Unique Blogger Award

Thank you to the lovely Darque Dreamer
 https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com/ for nominating me for this blog award! 

RULES:
1) Share the link of the blogger who showed you love by nominating you
2) Answer the questions
3) Nominate other bloggers for the award (suggested 8-13 but my nomination is open to all)
4) Ask them three questions

Questions set by Darque Dreamer:
1) What is the one thing you feel is unique about your blog?
Hmm. I think I'd say that I tend to feature less mainstream published books than a lot of blogs I visit. I like to read and promote a lot of Indie/self published books, especially in my favourite genres like horror, apocalypse, urban fantasy, monsters and beasties and prepper fiction. I also feature a lot on the prepper apocalypse type of book which features military or ordinary preppers (those ready for a disaster with plans and survival supplies) as they get ready for and survive during disasters. A lot of these kinds of books are self published and I hardly see any of them featured on other blogs.

So if you are looking for new authors to try and love zombies, dinosaurs, monsters, UF, horror or end of the world plots then The Book Cave might have something different for you to try!

2) Name a unique music artist
I don't really listen to any new music. I'm more into 60's-80's, classic rock, bit of country, soul and motown...I'm not into all this dance stuff. The last new album I bought was the first one by Franz Ferdinand I think! I wouldn't describe any artist as being unique to be honest! They all just play music in their own styles and genres y'know?

3) Tell me about a unique book you have read, or movie you have watched, and why was it unique?
The problem with this question is that I don't experiment with genres or go and try things outside my comfort zone! I'm in my forties now so I kind of know what I like and prefer to stick with the same kind of stuff! Everything I read is similar to something else I've already read so it's tough to think of unique books! I guess I'd say that Harry Potter and the whole world JK Rowling created was unlike anything I'd read before especially for kids. It was so rich in details and the world building was unbelievably good! *inserts gush* A whole new sport invented, so many details in spells, magical creatures and yet it still covered the issues we can relate to about school and growing up.

I feel the same thing when I think about George RR Martin's Westeros. The TV series based on it, Game of Thrones, is better than anything I've ever viewed in my life! The characters are so brilliant and I love how they change and show good and bad qualities. I love the redemptions of The Hound and Jaime Lannister in particular. They are just so complex! The world building is so great with all those amazing locations that you just want to see and experience. Yet you can relate to individual characters and their struggles. Best TV ever and I want to catch up with the books now!

OK here are the questions I would ask you:

1) What is unique about your blog or your reading?
2) Which books, films or TV series have appealed to you in a unique way?
3) Which plots or characters do you feel were unique, unusual or particularly striking?

I TAG YOU! Yes YOU, hiding behind your computer screen, trying not to let me see you!!!

Game of Thrones Gossip #31 Samwell Tarly

Welcome to my Game of Thrones Gossip, where all of us fanatics get the chance to discuss everything we love about this amazing TV series. I did a few spoiler free posts about the series last year but I found that there were other bloggers out there who were also itching to talk more freely about favourite characters and events without spoiling things for those visiting the blog. So I decided to do a whole series of these discussion posts that let us say everything we want and enjoy every second of it! The topics may talk about a death, an event, a character or be season reviews and so on. Please feel free to comment fully and without restriction!

I have to warn you that it is important that you have seen all six seasons before reading any of these posts because these posts and blogger comments will be oozing and exploding spoilers all over the place. If you haven't watched the series and plan to, be warned that it's a bad idea to be here right now! I take no responsibility if you read on and things are spoiled for you nor do I take responsibility for any mistakes on the pages I link you to.

For those of you who stuck with me through my season one posts, thank you loads! Now I'm going to look at the main characters introduced in season two, what our season one characters were doing in season two and looking at all the bests bits. Enjoy the season two posts! 

"On the morning of my eighteenth nameday, my father came to me. 'You're almost a man now.' he said 'but you're not worthy of my land and title. Tomorrow, you're going to take the black, forsake all claim to your inheritance and start north. If you do not.' he said, 'then we'll have a hunt, and somewhere in these woods your horse will stumble, and you'll be thrown from your saddle to die. Or so I'll tell your mother. Nothing would please me more." -Samwell Tarly

Samwell was always a scholar and a boy who wanted to be a wizard. His lack of interest in fighting and war was a disappointment to his father Randyll, a great warrior and the only man to defeat Robert Baratheon in battle. Randyll despised his son for being fat and cowardly and decided to force him into the Night's Watch so his younger brother could inherit instead. Poor Sam is scared of fighting, the other men, heights and his own shadow when he arrives at Castle Black, facing the ridicule and contempt of Ser Alliser Thorne, and the scorn of his fellow recruits. Jon Snow is the one who feels sympathy for him.

Jon is disgusted by the way that Sam is treated by Ser Alliser, who gets bullies like Rast to beat the new recruit until he cries, earning the name Lady Piggy. Jon steps in to defend him and convinces Pyp and Grenn that Sam is just like them even if he came from a posh background and they agree to go easy on him. Rast has to be persuaded by a close encounter with Ghost. Ser Alliser is furious with Jon, and in frustration he says he has to toughen them up for the Winter to come or they'll be too soft and die. Sam is delighted to be assigned as a steward to Maester Aemon and cheers Jon by telling him that the Lord Commander chose him as his steward because he is grooming him for future command.

Sam and Jon take their vows in front of a heart tree as Jon follows the Old Gods and Sam feels that the Seven never answered his prayers. After the ceremony he is appalled to see Ghost appear with the hand of a dead brother ranger. He is smart enough to say that the bodies they find soon after should be burned but failure to follow this advice almost kills the Lord Commander. He tells his brothers that White Walkers raise the dead and if they are back he hopes the Wall is high enough. It is Sam, Pyp and Grenn who stop Jon deserting his post when Ned is executed and Robb rides to war.

Sam is part of the Great Ranging, in charge of communications with Castle Black, something he is ill suited for. When Ghost gets too enthusiastic over the food Craster's daughter has, Sam is there to intervene, and it is his first meeting with the pregnant Gilly. She won't tell him why she wants to run away with them but his kind hearts leads him to plea to Jon for help that the Night's Watch cannot give. Despite having to leave her behind, Sam cannot forget Gilly and drives Edd round the bend by continually talking about her as the camp at The Fist of the First Men. He offers to steward for the Lord Commander to allow Jon to go scouting with Qhorin Halfhand, knowing how much Jon wants to be a Ranger.

It is while he is with Grenn and Edd that they find a hidden stash of dragon glass which excites him as much as the history of the Fist itself. He keeps a dagger for himself as a souvenir. As the three men search for dung to burn, they hear the warning horn blast. They grimly exchange looks when they hear the second blast which warns of wildlings but the third blast for White Walkers puts panic into them. Sam is slower to run and is seperated from his friends when the blizzard overtakes him. He stares in shock at the Army of the Dead and the White Walker, who sees him but ignores him and they move off towards the Night's Watch camp. Did they leave him alive because he was too scared or unarmed or something? Whatever the reason Sam has a narrow escape and he has seen what is really beyond the Wall.

Deep Blue Terror Update

It's Deep Blue Terror Time at the Book Cave! For the rest of the month it is going to be all about sharks, sea monsters, crocodiles and anything else in the water that bites! There have been books read and dodgy films watched! Here is a taste of what I've done this month!

BOOKS! 
1) Hunter Shea-They Rise (read)
2) Hunter Shea-Loch Ness Revenge (read)
3) Hunter Shea-The Montauk Monster
4) Hunter Shea-Just Add Water (read)
5) J Kent Messum-Bait (read)
6) Michael Hodges-The Last Colossus (read)
8) Chris Jameson-Shark Island (read)
9) Jamie Hutchison-Red Swarm (read)
10) Eric S Brown-The Kraken Rises (read)
11) TR Schumer-Death Catch (currently reading)
12) Rick Chesler-Sawfish (read)
13) Paul Mannering-Hells Teeth (read)

14) Eric S Brown-Kraken (read)

Pretty pleased with the book side of things. I'm currently reading Death Catch so will finish that tonight. I'm adding the Montauk Monster on to Horror month so I'll get that read in October. I'm happy with that!

FILMS!
1) 2 Headed Shark Attack (watched)
2) 3 Headed Shark Attack (watched)
3) 5 Headed Shark Attack (watched)
4) Devil Fish
5) Jaws 3 (watched)
6) Red Water 
7) Raiders of the Lost Shark (watched)
8) Sand Sharks (watched)
9) Rogue (watched)
10) Shark Swarm
11) Shark Lake
12) Snow Shark (watched)
13) Super Shark
14) Jurassic Shark (watched)
15) The Reef (watched)
16) Open Water (watched)
17) Open Water 2 (watched)
18) Sharknado
19) Sharknado 2
20) Sharknado 3
21) Sharknado 4
22) Sharknado 5
23) Ghost Shark (watched)
24) Ice Sharks (watched)
25) Dinoshark (watched)
26) Piranha Sharks (watched)
27) The Shallows (watched)
28) Sharktopus (watched)
29) Sharktopus v Pteracuda 
30) Planet of the Sharks 
31) Ozark Sharks
32) Avalanche Sharks (watched)
33) Croc (watched)
34) Frankenfish

35) Jaws 4 (watched)

36) Alligator (watched)

37) Lake Placid (watched)

38) Deep Blue Sea (watched)  
39) Jurassic Croc (watched) 
40) 47 Meters Down 
41) Atomic Shark
42) Shark Shock
43) Dam Sharks
44) Empire of the Sharks
45) Toxic Shark
46) Beast of the Bering Sea

Very happy with the amount of films I got through so I think I'll keep going with that until my list here is completed! I've even added more to the pile! That should cover another month...More reviews coming each week!

Book Review: Wrong Side Of Hell by Sonya Bateman

"The dead never bothered me. That honor was reserved for the living."

Hauling dead people around Manhattan is all in a day's work for body mover Gideon Black. He lives in his van, talks to corpses, and occasionally helps the police solve murders. His life may not be normal, but it's simple enough. Until the corpses start talking back.

When Gideon accidentally rescues a werewolf in Central Park, he's drawn into the secret world of the Others. Fae, were-shifters, dark magic users and more, all playing a deadly cat-and-mouse game with Milus Dei, a massive and powerful cult dedicated to hunting down and eradicating them all. Then a dead man speaks to him, saying that Milus Dei wants him more than any Other. They'll stop at nothing to capture him and control the abilities he never knew he had.

He is the DeathSpeaker. He is the key. And he's not as human as he thought...Life was a whole lot easier when the dead stayed dead.

My Review: 
I had previously read the author's djinn books so I was interested in seeing what she was going to do with the Fae as they are not my favourite magical creature. I was not disappointed!

The book starts with a prologue, featuring a Fae who is trying to find his dead father's human lover before she falls victim to their enemies but he finds her dead. He is able to save her child, his half brother and vows to put him with a human family to keep him safe from the hunters. Intriguing start, and the reader knows that this will form the basis of our MC's back story, even though he doesn't know it yet. I like prologues that set up a story rather than give spoilers so this was fine.

Gideon is nicknamed the Corpse Whisperer by cop Abe Strauss as he is the one who removes bodies from crime scenes and takes them to the mortuary, and can also learn about the crime by touching the body. This time, he realises that the second shredded body in the city was killed by a female and both bodies had the same tattoo. When Abe starts to dig, he is taken off the case. Gideon however, ends up in it up to his neck when he noses about the park and sees a female werewolf being hunted and is almost killed by the man trying to shoot her. When Sadie wolfs out and kills the hunter, his dead body tells Gideon that they are Milus Dei, supernatural hunters and they want Gideon, the Deathspeaker. The plot thickens. Gideon realises that being able to compel dead bodies to answer his questions could be something these hunters would kill to get hold of but he has no idea what to do about it. Sadie decides that they need to get her Fae friend Taeral to help.

I very much liked the characters in this book. Gideon is down on his luck and somewhat anti-social (which I can relate to!), living in his van and quietly getting on with his job. He likes the fact that the dead don't bother him and the only one who knows that he can coax information from the dead is his only friend Abe. Abe is the honest cop who is willing to open his eyes to the supernatural, all be it reluctantly and is happy to get help from Gideon on these strange cases. I would like to see a bit more of his character in later books in the series. Sadie is tough and capable, which I always like in an urban fantasy female MC. I was also very pleased to see that Taeral was a Fae I could actually like. Usually the Fae are cold characters with few redeeming qualities but Taeral is a good character who forms a relationship with his friends.

The bad guys are as bad as you would want. Milus Dei are hunters who kidnap supernaturals to make use of their power. They have sought the Deathspeaker for a long time but have never been able to find him because Gideon was living safe amongst humans. Sadie was able to kill a few of those hunting her but there were too many to evade for long. the Chief of police Foley ensures that Abe is taken off the case when he links the so called wolf attacks to a female killer, so Abe knows to warn Gideon to stay away from Foley who seems anxious to find him.

I liked the way magic was used in the book. Sadie used purchased magic to be able to turn into her wolf whenever she needs to, which has helped to keep her alive so far. Gideon's power comes from compelling the dead to answer his questions but with it being a new skill, he finds that each use takes it toll on him. It was also fun to go into the magical world where Taeral lives, seeing all the people who live there and see a totally different side to the world. We meet some really interesting characters here who choose to ally against the Milus Dei when their home is invaded and their people are taken.

This was a very promising start to a new urban fantasy series and I have snapped up the other books published so far. I liked the characters and the way they interacted with each other as a disfunctional team, and I loved the introduction of the zany sidekicks which added a bit of humour. There was plenty of action in evading the enemy and then plotting to break into their stronghold on a rescue mission. There really was a lot to enjoy about this book. The writing was good, pulling you into the story without the need to be over-descriptive but still drawing you into the world we are visiting. It was an excellent urban fantasy read and I very much look forward to reading more in the series when time allows!

Read May 2017.
4 stars. 

Film Review: Raiders of the Lost Shark

My first Deep Blue Terror weekend was a huge success with 7 films watched and 3 books! Last weekend I looked at five films. This weekend I've watched another six and plan to keep watching them every weekend until I complete my list. Here I share with you my thoughts on another one I looked at.

Starring: Candice Lidstone, Jessica Huether, 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3959690/?ref_=nv_sr_3

Despite the deaths caused by drilling into a lake and releasing a shark previously, the company keeps drilling and now another shark is on a killing spree in the area. The sister of a previous victim sets out to stop it.

Oh this was a wowser and not in a good way. It is brought to you by the makers of Jurassic Shark which should be enough for you to switch it off straight away but I wanted to see just how bad it was. Firstly, the film cover and title are misleading. There are no planes, helicopters, jet skis or scary shark and there are no raiders or connection to anything remotely Indiana Jones. The special effects seem to be created on an early 80's computer. The acting again is terrible especially the dreadful cops and the script/plot was appalling. Security are told not to go near the water so the men get drunk, smuggle a couple of idiot females into the base and go swimming and die. The only amusing bit is the tourist celebrating the shark eating his bitch from hell girlfriend.

If all that wasn't bad enough, the last part of the film goes into pathetic mode when the shark decides to just fly around the place and divebomb people. No I don't mean jump out the water, I mean fly, thanks to a 'special formula'. *sigh* So the shark is seen in the sky, not flapping it's fins, just rigid on the screen superimposed on the sky, before making bear noises and dropping onto someone. A truly diabolical film that looks like a follow up to Jurassic Shark in plot. Avoid!

Can't Wait Wednesday

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at http://www.wishfulendings.com/ to spotlight and discuss books we're excited about but haven't read, which may not even be released yet. 

I don't leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus/DISQUS etc as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow DISQUS to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I also don't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. Sorry!

This Week...*sigh*

Expected Release: The Twelfth of Never???

Seriously man, write faster! I want to see this bad boy on my shelf NOW so I know you are working on the last book! Or books as he might have to split it. Gah!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!  http://www.brokeandbookish.com/   

This Week: Top Ten Hidden Gems in Apocalypse Genre or books you need to read to get ready for the apocalypse! NB: none of these series feature zombies as that is a list for another time!

1) Darrell Maloney-Countdown to Armageddon
Scott stumbles across an end of the world solar flare prediction and starts prepping, buying land to move to when disaster strikes. With his new girlfriend, his ex-wife and kids, he has everything ready when it hits and now they need to make their journeys from work and school to get to safety. I loved the characters and there was no silly angst with the ex wife and girlfriend. I loved reading about the preperations and then we waited in tension for it to hit. Then comes the nerve wracking journey to get home. Loved it!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20566964-countdown-to-armageddon 

2) Darrell Maloney-Final Dawn 
A happy young couple win the lotto and then discover an asteroid will hit Earth in two years. Now it is a race against time to build a compound to hold family and friends and be ready. Another tense read which follows the preperations at the underground compound, the heartbreaking choice of which people to invite and whether or not to warn the general public. Human emotion, great characters and an exciting prepper plot. Loved this one too!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17677073-final-dawn 

3) Franklin Horton-The Borrowed World 
ISIS attack American infrastructure and send it into panic and confusion. Two preppers on a business trip try to steer their colleagues on a long walk home while their families cope with surviving the ordeal and protecting their supplies from looters. This was my first prepper book and I admit it scared me at the time and got me thinking about what to do in a disaster. Tension filled plot, great characters and plenty of action. 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25470417-the-borrowed-world 

4) Robert Boren-Bug Out
Frank and Jane flee riots in California in their RV, finding other retired people doing the same. As Islamic terrorists and armed militia gangs wage war on the government, and nuclear blasts hit the coasts, the RV caravan must keep one step ahead of the bad guys and find a way to fight back. I loved the fast paced action and the fact that the MCs were mostly in their 50's-80's! Tension in every chapter if you can overlook the editing.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35455767-bug-out-part-1    

5) Matthew D Mark-Dark Days Rough Roads 
Roger prepared his entire family with survival plans and meet up points and now that an EMP has hit, the plan needs to be executed. Dangerous journeys, people trying to take their supplies and armed gunmen do their best to stop the convoy but even if they reach their safe house, they are unaware that an armed militia has taken the town. We get all the tension of the apocalypse road trip from hell and then it changes to trying to take the town back from the bad guys. Great read!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17472933-dark-days-rough-roads 

6) John Marsden-Tomorrow When The War Began 
A group of Australian teenagers return from a camping trip to find that their town has been invaded by a foreign army and their families held in a camp. They decide they are the only people left to fight back. In the tradition of Red Dawn but better, this was a kickass book about surviving as outlaws and trying to save those you love. Lots of action and tension.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71865.Tomorrow_When_the_War_Began  

7) Kenneth Cary-Curtain Fall 
John has always had dreams that came true but this one leads him to believe that the Yellowstone Caldera is about to explode and there may only be days left to make final preperations. With an extended family not listening and a diabetic child to care for, John must put faith in his dreams and get ready. This has the normal get ready for it scenes that I love but the addition of the dreams and his fear of what is coming is new.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20741434-curtain-fall 

8) Eric Methven-EMP
A family set up a prepper house outside a small Scottish town just before an EMP hits. The town is overtaken by foreign criminals who loot and rape while locals plan to take back control. It also features the journey of family and friends to get to this place and the dangers they face on the road. Great to have a Scottish EMP book but it is hard to get hold of.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17562660-e-m-p-no-finger-on-the-pulse

9) David Nelson-The Journey
When the EMP hits the Blaine Family set out for the homestead they joint own with their friends, meeting good people who join them and others who want to take everything they have. It has the apocalypse action on a lesser scale than the really horrific ones but I liked the characters and the challenges they faced. The second book features the journey of their friends and continues with the day to day struggles of a new life. 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23379849-the-journey 

10) Boyd Craven-The World Burns 
Blake and Sandra are on their first date when the EMP hits. As a prepper, Blake's homestead is the safest place for them and her father Duncan who is the town priest. Now they must protect their property from possible attack and decide if they trust the people they meet. The first story arc over seven parts is the best of the series as I loved the homestead and the dangerous issues they have to deal with.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25097170-the-world-burns 

Film Review: Open Water 2

My first Deep Blue Terror weekend was a huge success with 7 films watched and 3 books! Last weekend I looked at five films. This weekend so far I've watched another seven and plan to try and squeeze more in this week or continue next weekend. Here I share with you my thoughts on another one I looked at.

Starring: Susan May Pratt, Richard Speight Jr, Eric Dane 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470055/?ref_=tt_rec_tti 

A group of friends decide to get together for a sailing trip along with Amy's husband and baby. but a stupid prank leaves everyone except the baby stranded in the water with no way to get back on board.

I found this film to be greatly disappointing. The fact that it was called Open Water 2 made me think that there was a shark who would be picking them off as they tried to find a way to get back onboard-but there was no shark in the film at all. That was hugely annoying as I was trying to watch a pile of shark films. Instead, the film is about how things start going wrong the longer they are in the water.

It should have been a decent film as the plot was interesting but frankly the characters were appalling so I never greatly cared if everyone died. Dan knew that ex girlfriend Amy was scared of the water after watching her father drown in an accident so he decides to cure her by jumping overboard while holding her, sending her catatonic, to the fury of the others. This is when they discover how little Dan knows about boats as he has forgotten to secure the ladder to let them climb on board and now they are all stuck in the water. Michelle turns from party girl to utter bitch and they all start fighting with each other. She manages to ruin every plan they have, knocking the mobile phone into the water while trying to grab it and being so annoying I wanted someone to drown her. Then two of them fight over a diving knife and one gets fatally stabbed, while another fractures his skull hitting it off the boat. 

I was also getting so annoyed with them and their lack of plans! The first thing they should've done was formed a human pyramid, getting a girl up on someone's shoulders while the rest held him up in the water or used the panel as leverage for the same purpose. This would have got someone on board quickly. Instead this is only tried when most of them are dead and a storm hits. A shark would've improved matters...

Game Of Thrones Review: Season 7 Episode 7 Finale

Welcome to my Game of Thrones reviews posts which are an episode by episode guide of season 7. The entire post will be nothing but spoilers so don't read it if you intend to watch it! The format will be done as a house by house analysis, not a minute by minute report. 

Greyworm's army have marched across Westeros, gathering on the plains as Jaime and Bronn watch from above, debating about Tyrion siding with the downtrodden. However when the dothraki army come to stand with them, Bronn observes that they are about to become the downtrodden. Euron's fleet are anchored in Blackwater Bay. Cersei gives her instructions to The Mountain, telling him that if things go wrong, he is to kill Dany, Tyrion and Jon in that order then kill everyone else in any order that he likes.

Dany, Jorah, Missandei, Jon, Davos, The Hound, Tyrion, Varys and Theon arrive at King's Landing and start making their way to the Dragon Pit for the meeting. Bronn approaches with a small Lannister escort and he has Brienne and Pod with him, as they arrived early. Pod is happy to see Tyrion alive and he greets Pod warmly. Brienne walks with The Hound, saying she thought he was dead and she is regretful about hurting him, saying she was trying to look after Arya. The Hound says he was doing the same thing and is happy to hear that she is alive at Winterfell, though he worries that with Brienne gone, she is unprotected. He indicates that he won't get in Brienne's way again and they share a slight smile. Tyrion makes an offer to Bronn to defect but Bronn cheerfully points out that he is delivering traitors to Cersei so he is protected, which amuses Tyrion.

The Targaryen party enter the arena, nervously, leaving the wight secured in a cart outside.Cersei's group enter the arena and Bronn asks Pod to join him for a drink while the others talk. Brienne nods her agreement and Pod leaves. The Hound tells Tyrion that all bad ideas are created by Lannisters and Tyrion says they are carried out by Cleganes. The Hound approaches his brother and notes that The Mountain is uglier now. He asks what they have done to him and then retreats to get the wight. Cersei asks Tyrion where Dany is and seconds later she arrives on Drogon. Euron threatens to kill Yara if Theon doesn't submit to him and then insults Tyrion's stature. Tyrion thinks that Euron is bad at jokes, while Jaime and Cersei tell him to sit down. The Hound releases the wight and the Lannister side recoil in horror at it charging towards them. Jon demonstrates how to kill it with fire or dragonglass, while Qyburn is fascinated. Dany tells Cersei that she never believed it until she saw the actual army. Jaime asks their number and is shocked to hear that there could be over a hundred thousand. After hearing that they can't swim, Euron announces that he is terrified of these things, taking his fleet back to the Iron Islands and advises Dany to return to Dragonstone. Cersei agrees to a truce if Jon goes home and remains neutral but he refuses and Cersei leaves. Brienne begs Jaime to make Cersei listen while Tyrion decides to talk to his sister alone. Jorah thinks Dany should fly to Winterfell but she thinks it would be better to go by ship with Jon to show she is an ally of the North.

Jaime is afraid for Tyrion as he goes in to see her and she wastes little time blaming him for the deaths of Tywin, Myrcella and Tommen. Tyrion tries to tell her that he loved the children and killed his father for trying to have him killed. Finally, Tyrion goads her to kill him but when it comes to giving that order she can't say the words. He realises that she is pregnant. He brings her back to the arena where she refuses to stand down her forces and will instead send them north to fight the White Walkers. Cersei calls her banners.

Jaime prepares the army for the trip north until Cersei tells him how stupid he was to believe they would ally with the enemy. She tells him that Euron has sailed for Essos to bring the Golden Company to Westeros to take back their lands from Dany, paid for by the Iron Bank. Jaime insists that he promised to fight the dead and she calls him a traitor to side with Tyrion, saying she'll kill him if he defies her. Jaime declares he is leaving, to her fury.

Sansa has received word at last from Jon saying he has bent the knee to ally with Dany and she can hardly believe it. Littlefinger says Dany is attractive to Jon and an alliance will make them hard to beat. He points out that Jon was named King in the North and that he can also be un-named. Sansa says Arya as a Faceless Man would not allow that to happen and he deftly leads Sansa into considering that Arya wants to kill her for wedding Ramsay and betraying her family, and be Lady of Winterfell. Theon seeks forgiveness from Jon who tells him that he is as much Stark as Greyjoy because Ned was his real father. Jon forgives him for what he can give forgiveness for. Theon says Yara was the only one who tried to save him from the Boltons and she needs him now so Jon says stop talking then. His men watch as their leader refuses to save Yara, saying they'll reave an island and get away from the dead. Theon challenges him and refuses to back down during the fight, winning and rallying the troops to his side.

Sansa summons Arya to the Great Hall where the knights are gathered and Littlefinger is smirking on the sidelines. After a brief conversation about honour, Arya tells her to get on with it. Sansa announces the charges are murder and treason. 'How do you answer these charges... Lord Baelish?' Littlefinger is shocked to realise that the sisters have played him beautifully. Sansa charges that he killed Lysa, persuaded her to kill her husband Jon, sent the letter to Catelyn blaming the Lannisters which started the war and betraying Ned. He denies it but Bran has seen what he did to Ned. Littlefinger orders Royce to help him but Royce refuses. Sansa orders Arya to kill him and she does.

Sam arrives at Westeros and meets with Bran who tells him Jon is returning to Winterfell after bending the knee, and is bringing Dany. Bran tells Sam that Jon is the bastard son of Lyanna and Rhaegar but Sam remembers what Gilly said and tells him about the wedding. They both realise that Jon is the heir to the Iron Throne. It is too late to stop Dany sleeping with Jon on the boat north while Tyrion looks on with concern.

Tormund and Beric watch as the Army of the Dead exit the woods at Eastwatch, and they see the undead dragon blow blue flames onto the Wall, causing part of it to collapse, allowing the enemy through.

My Thoughts:

Littlefinger finally gets what was coming to him, outsmarted by the Stark sisters. I loved how that scene played out and the look on his face when he realised he was on trial, not Arya! Loved how Bran told of what happened to Ned at last. Great stuff and karma that Tyrion has been cleared of trying to kill Bran too.Arya dispatched him exactly the way that an assassin would. Brienne and The Hound would be so proud!

Best moments are surrounding the big meeting. The Hound bonding with Brienne over not getting in Arya's could pave the way for a Winterfell reunion next season. Bronn is being Bronn, which always amuses. Pod is finally reunited with Tyrion, and we see a nice moment of pity on The Hound as he sees what the Lannisters have done to his brother, before saying he will kill him later. I loved the hateful looks that Cersei was shooting Brienne every time she looked at or spoke to Jaime. Heh, jealous much bitch??!!! The Hound telling the Lannister man where to go in his own unique style! Jon of course has be more Ned Stark than Ned himself with his honour taking priority to lying to Cersei. I admit I was amused by that and everyone's horror at him stuffing things up. Watch out also for the great facial expressions from Varys through the meeting. And of course the wight springing at Cersei was great!

Sam WAS listening to Gilly after all. Hurrah! A meeting of the minds between Sam and Bran was revealing as we finally get to hear what Lyanna said to Ned on her deathbed and the word is out at last about Jon! About time! I liked that little moment when Sam thinks Bran has seen Jon returning in a vision and Bran just lifts up the letter from Jon. Theon finds his backbone and sets about rescuing Yara. Looks like Iron Born are as loyal as the darn Northmen to Jon! One minute they cheer the guy who has said stuff Yara, we're reaving again, next they chant for Yara as Theon Wins!
I enjoyed the scenes with Jaime and Bronn on the city battlements as dothraki and Unsullied gather outside King's Landing. I've seen a few people questioning where they are but if you watch the opening scene you can see the Red Keep up on the hill overlooking the sea after we pan off the Unsullied. Besides that is where Bronn and Jaime are, ready for the big meeting. Also puzzled that people are questioning how Unsullied escaped Casterly Rock through the Lannister forces. Umm, the Unsullied killed all the Lannisters at CR while the main Lannister force surrounded Highgarden and Olenna Tyrell watched from above. These were the troops Dany killed with Drogon when the Tarlys died. So there was nobody to stop them marching across to King's Landing!

We always knew that Cersei couldn't be trusted to do anything for the greater good so why is Tyrion buying her crap? Anyway, Jaime seeing the wight for himself makes his put everything aside, including Cersei to do his duty and fight the dead. For one dreadful moment I thought she was going to kill Jaime but he calls her bluff and leaves to go north. AT LAST!!! We've been waiting for this moment for ages! The question is, where is Bronn? Hope he will follow and they will all base themselves at Winterfell.

Arrgghh! The Wall is down. I'm so much hoping that Tormund is ok. Don't really want to see Beric die like that either. We need them next season, which is AGES away!

Niggles:

What has happened to Ellaria and her daughter???
Can't we see something of Yara being held somewhere?
Has everyone forgotten poor Edmure, imprisoned in a Frey dungeon???
Is somebody feeding poor Ghost???
Where exactly is Theon taking his troops when he doesn't know where she is?
Where the fug is Gendry???

Film Review: Open Water

My first Deep Blue Terror weekend was a huge success with 7 films watched and 3 books! Last weekend I looked at five films. This weekend so far I've watched another three and plan the same for tonight. Here I share with you my thoughts on another one I looked at.

Starring Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374102/?ref_=nv_sr_3 

Two scuba divers return to the surface to discover that their dive boat has miscounted and returned to shore without them, leaving them in shark infested waters.

I expected a lot more from this film to be honest. I liked the idea of the plot where you are just left stranded, too far from shore to swim back, just hoping that rescue will come quickly, then panic setting in with the sharks coming. Sadly, I found that the film had little tension or interest to it. Is it wrong to want the MC's to get eaten?

Firstly, Daniel and Susan obviously don't like being around other people. deciding to have nothing to do with the rest of the dive party and do their own thing. They are so far from the other divers that they don't notice that everyone else has surfaced and the pair finally surface at about the time the boat wanted them back, cutting the deadline close. With the mistaken count they are left behind. After being abandoned, Susan does nothing but bitch and whine and take it all out on Daniel. She wanted to go ski-ing, she didn't want to spend so much time with the eel, she thinks they were late or at the wrong spot, she thinks they should've swam for a boat, she's tired cold and sick, he shouldn't have peed near her (but it's ok for her to vomit), his frustrated shouting makes her sulk, and when they doze off and drift apart, that is his fault too. She is a pain in the arse.

There is also a lack of shark action. We see the odd fin, hear that the shark has touched them but during the main attack it is so dark we don't see anything which is really annoying. If I'm watching a shark film I do want to see the shark attack or what is the point? We also see a lot of scenes of people drinking and dancing at the shore which is all padding that we don't need and I'd rather have seen more about them being discovered missing and a rescue being started. Pretty underwhelmed by this one.

Around The Blogs With Chuckles

We all enjoy snooping and lurking on other people's blogs right? Why not share those entertaining things you found with other readers and bloggers too! Welcome to Around the Blogs with Chuckles, where I take time out to show you some of my favourite blog posts from the previous seven days and link you up so you can check them out.

This Week!

1) The Solar Eclipse is Racist!
The Daily Sheeple is not impressed by a magazine's claims that the eclipse is racist!

http://www.thedailysheeple.com/the-eclipse-is-racist-heres-the-proof_082017 

2) Game of Thrones Review
Greg takes a look at episode 6 of season 7.

http://gregsbookhaven.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/game-of-thrones.html 

3) Netgalley Update
Bark is back with an update on the Netgalley post from last week.

http://barksbooknonsense.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/netgalley-update.html 

4) Game of Thrones Review: Season 7 Episode 6
Check out this review of the latest episode.

https://dragonsandzombies.com/2017/08/23/game-of-thrones-review-season-7-episode-6/ 

5) Book Review-Too Easy by JM Green
Verushka looks at the second Stella Hardy novel.

http://editingeverything.com/blog/2017/08/23/easy-book-review-something-easy-generally-means-theres-going-trouble-doesnt/

6) Book Review-The Heart Of Stone by Ben Galley  
Mogsy takes a look at some character driven fantasy.

https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/08/20/book-review-the-heart-of-stone-by-ben-galley/ 

7) Book Review: Madness by Zac Brewer
Jenea looks at a fiction book dealing in mental health issues.

https://jeneasbookobsession.com/2017/08/25/review-for-madness-by-zac-brewer/ 

8) 5 Ways To Have Book Related Insomnia 
We can all relate!

http://avalinahsbooks.space/5-ways-to-have-book-related-insomnia/ 

Film Review: Jurassic Shark

My first Deep Blue Terror weekend was a huge success with 7 films watched and 3 books! Last weekend I looked at five films. This weekend so far I've watched another three and plan the same for tonight. Here I share with you my thoughts on another one I looked at.

Starring: Angela Parent, Christine Emes, Emanuelle Carriere
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2071491/?ref_=nv_sr_1 

A science research company are drilling on an island beside the lake and unleash a huge shark into the water.

Oh dear, this was really bad. I rate it as one of the worst films I've seen in the shark genre. A dedicated student is researching the company for wrongdoing along with her bimbo airhead friends who just want to sunbathe-until the shark attacks their boat. Also on the water are a group of bumbling art thieves transporting a stolen painting who meet the same fate, stranding them all on the island with no way to leave.

The psycho leader of the thieves, Barb, is obsessed with getting the painting back, even with a huge shark in the water eating her men. She isn't caring who she orders into the water to die by the time both groups meet up. The plot is terrible, the shark effects are very false and cheap, the acting is really bad. I didn't know we could get so many vacant airheads and morons on the one beach. Do yourself a favour and give this a miss as there are tons of better shark films out there. 

Chuckles Cover Love #40

If there is one thing that makes a great book even better, it is when it has a cover that we love! The cover design is what catches the eye as we browse through a bookstore shelf or check out the Amazon or Goodreads recommendations. The right cover makes me look closer at a book, to read the blurb and maybe make a purchase. A poor cover might mean I never look at the blurb at all.

This week I have an example of how a poor cover can really make you lose interest in a book whereas a gorgeous cover makes you want to grab it. Here are the uninspiring two books in the series with the vacant model covers. The first girl looks like she's having constipation issues.

 




















Now look at the alternate cover for book 2! Gorgeous!!!

Four London Book Tag

This tag was created by Arkon and Annie, and is based on the parallel Londons found in The Shades of Magic Trilogy by V.E. Schwab. I found this tag at Darque Dreamer Reads and you can find those answers here! 

https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/four-london-book-tag/ 

Don't worry if you haven't read the books as I haven't either as you can still answer all but the bonus questions.



If I quit a book I quit it and don't go back to it ever! I won't continue with something I'm struggling with or that I don't enjoy. Too many other great books out there to read instead and I'd rather spend time on new book adventures than struggle with bad ones.



The Hollows series by Kim Harrison. I really enjoyed the first book with the action, humour and characters but then it became dominated with Ivy trying to bite Rachel all the time. The plots for the second and third book just went on and on about this constantly and it drove me mad. I couldn't read on in the series with that continued plotline.



I don't feel 'blessed' to have read anything but I'm pleased to have discovered a lot of things like ZA Recht's 'Morningstar' series which led to a whole pile of great zombie reads including Michael Stephen Fuchs 'Arisen' and Nicholas Sansbury Smith's 'Extinction' series! Discovering Kelly Armstrong's 'Otherworld' series led me to UF and Patricia Briggs, Jeaniene Frost, Charlaine Harris, Kevin Hearne. Stumbling across Franklin Horton led me to amazing prepper/apocalypse genre and lots of great authors like Robert Boren, Darrell Maloney.

I don't think I have any such book. I never get tired of reading favourites like Stephen King's 'It', Harry Potter, my favourite apocalypse and zombie series and UF favourites like Patricia Briggs, Kevin Hearne etc.
 



The only fictional worlds I would fear are living in a zombie apocalypse and surviving apocalypse events like EMPs. Living in Westeros or in The Hunger Games era would be a challenge though.



Again I don't stick with any series that starts off bad. I lose interest if it doesn't start well. A book or series has to grab and entice me right away. If I don't engage with plot and characters I quickly lose interest.




I wouldn't kill to read anything. When a new zombie or apocalypse series catches my eye though, I have to restrain myself from Amazon splurging. Usually unsuccessfully!



Impossible to pick one book. I travel everywhere with a backpack so I could easily save my Harry Potter books, My Game of Thrones books and Stephen King's 'It'. Hopefully I'd have a nice van on standby to save my apocalypse collection!



On the book side of things it would probably be Harry Potter but if it was TV related, I'm pretty obsessed with Game of Thrones! They are my two big loves. I've just started reading the GRRM books and I loved the first two.



There's a lot I won't read. I avoid erotica, westerns, contemporary, depressing true life stories, animal cruelty, romance, PNR, crime, kids stuff, YA with tropes. I rarely read epic fantasy or space sci-fi unless the story really interests me.



I'll always buy a new Darrell Maloney or Robert Boren apocalypse book. I used to grab everything Richard Laymon wrote and I'm grabbing a lot of Hunter Shea right now.

 What character/s from the Shades of Magic trilogy would you like to see have a spinoff?

Haven't read the series.

If you could rule one of the four Londons, which one would you rule?

Haven't read the series.


If you would like to do the tag, go for it!