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Off The Grid (To Catch a Thief #3)
Book
One part Pride and Prejudice. One part Romancing the Stone. All the feels. Don't miss this...
Contemporary Romance Comedy
The Road to Canterbury
8.0
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Tabletop Game
Greed, Pride, Gluttony, Wrath, Luxury, Idleness, and Envy – the infamous "Seven Deadly Sins". For...
His Rockstar Dom
10.0
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Book
A singing sensation who steals hearts. The wannabe guitarist who worships him. Can true love survive...
Contemporary MM Rockstar Romance BDSM
Come from Behind: An Age Gap Gay Romance (Suite Dreams)
6.0
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Book
Is it possible that Tavish’s fender-bender on a snowy day will lead to him getting romantically...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Of Knights & Ninjas in Tabletop Games
Jan 23, 2020
Little-known factoid about me: I am a Knight. Not from England, and not due to my daring heroics in war, but a Knight Templar of the Grand Commandery in the York Rite of Freemasonry. Politics and conspiracy theories aside, becoming a Knight was a highlight of my life, and something I will forever treasure. And speaking of treasure and Knights Templar (read your history, kids), we all know that one of the biggest foes of the Knights in olden times were the nefarious Ninjas. Or maybe it’s just fun to think about and play a game where these factions are represented.
Of Knights & Ninjas is a card game about claiming enough treasure to ascend to kinghood and rule all the lands. You can accomplish this by sending forces to your opponents’ realms and stealing their glorious gems. The first lord to amass 10 gems will have sufficient wealth to assume the kinghood and rule all realms!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. If you would like to read the rulebook in full, you may visit the publisher’s website, purchase the game through the publisher, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, each player will take five gems of their preferred color in front of them. Shuffle the large deck of cards, and deal each player four cards (this rule was updated after our play-throughs). You are now ready to play!
On your turn, you will draw two cards from the deck (unless it’s the first draw of the game – that player will draw just one). You must now play a card to the table or discard a card from your hand. Cards that you can play from your hand will each have different abilities, and thankfully the designer will be providing a reference sheet for these, as there are many cards with wildly different abilities. This is also why I will not be explaining the entire rulebook.
Typically you will be able to play Fortify cards (castles, archers), Attack cards (knights, ninjas, etc), Respond cards, and Special cards (minstrels, jesters, etc). Fortify cards protect your gems from certain Attack cards, like an Archer only being able to attack another Archer, or a Dragon being able to attack a Castle – but not if an Archer is stationed there (logic). Although, a Ninja can scale a Castle wall, and a Catapult can destroy a Castle altogether (but not that pesky Archer that happens to be sitting on top)…
Attack cards are just that: they Attack. Each Attack card will show a number in a starburst icon in the upper right hand corner that signifies how many gems they are able to steal. Once an opponent is declared and an Attack card played, let’s say a 1-power Peasant, the defender may then play a card with the Respond keyword (which will also have a starburst number) to offset the number of stolen gems. If the attacker chooses, they may continue playing Attack cards against the same opponent in order to draw out all the Respond cards and come away with some sweet, sweet gems.
But maybe once all is said and done, and gems are about to change hands, another opponent plays a Special card – a Highwayman, for example. These characters will steal all the gems that are about to change hands (as if he was robbing the gem carriage en route to the new owner). But then again, perhaps yet ANOTHER opponent plays a Highwayman as well, and steals those gems a second time! You just never know when these Special cards will come out and how they may affect the best laid plans.
Play continues in this fashion until one player has amassed the 10 gems they require to win the game!
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of this game, and we understand that components can change during the course of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, this game is a ton of cards and some plastic gem pieces. The art is stellar – cartoony, but whimsical and fun. The card layouts make sense and are very easy to read and understand. The gems are colorful and fun to play with. I only have one concern/suggestion/wish for the components here. I wish the individual card’s abilities were somehow printed on the cards themselves. That would alleviate the need for a reference sheet, but it would then detract from the cute art on the cards. So, maybe that wouldn’t be so great after all. I’m torn on that.
All in all, this game is super fun to play. It will be chaotic one moment, and strategically tense the next. Being able to whittle an opponent’s hand down to nothing and then slapping them with a King card to steal a huge chunk of gems is just so sneakily satisfying. Or sending your Ninja to infiltrate their unArchered (I know it’s not a word) Castle and slither away with the goods. Don’t get too attached to your gems, because you may find yourself without for several rounds. You can always rebuild, but make haste as your opponents will keep you down if you let them.
If you are a fan of games that are cute, fun, and relatively quick with a quirky, but light-hearted theme, then definitely check this one out.
Of Knights & Ninjas is a card game about claiming enough treasure to ascend to kinghood and rule all the lands. You can accomplish this by sending forces to your opponents’ realms and stealing their glorious gems. The first lord to amass 10 gems will have sufficient wealth to assume the kinghood and rule all realms!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. If you would like to read the rulebook in full, you may visit the publisher’s website, purchase the game through the publisher, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, each player will take five gems of their preferred color in front of them. Shuffle the large deck of cards, and deal each player four cards (this rule was updated after our play-throughs). You are now ready to play!
On your turn, you will draw two cards from the deck (unless it’s the first draw of the game – that player will draw just one). You must now play a card to the table or discard a card from your hand. Cards that you can play from your hand will each have different abilities, and thankfully the designer will be providing a reference sheet for these, as there are many cards with wildly different abilities. This is also why I will not be explaining the entire rulebook.
Typically you will be able to play Fortify cards (castles, archers), Attack cards (knights, ninjas, etc), Respond cards, and Special cards (minstrels, jesters, etc). Fortify cards protect your gems from certain Attack cards, like an Archer only being able to attack another Archer, or a Dragon being able to attack a Castle – but not if an Archer is stationed there (logic). Although, a Ninja can scale a Castle wall, and a Catapult can destroy a Castle altogether (but not that pesky Archer that happens to be sitting on top)…
Attack cards are just that: they Attack. Each Attack card will show a number in a starburst icon in the upper right hand corner that signifies how many gems they are able to steal. Once an opponent is declared and an Attack card played, let’s say a 1-power Peasant, the defender may then play a card with the Respond keyword (which will also have a starburst number) to offset the number of stolen gems. If the attacker chooses, they may continue playing Attack cards against the same opponent in order to draw out all the Respond cards and come away with some sweet, sweet gems.
But maybe once all is said and done, and gems are about to change hands, another opponent plays a Special card – a Highwayman, for example. These characters will steal all the gems that are about to change hands (as if he was robbing the gem carriage en route to the new owner). But then again, perhaps yet ANOTHER opponent plays a Highwayman as well, and steals those gems a second time! You just never know when these Special cards will come out and how they may affect the best laid plans.
Play continues in this fashion until one player has amassed the 10 gems they require to win the game!
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of this game, and we understand that components can change during the course of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, this game is a ton of cards and some plastic gem pieces. The art is stellar – cartoony, but whimsical and fun. The card layouts make sense and are very easy to read and understand. The gems are colorful and fun to play with. I only have one concern/suggestion/wish for the components here. I wish the individual card’s abilities were somehow printed on the cards themselves. That would alleviate the need for a reference sheet, but it would then detract from the cute art on the cards. So, maybe that wouldn’t be so great after all. I’m torn on that.
All in all, this game is super fun to play. It will be chaotic one moment, and strategically tense the next. Being able to whittle an opponent’s hand down to nothing and then slapping them with a King card to steal a huge chunk of gems is just so sneakily satisfying. Or sending your Ninja to infiltrate their unArchered (I know it’s not a word) Castle and slither away with the goods. Don’t get too attached to your gems, because you may find yourself without for several rounds. You can always rebuild, but make haste as your opponents will keep you down if you let them.
If you are a fan of games that are cute, fun, and relatively quick with a quirky, but light-hearted theme, then definitely check this one out.
Merissa (12051 KP) rated The Du Lac Princess (The Du Lac Chronicles #3) in Books
Nov 21, 2017
The Du Lac Princess (The Du Lac Chronicles #3) by Mary Anne Yarde
The Du Lac Princess is the third book in The Du Lac Chronicles, and we start off how it The Du Lac Devil ended. Back in the 6th Century, the world was a harsh place, and Amandine learns this more than most people do. She goes through horrors that you would not believe, but still somehow holds onto life. Merton, now known as Galahad, has been told that she is dead. Together with his own horrific injuries, he doesn't want to live without her, but also clings to life. Garren has returned, Josephine is a poisoned viper, Budic is a bully. All the characters we have grown to love (or hate) are here, and the story will pull you in and not let go until the last page has been turned. Even then, you will want for more!
There is one new character that needs her own mention, and that is Tegan. She was a knight in Arthur's court, in love with Lancelot. She has her own tale to tell, and her own way of telling it, so I won't even try. All I will say is that Tegan wriggled into my heart, and I was sad when we heard no more about her. I am fervently hoping that she will make a reappearance in the next book.
Exceptionally written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, The Du Lac Princess is an astounding read of the highest quality. With impeccable research and honour to traditions of a time gone by, this book and series continue to fascinate. I am happy to learn there will be more in this series, and can't wait to continue. Absolutely and utterly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
There is one new character that needs her own mention, and that is Tegan. She was a knight in Arthur's court, in love with Lancelot. She has her own tale to tell, and her own way of telling it, so I won't even try. All I will say is that Tegan wriggled into my heart, and I was sad when we heard no more about her. I am fervently hoping that she will make a reappearance in the next book.
Exceptionally written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, The Du Lac Princess is an astounding read of the highest quality. With impeccable research and honour to traditions of a time gone by, this book and series continue to fascinate. I am happy to learn there will be more in this series, and can't wait to continue. Absolutely and utterly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated The Prestige (2006) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
Are you watching closely?
Contains spoilers, click to show
Are you watching closely? Christopher Nolan is shaping up to be one of this century's most successful directors, delivering hit after hit, quality upon quality. The only exception to that would be the tedious "Insomnia", but at his best he is a movie making genius, at his worst, an efficient director.
"The Prestige" was produced between projects, those being numbers three and four in my all time top ten, "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight". He claimed that he was making a small movie to tide him over but ended up with an all start blockbuster, and whist touching of a subject which had been dealt with before, I don't recall it ever having being done quite like this.
And that is the magic of a top director; That is to give the audience what they want but not on their terms, not quite what they are expecting. This film follows the obsession of two 19th century magicians, one of whom, Christian Bale, arrives at the conclusion that it takes total commitment to achieve the perfect trick, whilst Hugh Jackman takes a little longer to see that obsession will lead him down the same path.
This is a dark, Gothic thriller, lifting the lid of the magic of the day, whilst in true Nolan fashion delving deeper into the psyche of the protagonists, and the destructive nature of their respective obsessive battles, and those it hurts and destroys along the way.
But more than this, the film its self is effectively a mirror of the plot, told and presented as one long trick, with deception, red herrings and ultimately, eponymous the prestige. The only real problem I have with this film is that it thinks that it has everything so well wrapped up, that we, the audience, can't see the twists coming, which I felt a little insulted by as they were almost telegraphed.
But, this was a methodically well presented film, with a clear time and excellent performances throughout. Highly recommended.
"The Prestige" was produced between projects, those being numbers three and four in my all time top ten, "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight". He claimed that he was making a small movie to tide him over but ended up with an all start blockbuster, and whist touching of a subject which had been dealt with before, I don't recall it ever having being done quite like this.
And that is the magic of a top director; That is to give the audience what they want but not on their terms, not quite what they are expecting. This film follows the obsession of two 19th century magicians, one of whom, Christian Bale, arrives at the conclusion that it takes total commitment to achieve the perfect trick, whilst Hugh Jackman takes a little longer to see that obsession will lead him down the same path.
This is a dark, Gothic thriller, lifting the lid of the magic of the day, whilst in true Nolan fashion delving deeper into the psyche of the protagonists, and the destructive nature of their respective obsessive battles, and those it hurts and destroys along the way.
But more than this, the film its self is effectively a mirror of the plot, told and presented as one long trick, with deception, red herrings and ultimately, eponymous the prestige. The only real problem I have with this film is that it thinks that it has everything so well wrapped up, that we, the audience, can't see the twists coming, which I felt a little insulted by as they were almost telegraphed.
But, this was a methodically well presented film, with a clear time and excellent performances throughout. Highly recommended.
Erika (17788 KP) rated X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) in Movies
Jun 8, 2019 (Updated Jun 8, 2019)
Better than Last Stand
Last Stand didn't exactly set a high bar for the Dark Phoenix story line, and luckily, this film surpassed it. To be honest, the only reason they got my butt in a seat was for Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy.
The story goes the way you expect it to go. I'm not completely convinced Sophie Turner is a good actress. I'm also glad that they killed Raven (not a spoiler, it's common knowledge), though it wasn't quick enough in my opinion.
I'm unsure as to why Jessica Chastain was cast (or why she's ever cast in ANYTHING); her 'villain' was completely useless. The movie didn't even need that subplot, they would have had a better movie without it and her. Pro-tip: don't introduce new characters in the last film of a saga because no one will care enough about them. Seriously, I felt like my time was wasted having to watch her.
I will say, this film FINALLY gave us good scenes with the X-Men kicking some ass, all using their unique powers. They really gave Nicholas Hoult something to do, and he was great!
Finally, the reason I was there, McFassy. This was one of McAvoy's best Professor X performances, he wasn't black or white, he was more gray and it really worked. They didn't give Magneto much to do, but I loved that they introduced Genosha. This will be below the 'see more' line, so, the best flexing his power scene was when he lifted the subway through the concrete, it was almost on par with the submarine being lifted out of the sea in First Class, and pulling up the Auschwitz gate in Apocalypse.
The last scene shows the entire new saga go first circle. Of course, it's very Dark Knight Rises, but it was perfect. I'm only rating it a 6 because of that.
The story goes the way you expect it to go. I'm not completely convinced Sophie Turner is a good actress. I'm also glad that they killed Raven (not a spoiler, it's common knowledge), though it wasn't quick enough in my opinion.
I'm unsure as to why Jessica Chastain was cast (or why she's ever cast in ANYTHING); her 'villain' was completely useless. The movie didn't even need that subplot, they would have had a better movie without it and her. Pro-tip: don't introduce new characters in the last film of a saga because no one will care enough about them. Seriously, I felt like my time was wasted having to watch her.
I will say, this film FINALLY gave us good scenes with the X-Men kicking some ass, all using their unique powers. They really gave Nicholas Hoult something to do, and he was great!
Finally, the reason I was there, McFassy. This was one of McAvoy's best Professor X performances, he wasn't black or white, he was more gray and it really worked. They didn't give Magneto much to do, but I loved that they introduced Genosha. This will be below the 'see more' line, so, the best flexing his power scene was when he lifted the subway through the concrete, it was almost on par with the submarine being lifted out of the sea in First Class, and pulling up the Auschwitz gate in Apocalypse.
The last scene shows the entire new saga go first circle. Of course, it's very Dark Knight Rises, but it was perfect. I'm only rating it a 6 because of that.
Merissa (12051 KP) rated When The Devil Wants In in Books
Jan 30, 2018
When The Devil Wants In by Cate Ashwood & J.H. Knight
When the Devil Wants In is a story that tells of John, a man firmly in the closet in his home town in the deep South. He lives next door to his very religious parents, and everyone thinks that he and his best friend, Chloe, will be married one day. Chloe is the only one who knows that John is gay, and provides his cover. Matt is the newbie to this police force, but is an experienced office from San Francisco. Matt wasn't in the closet, but feels it may be appropriate for Magnolia Ridge.
John is only supposed to be in his late twenties, but somehow came across as being a LOT older. As for Matt, it was hard to pin an age on him. Sometimes he seemed young, sometimes old. Although this story is told from both of their perspectives, it was hard to find much sympathy for John, and I have no idea why. There didn't seem to be much of a bond between the two of them until the end of the story. As for the mystery, there was a lot of build up, but the ending left me wanting more. Although we got the who, the how and why were never really discussed. There was no idea of what had happened to make the person 'snap' at that time.
Apart from that, the story was well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The story was interesting, with a great cast of characters. For anyone who wanted a M/M Mystery, then I would definitely recommend this. Just because I found it slightly unsatisfying at the end doesn't mean everyone will!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
John is only supposed to be in his late twenties, but somehow came across as being a LOT older. As for Matt, it was hard to pin an age on him. Sometimes he seemed young, sometimes old. Although this story is told from both of their perspectives, it was hard to find much sympathy for John, and I have no idea why. There didn't seem to be much of a bond between the two of them until the end of the story. As for the mystery, there was a lot of build up, but the ending left me wanting more. Although we got the who, the how and why were never really discussed. There was no idea of what had happened to make the person 'snap' at that time.
Apart from that, the story was well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The story was interesting, with a great cast of characters. For anyone who wanted a M/M Mystery, then I would definitely recommend this. Just because I found it slightly unsatisfying at the end doesn't mean everyone will!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Watchman (19 KP) rated Bumblebee (2018) in Movies
Jan 5, 2019 (Updated Jan 9, 2019)
Great soundtrack (2 more)
Central performance
Exciting action
Worthy of a positive buzz!
With Michael Bay handing over the directing reins after 5 movies, this franchise looked to be heading to the scrap yard. Convoluted and overlong, the franchise had become bloated and boring.
Step in everyones favourite Autobot, Travis Knight behind the camera (re: the brill Kubo and the two strings), a timeshift to the 80s, and some genuine heart, and there's suddenly 'more than meets the eye' to Transformers again.
With Spielberg on producing duties, there's an ET, ShortCircuit, feel about a young girl (the ever excellent Hailee Steinfeld) trying to cope with the aftermath of the death of her dad, and finding a way with our Bombus from out of space.
After a thrilling action set up involving B-127 (our robot hero) being sent to Earth to form a base for the Autobots, and with 2 Decepticons in hot pursuit, a particually nasty fight ensues (resulting in bumblebees lost voicebox) leaving him battered and bruised, and we settle into what is essentially a heartfelt story of a mourning girl on her birthday and her newly discovered robot. Whilst this could have become cloying, it's handled with a real love of the material, and placing it in the 80s, gives it a great throwback feel (we even have the mean girls at school, a 'Higher Love' song montage, and some fantastic coastal vistas)
The support cast is ok, whilst John Cena flexes his comedic muscle as a soldier on the hunt of our hero.
The action is realised with real excitement, there are plenty of 'I remember those' moments, and the soundtrack wins through. But the real winner is the bond between Charlie and Bumblebee, which is more emotive than a rebel teen and a junkyard VW has any right to be.
Enjoyable and highly recommended. Roll on Bumblebee. You deserve the buzz.
Step in everyones favourite Autobot, Travis Knight behind the camera (re: the brill Kubo and the two strings), a timeshift to the 80s, and some genuine heart, and there's suddenly 'more than meets the eye' to Transformers again.
With Spielberg on producing duties, there's an ET, ShortCircuit, feel about a young girl (the ever excellent Hailee Steinfeld) trying to cope with the aftermath of the death of her dad, and finding a way with our Bombus from out of space.
After a thrilling action set up involving B-127 (our robot hero) being sent to Earth to form a base for the Autobots, and with 2 Decepticons in hot pursuit, a particually nasty fight ensues (resulting in bumblebees lost voicebox) leaving him battered and bruised, and we settle into what is essentially a heartfelt story of a mourning girl on her birthday and her newly discovered robot. Whilst this could have become cloying, it's handled with a real love of the material, and placing it in the 80s, gives it a great throwback feel (we even have the mean girls at school, a 'Higher Love' song montage, and some fantastic coastal vistas)
The support cast is ok, whilst John Cena flexes his comedic muscle as a soldier on the hunt of our hero.
The action is realised with real excitement, there are plenty of 'I remember those' moments, and the soundtrack wins through. But the real winner is the bond between Charlie and Bumblebee, which is more emotive than a rebel teen and a junkyard VW has any right to be.
Enjoyable and highly recommended. Roll on Bumblebee. You deserve the buzz.