Book Review; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay

Hi readers, 

It's another short book review today, as I've now got a cold! Good job there's actually not a lot to talk about with this book. So, carrying on from last week with the Harry Potter theme, I thought I'd take a look at the script for the new movie. Many fans will know that this was based on a small book Rowling wrote for Comic Relief and it's title was the same only it had Potter's notes in and is the actually book that Newt wrote. I think that's a really nice tie in. 

The movie, which I have seen and enjoyed, is meant to be the first in a four or five movie series. I guess the other movies will follow in the same vein as this one and I'm looking forward to seeing them. I know that some of the more die hard fans had issues with the movie and the critics did too. I have a friend who refuses to see the movie because it has got nothing to do with the Harry Potter. I can understand that but actually this movie is totally different. Hogwarts and Dumbledore are said like once or twice just to further ground this story in with the magic world of Potter. Even if you have somehow escaped reading and seeing any Potter and you've decided to see this movie it is perfectly watchable without that knowledge.  

To be honest, I wasn't that interesting in reading the movie script of Fantastic Beasts, just like The Cursed Child it is better to watch it then to read it. But I got a book gift voucher just before Christmas and knowing I was going to try and not buy any books this year and with nothing else I wanted, I decided to give it ago as it was just out on the shelves. 

I read it in an afternoon because it is short and the layout as an actual movie script. This would be a great study for someone doing script writing at college or uni - just as I did years ago- or someone interested in how movies get written, because you really get a good sense of how to lay out a script and all the apprehensions that are used. 

Just like The Cursed Child  there is a lack of character and settings description. That's understandable because the visuals are more up to the director and film crew then the writer. You can still get a good idea of the settings and characters in reading the script though but it does really help if you see the movie first. 

The plot is a simple one about people in the magic world fearing the unknown magical creatures and one man - Newt, trying to educate them that actually most of the creatures are harmless. The story is set in the 1960's and Newt has travelled to America to meet a breeder of a certain magic creature and also release a creature back into the wild. However, he accidentally switches suitcases - his suitcase is magical and is a portal to a magic creature zoo! -with a none magic person who then opens the case and some animals escape. Then they have to hunt down all the creatures. 

The human characters are really good and they do develop a little throughout. The magic creatures are more enjoyable though and bring the most humour. I actually hope that we get to see the same characters in the next movie as it feels there is more of their stories and development to take place. I guess we'll have to see. 

Overall, this was a nice read but of course the movie was better! 

Thanks for reading. 

(Image from Goodreads)

Book Review: Bioshock Rapture by John Shirley

Hi readers, 

Today, I'm finally bring you my review of the Bioshock novel. Those of you that have read my life up date posts will have noticed I've been playing games one and two for a little while now. I did pick up this book before and I read a little of it then put it down. That was because it wasn't set in the 'Rapture' the games where and I really wanted it to be. I really love the abandoned, dystopia feeling you get from the Rapture in the games and it feels so real to me. I often imagine what it must have actually looked like and the novel does help with that. 

I picked this book up again halfway through playing the first one, just because I felt like giving it another shot and I knew it'd have some interesting background information. It's a very well written and true to the games story. It includes all the main characters from both games and you get to learn a lot about their backgrounds. I know in the games, you learn too, but this goes into more depth. There's also a nice tie in with the use of the voice records and some lines are quoted from the games, which just brings you to thinking about that moment in the game. 

For those of you who haven't heard of Bioshock, you might find this book a bit hard to get into and understand. Even though all the right information and the description of characters and settings are really good, it really is aimed at the players. And whilst, I think most of the players will like it, there are a few that maybe won't, just because if you've played the games well enough and a few times, there's not a lot new to be learnt about the main characters or the creation of Rapture from this novel.

The novel starts with a prologue set in 1945 New York City with Andrew Ryan, a millionaire business man, deciding to began his dream of building an underwater city. The idea behind it is to escape the control of the government but also to provide safety from the growing threat of nuclear war. Ryan wanted the best people from Earth to live in Rapture and able to develop scientifically and creatively with no rules to stop them. Ryan comes across as an interesting character in the novel with a scarred background which drives him. 

The actual main protagonist of the novel isn't actually Ryan, it's his chief engineer Bill McDonagh as the novel focus on his life and development a lot. By chance Bill meets Ryan when he comes to do some plumping and Ryan takes an interested in him. Slowly, Bill is let onto the secret building of Rapture out in the Atlantic Ocean. He then gets to work and live in Rapture and becomes Ryan's left hand man. (On the right is the chief of security).

The rest of the plot reveals how Frank Fontaine got into Rapture and his work with the scientists, Tenenbaum and Suchong to discover and develop ADAM -found in sea slugs-and EVE-which they make. Thus, meaning people could change their DNA and gain super human powers. However, there is an addiction to it and also some side effects so the splicers were born. When the ADAM starts running out, it's discovered that little girls with the implanted slugs can find and gather ADAM. They become Little Sisters, but even though they become immortal due to the slugs, they still need protecting and so the Big Daddies where created. 

Then there's the fall of Rapture and how that all came about. The ending was interesting with Bill trying to escape with his family and not being able to as no one is allowed to leave Rapture. I did find it sad because I'd got attached to Bill! 

I did find this novel a bit hard going due to the science fiction genre and my dyslexic brain. Though in the end, I'm glad I got through it. I'm sure though if I hadn't played through Bioshock and didn't love it then I won't have bothered with the book. But that's just me. I think that people who like science fiction with a utopia and dystopia theme will enjoy it. 

Overall, this novel is really aimed at fans and players of the Bioshock games. I like the writing and the characters, I liked learning more about the different character's backgrounds and the creation of Rapture. But though, I still feel that the games are better! 

Thanks for reading and I'd loved to hear your thoughts. 

I'm off to London tonight, so next week will be kicking off a new month with a life update about that. Till then.      

   

  

Images from: 

Amazon.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioShock

Book Review: End Of Days by Susan EE

Hi readers,

I have a confession to make; I've not been able to finish reading this! I'm about halfway and though I'm enjoying it, just I've been super busy doing other things. I've been putting in a lot of extra hours at work covering for people and also I started volunteering on reception. I have been writing stories for my blog like a desperate mad person. But my biggest news of all is that I've been filling out an application form for a new job and it's taken me about two weeks to be almost at completing it. I have also been doing some sewing as practice for activities to run at the youth centre and mother's day presents. That'll all be in my life update post next week now. In addition, I have a cold and a crazy sleep pattern. So yeah, with all that I'm not surprised that I didn't get to finish End Of Days.

I realise that talking about it is going to be much harder, but if I make a start, I can do a part 2 later once I've finished - maybe or else just included my finally thoughts in a life update post. So, it looks like this post is going to be very short!

The plot so far has been that Penryn and Raffe have found Paige. She has made a connection with the locusts and they are like her pets now. Though, she is also attached to Beliel and so they all end up escaping together. Finding safety on a island, Penryn discovers Raffe's worried about an possible attack from her sister - who is slowly staving and struggling to stay herself. Penryn also gets to see how attracted Raffe is to her when they have a soft bedroom scene! Of course then it all goes back to them not being able to be together and trying to keep their growing love inside. I still want to see what happened here!

Penryn then discovers a new power that her sword, Pooky Bear, has and she is able to see Beliel's memories and we learn that he is not who we thought he was and that Raffe's past keeps getting darker. Then they have to flee the island as some demon dog, bat creatures called Hellions escape and set about hunting them. They make it back to the camp and meet the Doc from before, who is very interested in Paige, but could also be Raffe's chance to get his wings back. Of course that doesn't go to plan and Raffe leaves to find an angel doctor. Penryn is then captured and taken to the angels, because they have a bounty on her head for her killing an angel in the previous book. Thankfully, Raffe comes to save her, but now they need to raise support for him to become the Messenger. Currently, they have traveled to The Pit to meet up with Raffe's solider who got sent down for being with human woman.

I can kind of predicated where things might be going but I'm going to read further to see! It's still fast paced, though not as event after event as the first book, but that isn't no longer needed, because the plot is strong enough to carry through without the need for all the then this happened pathways. I still have no idea why the angels started the war on Earth and telling apart the lies and truths is also tricky. But I'm glad of the mystery though!

Penryn hasn't developed that much and the sword is still doing most of the fighting. I feel there's a lot more focus on the angels this time around now since it's coming to the end. Penryn still has moments of acting like a total teenage girl - guess that's understandable, but for me she's never come across like that- but it's nothing wincey. I think I was hoping she'd mature and be able to face things with Raffe. In my head, I'm still trying to read this as an adult novel.

I still really like Raffe, though he's become less sarcastic and funny. Not a bad thing though due to everything he'd got to deal with. I kind of what him to become the messenger and sort things out. But maybe there's going to be a big twist and something else will happen? I so need to go and read more now!

Have you read this trilogy? What did you think? Leave a comment and let me know.
Also don't forget to check out my other blog: https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

Image from: Goodreads