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Entry number 9 in Paul Fraser Collard's Jack Lark series, this is an entry which - speaking personally - I very much found could be split into two main parts: the first part of the novel primarily concerns itself with the Victorian pursuit of 'slumming' (where rich toffs paid good money to see how their poorer counterparts lived in the slums and tenements of London), and the second with the Abyssinian campaign against the mad 'Gorilla King' (in modern day Ethiopia, I believe)
I'd heard, and even knew a bit, about the former. The latter? Sad to say, not so much.
So, for my part, a little new knowledge is a good thing!
As the novel begins, Jack Lark is back in England after his exploits in America (during the Civil War) and Mexico of the previous entries; back where - I feel - he belongs (ummm, speaking internationally, that is, rather than his precise circumstances!) and running Victorian slumming 'tours' (for want of a better word) for the rich who have more money than sense!
I don't *think* I'm giving anything away when I say that one such tour inevitably goes wrong, leading Jack - and a few companions - to flee the country, travelling to Ethiopia to join the expedition against the Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, more concerned with what they can purloin along the way than the rights and wrongs of the situation that led to the campaign in the first place!
All in all, another solid entry in the series: I'm looking forward to where Jack ends up next!
I'd heard, and even knew a bit, about the former. The latter? Sad to say, not so much.
So, for my part, a little new knowledge is a good thing!
As the novel begins, Jack Lark is back in England after his exploits in America (during the Civil War) and Mexico of the previous entries; back where - I feel - he belongs (ummm, speaking internationally, that is, rather than his precise circumstances!) and running Victorian slumming 'tours' (for want of a better word) for the rich who have more money than sense!
I don't *think* I'm giving anything away when I say that one such tour inevitably goes wrong, leading Jack - and a few companions - to flee the country, travelling to Ethiopia to join the expedition against the Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, more concerned with what they can purloin along the way than the rights and wrongs of the situation that led to the campaign in the first place!
All in all, another solid entry in the series: I'm looking forward to where Jack ends up next!
A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of the Columbine Tragedy
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On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School in Littleton,...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Elder Sign in Tabletop Games
Jul 16, 2019 (Updated Aug 21, 2019)
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
Disclaimer: There are many expansions for Elder Sign. I do not have any of them, nor do I have any gameplay experience with any of them. If and when I do get them added into my base game, I will either amend this review or write a new one! – L
In Elder Sign, players take on the roles of Investigators who must use their supernatural knowledge and keen wit to seal dimensional portals and prevent the Ancient Ones from entering our world and destroying humanity. Just another day at the office, right? Players take turns rolling dice to fight monsters and complete adventures that will reward them with artifacts, health and/or sanity, clues, or even Elder Signs – the symbols necessary for sealing away the Ancient Ones for good. Be careful, though – if you fail to complete an adventure, you will be harshly punished! I’m talking losing health and sanity, accidentally summoning monsters, or even bringing the Ancient One one step closer to our world! As a solo game, Elder Sign plays the same way as it would in a group setting. The only difference is that the solo player cannot use the ‘Assisting’ ability because there are no other players who can offer you aid. Besides that, gameplay remains the same – even a lone Investigator can put their dice to good use to ward off evil!
I enjoy playing Elder Sign as a solo game. Although mostly dominated by dice rolling, there is a fair amount of strategy required for this game. I don’t feel like I’m mindlessly rolling dice – I have to decide which adventures are attainable with my given items, and which rewards benefit me the most in my overall task. There are rewards and consequences to be weighed with every decision, so action must be taken with great thought. Because of the strategic implications, Elder Sign keeps me thoroughly engaged, even when playing solo, and that’s one reason why I keep coming back to it.
On the flip side, one thing that isn’t my favorite about Elder Sign is its reliance on dice rolls to progress in the game. Yeah, I know, it’s a dice game – what did I expect? Sometimes, though, you just can’t roll to save your life (quite literally, in this game) and that can make the game frustrating to play. A series of poor rolls can feel like they completely negate any strategy you’ve enacted and can unravel your entire plan. On a good dice-rolling day for me, I love this game! On a not-so-good dice-rolling day, I find it a little harder to enjoy myself. But hey – if it was totally easy, it wouldn’t be fun, right? One positive of this, I guess, is that I always have to be adjusting my strategy to take the current dice into account. I can’t just pick one strategy and run with it since almost all outcomes are dependent on the luck of the roll! Elder Sign keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure.
I got Elder Sign from Travis as a birthday present last year, and it has been a good addition to my collection. There is enough going on to keep me engaged the entire game, but not so much that I feel overwhelmed. And yeah, maybe I’m not always the greatest dice-roller, but that just makes me adapt my strategy to deal with the current situation. I have read that adding expansions makes the game even more enjoyable, and hopefully one of these days I’ll get to experience that for myself. For the time being, though, I’m content with the base game. If you enjoy Elder Sign, I recommend you try it solo – it doesn’t feel any different to play, and I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as a group game!
Disclaimer: There are many expansions for Elder Sign. I do not have any of them, nor do I have any gameplay experience with any of them. If and when I do get them added into my base game, I will either amend this review or write a new one! – L
In Elder Sign, players take on the roles of Investigators who must use their supernatural knowledge and keen wit to seal dimensional portals and prevent the Ancient Ones from entering our world and destroying humanity. Just another day at the office, right? Players take turns rolling dice to fight monsters and complete adventures that will reward them with artifacts, health and/or sanity, clues, or even Elder Signs – the symbols necessary for sealing away the Ancient Ones for good. Be careful, though – if you fail to complete an adventure, you will be harshly punished! I’m talking losing health and sanity, accidentally summoning monsters, or even bringing the Ancient One one step closer to our world! As a solo game, Elder Sign plays the same way as it would in a group setting. The only difference is that the solo player cannot use the ‘Assisting’ ability because there are no other players who can offer you aid. Besides that, gameplay remains the same – even a lone Investigator can put their dice to good use to ward off evil!
I enjoy playing Elder Sign as a solo game. Although mostly dominated by dice rolling, there is a fair amount of strategy required for this game. I don’t feel like I’m mindlessly rolling dice – I have to decide which adventures are attainable with my given items, and which rewards benefit me the most in my overall task. There are rewards and consequences to be weighed with every decision, so action must be taken with great thought. Because of the strategic implications, Elder Sign keeps me thoroughly engaged, even when playing solo, and that’s one reason why I keep coming back to it.
On the flip side, one thing that isn’t my favorite about Elder Sign is its reliance on dice rolls to progress in the game. Yeah, I know, it’s a dice game – what did I expect? Sometimes, though, you just can’t roll to save your life (quite literally, in this game) and that can make the game frustrating to play. A series of poor rolls can feel like they completely negate any strategy you’ve enacted and can unravel your entire plan. On a good dice-rolling day for me, I love this game! On a not-so-good dice-rolling day, I find it a little harder to enjoy myself. But hey – if it was totally easy, it wouldn’t be fun, right? One positive of this, I guess, is that I always have to be adjusting my strategy to take the current dice into account. I can’t just pick one strategy and run with it since almost all outcomes are dependent on the luck of the roll! Elder Sign keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure.
I got Elder Sign from Travis as a birthday present last year, and it has been a good addition to my collection. There is enough going on to keep me engaged the entire game, but not so much that I feel overwhelmed. And yeah, maybe I’m not always the greatest dice-roller, but that just makes me adapt my strategy to deal with the current situation. I have read that adding expansions makes the game even more enjoyable, and hopefully one of these days I’ll get to experience that for myself. For the time being, though, I’m content with the base game. If you enjoy Elder Sign, I recommend you try it solo – it doesn’t feel any different to play, and I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as a group game!
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Engaging!
I have read this book as a read-aloud to my class (5th graders) for two years now. Their reactions are always the same.. A very unexcited groan when I announce that I will be reading it to them for the foreseeable future... and then excited talking and cheering when it is time to read again. This book quickly becomes my class's favorite every year. It is filled with action, a lovable main character (who couldn't love a little warrior mouse in flip-flops that are way too big), and a grungy antagonist that we all love to hate. This book has sparked many "non-readers" to explore more books in this genre. It is wonderful to see them excited in reading and this book helps many of them. There is some mild language, however and many scenes that are a bit gruesome (but that's probably what draws them in to begin with- ha!) so just be warned about that. My brother read this when he was younger and it sticks with him, to this day, as one of his favorites.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated 27 Days to Midnight in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This novel far exceeding any expectations I had. The description was more than enough to interest me but I was hooked from day one. I typically dont like young adult, But Kruppa has a distinct voice that it didnt feel like young adult. Not to mention it was steampunk. I am a sucker for steampunk although I find that very few authors can pull it off well. Kruppa is among those.
27 Days to Midnight is a fast paced novel filled with wonder and adventure. It has such an interesting concept, although not the first of its find, and Kruppa is a great storyteller. Her easy style makes it a quick read as I was hungry for every word, turning pages before I even realized I had read them. I was so caught up in the story, it wasnt difficult forget the real world.
Sometimes there are good novels. And then there are novel like this where you can read all the blood, sweat, and tears put into every word. If this sounds like a novel you would be interested in, I implore to not pass it up. Become caught up in Kruppas extraordinarily fantasy.
27 Days to Midnight is a fast paced novel filled with wonder and adventure. It has such an interesting concept, although not the first of its find, and Kruppa is a great storyteller. Her easy style makes it a quick read as I was hungry for every word, turning pages before I even realized I had read them. I was so caught up in the story, it wasnt difficult forget the real world.
Sometimes there are good novels. And then there are novel like this where you can read all the blood, sweat, and tears put into every word. If this sounds like a novel you would be interested in, I implore to not pass it up. Become caught up in Kruppas extraordinarily fantasy.
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The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
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Funnier than Psycho...more chilling than Jeeves Takes Charge...shorter than War and Peace...The Long...