for me at the book is the selection of characters. Or better the races. There is a team of a magician, a halfling, a dwarve, a priest and a barbarian kind of guy. All of them are so different in characters, ideas, beliefs and make an amazing team for an adventure. My favorite of all is Janessa the halfling of course. She is so funny, and clever and cute. She made the dark scenes lighter.

Apart of the great variety of the characters, there is also a story of adventure to be told. We start firstly by getting to know the characters and how they are connected and meet, so we can understand later how they come all together for some treasure hunting. My favorite part was, when they started searching in the caves where all the bad things started to happened as it was expected in an adventure like it.

Now there was only one certain scene that confused me but as a beta reader, when i informed the author (and after he talked with some other readers too), he decided to re-write it and make it more understandable. I've read the new scene too, and it now it's all clear :)

A good adventure which both stays close and has new ideas to what we know in epic fantasy. Great characters too who made the book easier and the story goes before you even notice.

Book Review: Shayla Witherwood

A brief moment of disappointment washed over me as I approached Jace’s lifeless body. Here I was, about to kiss a boy on the lips for the very first time, and he was completely comatose—possibly paralyzed—and would never even know or remember the experience. This was not how I’d envisioned my first kiss—me invisible, him unconscious.

Shayla Witherwood is not exactly normal. First of all, she’s spent her entire life being homeschooled, traveling in an RV around the country with her grandparents. And second, there’s the kind of inescapable fact that her mom was a genuine faerie.

But now that she’s starting a real life in a regular high school, Shayla desperately needs to stay out of trouble in both worlds because even her faerie powers might not be enough to protect her from what’s coming.

In her latest novel, Tamra Torero spins a magical tale filled with laugh-out-loud sarcasm, surprising twists, and spell-binding romance. Perfect for fairytale fans of all ages, this is one story you won’t want to miss!

Shayla Witherwood: A Half Faerie tale
Publication Date: May 8th, 2012
Pages: 312 (ebook)
Part of Series: -
Received: For Review for tour
Rating: 4/5 stars
Buy: Book Depository || Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW: 
"Noooooo" that my reaction when the book ended. No it wasn't because it has a cliffhanger, just because it ended. I liked it way too much!

Shayla Witherwood is one of the lighter books i've read lately. It goes fast and has enough mystery to keep you interested from the start. But it not so full of problems. It stays more to the high school life than to the fantasy part of the story. Imagine a book about high school with bits of magic. I totally loved that because it gave a different taste to the book. It was fun and sweet like all the school life books out there but magical at the same time. It's one of the few times, i enjoyed a book with faeries.


Plus, i loved the characters. The relationships between them are strong and true. They don't back stab each other as friends. Shayla even though she has a chance to be popular, she never forget who helped and who her true friends are. She support them and they support her too. They open up to each other. The popular jock, is not annoying,stupid, etc. He is clever and kind. He is willing to make sacrifices for Shayla. Hang out with her and her friends. Even the mean girl, is not too mean. There is drama obviously, but it's not overdone. Something i prefer.


A more than good book in general. It didn't cut me from fantasy, but it wasn't all fantasy either. Only problem i would mention, would be the fact that the last part at the faerie world with the real action goes way to fast, and it's not explained that well. Still haven't understand exactly what's up with the prophecy and Shayla.

ComicDom Con - Day 2

It's so weird that i remember like yesterday, last year's Convention! This time i was fully prepared, and went 2 days and had my camera with me too. So i will be able to describe my experience easier this time (though most of my photos turned out blurry sooo...next year i have to practice my photography too).

Just so you know...this is probably the only Comic related Convention in Greece. There are some bazaars and parties from publishers but this is the only big thing.

*yes that's the same introduction as Day 1...i have no idea what new to write*

ComicDom Con - 31st March, 2012

Day 2 of me and Silvestro started even earlier this time. Of course once again we started with a walk around at the Bazaar. Unfortunately this time, i couldn't hold myself back so i bought a graphic novel. Two days in a place full of those things, is too much for me. I'm not that good with resisting anyway...This is where i found the bookie! I was admiring the printed art and there it was!! Tsk tsk!

From left to right: Panagiotis Vlamis (illustrator), Giannis Antonopoulos (cartoonist-illustrator), Helm

From left to right: Giannis Roumboulias (comic writer) and Helm

13:30 – 16:15 Q&A and signing Milo Manara

Do you guys know Milo Manara? He is like the "master" of sex comics. I had the chance (good or bad don't know) find one of his comics at a room of a brother's friend when i was like 10-13. So i was really proud of myself for have the chance to see someone i actually knew or at least remember ( believe me someone has to make something to stay in mind with all the things i read ). To tell you the truth i didn't know he was from Italy..so when he spoke Italian i was like "wtf?". I did stay half way through the panel though. The whole question-translation-answer-translation tired me and i preferred to go out to eat or something. 

19:30 – 21:00 Cosplay Competition

As you see from the time schedule, there were 3 hours difference between the two events. In case you are wondering, we spent the time playing Magic-The Gathering (yes again!). I think the Cosplay Competion is one of the most anticipated events. Last year, the theater was more than full so this time they decided to do something strange. At 16:00 they started giving about 200 free tickets for people to enter. We were one of the first who took and we got in, but i think many wouldn't be happy with that decision. I feel like ComicDom should do something about it. I mean since they see how many people attend why don't they just found another place to held the event? It's not that fun this way. Even the Bazaar place, was so full of people you couldn't really move around at times.

Anyway, back to the topic. The costumes this year where really good! Most of them were above average and really well made. I was surprised of the effort that all the kids put into their costumes! I'm so happy i saw it live xD
Anime and Games were the biggest part of costumes. Last year i was disappointed with the winner. This year i was again (not that it wasn't good - i just had other favorites. understandable i believe?), but at least 3 out of my favorite costumes got awards ^^ In general was way better than the previous time, and way more fun to watch too.

1st place from Bayonetta (Credit SpirosK Photography )

2nd place from Star Wars

3rd place from Silent Hill

Team Winner from Phantom of the Opera (Credit SpirosK Photography )

Now those might be the winner but there are some others really worth mentioning for my. And thanks to SpirosK Photography, i have decent photos to show you (thanks for letting me use them!). So enjoy?
Up to down & left to right: 1)Diablo 3 2) Resindent Evil 3)High School of the Dead 4)Bleach 5)SOul Calibur 6)One Piece 7)Persona 4










Oh oh!! Which one you would pick for 1st? :D


At the end of the event was also a presentation of Ninjutsu by Bujinkan Dojo Hellas.

And that was it. I did not attend the 3rd day, since i couldn't find something to interested me but i'm sure it would be fun for those who went. I can't wait next for year :D And i hope for more awesome things! (And i hope a decent convention for books to appear too at some point in the future).

And here is all the stuff i got - yes! i will have Thor at my wall soon!

View more photos & videos: Splash of Our Worlds Facebook Page || SpirosK Photography || Youtube