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Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion
7.8
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Tabletop Game
In Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion, players take on the roles of the teen sleuths and...
Reckless Racing HD
Games and Entertainment
5.0
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App
THE BEST DOWN ‘N DIRTY RACER YOU EVER SAW! Made to maximize the Retina Display, the...
Stickman Skate Battle
Games and Sports
App
Pack your skateboard and join the ultimate Stickman Skate Battle multiplayer PVP experience. Battle...
Sunny
Book
Sunny tries to shine despite his troubled past in this third novel in the critically acclaimed Track...
Healing Springs
10.0
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Book
Falling out of love is one thing, but purposefully forgetting it is another. Selene McAlister is...
Lesbian Romance Self Discovery
The Sexy Seven Supernaturals
Book
Seven haunting tales of women, young female adults, and an adolescent girl whose lives change...
Fiction Short Stories Fantasy Paranormal Erotica
Merissa (13765 KP) rated A Thousand Glittering Lights in Books
May 22, 2024
A THOUSAND GLITTERING LIGHTS is set in the contemporary world, with a game designer as our FMC. The MMC remains a mystery so I won't say anything to spoil it.
Jennie Lynn Roberts is a one-click author for me BUT I will admit to feeling slightly dubious when I saw this was a contemporary. Surely it can't be as good as her fantasy - can it? The obvious answer is YES!!! It can be just as good, in fact, I'm hard-pressed to say which I prefer.
Ellie isn't having an easy time of it and struggles to leave the safety of her cottage. Her best friend and business partner is giving Ellie plenty of excuses about why she can't be there for her. Her dad is pressuring her to sell her business. And then - out of nowhere - a man, or ghost, starts appearing to Ellie. She thinks she's going mad. And I loved it.
There is a level of mystery to this story that had me hooked. I didn't try to figure things out for myself. I just sat back and let the story hold me, and boy, did it ever. There were so many levels to this that all fitted together perfectly in ways that might not be immediately clear. In fact, I think I may be a little afraid of this author if she ever decides to go 'dark!' 😆
This book was a very emotional read for me, with situations and circumstances so incredibly well written, I felt it like a punch to the throat. I was f'ugly crying more than once, while still trying to convince myself that I'd get my HEA.
There's so much to this book that I absolutely adored and have no hesitation in HIGHLY RECOMMENDING. Seriously, get your copy and lose yourself in this steamy, supernatural romance.
** 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!
May 22, 2024
Jennie Lynn Roberts is a one-click author for me BUT I will admit to feeling slightly dubious when I saw this was a contemporary. Surely it can't be as good as her fantasy - can it? The obvious answer is YES!!! It can be just as good, in fact, I'm hard-pressed to say which I prefer.
Ellie isn't having an easy time of it and struggles to leave the safety of her cottage. Her best friend and business partner is giving Ellie plenty of excuses about why she can't be there for her. Her dad is pressuring her to sell her business. And then - out of nowhere - a man, or ghost, starts appearing to Ellie. She thinks she's going mad. And I loved it.
There is a level of mystery to this story that had me hooked. I didn't try to figure things out for myself. I just sat back and let the story hold me, and boy, did it ever. There were so many levels to this that all fitted together perfectly in ways that might not be immediately clear. In fact, I think I may be a little afraid of this author if she ever decides to go 'dark!' 😆
This book was a very emotional read for me, with situations and circumstances so incredibly well written, I felt it like a punch to the throat. I was f'ugly crying more than once, while still trying to convince myself that I'd get my HEA.
There's so much to this book that I absolutely adored and have no hesitation in HIGHLY RECOMMENDING. Seriously, get your copy and lose yourself in this steamy, supernatural romance.
** 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!
May 22, 2024
DaveySmithy (107 KP) rated Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) in Movies
Dec 4, 2024 (Updated Dec 4, 2024)
Fun moments
I went into Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) hoping it would build on the promise of Ghostbusters: Afterlife while carving out its own icy identity. Unfortunately, while the film has its moments of charm and spectacle, it left me feeling cold overall—pun intended.
The premise is intriguing: a mysterious, apocalyptic winter descending on New York City, with the Ghostbusters tasked to save the day. The visuals are striking—snow-covered cityscapes and frost-bitten ghosts make for some memorable scenes. The effects team clearly had a blast imagining what a frozen supernatural invasion would look like, and the frosty atmosphere feels like a fresh twist for the franchise.
The returning cast, especially Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, are as likable as ever, but they’re not given much to do beyond reacting to the chaos. The younger characters, led by Mckenna Grace, are still charming, but the novelty of their “kid Ghostbusters” dynamic is starting to wear thin. The humor is hit-or-miss; while there are a few clever lines and fun moments, some of the jokes feel too forced, as though the film is trying too hard to mimic the original’s effortless wit.
One of the biggest disappointments for me was the pacing. The first half of the movie drags, spending too much time on exposition and setup without giving us the action or scares we came for. When the ghost-busting finally ramps up, it’s exciting, but it feels rushed and formulaic. The climactic battle is visually impressive but lacks emotional weight, relying more on spectacle than storytelling.
I also couldn’t help but feel that Frozen Empire leans too heavily on nostalgia. The callbacks to the original movies are fun at first, but they start to feel like a crutch, reminding us of the franchise’s glory days instead of moving it forward in a meaningful way.
Overall, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a decent popcorn flick with some cool visuals and a few laughs, but it doesn’t live up to the potential of its concept or its legacy. It’s a 6/10 for me—fun in the moment, but not particularly memorable.
The premise is intriguing: a mysterious, apocalyptic winter descending on New York City, with the Ghostbusters tasked to save the day. The visuals are striking—snow-covered cityscapes and frost-bitten ghosts make for some memorable scenes. The effects team clearly had a blast imagining what a frozen supernatural invasion would look like, and the frosty atmosphere feels like a fresh twist for the franchise.
The returning cast, especially Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, are as likable as ever, but they’re not given much to do beyond reacting to the chaos. The younger characters, led by Mckenna Grace, are still charming, but the novelty of their “kid Ghostbusters” dynamic is starting to wear thin. The humor is hit-or-miss; while there are a few clever lines and fun moments, some of the jokes feel too forced, as though the film is trying too hard to mimic the original’s effortless wit.
One of the biggest disappointments for me was the pacing. The first half of the movie drags, spending too much time on exposition and setup without giving us the action or scares we came for. When the ghost-busting finally ramps up, it’s exciting, but it feels rushed and formulaic. The climactic battle is visually impressive but lacks emotional weight, relying more on spectacle than storytelling.
I also couldn’t help but feel that Frozen Empire leans too heavily on nostalgia. The callbacks to the original movies are fun at first, but they start to feel like a crutch, reminding us of the franchise’s glory days instead of moving it forward in a meaningful way.
Overall, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a decent popcorn flick with some cool visuals and a few laughs, but it doesn’t live up to the potential of its concept or its legacy. It’s a 6/10 for me—fun in the moment, but not particularly memorable.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Small Spaces (Small Spaces #1) in Books
Jul 29, 2019
I love creepy books, so when I came across Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, it immediately caught my attention. I don't normally read middle grade fiction, but I do make an exception for middle grade horror, and I'm really glad I had the chance to read Small Spaces.
Olivia, or Ollie as she prefers, is in middle school. She loves reading and books, so when she comes across a sobbing lady getting ready to throw a book in a river, she steals it before the woman has a chance to do so. Ollie thinks the book she stole is just a creepy ghost story, but she soon realizes it is anything but fiction! When her class goes on a field trip to a farm, Ollie realizes just how true the book is. When the field trip bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Ollie and two friends decided to leave the bus fearing that they may be in even worse danger if they stay on the bus. With the help of her broken watch from her deceased mother, Ollie must be very careful if she wants to return home unscathed.
I did enjoy the plot of Small Spaces. I felt like I was reading a R.L. Stine novel! Katherine Arden did such a fantastic job with this story in keeping it interesting. There were a few times were the story felt a little disjointed with what was going on as it sometimes seemed as if Small Spaces wanted to be more of a ghost story other than what it actually was. However, it was still a great plot! There was one plot twist I didn't see coming which I thought was great considering I'm an adult, and this is a middle grade story. Usually I can figure out the plot twists, but not this time! One thing that got me wondering is how all these 11 and 12 year old kids each had their own cell phone. I know it's not impossible for a whole class of junior high children to have a cell phone, but it just seems improbable. While most of my questions were answered, I was left pondering over the ending as to why more questions weren't asked by the police or the parents. Another question I had, I won't go into detail because of spoilers, but it pertained to the kids and the water. I'll just leave it at that. Although Small Spaces is a series, it can be read as a standalone as there is no cliff hanger ending.
The pacing for Small Spaces starts out a bit slow, but it picks up quickly to a fantastic pace a few chapters in. It stays at a decent pace for the majority of the book until it slows a little bit towards the ending. I wouldn't say the pacing lets the book down in any way though.
I felt all the characters in Small Spaces were written very well especially as the main characters were written as middle schoolers. I felt every character was solid. I didn't really care for Ollie's personality though. For the first half of the book, especially, she came across as a bully. As this book is aimed towards kids that are impressionable, it kind of irked me that the main character was a little mean to others. I liked Brian. I thought he seemed like he'd be a great kid in real life. I admire how he wasn't ashamed to show his emotions at certain times. My favorite character was Coco. Coco had just moved from the city to Ollie's middle school. She seemed really vulnerable, yet Ollie was mean to her a lot of the time. I just wanted to hug and protect Coco. She was such a sweet girl to everyone unlike Ollie. Coco came across as a happy go lucky girl.
Trigger warnings in Small Spaces besides being a scary story include death, minor violence, a minor profanity (one of the characters says hell), ghosts, and bullying.
All in all, Small Spaces is a fantastic scary read despite some minor flaws. It's got such a great spooky plot and characters that feel realistic. I would definitely recommend Small Spaces by Katherine Arden to everyone aged 10+ who love to be spooked! R.L. Stine better watch out; Katherine Arden could give him a run for his money judging by this book! Even though Small Spaces can stand on its own, I will definitely be reading the next book in the Small Spaces series.
---
(Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eBook of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Olivia, or Ollie as she prefers, is in middle school. She loves reading and books, so when she comes across a sobbing lady getting ready to throw a book in a river, she steals it before the woman has a chance to do so. Ollie thinks the book she stole is just a creepy ghost story, but she soon realizes it is anything but fiction! When her class goes on a field trip to a farm, Ollie realizes just how true the book is. When the field trip bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Ollie and two friends decided to leave the bus fearing that they may be in even worse danger if they stay on the bus. With the help of her broken watch from her deceased mother, Ollie must be very careful if she wants to return home unscathed.
I did enjoy the plot of Small Spaces. I felt like I was reading a R.L. Stine novel! Katherine Arden did such a fantastic job with this story in keeping it interesting. There were a few times were the story felt a little disjointed with what was going on as it sometimes seemed as if Small Spaces wanted to be more of a ghost story other than what it actually was. However, it was still a great plot! There was one plot twist I didn't see coming which I thought was great considering I'm an adult, and this is a middle grade story. Usually I can figure out the plot twists, but not this time! One thing that got me wondering is how all these 11 and 12 year old kids each had their own cell phone. I know it's not impossible for a whole class of junior high children to have a cell phone, but it just seems improbable. While most of my questions were answered, I was left pondering over the ending as to why more questions weren't asked by the police or the parents. Another question I had, I won't go into detail because of spoilers, but it pertained to the kids and the water. I'll just leave it at that. Although Small Spaces is a series, it can be read as a standalone as there is no cliff hanger ending.
The pacing for Small Spaces starts out a bit slow, but it picks up quickly to a fantastic pace a few chapters in. It stays at a decent pace for the majority of the book until it slows a little bit towards the ending. I wouldn't say the pacing lets the book down in any way though.
I felt all the characters in Small Spaces were written very well especially as the main characters were written as middle schoolers. I felt every character was solid. I didn't really care for Ollie's personality though. For the first half of the book, especially, she came across as a bully. As this book is aimed towards kids that are impressionable, it kind of irked me that the main character was a little mean to others. I liked Brian. I thought he seemed like he'd be a great kid in real life. I admire how he wasn't ashamed to show his emotions at certain times. My favorite character was Coco. Coco had just moved from the city to Ollie's middle school. She seemed really vulnerable, yet Ollie was mean to her a lot of the time. I just wanted to hug and protect Coco. She was such a sweet girl to everyone unlike Ollie. Coco came across as a happy go lucky girl.
Trigger warnings in Small Spaces besides being a scary story include death, minor violence, a minor profanity (one of the characters says hell), ghosts, and bullying.
All in all, Small Spaces is a fantastic scary read despite some minor flaws. It's got such a great spooky plot and characters that feel realistic. I would definitely recommend Small Spaces by Katherine Arden to everyone aged 10+ who love to be spooked! R.L. Stine better watch out; Katherine Arden could give him a run for his money judging by this book! Even though Small Spaces can stand on its own, I will definitely be reading the next book in the Small Spaces series.
---
(Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eBook of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Maid of Sker in Video Games
Nov 7, 2020
Hold Your Breath
Maid of Sker- is a excellent first person horror game.
The game takes place in 1898 in the Sker Hotel, located on an imaginary island called Sker Island, where the protagonist, Thomas Evans, is invited by his lover, Elisabeth Williams, to uncover the mysteries of the hotel after she notices her family's strange behavior. While exploring the hotel, Thomas learns the place is controlled by cult followers called "The Quiet Ones". The history of Elisabeth's family is revealed when Thomas finds notes and gramophone records scattered around the hotel.
The story is inspired by multiple Welsh and British folklore tales, specifically the idea of the hotel is influenced by the Sker House, a real life historic place situated just outside the town of Porthcawl, near Bridgend, Wales, which is made famous by the three-volume novel written by R. D. Blackmore, The Maid of Sker. The game has drawn influences from this novel as well as the folklore story under the same name (called Y Ferch o’r Sger in Welsh). The game has been compared to Outlast, The Evil Within 2, Silent Hill, and its saving system was also compared to those of Resident Evil, with the typewriter switched to a gramophone in the saving rooms.
In the original folk story, Elisabeth Willaims, a woman of the higher class, falls in love with Thomas Evans, a poor harpist. Elisabeth's father, Isaac, disapproves of the relationship, and, in one of the variations of the tale, her father locks her in a room to prevent her from running away until she starves; other variations include Elisabeth dying from a broken heart or being forced to marry a richer man who she does not love until she passes away from illness. According to the tale, her ghost, alongside the ghost of a sailor, haunt the Sker House.
The game is using the first-person perspective and features blind enemies that can find the player by noise, they are introduced as "The Quiet Ones." As Thomas cannot fight back (except for when a temporary weapon is introduced mid-game), the player is forced to be stealthy when exploring the hotel grounds, or making sounds to distract The Quiet Ones so Thomas passes them safely. The only way to search through the hotel grounds successfully is by avoiding The Quiet Ones by not making noise and holding your breath when a Quiet One is close or not bumping into objects. If the player holds their breath for too long, Thomas gasps for air which alerts the enemies. In certain environments, such as when the protagonist is in a dusty location or close to a fireplace, he coughs, and the player has to stop him by holding his breath as this alerts The Quiet Ones.
It consists of a device which sends shock waves and temporarily damages the hearing of The Silent Ones, stunning them for a short duration; this allows the player to run away from the location. While the player gets this weapon, ammunition is scarce and the player has to use it carefully.
The game features a manual save style and there is no autosave. To save the game, the player has to find "safe rooms", the rooms have green-tainted patterned doors, and inside the rooms are gramophones which the player has to play to save the game. Before the game saves, the gramophones play records of Elisabeth and her experiences with her family which adds to the background of the story. After the records end or when the player stops them manually, the game starts saving. If the player dies or restores a save, they lose all the progress made after the last save, additionally, enemies always change routes and cannot always be found lurking in the same places. This saving system is compared to the one which appeared in the Resident Evil games.
While the game is praised for its great sound design, Thomas never speaks in the game. Aside from grunting noises, he is completely mute throughout the game and his lines are displayed as text instead; however, this is not the case for Elisabeth and she has her voice actor. This has received some negative feedback alongside the sensitivity of the movement on consoles. The game has been compared to Outlast when it comes to the gameplay style, and The Evil Within 2 and Silent Hill when it comes to the game's atmosphere.
I love the concept, the atomsphere, the horror, the strategy, it does remind of "The Evil Within", "Resident Evil", "Silent Hill" and "Outlast". All excellent horror games and same with this one.
The game takes place in 1898 in the Sker Hotel, located on an imaginary island called Sker Island, where the protagonist, Thomas Evans, is invited by his lover, Elisabeth Williams, to uncover the mysteries of the hotel after she notices her family's strange behavior. While exploring the hotel, Thomas learns the place is controlled by cult followers called "The Quiet Ones". The history of Elisabeth's family is revealed when Thomas finds notes and gramophone records scattered around the hotel.
The story is inspired by multiple Welsh and British folklore tales, specifically the idea of the hotel is influenced by the Sker House, a real life historic place situated just outside the town of Porthcawl, near Bridgend, Wales, which is made famous by the three-volume novel written by R. D. Blackmore, The Maid of Sker. The game has drawn influences from this novel as well as the folklore story under the same name (called Y Ferch o’r Sger in Welsh). The game has been compared to Outlast, The Evil Within 2, Silent Hill, and its saving system was also compared to those of Resident Evil, with the typewriter switched to a gramophone in the saving rooms.
In the original folk story, Elisabeth Willaims, a woman of the higher class, falls in love with Thomas Evans, a poor harpist. Elisabeth's father, Isaac, disapproves of the relationship, and, in one of the variations of the tale, her father locks her in a room to prevent her from running away until she starves; other variations include Elisabeth dying from a broken heart or being forced to marry a richer man who she does not love until she passes away from illness. According to the tale, her ghost, alongside the ghost of a sailor, haunt the Sker House.
The game is using the first-person perspective and features blind enemies that can find the player by noise, they are introduced as "The Quiet Ones." As Thomas cannot fight back (except for when a temporary weapon is introduced mid-game), the player is forced to be stealthy when exploring the hotel grounds, or making sounds to distract The Quiet Ones so Thomas passes them safely. The only way to search through the hotel grounds successfully is by avoiding The Quiet Ones by not making noise and holding your breath when a Quiet One is close or not bumping into objects. If the player holds their breath for too long, Thomas gasps for air which alerts the enemies. In certain environments, such as when the protagonist is in a dusty location or close to a fireplace, he coughs, and the player has to stop him by holding his breath as this alerts The Quiet Ones.
It consists of a device which sends shock waves and temporarily damages the hearing of The Silent Ones, stunning them for a short duration; this allows the player to run away from the location. While the player gets this weapon, ammunition is scarce and the player has to use it carefully.
The game features a manual save style and there is no autosave. To save the game, the player has to find "safe rooms", the rooms have green-tainted patterned doors, and inside the rooms are gramophones which the player has to play to save the game. Before the game saves, the gramophones play records of Elisabeth and her experiences with her family which adds to the background of the story. After the records end or when the player stops them manually, the game starts saving. If the player dies or restores a save, they lose all the progress made after the last save, additionally, enemies always change routes and cannot always be found lurking in the same places. This saving system is compared to the one which appeared in the Resident Evil games.
While the game is praised for its great sound design, Thomas never speaks in the game. Aside from grunting noises, he is completely mute throughout the game and his lines are displayed as text instead; however, this is not the case for Elisabeth and she has her voice actor. This has received some negative feedback alongside the sensitivity of the movement on consoles. The game has been compared to Outlast when it comes to the gameplay style, and The Evil Within 2 and Silent Hill when it comes to the game's atmosphere.
I love the concept, the atomsphere, the horror, the strategy, it does remind of "The Evil Within", "Resident Evil", "Silent Hill" and "Outlast". All excellent horror games and same with this one.