Okay, if y'all thought November had a lot on my LIST, January is out of control. A lot of it comes from the Phams letting Disney Plus go so I decided to watch all the shows that was on my watchlist that I have been sitting on. On top of that, this month has our first 10 and my first DNF. Hilarious that. DNF or Did Not Finish is something I rarely do in reading. Even if I am not enjoying something, I at least try to finish it. However this one particular novel (which will rename nameless) definitely was not for me and I made the wise decision to put it away so I could read something I did enjoy. Life is too short to read books you have no interest in finishing. On that long preamble. Lets kick off January's LIST.
27. Terrifier: 7 - OKAY
This movie was an experiment for me. I have heard a lot about this and I not one to shy away from splatter-punk horror (I grew up on Clive Barker). I had an opportunity to watch it for free thanks to Hoopla and well. It wasn't that good. The plot was paper-thin, the main antagonist does not speak so he relies on facial expressions and body language so he didn't even have the charisma most horror villains have. The long cast of victims were really vapid one dimensional characters just there to up the body count and definitely were not trained actors however I will say they acted leagues better than the cast of the stinker Rawhead Rex.
I can say the particular gore effects were particularly gruesome and even I was turned off at some points. I have heard the director is a fan of old skool practical effects and you can see it in this film. As I said it was an experiment and if it was successful I would have watched the other films in this series but as it stands I don't think I will. I think I've might have outgrown these older splatter-punk type of horror films to be honest.
26. Possessing Her: Once You're Mine: 7.5 - OKAY
This is part 1 in a duology of books making up the 'Possessing Her' series. This was my first time reading smut/ spice type of books and it was... interesting and very detailed. I gasped at some of the colorful language and I am not a prude so that says a lot. I did not dis-like this book (it got a 7.5 after all) however I do have a couple issues with it. One, I found the Main Male Lead a bit too over-possessive and a bit cringe in how far he'll go for the Female Lead. The Female Lead is also a bit so submissive for me to take her seriously as well. I love strong female leads so this did not work for me. Two, the story was kind of spinning in circles and I wished it had more forward movement instead of focusing on the male lead and his obsession.
I won't lie, I read the trigger warning and also did some research so I knew what I was getting into but this book is just missing something for me to really enjoy it. I will complete the duology because it ended on a cliffhanger but I don't think I'll continue reading works for this author.
25. X-Men Dark Phoenix: 7.5 - OKAY
This was a very safe and lack-luster sequel. Fox and their X-Men movies really have no in-between. They are either really good (X2, First Class, Days of Future Past) or forgettable (Last Stand, Apocalypse and now Dark Phoenix). You can tell Fox was really scraping the bottom of the barrel for this one. The villains are a instantly a non-issue with paper-thin motivations, Magneto's new goon squad is made up of some of the most WTF mutants I have ever seen and they took a enormous epic like the Dark Phoenix saga and made it... meh.
This 7.5 is very generous and its mainly because Michael Fassbender is still acting circles around everyone else and his scene on the train was amazing and some of the action was cool but it was weighed down by a barely put together plot, everyone acting like they are just fulfilling their contracts (especially Jennifer Lawrence), incredibly complex heroes like Quicksilver, Storm and Cyclops just being boiled down to 'what can there powers do' and ignore their backstories and I hate to say it, I like Sophie Turner in Game of Thrones but especially in this film she seemed out of her depth portraying a character as complex as Jean in her Dark Phoenix form. Her multiple deadpan expressions did not help either. I am so happy this was the last FoX-men picture and hopefully Marvel does much better now the franchise is back in their hands.
24. Tempest (Kdrama): 8 - Rave
Tempest is an odd one, It feels like a kdrama but it also feels very American coded which is no surprise because they had the backing of big name US production house Skydance. Despite this unique mash-up of cultures instead of taking the best from each other, they ended up taking the worst. The American need to have raised stakes but to draw it out for long periods, the Korean need to have everything be a moral lesson. This show has the budget, the cast (including stalwart Korean veterans like Gianna Jun and American stars like John Cho), the set-up and stakes to make it something spectacular. However after a very promising start, it falls apart at the end and you are left with a show that had potential and dropped the ball.
A lot of bad characters have redemption arcs for no reason other than to do it, our heroine who was given a lot of agency at the beginning and bad-ass moments falls apart at the end, nearly dying to a generic no-name solider and the male lead has to save her all for a lack-luster, boring ending with no real resolution for the main couple. I gave it a 8 based on its first couple episodes and the potential it showed but in the end, this was not it.
23. Night Club (full series so far): 8 - Rave
Continuing my deep dive into Mark Millar's whole Millarverse, we arrived at Night Club. A bunch of teens get vampire powers and decided to fight crime, hormones and each other. This was a fun series and premise but it got pretty generic. This series did have great art and it got really gruesome at times which I did not mind. Vol. 2 of the series was the best one with some real stakes (pun intended) and some dark moments but overall it does not do anything different than numerous teen vampire stories like this.
I kind of expect more from Mark Millar but it seems his ideas really lacks staying power for a 'long series' which we will see again later in this LIST on a different comic. Also Vol. 3 ends with an very obvious sequel bait/ cliffhanger moment which I feel is entirely un-necessary which also left a bad taste in my mouth. They really could have ended after the third volume and the series would have been fine.
22. The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath by H.P Lovecraft: 8 - Rave
In the month of January I decided to finally do a deep dive into the writings of H.P Lovecraft. I read a lot of his short stories and a couple of his novellas but we will only be reviewing the novellas. As someone who knows about the influence of Lovecraft on so much of the media I consume, I always said to myself I need to actually read the source material. Well January was the month I started my own quest into the world of H.P.
The Dream Quest... has some issues, it did not read like a story, more of an extended travelogue as Lovecraft hits with so much world-building and ideas you are left amazed by his imagination. However, this was all for naught because this is a Quest without a satisfactory end (at least for me). His 'purple prose' could also be a bit much especially if you are not used to Lovecraft and his long descriptions of basic things could be a bit much. Despite my shortcomings with it, I did enjoy the reading along with an audio book because simply reading it was not working for me. The audio book really enhanced the experience.
21. The New Mutants: 8 - Rave
This film legit surprised me. I went in with low expectations and I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked it. Sure they Fox-fied most of their lore, changed characters motivations around just for the Hell of it (Rahne/ Dani's romantic pairing comes to mind) and side-washed a predominantly black female character for a Hispanic one (Dr. Emilia Reyes) which was weird and un-necessary but despite that, this film actually wasn't bad.
The casting was inspired, Anya Taylor-Joy being the obvious stand-out and rocked as Ilyanna (a casting I hope they keep which Marvel has been known to do). The special effects were good, the action set pieces were nice. My only real negatives was once again, a meh first half villain in Reyes and lack of pace/ stakes in the first half of the film. Could it have been better? Yes but it still stands heads and shoulders over Dark Phoenix so they have that.
20. Dracula by Bram Stoker: 8 - Rave
It is amazing that Dracula by Bram Stoker is still so relevant and so readable despite it being so old. Yes, it has outdated notions of gender roles but it was a product of its time so we shouldn't hold that against it. Yes, the final 'battle' with Dracula was kind of anti-climatic and the book reads mostly like a travelogue but unlike Unknown Kadath above, this book at least had some meat on it at its core, it is a good story of good vs evil and good triumphs in the end.
I enjoyed my re-read especially since it had been a lifetime since I've last read it but I still remembered many scenes like it was yesterday. That truly shows how much of an impression it left on me. I am going to be continuing with my goal this year to read or re-read at least one classic a month and Dracula was a great way to kick it off. Also I will die on the hill that Dracula is a pro-Christianity book despite its subject matter or perhaps it is because of it.
19. Battle Royale: 8 - Rave
Speaking of classic, a classic of modern cinema, Battle Royale has inspired so many videos games, anime, manga and stories. However before last month I had never seen it. Seeing it show on Amazon Prime peaked my interest but when I realized it would be dubbed I instead borrowed it from my library so I could watch it with the original Japanese subtitles. Battle Royale has a reputation for being insane, gory and very hard to watch. Quentin Tarrinto has even called it one of the best films of all time. For me, I would not go that far.
I felt a bit of disconnect with this film. From everything I heard I thought it would blow me away but I came away mildly disappointed. The themes will still confronting, the deaths were gory and some were really insane but I could not escape the fact that this film, while entertaining (I gave it an 8) had too many faults I could not ignore. I really did not like the main characters acting in this film, it just did not resonate with me and I felt he was always screaming for no reason. 95% of the storylines involving the students were about unresolved crushes, lost loves and jealously but with the fourth or fifth storyline about love, I was hoping for some other storylines. By the end of the film, I did not really connect with it as much as I would have liked despite it being a good film.
18. Wonder Man (TV series): 8 - Rave
[SPOILER WARNING... JUMP TO 17 IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED]
Wonder Man feels like one of the most boldest experiments by Marvel TV since WandaVision. Focusing more on the Man instead of the Wonder and released under the Marvel Spotlight umbrella (which is known for its more experimental approach to shows), Wonder Man is a grounded superhero show which truly examines the soul of a actor and what they sacrifice. Yahya Abdul Mateen II provides a nuance, driven performance as Simon and Sir Ben Kingsley kills it as Trevor Slattery (the ex-Mandarin as people love to remind him). Trevor's character might be the sink or swim of this show for some people. Some people might love his random non-sequitur moments, some people might hate them. However the bromance between him and Yahya is undeniable and also kind of sweet.
I applaud Marvel TV for taking a chance on Wonder Man, I feel Marvel TV has reached the point where it can branch out more and tell different stories and this was one of them. Also the black and white episode Door Man is a movie in itself and told the same story Wonder Man was telling in 52 mins which was impressive. So why is it only a Rave and not a RAVE? It comes down to a couple things. I felt the show really tried to fill in its 8 episodes with too much filler, a lot could be trimmed and this could have been a much stronger, more focused TV movie instead of a TV series. Also having no true antagonist (unless you count the Hollywood or Damage Control) hurt it slightly in my eyes. This is a Marvel slice of life drama (something you get used to if you watch a lot of Kdramas like me and wife do) and for me, it mostly succeed.
17. The Little Mermaid (2023): 8.5 - RAVE
One of my favorite Disney animated films of all time gets the live action treatment and I actually enjoyed it a lot. Halle Bailey does a great job adding sass and personality to Ariel especially in a role that requires her to only use facial impressions and body language. The songs are great, including some news ones still fit with the theme and always feels like it belonged in the movie.
It does take some liberties with the story-telling including gender swapping some characters, giving certain side characters more to do and letting Ariel control her fate instead of being saved by the prince which I enjoyed. The extended endings was also a nice touch and really drove home the need for acceptance and understanding of others cultures which is sorely lacking in times like these.
16. The Last Voyage of the Detemer: 8.5 - RAVE
Another surprise for me this month was The Last Voyage... Like everyone else I came in with a healthy amount of skepticism. How can they make a film of a chapter... just one CHAPTER of Dracula. However they did and it was good. Dracula was reimagined in a way that actually made him scary and menacing in a way he has not been done before. The film kept its pace and even introduced new elements and lore but also make sense in a way that it was diverting too much from the source (which I reviewed above).
I actually felt bad for some (emphasis some) of the crew as they were hunted and stalked by this version of Dracula. I wished the they stuck the ending better but overall I really enjoyed this and I actually recommend it to anyone who wants a different type of vampire tale.
15. Last Christmas: 8.5 - RAVE
A charming cute Christmas flavored movie with like-able leads in the form of Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. You kind of get the feeling a big twist was coming and the foreshadowing was done well but nevertheless when it hit, it hit.
I also enjoyed how the film interwoven some many of George Michael popular and not so popular songs into it. A easy recommend if you enjoy romantic comedies with a bit of heart.
14. Final Destinations Bloodlines: 8.5 - RAVE
Okay, I kind of fell of hard when it came to the Final Destination franchise that I didn't know how many films they made since the last one I watched which was the second one. This was a pleasant surprise though and I found myself really getting into it. I enjoyed the set-up at the beginning and how it ties into the family being haunted by death in the present timeline. Some of the kills were very gory and over the top but that is what you expect from a Final Destination film. My only real gripes was it had a very down-beat ending (which horror films loved so I should have expected it) and how some of the 'victims' were really just there to be killed and add to the body count. I am not expecting great character work but dude is a dick all the time doesn't make a deep character worth cheering for to survive. Also it was really cool that they let Tony Todd adlib his final lines which was his final role before his passing as a farewell present to all of us. It was a nice touch.
13. The Elenium Book 2: The Ruby Knight by David Eddings: 8.5 - RAVE
So confession. After completing my re-read of the first book of The Elenium I was wondering if I should continue with my re-reads of book 2 and 3. I still enjoyed reading it, I love the characters (Sephrenia especially) but the whole fetch quest and travelling from one region to another to unlock clues to go to another region didn't do it for me on my re-read. As I mentioned in my previous review of The Diamond Throne, I felt my fantasy tastes had got more complex.
So imagine my surprise when I found myself really enjoying The Ruby Knight much more than book one. Sure, we still have a fetch quest but the enemies felt far more dangerous, the scenarios were more high stakes and everything just felt better. Heck, the battle with the troll in the final chapter was better than multiple chapters in book one. Also now knowing the 'Flute' reveal, I enjoyed all the foreshadowing in this book. I now look forward to finishing the trilogy which will probably be reviewed next month judging by my reading schedule.
12. Freakier Friday: 8.5 - RAVE
A fun, cute un-offensive film which kept most of the original cast and brought in some fresh new faces as well. Even without watching the original (like I did) I was able to pick up the plots and enjoy the storyline about found family, learning to work past each others differences and seeing people for who they really are.
Also shout-out to Manny Jacinto for killing it as the male love interest and kudos to Disney for going with a POC too. As a fan of Manny since the Acolyte (which he killed it in) I was hoping to see more of him in TV and film.
11. Dynamite Kiss (Kdrama): 8.5 - RAVE
Speaking of fun, cute and un-offensive, Dynamite Kiss was the perfect chaser after the decent While You Were Standing By, this drama hit all the marks with a relatable storyline, good side characters, a villain to shake your fist at and a couple with chemistry for days.
We already knew Jang Ki Yong had some nice acting chops but this drama really let us discover female lead Ahn Eun Jin, who killed being determined but also adorable at the same time. We also appreciated this drama with it giving everyone a happy ending and the out-take outro was hilarious. Even with it's old skool feel, it had new drama sensibilities and it was a good end result.
10. The Magic Order (whole series): 9 - RAVE
This was a great series with consistently good art. A story about a group of magicians and their secret order fighting against the magical enemies of the world and fellow magicians who have fallen to the dark side. I won't lie through, if my review was based on the first 2 volumes, I actually rate it even higher but as mentioned previously I feel Mark Millar runs of steam the longer his series goes on. I started losing interest in middle of Vol. 4 and beginning of the final volume (Vol. 5) BUT it was able to recover and the epic finale was worth it. I also not a fan of Millar using a 'dramatic' resurrection as a get out of jail free card which he has now used a couple times in multiple projects of his. However, this series still has some moments that'll stick with me, the first 'throw the book at them' scene, the first reveal of house-keeper Edgar's true power, the epic finale as mentioned above. The art across all 5 volumes was consistent too with the first two volumes looks amazing due to the superstar talents Oliver Coipel (Vol. 1) and Stuart Immonen (Vol. 2). All of the good, allows it to crack the top 10 in a very competitive month of content.
9. The Immortal Hulk (full series): 9 - RAVE
Al Ewing is a twisted genius. Through 50 issues (and some occasional side-stories) Ewing told one of the most compelling Hulk saga in centuries. Part horror story, Part family drama, All insanity. Not since Greg Park or Peter David (RIP) has someone understood the lore and complexity of the Hulk and his friends and foes. Ewing even adds new elements and new characters that even enrich Hulk's history and all I can say is I am a big fan of this run.
I only have a few issues with it. There was an extended intermission where Hulk became a cosmic being I could have done without, the pacing sometimes got a bit slow and I wished the art was a bit more consistent. Speaking of, it is a shame that the series main artist Joe Bennett isn't a great person IRL because his art in this series was terrifying and he drew body horror straight out of a Clive Barker novel. Also it was nice to Ryan Bodenheim (of Secret fame) draw a issue as well and it was nice to see his complex, highly detailed art which I fallen in love with. This series is definitely something I would like to own as an omnibus one day. It was that good.
8. Threshold: 9 - RAVE
Growing up, I had a couple of fantasy authors that I adored. David Eddings (as mentioned above), Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis of Dragonlance fame and Sara Douglass. Ms. Douglass was especially close to my heart because she was an Australian, like me. While she is no longer with us, Ms. Douglass has left a lasting impression on me throughout the years and since I've decided to start reading again seriously, Ms. Douglass sprung to mind and book of her that I always dismissed because it didn't appeal to me, came to the forefront. In the year of 2025, I was going to read Threshold and boy was I happy I did.
This book had me hooked from the first couple chapters and I found myself devouring it in record time, even breaking my 'only one' chapter a day rule for it... multiple times. I love the setting, the characters especially our very morally gray male protagonist. Everything was going amazing until the very end and sadly, the ending felt very flat to me. The ending could have been so much better and I feel it lost a full point because of it. However the ending does not detract from the fact that I enjoyed the Hell out of this book and it consistently reminded me how much of a fan of Ms. Douglass writing I still am. Because of this book, I pretty much immediately dived into another one of her books and looking forward to reading a trilogy of hers where she ties all her worlds together.
7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 9 - RAVE
I know I am late to the party but before my Disney + membership expired I had to watch GotG Vol. 3 and I am happy I did. James Gunn decided to put the focus on Rocket for the final film with the OG Guardians and what a great decision it was. Because Rocket's origin is tragic and moving. Also we actually get a proper antagonist and what a piece of work he was as well. A true foil for Rocket and someone you just loved to hate. Gunn also shows great restraint in not re-trending old paths and letting Gamora and Star-Lord not fall back in love which was a bold move and was appreciated. Everyone truly gets to shine in this volume and it shows a real understanding of their characters (something I feel both The New Mutants and Dark Phoenix especially lacked). My only gripes are the need for the generic NPC bad guys flooding our besieged heroes set piece which has been done to death since the first Avengers film, the trademark Gunn humor which sometimes hits but also misses pretty badly and some pacing issues. I am also not the biggest fan of how he portrayed Adam Warlock but its par for course that Gunn doesn't always go by comic version of people (his Drax vs comic Drax for example). Those are small gripes though, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and I felt Gunn went out on a bang and gave us a true finale, at least for this version of the Guardians.
6. Run Away by Harlan Coben : 9 - RAVE
As regular readers of this blog know, I loved me a good Harlan Coben book and this book was no exception. This book at first had me scratching my head when it came to certain scenes but when things started clicking and the plot start dovetailing into each other I was blown away.
Coben's characterization remains on point and that final twist? Masterful. If the TV show can replicate the final twist as well as the book does I will be impressed because when it hit, boy, it hit. A easy recommendation to anyone who is a fan of Coben or the genre in general.
5. Moana 2: 9 - RAVE
A great sequel and just a great film period. Moana 2 ups the ante and gives Moana a new quest, a crew and all the insanity that ensues. Dwayne continues to ham it up but in the best way as Maui. Also the introduction of Moana's baby sister was amazing and she stole me and my wife's heart.
The new songs are also amazing, the storytelling was true to the character's roots and the humor was never forced. Also can we talk about how well they animated the water and the character's hair? Amazing. It is shame this film isn't as talk about as much as the first one because it was just as good, if not on the same level as the first one and the first one was amazing too.
4. Red Cliff (Theatrical Cut) : 9 - RAVE
Wow... and this was the shortened version? This film was amazing. John Woo delivers in what may be one of the most epic Asian dramas filmed. The action was on-point, the characters were amazing and everyone played their role to perfection. I have been told their is a two disc version which expands this film even more and I will definitely watch and probably review that too because if it is as good as this one I am in for a treat.
This film felt like the Dandelion Dynasty books come to life, which is no surprise because both are loosely based around the Han dynasty. Tony Leung's commanding presence was also the star of this film but Takeshi Kaneshiro was no slouch either in his co-lead spot. If you have any interest in Han dynasty, epic battles (land and sea), played a Dynasty Warriors game or just like a good action flick, boy do I have a recommendation for you.
3. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab : 9 - RAVE
With this book, I believe I have found a new author to obsess over. V.E Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic had me in a literally trance. I enjoyed everything about this book, I love the world building (multiple London's with different types of magic... what?!), the unique magic systems and the characters. I enjoyed this so much I pretty much started looking up anything V.E Schwab has done and I have the second book in this trilogy in my TBR pile (To Be Read).
Late last year, I let some Booktubers help me find some new authors to look into and while some crashed and burned (the aforementioned DNF book) I am happy to say the recommendation to try A Darker Shade... paid off. This book had everything I wanted in a young adult fantasy series hence it's number 3 spot.
2. The Empyrean Book 2: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros : 9 - RAVE
Part 2 of the Empyrean starts a bit slow for me but once you reach the half way point, this book builds to a fever pitch and stays hot to its dramatic conclusion. I have read some people felt Iron Flame wasn't as good as the Fourth Wing and I agree but to say Iron Flame is bad is just folks hating. This book is AMAZING.
Rebecca's ability to write characters you either love or despise should be cheered on especially with such a large cast. The stakes continue to escalate and Rebecca pulls zero punches as well. This book has moments that have still stuck with me way after I finished reading it and this was at the beginning of January. For it to stay # 2 until the end of the month is something as well especially with the tough competition. However as epic as Iron Flame was, this month's clear winner is...
1. The Dandelion Dynasty Book 2: The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu : 10
Book Two of The Dandelion Dynasty gets the first perfect 10 since me starting Rants & Raves reviews. I feel I have been sitting on giving away a perfect score until I felt it was 100% earned and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, The Wall of Storms earned it. Everything I love is in this book. Strong female leads? We have plenty. Twisting Labyrinthine plotlines with satisfying payoffs? Here in spades. Heart stopping and heart breaking moments? Yep. This book and series has low key become my life. I consumed this in record time and I regret nothing.
Never has the art of moving a story forward been done to perfection as well as The Wall of Storms does it. Just when you thought things were going well, an invading force comes and destroys the already fragile hard fought peace that was established in The Grace of Kings and everything just goes to eleven. Mr. Liu's prose and storytelling is next to none and it is criminal that this book is not on more peoples' radars because it is amazing and the breath of fresh air the epic fantasy genre needed.
To paraphrase Stephen King when he talked about Clive Barker; 'I have seen the future of Fantasy and his name is Ken Liu'.
Well that was quite a month wasn't it? Our first perfect 10 in a month of really great content. My whole top 10 this month was nothing but 9's! Now to enjoy some much need rest and to prepare for February's LIST and here is a quick preview. Rebecca and Ken might be going head to head again but a new upstart might come and ruin everything...
AV
