Advantages: A good idea Disadvantages: Overly descriptive and complicated in places
After having read Russel's second book about Jan Fabel, Brother Grimm, I wasn't overly keen on reading anything else by this author. I had enjoyed Brother Grimm in places but found it to be disappointing over all. However, somehow I still ended up with Blood Eagle in my hands. This is the first book in the series of Jan Fabel, Erster Kriminalhauptkommissar (Principal Chief Commissar) with the Hamburg Police murder squad.
The book starts with an email from "Son of Sven" to Fabel which makes it clear that this Son of Sven character is a murderer and who is taunting Fabel personally with the notion that this is only the beginning and that he will not stop until he is made to do so. So far so run of the mill crime book. However, the plot quickly thickens as Fabel starts to investigate the brutal and apparently ritualistic murders ...
Advantages: A good tale, good on historical detail Disadvantages: Some of the characters are fairly weak
(unjustified) reputation? Did they simply get gradually eroded as their men were co-opted by other garrisons for more urgent duties en route? Or is it simply that it is the records of their subsequent actions that have been lost and not the Legion itself at all?
We will never know.
Rosemary Sutcliff's book is not an attempt at a serious consideration of the likely explanations. It is a flight of fancy, based upon the myth of the missing Legion, which she ties to an excavated wingless "Eagle" found at Silchester. She supposes that this desecrated standard originally belonged to the Ninth Legion and spins a tale as to how it may have come to rest where it lay: it is a plausible tale, but an improbable one.
"The Eagle" centres on the youthful Marcus Flavius Aquila, posted at own request to England, where he hopes to learn something ...
Advantages: Excellent NZ comedy Disadvantages: Not enough of it around
the bullying was a long time ago and as he; Lily and designating driver Doug (Craig Hall) set off up north to stay with Jarrod's brother to prepare for combat his schoolboy bully who wrecked his life may not be as fearsome as he once was. But can lily and Jarrod's passion survive this road trip of emotions?
-The Conclusion-
As far as Indies go this is the genuine article, a funny little movie made with unknowns for little money and an eccentric director going for it. Too many of the American independent low budgets are anything but, glossy mid-budget efforts full of prominent TV actors, trying way too hard to be Indies, Juno a ghastly example of. Although the excellent Little Miss Sunshine was classed as an Indie it was quite clear the cast was too top notch for a small budget. The Eagle V the Shark is the real deal, cheap and cheerful ...
thedevilinme 11.08.2009 (15.08.2009)
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