Lenni Reviews: "Octavia Butler's Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation" by Damian Duffy and John Jennings

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In this adaptation of Octavia Butler's groundbreaking story of a young Black woman thrust back in time to see her slave ancestors, you get a gripping and harrowing view of this tale.

Having not read the original, I can say that this is a hard story to get through. Butler's depiction of the life of slaves on a plantation in antebellum South is raw, unfiltered, and heartbreaking. And as our main character grapples with being treated like garbage by the same man who is intrinsic to her existence so she has to protect him? Yikes...

The art style is sketchy and raw; it really is perfect for this story. You feel every punch, every whip crack, every pejorative word. By the end you're almost relieved because it's so hard to deal with so much raw evil but it's part of our history and it's more important now than ever to be reminded so as not to head down the same path. I think Octavia Butler would be proud of this adaptation. 4.5 out of 5.

See The Tyrannosaurus Rex At The Jurassic World: The Exhibition

Based on one of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, opened its gates this morning at the renowned Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.  The Exhibition immerses audiences of all ages in settings inspired by the beloved film.  Visitors will travel to Isla Nublar as VIP guests to explore a towering Brachiosaurus; come face-to-face with a Velociraptor; and get a rare up-close look at the most vicious dinosaur of them all, Tyrannosaurus rex.

Created in close collaboration with renowned paleontologist Jack Horner, the Exhibition is infused with interactive educational elements—drawn from the real-world science of dinosaur DNA that allowed Jurassic World to come to life. Visitors of all ages can now learn all about these incredible prehistoric creatures.

Produced in conjunction with NBCUniversal Brand Development and Imagine Exhibitions, and co-produced by MagicSpace and IES, the life-like animatronic dinosaurs were designed by The Creature Technology Company (Walking with Dinosaurs).  Running now through April 23, 2017, tickets are available at:http://www.JurassicWorldTheExhibtion.com. 

Lenni Reviews: "Syndicates Pawns" by Davila LeBlanc

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*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

The crew of the Jinxed Thirteenth is sent on a rescue mission to retrieve the only survivor of an abandoned space station. What they find is Jessie Madison in cryo-sleep; and she has been there for several millennia. Awakening to a world that's completely unknown to her, Jessie struggles to learn new languages and face the loss of her husband. Meanwhile, a crew criminals lead by Domiant, sets out to capture the ship and Jessie as valuable cargo. Captain Morwyn and his crew must beat back Domiant and his dangerous underlings in order to protect Jessie and her unborn child from being sold or worse.

This book is like a combination of Event Horizon and Firefly in that the story takes place mostly on one ship and the crews on both sides are made up of very different species with all sorts of different abilities and specialties that struggle to get along and work together. They work well together and the world building and action sequences are written very well, there are so many characters with not enough development to properly tell them apart. I found myself getting confused as to who was who very easily. Except for Jessie; who stood out really well but mostly because she is truly a fish out of water. While this book is the second in a series, it stands well enough on it's own. For muddled characterization but an exciting story, I give this a 3.5 out of 5.

Vinci Headphones Impressions

Justin trying the Vinci Headphones. 

On Saturday November 12th 2016 I had the pleasure of attending the Vinci Mixer Headphone party at the Marmara Park. I had the chance to see the smart headphones for myself and I must say I was very impressed. The first thing I would say is that the design is pretty spot on. The LCD screen is smartly incorporated into the design of the headphones. The headphones also feel very comfortable and not once did my ears feel snug or that I needed to take them off. The headphones allow you to play music that you can add via USB that has a jack at the bottom of the headphones. Other features is a fully voice A.I. companion which allows you tell the headphones which artist or track to play. Overall for the time I spent with it I'm definitely going to make this the headphone of my choice. The sound quality was great to my liking, felt comfortable and best of all no headphone jack and rechargeable batteries. Vinci Headphones is something you might want to check. For more details on the product visit their website http://en.vinci.im/

Lenni Reviews: "Oria’s Gambit" by Jeffe Kennedy

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*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

With her kingdom, Bara, captured by the Destrye, Oria gambles on a marriage with the conquering leader; Lonen. Since Bara is ruled by magic, the highly powerful and sensitive Oria takes a huge risk in marrying Lonen since he cannot use magic and Bara has never had a non-magic using ruler. The main reason for this gamble is Oria's cruel and despotic brother, Yar; who may likely begin another war despite the peace her kingdom has just attained.

Having not read the first part, there is enough here to make you understand there was a brutal war and that our main pair would like to spare their respective kingdoms any further bloodshed. Oria and Lonen are well developed enough and the writing is competent enough for you to get emotionally invested enough to want them to succeed. But the book does spend a great deal of time meandering around Lonen and Oria's obvious attraction to one another and their hope to overcome Oria's inability to even touch Lonen without her magic causing her pain. The pacing lost it's sense of urgency when the book spends so much time on the romance. The love story didn't distract from the major fantasy elements but once Yar came back into the picture, I felt the characters should have spent less time making gooily eyes and more time getting ready.

Don't get me wrong; Lonen and Oria have good chemistry and the overall story kept me interested enough to not only finish it but to want to know what happens in the next installment. If you like fantasy in your romance, this isn't a bad offering despite being pretty short and ending on a cliffhanger. 3.7 out of 5.

Into The Badlands (Season 1 Blu-Ray Review)

Centuries from now, civilization as we know it has ceased to exist. Billions perished and nations collapsed, but over time, a feudal society emerged where the strongest rose to wealth and power. This area, known as the Badlands, is uneasily divided among seven rival Barons who control the resources necessary to daily life. Each Baron has loyal armies of trained assassins known as Clippers. Baron Quinn's head Clipper, Sunny (Daniel Wu), grew swiftly through the ranks to become Quinn's most trusted advisor. For decades, Quinn has been unchallenged as the Badlands most powerful Baron, but there is a rising suspicion among his rivals that he is growing vulnerable. The territory s newest Baron, The Widow (Emily Beecham), has begun testing his appetite for a fight. An ambush leads Sunny to a teenage boy, M.K. (Aramis Knight), who Sunny soon learns harbors a dark secret and has a hefty bounty on his head. Sunny selects M.K. as his Colt (student) and together, they will embark on an odyssey that could mean the difference between chaos and enlightenment for everyone in the Badlands.

Into The Badlands is hands down the best action show you will see on cable television. Yes you can quote me on that. The show succeeds on all fronts in terms of storytelling, acting, choreography and cinematography. What really drew me into the show is the original story of a fallen world just trying to get buy. Things on the planet are scarce but mankind has managed to keep some type of order. I think audiences are gravitate to all of the characters in this story. Sunny, M.K., The Widow and The Baron are the main four characters I was truly invested in. The first season is only six episodes but manages to allow the main characters and supporting cast all get a healthy chunk of screentime so we can connect with the world.

Sunny's confliction of his life as a Clipper is greatly explore as he discovers things such as love and being a mentor to M.K. Daniel Wu performance is spot and he truly was the right man for the job to tell Sunny's story. M.K. is the big mystery and the main focal point of the story as he harnesses a power unseen by people in the Badlands. Questions like how did he get these powers? Where is he from? These plots will keep you watching Into The Badlands. The show also features a great theme of women empowerment. This is explained through the character of The Widow who is a my favorite character and a complete badass. She is ruthless but you can see she carries this heavy weight on her shoulders. She is one of the only female Barons and her followers are all women. She claims to fighting for equal rights for all women and wanting a better life for them by any means necessary. Her introduction to the series is the best I've seen since Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman. Finally we have the antagonist Baron Quinn I hate this guy. He is a great antagonist ruthless, cunning and powerful. He rules with an iron fist and seems to get his way. His story arc revolves around his relationship with his family. His son doesn't respect him. His wife is loyal but not a fan of him taking many wives. Baron Quinn has a very interesting arc that you will love to hate. 

Into The Badlands is a fun action pack ride with a lot of heart. The show tackles on many themes such as choices, women empowerment and destiny. There is something for late teenagers and adults. The action is breathtaking especially fights with The Widow. The acting is solid. My only complaint is I wish the Blu-Ray/DVD had more special features. Other than that this show is a must buy and tune in for season 2.

Final Rating 4.5/5 Stars

Jinsei (Life Consulting) The Complete Series Review

Yuki Akamatsu desperately needs to work on his social interactions—at least according to the 2nd Newspaper Club president. And by that, she means getting him a girlfriend! After a barrage of personal insults, she assigns him to work the Life Counseling section of the paper. Yuki has no idea what this really means for him until he meets the three cuties responsible for providing advice. Rino Endo specializes in the sciences, Fumi Kujo covers humanities, while Ikumi Suzuki handles the world of sports—and snacks! Unfortunately, these three girls cannot agree on anything. Which means Yuki has to keep them on track and guide them to the answers that will help their classmates in need. Can he survive the onslaught of their boisterous personalities and compromising positions a plenty? There’s only so much a teenage boy can take!h