Blog tour: The Children Of Lir by Marion Grace Woolley

Hello Readers,

Today I am blog tour for The Children Of Lir by Marion Grace Woolley thank you at Frasers Fun House for the invite and for sending me an ebook.  I have a spotlight and miniature review for you?

Tittle: The Children of Lir

Author: Marion Grace Woolley

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Pages:  467 pages

Publication Date:  August 15th 2019

Cover Image:

Synopsis:

A curse that lasted 900 years, a legend that lasted forever.
From the Iron Age of Ireland to the dawn of Christianity, this epic retelling traverses the realms of magic and sorcery. From the fort of Fionnachaidh to the watery wastes of Sruth na Maoile, it tells of the downfall of an ancient race and the children caught in its wake.
Grieving for the loss of his wife, King Lir marries her younger sister, Aoife. Jealous of her husband’s children she calls on the power of the Aos Sí and their Phantom Queen, making a bargain that will cost her life.
The children, turned to swans, are cast out upon the waves in an adventure that sees empires rise and fall as centuries pass. Eventually, they must choose between the world they once knew and a future they do not understand.

Goodreads

Amazon (uk)

About the author:

Marion works as an international development consultant and builds pianos in her spare time. She is currently trying to build the first ever piano in Rwanda through the Kigali Keys project.

She writes across different genres, but usually dark fiction. She is best known for Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran, and her debut novel, Lucid, was shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead Bursary for New Writers in 2009.

Marion’s social accounts

Website

Twitter 

Facebook

Instagram 

Review

This is quite a sentimental review for me I'm sorry. When I was asked to join the blog tour for Children of Lir I was so excited as my Irish Grandmother had told me a version of the tale growing up and before she died, she got me an Irish Folklore book that contains this legend. The Children of Lir is a story that is close to my heart and I  loved Marion's skilful use of the Gaelic language it was a wonderful reminder of my grandma and my heritage.

The Children of Lir is the re-telling of an old Irish folklore tale about the King of Lir and his 4 children who were cursed to live as swans for 900 years, the children of Lir become a legend. The Children of Lir is a legend from Irish mythology and combines both the magical elements from the Druids with the Christian message of faith bringing freedom from suffering.

King Lir is mourning the loss of his wife when he re-marries her younger sister who just so happens to have a jealousy curse that turns Lir’s children into swans.  

There is the most wonderful addition in my opinion and that is the retelling dives straight into what happened to the children before telling short stories of people whose lives were affected after the transformation. This adds another dimension to the book I never thought about.

 I think this would be perfect for anyone who hasn’t heard of the original tale as the story is detailed and is character-driven. You get an understanding of the gods, magic, time itself seem to be characters here, and I loved being wrapped up in the fabric of ancient Ireland.

L x

Let’s Talk About… JK Rowling

Hello Readers,

I’ve been wanting to do this one for a while but I’ve taken my time with the post to try and be as respectful as I can. I am a Potter fan I was at boarding school when the gained popularity, I went to the midnight launches and I’ve been to the studio tour multiple times, what I’m trying to get at is that this isn’t a hate-filled post and I was a huge fan but as more revaluations were revealed I lose interest a little more. It's just some observation I have made since the final book and film release. 

I have come to the slight conclusion that JK Rowling is slowly damaging her franchise for the original readers. Like come on…. be honest did we need to know what happened before plumbing at Hogwarts the thought never crossed my mind.

 I will support LGBT rights till my last breath but Dumbledore being gay it honestly feels like this reveal was once again an attempt by Rowling to seem inclusive without ever actually including representation in a meaningful way and if I’m honest a way to make the second Fantastic Beast movie more interesting. I am honestly so frustrated that Rowling seems to be trying to get points for having diverse characters while never actually including much diversity in the books in the first place.

Uncle Vernon supporting Brexit. If you take both the films and book timeline into consideration this is completely irrelevant! I'm sorry the battle of Hogwarts was in 1998 which means other than the epilogue the story has finished the world is closed we don’t need this added information on current political issues.

Nagini being human, let's take a second to remember that wormtail has to milk venom from Nagini's fangs and feed it in a bottle to Voldemort in order to keep him alive. On Twitter, Rowling explained that Nagini is a human and a Maledictus, not an Animagus. Her condition is a blood curse that only affects women, and one that Nagini has no control over. Also lets remember Lord Voldemort could also possess Nagini, like he did on the night where Arthur Weasley was attacked in Order of the Phoenix the implication of this little fact are a little creepy.  Nagini was first introduced in Goblet of Fire the book was released in 2000 fast forward to last year when it was revealed she was human in the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald trailer and again this seems like a way to make the second Fantastic Beast movie more interesting.

The last one annoys me the most, information released on Pottermore went into a long backstory on McGonagall that mostly focused on her love life instead of her abilities as a witch. The woman who took control during the battle of Hogwarts and one of the greatest female role models from the series Rowling turned her into a scorned woman’s whose marriage to muggle didn’t work out. While including information about her romantic life isn’t necessarily bad, it is weird that most of the new information about the character was about romance and not how she became the woman we love and someone I looked up to.

Oh I almost forgot, one of the biggest revelations in  Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was that Credence Barebone is actually Aurelius Dumbledore, the third, youngest, and lost brother of Albus and Aberforth. This makes no sense considering that so much of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was about Dumbledore’s family and all of the information about his family was already revealed. Oh, and to get really pedantic the dates don’t add up, Albus’ father would have been in Azkaban and his mother would have already been dead at the time of Aurelius’ birth.

L x 

What has been your shocking reveal about the Potterverse?

Review: Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

Hello Readers,

Thank you, Abigail, and Wunderkind-Pr for getting in contact and sending me an eBook copy of Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

Sorry Spoilers!!

If you’ve been around for a while you know how excited I was when I learned that the first book in the series Sea Witch was a retelling of the little mermaid but then finding out the story was told from “Ursula’s” point of view I knew I had to read this book. Here’s a link to my review of Sea Witch.

The epilogue at the end of Sea Witch was a killer and when I realise that where Sea Witch Rising was going to pick up I was beyond ready to dive in (Sea what I did there). Evie is now magically merged with the giant octopus that haunted a local cove and is approached by a little mermaid named Alia seeking her help to become human in order to win the love of the prince After making a deal of her own with Evie (the sea witch), Alia’s twin sister Runa, sets out to bring her sister back to the sea as she doesn’t want her sister to die of rejection when the prince fails to declare his love. Evie desires freedom from her role as the Sea Witch and seeks to challenge the Sea King, whose magic has trapped her.

The story’s timeline puts it in that delicate point in history where on land Denmark and the rest of Europe is poised for World War II. The story becomes a little more political in a sense as naval mines and U-boats have brought the land war to the seas and is threatening the lives of the merpeople and the other inhabitants of the water. However, Sarah never lets her tale get too deep but keeps the stakes high and focuses more on friendship and sisterly devotion than romance, although Runa does bond with a handsome young human. Also, the message of female empowerment and unity is clear, without feeling overdone or cheesy.  Sarah keeps her leading ladies strong and capable, without being cliché.

The dual perspectives of Evie, the sea witch, and Runa, the mermaid princess, opens up the story significantly, allowing the author to explore multiple plot lines and themes. On one hand, there’s Runa who can’t understand the appeal of the human world and is trying everything she can to save her twin sister, she deals with a lot of identity issues throughout this story. Her love for Alia shone through every page and although I’m all for a cute romance, the strong sisterly love in this book was a refreshing change and added a different dynamic. Runa was a strong protagonist alongside Evie and I really liked her character. Runa refuses to lose her sister through such a naive act for a spoiled prince. 

Then we have Evie who is unapologetically jaded by her own past, yet compassionate to those around her. Evie is really struggling with her lack of powerful magic, trapped away from all she once held dear and has more humanity than Disney portrayed and this led to a richer story for me. There’s also a bittersweet, wistful tone that flows throughout her chapters, creating an added depth to the character an you cant help but feel for her.

I really enjoyed this sequel and I think that’s down to the fact that Runa and Evie are incredible characters. This story focuses on love but not the romantic kind. Runa and Alia are two halves to one whole, and Runa will do anything to save her sister. You also come to realise that Evie became the witch she is now for some many heart-breaking reasons. We learn that she became chained to her lair by the power-hungry Sea King and the decisions that led her to her confinement. While we’re on the subject of The Sea King get that nice fluffy image of King Triton out your head now! Okay ready for it… In this retelling he has a need for power and magic above all else, he holds his daughters close to him merely for their abilities and powers. He is a cruel man and pretty much a dictator.

Sarah weaves the story lines we know from The Little Mermaid and flips them in such a beautiful and magnificent way. I love her writing style and loved how the magic on land and in the sea is built in such a lyrical way.

I can't recommend this book enough you need to go get it so I can talk to someone about it.
L x

Review: The Betrayal of Ka (The Transprophetics, Book 1) by Shea Oliver

Hello Readers,

Thank you, Shea, for getting into contact with me and sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review. 

The Betrayal of Ka manages to fit so much with its 265 pages its remarkable. There was quite a bit of set up initially, around the future world, political and corporate structure, and environment. However, once you get past that, you discover a story that is rich with action, and characters you either root for or hate with a passion. There was a lot of political manoeuvring and stepping on of toes and in some ways, this felt a little bit like Hunger Games books.

The Betrayal of Ka touches on politics as well as some of the lesser-used subjects in science fiction and it will kick your butt as it’s well thought out and a solid gritty story and a protagonist who has his share of baggage. Ka is immediately likeable, brash one minute, then adorably insecure the next when talking to a girl he likes. Unfortunately, Ka doesn't make the smartest choices, landing him in a spot of bother.  

I found that I had to remind myself that Ka was just a kid who found himself in a very bad situation with some very bad people.  I honestly felt so sorry for him, events that were totally out of his control caused him so much pain both physical and emotional. Being under that kind of stress and pressure can make anyone justify action’s they normally wouldn’t and you must keep that in perspective while reading.

There was plenty of good descriptions, compelling characters and solid action, as well as self-examination on the part of the characters. This book brings up some political issues that are relatable to the real world while at the same time creating a story that is both entertaining and emotion catching.  The writing is well-spoken, entertaining and even humorous at times.

I could easily visualise this world while reading, I especially loved the description of the prison and the procedures that Ka went through. It seems that this book has accomplished everything it set out to do. The future world was well thought out and stayed away from many of the trite views of the future envisioned in many other literary and film works. 

As I said at the start this book has so much happened in such a short number of pages that it’s hard to try and convey them without giving to much away and was hard to review. I honestly enjoyed it and have already recommended it to a couple of people I know.  

Lx

Film Review: The Lion King 2019

Hello Readers,

Today I have another film review for you, I’ll try to keep it spoiler-free but let’s be honest to original came out in 1994 and it's pretty much based on Hamlet (just saying). Just like Toy Story, The Lion King is one of the Disney films that I'm always going to feel protective of as I've spent a good proportion of my life with its characters and songs. This latest live-action re-imagining seems bound for success thanks to a mixture of nostalgia and spectacle. Also I just want to smush cub Simba's face.

The first thing I will say is that the opening is exactly the same as the opening of the original, for me that was perfect it was like hearing the opening of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings It gave me a sense of being welcomed back. I have seen people saying they could have developed the opening but let be honest if it didn’t open with the sunrise people would be complaining more. 

I loved the original and having James Earl Jones playing Mufasa again was such a great choice but I don’t think they really had another option. While we’re on the subject of Mufasa his death feels that much more tragic than the original and I think that is down to the live-action the fur looks so real you could pet it, is that much harder to take especially with baby Simba.

 The story feels that much darker and I thought the themes were a little less subtle. Scar makes a point of saying he won’t challenge Mufasa again leading to the suggestion that he was one who gave Scar his namesake injury … okay, it may be obvious in the original but I’ve rewatched it and nope!

For a PG-rated film, the elephant graveyard scene is so much darker than it needs to be. I get it in the original its creepy and dark but too far guys, I found myself jumping and turned to my friend and said I was glad we didn’t bring her little girl with us and she agreed.

Timon and Pumbaa helped make this film amazing and was a real turn around after all the seriousness and darkness.  Don’t get me wrong I love Ernie Sabella and Nathan Lane but Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner did such a wonderful job and were just the right amount of funny.

That being said I also prefer Ed the hyena who was renamed Azizi in this remake and I love the interactions between him and Kamari who was originally called Banzai. The only hyena who kept their original name was Shenzi.

The soundtrack is as stunning as the first and I have been listening to it since seeing the movie on the 21st of July.  Hans Zimmer, who composed the 1994 animated version, has returned to compose the score for the remake with Pharrell Williams as a collaborator. Elton John also returned to rework his musical compositions from the original film before his retirement along with the original film's lyricist, Tim Rice. Elton and Tim also wrote a new song for the film's end credits, titled "Never Too Late" and performed by Elton.

The film also features all the songs from the original film, a cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and the song "He Lives in You" from the Broadway production. With an added song by Beyoncé called Spirit. The soundtrack, featuring Zimmer's score and John and Rice's songs, was released digitally.

Its honestly a good film and the advances in technology are evident but it just felt like something was missing and I don’t know if that’s because of my attachment to the original. Have you seen The Lion King yet? What did you think?

L x

The Exploding Book by Mike Russell

Hello Readers,

Thank you, Jay, for sending me a ebook copy of The Exploding Book by Mike Russell for free in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fifth book I have been lucky enough to receive from Jay and Mike Russell and I honestly couldn’t wait to jump back down the rabbit hole that is the worlds Mike creates through his writing. I have previously reviewed Strange Medicine, Strange Secrets, Nothing is Strange and Strungballs. Having already read and experienced Mike Russell’s stories, as always, I started this one with an open mind and ready to jump. I knew before I started reading that it would be like nothing I have read before and I can say it is unique.

Mike Russel has taken the art of strange fiction to new levels over the past few years, and this, his latest creation is no different in his latest book which differs to his usual books as this is a full length novel rather than a collection of short stories. This book will make you feel strange, the characters are uncanny and believe in all kinds of mysterious things. The world that weaves with his world is a treat to read. I think it is the best use of imagery.

The plot itself is very different, very strange and weird, completely crazy. It looks like a mess of nonsenses, but it has its way. Everything happens with a reason and in order. I had some moments where I thought why the book is leading me this way or that some parts were completely insane, but in the end, everything comes together and becomes a solid part of the book. If you’ve seen my previous reviews of Mikes work, you know that I loved his writing style

The best part of the book is that it invites you into its world and to village Gladeville, where people have visions of a gold temple, each temple being different for each person. Slight spoiler but there is also a book simply called the Dark Book which, when it explodes, destroys all books except itself. You are not just a passive reader but an active witness of the unusual happenings of the town. Since you are a part of the world, it keeps you engaged and on the edge of your seat. I honestly had so many thoughts flying through my head while reading this. I jumped on conspiracy theories, a religious cult and the pure stupidity of humanity.

I try not to dissect Mike Russell’s stories they are just simply what they are the day I read them, tomorrow I will see something else in them. However, while reading this book, you can make so many connections, see so many hidden meanings, but at the end, it’s just a book you can’t know if the Mike wanted it to have a meaning or he has just told you a story.

If you are a lover of the strange, the offbeat, metaphors, and stories in which you can get lost you must read it!

L x

Singapore Ghost (Ash Carter #4) by Murray Bailey

Hello Readers,

Thank you, Murray, for giving me the chance to Beta read Singapore Ghost, sending me a physical copy, a giveaway copy and for mentioning me in the acknowledgements (I still can’t believe it and keep checking). I will try to keep this as spoiler-free as I can and do a spill all review in four months. Also, I am running a giveaway over on my twitter. Now closed

We all know how much I adore the Ash Carter series check out my previous reviews here (Singapore 52, Singapore Girl and Singapore Boxer). As I mentioned in my opening that I was lucky enough to beta read this book and it blew my mind, and while reading it I sent Murray some lovingly slightly abusive messages.

This is the fourth book in the Ash Carter series, in this book Ash is in Penang babysitting a newspaper reporter. She's investigating ghost stories at the barracks but it's Ash's past that has come back to haunt him. Ash also finds himself stuck between two criminal organisations and must find a solution and put the ghost haunting the barracks to rest.

I think with Murray's books I trick myself into knowing how things are going as I tell myself I know how he writes but I was blindsided by two huge plot reveals in this story and they fitted with the story perfectly. Murray continues to have this wonderful talent where he leads you one way without giving too much away then bam goes the other way and unravels all the wonderful details. The plot was complicated and there were several twists along the way making the reader wonder just who Ash could trust and who was really pulling the strings. I loved all the twists and red herrings and I followed one of these red herrings all the way through to the end.

I still love that it remains clear Murray has done a lot of research into the time period and geographical social norms and locations have been used brilliantly. The research on Singapore during the post-WWII era, the atmosphere of the poor versus the wealthy of that time and the unease between the Chinese and the Japanese was done respectfully and well thought out the series.  I loved how the plot development and the pacing of the story was perfect and kept me on my toes it’s also an entertaining and relaxing book.

As always Murray's book leading to a satisfying end that caught me off guard and now, I’m left wanting more and waiting for book five. I honestly can’t recommend this series enough.

L x

Ash Carter Series

Singapore 52

Singapore Girl

Singapore Boxer

Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Cornelia Funke and Guillermo del Toro

Hello Readers,

Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the chance to read Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Cornelia Funke and Guillermo del Toro on ebook for free in exchange for an honest review

If you follow my Instagram or twitter you know how excited I was to get approved for this book from NetGalley. I had been pining over it for a while I loved the film and the cover reveal. 

I will again have my little running rant with retelling's and movie novelisations for any new people and then we will jump straight in. Remember that this book based on Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed movie, not a retelling or different story. This book expands upon the film and gives us a better understanding of what happened during the film. It’s a faithful adaptation of the film, with beautiful imagery that adds to the fantasy.

I will be honest because I have seen the film (waaay too many times), my brain was a little lazy despite the wonderfully dark and rich descriptions, I had some of the creepy imagery in my head particularly of The Pale Man and the Faun. Reading this bought back the movie in much of its original glory, haunting, tragic, painful, the magical realism, the darkest of fairy tales, immersing us the reader in all its vibrant intensity.

I’m a huge fan of adult fantasy books with a child protagonist there is something that makes the story darker and it adds more of an uncomfortable edge to the story and completely changes the tone. I particularly liked how the book split itself between the folklore-style stories of how the underworld influenced ancient times and the historical fiction narrative of civil war-ravaged Spain. There is the young girl, Ofelia, living in the brutality and terrors of the fascist Franco's regime. Ofelia desperately longs for and dreams of a world free of the everyday nightmares of her life.

You get the sense of a fairytale coming to life with this, of course, Ofelia is the princess. How could she not be? Vidal is every inch the Wolf, hunting his prey through the pages.  Ofelia and her Mother arrive at a once-abandoned mill steeped in fairy tale history, Ophelia stumbles upon a labyrinth and soon begins to explore the labyrinth in the gardens where she meets an ancient and sinister faun, who claims she is the long lost Princess of his underground kingdom. The labyrinth is so much darker in its myths and magic, reflecting the realities of life, of a war-torn nation and fascism. The Faun sets Ophelia three dangerous tasks, which she must complete while avoiding the guerrilla warfare of the forest. Despite being set the three tasks Ofelia is so grateful to be given this escape from her miserable life at the mill, however, she doesn’t allow herself to get completely swept away.

Ofelia is our protagonist and I adored her, she's the ultimate embodiment of both the innocence and the fierce intelligence that children can possess, and she’s probably the most interesting younger protagonist that I’ve come across.

Let me try and explain this Ofelia has that unquestionable belief in magic, fairies and fauns that only children can have, however, She’s intelligent enough to figure out that a dress her mother painstakingly made, isn’t really for or about her, it’s just another way for her mum to try and please her stepfather. Ofelia is beyond wise for her years I think she only 9 I may be wrong she has an understanding of what it is her mum really is doing and saying with her actions, but she just can’t fathom why she would choose to and it’s honestly so heart-breaking.

The Faun is an exceptionally creepy character and I’ll be honest I’m not really sure what his relationship with Ofelia is, and that isn’t really cleared up in this novel. However, I think the mystery is a part of the story.

This novel effortlessly captures so much of vitality of the film, reinforcing just how imaginative and beautiful it is, and the despair of this historical period in Spain, Something I LOVED was the inclusion of the older “fairy-tales”, the myths that build up the world that Ofelia is just now stepping into.  The book does a wonderful job adding depth and clarity to the world and finds a way to subtly connect most of the characters within the magical kingdom in a very clever way, adding a whole other layer of depth to the legend of the labyrinth. I was also impressed with the pacing of these stories, as they never felt unnecessary nor distracting from the main narrative.

If you haven’t seen the film read the book first, then the del Toro magic from the film will be stunning and you can compare the book to the film without any preconceptions. I can’t recommend this book anymore its brilliantly dark ad whimsical.

Lx

Review: The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner

Hello Readers,

Thank you, Lydia and Titan Books, for sending me a copy of The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner for free in exchange for an honest review.

Have you seen how stunning this book is, I mean matte black with silver detailing its amazeballs and fits in nicely with my black book collection.

This beautifully dark story is chocked full of horror, despair, adventure, and hope. Heather masterfully spins the dark tale of Irreélle and Miss Vesper with a careful hand, conjuring a beautiful story and multilayer relationship between Miss Vesper and Irreélle that will tug deeply at your heart. Heather's writing lures you in and you genuinely start to care for Irreélle however you won't realise it until you've released that you’ve read a good chunk of the book in one sitting or like me still reading in bed at 1 am and getting sad I had ran out of book too quickly and read it all in one sitting.

Let’s be honest guys from the cover we all knew this was going to be a book I would love. Let alone having the book be recommended to people who like Neil Gaiman's work.  I thought the premise for this story was delightfully interesting, as I liked the concept of ‘bone magic’ and beings made of bone. This dark story walks the fine line between fun and darkness, a sinister Gothic menace from an innocent edge that was delivered with a fair amount of wit. I adored the world this book is set in, with the graveyard being the perfect backdrop for this story which has the feel of a Gothic fairy-tale with its dark atmosphere.

Not only is the world of graveyard tunnels so vivid and haunting it’s easy to picture without much effort from a reader point of view and that felt a little like a dark Victorian tale. Heather balances her emotional punches with moments of macabre hilarity and they work in harmony. This book is such a dark delight and I adored every minute of it. As the plot unfolds it deals with themes of creation, identity with a sprinkle of love and we see a young girl search of her true self.

So, who is our main character I hear you scream Irreélle, that eerie little being, stole my heart. Irreélle is made of bone dust and fragments of Miss Vesper's imagination, she is a creation of darkness and yet spread only light. From the start we see her question her existence with a hopefulness that made this character melt even my ice-cold heart.

It honestly didn’t take long for her to have all of my love and Heather if you happen to see this I want to read a lifetime of books following her adventures I don’t care where we go I’m ready. Watching Irreélle grow into herself and learn to believe that she is more than just dust and bone tethered to her creator, is so empowering, and so important.

Now to the wonderful Miss Vesper, I'm not going to write much because of Heather wonderful writing I hate this woman. Miss Vesper is Irréelle’s creator, and is unbelievably cruel, constantly reminding Irreélle that she is not real and can be returned to the bone dust at a moment’s notice when she sees fit. My heart actually broke for poor Irreélle because all she ever wanted was to please Miss Vesper.

The secondary characters were interesting and well developed, Lass, Guy and The Hand, you can't help but love this little gang of misfits. With the help of  Lass, Guy and The Hand,  Irreélle sets out to uncover the dark truths of Miss Vesper and the truth about this mysterious magic that has brought her to life, putting her own existence at risk in order to be truly free from this vile being while putting her fears aside to protect her friends.  For such a dark looking book it actually has a couple of cute movements Along the way these three realise that even though they were little monsters created from bone dust and dark magic, humanity arises through the love that is forged through friendships.

I honestly can't recommend this book enough it’s a creepy yet feel-good read like getting a hug of the feel-good of a Disney film and Tim Burton (not quite The Nightmare Before Christmas) at the same time. I hope I get to go on another adventure with Irreélle.

L x

Film Review: Toy story 4

Hello Readers,

Today we're shaking things up with a movie review. I was honestly a little apprehensive when I saw that four was happening as I think they ended everything nicely with three. Andy giving all the toys to Bonnie was a nice wholesome ending in my opinion. However, I actually enjoyed the fourth film and this is your spoiler warning. also, I've mentioned some Easter eggs I spotted at the end .

I think Toy Story is one of the Disney films that I'm always going to feel protective of as I've spent a good proportion of my life with its characters, I was 3 when it came out.

This film took a wonderful creative leap with the creation of Forky. Forky isn’t like the others, Bonnie has made him from a disposable spork and some pipe cleaners. Forky’s existence raises some questions about the toys’ consciousness. Forky has been granted the gift of life, whether he likes it or not despite the fact he thinks he’s “trash”, and wants nothing more than to escape to the safe oblivion of the waste bin. Woody stops Forky throwing himself away to protect Bonnie.  the fact that Forky is, after all, a utensil, and feels most comfortable in the trash, secure in the knowledge that he fulfilled his purpose is a little heartbreaking when you apply the same logic to Woody and the gang.

It’s not until the family road trip things start to pick up and brings Woody into contact with an old acquaintance. Bo Peep is back and she is everything a child needs to look up to now. She has done a complete 360 in her character, I always thought she was a little meh and honestly, I didn’t miss her in two and three. Bo Peep always seemed a little too soft for me even back then I wanted a strong female role model (a couple of years later I got Meg from Hercules).

Let’s introduce the “villains”, personally, I think they aimed this one to the crowd from the first film. A pull string doll and her ventriloquist dummies like come on Disney they really aren’t aimed at children they are for us original crowd who have grown up and with Goosebumps and now watch horror films. All set the delectably creepy confines of the Second Chance Antiques Store.

Overall, I think this was a good film and I did cry but think that’s more of having a memory of going to see the original film at a cinema club with my grandparent who is sadly no longer with us. I think this film was defiantly and ending for the people who saw the film the first time around and there is one particular Easter egg I’ve mentioned that is purely for the original crowd.  The film was a good and good end to the franchise.

Easter Eggs I spotted

·         Tinny from Tin Toy makes an appearance in the pinball machine, Bo refers to him by name.

·         Bo's sheep bring her a bottle cap and safety pin while out foraging as a nod to the same grape soda bottle cap Russell gets awarded in "Up"

·         The guitar from Coco

L x