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Helping you to pray at all times with these short prayers ready at hand. "Pray without ceasing. In...
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Make your movies look exactly the way you want with VideoGrade, a powerful, flexible and easy to use...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tiny Epic Galaxies: BLAST OFF! in Tabletop Games
Mar 30, 2021
Yes, we have reviewed Tiny Epic Galaxies in the past. We loved it. It’s close to being a Golden Feather Award recipient. It has earned a spot on my Top 10 Games of All Time list. I cannot say enough great things about the game. But wait, a newer updated version has recently hit the scene. Is it just new art on the same game? Nope. Read on.
I will not be explaining the entire game in this review as indeed it is mostly the same game as before. However, I will be visiting some differences between this version and the original.
Firstly, the art is most certainly different. The card layouts are all different. The components are completely different. It is markedly improved for me, but I will save my gushings until the end.
Mechanics-wise, the differences are slight, but perfectly altered. For starters, many of the benefits of using planet powers have been streamlined, simplified, and make a lot of sense. Much of this has to do with iconography on the cards, but also the powers are mostly brand new. Additionally, this version rids players of the Secret Mission cards from the original. Now, I enjoyed that aspect of OG TEG, but I did not find myself pining for it whilst playing BLAST OFF! Also removed from this version is the seventh action die; BLAST OFF! comes complete with six dice total. Again, it reduces the number of actions that can be completed on a turn, but I haven’t missed that extra die. One of the greatest changes in this version is the Converter tweak. In the original game a player would need to sacrifice two inactive dice to convert a third die to whichever face was needed. In the new version, only one die is needed for sacrifice along with either one Energy or one Culture value. The Converter was always neglected in the older version, and now it’s a real option during play.
I do wish certain aspects of the older version were included, however. What has been eliminated in the streamlining process is the Solo mode and the fifth player. BLAST OFF! can accommodate two to four players now instead of one to five players, with the black components being axed from this version. I will miss the Solo mode mostly because I used to love breaking out the game later at night once the kids were asleep to try to conquer the Red rival (I almost never play Red). I do understand that a Solo mode may still be created in the future by Gamelyn directly or by another gamer.
All of these changes are minor, but equate to a much better gameplay overall. I do want to speak more on components, so let’s away with them.
Components. Okay, BLAST OFF! boasts improvements on the original game on every facet of components. Yes, the materials are similar quality, so it’s a wash there, but everything else is so much better. The dice are bigger, and ORANGE (great choice btw)! The iconography is much easier to understand and decipher throughout the game. The planets now have two new alignments: Life (plant icon) and Tech (gear icon). I feel the iconography and terminology in the first version could be confusing to new players, but plants vs gears is easy to distinguish. The ships are more stylized now, and the inclusion of this new Galaxy Slider to move up the Galaxy Track on the mats is most excellent. All of these improvements definitely cater to new Tiny Epic Galaxies players, and are most welcome as I try to convince my brother that this is one of the best games out there.
Obviously I am keeping this version and am seriously considering weeding out my original version of TEG with all expansions in favor for this. I just feel better playing it. It is more streamlined, easier to play and teach, and I love the way it looks on the table much more. One minor wish I have for the game is different player colors. This game could have been a triumph with just four different player colors from the original. Now, there’s nothing wrong with tried and true blue, yellow, green, and red, but I’m much more interested in playing a game with fuscia, purple, volt (like our green color we use throughout our branding), and aqua. Maybe it has to do with colorblindness, I don’t know, but take on the colors like are found in Seasons or something, and this game would blast off higher on my Top 10 Games of All Time list for sure.
That said, Purple Phoenix Games still gives this one a rocket of a GOLDEN FEATHER AWARD! If you are a fan of the original but wish new players to the game would enjoy it more, check out BLAST OFF! Nearly everything that has been changed caters to newer players and giving all players a more aesthetically-pleasing experience over the original. I will definitely be playing my copy a TON. Maybe if I ask nicely Gamelyn Games will make me some different player colors. Maybe.
I will not be explaining the entire game in this review as indeed it is mostly the same game as before. However, I will be visiting some differences between this version and the original.
Firstly, the art is most certainly different. The card layouts are all different. The components are completely different. It is markedly improved for me, but I will save my gushings until the end.
Mechanics-wise, the differences are slight, but perfectly altered. For starters, many of the benefits of using planet powers have been streamlined, simplified, and make a lot of sense. Much of this has to do with iconography on the cards, but also the powers are mostly brand new. Additionally, this version rids players of the Secret Mission cards from the original. Now, I enjoyed that aspect of OG TEG, but I did not find myself pining for it whilst playing BLAST OFF! Also removed from this version is the seventh action die; BLAST OFF! comes complete with six dice total. Again, it reduces the number of actions that can be completed on a turn, but I haven’t missed that extra die. One of the greatest changes in this version is the Converter tweak. In the original game a player would need to sacrifice two inactive dice to convert a third die to whichever face was needed. In the new version, only one die is needed for sacrifice along with either one Energy or one Culture value. The Converter was always neglected in the older version, and now it’s a real option during play.
I do wish certain aspects of the older version were included, however. What has been eliminated in the streamlining process is the Solo mode and the fifth player. BLAST OFF! can accommodate two to four players now instead of one to five players, with the black components being axed from this version. I will miss the Solo mode mostly because I used to love breaking out the game later at night once the kids were asleep to try to conquer the Red rival (I almost never play Red). I do understand that a Solo mode may still be created in the future by Gamelyn directly or by another gamer.
All of these changes are minor, but equate to a much better gameplay overall. I do want to speak more on components, so let’s away with them.
Components. Okay, BLAST OFF! boasts improvements on the original game on every facet of components. Yes, the materials are similar quality, so it’s a wash there, but everything else is so much better. The dice are bigger, and ORANGE (great choice btw)! The iconography is much easier to understand and decipher throughout the game. The planets now have two new alignments: Life (plant icon) and Tech (gear icon). I feel the iconography and terminology in the first version could be confusing to new players, but plants vs gears is easy to distinguish. The ships are more stylized now, and the inclusion of this new Galaxy Slider to move up the Galaxy Track on the mats is most excellent. All of these improvements definitely cater to new Tiny Epic Galaxies players, and are most welcome as I try to convince my brother that this is one of the best games out there.
Obviously I am keeping this version and am seriously considering weeding out my original version of TEG with all expansions in favor for this. I just feel better playing it. It is more streamlined, easier to play and teach, and I love the way it looks on the table much more. One minor wish I have for the game is different player colors. This game could have been a triumph with just four different player colors from the original. Now, there’s nothing wrong with tried and true blue, yellow, green, and red, but I’m much more interested in playing a game with fuscia, purple, volt (like our green color we use throughout our branding), and aqua. Maybe it has to do with colorblindness, I don’t know, but take on the colors like are found in Seasons or something, and this game would blast off higher on my Top 10 Games of All Time list for sure.
That said, Purple Phoenix Games still gives this one a rocket of a GOLDEN FEATHER AWARD! If you are a fan of the original but wish new players to the game would enjoy it more, check out BLAST OFF! Nearly everything that has been changed caters to newer players and giving all players a more aesthetically-pleasing experience over the original. I will definitely be playing my copy a TON. Maybe if I ask nicely Gamelyn Games will make me some different player colors. Maybe.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Genre: YA Paranormal romance
ISBN: 9780547259406
Pub date: January 18th 2010 by Graphia (first published in hardback on February 1st 2009)
Rating: 5
Jessica was sure she was just your average teenager… until an ultra-hot European foreign exchange student shows up at school, stalks her, and then follows her home, insisting that they are both vampire royalty and must be married when she turns eighteen to ensure peace between their families… and Jessica is sure that Lucius, no matter how attractive, is absolutely insane. She manages to free herself of his grip… and then realizes that he’s all she ever wanted in the first place. But getting him back before he destroys her –or himself—will be quite a challenge. But Jessica is up to it. She has to be.
I absolutely loved Jessica’s Guide. It was funny, romantic, and entertaining the whole way through. I don’t know why I put off reading it so long.
The plot had great pacing, great twists, and great conflict. At one point I was tempted to flip to the end of the book just to make sure it all worked out at the end… because I wasn’t sure I could handle it if it didn’t.
I loved how Jessica’s and Lucius’s relationship wasn’t perfect. I saw this in Fantaskey’s other novel, Jekel Loves Hyde. Like Jill and Tristen, Jessica and Lucius certainly had their ups and downs… may I say more of the latter than the first. I dispise happyland syndrome in romances… and was pleased to find none whatsoever in Jessica’s Guide. Their romance was destiny and fate, the only question was how they’d get there in the end. And it was quite a rollercoaster. Their love was based on character more than actions, something that is sometimes hard to write well, and many authors fail miserably, but Fantaskey did a great job. For both Jessica and Lucius, there can never be anyone else.
The characters were great. I officially adore Lucius… passionate and mysterious and infuriating…we need more heroes like him… and Jessica was the kind of girl who would work hard for what she wanted, and sacrifice anything. I think we need more heroines like her, too! Jessica’s parents were both annoying and funny… I especially loved her mom.
The writing was fluid and descriptive, and easy to read. I demolished this one in about four hours.
Heart-pounding plot, characters to die for, and an epic romance, this one begs many re-reads.
Content/recommendation: some language, no sex. Ages 14+. This one is a perfect summer-read… or anytime read, really.
Genre: YA Paranormal romance
ISBN: 9780547259406
Pub date: January 18th 2010 by Graphia (first published in hardback on February 1st 2009)
Rating: 5
Jessica was sure she was just your average teenager… until an ultra-hot European foreign exchange student shows up at school, stalks her, and then follows her home, insisting that they are both vampire royalty and must be married when she turns eighteen to ensure peace between their families… and Jessica is sure that Lucius, no matter how attractive, is absolutely insane. She manages to free herself of his grip… and then realizes that he’s all she ever wanted in the first place. But getting him back before he destroys her –or himself—will be quite a challenge. But Jessica is up to it. She has to be.
I absolutely loved Jessica’s Guide. It was funny, romantic, and entertaining the whole way through. I don’t know why I put off reading it so long.
The plot had great pacing, great twists, and great conflict. At one point I was tempted to flip to the end of the book just to make sure it all worked out at the end… because I wasn’t sure I could handle it if it didn’t.
I loved how Jessica’s and Lucius’s relationship wasn’t perfect. I saw this in Fantaskey’s other novel, Jekel Loves Hyde. Like Jill and Tristen, Jessica and Lucius certainly had their ups and downs… may I say more of the latter than the first. I dispise happyland syndrome in romances… and was pleased to find none whatsoever in Jessica’s Guide. Their romance was destiny and fate, the only question was how they’d get there in the end. And it was quite a rollercoaster. Their love was based on character more than actions, something that is sometimes hard to write well, and many authors fail miserably, but Fantaskey did a great job. For both Jessica and Lucius, there can never be anyone else.
The characters were great. I officially adore Lucius… passionate and mysterious and infuriating…we need more heroes like him… and Jessica was the kind of girl who would work hard for what she wanted, and sacrifice anything. I think we need more heroines like her, too! Jessica’s parents were both annoying and funny… I especially loved her mom.
The writing was fluid and descriptive, and easy to read. I demolished this one in about four hours.
Heart-pounding plot, characters to die for, and an epic romance, this one begs many re-reads.
Content/recommendation: some language, no sex. Ages 14+. This one is a perfect summer-read… or anytime read, really.
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #1) in Books
May 3, 2018
[a:Cinda Williams Chima|125308|Cinda Williams Chima|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1291420167p2/125308.jpg] was my biggest takeaway from [b:The Way of the Wizard|8121665|The Way of the Wizard|John Joseph Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297656860s/8121665.jpg|12917149]. I absolutely adored the short story of how Linda and Hastings met, and knew that I had to read the actual series.
You can definitely tell that this was written a few years before the short story in The Way of the Wizard. The writing isn't quite on the same level - all of the key elements are still there, but in a rawer form.
That's not a bad thing. I'm not insulting the quality of the writing, at all. It was still a very enjoyable story, and the writing and the editing were solid. And I'm happy to watch the progression of the narrative, as it gets stronger over time.
...but. If I had read The Warrior Heir before I read "The Trader and the Slave", I probably would have enjoyed this book more than I did. Part of me kept waiting for the dark, grittiness that the short story had, and it never really showed up.
Were parts of The Warrior Heir heavy? Sure. There's a lot of double-crossing, morality, and self-sacrifice in there. But it wasn't quite the same.
Sorry for that slight detour there. I felt that, before I started talking about the book itself, I should explain the factors that went towards my final rating.
Because, in general, I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the "world" and the magic system, I loved the history and explanations of why magic works, and where it came from. The dedication to the magic system was very nice, and much appreciated in such an action-based fantasy book.
The main characters all managed to keep me interested in what was going on (even though there wasn't nearly enough Linda and Hastings in there for me), and the antagonists walked a delicate balance of being evil, and just doing what they thought would be best for themselves, or for those around them. Even some of the protagonists walked that line, which was <i>really</i> nice to see.
Morality - it's pretty important to the story.
There weren't really any surprises in the plot department. It was incredibly easy to guess the various "twists" the book had to offer. <spoiler>Especially anything having to do with Ellen.</spoiler> But personally, I was too distracted by the world-building to overly care about how predictable things were.
Because in Maki-land, well-established magic system > plot.
You can definitely tell that this was written a few years before the short story in The Way of the Wizard. The writing isn't quite on the same level - all of the key elements are still there, but in a rawer form.
That's not a bad thing. I'm not insulting the quality of the writing, at all. It was still a very enjoyable story, and the writing and the editing were solid. And I'm happy to watch the progression of the narrative, as it gets stronger over time.
...but. If I had read The Warrior Heir before I read "The Trader and the Slave", I probably would have enjoyed this book more than I did. Part of me kept waiting for the dark, grittiness that the short story had, and it never really showed up.
Were parts of The Warrior Heir heavy? Sure. There's a lot of double-crossing, morality, and self-sacrifice in there. But it wasn't quite the same.
Sorry for that slight detour there. I felt that, before I started talking about the book itself, I should explain the factors that went towards my final rating.
Because, in general, I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the "world" and the magic system, I loved the history and explanations of why magic works, and where it came from. The dedication to the magic system was very nice, and much appreciated in such an action-based fantasy book.
The main characters all managed to keep me interested in what was going on (even though there wasn't nearly enough Linda and Hastings in there for me), and the antagonists walked a delicate balance of being evil, and just doing what they thought would be best for themselves, or for those around them. Even some of the protagonists walked that line, which was <i>really</i> nice to see.
Morality - it's pretty important to the story.
There weren't really any surprises in the plot department. It was incredibly easy to guess the various "twists" the book had to offer. <spoiler>Especially anything having to do with Ellen.</spoiler> But personally, I was too distracted by the world-building to overly care about how predictable things were.
Because in Maki-land, well-established magic system > plot.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated The Wicker Man (1973) in Movies
Feb 18, 2019
Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man.
Though we never even lay eyes on it until the final few moments of the film, the Wicker Man, both as pagan image and classic horror flick, has become an icon of the genre.
But if you are expecting some dimly lit, slow burn slasher movie, then you will be sorely disappointed. The Wicker Man spends most of its runtime, which varies from its various versions, Theatrical, Director’s and Final Cuts, providing us with a pretty decent, if not disturbing insight into paganism.
Or more over, Paganism verses Christianity. Both spiritual, both magical, yet one is fun and the other is boring. The virgin sacrifice by the sexually liberated heathens is played out brilliantly.
The beauty here is that the final twist is so well conceived and executed throughout the entire film that even though most of us know the ending whether we have seen the film or not, it is not spoiled by that foreknowledge.
It is a kin to the previously released Planet Of The Apes (1968) or the much later Sixth Sense (1999). Both spin out complex genre tales which culminate in “that ending”. But in this case, Edward Woodward delivers a chilling performance in the finale, as he is taken to his death, locked inside the burning Wicker Man to be sacrificed in order to restore the poor harvest of the previous year.
“Don’t you see that killing me is not going to bring back your apples?”
But Woodward’s character is a devout Christian and he has only his faith and a dogged view of the world to aide him. Unable to accept the seemingly free spirited community in which his finds himself, one where sex is commonplace as he himself is still a virgin.
On the other hand there is Lord Summerisle, Christopher Lee, who steals the show as per usual as the charismatic leader of the this pagan community and the descendant of a lord who routed Christianity from the Highland Island a century before.
But whilst on the surface it may seem like a rather academic subject, the film is a trippy 1970’s sexploitation movie in many ways. Some of the sex and violence fits in well with plot but other moments, such as the nude dance by Britt Ekland, though actually doubled by Lorraine Peters is a prime example of a needless, if not memorable sequence.
Overall, The Wicker Man is low budget British movie of the 1970’s and one which has endured to earn it’s classic status, by meeting the main criteria of being smart, engaging and visually compelling, along with several standout performances throughout.
But if you are expecting some dimly lit, slow burn slasher movie, then you will be sorely disappointed. The Wicker Man spends most of its runtime, which varies from its various versions, Theatrical, Director’s and Final Cuts, providing us with a pretty decent, if not disturbing insight into paganism.
Or more over, Paganism verses Christianity. Both spiritual, both magical, yet one is fun and the other is boring. The virgin sacrifice by the sexually liberated heathens is played out brilliantly.
The beauty here is that the final twist is so well conceived and executed throughout the entire film that even though most of us know the ending whether we have seen the film or not, it is not spoiled by that foreknowledge.
It is a kin to the previously released Planet Of The Apes (1968) or the much later Sixth Sense (1999). Both spin out complex genre tales which culminate in “that ending”. But in this case, Edward Woodward delivers a chilling performance in the finale, as he is taken to his death, locked inside the burning Wicker Man to be sacrificed in order to restore the poor harvest of the previous year.
“Don’t you see that killing me is not going to bring back your apples?”
But Woodward’s character is a devout Christian and he has only his faith and a dogged view of the world to aide him. Unable to accept the seemingly free spirited community in which his finds himself, one where sex is commonplace as he himself is still a virgin.
On the other hand there is Lord Summerisle, Christopher Lee, who steals the show as per usual as the charismatic leader of the this pagan community and the descendant of a lord who routed Christianity from the Highland Island a century before.
But whilst on the surface it may seem like a rather academic subject, the film is a trippy 1970’s sexploitation movie in many ways. Some of the sex and violence fits in well with plot but other moments, such as the nude dance by Britt Ekland, though actually doubled by Lorraine Peters is a prime example of a needless, if not memorable sequence.
Overall, The Wicker Man is low budget British movie of the 1970’s and one which has endured to earn it’s classic status, by meeting the main criteria of being smart, engaging and visually compelling, along with several standout performances throughout.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated Destined: Lured Into The Shadow (The Ambrosia Trilogy #1) in Books
Oct 1, 2018
MoMo’s Book Diary enjoyed "Destined" and gladly recommends this as a 4 star read. If you enjoyed the Twilight saga you will love The Ambrosia Trilogy!
MoMo Book Diary Review:
Beatrice Sand's debut novel "Destined" is the first part of The Ambrosia Trilogy. It is a truly awesome suspense read which kept me up until the early hours.
The author introduces the characters with emotion and describes each scene perfectly. There is a continuous thread throughout the book luring you into the mystery. You know there is so much unspoken but its not until around half-way that you start to get the full picture and I found my mind sparking off in different directions at what could happen next. I laughed, I cried, I sat up until the early hours trying to breathe with Laurel as she finds her way...
This sexy and mysterious tale focuses on 17 year old Laurel who has recently moved back to Vancouver Island where her father, Martin, owns his own restaurant to live with him and his wife, Mia and her daughter, Renee, who is also 17. Laurel and Renee could not be any more different and Laurel feels that Mia is constantly expecting her to morph into Renee - which she will certainly not be doing! Laurel is hoping to build a relationship with her father but it is difficult finding time to get to know each other.
I enjoyed that the author tells the story from Laurel's perspective in the main, with a few chapters from Sam, where we get insight into his world. Sam is struggling with leading the life he knows is set out before him and these new feelings that he has for Laurel. The more he stays away the more he is drawn to be there when she finds herself in trouble.
There is an undeniable attraction between Laurel and Sam, which the author beautifully introduces at their first meeting, and builds each time they meet. They share some sensual scenes although there is nothing too "adult" in nature in this teenage/ young adult novel. I will not give any more of the story away but it is not a straightforward new adult romance.
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys the mystery of a sexy, dangerous story and although it is not a thriller it is certainly a thrilling read. I can't wait to read the second book, Sacrifice, which is due for release in 2017 with the third and final part, Ambrosia, following on from that.
I would like to thank the author, Beatrice Sand, for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to its release date.
MoMo Book Diary Review:
Beatrice Sand's debut novel "Destined" is the first part of The Ambrosia Trilogy. It is a truly awesome suspense read which kept me up until the early hours.
The author introduces the characters with emotion and describes each scene perfectly. There is a continuous thread throughout the book luring you into the mystery. You know there is so much unspoken but its not until around half-way that you start to get the full picture and I found my mind sparking off in different directions at what could happen next. I laughed, I cried, I sat up until the early hours trying to breathe with Laurel as she finds her way...
This sexy and mysterious tale focuses on 17 year old Laurel who has recently moved back to Vancouver Island where her father, Martin, owns his own restaurant to live with him and his wife, Mia and her daughter, Renee, who is also 17. Laurel and Renee could not be any more different and Laurel feels that Mia is constantly expecting her to morph into Renee - which she will certainly not be doing! Laurel is hoping to build a relationship with her father but it is difficult finding time to get to know each other.
I enjoyed that the author tells the story from Laurel's perspective in the main, with a few chapters from Sam, where we get insight into his world. Sam is struggling with leading the life he knows is set out before him and these new feelings that he has for Laurel. The more he stays away the more he is drawn to be there when she finds herself in trouble.
There is an undeniable attraction between Laurel and Sam, which the author beautifully introduces at their first meeting, and builds each time they meet. They share some sensual scenes although there is nothing too "adult" in nature in this teenage/ young adult novel. I will not give any more of the story away but it is not a straightforward new adult romance.
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys the mystery of a sexy, dangerous story and although it is not a thriller it is certainly a thrilling read. I can't wait to read the second book, Sacrifice, which is due for release in 2017 with the third and final part, Ambrosia, following on from that.
I would like to thank the author, Beatrice Sand, for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to its release date.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Undaunted Hope (Beacons of Hope, #3) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
When Tessa's hope and dreams are thwarted, she must face her deepest fears. Will she have the strength to overcome?
Tessa hopes to outrun her past by escaping to Eagle Harbor in the fall of 1871. There she becomes the new school teacher, even though the town requested a male teacher. Percival Updegraff runs the town like a king. No one dares to stand up to him for fear of what he will do. Tessa has vowed to never step foot into another lighthouse again. But then the local light keeper, Michael Bjorklund, and his assistant and brother, Alex, begin vying for her attention. Micheal's children long for a mother, and even though Alex would sacrifice anything for his brother, can he give up the woman he loves? As winter sets in and difficulties arise, will Tessa stay strong in the face of evil? Can she overcome her fears? Will she rely on God to direct her path and protect her and those she loves?
"I choose to have hope. Will you?"
Jody Hedlund has quickly become one of my absolute favorite authors! When I pick up one of her books, I know that nothing will get done until I finish! Although, this week I did manage to make Cornish Pasties. All thanks to a little inspiration from the book. Pasties has long been a family favorite recipe! Now down to business. I think it is safe to day that Undaunted Hope is my favorite book of the Beacons of Hope series. Tessa must face her fears and her past. How many times have we made a vow out of fear? Is God calling us to face that fear and overcome it? Know that He is with you every step of the way. And that you will come through it stronger. I could relate to Tessa very well! She stands up for truth and justice. Her heart aches for the people to be treated fairly and with respect. She is a brave woman. It was a pure delight to watch her discover her strength and find her true identity in Christ. This is an excellent book and one that I know I will read again.
If you have not read the first two books, I recommend you start with Out of the Storm it is the prequel to Love Unexpected. Undaunted Hope brings the story around full circle. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that book four, Forever Safe, will be releasing later this year as well!
I received a free digital copy of Undaunted Hope from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Tessa hopes to outrun her past by escaping to Eagle Harbor in the fall of 1871. There she becomes the new school teacher, even though the town requested a male teacher. Percival Updegraff runs the town like a king. No one dares to stand up to him for fear of what he will do. Tessa has vowed to never step foot into another lighthouse again. But then the local light keeper, Michael Bjorklund, and his assistant and brother, Alex, begin vying for her attention. Micheal's children long for a mother, and even though Alex would sacrifice anything for his brother, can he give up the woman he loves? As winter sets in and difficulties arise, will Tessa stay strong in the face of evil? Can she overcome her fears? Will she rely on God to direct her path and protect her and those she loves?
"I choose to have hope. Will you?"
Jody Hedlund has quickly become one of my absolute favorite authors! When I pick up one of her books, I know that nothing will get done until I finish! Although, this week I did manage to make Cornish Pasties. All thanks to a little inspiration from the book. Pasties has long been a family favorite recipe! Now down to business. I think it is safe to day that Undaunted Hope is my favorite book of the Beacons of Hope series. Tessa must face her fears and her past. How many times have we made a vow out of fear? Is God calling us to face that fear and overcome it? Know that He is with you every step of the way. And that you will come through it stronger. I could relate to Tessa very well! She stands up for truth and justice. Her heart aches for the people to be treated fairly and with respect. She is a brave woman. It was a pure delight to watch her discover her strength and find her true identity in Christ. This is an excellent book and one that I know I will read again.
If you have not read the first two books, I recommend you start with Out of the Storm it is the prequel to Love Unexpected. Undaunted Hope brings the story around full circle. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that book four, Forever Safe, will be releasing later this year as well!
I received a free digital copy of Undaunted Hope from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Heartbeat Thief in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Strangely enough, I enjoyed <i>The Heartbeat Thief</i>. Senza is the most perfect character I've ever met she's flawless, admired, wealthy, loved, intelligent. She knows it, but she doesn't want to flaunt it, which is what I really liked about Senza as a character. She hates going to parties and balls, and she dreads getting married off to a man that she doesn't want. I think I have a thing for characters who have an inner rebel in them.
Senza seems to have a perfect life until her grandmother dies. After that, she seems lost and obviously wants to carve her own path in life instead of letting her mother take the reins from her. Her discovery of eternal life is almost like a deal with a devil. She has to sacrifice her life to become immortal and keep her looks forever, but she has to carefully steal the heartbeats of another if she wants to keep her immortality. If she's not careful, those around her would be able to find out about her and accuse of witchcraft or something equally sinister.
<blockquote>Your spell must be fed, one heartbeat at a time. You must learn to steal them from the living. One here, one there. A person will not notice a skipped beat, and they must never know it is you who is making them skip. And you must do it, or the spell will fade and die.</blockquote>
Krafton's latest novel is a book I'm just interested in how the story will play out. Senza doesn't really come across as a selfish person in general until she decides to play with the strings of fate. As time goes by, she has to disguise herself from those around her so they don't find out what she did. Senza goes from place to place and she meets all kinds of people from all walks of life throughout the book. There's not exactly a clear plot going on here, and I almost expected a tragic ending where karma decided to finally bite back at Senza.
<i>The Heartbeat Thief</i> is a book with a unique storyline where one eventually realizes just what kind of price is really paid when death is defied. It's nicely done for a book where there's a character who doesn't have any flaws whatsoever.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-heartbeat-thief-by-aj-krafton/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Strangely enough, I enjoyed <i>The Heartbeat Thief</i>. Senza is the most perfect character I've ever met she's flawless, admired, wealthy, loved, intelligent. She knows it, but she doesn't want to flaunt it, which is what I really liked about Senza as a character. She hates going to parties and balls, and she dreads getting married off to a man that she doesn't want. I think I have a thing for characters who have an inner rebel in them.
Senza seems to have a perfect life until her grandmother dies. After that, she seems lost and obviously wants to carve her own path in life instead of letting her mother take the reins from her. Her discovery of eternal life is almost like a deal with a devil. She has to sacrifice her life to become immortal and keep her looks forever, but she has to carefully steal the heartbeats of another if she wants to keep her immortality. If she's not careful, those around her would be able to find out about her and accuse of witchcraft or something equally sinister.
<blockquote>Your spell must be fed, one heartbeat at a time. You must learn to steal them from the living. One here, one there. A person will not notice a skipped beat, and they must never know it is you who is making them skip. And you must do it, or the spell will fade and die.</blockquote>
Krafton's latest novel is a book I'm just interested in how the story will play out. Senza doesn't really come across as a selfish person in general until she decides to play with the strings of fate. As time goes by, she has to disguise herself from those around her so they don't find out what she did. Senza goes from place to place and she meets all kinds of people from all walks of life throughout the book. There's not exactly a clear plot going on here, and I almost expected a tragic ending where karma decided to finally bite back at Senza.
<i>The Heartbeat Thief</i> is a book with a unique storyline where one eventually realizes just what kind of price is really paid when death is defied. It's nicely done for a book where there's a character who doesn't have any flaws whatsoever.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-heartbeat-thief-by-aj-krafton/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
RavenclawPrincess913 (253 KP) rated The Sunbearer Trials in Books
Sep 8, 2022
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas is a five out of five stars. I loved it and it was hard to put down once the Trials started. The Golds who take part in the Trials are Ocelo, Marino, Twins: Auristela, Aurelio, Atzi, Xochi, Dezi and Niya. The Jades who takes part are Xio and our main character Teo Son of Quetzal. The Sunbearer Trials are trials that take place to decide who will be this decade's Sunbearer and who will be the one sacrificed in order to fuel the Sol Stone for the next ten years to keep the people safe from the Obsidians. The Obsidian God's were locked away when Sol sacrificed themselves to protect their people. If a sacrifice doesn't take place every ten years to refuel the stone they will be set free. The eight golds and two jades must compete in five Trials to see who Sol deems worthy enough of being Sunbearer and the one who is sacrificed to protect all others.
This boom had a lot of action which I loved and made it very interesting. I love books that are action packed. Some Trials were more interesting than the others. My favorite was probably the trial where Aurelio and Teo teamed up and won it. They were friends when little so it must have been nice being able to work together again. I also loved the animal one the animal that Teo collected was so cute. The trial they had to collect all the stones seems fun as well. The last one was pretty scary though especially Auristela's outburst at the end of it. By the end of the book I was crying. Teo, Nina and Xio were friends throughout the Trials but I always had a bad feeling about Xio. Something about him just seemed off. So I was surprised but not surprised by their betrayal at the end.
My least favorite character of the ten competitors was probably Ocelo. He just gives off bad vibes. It was Auristela at first to but I came to realize deep down she was just trying to protect her twin brother Aurelio and help him to become Sunbearer. She wanted this for him so their mom would deem him worthy and stop treating him so badly.
Outside the Trials my favorite scene was probably when Aurelio and Teo sneaked off the boat to get the candy to cheer up Niya. I loved when Aurelio touched Teo's wings it was cute. If you love books with God's, Goddesses, and their children I definitely recommend reading this. Also, I love the cover it fits the story perfectly.
This boom had a lot of action which I loved and made it very interesting. I love books that are action packed. Some Trials were more interesting than the others. My favorite was probably the trial where Aurelio and Teo teamed up and won it. They were friends when little so it must have been nice being able to work together again. I also loved the animal one the animal that Teo collected was so cute. The trial they had to collect all the stones seems fun as well. The last one was pretty scary though especially Auristela's outburst at the end of it. By the end of the book I was crying. Teo, Nina and Xio were friends throughout the Trials but I always had a bad feeling about Xio. Something about him just seemed off. So I was surprised but not surprised by their betrayal at the end.
My least favorite character of the ten competitors was probably Ocelo. He just gives off bad vibes. It was Auristela at first to but I came to realize deep down she was just trying to protect her twin brother Aurelio and help him to become Sunbearer. She wanted this for him so their mom would deem him worthy and stop treating him so badly.
Outside the Trials my favorite scene was probably when Aurelio and Teo sneaked off the boat to get the candy to cheer up Niya. I loved when Aurelio touched Teo's wings it was cute. If you love books with God's, Goddesses, and their children I definitely recommend reading this. Also, I love the cover it fits the story perfectly.