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Merissa (13600 KP) rated The Greensward (Pitch & Sickle #4) in Books
Oct 3, 2022
THE GREENSWARD is the fourth book in the Pitch & Sickle series and, as with the other books, this is an ongoing story so you NEED to have read them in order.
These guys never catch a break! Of course, if they did, we probably wouldn't have this story. Trust me though, for me, this was the best of the bunch so far. It was full of action, well-paced action that had me gripped. It's not nice reading in certain parts but oh-so-worth it if you can stick with it.
We learn more about Silas and Tobias' pasts and I really hope Silas shares. These two are only just learning to be there for each other, and his secret may just set them back a few books!
This series just gets better and better. The relationships have changed slowly but I loved it when both Tobias and Silas realised just what the other meant to them.
One thing to mention - I love how local legends have been woven into this series. Each book has its own and I loved how the author has blended them seamlessly with the overall story.
Highly recommended by me and I can't wait for book five!
** 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!
These guys never catch a break! Of course, if they did, we probably wouldn't have this story. Trust me though, for me, this was the best of the bunch so far. It was full of action, well-paced action that had me gripped. It's not nice reading in certain parts but oh-so-worth it if you can stick with it.
We learn more about Silas and Tobias' pasts and I really hope Silas shares. These two are only just learning to be there for each other, and his secret may just set them back a few books!
This series just gets better and better. The relationships have changed slowly but I loved it when both Tobias and Silas realised just what the other meant to them.
One thing to mention - I love how local legends have been woven into this series. Each book has its own and I loved how the author has blended them seamlessly with the overall story.
Highly recommended by me and I can't wait for book five!
** 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!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated Bastille Vs. the Evil Librarians in Books
Feb 15, 2023
Fanciful and Funny Finale. Finally.
This book opens right where the previous one ended. That means Alcatraz is dressed in a tux tied to an altar of outdated encyclopedias in the Highbrary having just experienced two horrific personal losses. That’s when Bastille finally wakes up from her coma and comes rushing in to try to save the day. But with the leader of the librarians on his way to enact his evil plan half way around the world, can anyone stop him? Especially since Alcatraz doesn’t seem to have it in him to fight any more.
I am so glad this middle grade fantasy book finally came out so we could have a proper conclusion to the series. If you are new, don’t jump in here but start at the beginning so you won’t be confused, but those who are fans will be properly rewarded. We have all the same action, humor, and craziness we’ve come to expect. This book does deal with the dark ending of the previous book, and I appreciated how it did that, including the growth it gave us in Alcatraz and Bastille. The rest of the characters are entertaining. And I mentioned the action right? There were so many twists and so much danger I had a hard time putting the book down. I definitely feel like the wait to find out what happened was worth it.
I am so glad this middle grade fantasy book finally came out so we could have a proper conclusion to the series. If you are new, don’t jump in here but start at the beginning so you won’t be confused, but those who are fans will be properly rewarded. We have all the same action, humor, and craziness we’ve come to expect. This book does deal with the dark ending of the previous book, and I appreciated how it did that, including the growth it gave us in Alcatraz and Bastille. The rest of the characters are entertaining. And I mentioned the action right? There were so many twists and so much danger I had a hard time putting the book down. I definitely feel like the wait to find out what happened was worth it.
Love Tools (Bluestone Series, #1)
9.0
Rate It
Book
What happens when the king of casual meets the queen of picking the wrong men? Lily is running....
Contemporary Romance
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated A Peculiar Combination in Books
Aug 24, 2023 (Updated Aug 24, 2023)
A Winning Combination
Electra “Ellie” McDonnell and her uncle supplement their income as locksmiths with the occasional burglary. London in 1940 is ripe with opportunities, but after one late night robbery, they are caught and given a choice – jail or helping Major Ramsey. Ramsey needs someone to break into a safe to retrieve some sensitive documents. Ellie reluctantly agrees, but when she and Ramsey arrives, they are surprised by what they find. As things spiral out of control, can Ellie still help?
When I first heard about this series, I knew I had to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. Obviously, there is a lot of set up needed, but the book moves through it quickly, creating characters along the way. The characters are all sharp from the beginning but become more interesting as the book progresses. We also get Ellie’s history is small doses, which sets up some storylines I can’t wait to read more about. I saw a couple twists coming a few pages early, but every time something happened, I was more drawn into the story. I was expecting a strong romantic sub-plot, but I wasn’t expecting the beginning of a love triangle. The period came to life, and I appreciated that this really couldn’t have taken place at any other point in history. I’ll definitely be back for more, and if you enjoy historical mysteries, you’ll be glad you picked this one up as well.
When I first heard about this series, I knew I had to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. Obviously, there is a lot of set up needed, but the book moves through it quickly, creating characters along the way. The characters are all sharp from the beginning but become more interesting as the book progresses. We also get Ellie’s history is small doses, which sets up some storylines I can’t wait to read more about. I saw a couple twists coming a few pages early, but every time something happened, I was more drawn into the story. I was expecting a strong romantic sub-plot, but I wasn’t expecting the beginning of a love triangle. The period came to life, and I appreciated that this really couldn’t have taken place at any other point in history. I’ll definitely be back for more, and if you enjoy historical mysteries, you’ll be glad you picked this one up as well.
Merissa (13600 KP) rated Twist of Fate (Weavers Of The Ether #2) in Books
Jun 23, 2023
TWIST OF FATE is the second book in the Weavers of the Ether. You don't necessarily have to have read book one but I feel it would help more if you did.
Anyway, this is Wren's story and we start off with her rambling around in a forest, goodness knows where, as she ponders her life and just how she ended up in this position. Then she falls into a trap laid by rogue mages, plus meets two of her three mates. And then the third turns up and the fun really starts.
There were parts of this book that felt slightly disjointed or jerky as the story moved from one thing to another and I was left with unanswered questions. I'm not sure about that epilogue. It felt as though Wren's story was done with when that happened! I will have to wait and see. I am glad to hear other books will be coming in this series though, as this is a world I am enjoying and look forward to learning more about.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and catching up with Soren, Echo, and the rest. Orion is definitely my favourite out of this lot. So let's see what happens next!
** 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!
Jun 23, 2023
Anyway, this is Wren's story and we start off with her rambling around in a forest, goodness knows where, as she ponders her life and just how she ended up in this position. Then she falls into a trap laid by rogue mages, plus meets two of her three mates. And then the third turns up and the fun really starts.
There were parts of this book that felt slightly disjointed or jerky as the story moved from one thing to another and I was left with unanswered questions. I'm not sure about that epilogue. It felt as though Wren's story was done with when that happened! I will have to wait and see. I am glad to hear other books will be coming in this series though, as this is a world I am enjoying and look forward to learning more about.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and catching up with Soren, Echo, and the rest. Orion is definitely my favourite out of this lot. So let's see what happens next!
** 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!
Jun 23, 2023
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Klang in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Klang is a Rhythm/Platformer game and it’s the debut of the developer studio called Tinimations. The environments, visuals, story and gameplay aspects were done by one person named Tom-Ivar Arntzen while the music was done by the EDM composer bLiNd.
The Story:
The premise here is very simple. You assume the role of a tuneblade-wielding elite rave warrior called Klang who wants to free himself from the shackles of a Zeus-like figure named Soundlord Sonus. And so the game begins. There is barely any Story here and it isn’t the focus of the game and it doesn’t contribute to the game whatsoever and if the story is removed entirely, you will barely notice any difference. So if you are the type who plays a game for the story in it or a game that is accompanied by a good premise, then this game isn’t for you. The game focuses mostly on its gameplay aspects.
The Visuals:
The visuals of the game look very beautiful with its Tron-inspired aesthetics. Klang’s design is colorful and stylish. The environment looked gorgeous with all the vibrant neon colors popping out on the screen while you’re playing but on rare occasions, they can be distracting and a bit too much when there are so many things happening at once.
The Sound:
This is one of those games that are worth buying a quality headset or a subwoofer for because the sound design is excellent and the composer bLiNd did a marvelous job with it. Listening to the music with a normal headset or your TV’s sound system doesn’t do it justice. And the way the music and the beat sync with what’s on screen are perfect. The soundtrack is most definitely the best aspect of the game.
The gameplay:
The game mechanics tries to blend rhythm game mechanics and platform game mechanics into one game. That means instead of only pressing buttons that appears on the screen like you normally do in Rhythm games, you also have to traverse the levels by jumping and sliding while pressing the buttons in order to get through the stage.
The controls are fairly simple. Like most 2D games, you use the left thumbstick to move the character left and right and you use the Right thumbstick in one of the eight directions when the icon that looks like a slice of Pizza appears on the screen in one of those eight directions to deflect the incoming attacks. And you use LT to jump and RT to slide throughout the levels.
While blending those game mechanics works very well on most stages, they can also be overwhelming and frustrating at times. For instance, there is a place where you have to dodge lasers by jumping between 5 platforms that falls when the lasers make contact with them (They come back up after a few seconds) so you will have to jump left and right fast and all that combined with rhythm gameplay. It gets very confusing because there are so many things happening at once on the screen and you don’t know whether you should focus on deflecting the attacks or focus on the lasers. One mistake and you are dead so that made it a bit frustrating and annoying instead of challenging. There is a thin line between a game that put your skills to the test and a game that simply frustrates you to cover its flaws.
Unfortunately, I felt like this is the latter because the game itself is very short and if I hadn’t died in the game over 300 times, it would have lasted me an hour. So I felt like the difficulty spike was there just to mask the game’s short length which brings me to the final point in the review.
Difficulty, Length and Replay Value:
The game has three difficulty levels. Easy, Normal and Nightcore Mode. The higher the difficulty, the higher rank you can achieve when you finish a stage. On Easy mode, B Rank is the max possible rank, Normal mode, S Rank is the max possible rank and on Nightcore Mode, SSS Rank is the max possible rank. Also the higher the difficulty, the faster the game music sounds, and the faster the button prompts on screen moves
I started the game on Normal mode it took me 3 hours and 311 deaths to finish. Once you finish the game for the first time, you unlock the hardest mode in the game which is called NightCore mode where everything moves so fast and that includes the music.
In terms of Replay Value, there isn’t much to do after you finish all the stages except for collecting Pirate Tokens which are the in-game collectables that allow you to unlock the game’s Soundtrack in a special level where you can hear them without replaying the other levels just to hear that awesome track.
And you can also replay the game on Nightcore mode if you want to get the highest rank possible in the game. And if you are the Achievement Hunter type then you will find that getting all the achievements will be very time consuming. For instance, there is an achievement that requires you not to die even once throughout the whole game and that is excruciatingly difficult. So, if you are a completionist, then the game will last you for quite a while.
But if you are not, then you won’t find much to do here after you finish its short story mode because it doesn’t have much to offer after that.
Conclusion:
Klang is a great game but its short amount of content and sometimes overwhelmingly difficult levels can put you off. So for that, I give Klang 4/5. Great concept but if the gameplay was more fun and rewarding, and it had more content and unlockables, it would have been a superb game. And I give the developer Tom-Ivar Arntzen SSS for effort and for trying to innovate and do something new with the genre and I am definitely interested to see what he is going to do next.
http://sknr.net/2016/09/23/klang/
The Story:
The premise here is very simple. You assume the role of a tuneblade-wielding elite rave warrior called Klang who wants to free himself from the shackles of a Zeus-like figure named Soundlord Sonus. And so the game begins. There is barely any Story here and it isn’t the focus of the game and it doesn’t contribute to the game whatsoever and if the story is removed entirely, you will barely notice any difference. So if you are the type who plays a game for the story in it or a game that is accompanied by a good premise, then this game isn’t for you. The game focuses mostly on its gameplay aspects.
The Visuals:
The visuals of the game look very beautiful with its Tron-inspired aesthetics. Klang’s design is colorful and stylish. The environment looked gorgeous with all the vibrant neon colors popping out on the screen while you’re playing but on rare occasions, they can be distracting and a bit too much when there are so many things happening at once.
The Sound:
This is one of those games that are worth buying a quality headset or a subwoofer for because the sound design is excellent and the composer bLiNd did a marvelous job with it. Listening to the music with a normal headset or your TV’s sound system doesn’t do it justice. And the way the music and the beat sync with what’s on screen are perfect. The soundtrack is most definitely the best aspect of the game.
The gameplay:
The game mechanics tries to blend rhythm game mechanics and platform game mechanics into one game. That means instead of only pressing buttons that appears on the screen like you normally do in Rhythm games, you also have to traverse the levels by jumping and sliding while pressing the buttons in order to get through the stage.
The controls are fairly simple. Like most 2D games, you use the left thumbstick to move the character left and right and you use the Right thumbstick in one of the eight directions when the icon that looks like a slice of Pizza appears on the screen in one of those eight directions to deflect the incoming attacks. And you use LT to jump and RT to slide throughout the levels.
While blending those game mechanics works very well on most stages, they can also be overwhelming and frustrating at times. For instance, there is a place where you have to dodge lasers by jumping between 5 platforms that falls when the lasers make contact with them (They come back up after a few seconds) so you will have to jump left and right fast and all that combined with rhythm gameplay. It gets very confusing because there are so many things happening at once on the screen and you don’t know whether you should focus on deflecting the attacks or focus on the lasers. One mistake and you are dead so that made it a bit frustrating and annoying instead of challenging. There is a thin line between a game that put your skills to the test and a game that simply frustrates you to cover its flaws.
Unfortunately, I felt like this is the latter because the game itself is very short and if I hadn’t died in the game over 300 times, it would have lasted me an hour. So I felt like the difficulty spike was there just to mask the game’s short length which brings me to the final point in the review.
Difficulty, Length and Replay Value:
The game has three difficulty levels. Easy, Normal and Nightcore Mode. The higher the difficulty, the higher rank you can achieve when you finish a stage. On Easy mode, B Rank is the max possible rank, Normal mode, S Rank is the max possible rank and on Nightcore Mode, SSS Rank is the max possible rank. Also the higher the difficulty, the faster the game music sounds, and the faster the button prompts on screen moves
I started the game on Normal mode it took me 3 hours and 311 deaths to finish. Once you finish the game for the first time, you unlock the hardest mode in the game which is called NightCore mode where everything moves so fast and that includes the music.
In terms of Replay Value, there isn’t much to do after you finish all the stages except for collecting Pirate Tokens which are the in-game collectables that allow you to unlock the game’s Soundtrack in a special level where you can hear them without replaying the other levels just to hear that awesome track.
And you can also replay the game on Nightcore mode if you want to get the highest rank possible in the game. And if you are the Achievement Hunter type then you will find that getting all the achievements will be very time consuming. For instance, there is an achievement that requires you not to die even once throughout the whole game and that is excruciatingly difficult. So, if you are a completionist, then the game will last you for quite a while.
But if you are not, then you won’t find much to do here after you finish its short story mode because it doesn’t have much to offer after that.
Conclusion:
Klang is a great game but its short amount of content and sometimes overwhelmingly difficult levels can put you off. So for that, I give Klang 4/5. Great concept but if the gameplay was more fun and rewarding, and it had more content and unlockables, it would have been a superb game. And I give the developer Tom-Ivar Arntzen SSS for effort and for trying to innovate and do something new with the genre and I am definitely interested to see what he is going to do next.
http://sknr.net/2016/09/23/klang/
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Awkward Guests in Tabletop Games
Aug 6, 2020
One of my favorite classic mass-market games is definitely Clue. Murder, mystery, and a bit of deduction make for an engaging and entertaining game! That being said, even classic games can use a little updating from time to time. Allow me to introduce to you a Clue-on-steroids kind of game named Awkward Guests. How does it hold up to the OG staple? Keep reading to find out!
Mr. Walton has been murdered! You have been called in to investigate and get to the bottom of this gruesome mystery. By interrogating the suspects and the household staff, searching for clues, and examining the crime scene, you must decide WHO the killer is, WHY did they commit the murder, and HOW it was done. There may or may not even be an accomplice that needs to be caught too. Put your deduction skills to the test as you work to be the first investigator to solve the case!
Disclaimer: I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook in this review, but rather give a general overview of the rules and gameplay. To read the entire rulebook, check out the game at your FLGS or directly from the publisher! -L
Awkward Guests is a card game of hand management, trading, and deduction in which the players are trying to be the first player to solve the murder of Mr. Walton. The game is actually pretty simple to play. To start, each player receives a hand of 6 cards and a case tracking sheet. The cards will have one or more references (case information) on them, as well as a value of 1-3 points, depending on the reliability of the information presented on the card. On your turn, you will ask for information about two different references in which you are interested. The other players will then look through their cards, and offer some or all that pertain to the chosen references in trade to the active player. The active player may then choose a player with whom to trade, giving that player any number of cards, as long as their value equals or exceeds the value of the cards received in trade. Look at your new cards, make notes on your case tracking sheet, and play continues to the next player. After all players have inquired and traded cards, players have the opportunity to solve the mystery. You must know WHO, HOW, and WHY, and possibly the identity of the ACCOMPLICE depending on case difficulty, in order to solve the mystery. If nobody is ready to solve, everyone discards their hand down to 3, and draws new cards to a hand size of 6. A new round then begins, and play continues until one player successfully solves the mystery.
When you get down to it, Awkward Guests is easy to learn and play. It mostly consists of trading cards to learn information. That’s it. And that’s what makes it a great game, in my opinion. Although it feels more involved than regular Clue, the gameplay itself is very similar and that familiarity is reassuring. One thing that elevates Awkward Guests above Clue is the fact that it requires so much more strategy than original Clue. In Clue, when asking for information, you are asking 1 specific opponent for information, and they have to provide it if they have it. In Awkward Guests, you are able to ask all opponents for information, and they can offer as much or as little information as they want. It increases the amount of strategy required to play, and takes it from a simple grid movement memory game, to one that encourages deduction and compromise. Since players are trading cards, you never know who is holding what cards at any given time, and that makes it harder to pinpoint the information you may need. You can’t just memorize another player’s hand of cards, because on any given turn that hand has completely changed. Along those lines as well, you have to decide what information you are willing to trade, in hopes of receiving useful information in return. You don’t want to just trade back the same cards to the same players in an effort to stunt their investigation, because that could deter them from trading with you in the future. You have to decide when is the right time to trade, and what information you are willing to hand to your opponents, because you need to be receiving new information as well.
Another brilliant thing about Awkward Guests is the amount of replayability. Each case uses a different combination of cards, and with so many cards, that means that thousands of different game decks could be generated and played as individual cases. The game design and card system boasts a possible total of 3,600 case solutions, each reached through these different card deck combinations. No matter how many times you play, it is almost guaranteed that you will never play the same case twice. That being said, the biggest downside of Awkward Guests for me is the actual game setup and teardown. Each case deck requires certain cards, so that means to set up, you have to search through all 243 cards and pull out only those required for the selected case. And then after the game, you must sort them all back into their correct order. That just takes a bit of time, and makes it a game that can’t just be played on the fly.
One other downside for me when playing Awkward Guests are the player screens. Each player receives a screen to block their case tracking sheet from opponents. As you learn information, you write it on your sheet to help keep track of your notes and accusations throughout the game. The player screens are also reference sheets, providing much gameplay information to alleviate the need to reference the rulebook at every turn. The downside is that there is just SO MUCH information in the player screens. It is quite overwhelming, and honestly, makes the game seem more complicated and confusing than it really is. I appreciate the effort to provide that cheat-sheet, but it needs to be majorly edited and redacted to be truly useful.
Let’s talk components. The game comes with some high quality double-sided case tracking sheets, and nice sturdy cards and cardboard components. It’s pretty simple, but really gets the job done effectively. The artwork is pretty basic and the color scheme is mostly monochromatic. It may not be the most exciting game to look at, but the lack of colors makes it feel appropriately thematic.
Overall, Awkward Guests is a good step-up game from Clue. It requires strategy, deduction, and even though the game is ultimately competitive, selective cooperation is a key to success. As a huge fan of Clue as a child, I can definitely say that I am a fan of Awkward Guests as an adult. Originally printed in a different language, this game was brought to Kickstarter with an English version in 2018, and I am certainly thankful that the decision was made to reprint it in English! If you like deduction games with a twist, I would absolutely recommend giving this one a shot. Purple Phoenix Games gives Awkward Guests a mysterious 17 / 24.
Mr. Walton has been murdered! You have been called in to investigate and get to the bottom of this gruesome mystery. By interrogating the suspects and the household staff, searching for clues, and examining the crime scene, you must decide WHO the killer is, WHY did they commit the murder, and HOW it was done. There may or may not even be an accomplice that needs to be caught too. Put your deduction skills to the test as you work to be the first investigator to solve the case!
Disclaimer: I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook in this review, but rather give a general overview of the rules and gameplay. To read the entire rulebook, check out the game at your FLGS or directly from the publisher! -L
Awkward Guests is a card game of hand management, trading, and deduction in which the players are trying to be the first player to solve the murder of Mr. Walton. The game is actually pretty simple to play. To start, each player receives a hand of 6 cards and a case tracking sheet. The cards will have one or more references (case information) on them, as well as a value of 1-3 points, depending on the reliability of the information presented on the card. On your turn, you will ask for information about two different references in which you are interested. The other players will then look through their cards, and offer some or all that pertain to the chosen references in trade to the active player. The active player may then choose a player with whom to trade, giving that player any number of cards, as long as their value equals or exceeds the value of the cards received in trade. Look at your new cards, make notes on your case tracking sheet, and play continues to the next player. After all players have inquired and traded cards, players have the opportunity to solve the mystery. You must know WHO, HOW, and WHY, and possibly the identity of the ACCOMPLICE depending on case difficulty, in order to solve the mystery. If nobody is ready to solve, everyone discards their hand down to 3, and draws new cards to a hand size of 6. A new round then begins, and play continues until one player successfully solves the mystery.
When you get down to it, Awkward Guests is easy to learn and play. It mostly consists of trading cards to learn information. That’s it. And that’s what makes it a great game, in my opinion. Although it feels more involved than regular Clue, the gameplay itself is very similar and that familiarity is reassuring. One thing that elevates Awkward Guests above Clue is the fact that it requires so much more strategy than original Clue. In Clue, when asking for information, you are asking 1 specific opponent for information, and they have to provide it if they have it. In Awkward Guests, you are able to ask all opponents for information, and they can offer as much or as little information as they want. It increases the amount of strategy required to play, and takes it from a simple grid movement memory game, to one that encourages deduction and compromise. Since players are trading cards, you never know who is holding what cards at any given time, and that makes it harder to pinpoint the information you may need. You can’t just memorize another player’s hand of cards, because on any given turn that hand has completely changed. Along those lines as well, you have to decide what information you are willing to trade, in hopes of receiving useful information in return. You don’t want to just trade back the same cards to the same players in an effort to stunt their investigation, because that could deter them from trading with you in the future. You have to decide when is the right time to trade, and what information you are willing to hand to your opponents, because you need to be receiving new information as well.
Another brilliant thing about Awkward Guests is the amount of replayability. Each case uses a different combination of cards, and with so many cards, that means that thousands of different game decks could be generated and played as individual cases. The game design and card system boasts a possible total of 3,600 case solutions, each reached through these different card deck combinations. No matter how many times you play, it is almost guaranteed that you will never play the same case twice. That being said, the biggest downside of Awkward Guests for me is the actual game setup and teardown. Each case deck requires certain cards, so that means to set up, you have to search through all 243 cards and pull out only those required for the selected case. And then after the game, you must sort them all back into their correct order. That just takes a bit of time, and makes it a game that can’t just be played on the fly.
One other downside for me when playing Awkward Guests are the player screens. Each player receives a screen to block their case tracking sheet from opponents. As you learn information, you write it on your sheet to help keep track of your notes and accusations throughout the game. The player screens are also reference sheets, providing much gameplay information to alleviate the need to reference the rulebook at every turn. The downside is that there is just SO MUCH information in the player screens. It is quite overwhelming, and honestly, makes the game seem more complicated and confusing than it really is. I appreciate the effort to provide that cheat-sheet, but it needs to be majorly edited and redacted to be truly useful.
Let’s talk components. The game comes with some high quality double-sided case tracking sheets, and nice sturdy cards and cardboard components. It’s pretty simple, but really gets the job done effectively. The artwork is pretty basic and the color scheme is mostly monochromatic. It may not be the most exciting game to look at, but the lack of colors makes it feel appropriately thematic.
Overall, Awkward Guests is a good step-up game from Clue. It requires strategy, deduction, and even though the game is ultimately competitive, selective cooperation is a key to success. As a huge fan of Clue as a child, I can definitely say that I am a fan of Awkward Guests as an adult. Originally printed in a different language, this game was brought to Kickstarter with an English version in 2018, and I am certainly thankful that the decision was made to reprint it in English! If you like deduction games with a twist, I would absolutely recommend giving this one a shot. Purple Phoenix Games gives Awkward Guests a mysterious 17 / 24.
Ama (21 KP) rated Detroit (2017) in Movies
Sep 11, 2017
Shattering
The first couple of questions when writing a review here are What's good? and What's bad?
Now, as you've seen I have given this film a full score, but I could not for the life of me put into a sentence what was good about it. It's not a nice film. Nothing about it is good. Except the way it makes you feel with it. But then even that is not a good thing. It's ugly.
I watched Detroit yesterday at the local cinema. I had seen the trailer, knew it was gonna be a tearjerker, knew I would hate the world and myself after watching it.
What I realised is that I completely underestimated the film.
About half an hour to an hour in all I wanted to do was to turn it off. I had an urge to just turn the cinema off, go home and potentially have some chocolate.
It wasn't the fact that the film was bad (I repeat, I gave it a full score), nor was it surprising narrative (again, I had seen the trailer and my tiny bit of historical knowledge filled in the gaps), but something in the way it was presented somehow evoked that feeling of wanting it to go away.
When I walked out of the cinema and forced myself to think about it, I realised a couple of things (all of which eventually made me come to the conclusion that that might have been deliberate).
First of all that film was lit like a feature film and shot like a documentary. This means that watching it, my brain was trying to fool me into thinking this was real a lot more than it usually would. It's film like a documentary, so it's a documentary so this is exactly what must have happened, right? There was a camera at the scene, right?
Well, of course there wasn't. Of course it was still a feature film and of course before the credit it was even stated that besides the testimonies of the parties involved, there was still dramatic licence taken. But that didn't change the fact that it shook me. It shook me because that little shake of the camera that was a little more intense that I was used to and that little zoom every now and then to get closer to an action as though the camera had only just noticed it all lead to that convincing idea of this being real and having happened exactly as I was seeing it.
The acting was splendid. Again, upon contemplating the film, I wondered what it was like for all of these black people (the term used deliberately) to play these roles, having grown up in that country themselves. I wondered what it was like for Will Poulter to become an asshole from the work 'Action!' and while that isn't any different than any other set, somehow, in Detroit, it seemed like so much bigger a deal. On this note, kudos to all the actors in this piece. There was none of you that felt out of place or irrelevant. Each of you portrayed a character dealing with the situation at hand differently and on a spectrum that showed how truly diverse humans are - even if united in a cause, be it on the white side or the black.
I could go on for hours (which I did, with the friend I went to see it with) about how this film made me feel and how much insecurity in the current world it made me feel, but there is no point in doing that. Feelings are best felt, rather than read so just watch it and I'm sure you'll understand.
I do want to say this though:
This film made me realise that the world we live in today is not the product from its past, but rather a work in progress towards what is to come.
I in no way mean that I did not know that previously, but there is a difference between knowing and understanding.
On this note, this film is not for the faint hearted but it is one of those important films that need to be watched at the moment.
Now, as you've seen I have given this film a full score, but I could not for the life of me put into a sentence what was good about it. It's not a nice film. Nothing about it is good. Except the way it makes you feel with it. But then even that is not a good thing. It's ugly.
I watched Detroit yesterday at the local cinema. I had seen the trailer, knew it was gonna be a tearjerker, knew I would hate the world and myself after watching it.
What I realised is that I completely underestimated the film.
About half an hour to an hour in all I wanted to do was to turn it off. I had an urge to just turn the cinema off, go home and potentially have some chocolate.
It wasn't the fact that the film was bad (I repeat, I gave it a full score), nor was it surprising narrative (again, I had seen the trailer and my tiny bit of historical knowledge filled in the gaps), but something in the way it was presented somehow evoked that feeling of wanting it to go away.
When I walked out of the cinema and forced myself to think about it, I realised a couple of things (all of which eventually made me come to the conclusion that that might have been deliberate).
First of all that film was lit like a feature film and shot like a documentary. This means that watching it, my brain was trying to fool me into thinking this was real a lot more than it usually would. It's film like a documentary, so it's a documentary so this is exactly what must have happened, right? There was a camera at the scene, right?
Well, of course there wasn't. Of course it was still a feature film and of course before the credit it was even stated that besides the testimonies of the parties involved, there was still dramatic licence taken. But that didn't change the fact that it shook me. It shook me because that little shake of the camera that was a little more intense that I was used to and that little zoom every now and then to get closer to an action as though the camera had only just noticed it all lead to that convincing idea of this being real and having happened exactly as I was seeing it.
The acting was splendid. Again, upon contemplating the film, I wondered what it was like for all of these black people (the term used deliberately) to play these roles, having grown up in that country themselves. I wondered what it was like for Will Poulter to become an asshole from the work 'Action!' and while that isn't any different than any other set, somehow, in Detroit, it seemed like so much bigger a deal. On this note, kudos to all the actors in this piece. There was none of you that felt out of place or irrelevant. Each of you portrayed a character dealing with the situation at hand differently and on a spectrum that showed how truly diverse humans are - even if united in a cause, be it on the white side or the black.
I could go on for hours (which I did, with the friend I went to see it with) about how this film made me feel and how much insecurity in the current world it made me feel, but there is no point in doing that. Feelings are best felt, rather than read so just watch it and I'm sure you'll understand.
I do want to say this though:
This film made me realise that the world we live in today is not the product from its past, but rather a work in progress towards what is to come.
I in no way mean that I did not know that previously, but there is a difference between knowing and understanding.
On this note, this film is not for the faint hearted but it is one of those important films that need to be watched at the moment.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Children of Blood and Bone: Book 1 in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Zelie is a protagonist in this book, but this novel is told from multiple perspectives. I absolutely loved Zelie. I loved her personality, her ambition, and bravery. Her relationship with Amari (princess of Orisha) was very amusing and intriguing to read. I loved their little girly fights. I found Inan (Prince of Orisha) very annoying, but at the same time absolutely absorbing. I really liked reading Inan’s parts in this book, his constant inner fight was a very pleasant way of distraction. Adeyemi chose her characters really well and done an amazing job in developing them. The multiple perspectives allowed the reader to have an insight into different people’s feelings, thoughts and views of the situations, which always gives me more pleasure while reading. All the characters had their individual personalities, which shined through in this book. My least favorite was, of course, the King, he was cruel, idiotic and generally a bastard. 🙂
I adored the narrative of this book. I found it very original, exceptionally written and I think it just sucks you in with all the adventures, journeys, magic and complex relationships. There are so many African cultural nuances, which absolutely mesmerized me, I love learning about different cultures. The setting of this book continuously changes, as the group travels through Orisha, and I really enjoyed the details and the way the author described the places. This novel has so many important topics incorporated, one of them being unnecessary death, and it did leave me upset and sad during those parts. 😦
Tomi Adeyemi is an incredible writer and I loved her writing style in this book. The chapters are a very decent length and the pages just fly by. Every chapter has plenty of action, and my interest was continuously kindled. In this book, the author used different language for the spells, and I would’ve loved the translation for them in the book, I just like to know what things mean. I really loved the way this novel ended, and it still haunts me, I can’t wait for another book!
There are plenty of fabulous things about this novel, that I could write and write, but I will leave it for you to figure out, all I can say, this book is absolutely magical! It has so much to offer! The characters are impeccably crafted and the plot takes you to amazing places and unforgettable adventures, where you can experience courage, love, romance, loss, and deceit. It is an absolute must read and it is a summer read for Jimmy Fallon, so it has to be good, right? 😉 I hope you will get the chance to read it and to enjoy as much as I did 🙂
I adored the narrative of this book. I found it very original, exceptionally written and I think it just sucks you in with all the adventures, journeys, magic and complex relationships. There are so many African cultural nuances, which absolutely mesmerized me, I love learning about different cultures. The setting of this book continuously changes, as the group travels through Orisha, and I really enjoyed the details and the way the author described the places. This novel has so many important topics incorporated, one of them being unnecessary death, and it did leave me upset and sad during those parts. 😦
Tomi Adeyemi is an incredible writer and I loved her writing style in this book. The chapters are a very decent length and the pages just fly by. Every chapter has plenty of action, and my interest was continuously kindled. In this book, the author used different language for the spells, and I would’ve loved the translation for them in the book, I just like to know what things mean. I really loved the way this novel ended, and it still haunts me, I can’t wait for another book!
There are plenty of fabulous things about this novel, that I could write and write, but I will leave it for you to figure out, all I can say, this book is absolutely magical! It has so much to offer! The characters are impeccably crafted and the plot takes you to amazing places and unforgettable adventures, where you can experience courage, love, romance, loss, and deceit. It is an absolute must read and it is a summer read for Jimmy Fallon, so it has to be good, right? 😉 I hope you will get the chance to read it and to enjoy as much as I did 🙂
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Extropia: Mind Game (Extropia, #1) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews can be found at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
The main character in this book was Edvard, a seventeen-year-old school student. His father and brother created Extropia, an artificial reality game, where players can participate themselves. While testing the game, Edwards father and brother got stuck in the game and only Edward can save them. When he gets into the game, he sees that it is run by a dark, cruel and vicious tyrant. Edward needs to save his brother, but it is not that easy as it looks.
This novel brings an awesome clash between modern and medieval ages, bringing in very unique and interesting characters. While reading this book it feels like you are transported back in time, where sword and shield was a form of weapon, and where the characters still follow prophecies. I really enjoyed the wide variety of characters chosen for this book, and Edward was a very realistic boy, without superpowers and with the weaknesses which he was trying to overcome. That was plus and minus at the same time, he was very realistic and believable, but at the same time very dependable on other people in order to succeed. The whole novel was written from Edward’s perspective and even though I would’ve liked different perspectives, I still enjoyed the story as it was.
The plot of this novel is a combination of a lot of similar books and games, we have the games and their setting modifications to fit the book, we have references to Harry Potter and some parts taken from The Hunger Games. However, it has it’s own unique and interesting narrative filled with action, unexpected twists and turns, which kept me glued to this book.
The writing style of this book was very creative and easy to read, however, it has these names and places which were a bit difficult to pronounce for me. But still, I think it gives the charm and medieval feel to this novel. The chapters have a decent length and it did not drag to me, as there are a lot of things happening in every chapter. I really liked the ending of this novel, but I think it could’ve had more suspense to it. Nevertheless, I am waiting for the next part, because I wanna know what will happen next. So to conclude, if you like computer games and you loved The Maze Runner, you will definitely enjoy this book. It is filled with diverse and complex characters, interesting turns and unexpected twists, which makes it a great read. I do recommend this book and I hope you will enjoy as much as I did. 🙂
The main character in this book was Edvard, a seventeen-year-old school student. His father and brother created Extropia, an artificial reality game, where players can participate themselves. While testing the game, Edwards father and brother got stuck in the game and only Edward can save them. When he gets into the game, he sees that it is run by a dark, cruel and vicious tyrant. Edward needs to save his brother, but it is not that easy as it looks.
This novel brings an awesome clash between modern and medieval ages, bringing in very unique and interesting characters. While reading this book it feels like you are transported back in time, where sword and shield was a form of weapon, and where the characters still follow prophecies. I really enjoyed the wide variety of characters chosen for this book, and Edward was a very realistic boy, without superpowers and with the weaknesses which he was trying to overcome. That was plus and minus at the same time, he was very realistic and believable, but at the same time very dependable on other people in order to succeed. The whole novel was written from Edward’s perspective and even though I would’ve liked different perspectives, I still enjoyed the story as it was.
The plot of this novel is a combination of a lot of similar books and games, we have the games and their setting modifications to fit the book, we have references to Harry Potter and some parts taken from The Hunger Games. However, it has it’s own unique and interesting narrative filled with action, unexpected twists and turns, which kept me glued to this book.
The writing style of this book was very creative and easy to read, however, it has these names and places which were a bit difficult to pronounce for me. But still, I think it gives the charm and medieval feel to this novel. The chapters have a decent length and it did not drag to me, as there are a lot of things happening in every chapter. I really liked the ending of this novel, but I think it could’ve had more suspense to it. Nevertheless, I am waiting for the next part, because I wanna know what will happen next. So to conclude, if you like computer games and you loved The Maze Runner, you will definitely enjoy this book. It is filled with diverse and complex characters, interesting turns and unexpected twists, which makes it a great read. I do recommend this book and I hope you will enjoy as much as I did. 🙂