Search
Search results
Firefax
Book
"I would advise you, young man, to take care around anyone with the surname Firefax. I know not if...
Merissa (14190 KP) rated The Treasure of Rigmore House (Betwixt the Sea and Shore #3) in Books
Mar 26, 2024
THE TREASURE OF RIGMORE HOUSE is the third book in the Betwixt the Sea and Shore series, set in 18th-century Scotland, complete with Selkies, Kelpies, Trows, and Banshees!
We have seen Muireall in the previous two books. We see a different side to the one she usually presents in this story, together with the reasons for her behaviour. And then we have Niall, also known from the first two stories. If he's back in town, then trouble will surely follow... right?
The slow-burn between these two was a delight to read, especially when Muireall lets herself be true to who she really is, rather than who she is expected to be. Both of these characters have a redemption arc for differing reasons, and it was good to see it happen.
It was also good to see Briony and Adaira moving forward with their lives, and how it intermingled with Muireall and Niall's.
A great addition to the series that will both satisfy and leave you wanting more. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 26, 2024
We have seen Muireall in the previous two books. We see a different side to the one she usually presents in this story, together with the reasons for her behaviour. And then we have Niall, also known from the first two stories. If he's back in town, then trouble will surely follow... right?
The slow-burn between these two was a delight to read, especially when Muireall lets herself be true to who she really is, rather than who she is expected to be. Both of these characters have a redemption arc for differing reasons, and it was good to see it happen.
It was also good to see Briony and Adaira moving forward with their lives, and how it intermingled with Muireall and Niall's.
A great addition to the series that will both satisfy and leave you wanting more. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 26, 2024
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream
6.7
Rate It
Book
A global phenomenon, The Alchemist has been read and loved by over 62 million readers, topping...
Twist of Time
8.0
Rate It
Book
A fast-paced thriller by Emmy Award-nominated screenwriter, producer, and director Gy Waldron ...
Thriller
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2660 KP) rated The Ninja’s Illusion in Books
Apr 17, 2026 (Updated Apr 17, 2026)
Murder, Mayhem, and Magic in Japan
Jaya has a week off for Thanksgiving break, and she is heading to Kyoto, Japan, where her best friend, Sanjay, is appearing in a televised magic event along with a Japanese star. And Jaya is hoping to connect with a local professor who has just reached out for her help about a trading ship lost to history. Jaya has only been there for a few hours when she realizes a mysterious Ninja is following her. The magician that Sanjay is working with is keeping a secret close to his vest. Then, Sanjay and Jaya find a body at the bottom on an embankment. Can Jaya figure out what is going on in time to keep Sanjay safe?
This book emphasized magic a bit more than treasure hunts, but that element was still here. Either way, outside the pacing once or twice, I enjoyed this book. That included the bit of history we learned along the way. Sanjay annoyed me a little at times, but I understood where he was coming from most of the time. The rest of the cast were great, and I enjoyed the updates we got on the characters. If you haven’t picked up this book yet, you’ll enjoy it.
This book emphasized magic a bit more than treasure hunts, but that element was still here. Either way, outside the pacing once or twice, I enjoyed this book. That included the bit of history we learned along the way. Sanjay annoyed me a little at times, but I understood where he was coming from most of the time. The rest of the cast were great, and I enjoyed the updates we got on the characters. If you haven’t picked up this book yet, you’ll enjoy it.
Lucifer's Triangle (The Trove Chronicles, #1)
9.0
Rate It
Book
In a city where belief means everything, putting your faith in the wrong person can get you killed. ...
Thriller Historical Elements
Red Wolf Hunting (Wolves Ever After #2)
8.0
Rate It
Book
This Red is no babe in the woods. He’s a wolf on a mission and no huntress will stand in his way. ...
Young Adult Fantasy Romance
Merissa (14190 KP) rated A Little Christmas: Ozzy's Secret (Season Two) in Books
Nov 30, 2023
A LITTLE CHRISTMAS: OZZY'S SECRET is part of the multi-author series A Little Christmas Season Two.
It starts off very dark, with Ozzy saying red but being talked out of it. He is in a bad way and doesn't realise how he's being groomed and humiliated, with his own wants and needs being ignored. Trent rescues him but has his own issues to deal with before he can be with Ozzy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story but there were parts I wanted more of - in particular, I wanted Ozzy to open up to Trent with all he had been through, and to see Trent treasure him as the Little Prince he calls him. Although his back would take time to heal, I felt as though we saw more of that, plus the trauma from the other abuse, than we did seeing Trent and Ozzy together, healing and loving each other.
A great story and a great addition to the series. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 30, 2023
It starts off very dark, with Ozzy saying red but being talked out of it. He is in a bad way and doesn't realise how he's being groomed and humiliated, with his own wants and needs being ignored. Trent rescues him but has his own issues to deal with before he can be with Ozzy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story but there were parts I wanted more of - in particular, I wanted Ozzy to open up to Trent with all he had been through, and to see Trent treasure him as the Little Prince he calls him. Although his back would take time to heal, I felt as though we saw more of that, plus the trauma from the other abuse, than we did seeing Trent and Ozzy together, healing and loving each other.
A great story and a great addition to the series. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 30, 2023
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2660 KP) rated The Glass Thief in Books
Jul 29, 2026 (Updated Jul 29, 2026)
Treasure, a Ghost Story, and a Locked Room Murder
Jaya Jones is thrilled when her favorite author, Rick Coronado, asks her to look at his new manuscript. The chapters she receives are about a murder in a locked room in a haunted mansion and a missing statue. Her instincts that there is more to the story prove accurate when she starts making connections to a murder that happened seven years ago. But another death ups the stakes. Can Jaya separate fact from fiction and find the killer and the missing statue?
If that description seems a bit complicated, don’t worry, the book lays everything out very easily. There are multiple twists that up the stakes along the way. It takes some concentration, but things do make sense at the end. While I do wish we saw more of one of the supporting characters, I really liked a subplot involving Jaya’s personal life. While the book is set at Christmas, the holiday vibes are minimal. The new characters are good for their roles in the book. I felt like I was traveling along with Jaya as we visit Paris and Cambodia before the story is over. This is another page turning novel that is hard to put down.
If that description seems a bit complicated, don’t worry, the book lays everything out very easily. There are multiple twists that up the stakes along the way. It takes some concentration, but things do make sense at the end. While I do wish we saw more of one of the supporting characters, I really liked a subplot involving Jaya’s personal life. While the book is set at Christmas, the holiday vibes are minimal. The new characters are good for their roles in the book. I felt like I was traveling along with Jaya as we visit Paris and Cambodia before the story is over. This is another page turning novel that is hard to put down.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Jamaica in Tabletop Games
Sep 22, 2021
I have said before on several reviews that I just love the pirate theme in board games. I don’t really know why, exactly, but most piratey games just click with me. Is it the doubloons? Is it the booty? Yes, it’s probably everything. This time, however, the game is a race around the island, and it will do you well to get past the starting line.
Jamaica a dice-chucking, simultaneous action, hand management racing game set in the year 1708. Player assume the roles of pirate captains and crew traveling around the island of Jamaica deciding the best courses to take and the greatest booty to plunder and bring back across the finish line.
To setup, place the main board in the center of the table. Each player chooses a pirate captain and receives all components of that color. In addition each pirate will receive 3 doubloons, 3 food tokens, and 3 cards drawn to begin their journey. Consult the rulebook to setup the rest of the components, give the starting player the token and dice and the game may begin!
On a turn the starting player will roll the two action dice and places one on the morning action space and one on the evening action space. Each player then chooses a card from their hand of three to play. Once the starting player plays and resolves their card, each other player will do the same. Whatever number is on the morning action die corresponds to the resource or movement amount to be placed in hold or moved on the board. For example, if the dice values are 4 and 3 for morning and evening, respectively, then the players will gain 4 of whatever resource or movement is shown on the left side of their card and 3 of whatever is shown on the right side of their card. There are special rules for placing resources in holds and for landing on certain spots on the game board, which I will have you discover when you play your first game.
On occasion pirates will end their movement on a space already containing another pirate’s shipeeple and, as is customary, a battle ensues. This involves both players choosing the amount of gunpowder (resource) they wish to add to the roll of a combat die. For example, if Laura attacks Josh at the starting line (because one had moved backward and then forward again) and dedicates three gunpowder to the combat and rolls a 4 on the combat die her total is seven. Josh then dedicates his five gunpowder to the combat and rolls a 5 as well for a total of 10. Josh wins and can steal items in one hold space on her ship, steal a treasure card earned at pirate lairs, or give a cursed treasure card to Laura.
Play continues in this fashion until one player crosses the finish line at Port Royal. The round finishes and then players tally points. Points are earned for board space number where their shipeeple finished, doubloons in holds, and positive VP treasure cards. If any cursed treasures are held they are negative VP cards and will be deducted from the player’s total score. The player with the most VP at the end of the game is the winner of the race and thus has bragging rights until the next annual race is held.
Components. The components in Jamaica are stellar, and the art is incredible. Every single component in the box is just wonderful to behold and to handle during play. I especially enjoy the art style employed, even down to the graphic design of the rulebook. Every piece seems to have love and affection poured into them and that is partly why Jamaica is so highly regarded among many (currently ranked 494 on BGG in February 2021).
Another reason pirates dig this (haha see what I did there with the digging as if referencing the hiding of booty… nevermind) is because the gameplay is so smooth and enjoyable. Yes, I have been witness to a game where two players made it not three spaces from the start when the game ended. It was ridiculous and unforgettable. Yes, there are points in the game where you MUST travel backward in order to continue forward in the game. Yes, much of what happens in the game is a result of dice rolls, but choosing the best cards to use in order to maximize the dice results is the crux of the game. No pirates have special abilities, so it is an even playing field, and I love that.
The game is absolutely stunning on the table, easy to pick up and play, and offers so many wonderful memories to be made each time you play. Purple Phoenix Games emphatically gives this one a booty-ful 19 / 24. If you are looking for that niche pirate-themed racing game with treasure stealing and dice rolling, this is it. I have found the perfect game for that slot in your collection. If you are looking for a fun racing game that also includes battles and possibilities of incremental progression, this is it. I can’t speak highly enough about Jamaica, and the only reason it scores a 5 for me instead of a 6 is because I simply cannot play it enough to increase its score. It hits all the buttons for me, but I fear it does not have the wider interest in my group to reach my Top 10.
Jamaica a dice-chucking, simultaneous action, hand management racing game set in the year 1708. Player assume the roles of pirate captains and crew traveling around the island of Jamaica deciding the best courses to take and the greatest booty to plunder and bring back across the finish line.
To setup, place the main board in the center of the table. Each player chooses a pirate captain and receives all components of that color. In addition each pirate will receive 3 doubloons, 3 food tokens, and 3 cards drawn to begin their journey. Consult the rulebook to setup the rest of the components, give the starting player the token and dice and the game may begin!
On a turn the starting player will roll the two action dice and places one on the morning action space and one on the evening action space. Each player then chooses a card from their hand of three to play. Once the starting player plays and resolves their card, each other player will do the same. Whatever number is on the morning action die corresponds to the resource or movement amount to be placed in hold or moved on the board. For example, if the dice values are 4 and 3 for morning and evening, respectively, then the players will gain 4 of whatever resource or movement is shown on the left side of their card and 3 of whatever is shown on the right side of their card. There are special rules for placing resources in holds and for landing on certain spots on the game board, which I will have you discover when you play your first game.
On occasion pirates will end their movement on a space already containing another pirate’s shipeeple and, as is customary, a battle ensues. This involves both players choosing the amount of gunpowder (resource) they wish to add to the roll of a combat die. For example, if Laura attacks Josh at the starting line (because one had moved backward and then forward again) and dedicates three gunpowder to the combat and rolls a 4 on the combat die her total is seven. Josh then dedicates his five gunpowder to the combat and rolls a 5 as well for a total of 10. Josh wins and can steal items in one hold space on her ship, steal a treasure card earned at pirate lairs, or give a cursed treasure card to Laura.
Play continues in this fashion until one player crosses the finish line at Port Royal. The round finishes and then players tally points. Points are earned for board space number where their shipeeple finished, doubloons in holds, and positive VP treasure cards. If any cursed treasures are held they are negative VP cards and will be deducted from the player’s total score. The player with the most VP at the end of the game is the winner of the race and thus has bragging rights until the next annual race is held.
Components. The components in Jamaica are stellar, and the art is incredible. Every single component in the box is just wonderful to behold and to handle during play. I especially enjoy the art style employed, even down to the graphic design of the rulebook. Every piece seems to have love and affection poured into them and that is partly why Jamaica is so highly regarded among many (currently ranked 494 on BGG in February 2021).
Another reason pirates dig this (haha see what I did there with the digging as if referencing the hiding of booty… nevermind) is because the gameplay is so smooth and enjoyable. Yes, I have been witness to a game where two players made it not three spaces from the start when the game ended. It was ridiculous and unforgettable. Yes, there are points in the game where you MUST travel backward in order to continue forward in the game. Yes, much of what happens in the game is a result of dice rolls, but choosing the best cards to use in order to maximize the dice results is the crux of the game. No pirates have special abilities, so it is an even playing field, and I love that.
The game is absolutely stunning on the table, easy to pick up and play, and offers so many wonderful memories to be made each time you play. Purple Phoenix Games emphatically gives this one a booty-ful 19 / 24. If you are looking for that niche pirate-themed racing game with treasure stealing and dice rolling, this is it. I have found the perfect game for that slot in your collection. If you are looking for a fun racing game that also includes battles and possibilities of incremental progression, this is it. I can’t speak highly enough about Jamaica, and the only reason it scores a 5 for me instead of a 6 is because I simply cannot play it enough to increase its score. It hits all the buttons for me, but I fear it does not have the wider interest in my group to reach my Top 10.
