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Natacha (374 KP) rated Kings of the Wyld in Books
Sep 29, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
This was another book that I picked after it was recommended from one of my favourite Youtuber, Holly Heats Books, and as always I wasn't disappointed.
Kings of the Wyld is a "getting out of retirement of one last job" story. A band of five getting back together to save the daughter of one of them. The story is very well written, action-packed with a touch on humour here and there.
Things I liked:
-All the characters are very well written. They all have their own unique voice, personality and they offer something different to the band as well as the story.
-The relationships between all the characters are well crafted. By the end, you know and feel how close this band is and how much they love each other.
-I generally adore when an action/adventure book or movie has just a hint of comic relief without going overboard and turning it into stupid moments. And the author knows exactly when and where to add this little moment of humour to make you laugh without turning the story into ridicule. Love, love that!
-You never get bored. There is always something happening, twists and turns and obstacles being thrown to our heroes, without the story getting repetitive.
-They weren't a lot of twists and most were obvious but one of them I didn't see it coming. Maybe if I had paid more attention I could have seen it coming but I didn't so I was quite surprised.
-The final battle. I spend the entire book wondering how 5 guys will manager to fight a whole army. And the answer wasn't something that I was expecting and it was epic! Maybe with some clichés, like the "final speech to get people to follow you", but they were all so well done!
Things I didn't like:
-The fantasy world contains EVERY creature ever mentioned in fantasy, folk stories, and mythologies. From dragons and orcs to merpeople to vampires and werewolves. Which is amazing and interesting but... because there are so many creatures mentioned some of them are not described maybe because we should know how they look (?) and if you add all the author places and his own fantasy creature some time I got confused and overwhelmed and didn't necessarily know what kind of creature the author is talking about and I couldn't picture the scene properly in my mind.
-Magic has no rules. Which I don't really mind but.... [Spoiler] at some point it was used in a way that kind of put me off. Towards the end, our primary MC loses his hand and I liked the fact that the author didn't shy away from injuring his character but... this was fixed a chapter later with a magic potion that just made his hand grow back. What? Why? And this is where a draw the line on the "magic with no rules". Don't use random magic as a way to "fix" your character because you didn't want them to be hurt after all! Scars are witness to our own story and our past. Those guys went through a crazy adventure they should have scares and injuries, so if one of them loses his hand during a battle why go back on that a chapter later with a convenient magic potion. I was quite mad about that part but it was just a minor part of the story.
Despite a couple of tiny details, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. It was one of the best books I've read so far this year.
The review can also be found here: https://natachainreviewland.wordpress.com/2019/09/29/king-of-the-wyld-by-nicholas-eames/
Kings of the Wyld is a "getting out of retirement of one last job" story. A band of five getting back together to save the daughter of one of them. The story is very well written, action-packed with a touch on humour here and there.
Things I liked:
-All the characters are very well written. They all have their own unique voice, personality and they offer something different to the band as well as the story.
-The relationships between all the characters are well crafted. By the end, you know and feel how close this band is and how much they love each other.
-I generally adore when an action/adventure book or movie has just a hint of comic relief without going overboard and turning it into stupid moments. And the author knows exactly when and where to add this little moment of humour to make you laugh without turning the story into ridicule. Love, love that!
-You never get bored. There is always something happening, twists and turns and obstacles being thrown to our heroes, without the story getting repetitive.
-They weren't a lot of twists and most were obvious but one of them I didn't see it coming. Maybe if I had paid more attention I could have seen it coming but I didn't so I was quite surprised.
-The final battle. I spend the entire book wondering how 5 guys will manager to fight a whole army. And the answer wasn't something that I was expecting and it was epic! Maybe with some clichés, like the "final speech to get people to follow you", but they were all so well done!
Things I didn't like:
-The fantasy world contains EVERY creature ever mentioned in fantasy, folk stories, and mythologies. From dragons and orcs to merpeople to vampires and werewolves. Which is amazing and interesting but... because there are so many creatures mentioned some of them are not described maybe because we should know how they look (?) and if you add all the author places and his own fantasy creature some time I got confused and overwhelmed and didn't necessarily know what kind of creature the author is talking about and I couldn't picture the scene properly in my mind.
-Magic has no rules. Which I don't really mind but.... [Spoiler] at some point it was used in a way that kind of put me off. Towards the end, our primary MC loses his hand and I liked the fact that the author didn't shy away from injuring his character but... this was fixed a chapter later with a magic potion that just made his hand grow back. What? Why? And this is where a draw the line on the "magic with no rules". Don't use random magic as a way to "fix" your character because you didn't want them to be hurt after all! Scars are witness to our own story and our past. Those guys went through a crazy adventure they should have scares and injuries, so if one of them loses his hand during a battle why go back on that a chapter later with a convenient magic potion. I was quite mad about that part but it was just a minor part of the story.
Despite a couple of tiny details, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. It was one of the best books I've read so far this year.
The review can also be found here: https://natachainreviewland.wordpress.com/2019/09/29/king-of-the-wyld-by-nicholas-eames/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Never Look Back in Books
Sep 2, 2019
For Quentin Garrison, his podcast, entitled Closure, is truly about just that--closure. It centers on a series of murders in the 1970s committed by teens Gabriel LeRoy and April Cooper. The victims included Quentin's mother's little sister and his grandmother. As a result, Quentin has spent most of his life raised by a neglectful, drug addict mom. For Robin Diamond, a columnist, the podcast causes only confusion. When Quentin contacts her about it, asking specifically about April Cooper and tying her to Robin's own mother, Robin is bewildered. But the more she delves into the murders, the more she starts to wonder. Then there's a terrible home invasion at her parent's house, killing her father and leaving her mom unconscious. What exactly happened back in the '70s--and, now, in the home invasion?
This was an excellent thriller that had me hooked from the first page. It's dark, gritty, and utterly mesmerizing. When I started it, I was thinking to myself, not another podcast mystery, but little did I know... this book is totally addictive and brings in the podcast element in a seamless, fresh way.
It's told from the perspective of several of our main characters--particularly Robin and Quentin. We also get excerpts from a school assignment of April's when she was fifteen: letters to her future child. These slowly reveal what happened during the killings, and they are told in a spot-on voice of a fifteen-year-old girl. The way everything is woven together is perfect: I found myself completely captivated and read basically the last half of the book in one breathless setting, staying up past my bedtime to finish it.
We learn that both Gabriel and April died in a fire at the site of their last attempted murder. So when Quentin receives a tip claiming that April Cooper is still alive, it changes everything, including the focus of his podcast. When he starts to believe that Robin's mother is April, things get even more interesting. I loved the suspense--constantly wondering if April was alive and if she was, who she could be. And then, there's the aspect of was April "good" or "bad" during the killings. So many people blamed her for the deaths of their loved ones, and nothing is black or white in this book.
Even Quentin. Since his past is strongly affected by the murders, we find ourselves wondering if we can trust him, too. Quentin's grandfather basically gave up raising his daughter, Kate--Quentin's mother--after the death of his wife and young daughter. As such, Quentin's own mother wasn't much of a parent to him. Quentin's own bitterness and anger shines through--a strong theme in the book. Can we rely on someone so angry, we wonder? I felt for him, and his devoted husband and loving best friend and podcast partner. So many of the characters are intense, and each is so well-crafted and unique. Each flew off the page.
This is often a dark book, and there are many scenes of violence. But, for me, it was the emotional scenes that were the toughest to read. There are many touching moments, too, and I found myself attached to several of the characters. Reading young April's letters was quite a feat. Gaylin is such an excellent writer, and she just pulls you into the story so effortlessly--you feel as if you are there with her characters. Throw in some great twists and turns and this is an excellent and suspenseful novel.
The ending was a tough one, but I get it. Overall, I really enjoyed this dark psychological thriller. I am just loving Gaylin's recent books and need to go back and read some of her previous works (there's a little Brenna Spector shoutout in this one for those of you who are fans). Definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
This was an excellent thriller that had me hooked from the first page. It's dark, gritty, and utterly mesmerizing. When I started it, I was thinking to myself, not another podcast mystery, but little did I know... this book is totally addictive and brings in the podcast element in a seamless, fresh way.
It's told from the perspective of several of our main characters--particularly Robin and Quentin. We also get excerpts from a school assignment of April's when she was fifteen: letters to her future child. These slowly reveal what happened during the killings, and they are told in a spot-on voice of a fifteen-year-old girl. The way everything is woven together is perfect: I found myself completely captivated and read basically the last half of the book in one breathless setting, staying up past my bedtime to finish it.
We learn that both Gabriel and April died in a fire at the site of their last attempted murder. So when Quentin receives a tip claiming that April Cooper is still alive, it changes everything, including the focus of his podcast. When he starts to believe that Robin's mother is April, things get even more interesting. I loved the suspense--constantly wondering if April was alive and if she was, who she could be. And then, there's the aspect of was April "good" or "bad" during the killings. So many people blamed her for the deaths of their loved ones, and nothing is black or white in this book.
Even Quentin. Since his past is strongly affected by the murders, we find ourselves wondering if we can trust him, too. Quentin's grandfather basically gave up raising his daughter, Kate--Quentin's mother--after the death of his wife and young daughter. As such, Quentin's own mother wasn't much of a parent to him. Quentin's own bitterness and anger shines through--a strong theme in the book. Can we rely on someone so angry, we wonder? I felt for him, and his devoted husband and loving best friend and podcast partner. So many of the characters are intense, and each is so well-crafted and unique. Each flew off the page.
This is often a dark book, and there are many scenes of violence. But, for me, it was the emotional scenes that were the toughest to read. There are many touching moments, too, and I found myself attached to several of the characters. Reading young April's letters was quite a feat. Gaylin is such an excellent writer, and she just pulls you into the story so effortlessly--you feel as if you are there with her characters. Throw in some great twists and turns and this is an excellent and suspenseful novel.
The ending was a tough one, but I get it. Overall, I really enjoyed this dark psychological thriller. I am just loving Gaylin's recent books and need to go back and read some of her previous works (there's a little Brenna Spector shoutout in this one for those of you who are fans). Definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
Becs (244 KP) rated Of Mice and Men in Books
Oct 2, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, a (somewhat) great historical fiction novel. I was just appalled by how slow the middle of the book was. I was so excited to read this book, as I’ve heard such great things about it. When I started, it was a little bumpy but as I kept reading, the road just kept becoming almost unbearable to continue. The ending though, spot on and definitely kicked my attention back into place. In all aspects, Of Mice and Men deserves a solid four gold stars. Reasons why below.
Genre: Literary classic, historical fiction
Audience: I definitely recommend at least a high schooler or up to read it. As it’s a little controversial and a bit harder of a read for a younger crowd.
Difficulty Reading: I almost put this down to never pick up and read again. I was about a millimeter away from doing it. But I have a thing against never finishing a book or DNF. If I’m going to pick something up and start reading it, I HAVE TO finish it, something about having an unfinished book doesn’t sit right with me. So, the answer is yes. This was a bit more of a difficult read. Now that it’s finished, I’m glad I stuck through and read the rest of the novel.
Insights: John Steinbeck is a great author and writer. I’ve read a few of his other novels and have loved them. Of Mice and Men just does not compare to the others. Maybe it’s the way that the characters speak. Maybe it’s the topic. Maybe it’s just Steinbeck lost touch with his writing when creating Of Mice and Men. Who knows, apparently some think that this novel is a piece of art. I mean, it’s still being sold nationwide. That must mean it’s somewhat good, right?
Ah-Ha Moment: When I found out that Lennie has a bit of a mental handicap issue. (This honestly sounds so bad in writing but I’m not trying to be rude about people who are mentally handicapped. I use to work as a caretaker for them and I loved it.) To continue on. You typically don’t see this style of character in this novels era. It was refreshing and different from other literary classic novels.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Favorite Quotes: “Trouble with mice is you always kill ’em. ” – Honestly, this is a perfect short, one sentence summary of the novel. If you don’t want to read Of Mice and Men, what happens is: you have George and Lennie, always traveling together. Lennie is mentally handicapped and likes to pet soft things. He gets in trouble in Weed by touching a female’s dress and not letting go when she screams. They run and come to find work bucking barley. Here, Lennie kills a newborn pup then kills Curley’s wife. George shoots Lennie in the back of the head and the novel ends.
***END OF SPOILERS***
“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.” – I mean, you’re not wrong George. Ranchhands are typically pretty lonely, especially in those olden days.
What will you gain: A love-hate relationship for this novel. Seriously. I love it so much I gave it four gold stars. But I hate it so much because man, it was a bit of a bore.
“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
Genre: Literary classic, historical fiction
Audience: I definitely recommend at least a high schooler or up to read it. As it’s a little controversial and a bit harder of a read for a younger crowd.
Difficulty Reading: I almost put this down to never pick up and read again. I was about a millimeter away from doing it. But I have a thing against never finishing a book or DNF. If I’m going to pick something up and start reading it, I HAVE TO finish it, something about having an unfinished book doesn’t sit right with me. So, the answer is yes. This was a bit more of a difficult read. Now that it’s finished, I’m glad I stuck through and read the rest of the novel.
Insights: John Steinbeck is a great author and writer. I’ve read a few of his other novels and have loved them. Of Mice and Men just does not compare to the others. Maybe it’s the way that the characters speak. Maybe it’s the topic. Maybe it’s just Steinbeck lost touch with his writing when creating Of Mice and Men. Who knows, apparently some think that this novel is a piece of art. I mean, it’s still being sold nationwide. That must mean it’s somewhat good, right?
Ah-Ha Moment: When I found out that Lennie has a bit of a mental handicap issue. (This honestly sounds so bad in writing but I’m not trying to be rude about people who are mentally handicapped. I use to work as a caretaker for them and I loved it.) To continue on. You typically don’t see this style of character in this novels era. It was refreshing and different from other literary classic novels.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Favorite Quotes: “Trouble with mice is you always kill ’em. ” – Honestly, this is a perfect short, one sentence summary of the novel. If you don’t want to read Of Mice and Men, what happens is: you have George and Lennie, always traveling together. Lennie is mentally handicapped and likes to pet soft things. He gets in trouble in Weed by touching a female’s dress and not letting go when she screams. They run and come to find work bucking barley. Here, Lennie kills a newborn pup then kills Curley’s wife. George shoots Lennie in the back of the head and the novel ends.
***END OF SPOILERS***
“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.” – I mean, you’re not wrong George. Ranchhands are typically pretty lonely, especially in those olden days.
What will you gain: A love-hate relationship for this novel. Seriously. I love it so much I gave it four gold stars. But I hate it so much because man, it was a bit of a bore.
“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Party Bandimals in Tabletop Games
Oct 8, 2019
Band geeks. We all were bullied as kids. Walking to/from school with our super uncool instrument cases in our hands. All throughout our schooldays knowing that we were near the bottom of the popularity barrel. Then something happens. We become adults, join a band, sell merchandise, and all of a sudden it’s cool to be in a band and everyone wants to hang out. None of this has anything to do with the game I’m previewing right now, but this is a PSA – treat your band kids well so they can flourish and grow and become invincible bad-asses that seriously rock.
Party Bandimals is a card game where players are band managers looking to fill out their respective musical groups that feature anthropomorphic animals playing musical instruments. Each turn players are trying to boost their own bands with wicked rad band members while simultaneously subbing in the uncool members to their opponents’ bands.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. As this is a preview copy of the game, I do not know if the final rules or components will be similar or different to what we were provided. -T
A game of Party Bandimals takes place over a series of rounds. The first player to amass a band whose total strength equals or exceeds 11 (net). Each animal card has a number printed in the upper left hand corner indicating its strength, be it positive or negative. Positive numbered cards are played to your band tableau and negative cards to an opponent’s band – thus lowering their total strength score.
To setup shuffle the cards and deal three to each player. Any player that has received any cards with the “Play when drawn” icon must discard those and draw up to three. You are now ready to play.
On your turn you draw up to four cards and then play a card from your hand. Any card drawn with the “Play when drawn” icon (see “Bob” above) will be played immediately. Otherwise, you may choose any card in your hand to be played. These could be band members or other events. Some cards are designed to be played as reaction cards to other opponents’ plays and can be played out of turn. That’s it! The rules and game play are very light, and games are very quick.
Components: This is a card game. Mine came in a tin, though I do not know if that is the plan for when the game goes retail or as result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. The cards are good quality, and the art on them is very cool. The names are sometimes hilarious and the art reflects that as well. Each character has a personality, and some are even inspired by the designer’s friends and family. I didn’t see any trumpet playing Travis cards, so maybe that’s in the works…
So here are my thoughts on Party Bandimals. It’s a really quick game with some interesting decisions and LOTS of take that. I mean, you’re trying to put a band together of the sickest entertainers out there, but so are your opponents. You are pawning off the bad musicians on your friends opponents and keeping all the good musicians. It really works well when you want a super quick filler with a great theme, fun art (I mean, look at lil Elanor up there on that harmonica solo), and grudges to be formed. If your group likes take that games, or at least don’t get all bent out of shape, then you should check out Party Bandimals. It’s quick, fun, and has a great theme. What more do you want, people???
Party Bandimals is a card game where players are band managers looking to fill out their respective musical groups that feature anthropomorphic animals playing musical instruments. Each turn players are trying to boost their own bands with wicked rad band members while simultaneously subbing in the uncool members to their opponents’ bands.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. As this is a preview copy of the game, I do not know if the final rules or components will be similar or different to what we were provided. -T
A game of Party Bandimals takes place over a series of rounds. The first player to amass a band whose total strength equals or exceeds 11 (net). Each animal card has a number printed in the upper left hand corner indicating its strength, be it positive or negative. Positive numbered cards are played to your band tableau and negative cards to an opponent’s band – thus lowering their total strength score.
To setup shuffle the cards and deal three to each player. Any player that has received any cards with the “Play when drawn” icon must discard those and draw up to three. You are now ready to play.
On your turn you draw up to four cards and then play a card from your hand. Any card drawn with the “Play when drawn” icon (see “Bob” above) will be played immediately. Otherwise, you may choose any card in your hand to be played. These could be band members or other events. Some cards are designed to be played as reaction cards to other opponents’ plays and can be played out of turn. That’s it! The rules and game play are very light, and games are very quick.
Components: This is a card game. Mine came in a tin, though I do not know if that is the plan for when the game goes retail or as result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. The cards are good quality, and the art on them is very cool. The names are sometimes hilarious and the art reflects that as well. Each character has a personality, and some are even inspired by the designer’s friends and family. I didn’t see any trumpet playing Travis cards, so maybe that’s in the works…
So here are my thoughts on Party Bandimals. It’s a really quick game with some interesting decisions and LOTS of take that. I mean, you’re trying to put a band together of the sickest entertainers out there, but so are your opponents. You are pawning off the bad musicians on your friends opponents and keeping all the good musicians. It really works well when you want a super quick filler with a great theme, fun art (I mean, look at lil Elanor up there on that harmonica solo), and grudges to be formed. If your group likes take that games, or at least don’t get all bent out of shape, then you should check out Party Bandimals. It’s quick, fun, and has a great theme. What more do you want, people???
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