Hope’s Reviews > The Four Legendary Kingdoms > Status Update
Hope
is 20% done
Ongoing review with spoilers
The Pit challenge. You don't know what's ahead in the challenge because you didn't ask when you had the chance. Stupid.
You take an overweight, unfit, non-combat ready friend as your shackled partner instead of the young, fit option (Alby). Stupid.
The mention of the large female partner with the man with wrap-around glasses - Mother? and Schofeild?? A reference maybe?
— Aug 04, 2019 08:50PM
The Pit challenge. You don't know what's ahead in the challenge because you didn't ask when you had the chance. Stupid.
You take an overweight, unfit, non-combat ready friend as your shackled partner instead of the young, fit option (Alby). Stupid.
The mention of the large female partner with the man with wrap-around glasses - Mother? and Schofeild?? A reference maybe?
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Hope
is 28% done
Ongoing commentary with spoilers
FFS
Jack's communication with the minotaur he rescued is very "me Tarzan, you Jane". With all the inaccuracies and unlikeliness of such a quick and relatable connection. Despite language barriers, and cultural barriers. *sigh of disappointment*
— Aug 04, 2019 09:17PM
FFS
Jack's communication with the minotaur he rescued is very "me Tarzan, you Jane". With all the inaccuracies and unlikeliness of such a quick and relatable connection. Despite language barriers, and cultural barriers. *sigh of disappointment*
Hope
is 27% done
Ongoing commentary w spoilers
Rich bf tries to distance himself from the spectacle. Will he be an ally later?If so a very weak one.
Jester mephisto (I'm listening to an audiobook, so the spelling may be wrong) makes a clear connection with Lily, and has fighting skills. Predicting Jack is going to have to kill him or someone will have to to protect Lily. Lily had better tell Jack about him and all other fighters.
— Aug 04, 2019 09:15PM
Rich bf tries to distance himself from the spectacle. Will he be an ally later?If so a very weak one.
Jester mephisto (I'm listening to an audiobook, so the spelling may be wrong) makes a clear connection with Lily, and has fighting skills. Predicting Jack is going to have to kill him or someone will have to to protect Lily. Lily had better tell Jack about him and all other fighters.
Hope
is 26% done
Ongoing commentary with spoilers.
Mate. Lily. MATE. Get your act together. Okay so, Lily is mingling with the spectators in order to get more information on the challenges. They're badly written caricatures of "wealthy, careless, arrogant" royals watching a bloodbath. But when one drunk prince starts to vaguely describe the future challenges, Lily is "thankful" when a bell chimes and the conversation ends.
FFS.
— Aug 04, 2019 09:02PM
Mate. Lily. MATE. Get your act together. Okay so, Lily is mingling with the spectators in order to get more information on the challenges. They're badly written caricatures of "wealthy, careless, arrogant" royals watching a bloodbath. But when one drunk prince starts to vaguely describe the future challenges, Lily is "thankful" when a bell chimes and the conversation ends.
FFS.
Hope
is 25% done
Ongoing review with spoilers.
And he's introduced Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield to this mess? No. Please don't ruin my favourite past series with your latest sloppy writing. :( If they kill Mother in this series, since M. Reilly doesn't put any emotional weight into his deaths anymore, that would be such a useless, awful, throw-away end to a beloved character.
Aaaand Lily's rich bf was involved. (Not) A shocker!
— Aug 04, 2019 08:58PM
And he's introduced Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield to this mess? No. Please don't ruin my favourite past series with your latest sloppy writing. :( If they kill Mother in this series, since M. Reilly doesn't put any emotional weight into his deaths anymore, that would be such a useless, awful, throw-away end to a beloved character.
Aaaand Lily's rich bf was involved. (Not) A shocker!
Hope
is 23% done
I'm 23% done with this book and in story, but 85% done with my patience.
Was Matthew Reilly once a good author? Who knows? This book is erasing the goodwill I once held toward his stories.
And another mystery, why does this book have an average rating of 4 stars? ?????
Terrible characterisation. Poorly conveyed action scenes. Re-used scenarios. Hyperbole overdrive. Predictable as all hell. Just bad bad bad.
— Aug 04, 2019 08:56PM
Was Matthew Reilly once a good author? Who knows? This book is erasing the goodwill I once held toward his stories.
And another mystery, why does this book have an average rating of 4 stars? ?????
Terrible characterisation. Poorly conveyed action scenes. Re-used scenarios. Hyperbole overdrive. Predictable as all hell. Just bad bad bad.
Hope
is 21% done
Ongoing review with spoilers.
WHY is Jack spending so much time standing still and internally monologuing so that he keeps running last. The author's way of describing these scenes is patchy, what's anyone else doing? Who knows?
THAT STUPID DESCRIPTION - Jack's dangling off the side of the ramp! Then! He's not!
Hyperboles. This is like reading a highschooler's story. "Most formidable evahhhh" Sooooo unexpectedOMG
— Aug 04, 2019 08:54PM
WHY is Jack spending so much time standing still and internally monologuing so that he keeps running last. The author's way of describing these scenes is patchy, what's anyone else doing? Who knows?
THAT STUPID DESCRIPTION - Jack's dangling off the side of the ramp! Then! He's not!
Hyperboles. This is like reading a highschooler's story. "Most formidable evahhhh" Sooooo unexpectedOMG
Hope
is 18% done
Ongoing review with spoilers
FAAAAARRRR OUT. They have a long break in between battles, and Jack finds out who got him involved in this death battle. But does he ask about what challenges are up next? Strategies used>? Things ALL THE OTHER CONTESTANTS ARE AWARE OF? no. Because M. Reilly has become a a shitty writer.
Jack wastes his time.
The dialogue is cardboard. "this is how a teenager talks"
:( :( :(
— Aug 04, 2019 08:48PM
FAAAAARRRR OUT. They have a long break in between battles, and Jack finds out who got him involved in this death battle. But does he ask about what challenges are up next? Strategies used>? Things ALL THE OTHER CONTESTANTS ARE AWARE OF? no. Because M. Reilly has become a a shitty writer.
Jack wastes his time.
The dialogue is cardboard. "this is how a teenager talks"
:( :( :(
Hope
is 16% done
Ongoing review with spoilers
Prediction: Lily's rich boyfriend may have family ties to this competition.
Prediction: Jack's bird will die
Note: Jack should win a challenge and secure the safe release of his "support team". It'd be nice if he secured everyones.
Note: from earlier - the depiction of Ancient Greek afterlife was incorrect?? Fields of Asphodel, Isles of Elysium, Tartarus. Judged areas to the afterlife.
— Aug 01, 2019 08:58PM
Prediction: Lily's rich boyfriend may have family ties to this competition.
Prediction: Jack's bird will die
Note: Jack should win a challenge and secure the safe release of his "support team". It'd be nice if he secured everyones.
Note: from earlier - the depiction of Ancient Greek afterlife was incorrect?? Fields of Asphodel, Isles of Elysium, Tartarus. Judged areas to the afterlife.
Hope
is 15% done
Ongoing review with spoilers
Matthew Reilly used to incorporate information really timely and neatly into his writing. Specs on weapons, politic machinations, local and global history.
This novel includes "info dumps" which are laborious blocks of forced information.
He's lost his ability to write realistically different and empathetic characters. Everyone seems stereotypical.
— Aug 01, 2019 08:50PM
Matthew Reilly used to incorporate information really timely and neatly into his writing. Specs on weapons, politic machinations, local and global history.
This novel includes "info dumps" which are laborious blocks of forced information.
He's lost his ability to write realistically different and empathetic characters. Everyone seems stereotypical.
Hope
is 13% done
Ongoing review with spoilers
Notes:
Pit fight
- That was a Really awkward description of a fight. Very hard to visualise.
- The Black and White symbolism is awfully obvious. Those two hunters were underwhelming.
- Geez that one minotaur felt sacrificial, you could sense he was going to be the 'last one' due to injury or death.
- Arrow in the boot. ugh. an obvious weapon - a Chekhov's gun.
- Pretty predictable.
— Aug 01, 2019 08:48PM
Notes:
Pit fight
- That was a Really awkward description of a fight. Very hard to visualise.
- The Black and White symbolism is awfully obvious. Those two hunters were underwhelming.
- Geez that one minotaur felt sacrificial, you could sense he was going to be the 'last one' due to injury or death.
- Arrow in the boot. ugh. an obvious weapon - a Chekhov's gun.
- Pretty predictable.
