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Spiderman : Into the Spiderverse ( Movie Review )

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Watching the new Spiderman movie was an impulse decision but what turned out to be the best decision of last weekend. I went into the movie kind of unprepared for the awesomeness that unfolded; Weary with the multitudes of "spidermen" who plagued the big screen over the last few years, the last thing we wanted was another one, right? But this animated version shrugs off the incompetence of the live-action version, lustily embracing the entire wackiness of the marvel universe, in its lingering multi-form focusing on not just one, but five different spider-man origin stories. And we are left imagining, why didn't they do a big screen comic adaptation of the source material, given animation is perhaps the best possible form of adaptation. And this isn't your Sunday morning TV screen washed out grey version - but a full blown highly stylised gorgeously realised alternate universe, come to life with attention to detail that brings alive the crazy sense of wonder and dang…
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Godblind by Anna Stephens

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Godblind is Anna Stephen's spell-binding debut that captured the fantasy world's imagination over - her unflinching story is splotched dark and grim with blood, unapologetically pitching her as one those worthy successors to Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence.



I didn't get to read this one last year and am kicking myself for the miss. Anna is one of the top notch talents who burst onto the fantasy grim-dark scene last year - along with the likes of Anna Smith Spark and Ed McDonald ( Incidentally both of whose second books are excellent fare establishing them as major forces to be reckoned with!) So when Darksoul came out this year, I knew I had to go back and read her debut and catch up, with this rising tide of red.

The Red Gods are coming back and their thirst for blood is unquenchable. Exiled a millennia ago and
plotting their return, the blood-thirsty Gods ( Dark Lady and her brother, the God of Pain) are worshiped by the tribe/kingdom in the west known as Mireces who a…
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Marvel Studios' Avengers (End Game) - Official Trailer

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So finally putting speculations to rest, Marvel dropped the trailer on Friday :) Lots of fans have been going crazy over discussion groups, internets trying to piece together this one. Russo brothers' dedicated this one all the crazy fans. It's a wonderful franchise coming to an end. [ Meanwhile you can always catch up with Ms. Marvel opening a month before the End Game. The wait is on.




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Empire of Sand

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Tasha Suri’s debut, Empire of Sand ( Book of Ambha # 1) has been on my eagerly anticipated 2018 fantasy novels for a while now. The lush, south-asian mythology inspired fantasy book is said to have been born out of Tasha’s obsession with the Mughal Empire in India and colored by her unabashed love for Bollywood. So obviously since I share both these unhealthy 'obsessions' with her, I was extremely interested in how the fantasy version of such will turn out in paper.



An accomplished debut, Empire of Sand is a book about complex relationships and the interplay of power. Deep in its heart, it is a story of choices and compromise. It is the story of young Mehr, a girl who is caught between the two cultures that have shaped her life and how both come to a cataclysmic clash threatening the world itself, riding on the vested interests of people in power - abusing this notion to their own gains. Mind you, Mehr is not your 'regular' tough-as-nails ass-kicking fantasy heroine. Wh…
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And I Darken by Kiersten White

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I confess I have never read anything by Kiersten White - and this book, And I Darken that is the opening salvo into an alternate history epic, The Conqueror's Saga - was a complete surprise package for me.



I picked this up on a whim - wherein I read that the book is a twist on the historical facts about Vlad the Impaler and the tyrannical rule of the Ottoman Empire. What if Vlad had been female? But as I read the sampler, I realized Kiersten digs much deeper than just alternating the gender of Vlad, building up an entire world around these characters that are nothing more than just side-notes in the annals of history. There is rich detail, vivid imagination and scrumptious world-building at hand as Kiersten peels off the layers from that age of history where women were relegated to the Harems and siblings killed each other for the throne, bringing us a well-thought picture of what could have been.

The first book follows the life of Ladislav Dragwlya known as Lada, daughter to the…
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Daredevil Season 3

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The Marvel universe within Netflix is hinged around this blind man, who knows no fear and is fighting tooth and nail everyday to save his city, Hell's Kitchen, either from mysterious ninja-gods or larger-than-life villains orchestrating moves from within prison walls. And I daresay, Season 3 is a welcome comeback for Daredevil, possibly the best outing yet. In many ways - bringing us back to the streets of Hell's Kitchen that becomes the bloody chess-board for a game of cat and mouse, between the Devil and hold your breath, the Kingpin [ The villain we love!] and the introduction of Bullseye as the King's daring key-piece to upset the whole board.



See, apart from Daredevil, the other "superheroes" haven't really set our pulses racing quite like Matt Murdoch's alter-ego. There's something heart-breaking and immensely loveable about Charlie Cox's brilliant portrayal of this vulnerable man, questioning his faith in God and his own abilities, time an…
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Aquaman - Extended Trailer

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The DC is pinning a lot of hopes on the Aquaman to take off and salvage the tottering universe. And after having watched this, I totally love the feel that comes out of this whole extended trailer and can't wait to watch the movie. Hopefully this one delivers. Jason Momoa is in bristling form!


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