BOOK REVIEW: Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey

 

This is the sequel to Dragonflight, which had our heroine, Lessa, discovered and made the human companion of a female dragon named Ramoth. In this follow up, it is seven Turns (the term for years on the planet Pern) after the events in the previous book. Lessa has settled into her function as Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr and weyrmate to her partner, F’lar. Unfortunately, Pern is a little less settled. An unusual conjunction of planets has sent more lethal Thread down on Pern than anyone can remember, including the Oldtimers, the name of the dragonriders that Lessa brought forward in time to help fight the menace in the last novel. The Oldtimers themselves are a source of contention, so set in their old traditions that they try to block F’lar’s innovations to combat the constant danger dropping from the skies at any opportunity. Add to this an unlikely romance between F’nor, F’lar’s brother, and a young queen dragonrider named Brekke, and the discovery of some ancient technology that allows men to hope that it might be possible to eradicate Thread at its source. All this makes this for a novel with many twists and turns, and not a few surprises, demonstrating why McCaffrey’s work is a world that will live forever. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Goodnight Mommy

 

Twin boys come to visit their mother after she has apparently had plastic surgery. With a face covered in bandages, she presents the boys with a less than accurate image of the mother they used to know. However, her behavior is even more striking, and when they discover that her eye color has somehow changed, the boys become convinced that the woman in the bandages is not really their mother, but a mysterious impostor. The boys then have to decide if they are simply going to run, or if they are going to try to find out what happened to their real mother.

This film is actually the remake of an Austrian film of the same name. Starring Naomi Watts as the mother and the real-life twin brothers Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti as the twin boys, it is a tension filled romp through mystery, thrills, and fantasy to a stunning conclusion. There is some violence, including a scene of the mother subjecting one of the boys to a form of abuse, but hardly any strong language and no nudity. Sedate, but worth the time.

BOOK REVIEW: Lair by James Herbert

 

The second in Herbert’s series about giant mutant rats, this has the rats that survived the extermination efforts in London finding their way into a nature preserve on the city’s outskirts. There they learn to not only become more cautious and elusive, but also develop into excellent hunters. That is, until their increasing numbers and craving for human flesh resurfaces to threaten another tide of horror.

This book is written in a descriptive style that brings the rats to life in a way that will hold the reader spellbound. While not actually giving the animals emotions or intelligence equal to man’s, it still creates tension and desperation within the rats that is marvelous to behold. Add to this the dedication of a rat exterminator named Luke Pender, and his unexpected romance with one of the witnesses of the rats’ presence in the nature preserve, and this makes an excellent diversion for a long plane ride or a day at the beach. There are sexual and gory scenes that makes this a novel meant for adults, but nonetheless excellent for all that.

MOVIE REVIEW: Samaritan

 

An Amazon studios production, this 2022 film surrounds a young man who comes to suspect that a superhero who was believed to be dead is living in the apartment across from his. While watching the subject of his suspicions, an emotional attachment develops between the boy and the older man, and effects the lives of many individuals when a power-hungry madman tries to impersonate another dead superhero in a bid for control of the city.

This movie puts a new twist on the superhero genre, answering the question of what happens when those superheroes grow old and, perhaps, just tired. Starring veteran actor Sylvester Stallone, it also has two comparatively new faces to American audiences. The first is the young actor that plays the boy, Javon Walton, and the second is an alum of the Game of Thrones series, Pilou Asbaek. They all give stellar performances, with the climactic battle between Stallone and Asbaek being one of the most impressive that has been seen on film for a long time. While there is some strong language and violence present, there is nothing else in this offering that would not make it suitable for consumption by young viewers. Very entertaining streaming for family night.

BOOK REVIEW: Nutshell by Ian McEwan

 

While in her last trimester of pregnancy, a woman who has taken her husband’s brother as her lover plots with him to murder the father of her child. They believe they will never be caught because there are no witnesses to their crime. But they are wrong. There is one witness. The child that is still slumbering in the womb has heard all.

This is a novel about deceit and murder, told from the unique perspective of the unborn child of one of the perpetrators. To do this, it takes the artistic license of gifting the child with the consciousness and intelligence of an adult, albeit a naïve one. While this may be somewhat unconventional, the thing that proves really disturbing is the effect that the mother’s constant drinking has on the child, making it feel the effects of alcohol impairment before it is even in a position to have a choice on the subject. Well written, this is a book that is interesting enough to keep you turning the pages.