So close to being worthy of 5 stars.
923533
This would get a 5 star review from me, but my KVD Studded Kiss lipsticks don't fit. :( Other than that, awesome. It even stores my Lip Tar perfectly.
4538637
I could only give this 5 stars... it's worth a million though
2802352
First off, this review is for the finished product, not the show itself, which is phenomenal. 10 stars.  It's an amazing take on the comics. Great job guys.
As for the Bluray itself. It needs some work. Hell it needs a recall and a better product sent out in exchange. At first glance it's a slick package and looks great. I would have liked an outer sleeve, but that's not really a problem, just a nit pick. There are a few big flaws and a few small ones.
First of all, the disc menus. They suck. They're frustrating, and annoying. Sure they look nice, but they are ugly deep down. I could have done a better job and I'm half tempted to upgrade to a bluray burner on my PC so I can make my own version. Hell the menues on the home made porn DVD's I used to make had more effort put into them. Now I'm rambling and revealing way too much about myself so I'm just going to go ahead and finish this in list format fro anyone else with ADD.
1 The menu is the same for all 3 discs. That is each disc's menu shows content that is on all 3 discs and selecting something not on the disc just gives a message "insert disc 2/3"  in plain letters off to the side.
2 Reaching the end of a menu closes it out and resets it back to the main screen, which is kind of abrupt when you are just trying to see what is on it. Plus, you could have changed it up for each discs menu, maybe added some looping graphics, or something.
3 Instead of listing the disc content on the little 2 page flyer included inside, they put that all on the back of the sleeve so you need to remove it to read or remove all the discs, and then realize you still can't read it well and remove the sleeve anyways.
4 The deleted and bonus scenes promised to us on disc one are nowhere to be found. I'll try loading it into a PC later and see if they are burried there somewhere. UPDATE. We found them within each episodes individual scene selections. Is this a new thing they're doing now? So this one gets a pass. I was most upset thinking they were missing.
5 I did like the special featurettes they did have.  I felt they could have had an extra one talking about the comics a bit more in depth, though that would probably give a lot of spoilers as the last scene of the series is basically the first scene of the comic series.  Though having read almost all the comics I was still constantly surprised (pleasantly) in the directions they took.
6 What I really wanted was some commentary tracks. Imagine Seth, Evan and the rest of the cast and producers all sitting around getting high or drunk while recording the commentary.  An opportunity missed.
That's it so far. My girlfriend is finishing watching the rest of the discs and will report back any other flaws. Don't tell her about the porn DVD's I mentioned earlier.
4725993
I wanted to love this book, but couldn't quite get there. I just love the concept, and I hate giving semi-negative reviews to indie authors. But I feel pretty strongly about this book and I want to be straightforward. It's a super cool concept - the horsemen have to save the world, hell is not as it seems - and the description is really quite good. This author is definitely capable of some memorable scenes. The issues, in my opinion, are with the pacing and the character voices. The book moved really rather slowly at first, without managing to suck you into what should have been a very interesting world. That part could have used a really good edit to move things along. But more than that, the world of hell needed to be a bit more compelling and believable. The joviality of the tone didn't really mesh for me: It didn't quite hit the right blend of gallows humor and dire portents.

Part of what alienated me was the tone of the character's voices. It comes off as very modern, rather young, and they tend to all sound the same. It basically read to me as a bunch of teenage boys joking around with each other. I wanted more. And that' a really good thing, that I *wanted* more from these characters. They piqued my interest. I wanted more depth, to get to know them, find out what made them different and unique.  The story for me didn't really take off until we got to see the flashbacks to the character's lives. I could have read a whole book just about that.

At any rate, I think this author has got something special, and I would definitely consider reading more. I want to see these works grow and change, live up to their full potential, and knock some socks off.
3750143
I would probably give it 5 Stars but I have not had it long enough to test it capabilities.
3799455
It is good so far, I'm jot all the way done but I wish I could give it like a 3.7 because I feel 3 is too harsh a critic but 4 stars is too much.
4324448
I had trouble connecting with the voice of in some parts of this story which is disappointing because it has all the elements I adore; magic, mystery, Gods, loyalty, death, and so much more plus the author is so incredibly nice.
There plenty of times where I felt the flow of the writing and fell into the story but there were many moments where the flow stopped. The problem was mostly from the writing style, it would switch from showing us what's happening to telling us what's happening and those moments really impacted my desire to continue reading. It has all the potential in the world but feels like it was written and edited in a very short time
Despite the problems I couldn't bring myself to stop reading and after spending a few days reflecting on the overall story I believe I'll continue to the next in the series, with hope that I end up loving it or at least find out what happens.
1712734
I really wanted to love this book. First, I must congratulate the scholar on her exemplary research. The strength of this book is indeed its meticulousness. I applaud her attention to not just the details to be found in the texts she studies, but also attention to the previous scholarship as pertains to the topic. This aspect of the book is worth a full five stars. What hurts the book is its density and disjointness. Perhaps a few more charts would have helped, as she frames the whole of the book on a horizontal and vertical map she repeatedly refers to, but we never get to actually see applied. Just in general I was asked to fill in a lot of gaps and the book seemed to jump from one place to the next. I would get a splash of detail followed by a declaration of the problematic lack of evidence. This only served to heighten the disjointness. In the end, the author offers commentary on the New Testament in light of the research. Again, great details. But where is the context into which I would place these details? I am writing this review not to complain, but to ask for something. With so much of value in this book, I think it would be helpful if perhaps some supplemental materials were added. I think the author must be energized and onto something with her references to the horizontal/vertical map. Perhaps if the author has a university web page she could publish some supplemental maps that show how the details she discovered in her research and how they can be applied to, and understood within, her framework structure. The point is important, something shifted, I hear that. Please. Show me.
4882013
This is a REALLY hard book to rate for me. Why?

Because it is right on the CUSP of greatness, but somehow misses by inches. This story was first published as a serial in four parts, then made into a book and now has been revised and is being reissued.

Let's talk strengths first. First and foremost the author's writing is beautifully polished. Her descriptions of the places and people are interesting and she does a solid job of world building. The plot is consistent, coherent, and interesting.  And speaking of plot, here's the summary. A physically and emotionally damaged Lord Firth is the last of his family to survive an invasion his lands and he is out for vengeance. He believes that the power needs to accomplish his goals is hidden in a structure,  called the Citadel,  built by long dead mages. The problem is that no one has ever entered the Citadel and come back out alive.  He hires two sell swords, Wydrin and Sebastian who are looking to save their friend who is lost in the Citadel, as companions and guides. Unbeknownst to them, however, an ancient evil is waking in the citadel and they are the instruments of its liberation. The good news is, they are the first people to ever escape the Citadel alive. The bad news is that they let loose Armageddon in the process.

Now for weaknesses. The story has one major weakness: it's characters. Unfortunately,  the characters are largely one dimensional and unsympathetic.  Lord Firth, is an unpleasant man who puts his vengeance and his quest for power above the lives of, well... everyone until it is convenient for him to do otherwise. Wydrin for her part only does the right thing because her actions have made her a pariah at home and she has no where else to go. The best "protagonist' in the book is Sebastian, who would sell his very soul to right wrongs, but the lack of consequences for his actions ultimately depreciate his nobility. The result overall is that the most engaging and interesting characters were the eclectically self named reptilian daughters of Sebastian. And they were monsters massacring the populace.

My standards for a 3 star review are that I would read another book by the author based on the book. And I would definitely do that. My standard for a four star review is that I would read a sequel based on that book. Would I read a sequel of this story? Maybe. So I would ideally give this 3.5 stars. But since I cannot do that, I will round up, based on the polish of the author's writing.
1614606
This was almost a superb book.  Almost.
I almost felt sufficient sympathy for the main characters, but most of them were inadequately fleshed out.
I almost understood the grief for lost Tigana.  At one point  I was murmuring 'Tigana' because _I_ could say it (this is the kind of  irrational thing a good fantasy book has you doing), but that feeling  wasn't sustained.
Certain points of the plot almost succeeded.  Particularly I point to the romances and the death-that-isn't of a main  character. In places I can see what he was aiming for, but it falls short.  Sometimes I don't see the point or meaning of an event at all.
I get an  appreciation of the histories and cultures and landscapes of the provinces  of the Palm that is almost sufficient.
I can't contrive any more almosts.  Another peeve is the unnecessary and intrusive use of the present tense in  places.  I have nothing against the present tense, but it wasn't acheiving  anything.  Despite all of this, Tigana gets four stars because it is a very  good book, just not quite what it could have been.
2170015
Branded is a good book. It's a really good book and it has the potential to better than that, it just doesn't reach all the way. This one is hard to review because my heart doesn't agree with my head. I'll try to tell you why.

I loved the general story line.  The outlines of what happens make for a truly good book: Lexi finds the will live again, she meets Cole the guard, she starts working at the hospital, and so on, don't wanna spoil it. I just have minor issues with how it's done. Lexi is new to the hole, Cole is a guard at the hole. She knows nothing and he should be able to answer her questions, right? Wrong. Before the line between Cole's role as just a guard and as a friend is muddled she asks a lot of relevant questions that he, understandably, won't answer. The thing is, she asks why she is treated differently than all the other sinners, and he basically says " I got orders, I follow them without question". And that's it. She is treated differently and we never get to know why. Stuff like that bothers me.

So does their somewhat cheesy and fall-in-love-way-too-fast relationship. It's really not that bad, it's just a hangup of mine. I guess that's my biggest issue, Cole and Lexi's relationship. That or Lexi's weakness.

Lexi has hit rock bottom and she is unsure of her self, but she's still a bit to weak to be a character I can fall in love with. While she has some redeeming qualities, as her strong sense of empathy and her ability to love, I like Cole better.

When we get to the fight-for-what-you-believe-in part the book it gets a whole lot better! Suddenly the book picks up the pace and is full of adrenaline filled scenes. It adds friction between characters and Lexi goes from being meek to a become a character I can actually like for any other reason than her empathy. She stands up for her self and for those she cares about and she suddenly developed some balls, to be frank.

I've had this labeled as a four star review since I finished the book, because that's what my heart tells me. While reading it I really like it, but that's how I feel about most books. After having sat on it for a while and thinking for a bit I can't in all honestly give it four stars. It hurt's my heart but my brain just won't give in on this one. Stupid brain...
3051501
I wish it were five stars.  I have so loved the Chicagoland Vampires stories since the series first began. Merit's reluctant acceptance of her new existence, her sexually charged sniping with Ethan, the excellent world building, Merit's hideous father, BFF Mallory, and her development as a warrior (among many things) were all essential parts of a well balanced set of books.  But, although I was very relieved to know that Ethan's fate wasn't so dire, yet something about the books after that one slowly became unsatisfying. Perhaps they're less intense, but I can't quite articulate what is bothering me.

 I know the changes in Cadogan House, and the Vampire politics were definitely an important matter to write about, and that the two main vampires still have a realistic amount of adjustments to make in order to work out the kinks in their relationship. Mallory was justifiably punished for her arrogance...for "going to the dark side", although part of that was due to being misled by an evil magician. Her destruction of Chicago, innocent people, and her part in Ethan's "disappearance" were understandably almost impossible to forgive (although she's filled with remorse). But Mallory is so utterly whipped, and so much less active in the plot, that it severely unbalances the story: she was the witty sidekick, and nobody took her place. Realistically her boyfriend and longtime friend should have intervened early on. But have pity on the readers: either remove and replace her, or create a better redemption.

I know for certain that I'm annoyed by an unwelcome increase in dialogue (which has always bothered me, and sometimes overwhelms the action.  Personally, I find the silliness of the nymphs to be quite irritating, and some undeveloped side plots are beginning to show up.  It seems hard to believe that it has only been a year for the characters to have gone through so many changes, so it's too stretched out somehow. Merit's lousy father was a constant and formidable force she had to overcome, but he's invisible in this new sequel.

  Luckily Merit and Ethan have realistic adjustments to make in order to keep their relationship going, and the sex between them is a always natural part of the plots, but never overdone. Having the two main characters, both strong willed and proud, still work hard on compromise, keeps the right amount of "tension" going. But the secondary murder side-plot was unnecessary and boring. The final decisions of the major vampire/foe were unbelievable. Her conniving assistant was a very weak character, and his part in the plot fizzled out. And frankly, if I read the phrase "I stand Sentinel!" one more time, I'm going to have a lot less respect for these stories.

I still love this series, and would still choose Chloe Neill's stories over many similar authors' books, because she's an excellent writer. I'm hoping that whatever is missing (or being overused) is going to be dealt with in the next book, and that there are many more books. I definitely would like less dialogue.
2022062
I really want to like this as a 5 star but I just cant.
The battery life is NOT as advertised.
Other than that, AMAZEBALLS!
913770
How I desperately wanted to adore this recording!  The stars were so close to being in complete alignment!  However, at the end of the day, in all good conscience, I can't get there from here.  The most I could give it would be 4.5 stars, but the half-point demerit is a significant one in this case.

First the bad news: I don't know why a better Iago couldn't have been found.  I'm not familiar with Carlo Guelfi, but I gather he may be approaching the end of his career.  That's not a flaw in itself, as we've all seen and heard great singers show why they're great even at the ends of their careers.  Alas, he doesn't pull it off (and I don't know if he ever could have).  He's clearly an old man, or at least sounds like one, and the bad news starts with his "Credo."  He bleats rather than sings, and reminds me of nothing so much as an operatic John McCain telling people to get off his lawn.  A very poor choice indeed, and because of the critical importance of this role, I just can't see my way to a five-star rating.

Now for the good news - the other singers are wonderful. I'd seen Stoyanova in Vienna a million years ago and don't really remember what she sounded like, but her voice is wonderful throughout her range, and in particular it's a pleasure to hear the lower notes sung so well - though her high notes float and are lovely to the ear.  She creates a great character with her voice, and that's no mean feat.  Similarly, Antonenko is a great Otello; passionate, loving, angry and miserable.  I've noted some reviewers claiming that the lead singers are not sufficiently "Italianate," but (a) I'm not even sure what that means and (b) I disagree.  Some other roles are cast very well, including (as one other reviewer notes) the amazing Eric Owens as Lodovico.

Muti's conducting is phenomenal, as are the orchestra and chorus of the Chicago Lyric Opera - they bring back the glory days under Solti.  I really think Muti "gets" Verdi better than anyone else who is recording today.  My only quibble with him is that the last big chorus in Act III seems different from every other recording I've ever heard.  Anybody know what that's about?

Net-net, it's a wonderful recording and well worth having, but the fatal flaw noted above prevents it from earning the five-star rating that I so wish I could give it.
30441
Man this is so close to being a great case I love the way it feels in my hand has a smooth but not to slick case it looks nice covers everything including a slightly higher edge than the screen to protect the screen, its just is a very nice design.

This really could have been a 5 star case. Two things I would like to have seen, lightning connector instead of the mine usb type connector.  I know the rest of the world uses mini usb but I have all my cables using lighting so now I have to have a bunch of mini usb cables around.

Could use just a little larger battery in the pack.  It has a good weight but the size and shape tells me they could have easily fit a 7000mah battery in it.  Still the extra juice does get you through a long day.  Unfortunately this still doesn't get me though a full day of skiing where i'm tracking my escapades using gps on the mountain and listing to music.
1299533
If half stars were a possibility, this fine novel would merit a 4.5.
4083348
This was my first Crais novel.  I'm not sure there will be a second.

Don't get me wrong.  I didn't dislike this book at all.  Parts of it riveted me.  One personality (Joe's) was fleshed out beautifully.  But the cardboard police figures, the silly one-line summations of tense or tragic situations by Elvis and the insufficient development of the personality of the criminal were drawbacks in what could have been a truly ingenious book.

There's a lot of potential here (whence 3 stars):  maybe someone will comment to let me know if this potential was realized in future Cole/Pike novels.