Collected Poems
Book
Frank Bidart and David Gewanter have compiled the definitive edition of Robert Lowell's work, from...
Bubble World Mania
Games and Entertainment
9.0
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App
Help, these birds need to be rescued! Only YOU can save them! Your target in Bubble Worlds is...
His Majesty's Hope (Maggie Hope Mystery, #3)
8.5
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Book
World War II has finally come home to Britain, but it takes more than nightly air raids to rattle...
The King's Buccaneer (Krondor's Sons, #2)
7.3
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Book
Long recovered from the ravages of the Riftwar, the land and people of the kingdom of the Isles...
Blue Moon Rising (Forest Kingdom #1)
9.0
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Book
Rupert didn't especially want to be a prince. And he certainly never asked to be the second son of a...
Charlotte (184 KP) rated Close Your Eyes: A Fairy Tale in Books
Jun 22, 2023
A well written story set in the 1400's, recounted by Samuel, the court jester. Samuel is likeable, fun and it's heartwarming to see him learn a new skill that helps him to follow a dream.
Being a jester has its advantages, not only did it gain him favour with the King, leading to working in the castle but it earned him the trust and confidence of many. With this trust he's able to weave a rich tapestry of stories together, tales of love and hope, hardships and tragedy.
A truly beautiful, heartwarming and haunting read that gives you food for thought.
I would definitely recommend this for the romantic reader, the reader that enjoys a historical background and anyone that is in a book group - it's an absolute must!
The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning
8.0
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Book
Anty Boisjoly tackles the strange case of a war hero who visits his old friends on Christmas morning...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Secrets in Tabletop Games
Oct 27, 2021
This breakdown is for the excellent bidding and castle building game Castles of Mad King Ludwig, and the expansion is named Secrets, from Bezier Games.
This expansion includes new starting Barbicans, Moats, Reference tiles, Swan tokens, Secret Passages, and a bunch of new Room tiles, all shown below.
Secrets adds several new large border tiles (Barbicans and Moats) that are somewhat the main features of this expansion along with the actual Secret Passages and Swans. The Barbicans replace the starting tiles, so each player begins the game with a fancy new drawbridge and foyer. The Moats, however, will be purchased during game play for 5000 marks and joined to the Barbican to begin creating a border within which the normal castle Room tiles may be placed. The Moats award three VP once built, and bonus VP for the number of rooms already built within the player’s castle.
The Secret Passages allow two rooms to be connected that otherwise may not have been. They are able to connect these ONLY at entrances to the rooms, and each player is given a set of them at setup.
Swans are present on the expansion Room tiles, and when they are added to the main contract bidding board a Swan token is placed upon it. The winner of the Room tile containing Swans collects the tokens and they can be used as money or as VP at the end of the game.
Is it necessary to own? Absolutely not. Castles of Mad King Ludwig is an amazing game without its expansion. However, if your games are getting a little samey or old (I don’t see how) then throwing in this expansion will certainly liven it up for you. Adding the components (which can fit in a medium sized baggie) is a breeze and they are mostly intuitive with their accompanying rules.
Official Recommendation: I love Castles of Mad King Ludwig. I also love the Secrets expansion. I think the expansion adds a few new and exciting layers to an already-kinda-crazy game that throws in much more strategy. As if connecting all those oddly-shaped Room tiles wasn’t strategic enough! I recommend you pick this up if you are a completionist, a true fan of the game, or are no longer finding the base game exciting.
Debbiereadsbook (1546 KP) rated Sealed with a Curse in Books
Sep 24, 2022
If you follow my reviews, you'll know I love the books that are steamier and smexier and sometimes more violent. This book is neither, and I loved that fact that it wasn't!
I can't write a blurby bit, so not gonna bother, but I might rave a bit!
Selene is an old soul, I think, that she can, even when faced with the escalation of the bullying from the princes, NOT want them punished in the way they are. She wanted them to LEARN from it, yes, but not to the extent it was.
I loved that the Gods these people prayed to heard them, and stepped in. Loved that they had a voice too, even it was briefly! The bickering between the Sisters was wonderful to read.
Like it said, it's not steamy, there is the bullying in the beginning though, of Selene by the eldest brothers. It does get physical. Be mindful of that if you have triggers.
There is, though, MUCH love here. Selene loves her swans (as did I!) and the people around the castle. And in time, she does come to love Conway. Who, I thought, was a bit hedgey about why he came to the castle, and i thought there was more to him that there was, but it turns out I was reading between none-existent lines there!
It's full of description, in depth descriptions of people, places, flowers, even ribbons! I loved reading those. I could picture them, you know?
I loved all the supporting characters around the castle. I want to know what's got up a certain someone's behind, though, that was never made clear!
What I loved most though, was the interpretation of this tale. I never heard of this tale before, and at the end of this book, there is a bit about various versions and how they differ. I read that, and I loved that little bit of extra info.
There is also a bit that says we might hear from the brothers again, and I really want that! It would be nice to get into their heads, especially the eldest two, NOW rather than before. To see where they are at, and what they thought of their former selves.
All in all, a wonderful read, that kept me up way past my bedtime. I loved it, I really did. Bar Disjointed Lives, this is my favourite read by this author.
5 full and shiny, moon-touched stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere