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Shadows over Camelot
Shadows over Camelot
2005 | Adventure, Deduction, Fantasy, Medieval, Mythology
Co-operative 3-7 players (3 more)
Possibility of a traitor
Defend the kingdom
Jump in/Drop out mechanic
takes a long time to play. (0 more)
Emerge from the shadows
Shadows over Camelot is a Co-operative game built around king Arthur and his knights of the round table. You as one of Arthur's trusted guards or maybe even arthur himself. You defend the kingdom, find excalibur, discover the holy grail and Lancelot's armor, and maybe fight a dragon or two. Also watch out for a traitor. One of you might not be as noble as they seem. Plan on more than an hour for your first game.
  
SO
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<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>

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa brings Japanese mythology and folklore to life, taking readers on an exciting journey through feudal Japan, Kagawa weaves together three characters from different backgrounds all while introducing readers to a wide variety of demons the characters come across. The novel follows these characters as a new age approaches and the Kami Dragon is summoned, granting a wish to the one who holds the pieces of the Dragon Scroll.

Shadow of the Fox is primarily told in the two perspectives of Yumeko and Tatsumi, with the occasional addition of a third. Yumeko is a half-kitsune, half-human raised at the Silent Winds temple to hide her true kitsune nature, though she is forced to flee after everyone is slaughtered by a demon who wants to retrieve a part of the scroll. Readers interested in seeing kitsune magic coming to life on the page may find themselves disappointed as Yumeko shows little of her magic and hides her true nature from her companions.

One of those companions includes Tatsumi, a samurai from the Shadow Clan ordered to bring the Dragon Scroll regardless of the cost. Raised as a weapon, Tatsumi is taught from a young age to hide all of his emotions and thoughts from those around him as doing so would pose a danger. Not able to accomplish his mission right away, he finds himself in an unlikely alliance with Yumeko and begins to question his upbringing.

The first novel in a stunning new series, Shadow of the Fox is a magical adventure with an ominous feel throughout and will have readers wanting the sequel to the story.

<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/review-shadow-of-the-fox/">This review was originally posted on 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>.
  
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Merissa (12330 KP) rated The Cursed King (Inferno Rising #4) in Books

Nov 2, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)  
The Cursed King (Inferno Rising #4)
The Cursed King (Inferno Rising #4)
Abigail Owen | 2021 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE CURSED KING is the fourth, and final, book in the Inferno Rising series. It is Angelika's turn now, the last sister unmated. Only, it turns out, she actually wanted to mate with someone - Airk - and he turned her down. Now, Pytheios wants her, so what will Airk do?

Angelika has always viewed herself as the weakest link as she didn't inherit any of her mother's powers. Airk is unable to shift due to his captivity for five hundred years. Angelika has a way of calming his dragon down and also exciting him, so Airk vows to stay away. Of course, we all know how that works out!

This was an epic conclusion to a great story. I was half expecting what happened, as I didn't think it likely our author would leave Angelika hanging. It is fast-paced and intricate, with the other mated pairs playing their parts. You do see less of Pytheios this time, together with his witch, and his phoenix. The witch I eventually felt sorry for; the phoenix, not so much!

I would love to return to these dragon clans in the future but, rest assured, no matter what Ms Owens writes, I'll be right there reading it. Absolutely recommended.

** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 2, 2021
  
Pete&#039;s Dragon (2016)
Pete's Dragon (2016)
2016 | Family
8
7.8 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Lovely in every sense of the word
2016 really does belong to Disney. The House of Mouse has been churning out some incredible films this year with the live-action remake of The Jungle Book proving sceptical audiences (and critics) completely wrong.

The BFG was a pleasant and inoffensive adaptation of Roald Dahl’s wonderful novel and Finding Dory got Pixar back on the right track, and let’s not forget Captain America: Civil War, by far the best superhero film of the year.

Here, Disney continues its trend with recreating its classic cartoons in live-action; resurrecting Pete’s Dragon. But is this remake of the 1977 film of the same name as good as The Jungle Book?

Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford), a woodcarver, delights local children with stories of a mysterious dragon that lives deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. His daughter Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) believes these are just tall tales, until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley), a 10-year-old orphan who says he lives in the woods with a giant, friendly dragon called Elliot. With help from a young girl named Natalie (Oona Laurence), Grace sets out to investigate if this fantastic claim can be true.

Director David Lowery helms the film with a quiet subtlety that automatically makes Pete’s Dragon a very different adaptation to Jon Favreau’s stomping Jungle Book. Here, the joy is in the storytelling rather than popping on a set of nostalgia glasses and settling in for the journey.

Acting wise, it’s a pretty formulaic affair. Bryce Dallas Howard, in her first major role since last year’s smash hit Jurassic World, is as likeable as ever and like the film itself, commands the screen with an understated presence. Elsewhere, Oakes Fegley gives a cracking portrayal of Pete.

Naturally, the main character throughout is Elliot, the big friendly dragon. This bright green behemoth is rendered in wonderful CGI, with each gust of wind lifting his fur beautifully. Considering the film’s modest $65million budget, Elliot is utterly believable in each and every scene.

The lush forest landscape provides a mesmerising backdrop on which to construct a film and David Lowery takes the audience on sweeping journeys across the tree-tops, brilliantly juxtaposed with confined caves and the woodland floor.

Unfortunately, the deforestation side plot is never truly explored with Karl Urban’s underdeveloped “villain” proving to be a slight undoing in this near perfect remake.

Thankfully though, the themes of family, friendship and never giving up despite the odds are explored to their fullest – these are themes that Disney knows how to do better than any other studio and the emotional heart that brings to Pete’s Dragon ensures teary eyes are inevitable.

Overall, Disney has done it again. Just five months after the phenomenal Jungle Book remake, the studio has got it spot on with Pete’s Dragon. The two films couldn’t be further apart, with this one succeeding in its quiet dignity. It is in every sense of the word – lovely.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/08/16/lovely-in-every-sense-of-the-word-petes-dragon-review/
  
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?