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Blue Moon City
Blue Moon City
2006 | City Building, Fantasy
Ahh Blue Moon. Delicious on a hot Summer day night. Hefeweizen is my favorite type of beer, but most places do not serve my all-time fave Hefe: Paulaner Hefe-Weizen. If you haven’t yet tried it, you must. I’m no snob or anything, so I’ll take the Blue Moon when I can’t have the Paulaner, but I wanted you all to know my tastes. So when I heard about a game that was all about a city named after a beer I enjoy (but only with an orange slice) I had to try it. Did it live up to my expectations or did it- wait, this game isn’t about beer? Why the heck did I-


Blue Moon City is a fantasy-set, hand management, set collection, city rebuilding game for two to four players. In it players are attempting to help reconstruct the war-ravaged Blue Moon City to its former glory by utilizing its citizens at crucial construction sites in order to earn crystals. It sounds weird, and it is, but read further to understand why. Oh and there are dragons that act like supervisors or teachers when they come stand by you to watch you take a test and judge you from behind the whole time.
To setup, place the Courtyard tile in the middle of the table and build the city in a 5×5 grid minus the corner tiles. Each player chooses their color and takes the mini and discs of that color. Place the dragons nearby, along with the Obelisk token, draw deck of cards, crystal chits, and dragon scale chits. Deal each player a hand of eight cards and the game may begin!

Blue Moon City is played over a series of turns, and each turn is divided into four phases: Movement, Contribution, Reset, Pass Turn. During the optional Movement phase, a player may move their pawn one to two orthagonal spaces (N/E/S/W) or use cards from their hand for their special movement powers for player pawn AND/OR dragon movement.

Next, a player may discard cards from their hand to contribute to the reconstruction of a building during this optional Contribution phase. By discarding a number of cards whose values equal or exceed the printed value on the matching-colored building tile a player will be able to place a disc upon the tile. Once the tile’s contribution spaces have been filled with discs it can be scored. To score a building tile, determine majority presence on the tile and award the Majority Bonus to that player. Any disc presence in minority will receive the Construction Bonus, including the majority winner. If a player had contributed on a tile that also was hosting a dragon mini, that player would earn a dragon scale from said dragon supervisor. Players may also make their way back to the Courtyard tile in order to donate crystals to the Obelisk. Doing so will allow the player to place one of their discs on the Obelisk itself, and the game ends when a player has placed the proper number of discs upon the Obelisk per the number of players.

When the pile of dragon scale tokens has been exhausted, players will check who currently holds the majority of scales. They will be awarded with six crystals, and any player holding three or more will receive three crystals. Turn all the dragon scales back into the supply to be earned again.

During the Reset phase a player may discard any number of cards from their hand and draw back as many cards plus two. So if a player discards zero cards from hand they would still draw two from the deck. Discarded four cards? Well redraw six.

Finally the active player will Pass Turn to the player on their left, who will complete their turn of the same four phases.


Play continues in this fashion until one player has placed the target number of discs on the Obelisk token to claim victory and dragon approval!
Components. Okay, this is a tough one because overall I love the components in the game. The dragons and player pawns are cool minis (from CMON that just makes sense). The Obelisk token is huge and I love how it looks. The art overall is really creepy, but well done, and enjoyable to behold. The player discs, though poo-pooed by other more-renowned reviewers, I find to be just fine. They are a smooth plastic in the player color and I have no problems with their quality. But speaking of colors… I agree with others that have stated the colors of some cards (or suits, if you prefer) should have been made a different color. What I mean is that the game is very greige-heavy throughout. The card suits (except the red, yellow, and blue) are a variation of the same greige that makes eyes strain to determine exactly which color they are holding. I understand that a certain aesthetic was targeted, and they certainly achieved that, but these colors do make it more difficult to play, especially for us that are starting to over-ripen with age.

Those component gripes aside, this is an incredible game. The color choices aside, I love everything about it! The movement from tile to tile, and trying to align movement with the cards in hand and keeping some back so that you can use them to move the dragon to your spot as well is just fun mental exercise. Each value 1 and 2 card has a special ability, be it movement bonuses, changing other cards’ colors, or just being straight up wild cards, and having to choose to use the cards as either the special power or for contribution values creates tons of crunchy gamer choices. Not super-crunchy. Turns won’t be mentally debated for 10 minutes, but deciding how best to use the hand of cards you hold is great.

I also very much enjoy the theme of the game, even though I was hoodwinked by the title (not really, just trying to tie it all back). I love fantasy worlds and having a unique theme is a definite plus for me. I haven’t yet thrown in the expansion tiles, but I will the next time I play. If you need a relatively quick-playing jaunt through a ravaged city, I recommend you check out Blue Moon City. Purple Phoenix Games give it a 10 / 12. It has nothing to do with beer, which would be another great theme idea – drunken dragons – but I will be holding onto this one for quite a while.
  
The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)
The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)
2018 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Foy is good - the rest is bland and boring
I, like many of you,was surprised to learn that there was a new "Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" film coming out. I thought, "do we need another one"? I got my answer.

We don't.

THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB continues the story of crusading, crime-fighting, techno-punk computer hacker Lisbeth Salander as she continues on her journey to right the wrongs committed to women from no-good men. She is joined in her quest, once again, by journalist Mikael Bloomkvist.

Claire Foy (The Crown) takes over the title role and she is the ONLY thing in this film worth watching. Her Lisbeth is interesting, intense and doggedly-determined. Foy is a charismatic actress and this charisma comes off on the screen. Unfortunately, the other characters/actors that Foy is asked to play with (and off of) are bland, boring and very, very forgettable. Staring with Sverrir Gudnason as Bloomkvist. This character is supposed to by Lisbeth's partner and former lover, but there was no spark of recognition or connection between the two of them and this fellow could have been ANYBODY. Sylvia Hoeks, Adreja Pejic and even Vicky Krieps (so interesting in THE PHANTOM THREAD) were all disposable and interchangeable. Only Stephen Merchant (in a serious role) and Lakeith Stanfield showed any spark of interest.

The plot of this film didn't help matters either. Where the first GIRL IN THE DRAGON TATOO is a very intimate, very personal story, SPIDER'S WEB is bigger and broader (almost entering into James Bond territory) making the stakes superficial and phony (even though the plot involved her sister and her father, which SHOULD make it VERY personal). Director Fede Alvarez (working from his own screenplay) also brings nothing to the table, visually, making this a very slow, very tedious slog, indeed.

But then, Foy/Salander shows up on the screen and interest increases - at least until she leaves the screen again.

Avoid this Spider's Web and go find the original Dragon Tatoo films.

Letter Grade B- (for Foy's performance)

6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
  
Night of the Dragon (Shadow of the Fox #3)
Night of the Dragon (Shadow of the Fox #3)
Julie Kagawa | 2020 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
ARC copy provided by Inkyard Press.
This review and other musings can be found at Bookwyrming Thoughts.
I think I’ve been completely ruined once again by Julie Kagawa, so I had to nurse my soul for about a week before I could muster up the courage to write a review.* With Night of the Dragon, the third and final book of her Shadow of the Fox trilogy, Kagawa has taken my heart and chucked it straight into another galaxy. I don’t know the rest of my current reads; what are they?

I’m… not sure when my heart will return this time.

Night of the Dragon is a continuation of Soul of the Sword.
We continue to follow Yumeko and her friends as they race against time to stop Genno from summoning the Kami Dragon and destroying Iwagoto. Safe to assume eventually it will be the world. And not just the short time they have: they have a challenging journey ahead because Genno will stop at nothing to prevent them from ruining his plans. Like the first two books, Kagawa introduces us to new yokai from Japanese mythology: each of them just as cruel, vicious and caring for nothing but spilling the blood of anything that stands in their way.

Tatsumi has a bit of an identity crisis here.
He’s not sure if he’s Haikaimono now that they’ve merged their souls or if he’s still Tatsumi. But over the course of his journey from Shadow of the Fox when he first meets Yumeko through the third book, he’s changed drastically. He’s not the only one who’s changed either; his literal resident demon inside of him has changed too, but he’s still the same badass Kage from the first book. He’s just more bloodthirsty.

I’m here for all the slow burns!
My heart is all mushy with the ships being sailed. Finally! Inside my heart cried because, at this point in the series, I’m cheering the group on to success. All the odds are against them, but I want my favorite cinnamons to conquer.

My heart still cries from wherever it landed.
I’m not surprised by the ending, but it doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less than it did. Either way, it was beautiful and perfect, and I couldn’t ask for anything less. (But I mean, it’s Julie Kagawa! I should know at reading 90% of her works that endings to a series are going to be *chef’s kiss*.)

Soul of the Sword was a struggle for me to get through, but it is so worth going through for Night of the Dragon. All the questions I had from the very beginning of the series get answered as everything comes together for an ending that made me want to cry and question my life choices.

*How do I bring justice to such perfection?! All the words have flown out the window. What even is a review?
  
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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Game of Death (1978) in Movies

Jun 23, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)  
Game of Death (1978)
Game of Death (1978)
1978 | Action, Crime, International
4
6.8 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
'Game of Death' was the film Bruce Lee was working on when he died. He had stopped working on this to work on 'Enter the Dragon' and never had the opportunity to complete ‘Game of Death.’ The good news is that Lee shot a good 100 minutes worth of footage (only around 30 mins survived, the other 70 mins are lost) for 'Game of Death' (they only used around 12 minutes of this footage in the actual film). The bad news is Robert Clouse came around and tried to make an entire film leading up to the Bruce Lee footage that was shot including Bruce Lee look-a-likes and a cardboard cutout. The entire film is pretty awful since the story is lame and the acting is over dramatic.

The archived footage of Bruce Lee just seems forced and thrown in to try and make a buck while the actual footage of Lee's funeral feels tasteless and inconsiderate. Clouse would unfortunately give birth to something that would spawn many films including Bruce Lee clones starring the likes of Bruce Li; a lukewarm sensation known as Bruceploitation. The actual Bruce Lee footage is some of his best, but is only shown in its entirety in the documentary "A Warrior's Journey" included in the two-disc special edition DVD of ‘Enter the Dragon.’ So the film itself honestly isn’t worth your time unless you really just want to see Sammo Hung’s brief appearance.
  
The Last Dragon
The Last Dragon
James Riley | 2019 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fort’s Continued Hunt for His Father
It’s been six months since the attack that took Fort’s father from him, but the recent hope that his father might be alive has given Fort a goal. Rescuing him is all Fort thinks about, and now he has a plan to steal the magic book he needs. But complications come from unexpected places, including a new roommate he is expected to spend all his time helping. Then there are the nightmares where the Old One promises Fort his father back in exchange for the last dragon. Can Fort find the last dragon? Should he make the trade? Or will his original plan work?

For me, it had been six months since I read the first book in this series, so it was nice to see how this book eased us back into Fort’s world without slowing down the action. I was soon caught back up in his story. I do find the tone a little darker than author James Riley’s previous books and I miss the lighter tones those books had. Still, that’s a minor complaint as I raced through this book to find out what happened next. I enjoyed seeing Fort grow and his relationship with his friends change. In fact, I found those relationships something that helped ground the book since they dealt with some stuff realistically. I will definitely be back for more. How can I not come back after the ending of this book?
  
Desired by Dragons (Dragons of New York #2)
Desired by Dragons (Dragons of New York #2)
Terry Bolryder | 2020 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
123 of 200
Kindle
Desired by Dragons (Dragons of New York book 2)
By Terry Bolryder

Drake and Quill are dragon shifters, the big bad protectors of the shifter world, tasked with missions no one else can handle. Though hot, rich and capable, their partnership is held back by their sometimes clashing personalities. When they save a curvy woman named Tara from drowning, they may have just found the one thing they can agree on. They want her. Forever.

When Tara jumped into icy water to save a drowning child, she was expecting to die. Instead, she wakes up to find that two tall, beautiful men with rare powers want her for their own. Tara's intrigued by the dragons and the off-the-charts sexual chemistry she feels with them, and agrees to spend a week figuring out if she can really belong in their world of magic and adventure.

But the dragons aren't the only ones who want Tara forever, and an obsessed ex from her past may bring the dragons the biggest challenge they've ever faced. Drake and Quill will have to put the past aside and learn to work together if they want to attain their most important goal: protecting their mate.



What’s not to like? Hot dragon shifters ✅! Damsel in distress✅ a bit of action ✅
I do enjoy how Terry doesn’t over complicate things. Nice to see this boys get some happiness!
  
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Merissa (13749 KP) rated The Seven Spires in Books

Feb 3, 2021 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)  
The Seven Spires
The Seven Spires
Russell Archey | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE SEVEN SPIRES is a high fantasy novel where you only learn the characters' names right at the end. Until that point, they are all known as the Warrior, the Knight, the Blue Prince, the Maiden, you get the idea. The world has seven kingdoms, each kingdom having a spire. The Maiden meets first with the Knight, followed by the Blue Prince, but then goes home. That would be okay except she is followed by a dragon-child who wants what she has, although she has no idea what that is. And so the story begins...

This was a well-written fantasy that travels the length and breadth of the kingdom, giving the reader glimpses into each kingdom. The plot becomes intricate once you find out there is a dragon-child for each kingdom, and some are 'good', and some are 'bad'. The characters were a bit two-dimensional, to begin with, but fleshed out as their adventures continued. The pacing is smooth as it leads to the ultimate climax, with a satisfying epilogue to let us know how the characters get on once the book ends.

If you are a fan of high fantasy, then I have no hesitation in recommending this novel to you.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 3, 2021