
Island Tribe 2
Games and Entertainment
App
Get ready for new adventures in the second part of the Island Tribe iPhone series! Be one of the...

Barcode Knight
Games
App
The sequel to Barcode Kingdom has finally launched! Teleport to a dungeon by offering a barcode up...

Day of the Tentacle Remastered
Games
App
Dr. Fred’s mutated purple tentacle is about to take over the world, and only you can stop him! ...

Serpent in the Heather (Dark Talents #2)
Book
Kim Tavistock, now officially working for the Secret Intelligence Service, returns to solve another...

The Golden Specific (The Mapmakers Trilogy #2)
Book
The eagerly-awaited sequel to the best-selling The Glass Sentence -- a historical, fantastical...
alternate universe time travel

Return to Dark Tower
Tabletop Game
For an age, the tower lay in ruins. Unbeknownst to the people of the realm, a great evil stirred in...
Boardgames OldGamesMadeNew RestorationGames 2020Games

David McK (3600 KP) rated Dark Force Rising (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, #2) in Books
Aug 27, 2021
Now considered non-canon, this series is set five years after the events of 'Return of the Jedi', where Coruscant has now become the seat of the New Republic rather than of the Empire, and where Leia and Han are expecting twins, just as Grand Admiral Thrawn - a character who has made the jump to canon - returns from his mission to the Outer Rim for The Empire and launches a campaign against the forces of the New Republic.
In this mid entry to the series, Leia has to convince the Noghri that The Empire are not who they say they are, whilst Luke hears rumours of a Jedi Master C'Boaoth who has come out of hiding (and is secretly working alongside Thrawn and co) and hopes to learn more about the ways of the Force from said Master.
Meanwhile, Hand and Lando find themselves seeking down the location of the legendary Katana fleet: a fleet of dreadnaughts that went missing during The Clone Wars (here, 50 or so years prior), and that may swing the balance of power in the Galaxy ...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Six Sweets Under in Books
Feb 9, 2023
I’ve been wanting to try a book by this author for a while, so I figured the start of a new series was the perfect time to do that. Plus, I can’t resist a chocolate theme. That aspect made me drool. However, the mystery could have been stronger. We got more theorizing than clue gathering, although Becca did still reach a logical solution. Speaking of Becca, I really appreciated how mature she was, realizing her own fault in one particular sub-plot. And I loved her and the rest of the regulars. Likewise, the setting in fantastic – I’d go visit in a heartbeat if it were real. While I wish the plot were stronger, I’m planning to visit again when the sequel comes out.

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Hooked on Murder (Crochet Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 19, 2023
When I realized this book was set in Southern California, I decided I had to give it a try. While there is a good mystery in here, the pacing is off, and some of the sub-plots slowed things down further. On the other hand, I loved the characters, who are varied and charming. I especially enjoyed the fictional celebrities who showed up. Part of my problem was the writing, which felt a bit vague at times, and kept me from getting fully into Molly’s world. There is a simple crochet project and a delicious sounding recipe at the end. I liked the characters enough to consider picking up the sequel, but it’s not a series I’m going to rush back to.

David McK (3600 KP) rated Ready Player Two in Books
Oct 30, 2021
It also follows the same characters, told in the same first person point of view as previous - I must admit, I initially found that a bit jarring, as I would have expected (with a title such as it is) that it would follow a different character - after all, how often IRL is Player Two the same person as Player One in a computer game?
Anyway, Wade Watts.
Still an obsessed geek; still fan-worshipping the creator of the Oasis James Halliday (at least initially). However, with the release of new technology by the company he now owns that not only allows its user to control an avatar, but to *feel* like they actually are that person - sight, taste, hearing, sensations and all - and with further experiences (I don't want to give too much away), Watts finds his hero-worshipping lessening somewhat.
If I'm honest, I did also find parts of this novel to drag somewhat, especially in the lengthy section where Cline goes into great detail around the Oasis world dedicated to 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince' (which just made me uncomfortable). I also had to shake my head at just how some of the characters behaved ...
(yes, I know they're not real. Still need to to be believable, though!)