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It’s time to slash and burn your way through the competition of Word Fit Puzzle! It’s more like...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Defiance (Rise of the Iliri #3) in Books
Mar 3, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
HER ONLY CHOICE IS TO CHANGE HER WORLD…
Salryc Luxx has come a long way in just four years, from slave to conscript, to elite Black Blade assassin, rising rapidly as her extraordinary abilities are revealed. Promoted to lieutenant after capturing a valuable shipment of metals and laying waste to the invading force, she and Cyno, her partner (in war and love), have been entrusted with a dangerous mission: to assassinate the King of Anglia and the five nobles in line for the throne, leaving the path to ascension clear for their own leader.
That’s one side of the story. The other is that she and Cyno have been assigned this suicide mission as Parliament’s first pass at removing the iliri taint from the military. Either way, without the strength of allies, the Conglomerate of Free Citizens cannot turn back the invaders, whose goal is to wipe out the whole iliri species, so Sal and Cyno are the only hope of ending the continental war devastating their species. Traveling for months, they are so far away from their home base that they’re beyond the mental link that connects the pack. They remain committed to their mission—and to each other, but… unhappily disturbed. They can only hope their separation from the pack bring them closer together. But the danger is, in the absence of the pack, their bond will wither.
A kind deed, helping what they take to be a wounded animal, leads to the discovery of their true nature, to strengthening and re-energizing their pack, and to a surprising alliance that offers hope for the future. The wounded animal, they learn, is a graour wolf, a species of ferocious warriors with language and traits nearly identical to iliri. When two of them ask to join her pack, Sal recruits them as Black Blades and the iliri are no longer the only dog in the fight for iliri freedom.
But Anglia is nothing like the Conglomerate of Free Citizens. Anglians discriminate based on gender, not species. Iliri are thought to be just a myth--until Sal shows her face. To convince the king and his council that yes, a woman really can be a soldier, she's going to have to make her own rules. The enemy is moving. She doesn't have time to deal with outdated court manners.
As the defiance of an entire species rises up in her, she really has no choice—she’ll just have to change the world.
Women readers will thrill to the reverse harem idea that pushes the boundaries of epic fantasy in this second world series that may remind some of Avatar without the scary beasts; or even Game Of Thrones, but happier, with more color—and a dazzling female protagonist. Fans of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern will find Sal’s planet Ogun a thrilling destination for their next fantasy fix
They just keep getting better! Sal and Cyno are out on their own and they are kicking up a storm! We get to meet the Graour who the Iliri are descended from! We get a chance to see a whole new world building. I love the new characters and you are with them every step of the way on the battlefield it's also such a good feeling when the black blades are all back together and loving their new pack mates. It was only a matter of time before Cyno became her number 1 I'm glad Blaec took it well. Looking forward to book 4!
Salryc Luxx has come a long way in just four years, from slave to conscript, to elite Black Blade assassin, rising rapidly as her extraordinary abilities are revealed. Promoted to lieutenant after capturing a valuable shipment of metals and laying waste to the invading force, she and Cyno, her partner (in war and love), have been entrusted with a dangerous mission: to assassinate the King of Anglia and the five nobles in line for the throne, leaving the path to ascension clear for their own leader.
That’s one side of the story. The other is that she and Cyno have been assigned this suicide mission as Parliament’s first pass at removing the iliri taint from the military. Either way, without the strength of allies, the Conglomerate of Free Citizens cannot turn back the invaders, whose goal is to wipe out the whole iliri species, so Sal and Cyno are the only hope of ending the continental war devastating their species. Traveling for months, they are so far away from their home base that they’re beyond the mental link that connects the pack. They remain committed to their mission—and to each other, but… unhappily disturbed. They can only hope their separation from the pack bring them closer together. But the danger is, in the absence of the pack, their bond will wither.
A kind deed, helping what they take to be a wounded animal, leads to the discovery of their true nature, to strengthening and re-energizing their pack, and to a surprising alliance that offers hope for the future. The wounded animal, they learn, is a graour wolf, a species of ferocious warriors with language and traits nearly identical to iliri. When two of them ask to join her pack, Sal recruits them as Black Blades and the iliri are no longer the only dog in the fight for iliri freedom.
But Anglia is nothing like the Conglomerate of Free Citizens. Anglians discriminate based on gender, not species. Iliri are thought to be just a myth--until Sal shows her face. To convince the king and his council that yes, a woman really can be a soldier, she's going to have to make her own rules. The enemy is moving. She doesn't have time to deal with outdated court manners.
As the defiance of an entire species rises up in her, she really has no choice—she’ll just have to change the world.
Women readers will thrill to the reverse harem idea that pushes the boundaries of epic fantasy in this second world series that may remind some of Avatar without the scary beasts; or even Game Of Thrones, but happier, with more color—and a dazzling female protagonist. Fans of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern will find Sal’s planet Ogun a thrilling destination for their next fantasy fix
They just keep getting better! Sal and Cyno are out on their own and they are kicking up a storm! We get to meet the Graour who the Iliri are descended from! We get a chance to see a whole new world building. I love the new characters and you are with them every step of the way on the battlefield it's also such a good feeling when the black blades are all back together and loving their new pack mates. It was only a matter of time before Cyno became her number 1 I'm glad Blaec took it well. Looking forward to book 4!
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Doom Eternal in Video Games
May 6, 2020
Fast, free flowing combat is adrenaline pumping. (2 more)
One of the best FPS' of all time.
The sheer variety of Demons, Guns and Arenas is staggering.
Multiplayer is a bit...meh. (1 more)
Frequent crashes.
First person shooters have lost their touch. For a long time, the market has been utterly saturated with same annual game, like Call of Duty and Battlefield, and they play the same every time. Go back to the rise in the FPS genre, you'll see the likes of Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM revolutionise the genre forever. At the time, they were fast, weighty and satisfying to control. Fast forward to 2016, DOOM returns and ignites a brutal and bloody comeback for the FPS genre. A combination of fast paced gunplay, a killer soundtrack and over the top gore made this the best FPS to date.
Until now.
DOOM Eternal is the best FPS ever made. There, I said it. Eternal is blistering, adrenaline fuelled slingshot into your bloodstream, cranking the notches consistently to eleven, and it never let's up.
The core of Eternal is in its gameplay. The best way to describe the gunplay is a juggling of instruments that make up an orchestra, whilst you're conductor...and you're running mercilessly for your life and ammo. Its massively overwhelming to begin with, and you'll die often, but once you gather the rhythm of the dance of the Doom Slayer, it's a sight of awe, followed by psychotic grin on your face. Following in the footsteps and benchmarks that DOOM 2016 cemented, Eternal improves upon everything. The gunplay is meaty and brass, the platforming is fluid and easy to pick up, the demons and monsters all provide a challenge from the explosive beginning, to the equally as explosive finale, and when all of this is accompanied by the killer soundtrack cheering you on, Eternal is bulletproof.
Whilst DOOM 2016 feels dark in colour and tone, Eternal embraces the ridiculous and runs with it. Levels burst with bright and bonkers imagination, the effect of that first chainsaw kill where ammo flies out like confetti, and the endless ways to glory kill never gets tiresome. Add in the arsenal the Doom Slayer carries with him, it becomes a game of what gun is best for each demon. Although, the Double Barrel Shotgun is just magnificent to shoot with.
When it comes to DOOM, the narrative takes the backseat over its core idea of free movement to kill, and that's the only criticism I can give this franchise. Eternal does provide a planet hopping path of destruction through the Slayer's history, but you never feel invested in the narrative as much as you want to kill everything you see. I didn't need to know anything at all from the Slayers past, the mystery serves the narrative more not knowing. Also, I must note the amount of times my Playstation 4 has crashed due to DOOM Eternal. It really brings you out of the experience when you're almost finished on level, only to start again level all over again. I think this is however a minor fault in an otherwise superb game, and problems like this will hopefully be fixed in further patches.
I can't recommend DOOM Eternal enough. If video games were made singularly for fun, you have found the answer. I can't wait to see what id Software and Bethesda do next with this franchise.
Until now.
DOOM Eternal is the best FPS ever made. There, I said it. Eternal is blistering, adrenaline fuelled slingshot into your bloodstream, cranking the notches consistently to eleven, and it never let's up.
The core of Eternal is in its gameplay. The best way to describe the gunplay is a juggling of instruments that make up an orchestra, whilst you're conductor...and you're running mercilessly for your life and ammo. Its massively overwhelming to begin with, and you'll die often, but once you gather the rhythm of the dance of the Doom Slayer, it's a sight of awe, followed by psychotic grin on your face. Following in the footsteps and benchmarks that DOOM 2016 cemented, Eternal improves upon everything. The gunplay is meaty and brass, the platforming is fluid and easy to pick up, the demons and monsters all provide a challenge from the explosive beginning, to the equally as explosive finale, and when all of this is accompanied by the killer soundtrack cheering you on, Eternal is bulletproof.
Whilst DOOM 2016 feels dark in colour and tone, Eternal embraces the ridiculous and runs with it. Levels burst with bright and bonkers imagination, the effect of that first chainsaw kill where ammo flies out like confetti, and the endless ways to glory kill never gets tiresome. Add in the arsenal the Doom Slayer carries with him, it becomes a game of what gun is best for each demon. Although, the Double Barrel Shotgun is just magnificent to shoot with.
When it comes to DOOM, the narrative takes the backseat over its core idea of free movement to kill, and that's the only criticism I can give this franchise. Eternal does provide a planet hopping path of destruction through the Slayer's history, but you never feel invested in the narrative as much as you want to kill everything you see. I didn't need to know anything at all from the Slayers past, the mystery serves the narrative more not knowing. Also, I must note the amount of times my Playstation 4 has crashed due to DOOM Eternal. It really brings you out of the experience when you're almost finished on level, only to start again level all over again. I think this is however a minor fault in an otherwise superb game, and problems like this will hopefully be fixed in further patches.
I can't recommend DOOM Eternal enough. If video games were made singularly for fun, you have found the answer. I can't wait to see what id Software and Bethesda do next with this franchise.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Beasty Bar in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
When I say ‘nightclub,’ I know what you’re thinking – strobe lights, loud music, and dancing. What you DON’T think of is the fact that getting into the club in the first place probably means you had to wait in line outside. Some people take their clubbing very seriously, and the entrance line can become a cut-throat battlefield of subtle tricks or blatant line-jumping to get you ahead (literally) of the other patrons!
Welcome to Beasty Bar – the hottest nightclub in the animal kingdom! The house is jumpin’ and the line is out the door! All of the animals are dressed to the nines and are vying for an opportunity to get into the club. But unfortunately, only a certain number of animals will be granted access. So, naturally, it’s time to get sly! Each animal has a different tactic, but if they’re not careful, they could get booted out of the line completely!
In Beasty Bar, a game of hand management with a sprinkle of ‘take that,’ players are trying to get the most animals from their hand into the club. All players receive an identical deck of cards, which are then shuffled, and draw 4 cards into their hand. On their turn, players will play one card from their hand into the line, perform the corresponding action, address any on-going abilities, and draw another card from their deck. Each animal card has a special ability, either immediate or on-going, that can be used to alter its place in the line. Choose your cards wisely – all players have the same pool of cards, and a power you used to your benefit could later be used against you! Once all cards have been played, the game ends – the player with the most animals in the club is the winner!
I generally do not like ‘Take That’ games – I can be pretty competitive and this mechanic can sometimes turn confrontational for me. That being said, I actually like Beasty Bar. Since it has such a small play area (only 5 cards at a time), the line-up is always changing. And that requires some fast and strategic thinking that negates the ‘Take That’ aspect for me – I am more focused on getting my animals ahead in line than I am in booting my opponents out of the way out of spite. You really have to think about what animal abilities you want to use and when, depending on the current line-up. Yes, cards will inevitably be kicked out of the line, but for me it doesn’t feel as vengeful in this game.
I really like that this game is easy to learn and fast to play. The concept and gameplay are simple enough, they only need to be explained once. And the game plays relatively quickly, so you can either play it multiple times in a row or use it as a filler between some heavier/longer games. All of the animal abilities are outlined in the rulebook, but if you’re ever unsure of an animal’s power, it is illustrated right at the bottom of the card for you! Gone are the days of referring back to the rulebook every turn to double-check, or having to reveal a card in your hand because you have to ask for clarification again.
Is Beasty Bar my favorite game? Absolutely not. But it’s one that I don’t mind playing when I am crunched for time or need to take a breather from a more complicated game. It’s made its way into my collection, and I think it’s going to stay. Purple Phoenix Games gives Beasty Bar a 7 / 12 (Bryan and Josh have not played it yet).
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/beasty-bar-review/
Welcome to Beasty Bar – the hottest nightclub in the animal kingdom! The house is jumpin’ and the line is out the door! All of the animals are dressed to the nines and are vying for an opportunity to get into the club. But unfortunately, only a certain number of animals will be granted access. So, naturally, it’s time to get sly! Each animal has a different tactic, but if they’re not careful, they could get booted out of the line completely!
In Beasty Bar, a game of hand management with a sprinkle of ‘take that,’ players are trying to get the most animals from their hand into the club. All players receive an identical deck of cards, which are then shuffled, and draw 4 cards into their hand. On their turn, players will play one card from their hand into the line, perform the corresponding action, address any on-going abilities, and draw another card from their deck. Each animal card has a special ability, either immediate or on-going, that can be used to alter its place in the line. Choose your cards wisely – all players have the same pool of cards, and a power you used to your benefit could later be used against you! Once all cards have been played, the game ends – the player with the most animals in the club is the winner!
I generally do not like ‘Take That’ games – I can be pretty competitive and this mechanic can sometimes turn confrontational for me. That being said, I actually like Beasty Bar. Since it has such a small play area (only 5 cards at a time), the line-up is always changing. And that requires some fast and strategic thinking that negates the ‘Take That’ aspect for me – I am more focused on getting my animals ahead in line than I am in booting my opponents out of the way out of spite. You really have to think about what animal abilities you want to use and when, depending on the current line-up. Yes, cards will inevitably be kicked out of the line, but for me it doesn’t feel as vengeful in this game.
I really like that this game is easy to learn and fast to play. The concept and gameplay are simple enough, they only need to be explained once. And the game plays relatively quickly, so you can either play it multiple times in a row or use it as a filler between some heavier/longer games. All of the animal abilities are outlined in the rulebook, but if you’re ever unsure of an animal’s power, it is illustrated right at the bottom of the card for you! Gone are the days of referring back to the rulebook every turn to double-check, or having to reveal a card in your hand because you have to ask for clarification again.
Is Beasty Bar my favorite game? Absolutely not. But it’s one that I don’t mind playing when I am crunched for time or need to take a breather from a more complicated game. It’s made its way into my collection, and I think it’s going to stay. Purple Phoenix Games gives Beasty Bar a 7 / 12 (Bryan and Josh have not played it yet).
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/beasty-bar-review/
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated The Purge: Anarchy (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Last year audiences got a glimpse into a future America where crime, unemployment, and other social factors were at an all-time low. The cost for such radical social transformation was an annual Purge where for 12 hours; all crimes including murder are legal.
The film was made for less than $4 million and went on to become a surprise hit which naturally gave rise to sequel plans.
“The Purge: Anarchy” picks up a year later shortly before the annual Purge commences. The story follows three main groups of people who are preparing for the pending evening in Los Angeles.
Eva, (Carmen Ejogo), is a single mom who works as a waitress when she is not caring for her daughter and father, Shane and Liz a coupling facing a possible separation, ( Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez), and a mysterious man known as Sargent (Frank Grillo).
Although strangers at the start of the evening, fate brings them all together on an evening where not everyone can be trusted as people can turn on one another over long standing grudges or simply to ‘free the beast” as they call it citing their right to do so as granted by the new founding fathers.
The streets have become a battlefield as the carnage builds up and people locked in their buildings soon find themselves under attack from black armor clad shock troops supported by chain gun equipped semi-trailers.
The main characters of the film must work with one another to stay alive as Sergeant as desperate need of a car to replace the one he lost saving his companions, but to the others he is a dangerous wildcard that they are not sure can be trusted.
As the group moves through the streets looking for safety, danger is all around them and as they evening progresses they learn more and more about the Purge and who in society benefits the most from this annual event.
With death a constant companion, the group must survive against all odds in a world gone mad for 12 hours and with limited options, they must take on the deadliest threats ever assembled for The Purge.
The film is a rare sequel that is actually better than the original. The increased budget shows as the ability to set the story in a city rather than a single home has allowed a more diverse cast of characters, motivations, and scenarios to be presented.
Aside from the solid mix of action and suspense, I enjoyed the fact that the characters came across as real people rather than stereotypical fodder for films of this type. While there is not tons of depth given to them, we are given enough information to understand their motivations and find a reason to care for them.
The film also takes on some very touchy subjects such as social injustices, the needs of the poor vs the seemingly uncaring attitudes of the wealthy and how laws seem to be made often to appease only the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else.
Taking on such difficult subject matter without becoming overly preachy was a strong point of the film as it not only entertained but raised some very good questions and social commentary while allowing the audience to make up their own minds.
This reminded me in many ways of the original Star Trek series as they were pioneers in taking on topics that the network censors would not allow by hiding it in the cloak of fantasy. The powers that be had little knowledge of what was being presented but those who did watch the show clearly got the message.
This was evident in the film when the tables turned on a sadistic and elite socialite which resulted in loud cheers and applause from the audience.
There has been talk that the next film in the series may be a prequel and deal with the original Purge and how it came to be. I for one would love to see more as the nature of the premise gives rise to so many stories and scenarios in one night alone, and the fact that the Purge is an annual event, and then perhaps we will see films in this series on a regular basis. If they keep up the quality of this one, then I say bring them on.
http://sknr.net/2014/07/18/the-purge-anarchy/
The film was made for less than $4 million and went on to become a surprise hit which naturally gave rise to sequel plans.
“The Purge: Anarchy” picks up a year later shortly before the annual Purge commences. The story follows three main groups of people who are preparing for the pending evening in Los Angeles.
Eva, (Carmen Ejogo), is a single mom who works as a waitress when she is not caring for her daughter and father, Shane and Liz a coupling facing a possible separation, ( Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez), and a mysterious man known as Sargent (Frank Grillo).
Although strangers at the start of the evening, fate brings them all together on an evening where not everyone can be trusted as people can turn on one another over long standing grudges or simply to ‘free the beast” as they call it citing their right to do so as granted by the new founding fathers.
The streets have become a battlefield as the carnage builds up and people locked in their buildings soon find themselves under attack from black armor clad shock troops supported by chain gun equipped semi-trailers.
The main characters of the film must work with one another to stay alive as Sergeant as desperate need of a car to replace the one he lost saving his companions, but to the others he is a dangerous wildcard that they are not sure can be trusted.
As the group moves through the streets looking for safety, danger is all around them and as they evening progresses they learn more and more about the Purge and who in society benefits the most from this annual event.
With death a constant companion, the group must survive against all odds in a world gone mad for 12 hours and with limited options, they must take on the deadliest threats ever assembled for The Purge.
The film is a rare sequel that is actually better than the original. The increased budget shows as the ability to set the story in a city rather than a single home has allowed a more diverse cast of characters, motivations, and scenarios to be presented.
Aside from the solid mix of action and suspense, I enjoyed the fact that the characters came across as real people rather than stereotypical fodder for films of this type. While there is not tons of depth given to them, we are given enough information to understand their motivations and find a reason to care for them.
The film also takes on some very touchy subjects such as social injustices, the needs of the poor vs the seemingly uncaring attitudes of the wealthy and how laws seem to be made often to appease only the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else.
Taking on such difficult subject matter without becoming overly preachy was a strong point of the film as it not only entertained but raised some very good questions and social commentary while allowing the audience to make up their own minds.
This reminded me in many ways of the original Star Trek series as they were pioneers in taking on topics that the network censors would not allow by hiding it in the cloak of fantasy. The powers that be had little knowledge of what was being presented but those who did watch the show clearly got the message.
This was evident in the film when the tables turned on a sadistic and elite socialite which resulted in loud cheers and applause from the audience.
There has been talk that the next film in the series may be a prequel and deal with the original Purge and how it came to be. I for one would love to see more as the nature of the premise gives rise to so many stories and scenarios in one night alone, and the fact that the Purge is an annual event, and then perhaps we will see films in this series on a regular basis. If they keep up the quality of this one, then I say bring them on.
http://sknr.net/2014/07/18/the-purge-anarchy/