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Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated Mercy Kill (X-Wing #10) in Books
Aug 15, 2019 (Updated Aug 20, 2019)
Note: this review is transposted from my personal review blog, and so was originally written several years ago. I figured if I reposted it here, someone might actually read it….
NOTE: This novel is no longer canon following Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars. That’s not to say it isn’t good, just that it belongs to the old Canon - I prefer to think of it as an alternate universe.
Do you remember fondly the Star Wars novels of the 90s? Are you into Star Wars but a newcomer to the Expanded Universe? Do you enjoy your Star Wars with an undertone of comedy, so long as a certain floppy-eared terror is nowhere in sight? If so, X-WING: MERCY KILL may be a good book for you to check out.
Unlike most of the books being released set in the “modern” era of the Star Wars universe (44 ABY–i.e., 44 Years post-Episode IV), MERCY KILL lets you jump right in, more or less without knowing the situation to that point. A lot of the others you could read cold, but they wouldn’t make much sense. MERCY KILL, however, has little to do with the ongoing plot of the Expanded Universe. It’s rooted in recent events, but the setup is very simple and easily grasped. It would pay to know the characters from the X-Wing novels of the 90s, but even that is not really necessary. You could check out three or four articles on Wookiepedia and be fine–I did, just to refresh my memory.
So….here’s what you need to know. In the 90s, they published a series of comics and then novels based around Rogue Squadron, led by Wedge Antilles and a number of the X-Wing pilots from the films along with some new faces. These comics and the first four novels were written by Michael Stackpole, but after the fourth he dropped out for a while citing other commitments he had to work on. So they hired in Aaron Allston to continue the series. Allston decided to let the Rogues go off on their own adventures while he created a new team for his novels–Wraith Squadron, a team of X-Wing pilots who would work equally well as a ground-based commando team. The result was a cross between The A-Team and The Dirty Dozen, with some aerial action thrown in. For the purposes of this new novel, notable characters included Garik “Face” Loran, a child star turned soldier and the eventual commander of the Wraiths; and Voort “Piggy” SaBinring, a genetically-modified Gamorrean. There are a few other returning faces, but these were the better developed and you can probably get by just knowing them.
The Star Wars publishing event of the early 2000s was the New Jedi Order series, in which a race of extra-galactic aliens called the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Galaxy Far, Far Away and sought to subjugate its people. They almost did it, and they changed the way Star Wars novels worked in the process. Characters–MAIN CHARACTERS–died. Chewbacca, Han and Leia’s youngest son Anakin Solo, and countless others fell to the military might of the invaders. There have been other upheavals since, most notably a second Galactic Civil War when Han and Leia’s oldest son Jacen Solo fell to the Dark Side. In the aftermath of that war, a conspiracy was formed to take over both the Galactic Alliance and the Empire and merge them together once again, recapturing the glory of the height of the Old Empire. This conspiracy failed, but it may not have been completely rooted out…..
In this book, Garik Loran is called out of retirement by the head of the Alliance military. He wants Loran to quietly look into rumors that an up-and-coming officer may have been connected to the Lecerson Conspiracy. Wraith Squadron is back in business! The resulting adventure is a fun trip, dealing both in nostalgia for those of us who read the adventures of the original Wraiths long ago and in action that newer fans can get into, all the while serving up Allston’s signature undertone of humor mixed with heart. I heartily recommend it. The one caveat I will mention for fans of the original books is that there is comparatively little aerial combat in this book. The plot doesn’t call for it, and I certainly didn’t really miss it too much, but some may be disappointed by that.
If you want more reading suggestions, the X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics and X-Wing novels are quite good. If you wanted to enhance your experience with this book, I would have you read at least the novels, but you may not have the patience for all nine of the previous books. If not, I won’t hold it against you.
Content-wise, they keep the Star Wars novels pretty PG. Mild language, mild violence, mild innuendos…..nothing to worry about.
Original post: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/review-star-wars-x-wing-mercy-kill-by-aaron-allston/
NOTE: This novel is no longer canon following Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars. That’s not to say it isn’t good, just that it belongs to the old Canon - I prefer to think of it as an alternate universe.
Do you remember fondly the Star Wars novels of the 90s? Are you into Star Wars but a newcomer to the Expanded Universe? Do you enjoy your Star Wars with an undertone of comedy, so long as a certain floppy-eared terror is nowhere in sight? If so, X-WING: MERCY KILL may be a good book for you to check out.
Unlike most of the books being released set in the “modern” era of the Star Wars universe (44 ABY–i.e., 44 Years post-Episode IV), MERCY KILL lets you jump right in, more or less without knowing the situation to that point. A lot of the others you could read cold, but they wouldn’t make much sense. MERCY KILL, however, has little to do with the ongoing plot of the Expanded Universe. It’s rooted in recent events, but the setup is very simple and easily grasped. It would pay to know the characters from the X-Wing novels of the 90s, but even that is not really necessary. You could check out three or four articles on Wookiepedia and be fine–I did, just to refresh my memory.
So….here’s what you need to know. In the 90s, they published a series of comics and then novels based around Rogue Squadron, led by Wedge Antilles and a number of the X-Wing pilots from the films along with some new faces. These comics and the first four novels were written by Michael Stackpole, but after the fourth he dropped out for a while citing other commitments he had to work on. So they hired in Aaron Allston to continue the series. Allston decided to let the Rogues go off on their own adventures while he created a new team for his novels–Wraith Squadron, a team of X-Wing pilots who would work equally well as a ground-based commando team. The result was a cross between The A-Team and The Dirty Dozen, with some aerial action thrown in. For the purposes of this new novel, notable characters included Garik “Face” Loran, a child star turned soldier and the eventual commander of the Wraiths; and Voort “Piggy” SaBinring, a genetically-modified Gamorrean. There are a few other returning faces, but these were the better developed and you can probably get by just knowing them.
The Star Wars publishing event of the early 2000s was the New Jedi Order series, in which a race of extra-galactic aliens called the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Galaxy Far, Far Away and sought to subjugate its people. They almost did it, and they changed the way Star Wars novels worked in the process. Characters–MAIN CHARACTERS–died. Chewbacca, Han and Leia’s youngest son Anakin Solo, and countless others fell to the military might of the invaders. There have been other upheavals since, most notably a second Galactic Civil War when Han and Leia’s oldest son Jacen Solo fell to the Dark Side. In the aftermath of that war, a conspiracy was formed to take over both the Galactic Alliance and the Empire and merge them together once again, recapturing the glory of the height of the Old Empire. This conspiracy failed, but it may not have been completely rooted out…..
In this book, Garik Loran is called out of retirement by the head of the Alliance military. He wants Loran to quietly look into rumors that an up-and-coming officer may have been connected to the Lecerson Conspiracy. Wraith Squadron is back in business! The resulting adventure is a fun trip, dealing both in nostalgia for those of us who read the adventures of the original Wraiths long ago and in action that newer fans can get into, all the while serving up Allston’s signature undertone of humor mixed with heart. I heartily recommend it. The one caveat I will mention for fans of the original books is that there is comparatively little aerial combat in this book. The plot doesn’t call for it, and I certainly didn’t really miss it too much, but some may be disappointed by that.
If you want more reading suggestions, the X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics and X-Wing novels are quite good. If you wanted to enhance your experience with this book, I would have you read at least the novels, but you may not have the patience for all nine of the previous books. If not, I won’t hold it against you.
Content-wise, they keep the Star Wars novels pretty PG. Mild language, mild violence, mild innuendos…..nothing to worry about.
Original post: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/review-star-wars-x-wing-mercy-kill-by-aaron-allston/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Sky Without Stars (System Divine, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<h2><strong>I totally skipped over <em>Sky Without Stars</em> at first.</strong></h2>
Hello, I'm confessing that I scrolled straight past <em>Sky Without Stars</em> until someone said the words, "<em>Les Misérables</em> in space."
Then all the grabby hands came out because <em>I love that movie</em> AND I love space??? And I sure as hell am not going to read 1000+ pages of the classic. <s>Hahaha, required reading scarred me.</s>
<h2><em><strong>Sky Without Stars</strong></em><strong> has the feel of <em>Les Misérables.</em></strong></h2>
It's been like 5+ years since I <em>watched</em> the movie so I don't remember much from the movie aside from the French revolution. I also recall having a fascination with Éponine, who I don't recall having much screentime. Despite not remembering much from the musical, <em>Sky Without Stars</em> gave off the vibes and had many elements frequently nodding to the classic.
<h3><strong>The different perspectives worked in favor.</strong></h3>
This whopping novel is divided between three different characters who will all eventually play a role in the brewing revolution on Laterre. With such a long length, having one perspective could have easily bogged down the story and be boring. But having three characters who each brought their own perspective and struggles? I enjoyed learning about each of them while reading <em>Sky Without Stars</em>.
<strong>Chatine:</strong> Chatine, based on Éponine (I think?), is by far my favorite perspective out of the three. She dresses up as a boy to go about her life in the Frets because she feels being a girl would put her at a disadvantage (and it really would). With the goal of leaving Laterre one day, she goes about her life stealing on the streets to save up for the passage.
<strong>Alouette:</strong> Y'all, I hated Cosette for some reason but I adore Alouette??? Brody and Rendell give Cosette a very nice upgrade here in <em>Sky Without Stars</em> that fit into the timeframe here! Alouette, despite not knowing much of her past and living underground, is curious and crafty as she occasionally navigates aboveground.
<strong>Marcellus:</strong> Poor Marcellus is divided between believing his grandfather as he's always had growing up or his now-deemed-traitor former governess. Despite being the least interesting perspective I read, I enjoy seeing his internal conflict and want to know what he will do in later books.
<h3><strong>There's apparently a love triangle.</strong></h3>
Younger me found the revolution too fascinating to care about trivial things such as romance. Lo and behold, I didn't even notice the love triangle until near the end, whoops. However, romance is a minor aspect of <em>Sky Without Stars,</em> and I found myself more swept away by the world.
<h2><strong>A lot of worldbuilding on Laterre.</strong></h2>
Drop yourselves into a rocket ship and let's go soaring into space because the worldbuilding is A+! Sometimes I found myself overwhelmed because I am a character development and fast-paced action person in books. However, I think it's well worth going through nearly 600 pages of mostly setup. Brody and Rendell will sweep you away to another world while bringing in elements from the original.
<h2><strong>Solid beginning to a series.</strong></h2>
<em>Sky Without Stars</em> is a solid start as a first novel, and I enjoyed seeing Brody's and Rendell's take on <em>Les Misérables</em>! This book is perfect for those who are fans of the musical or enjoy a good sci-fi with a brewing rebellion on another planet.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/sky-without-stars-by-jessica-brody-and-joanne-rendell/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<h2><strong>I totally skipped over <em>Sky Without Stars</em> at first.</strong></h2>
Hello, I'm confessing that I scrolled straight past <em>Sky Without Stars</em> until someone said the words, "<em>Les Misérables</em> in space."
Then all the grabby hands came out because <em>I love that movie</em> AND I love space??? And I sure as hell am not going to read 1000+ pages of the classic. <s>Hahaha, required reading scarred me.</s>
<h2><em><strong>Sky Without Stars</strong></em><strong> has the feel of <em>Les Misérables.</em></strong></h2>
It's been like 5+ years since I <em>watched</em> the movie so I don't remember much from the movie aside from the French revolution. I also recall having a fascination with Éponine, who I don't recall having much screentime. Despite not remembering much from the musical, <em>Sky Without Stars</em> gave off the vibes and had many elements frequently nodding to the classic.
<h3><strong>The different perspectives worked in favor.</strong></h3>
This whopping novel is divided between three different characters who will all eventually play a role in the brewing revolution on Laterre. With such a long length, having one perspective could have easily bogged down the story and be boring. But having three characters who each brought their own perspective and struggles? I enjoyed learning about each of them while reading <em>Sky Without Stars</em>.
<strong>Chatine:</strong> Chatine, based on Éponine (I think?), is by far my favorite perspective out of the three. She dresses up as a boy to go about her life in the Frets because she feels being a girl would put her at a disadvantage (and it really would). With the goal of leaving Laterre one day, she goes about her life stealing on the streets to save up for the passage.
<strong>Alouette:</strong> Y'all, I hated Cosette for some reason but I adore Alouette??? Brody and Rendell give Cosette a very nice upgrade here in <em>Sky Without Stars</em> that fit into the timeframe here! Alouette, despite not knowing much of her past and living underground, is curious and crafty as she occasionally navigates aboveground.
<strong>Marcellus:</strong> Poor Marcellus is divided between believing his grandfather as he's always had growing up or his now-deemed-traitor former governess. Despite being the least interesting perspective I read, I enjoy seeing his internal conflict and want to know what he will do in later books.
<h3><strong>There's apparently a love triangle.</strong></h3>
Younger me found the revolution too fascinating to care about trivial things such as romance. Lo and behold, I didn't even notice the love triangle until near the end, whoops. However, romance is a minor aspect of <em>Sky Without Stars,</em> and I found myself more swept away by the world.
<h2><strong>A lot of worldbuilding on Laterre.</strong></h2>
Drop yourselves into a rocket ship and let's go soaring into space because the worldbuilding is A+! Sometimes I found myself overwhelmed because I am a character development and fast-paced action person in books. However, I think it's well worth going through nearly 600 pages of mostly setup. Brody and Rendell will sweep you away to another world while bringing in elements from the original.
<h2><strong>Solid beginning to a series.</strong></h2>
<em>Sky Without Stars</em> is a solid start as a first novel, and I enjoyed seeing Brody's and Rendell's take on <em>Les Misérables</em>! This book is perfect for those who are fans of the musical or enjoy a good sci-fi with a brewing rebellion on another planet.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/sky-without-stars-by-jessica-brody-and-joanne-rendell/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Gareth von Kallenbach (962 KP) rated 1408 (2007) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
For writer Mike Enslin (John Cusack), ghosts and the supernatural are simply myths people use to bolster the local economy with tourism dollars. Mike has made a career of evaluating and debunking so called haunted inns, hotels, graveyards, and locales all over the nation.
While his books do well enough for his editors to be happy with his work, and for locales to be included in his next book, Mike lives a life of routine.
One a promising author, Mike abandoned his novels for his haunted travel guides, and a life of hotels and sparsely attended book signings.
While Mike is evaluating the numerous brochures sent to him by prospective topics, he notices a simple hotel post card that features the simple message “Do not stay in room 1408”. Intrigued, Mike attempts to book the room for a review, but is unable to as the room is no longer available to the public.
With the help of his editor and the legal staff, Mike is able to cover the mysterious room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel in New York.
Upon his arrival, Mike is greeted by the hotel manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), who offers numerous incentives ranging from rare Brandy, to a penthouse suite if Mike will give up his request to stay in 1408.
It is learned that over 50 people have died while staying in that room and that nobody has even been able to last an hour before befalling some horrific tragedy. Mike is convinced that this is all just part of the hype and that Olin is simply trying to scare him off.
Despite the numerous pleads from Olin to reconsider, Mike insists upon staying in the room, and is soon alone in room 1408.
Upon entering the room, Mike finds it to be a cozy and well maintained room. At first nothing seems out of the ordinary, until a couple of bizarre things happen. Mike is at first convinced there is a member of the hotel staff in hiding, who is playing a trick on him, but soon, Mike realizes just how and why 1408 earned its reputation.
What follows is a serious of horrors that Mike is unable to escape from, despite his best efforts, and he must figure out the mystery of 1408 before it kills him.
The film is based on a short story by Stephen King and is one of the better adaptations of the author’s works. Briskly paced at around 90-minutes, the film is careful to setup the characters and locale, but once the bizarre starts, the audience is in for a thrill ride complete with twists, turns, and some bizarre and suspenseful moments.
Cusack does a masterful job of portraying the conflicted Mike, but never lets you lose sympathy for the man, and displays a very effective ability to blend action, horror, emotions, and pathos, as Mike walks a razor thin line between reality and chaos.
It is especially effective given the fact that Cusack has to carry large segments of the film on his own, without any co-stars in much of his scenes.
The film does lose some momentum in the final 20 minutes, but still rebounds nicely to come to an effective and memorable ending without overusing many of the hackneyed horror film staples.
That being said if chills are what you are looking for this summer, then make sure to check into ?”
While his books do well enough for his editors to be happy with his work, and for locales to be included in his next book, Mike lives a life of routine.
One a promising author, Mike abandoned his novels for his haunted travel guides, and a life of hotels and sparsely attended book signings.
While Mike is evaluating the numerous brochures sent to him by prospective topics, he notices a simple hotel post card that features the simple message “Do not stay in room 1408”. Intrigued, Mike attempts to book the room for a review, but is unable to as the room is no longer available to the public.
With the help of his editor and the legal staff, Mike is able to cover the mysterious room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel in New York.
Upon his arrival, Mike is greeted by the hotel manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), who offers numerous incentives ranging from rare Brandy, to a penthouse suite if Mike will give up his request to stay in 1408.
It is learned that over 50 people have died while staying in that room and that nobody has even been able to last an hour before befalling some horrific tragedy. Mike is convinced that this is all just part of the hype and that Olin is simply trying to scare him off.
Despite the numerous pleads from Olin to reconsider, Mike insists upon staying in the room, and is soon alone in room 1408.
Upon entering the room, Mike finds it to be a cozy and well maintained room. At first nothing seems out of the ordinary, until a couple of bizarre things happen. Mike is at first convinced there is a member of the hotel staff in hiding, who is playing a trick on him, but soon, Mike realizes just how and why 1408 earned its reputation.
What follows is a serious of horrors that Mike is unable to escape from, despite his best efforts, and he must figure out the mystery of 1408 before it kills him.
The film is based on a short story by Stephen King and is one of the better adaptations of the author’s works. Briskly paced at around 90-minutes, the film is careful to setup the characters and locale, but once the bizarre starts, the audience is in for a thrill ride complete with twists, turns, and some bizarre and suspenseful moments.
Cusack does a masterful job of portraying the conflicted Mike, but never lets you lose sympathy for the man, and displays a very effective ability to blend action, horror, emotions, and pathos, as Mike walks a razor thin line between reality and chaos.
It is especially effective given the fact that Cusack has to carry large segments of the film on his own, without any co-stars in much of his scenes.
The film does lose some momentum in the final 20 minutes, but still rebounds nicely to come to an effective and memorable ending without overusing many of the hackneyed horror film staples.
That being said if chills are what you are looking for this summer, then make sure to check into ?”
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) in Movies
Mar 18, 2023
Middle of the Road Marvel
The good news for long-time, hard core Marvel Cinematic Universe fans is that the next “big bad” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been unleashed and we will now get to see “Kang The Conqueror” (in his permutations) battling our heroes for the foreseeable future.
The bad news is that for casual fans – and folks that are just plain tired of the MCU – things are going to get more complex and convoluted as the MCU heads deeper into the “Comic Bookiness” of their source material.
Such is the case with ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA, the 3rd standalone Ant Man film starring Paul Ruud, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas. It is a very “Comic Bookie” film in that it takes the audience to the “Quantum Realm” and all the quirky characters and locations therein.
Director Peyton Reed (who helmed the previous 2 Ant-Man films) leans into this “Comic Bookieness” in that he accents the weird and bizarre and creates comic-book-like panels on the images on the screen. Consequently, this makes the film interesting to look at, but for the most part, there is not much substance under the surface.
For their part, Ruud, Lilly, Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer (returning from the 2nd Ant-Man film) and newcomer Kathryn Newton (taking over the role of Ruud’s daughter, Cassie) are game in what they are asked to work with and react to (mostly to a green screen with CGI filled in later) and they all are winning (enough) presences on screen to spend a very enjoyable time with.
Jonathan Majors is on-board as Kang the Conqueror (a version of him was seen at the end of the first season of the Disney+ series LOKI) and he brings his considerable acting chops, gravitas and weight to the proceedings. He is a force to be reckoned with which was apparent from almost the first time he commanded the screen in this film. It will be interesting to see where he takes things from here.
The problem with this film is that it is (mostly) style with very little substance. Necessarily, the plot drives a more dramatic, darker theme to this Ant-Man film than in previous outings and the film suffers because of it. One of the charms of the Ant-Man films is that Director Reed was able to lean into the inherent goofiness of Paul Ruud and the absurd idea of him being able to shrink. That quirkiness and sense of fun is gone – as are regular characters played in the past 2 films by the likes of Bobby Canavale, Judy Greer, Randall Park (who has a blink or you’ll miss him cameo) and (most egregiously) Michael Pena.
What they are replaced by are some quirky “Quantum Realm” characters – most of whom are CGI and are voiced by some very good voice performers – it just doesn’t hit the same, since the overall theme is darker. Katy M. O’Brian and William Jackson Harper (who is rounding into a very intriguing performer) bring gusto to their roles as a few members of the Quantum realm, which helps pick up the sagginess of this film, but not enough. Not even a Bill Murray appearance can elevate this film to something funner than it is.
All in all a “fine” entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and one that will remind you very much that you are watching a film based on Comic Book characters – but it falls squarely in the middle of the MCU entries...a catalogue of which is becoming very deep (maybe too deep), indeed.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
The bad news is that for casual fans – and folks that are just plain tired of the MCU – things are going to get more complex and convoluted as the MCU heads deeper into the “Comic Bookiness” of their source material.
Such is the case with ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA, the 3rd standalone Ant Man film starring Paul Ruud, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas. It is a very “Comic Bookie” film in that it takes the audience to the “Quantum Realm” and all the quirky characters and locations therein.
Director Peyton Reed (who helmed the previous 2 Ant-Man films) leans into this “Comic Bookieness” in that he accents the weird and bizarre and creates comic-book-like panels on the images on the screen. Consequently, this makes the film interesting to look at, but for the most part, there is not much substance under the surface.
For their part, Ruud, Lilly, Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer (returning from the 2nd Ant-Man film) and newcomer Kathryn Newton (taking over the role of Ruud’s daughter, Cassie) are game in what they are asked to work with and react to (mostly to a green screen with CGI filled in later) and they all are winning (enough) presences on screen to spend a very enjoyable time with.
Jonathan Majors is on-board as Kang the Conqueror (a version of him was seen at the end of the first season of the Disney+ series LOKI) and he brings his considerable acting chops, gravitas and weight to the proceedings. He is a force to be reckoned with which was apparent from almost the first time he commanded the screen in this film. It will be interesting to see where he takes things from here.
The problem with this film is that it is (mostly) style with very little substance. Necessarily, the plot drives a more dramatic, darker theme to this Ant-Man film than in previous outings and the film suffers because of it. One of the charms of the Ant-Man films is that Director Reed was able to lean into the inherent goofiness of Paul Ruud and the absurd idea of him being able to shrink. That quirkiness and sense of fun is gone – as are regular characters played in the past 2 films by the likes of Bobby Canavale, Judy Greer, Randall Park (who has a blink or you’ll miss him cameo) and (most egregiously) Michael Pena.
What they are replaced by are some quirky “Quantum Realm” characters – most of whom are CGI and are voiced by some very good voice performers – it just doesn’t hit the same, since the overall theme is darker. Katy M. O’Brian and William Jackson Harper (who is rounding into a very intriguing performer) bring gusto to their roles as a few members of the Quantum realm, which helps pick up the sagginess of this film, but not enough. Not even a Bill Murray appearance can elevate this film to something funner than it is.
All in all a “fine” entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and one that will remind you very much that you are watching a film based on Comic Book characters – but it falls squarely in the middle of the MCU entries...a catalogue of which is becoming very deep (maybe too deep), indeed.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
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Smashbomb (4683 KP) created a post in Smashbomb AMA
Jul 12, 2019
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Spirits of the Wild in Tabletop Games
Aug 15, 2019
You know how some games just look… delicious? Take Azul’s tiles that remind us of a yummy burst of sugary goodness. Or all the cutie little bits in Everdell. Well, the components in this game are really stellar and are just a joy to play with. Yes, I am jumping the gun with the formula I typically use for my reviews, but just scroll down for a sec and check out the play photo. Just those juicy little stones, the awesome bowl, the nice little coyote mini. They’re great! Anyway, having great components doesn’t necessarily mean that the game will be good. Add to that the fact that I picked this up from Target AND it’s published by Mattel and I really wasn’t expecting much from Spirits of the Wild. I’ll admit I was wrong. This is a great game. This is why –
This is a game about resource management, set collection and a hint of take that. The winner of the game is the player who can most efficiently use the stones they choose from the bowl during the game by assigning them to areas on their player mat. Each area scores points differently, and the game ends at the end of the player’s turn once at least five clear stones have left the provided bag. Let me explain.
DISCLAIMER: I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly, from Target, or from your FLGS. -T
To setup the game, place all the stones in the bag. Place the bowl in the middle of the players, and set aside the coyote mini. Place the two stacks of Spirit Cards in the middle of the table. Each player receives a play mat and the same set of cards that indicates an action that can be taken on a turn. Draw out four stones from the bag and place them in the bowl. You are ready to begin.
On a player’s turn, they choose a face up card from the collection in front of them which tells them what to do on their turn. Such actions include take a stone, take two stones, or place some stones in the bowl and take one. Once an action card has been chosen and followed, the player flips it over and it cannot be used on the next turn. One card that can be used at any time instructs the player to take a Spirit Card action and refresh their cards by flipping them all face-up. The cards drive the actions to be made throughout the game, but the game really hinges on the stones and the coyote.
When you take actions to choose stones from the bowl you then have to assign those stones to spots on your play mat. These areas score differently and deciding which stones to grab and where to place them can be agonizing, but only because you can see what your opponent is doing and you really need to set yourself up to score points before the game suddenly has to end and you are stuck unfinished and will be unscoring. Unscoring? You’re welcome, Webster’s Dictionary. The coyote, when placed on an opponent’s play mat prevents stones from being added to that area and can really throw an ACME wrench into your plans. So determining when to move the coyote from your mat onto your opponent’s may really be the difference between sweet, tasty victory and bitter, yucky defeat. Again, play continues until the end of the turn when the fifth clear stone leaves the bag. Oh those clear ones? When placed, you can no longer place stones in that area but will also double that area’s score at the end of the game. So there’s quite a bit going on in your head throughout the game. Delicious!
Components. Well, I kinda already professed my love for them in the intro, so I’ll do it again here. They are wonderful components! I want to just be fidgeting with them all the time.
So is this good? Verily!! The constant struggle between deciding your action card based on the stones in the bowl or refreshing your cards or just going for broke and taking a chance on unscoring an area because there are already three clear stones out but you know at any time three more can make an appearance and end the game is just so satisfying. The components are amazing, the game play is fast and furious (not a sponsor), and you just want to play it again right afterward. Those are my favorite kind of games. If this all sounds like your kind of game, definitely check it out. You won’t be disappointed. I believe anyone would like this one. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an enthusiastic, but temptation-to-eat-the-stones-resisting 10 / 12.
This is a game about resource management, set collection and a hint of take that. The winner of the game is the player who can most efficiently use the stones they choose from the bowl during the game by assigning them to areas on their player mat. Each area scores points differently, and the game ends at the end of the player’s turn once at least five clear stones have left the provided bag. Let me explain.
DISCLAIMER: I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly, from Target, or from your FLGS. -T
To setup the game, place all the stones in the bag. Place the bowl in the middle of the players, and set aside the coyote mini. Place the two stacks of Spirit Cards in the middle of the table. Each player receives a play mat and the same set of cards that indicates an action that can be taken on a turn. Draw out four stones from the bag and place them in the bowl. You are ready to begin.
On a player’s turn, they choose a face up card from the collection in front of them which tells them what to do on their turn. Such actions include take a stone, take two stones, or place some stones in the bowl and take one. Once an action card has been chosen and followed, the player flips it over and it cannot be used on the next turn. One card that can be used at any time instructs the player to take a Spirit Card action and refresh their cards by flipping them all face-up. The cards drive the actions to be made throughout the game, but the game really hinges on the stones and the coyote.
When you take actions to choose stones from the bowl you then have to assign those stones to spots on your play mat. These areas score differently and deciding which stones to grab and where to place them can be agonizing, but only because you can see what your opponent is doing and you really need to set yourself up to score points before the game suddenly has to end and you are stuck unfinished and will be unscoring. Unscoring? You’re welcome, Webster’s Dictionary. The coyote, when placed on an opponent’s play mat prevents stones from being added to that area and can really throw an ACME wrench into your plans. So determining when to move the coyote from your mat onto your opponent’s may really be the difference between sweet, tasty victory and bitter, yucky defeat. Again, play continues until the end of the turn when the fifth clear stone leaves the bag. Oh those clear ones? When placed, you can no longer place stones in that area but will also double that area’s score at the end of the game. So there’s quite a bit going on in your head throughout the game. Delicious!
Components. Well, I kinda already professed my love for them in the intro, so I’ll do it again here. They are wonderful components! I want to just be fidgeting with them all the time.
So is this good? Verily!! The constant struggle between deciding your action card based on the stones in the bowl or refreshing your cards or just going for broke and taking a chance on unscoring an area because there are already three clear stones out but you know at any time three more can make an appearance and end the game is just so satisfying. The components are amazing, the game play is fast and furious (not a sponsor), and you just want to play it again right afterward. Those are my favorite kind of games. If this all sounds like your kind of game, definitely check it out. You won’t be disappointed. I believe anyone would like this one. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an enthusiastic, but temptation-to-eat-the-stones-resisting 10 / 12.