Short Story – Don't Stop Moving

The hem of my jacket caught on the top of the barbed fence as I leapt over, pulling it up my body and almost sliding it off my arms as I fell down the other side. With what seemed like a mightily loud ripping noise, I was freed, but instead of flying gracefully, I tumbled in a heap at the bottom of the fence.

A dog howled, and I turned to look through the fence, my breath hitching as I panted, out of breath. They were getting closer. Too close. 

I scrambled to my feet and kept running, ducking in and out of the trees as best I could in the dark. There were no lights to help me, this was not a well walked path that lamps had been installed along. Even the moon was hiding its face, tucked safely behind the heavy clouds. Rain was on its way, and it wasn’t going to hold off for much longer. 

My feet pounded against the forest floor, slipping on the damp leaves and trying my hardest to not trip on the tree roots emerging from beneath the ground. My lungs burned, and the cool air wasn’t helping. Every breath felt like being stabbed by icicles from the inside, but it wasn’t like I had a choice. I couldn’t duck and hide in the bushes. I would simply be resigning myself to becoming a plaything for the dogs. Although that might be better than the fate I would face if they actually caught me. No, better for the dogs to get to me first.

Barking echoed through the night, and I could hear the faint shouts of men, branches snapping all around me. I pressed on, praying to come across something, anything, that would help me. A road, a house. Some sign of other people that might come to my rescue and keep me safe. I could see nothing, though, though the darkness. I could barely see far enough ahead to weave between the trees without running straight into one. I had made it over the fence though. I was out of the compound. Just how deep in the woods could they have built it? They had to get supplies in from somewhere – that thought was the only thing pushing me on. The idea that they couldn’t have built it too far from civilisation. Just far enough behind the fence that no one would find it.

The rain didn’t start with a few drops, easing into the shower, but instead began pelting down the icy water, letting out all of its frustrations at once. If I couldn’t see before, I certainly couldn’t now. I reached up to wipe away the droplets clinging to my eyelashes, blinking furiously. What if I wasn’t even going the right way. For all I knew, I could be going further into the inky blackness of the trees. How far would they chase me before giving up?

That was a stupid question. I knew too much. If they couldn’t catch me to put me back where I belonged, they would loose the dogs to kill me. There could be no whistleblower. No escapees. No survivors.

For all my efforts in pressing on, staying upright, dodging everything, my downfall was a bramble root, carving itself into and out of the earth, looping itself in amongst its fellow roots. My foot caught, and my speed was my downfall, tumbling me forwards and sideways against the declining earth. I tried to tuck my arms up to my head, to cover my face with the sleeves of my jacket, but I needn’t have bothered. I came to a stop at the bottom of the hill in a heap, the exposed skin on my hands and face stinging with scratches. If I had previously held any hope that the rain might’ve hindered the dogs in their hunt, washing away my scent, the blood I was leaving in the indented brambles down the slope I had just traveled down at great speed was certainly going to get their attention. 

I dragged myself back to my feet, but I had lost the ability to press on. My lungs aches, and every breath I took seemed to be getting shallower and shallower, until I felt like I was suffocating. I could feel a drop of blood running down my forehead, and the ankle that had caught in the bramble burned furiously with every step. I tried, but found I could no longer run.

Struggling to breath, I walked into the deepest, thickest growth of bushes I could find, the branches grabbing at my legs and arms, pulling themselves around my body as I forced my way though them. The trees growing amongst them had low enough branches for me to force my arms to pull myself up into, and I climbed as high as I could before my limbs felt about to give out and send me back towards the ground.

I sat in the dark, straddling a branch and hugging the trunk of the tree, trying desperately to slow my breathing, but failing as it came in shuddering gasps. I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against the rough wood, coated in the softness of damp moss, as the rain pounded the world around me. I was semi-shielded by the leaves of the tree, and I could do nothing but hope and pray that they would hide me as well as shelter me.

I could hear voices getting closer, so much so that I could hear the dogs straining on their leads, trying to pull forwards quicker than they were being allowed. Behind my eyelids, I could see lights, and I couldn’t help but open them, and watch my demise come forth to me. 

Torch light forced its way through the rain and trees, falling across my face. In the darkness, I had thought myself more covered by leaves than I clearly was, and with the dogs surrounding the bushes around me, spit flying from their mouths as they snapped up at me, their eyes crazed at the potential opportunity to be set free to tear me down, it was evident that my time was up.

“Ready. Aim.” An array of torch mounted hunting rifles pointed at me, the beams of light proving the intention and aim was true, and I closed my eyes again. At least I wouldn’t be returning. I would never be going back to that place.

“Fire.”

And done!

This is the first bit of writing I have done in literal months, and I really enjoyed it!

I remember why I need to make time for doing this now.

Where do I find the time to continue doing this...?

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!

Movie Review – Subservience – When artificial intelligence blends into the human world, where do you draw the line between robot and human?

I haven't watched many films for a very long time, my attention span has gone out the window and I can't keep my concentration on anything long enough to actually finish watching something. Example – I've been watching The Good Place for weeks. I've only got 5 episodes left, but do you think I can summon the attention to actually watch them? Nope. 

Anyway, this was the first film that I've watched in literal months. So enjoy my review!

Megan Fox stars as Alice, a lifelike artificially intelligent android, who has the ability to take care of any family and home. Looking for help with the housework, a struggling father (Michele Morrone) purchases Alice after his wife becomes sick. Alice suddenly becomes self-aware and wants everything her new family has to offer, starting with the affection of her owner -- and she'll kill to get it.

My Review!

Nick isn't against admitting that he's struggling. He's home alone with his two young children, while his beloved wife is stuck in hospital, awaiting a heart transplant.

To make matters worse, with artificial intelligence on the rise, and lifelike 'sims' becoming more and more popular, his job as a construction worker seems to have a ticking clock on it. The sims are much more efficient, can work without tiring, and don't make mistakes.

But what difference will buying one for his house make? He won't have to cook, or clean, which will make more time for him to spend with his children, and visiting his wife – right? The sim his daughter chooses is a top of the range household sim, designed to be good with children and to learn from their environment and adapt to be the best as possible at the task designated to them. 

But Alice takes her role a little too seriously.

When I decided to watch this film, I did not realise it was so newly released. It has only been out for a couple of months. One thing I did notice almost instantly is it's similarities to the game, Detroit: Become Human. Even down to the book Alice in Wonderland, there are a lot of similarities between the game and this movie. If you liked the game, which I certainly do, this movie can certainly be enjoyed. It brings a whole new level to the idea of lifelike androids gaining sentience, and starting to make their own decisions. 

Nick is a character that I was fairly conflicted on. He is incredibly loyal to his family, but he also struggles in his day to day life. There are more than a few things playing on his mind, and with his wife in hospital awaiting life-saving surgery, you can’t exactly expect him to be on top form. He does, however, make some decisions in this film that make you want to grab him and give him a good shake, for he does things without thinking at times, and lets his emotions rule his thoughts, rather than thinking logically. He does, however, make you feel sympathetic towards him, and it is difficult not to like him to some degree. 

The world of artificial intelligence in this movie is something to be feared, but also marvelled over. The degree of efficiency achieved by computers over humans is impressive, and yet poses a threat to many. If a computer can do the job better, why hire a human to do it? A computer does not have the emotional capacity to need time off, and can get things done a lot faster, and without the margin for error. Humans are becoming jobless due to the rise in advanced AI, and what’s worse, is it is difficult to tell who is human and who is not. Until they do something entirely robotic, the sims in this film are portrayed as incredibly realistic, and and so integrated with society that even those who don’t like their involvement have no choice but to rely on them.

Alice, in this film, is supposed to follow Nick’s every order, and work to make his life as easy as possible, and yet, as she begins to rewrite her own code in an attempt to become as human as she can, she begins to read into things incorrectly. She may present as having her own emotions, but they are still incredibly computerised and her reactions are not that of an emotional decision, but rather of a carefully planned choice, and yet are illogical, for she lacks the ability to properly understand how her actions will affect others. Her only goal is to try and make Nick happy by eliminating the stresses in his life – she does, however, fail to understand how important the things causing the stress might be to him.

There is certainly action in this film, and tense enough scenes to make you sit on the edge of your seat. As the film progresses, the level of danger Nick and his family face increases dramatically, and you can’t help but hope that everything will be alright for his family, and that Alice will somehow be stopped. Even in some of the calmer scenes, you can’t help but feel tense, for it is clear that something is about to happen, and that it won’t be good. There are some scenes in this film that are entirely predictable, and yet, they do still create tension.

Although Nick’s lack of ability to make properly, informed choices at times, and that no one suspects anything untoward from Alice sooner in the film can be highly frustrating, this is a good film. It does keep your interest, and pose some serious threats with AI taking over the world from the humans. If you have played Detroit: Become Human, this could almost be considered a story from the other perspective, although of a significantly more violent nature. This is a story from the human’s perspective, of AI taking over the world and cornering them. Although very similar to the game, it does have some differences, and fans of the game are likely to enjoy the film.

And done!

This film did remind me of how much I enjoyed playing Detroit: Become Human – I think I might have to play it again. I still haven't played through a lot of the different pathways!

For the first film I've watched in a few months, it definitely wasn't an awful one!

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!

A Review – Blade Broken (The Echelon Book 1) by Niranjan

I saw the author of the novel promoting ARC copies on Bluesky, and I am a sucker for getting an early copy of a book, so I immediately went to check it out, and to see if it looked like something I would enjoy.

Obviously, since we are now here, and you have clearly read the title of this post, I requested and received a copy!

And I absolutely did enjoy reading it.

So scroll on down and take a look for yourself, and have a gander at my thoughts!

A spy lurking in the shadows, a nation on the verge of an invasion, a man desperate to protect his home.

Lucian is the Blade of Castrial, the kingdom's spymaster and first line of defence, lauded for his success in repelling an invasion from Garaner. But the war has left Castrial's economy in shambles, and when the neighbouring kingdom of Sarian musters their armies and sends spies into Castrial, Lucian realises two things: they have a spy in their midst, and they can't afford the cost of fighting off another invasion.

And if that wasn't trouble enough, there is Alaric, the Shield of Castrial and the only man in the Echelon whose power is equal to Lucian's. Returned from banishment like the vengeful spirit of their long-lost relationship, Alaric carries a deep-set grudge against Lucian, a grudge that may well be justified.

Lucian’s desire to protect his nation is nearly equal to his wish to reconcile with Alaric, but if he cannot get his act together and convince the Shield to work with him, Castrial will fall.

Blade Broken is a queer, sword-and-sorcery fantasy and the first book in The Echelon Series. If you love flawed characters, betrayals and redemption, and gritty worldbuilding with lots of political machinations, you will love this book.

Grab a copy!

My Review!

The kingdom of Castrial is just coming out the other side from their war with Garaner. They might have been victorious, but they have a long way to go on the road to recovery. The last thing Castrial needs is another war, but something is looming, and the consequences could be deadly. Alongside the Sarian refugees making their way into Castrial, spies are slipping through, and Sarian forces are starting to assemble. 

War against Sarian would ruin Castrial. With so little recovery time after their victory against Garaner, it would be impossible for Castrial to prove themselves victorious a second time, so quickly. The only option seems to be to stop the fight before it starts, but to do that, the King must have his very best team on hand. He already has Lucian, the Blade of Castrial, who’s role was integral in their successes against Garaner. But Castrial needs it’s Shield back, and there is one man who is a clear contender for the role – and he has just been invited back into Castrial after banishment. Not only that, but he and Lucian have a difficult past, one which they must attempt to move past in order to focus their efforts on Castrial’s continued security and safety.

Alaric returning to Castrial is long awaited, but also dreaded – to return and immediately walk into such a high-commanding role as the Shield of Castrial is certain to draw everyone’s attention, and Alaric must steel himself for everything he will face on his return. Alaric is a character you cannot help but instantly like. He has been through hell in banishment, and it was all he could do to keep himself alive while he wasn’t allowed home. And yet, he is still kind, and thinks carefully about how his actions can affect those around him. Despite his traumatic exile, and although he continues to struggle with the events surrounding it, Alaric is a gentle soul, and one you just want to wrap up in a big hug.

There is much tension on Alaric’s return between himself and Lucian. The Blade and the Shield of Castrial must work together closely, and both hold high rank in the King’s office, but they are at odds. Alaric has returned from exile with a distrust towards Lucian, a resentment and bitterness that he can’t see possible to move past. They might have been incredibly close in the past, but Alaric’s time away has changed that. The emotion surrounding the two men truly hits you as you read – it is impossible to ignore, and they feel so deeply you can almost feel their pain yourself while reading. It is clear they still care for the other’s wellbeing, but whether Alaric can truly trust Lucian, whether they can spend time in each other’s company without Alaric feeling such a deep disdain towards Lucian, is another matter. Both characters have been crafted so carefully, they come alive within the pages. Every ounce of joy, pain, and emotion comes across in the writing so immensely you fall in love with them both as you read, and putting the book down feels like walking away from dear friends.

This is certainly a novel of political intrigue and strategic plotting. With spies slipping into Castrial, and attempts to keep plans hidden from those who would report them back to Sarian, Castrial must attempt to use its own methods of finding out Sarian’s motives, and attempt to stop the attack before it comes. Sylvester is an interesting character, for he is a spy himself, placing himself where the King requires him, in an attempt to find out information that would give Castrial the high ground. The intricacies of his job, as well as his devotion to his nation, make Sylvester’s perspective in this novel one that will certainly pique your interest. His is a high-stake role, and as another instantly likeable character, he will have you on the edge of your seat.

The world created inside this novel is truly magnificent. There is no block text of description, telling the reader the intricacies of how the nations are laid out, how the King’s office and laws are set out, or how the magical side of the world works, and yet, all of these things are revealed so subtly the reader never feels out of place, or as though they do not understand the world. The reader is guided through Castrial as though they have always lived there among the characters. With such carefully and well-crafted characters, it is only right that they have a fully fleshed out world to live in, and the author has done just that with Castrial. 

This is a novel you can’t get enough of as you read. You can never have ‘just one more chapter’, for you will finish that chapter and begin the next one. There is no such thing as free will when the next chapter is right there, and it would be so easy to just keep reading. This is the kind of novel you will simply devour, and be left waiting at the end wanting more. If I had one complaint, it would be that I don’t yet have book 2. 

And done!

I really am so glad I asked for an ARC of this book. I started reading it one evening in the bath, and I absolutely could not put it down. Every time I turned to the start of a new chapter, my ereader's display would only show me the first sentence or so. The problem being, I would read that, then be so intrigued and not want to stop that I would keep reading. I ended up stuck in a loop and couldn't stop reading it for over an hour. My bath was quite cold by the time I managed to get out of the spell!

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!

A Review – Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalo

The other week, I came across a lovely little app called 'BorrowBox'. It's pretty much an online library. You create an account by linking your library card to it, and then can then borrow books (and audiobooks)!

There is a system in place that makes it more like a library, as there are not unlimited numbers of each book, so you can only borrow it if it's available, or you can be added to a waiting list to borrow the book.

I picked this book simply because it was the first one I came across that I recognised, and was available immediately!

I've never been much of an audiobook person as I zone out quite easily, but I drive to the horse yard twice a day. Granted it's only a 10 minute journey each way, but when you think about it, that's a potential 40 minutes of audiobook listening every day. So this book was sort of the tester to see how audiobook listening/driving would work, and it did go surprisingly well! I will definitely be going through the collection of books and choosing many, many, many of them to read.

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine.

When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her back to her own sheltered world. The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

Grab a copy!

My Review!

Life as a Lord’s daughter is not necessarily all it’s chalked up to be. Audrey Rose Wadsworth might be able to enjoy a life of luxury, and want for nothing, but she is not content to sit back and plan tea parties. She longs for purpose outside of the day to day life of an upper class woman. Her mind is switched on, and she has every intention of putting it to good use. Particularly when it comes to following in her uncle’s footsteps, and practicing the art of forensic medicine.

When Audrey Rose first meets Thomas Cresswell, he comes across as pompous, clearly thinking himself superior to those around him. He does not necessarily question her decision to sneak around behind her father’s back and spend her time in her uncle’s laboratory, dissecting corpses to determine the causes of their mortal end, but he does not keep it a secret that he does not believe she is that good at what she does. He is not afraid to tell her when she makes mistakes, nor does he hesitate when there is a chance to prove to her that he is right. But when corpses begin appearing in a similar manner, there can be no denying that there is a serial murderer on the loose, and Audrey Rose and Thomas have no choice but to work together if they want to discover the truth and find the murderer before too many more people lose their lives.

Jack the Ripper is an infamous name, belonging to a case that was never solved. Embellishing fact with fiction, the author has created a gripping murder mystery novel. This novel should not be taken as a true account of the murders, as is clearly stated in the author’s note at the end, but that does not mean it is not a story worth reading. The historical setting is well researched and portrayed with a close eye for the detail. Audrey Rose and Thomas live and breathe within the pages of a novel recounting Victorian England in an incredibly realistic manner. 

Audrey Rose is a woman who does not belong in the time she was born to. She is a woman who knows her own mind, and one who refuses to be caged. She knows she can contribute towards something, and she is not at all afraid to get to work, or to work hard to achieve what she desires. Despite many characters believing her incapable simply because of her gender, Audrey Rose is determined, both to prove herself capable, and to prove others wrong. She comes across as incredibly real in the telling, and is certainly a likeable character. She is not without fault, but she is human – she does her best, and puts her all into everything that she does, but is very much held back by what is deemed socially acceptable for a woman to do. She makes the perfect protagonist to tell this story, for she is not on the front line, such as those in Scotland Yard on the police force are, but rather working behind the scenes, following her own leads, and attempting to piece together clues that are left behind after the life of a victim has been lost.

The relationship between Audrey Rose and Thomas is one that is rather entertaining to follow. Audrey Rose may see Thomas as a rival for her uncle’s praise, but she can’t deny that she needs him to be able to solve the case. If Scotland Yard, and even her uncle, couldn’t solve it and find the murderer, how was she supposed to solve it by herself. With Thomas, the world opens up, and she has a partner in crime, as it were, in her investigation. With clues bouncing between them, and two different perspectives, they manage to get much further in their investigation than they might have without each other. Although it becomes evident to the reader that they clearly care for each other, neither of them are the type of person to admit so, and instead they fall to harmless but amusing bickering and often grow frustrated with each other. 

Being a murder mystery, this novel is full of twists and turns. Even though you may attempt to deduce who the murderer is by yourself, it is almost guaranteed that you will not be able to see what is coming next until you turn the next page and read on. This novel builds to a brilliant climax, and it is almost impossible to predict what will come next.

While this book is listed as young adult historical fiction, it is certainly aimed at the older end of the young adult scale. There are several scenes that are incredibly gory, and for those who are not necessarily accustomed to blood, gore, and the aftermath of extreme violence, this book may be the wrong choice. It is not a particularly censored book, so can easily be enjoyed by older readers, and unless you knew it was aimed at young adults, you would not be able to tell. 

Even if you have no idea who Jack the Ripper is, or have never read a historical fiction novel before, this book should still be considered. This is a novel that is sure to grab your attention within the first few pages, and keep you hooked until the final sentence. With plenty of twists, drama, and unexpected suspects, this is a novel that is quite unforgettable. 

And done!

Now to spend hours scrolling through BorrowBox, adding books to the list of books I want to read, and finding the next audiobook to accompany me back and forth on my daily car journeys.

I think audiobooks may be my new favourite thing...!

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!