scarecrow-and-huntsman

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

6 Things on the Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly

It appears that I love to torture myself by giving myself a certain amount of points I need to think of. This is a sequel-review to 7 Things on the Seven Ancient Wonders that I wrote yesterday. So, once again, in no particular order:

1.      Once again, MR astounds with his action scenes and general fast-pace writing. There’s barely time to breathe, from waking up with Jack on the farm until (*spoilers*) he falls into the abyss with Switchblade. The book, as with 7AW, takes place over about a week? (It’s difficult to keep count when the book suddenly leaps back a few days). In my opinion, that just makes the book an even faster read, despite being (once again) just under 500 pages.

2.      I don’t think I mentioned this in my 7AW reviews but - the nicknames. God, I love them all so much. And what’s more, Jack and the rest of the crew take them as seriously as if they’d been their call-signs all along. I mean, Pooh Bear, Princess, Stretch? These are all names that other characters, the ‘bad guys’, have mocked. Most of them die (if I recall correctly, they all die eventually? But that’s for the Five Greatest Warriors to remind me).

3.      Astro. My poor, sweet summer child. He’s so willing to help, and pure, and honestly, I love him so much. 10/10 would love. Alas, he’s an unwitting infiltrator for the USA, but he doesn’t know that, and as such, gets put into a rather uncomfortable position. Poor guy. Also he gave Jack the real deus ex machina in the form of a maghook.

4.      The twins. Lachlan and Julius Adamson aka The Cowboys. What nerds. Like, really, they have achieved a wondrous level of geek and I adore them for it. Also they’re Scottish, have red hair and wear matching t-shirts. What’s not to love? (I particularly love how in the HP code, they’re Fred and George. Suits them perfectly.) Also, they’re geniuses. And they’re trying their best. And they make friends with  a bunch of pirates, so really, I once again ask, what’s not to love?

5.      That part where Zoe steps up and saves nearly everyone? God, I didn’t know it when I first read it when I was ~ 13, but I suspect now that I may have had one heck of a crush on Princess Zoe. Actually, that’s a lie. I still do have a crush on Princess Zoe. Fight me. Basically, Zoe is freaking awesome, and she’s such a wonderful mum to Lily even though she probably doesn’t realise it, even though Lily thinks of her like a mum and wants her to marry Jack so she can officially be her mum. I’m fine, I’m definitely not crying over found-families again. Nope, not me.

6.      Alby Calvin. The sweetest, purest little boy you’ll ever have the honour to read about. He’s frighteningly smart, probably as smart as Wizard, I mean what kind of 12 year old knows what the universe expansion problem is?? I’m five years older and still don’t get that. And he’s nice, and loyal, and an amazing friend to Lily. But to me, it’s his bravery that stands out. He’s ripped from his peaceful existence and thrust into a world he probably never thought about, and most certainly never would have even thought about getting involved in and he just – goes with it. He gets shot, he carries on despite being kidnapped, and he just, I don’t know. He’s amazing, and wonderful, and I am horrifically protective of him. (Also shout-out to Jack and Lily for learning Auslan for Alby).

So, in conclusion, my reread of Six Sacred Stones was just as satisfying as the first time I read it. God I love this series. And once again, if you love gratuitous death, ancient buildings and global conspiracy theories, I highly recommend you give the series a read.

Carmen out

#ProtectAlby2k16

#jack west jr series #jack west series #six sacred stones

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

5 Things on the Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly

Well, seeing as I did the same format with 7AW and 6SS, I thought I may as well continue it with 5GW. So, in no particular order:

1.      Wizard’s death. I mean, spoiler alert, but honestly? It was heartbreakingly written, poignant and so damn unfair that it just hurts. Wizard, despite being the oldest of Jack’s crew, was always so full of life, so full of excitement and just, well, he kind of always reminded me of my own grandad. His final words to Jack, Zoe and Lily are all to remind them how much he loves them, “Sweet Lily. You’re like the granddaughter I never had. I love you.” “Your father is wrong about you - you are so much better than he is…Jack, it was my privilege to be by your side all these years.” And of course, he totally gives away that Jack was going to ask Zoe to marry him and then wimped out, and it’s as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. I’m fine, honestly, that’s just the rain on my face.

2.      The living tombs. Goddamn those things horrify me. MR is a master of inventing terrible yet fantastic ways to kill people (*cough* being fed upside down to killer whales *cough*), yet the living tombs are just as horrifying. I mean, you’re completely naked and exposed, unable to move, suspended in a ghoulish green liquid and you’re there as a trophy. It’s just… sinister and creepy. Remind me to never get on MR’s bad side.

3.      Iolanthe Compton-Jones. I’m not gonna lie, I have a love-hate relationship with her. On the one hand, she betrays Jack and the crew, and works with Carnivore, on the other she did save Jack from falling into the abyss. It’s important to note, however, that nearly all of her actions save saving Jack were dictated by the Royal Family so they could continue with their rule. I like to think that after she’s dropped off in New Zealand she doesn’t return to her post at Windsor, and that she becomes this really awesome treasure hunter, living by her own rules because she’s been told what to do for so long. Ahem, anyway, she’s awesome, and also I hate her a little bit, but I think that if she turns up in another book, I could grow to love her.

4.      Wolf, aka Jack West Sr. What. An. Asshole. This sort of ties into the found-families theme again that I keep going on about, because Wolf is the perfect example that blood families are not better than found-families. It’s a contrast between Wolf, Jack and Rapier’s relationship, and Jack’s relationship with the crew that really highlights that the families you choose rather than those you are born into can be far more positive relationships. Back to Wolf. Wow, what an asshole. Also that ‘higher breeding’ comment he makes to Jack? I bet that he’s also a fucking WASP. And he’s an asshole. I mean, he left Alby in the third vertex, in the dark, to die. Presumably he would’ve starved. Goddamn, that man’s got no heart.

5.      Jack. The fifth greatest warrior. It’s fucking hilarious, especially at the end when Zoe is telling him and then realises that he knows. It’s particularly amusing because at the start of the book when Diane’s telling them about the Five Greatest Warriors, and one of the twins points out that it could be him, Jack instantly turns on denial mode. Classic Jack. Never putting himself in the spotlight.

Also on Jack, but not in relation to him as the fifth greatest warrior, is his treatment of Astro. He gives Astro the chance to explain himself (on Pooh’s advice, but the thing is, he actually listened to Pooh rather than his own anger), and Astro comes through, and is just generally the same, sweet and awesome guy that he is. Yep, I’m fine, I’m not having older brother!Jack to younger brother!Astro feels at all. Nope. Not me. (Speaking of, after he gets rescued from the living tombs, what happens to Astro???)

Right, so now I’ve finished the three books released so far, and I’m going to have to wait until October to read the Four Legendary Kingdoms, which is a wait that’s going to kill me. But anyway, I fucking love this series. And MR. So, yeah.

Carmen out

#ProtectAlby2k16 

#ProtectAstro2k16

#jack west jr series #jack west series #the five greatest warriors

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

because @gayformelindamay asked:

Huntsman Series

the first character i ever fell in love with: Lily West a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: none really a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: none really my ultimate favorite character™: ZOE KISSANE she is my MUM and i love her prettiest character: idk Iolanthe maybe?? JJ Wickham??? my most hated character: Cieran Kincaid    my OTP: Jack/Zoe my NOTP: Death/any of the remaining team favourite episode section/sequence: The Jungle/ Neetha Kingdom section because Every one was so great, i also think the truce in the Third Vertex is really interesting saddest death: Wizard’s hurt me favourite season book: Six Sacred Stones least favourite season book:Five greatest warriors, it has some really great scenes in it but it’s a little off imo, partially because the five warriors were barley alluded too in 6SS. character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: no one if i’m being honest,but lets be real here, with the way i prattle on about Zoe i’m pretty sure that some people hate her because of that  my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: Iolanthe, she’s just super interesting to me, ove me some morally grey characters my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Liam Kissane my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: is there one in these books?? my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Pooh Bear/ Stretch, I dont ever expect it to happen but its sweet and i like it well enough.

#jack west jr series #jack west series

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

The Huntsman series for the 5 things you'd change game?

Oh boy here we go. @ matt are u reading this??

More women on the the team, have someesles spouse com along, have Mae Merriweather there, just have some one else for Lily to look up to b/c as much as i adore Zoe and Dorris i would love for Lily to have a broad range of people to look up to. Hell if they can’t get the rights to Scarecrow if they make a tv series change Astor into a female OC, same with Scarecrow

I would completely change how Fuzzy died. He would have gotten to the meeting at the beginning of 6SS not getting his head chopped off, then he would take the role that Solomon Coal had. Fuzzy being decapitated has always felt a little lazy to me and i know that part of the reason for it is that Fuzzy has no character in 7AW but i feel that he could have been Solomon and nothing would have changed. Meanwhile Solomon also being established in the first book as a neighbour and the go between for JJ Wickham, there for he doesn’t die. 

Give Lily a female friend her age. I get she has several role modals but give her a friend her age that isn’t Alby b/c while i love Alby Lily needs more people her own age to talk to.

Continuity with hair and names please. Pooh Bear is called Aziz and Zahir in 7AW but only Zahir in the rest of the series so I just need him to fix that. Frx Jacks hair, fix the dates that are unclear. I just want a timeline that makes sense

Grief. I wish we got to see the grief. I know most of the mains are soldier and trained but i would let them have down points to grieve, have Jack grieving for his sister on the farm in one of the Girl named Lily flash back, have Zoe distraught over her little brothers death, show the grief and anger Lily feels about Wizard’s death making her use of the pillar that much more impact full because it’s been foreshadowed that she hates these people and she is trying to deal with it but shes only 12 so she finds it easiest to do what she can while she has absolute power. I know it’s cut for the action but i’d like it at least implied.

Put Zoe in 4LK so she can forshadow what is going to happen in the three something somethings

I realised that most of these are things that could change in a live action  Adaption, which is hopfully on the way. @ the producers, hire me as a fan consultant to make things better

#jack west jr series #jack west jr. #jack west series

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

Day 11: JOMPBPC: Books With Maps

Four beautiful books and four beautiful maps!

🧡💛💚💙

#the great zoo of china

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

Hi Darci, any headcanons about Jack's mom?

JACK WEST JR’S MOTHER IS WHAT I LIVE FOR!!!

Okay so she’s from WA, fight me. She set up in broome for a reason and it’s not just because it’s in the middle of nowhere. Broome is full of people and humid af during JULY.

I feel like she teaches history, Jack had to get it from somewhere, and if she specialises in ancient history all the better b/c all we are TAUGHT in Australia is colonization/invasion of australia and the Second World War.

Lauren and Mum West were very close, I think; then again Wolf is just not a pleasant human being so Mum West is kind of a default. Still close tho

Her middle name is either Lys or Lily, as was Lauren West’s, it’s a family name.

Her and Wolf got married young, in the early 60′s, during Vietnam. She had Lauren while Wolf was ‘fighting’ (Wolf was on the promotions ladder during when then met so i don’t think he did much actual fighting in ‘Nam)

She lived in the US for a couple of years but the second that Wolf started getting REALLY bad she grabbed her kids and went to back to Australia 

She is not white, she’s at least mixed race

She likes the band Red Gum

#jack west jr series #jack west series

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

so remember how Lauren died in a plane crash?

I think she was on that plane to get to Kenya and help raise Lily secretly, not even telling JJ. 

Imagine the guilt and grief that Jack feels about that. 

Imagine the guilt Jack feels when JJ hides out with them

#jack west jr series #jack west series #Lauren

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

Zahir (filming): Jack! The floor is lava!

Jack West Jr: *drops to the floor faster than his father tried to drop that stone slab on him in the second book*

Zahir (lowering camera): Jack--

#jack west jr series #jack west series #Lol

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

Seven Ancient Wonders AU where everything happens exactly the same, but Zoe isn’t the token girl. 

#jack west jr series #jack west series #Zoe

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

#jack west jr. #scarecrow #matthew really

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

Btw, did I mention that the main character of Seven Deadly Wonders, Jack West, Jr., lost his left arm because he shoved it through a wall of fucking lava?

Ironically, he did it to turn off the lava flowing into the room.

#jack west jr series #jack west series #jack west jr. #jack west jr #jack

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

*snickers increasingly loudly*

Ahhh Matt Reilly…the things you discover in rereads…

#jack west jr #the jack west jr series #huntsman series

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

A Matthew Reilly book but every time a beloved character dies it gets faster

#Lol

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

fuck it’s time for my scheduled cry over Astro, so Good, so Pure

#huntsman series #Astro #the jack west jr series #jack west series

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

Hover Car Racer might be aimed at kids, but don’t let that dissuade you. It is a high-octane thrill ride that can be enjoyed by all ages. This is my review.

Hover Car Racer takes place in the not too distant future where transportation has been revolutionized thanks to magneto hover drives which draw power from the Earth’s magnetic field. The sports of racing has also been revolutionized by hover technology, and hover car racing draws millions of viewers and captivates countless nations. The book follows a fourteen-year-old hover car racer from Australia named Jason Chaser. Jason has just lost one of the biggest races of his life, but he’s also attracted the attention of former racing champion Scott Syracuse. Before long Jason and his little brother Bug are whisked away to the International Race School in Hobart, Tasmania. Jason and Bug are about to be in for the ride of their lives.

Yeah, if you’re thinking that this book kind of sounds like Harry Potter meets Speed Racer, you wouldn’t be too far off. That having been said, it doesn’t make the book any less enjoyable. What makes Matthew Reilly such a talented writer is the way that he is takes concepts that seem cliché and manages to make them feel fresh and exciting. He may write books that are primarily intended to be fun and entertaining, but it’s clear that he puts a lot of hard work and effort into his books.

This book had been on my to-read list for a while, and I’m certainly glad that I finally got around to it. If you’re sick of books that spend too much time on filler, padding and introspection then you’ll enjoy this book. Everything that happens has some significance in advancing the plot. The plot and action moved by like a speeding hover car, but it never felt rushed or poorly paced. This was a really fun book, pure and uncut fun. Blame it on all of the Mario Cart I used to play, but I’ve always had a soft spot for racing stories.

What I liked about Jason wasn’t so much what he was as what he wasn’t. A lot of people’s complaint with Speed Racer is that Speed is a boring invincible hero who is guaranteed to win no matter what, but that’s not the case with Jason. He has to actually work for his victories, and there are just as many times that he fails as when he succeeds. This makes all of the races genuinely suspenseful sense there’s no guarantee that Jason will come out on top. It also makes his hard work and victories feel genuinely satisfying.

There’s a ton of references to classical works scattered throughout the novel. For example, we’ve got a hero named Jason who pilots The Argonaut, flies through two clashing icebergs and towards the end of the novel he retrieves a Golden Fleece as part of the final race. Jason falls in love with a girl named Dido who ultimately proves to be a distraction on his quest. Later we see a Greek racer who pilots a car called the Arion, after the horse of Heracles, and there’s a few other references as well. You don’t have to catch any of these references to enjoy the novel, but it gives you a little something extra.

There is an audiobook version narrated by Sean Mangan. Initially I wasn’t quite sure if it would work out, since Sean is American and Jason is Australian. However, I’m happy to report that Sean more than delivers. He really does a great job bringing all of the characters to life. I guess it makes sense that the producers didn’t go with an Australian, given that Jason and his family are pretty much the only Australians in the entire book.

All in all, Hover Car Racer is a high-octane thrill ride powered by Rule of Fun and Rule of Cool. If you’re looking for a science fiction take on racing, this novel can’t be beat.

Have you read Hover Car Racer? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-hover-car-racer-by-mathew.html?m=1

#hover car racer

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

#jack west jr. #scarecrow #matthew really

[scarecrow-and-huntsman]

I dreamt of a Matthew Reilly book that doesn't even exist.

The name was Mr. Robot and something else attached to it. Can't recall.

#matthew reilly