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The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated The Palace of Mad King Ludwig in Tabletop Games
May 13, 2018
Lots of different avenues to win (4 more)
Lots of good choices
Well made pieces
Same feel as the 1st game but yet very different.
Moats as timer is brilliantly done.
Lots of little bits (1 more)
Lots of things to keep track of
Really good complex castle building game
really enjoyed this game. Must play once to know what you are doing. Lots to keep track of. Tons of great choices. Things can get quickly out of hand score wise. My wife doubled her score the 2nd time we played. It doesnt have charm of the final layout the original castles of mad king Ludwig has. But this one is more flexible and deep I think. Different games but both nail the theme. I love the timer mechanism of the game with the moats and the auction mechanic isnt as harsh. Great deeper euro. Worthy of a play.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2373 KP) rated Cinco de Murder in Books
Apr 6, 2018
Celebration Leads to Murder
It’s Cinco de Mayo weekend, and Josie Callahan has a full plate. She will be waitressing at her family’s Tex-Mex restaurant as well as helping her uncle with the first annual chili cook-off and dancing in the parade. The last thing she needs is to find the body of Lucky Straw, one of the cook-off contestants. He wasn’t well liked, but who would kill him?
This is a fun mystery tying into a different holiday, yet it fits the theme of this series perfectly. The mystery is good, with several elements to keep us guessing until the end. I did feel that the book needed another edit to smooth things over as Josie’s changing theories constantly confused me, but not in a good way for a mystery. The series regulars are as fun as always, especially Josie’s abuela
This is a fun mystery tying into a different holiday, yet it fits the theme of this series perfectly. The mystery is good, with several elements to keep us guessing until the end. I did feel that the book needed another edit to smooth things over as Josie’s changing theories constantly confused me, but not in a good way for a mystery. The series regulars are as fun as always, especially Josie’s abuela
Ross (3284 KP) rated Of Gods and Men in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Enough hints to anticipate twists and reveals (1 more)
Short and concise
Fantastic taster of Aryan's writing and world
*** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
This novella serves as an excellent taster of Stephen Aryan's writing style and the world in which his other books take place. I haven't read any of his other work yet, but as this is a prequel I didn't feel I was missing out on any inside knowledge. If anything, this book serves as an expanded backstory to one of the main characters of the first series, Vargus.
I really enjoyed the entry into the world, Aryan's easy-flowing narrative and the short, concise self-contained story which contains some good, well described action scenes, good dialogue and hints at a larger world to be explored and does lead you to want to read more.
This novella serves as an excellent taster of Stephen Aryan's writing style and the world in which his other books take place. I haven't read any of his other work yet, but as this is a prequel I didn't feel I was missing out on any inside knowledge. If anything, this book serves as an expanded backstory to one of the main characters of the first series, Vargus.
I really enjoyed the entry into the world, Aryan's easy-flowing narrative and the short, concise self-contained story which contains some good, well described action scenes, good dialogue and hints at a larger world to be explored and does lead you to want to read more.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Quest for Earth in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I have really been on a sci-fi romance kick lately so I was looking forward to this story. It had its good points and bad points, While it was enjoyable, it wasnt perfect.
The bad is that it was a cliché stereotype of sci-fi romance that did not bring anything new to the table. I felt that the reader was thrown into the story with no prior knowledge of the world building, leaving the reader lost and frustrated. I felt the descriptions we were given werent relevant. I also loathe the idea of alpha males and their fated mates. I feel most authors use it as an excuse to force two characters together so that the eventually can stand each other.
The good is that there are strong female leads and, despite not having much background given, the worlds were pretty interesting.
The bad is that it was a cliché stereotype of sci-fi romance that did not bring anything new to the table. I felt that the reader was thrown into the story with no prior knowledge of the world building, leaving the reader lost and frustrated. I felt the descriptions we were given werent relevant. I also loathe the idea of alpha males and their fated mates. I feel most authors use it as an excuse to force two characters together so that the eventually can stand each other.
The good is that there are strong female leads and, despite not having much background given, the worlds were pretty interesting.
Crystal (9 KP) rated Delilah: Treacherous Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, #3) in Books
Jul 4, 2018
The writing is well done, and very easy to understand. The descriptions of the world are good, especially when discussing social aspects. The world is built well, with enough history given, but without overloading with too much information or facts. Although the writing is good, the character development is mediocre. The main character never really learns her lesson until it is much too late, and is hell bent on revenge before anything else. There isn't a lot of opportunity for growth, though she struggles in the beginning, it would be more empowering to see her 'fall' be a little more dramatic as far as her standards she was used to. It's mentioned but I feel that her emotions could've been better explored. For a 'biblical fiction' I enjoyed the story and historical information.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Captain Marvel, Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More in Books
Sep 17, 2018
Captain Marvel is not a superhero I am familiar with, but with a free Kindle Unlimited trial and an upcoming movie about her, I thought I should give it a try.
Some really good artwork here, being slightly cartoony in nature but not too twee. Some good interaction with Guardians of the Galaxy.
But in general, just a bit flimsy and dull. A lot of the book falls into Phantom Menace-esque international trade tariff discussions which take up quite a large proportion of the page count.
I don't feel like this really shows off one of the most powerful superheroes in all their glory, rather being a strong independent woman sorting things out through political discussion and diplomacy before eventually resorting to her powers. While this was right for the story being told, I found it a boring one. I may not be the target market for this.
Some really good artwork here, being slightly cartoony in nature but not too twee. Some good interaction with Guardians of the Galaxy.
But in general, just a bit flimsy and dull. A lot of the book falls into Phantom Menace-esque international trade tariff discussions which take up quite a large proportion of the page count.
I don't feel like this really shows off one of the most powerful superheroes in all their glory, rather being a strong independent woman sorting things out through political discussion and diplomacy before eventually resorting to her powers. While this was right for the story being told, I found it a boring one. I may not be the target market for this.
Merissa (13043 KP) rated Traitor (Maelstrom Chronicles, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Entangled Publishing in return for a fair and honest review.
This is a complex and intricate science fiction story with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. It is the second book in the series although it can be read as a standalone (as I have) and I don't feel that you lose too much by doing so. It also has a considerably large character list for you to keep track of. Traitor is quite a long book so you get a lot of book for your buck.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable read with lots of different opinions, points of view and action spots to keep you interested. It is well-written at a steady pace, building up to the climax. For lovers of Sci-Fi, I can definitely recommend it.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is a complex and intricate science fiction story with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. It is the second book in the series although it can be read as a standalone (as I have) and I don't feel that you lose too much by doing so. It also has a considerably large character list for you to keep track of. Traitor is quite a long book so you get a lot of book for your buck.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable read with lots of different opinions, points of view and action spots to keep you interested. It is well-written at a steady pace, building up to the climax. For lovers of Sci-Fi, I can definitely recommend it.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Regulators in Books
Aug 7, 2019
Good but bonkers
I haven't yet read Desperation, so fortunately could judge this solely on it's own merits and it's definitely one of King's better books.
It reads a lot like his other epic novels like The Stand, Needful Things etc but in a much smaller size, and it's all the better for it. The plot is interesting and your typical King story, although being based around kid's tv shows makes it a little bit bonkers. It also means that some of the book can feel a little childish at times and some times it can get a bit irritating. But that said, as always with King it's well written with some interesting and developed characters, with lots of horror and gore and just about the right length of book to fit the story. This would make a hell of a good tv show.
It reads a lot like his other epic novels like The Stand, Needful Things etc but in a much smaller size, and it's all the better for it. The plot is interesting and your typical King story, although being based around kid's tv shows makes it a little bit bonkers. It also means that some of the book can feel a little childish at times and some times it can get a bit irritating. But that said, as always with King it's well written with some interesting and developed characters, with lots of horror and gore and just about the right length of book to fit the story. This would make a hell of a good tv show.
Paleo Every Day: 120 Delicious and Nourishing Recipes for Energy and Good Health
9.5
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In Paleo Every Day, Pete Evans shares his favourite recipes for good health and vitality. Inspired...
Good Night, Everyone
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From the multi-award winning picture book maker of A Bit Lost, Oh No, George! and Shh! We Have a...