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Emily (1430 KP) rated Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth in Video Games
Feb 18, 2020
Same basic premise as the other games in the Civ series, except this is set on a strange new world that ships from earth have escaped to.
Uses the hex grid of the other newer versions of the game and also has indigenous alien life on land and in the sea. This can be quite tough to deal with early in the game, particularly the worms (think Dune-style enormous things) and the sea life, but is easily dealt with later on. It alternatively you can try and work with it so you kind of become allies, although it's not easy to achieve.
The best thing about the game is the tech tree. Every other version of Civ has a branched linear progression, this one has a web. The first few moves are relatively common to all play styles but then you can just go anywhere and what you pick changes what type of faction you end up as (which ends up like a combination of religion and ideology of the other versions of Civ).
If you're getting bored with normal Civ, this is definitely a fun alternative.
Uses the hex grid of the other newer versions of the game and also has indigenous alien life on land and in the sea. This can be quite tough to deal with early in the game, particularly the worms (think Dune-style enormous things) and the sea life, but is easily dealt with later on. It alternatively you can try and work with it so you kind of become allies, although it's not easy to achieve.
The best thing about the game is the tech tree. Every other version of Civ has a branched linear progression, this one has a web. The first few moves are relatively common to all play styles but then you can just go anywhere and what you pick changes what type of faction you end up as (which ends up like a combination of religion and ideology of the other versions of Civ).
If you're getting bored with normal Civ, this is definitely a fun alternative.
The Silk Merchant's Daughter
Book
NOW A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE TEA PLANTER'S...
No Man's Land
Book
From the slums of London to the riches of an Edwardian country house; from the hot, dark seams of a...
Zoe Nock (13 KP) rated The Chestnut Man in Books
Jun 26, 2019
‘Chestnut Man, do come in’. Well, you won’t be inviting him into your home after reading this excellent but darkly disturbing book.
Given the pedigree of the author this book will receive plenty of attention so I’m not going to write a synopsis of the story. However, I will suggest that you don’t read the first chapter whilst eating your breakfast!
The various characters, big and small, are finely written with emotional depth. Soren Sveistrup clearly spent as much time thinking about the human relationships as the gory crime scenes. Although it is basically a (very high quality) police procedural it is also a deft examination of what family means in the modern world.
The mysterious identity of The Chestnut Man kept me guessing and Sveistrup provides the reader with lots of red herrings. This should be no surprise to anyone who watched Season 1 of The Killing, where you felt sure that you knew who ‘the Baddie’ was at the end of every episode only to be swiftly proven wrong. This story would make a great TV drama, I'm sure that it'll be hitting BBC4 soon.
Given the pedigree of the author this book will receive plenty of attention so I’m not going to write a synopsis of the story. However, I will suggest that you don’t read the first chapter whilst eating your breakfast!
The various characters, big and small, are finely written with emotional depth. Soren Sveistrup clearly spent as much time thinking about the human relationships as the gory crime scenes. Although it is basically a (very high quality) police procedural it is also a deft examination of what family means in the modern world.
The mysterious identity of The Chestnut Man kept me guessing and Sveistrup provides the reader with lots of red herrings. This should be no surprise to anyone who watched Season 1 of The Killing, where you felt sure that you knew who ‘the Baddie’ was at the end of every episode only to be swiftly proven wrong. This story would make a great TV drama, I'm sure that it'll be hitting BBC4 soon.
Malcolm Of Earth
10.0
Rate It
Book
They took him from his world to end a war on theirs… They got more than they bargained for. ...
science fiction sci-fi military sci-fi
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Incarceron (Incarceron, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a title="Incarceron" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-incarceron-by-catherine-fisher.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
I didn't think I would like Incarceron. The synopsis wasn't very appealing during the selection at the book club meeting. The only thing that I found appealing was the very fact that a prison is "alive" and has a mind of it's own.
Finn is one of the prisoners of Incarceron, with no memories whatsoever from his childhood and believes that he has not been a part of Incarceron his entire life as others say. The Warden's Daughter, Claudia, is trying to escape an arranged marriage as a part of a scheme she doesn't want to be a part of for certain reasons and claims that Finn is from the Outside.
Both Claudia's and Finn's views are from separate "worlds" but they both eventually cross-sect each other. I would be lying if I said I liked Claudia's view over Finn. Finn's view, however gloomy his life may seem, is more adventurous with avoiding the Winglord and trying to find an escape route from Incarceron. Claudia's view, on the other hand, seems to be more of... avoiding schemes and wanting no part of it after she finds out the end results.
Despite the fact that the end was, in fact, spoiled away by one of my friends, I thoroughly enjoyed Incarceron. Catherine Fisher creates a fictional world in a supposed paradise of an animate prison built from centuries ago (I would love to see the prison myself... minus the conditions... of course).
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
I didn't think I would like Incarceron. The synopsis wasn't very appealing during the selection at the book club meeting. The only thing that I found appealing was the very fact that a prison is "alive" and has a mind of it's own.
Finn is one of the prisoners of Incarceron, with no memories whatsoever from his childhood and believes that he has not been a part of Incarceron his entire life as others say. The Warden's Daughter, Claudia, is trying to escape an arranged marriage as a part of a scheme she doesn't want to be a part of for certain reasons and claims that Finn is from the Outside.
Both Claudia's and Finn's views are from separate "worlds" but they both eventually cross-sect each other. I would be lying if I said I liked Claudia's view over Finn. Finn's view, however gloomy his life may seem, is more adventurous with avoiding the Winglord and trying to find an escape route from Incarceron. Claudia's view, on the other hand, seems to be more of... avoiding schemes and wanting no part of it after she finds out the end results.
Despite the fact that the end was, in fact, spoiled away by one of my friends, I thoroughly enjoyed Incarceron. Catherine Fisher creates a fictional world in a supposed paradise of an animate prison built from centuries ago (I would love to see the prison myself... minus the conditions... of course).
Merissa (11950 KP) rated King of Beasts (Curse of the Dark Kingdom #4) in Books
Jul 20, 2023
KING OF BEASTS is the last (so far) in the Curse of the Dark Kingdom series. Everyone has broken free of their curse apart from the eldest, Kyllean. He is the one stuck in The Library, in a beast form. Anyone want to guess the fairytale?
Kyllean and Leandra definitely get their story told, but the others appear too so, in the end, the Big Bad is defeated by all of them working together. I do love it when that happens, don't you?! Leandra is a strong character; she has to be as she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is not cowed by Kyllean, even when he roars, and I loved how she always stood up to him. Kyllean himself is a very sympathetic character. He is doing the best he can, the only way he knows how. His insecurities lead him to questionable actions but I found I understood them.
A fantastic retelling of a classic, this was a wonderful ending to the series. The world- and character-building are just as good as always, and the pacing was perfect. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 20, 2023
Kyllean and Leandra definitely get their story told, but the others appear too so, in the end, the Big Bad is defeated by all of them working together. I do love it when that happens, don't you?! Leandra is a strong character; she has to be as she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is not cowed by Kyllean, even when he roars, and I loved how she always stood up to him. Kyllean himself is a very sympathetic character. He is doing the best he can, the only way he knows how. His insecurities lead him to questionable actions but I found I understood them.
A fantastic retelling of a classic, this was a wonderful ending to the series. The world- and character-building are just as good as always, and the pacing was perfect. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 20, 2023
Oil & Gas Journal Magazine
News and Magazines & Newspapers
App
Enjoy Reading the Oil & Gas Journal at any time in any place! The Oil & Gas Journal, first...
Jesscica Morgan recommended Broadcast News (1987) in Movies (curated)
A Historian in Exile: Solomon ibn Verga, Shevet Yehudah, and the Jewish-Christian Encounter
Book
Solomon ibn Verga was one of the victims of the decrees expelling the Jews from Spain and Portugal...