A Review – A Bounty of Love by Willow Walker

Don't you just love short stories? All the emotion and action of a full novel, condensed down into something you can read in half an hour... I know I do!

Plus, who can turn down a pretty cover like this one?

I am grateful to have received my copy of this book through the review portal I joined (you can find out more/join HERE). I may be getting a little carried away with requesting and reading books, when I still have over 200 unread books on my ereader... never mind!

Let me introduce this book, and then we can delve into my review!

In another time, in a galaxy on the far side of another universe, you can find love between the stars.

Yeva Hawthorne is a bounty hunter looking to fill a bank account with 20 million credits to repay a debt.

Tobias Hawk is also a bounty hunter and he is going after money to fund a secret he has kept for over a decade.

They are going after the same bounty and things are about to get tricky.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

Yeva Hawthorne is a bounty hunter with a debt to pay. She takes on jobs to build up the credits she needs to finally free herself of the debt. When one comes to her attention, an artefact hunt for a sum of credits much too high for a normal artefact hunt, she is drawn to the bounty. The bounty has been listed for six months, and presently, only one other person has claimed the bounty, and they have had that claim for over a month. The real mystery? The person who has claimed the bounty is none other than Tobias Hawk, the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.

When Yeva reaches the planet that the artefact is on, she checks the area for any signs of other ships, but finds nothing. If Tobias was really after the bounty, wouldn’t he be here? She lands on the strange, deserted planet, and sets about looking around. There is an old building, and that is about it. But, when Yeva approaches the building, she finds herself drawn into some kind of trance, and it is broken by Tobias Hunt, physically pulling her back into the present.

Tobias explains the situation to Yeva. He has been trapped on the planet for a month, his ship refuses to start in the atmosphere, and, now, neither will Yeva’s. There is something about the planet, something unfathomable. While on the planet, both Tobias and Yeva are incapable of lying, anything that comes out of their mouths is nothing but the truth. Vines keep growing over their grounded ships, trying to trap them, and there is a maze they must complete in order to collect the bounty, a maze that is constantly changing and giving them new puzzles to solve.

I loved the entire concept of two solo bounty hunters trapped together on the same planet, and going after the same artefact. They have no choice but to work together, and the more time they spend together, the less they can deny it – they like working together. They both have secrets, things they would rather keep to themselves, but with the workings of the planet, truths are spilled and they slowly find themselves not so concerned about being around each other.

I really liked the puzzle of the maze, and the ever changing things they have to figure out how to get past. It is difficult to talk too much about this book, as it is a short story, at only 56 pages, and I don’t want to give anything away. The puzzles, and the whole building itself, give this book a sense of mystery. Neither Yeva nor Tobias can figure out what runs the maze. It must be some kind of technology, but how old is it, and who put it there? Why is the bounty for the artefact so high, especially since the artefact itself seems to be fairly worthless? The questions seem to be endless, with no answers available to set things straight.

Again, I don’t want to spoil anything, but I adored the interactions between Tobias and Yeva, and where they led. The entire build up was fantastic and, with the help of their inability to lie, it was a delight to read about.

I read this book in one sitting. It was not difficult because of the length of the book, but I didn’t want to stop reading once I had started. I have not read (or watched) much science-fiction, but reading this definitely makes me want to consume more of this genre. If you want a quick, out of this world, read, this is one you should get. After all, what doesn’t sound amazing about finding love between the stars?

And done!

When I was writing this review, I had something in mind that I was going to write down here. That idea has flown away, never to be found again. 

So, once again, just pretend I wrote something really profound.

That's all for now...

Bye!

Movie Review – Countdown – what would you do if you knew exactly when you were going to die?

I've been watching a lot of movies about clocks counting down to death recently. First In Time, and now this one.

This film came up on Netflix, and I added it to my list. I can't remember exactly when that was, but I've now watched it!

I will introduce the film, and then we can get into my review!

When a nurse downloads an app that claims to predict exactly when a person is going to die, it tells her she only has three days to live. With time ticking away and a figure haunting her, she must find a way to save her life before time runs out.

My Review!

An app that tells you when you are going to die. It sounds like fun and games, download it and it gives you a random amount of time on a clock. And it is fun, for those who get thirty years, sixty years… but for those that have a matter of days, a matter of hours? Things seem a little more real.

Quinn Harris is a nurse, at a hospital where a patient is certain he is going to die in surgery. When he shows Quinn the Countdown app, she believes it’s just a silly app, and that he’s got himself worked up over nothing. But his girlfriend also downloaded the app, and she died when her clock reached zero. When Quinn tells her co-workers about the app they all download it, to see how long they so-called have left to live. Quinn has two days.

Disturbed, Quinn tries to continue life as usual, until she comes in the next day to learn that the patient has died. And his phone shows that his clock has no more time left. She tries everything to escape the ticking clock that is hanging over her head, but nothing seems to work. Even buying a new phone does nothing, as the app simply downloads itself onto that one as well. After all, you can’t escape your fate.

This was a fabulous film. I don’t think there’s a single moment when you’re not ever so slightly on edge about what is going to happen next, and completely aware that the clock isn’t stopping, but steadily ticking down as everything happens. Quinn comes across as a very real character. She doesn’t simply disregard the app, or completely obsess over it, but it nags at her, the thought of her impending death scares her and there is seemingly nothing she can do about it. She is not sure whether to truly believe it or not, but she has enough information to put her on edge, and she can’t be at ease until she knows the truth – and she can’t know the truth until her clock runs out.

As Quinn starts to learn more about the app, things start to click into place with how it works. It is clear from the first few minutes that there is some sort of supernatural nature to the app, so it is not a spoiler to talk about that, but I won’t go too much into what it really is, and the ins and outs of it. The whole idea (that I’m not going to talk about!) is one I don’t think I’ve come across before, and the way it was carried out was wonderful. It is not just a scary movie, with some scary situation, jump scares, and a couple of deaths, it has depth to it, and while there are some jump scares, I think they worked with the film. It is not the kind of supernatural entity that you can figure out the rules to within minutes, there are layers upon layers of different rules for the supernatural aspect of this film, that will keep you thinking even after you’ve finished watching.

Quinn was a character I really liked. She is not perfect in any way, but she tries her hardest at the things she feels are important. Quinn is the character that spends the most time on-screen, and while there are two other characters who I would consider ‘main’ characters, she is definitely the centre role of the film, so I’m glad I liked her! The other two characters, Quinn’s younger sister, Jordan, and Matt, who Quinn meets at an electronic store, when trying to get the app off her phone, are also very likeable characters. I liked Matt, in particular. He is troubled by his past, and scared of what his future holds with the clock on his phone ticking down. Meeting Quinn seems to be what saves him from completely losing himself in what seems to be his last few hours. Jordan and Quinn’s relationship is strained, Quinn is never around, and they don’t spend time together anymore. And, like Matt, both Quinn and Jordan have an event of the past that troubles them, and as a result of that, a morbid curiosity to know how long they have left.

This is a wonderful thriller, and I can see how this could really freak some people out. The idea of finding out when you are going to die is not an original one, but this way of telling the story is almost fascinating, because it almost seems plausible. A silly free app, that all your friends are downloading for a game, or that you hear about and curiously download. And after that, all you know is the tick, tick, tick of each second of your life slipping away. If you like thrillers, horror, and the supernatural, this is a must-watch!

And done!

This really was a great movie. There are some films that I watch and can just forget about afterwards, but there are some that I have to talk about afterwards because I loved them so much. This was the latter.

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!

A Review – Caged Time by Erik S. Meyers

I try to cover a wide range of genres on this blog, with both books and movies I review and the short stories I write. I do not think there are many genres I don't like reading/watching.

That being said, I have sorely under appreciated historical fiction. I think I have reviewed one other historical novel, and maybe one film. This is not enough!

I have been curious about this book for a while, and I was grateful to receive a copy through the review portal I joined (you can find out more/join HERE).

Let me stop rambling, introduce the book, and then share my review!

In 1930s New York, David Tarniss leads a quiet life as a cab driver—too quiet—In reality he is hiding a dark secret, his homosexuality, something for which he will pay dearly due to the unique circumstances of the time.

A fascinating, if disturbing, story about the challenges that confronted gays (and Jews) in 1930s New York.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

David Tarniss’ life is one of monotony, of reliving the same tasks each week, and coming out of them having gained nothing. He is desperately lonely, but between being shy and gay in 1930s New York, he can’t seem to be himself long enough to make meaningful relationships. No one knows he is gay, and he finds himself living a double life, only truly being himself when he is alone. 

When, at an uncomfortable visit to his brother’s for dinner, he meets Nathan, his brother’s colleague, things seem to look up for David. Nathan has a lot in common with David, and they get on well. A day out together leaves David reeling, desperate to spend more time with Nathan, although not sure if he’s also gay and a potential boyfriend, or just a friend. However, things quickly start to go wrong, David finds himself continuously dropped, and people always seem to leave him.

I was not entirely sure what to expect when going into this book. I have read many historical fiction books before, set during various periods of the 1900s, but never one from the perspective of a gay man, pre World War 2. It is a time when certain things are starting to look up, the economy is recovering from the Great Depression, and people are rebuilding their lives, and yet, David cannot seem to share in the joy that things are getting better because, for him, they are not. Homosexuality wasn’t just frowned upon, it was detested. David can’t be himself for his own safety, he can’t trust people around him to know what he is, and accept him for it. It is very easy to sympathise with David. His life is not what he wants it to be, all he wants is to be himself and for that to be okay, but it is not something that is about to happen for him.

David meets a lot of different people in this book, who all have very interesting perspectives on him and his situation. The first is Millicent, who is the only person who knows he is gay and openly accepts him for it. She has been his best friend for years, and, although they don’t keep in touch as much as they want to, she is always there for him, and ready to pop round if he needs her. I loved Millicent, she was an absolutely wonderful character, and friend, to read about. The second would probably be Nathan. He is a difficult character to place. I wasn’t sure whether to like him or not. While David seems infatuated with him, Nathan never treats David particularly well. The third character I would like to mention is Charles. He is not featured a lot, but he offers the unique perspective in this novel of someone who has learnt someone close to him is gay, and has come to accept it, despite not agreeing with it, nor completely understanding it. 

It is interesting, although heart-breaking, to read about all the struggles people faced just for being themselves. I really did not take the “fascinating, if disturbing” part of the blurb as seriously as I should have. There are some scenes in this book that definitely disturb, covering topics such as rape and suicide. It is difficult to read about people being treated so poorly, and having such thoughts simply because of who they are. 

If I had any problems with this book, it was that I struggled to connect with some of the characters. I empathised with David, but I wish there was more of an insight into his emotions. I was a little confused over why he was so obsessed with Nathan, because there never seems to be much of an explanation as to how David feels when he is around him, other than that he thinks he might have found someone he could have a relationship with. This is unfortunate, because I am certain I could have connected with the characters a lot, as the world-building is fabulous.

This is definitely an excellent read, and a very unique one. I have never come across a book like this before. It is a gripping story, that I read in one day, and I would definitely be interested in reading more by this author.

And done!

I am really happy to be getting back into reading. I keep going through phases of reading nothing for weeks, and then maybe reading half a book before giving up again, but this is now two books in three days. It's a nice feeling.

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!

Short Story – Intruder

There always was something about getting into your pyjamas at the end of a busy day. Something about rewarding yourself for being so productive by cooking and eating dinner in comfy sleep clothes, rather than wearing your work clothes to do both. 

Not that I could cook particularly well, but I knew how to boil pasta and mix in a ready made sauce. Plus, if you sprinkled enough cheese on anything, it would taste good. I sat in front of the television, a blanket over my lap to add to the cosy, relaxing nature I planned my evening to have. The bowl of pasta was warm, balanced on my lap, and I ate while flipping through channels. Nothing was on, and I couldn’t be bothered to get up and put a film on. 

I left the sound of some sort of cooking show on in the background as I tidied up after my meal. I picked up the bowl I had grated the cheese into. Strange, I was sure I had some left over. I always grated too much. I must’ve eaten it at some point. The only thing better than slices of cheese was a handful of grated cheese. 

I walked back to the television, to pick up the glass of water I had left on my coffee table, but it wasn’t there. I frowned down at the clear table. A soft clink made me pause and turn around, and I stared at the glass on the counter that I had just cleared. The glass that was supposed to be on the coffee table. 

A feeling of dread washed over me, soaking me from head to toe, as I tried to remember where my phone was. It should be on the sofa somewhere. I lifted my blanket, shaking it out and willing my phone to fall out and hit the sofa cushion, but there was nothing. 

My phone pinged from across the house, and I stared at the doorway, expecting to see someone standing there. It was dark through the door, there were no windows in the hallway, and I couldn’t see much past the wall of shadows. I walked slowly back to the kitchen, and drew a knife out of the knife block. My last boyfriend used to tell me I was paranoid, hearing sounds around the house and asking him to investigate, to make sure there was no one there. But this wasn’t just hearing sounds. Things didn’t just teleport across the house. 

I approached the hallway like one might approach a timid animal, as if something was going to jump out at me at any moment. Holding the knife out, I reached for the light switch and flipped it on, jumping back as the bulbs shed light over the shadows. There was no one there.

Slowly, I went through the rooms. The bathroom shower curtain was drawn, I pulled it like that after my shower in the morning, so it would dry off and wouldn’t go mouldy. I was having a hard time trying to figure out whether I would prefer to deal with mould or have peace of mind. I flung the shower curtain back, thrusting the knife forwards, just in case I needed to ward someone off, but the bath was empty.

My bedroom was next, and my heart was already pounding after the shower curtain. I checked my cupboards before taking a deep breath, and kneeling down to look under my bed. I lifted the blanket that was trailing off my bed, looking under, and through to the other side. There was nothing under there but dust.

Just when I was starting to feel a little better, the light clicked off, and my bedroom door slammed shut. I jumped to my feet in the dark, holding the knife out. There was a faint amount of late evening light creeping through the window, enough to know that there was no one in the room with me, but my hand shook as I held the knife up. There was no way this was paranoia. Paranoia turned shadows into people, sounds into dangerous scenarios. Paranoia did not move glasses, didn’t shut me in rooms and turn the lights off. Paranoid didn’t eat my leftover cheese.

I sunk onto the edge of my bed, trying to slow my somewhat erratic breathing. I listened, hearing footsteps along the hallway, and held my breath until I realised what a stupid thing that was to do. Whoever it was knew I was in here, what did it matter if they heard me breathing?

It dawned upon me that there was nothing in this situation I could control. I was in a room with no lock on the door, no way out, no way to call for help… but, I could change those things, couldn’t I?

I dragged my bed across the room, shoving it up against the door. It wouldn’t do much, but I couldn’t think of how else to block the door. I turned to the window. It didn’t open very wide, and I was two stories up, but I could squeeze through, I was sure.

The window creaked as I pushed it as wide as it would go. I could hear my kettle start boiling, and I frowned towards my barricaded bedroom door. Had this person broken into my house, shut me in a room, and sat down to make themselves a cup of tea?

I swung my legs out the window, wiggling through until I was dangling, holding on with just my hands. I made the mistake of looking down, but even the added nausea wasn’t going to stop me. I wasn’t going to stay in a house I wasn’t safe in. I closed my eyes, and let go.

I landed hard on the ground below, in a heap on the floor. I looked up at the sound of a window opening, and saw my downstairs neighbour looking out the window at me.

“Are you okay?” She asked, turning to look across the room when the cry of a baby filled the air. She glanced back towards me.

“Call the police. There’s someone in my apartment.”

The woman brought me inside as she called the police, her baby on her hip as she bounced it around to get it to stop crying. I sat on the edge of one of her sofas, biting my nails as I listened to her talk on the phone.

It took approximately one and a half cups of tea, and six nails bitten down to the quick before the police turned up. An officer knocked on the door of the woman I now knew as Lucy, and sat with me as he tried to get the whole story, although I had to keep backtracking, forgetting things and remembering them after I had finished that part of the story.

I glanced out the window when I saw movement, and watched two police officers flank my ex boyfriend as they led him, in handcuffs, to one of the two police cars parked outside. The boyfriend who had called me paranoid. Paranoid, my ass.

And done!

The post is up a little late today, I know, I know. I forgot to schedule it, and then left the house!

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!

Movie Review – In Time – a film where you pay for things with your lifespan

I actually watched this film a while ago. By that, I mean at least two weeks. Actually, I wrote this review in my notes app, and it's dated. I watched this film, and wrote this review, fifteen days ago.

And now I'm finally making the post!

Let me introduce the film, and then I can (finally) share my review!

Welcome to a world where time has become the ultimate currency. You stop aging at 25, but there's a catch: you're genetically-engineered to live only one more year, unless you can buy your way out of it. The rich "earn" decades at a time (remaining at age 25), becoming essentially immortal, while the rest beg, borrow or steal enough hours to make it through the day. When a man from the wrong side of the tracks is falsely accused of murder, he is forced to go on the run with a beautiful hostage. Living minute to minute, the duo's love becomes a powerful tool in their war against the system.

My Review!

A society that deals in time. Lives in time. Time is the very essence and structure of everyone’s lives. And while some people have all the time in the world, others are running out of time. Time is both a currency, and a life force. If you run out of time, you die. But with the cost of living rising, and wages decreasing, more people are running out of time and dying. 

Will Salas grew up in Dayton, a poor time zone. Ever since his clock started, on his 25th birthday, he has been living day to day, barely keeping up with time. It is all he knows. So, when he runs into a stranger at a bar, the century on his clock clear for all to see, Will knows the man is in danger. Where he lives, that kind of time doesn’t stay with the owner for long. 

When Will wakes up after saving the man with over a century on his clock, he doesn’t know what to do. For the first time in his life, Will has time to spend, can sit around without worrying. But, there are still people on the cusp of running out. So why should he get to keep it? The class system is corrupt, with some people living forever, and giving no thought to the countless dying each day. Justice is one word for what Will wants. And justice he strives for. 

Will finds himself hunted by the Timekeepers, enforcers of the system who accuse him of stealing the century he was given. He goes on the run, taking the overprotected daughter of one of the richest men in the world with him. Together, as they evade the timekeepers, they work to bring down the elite while raising up the poor. 

There is obviously a very clear social class injustice portrayed in this film. The rich live forever, and the poor can barely make it a day. Will becomes a Robin Hood of sorts, taking from the rich to give to the poor. No matter how high the reward for turning Will in may raise, why bother if he will give them more than the reward? 

I loved the concept of this film. There is the class system, and everything must be paid in time. Something may cost four minutes, something else an hour. There are some wonderful lines, such as a young girl approaching Will and asking ‘have you got a minute?’ Except, she is literally after a minute, rather than a moment of his time. On top of the Timekeepers, enforcing the law, there are Minutemen, thugs who are more than happy to steal whatever’s on your clock and time you out. Time is everywhere and everything. It creates a very interesting dystopian fantasy world. 

While obviously the Timekeepers are the bad guys, I couldn’t truly hate them. The leader, Raymond Leon, is determined to catch Will, but he is not simply driven without any other reason. Leon has his reasons for everything he does, and while Will’s view on things is the one I most sympathise with, I could understand Leon’s. He’s worked for fifty years maintaining the time. Will could cause all that work to crumble, could destroy the system. 

While the concept is incredibly interesting, there were scenes that I thought fell completely flat. Some of the dialogue and events seemed rushed and unfinished, like (ironically) there wasn’t enough time to make them as perfect as they could be. The ending in particular is not one that will stay with you for a long time, it was, unfortunately, rather disappointing. I think this may have been what caused me not to completely hate the Timekeepers. Well, that and Leon is played by Cillian Murphy.

All in all, this is an enjoyable movie, but not the kind of film I would call spectacular, which is a shame, because the idea is so good. This is, though, a great film to watch casually if you are after some action, drama, and an interesting dystopian future. Like I said, the concept is fascinating, and it’s a great new spin on the story of Robin Hood that we all know. 

And done!

I don't really remember if I had any plan of things to talk about down here, since it's been so long since I actually watched the film. Just pretend I said something really witty.

That's all for now...

Bye!