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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Promenade (The Dark Nocturne #3) in Books
Aug 30, 2022
After reading and loving the first two books in the Dark Nocturne series by Morgan Shamy, Serenade and Etude, I jumped right into reading the final book in the trilogy, Promenade. Promenade was the best book in the series which is saying a lot since I loved the first two! I was just sad that the trilogy was ending.
In Promenade, November and Vincent are in two separate eras in time. After an attack on November's life that lives others she cares about dead, she enlists the help of the Fae to help her get back in time to help stop Vincent's death in the present time. However, there's the shadow wraith that keeps coming after her to send her back to her time. November must convince Vincent, who's a totally different person than his present self, to somehow change the future to prevent his death in her time. However, things don't go as planned. More lives are lost, and November's plan is left in shambles.
I very much loved the plot of Promenade! I was hooked right from the start. Yes, the first two books in the series are fantastic, but Promenade really blew me away! There's so much action and adventure packed in each and every page throughout this book. It's hard not to get sucked right back into November's world. There was a few time where the pacing took off without me, and I was left confused, but that was not very often. Other than those few times, the pacing was perfect, and I found myself fully immersed in the story. I loved the setting of early 20th century London, England. With Shamy's great descriptions of everything that was around, I was easily transported back with November. It was easy to imagine everything going on around November. The world building was so good! The time travel aspect was written superbly, and it was done in a way that wasn't extremely confusing. In Promenade, we still had some mentions of blood walkers, shifters, and witches, but now November was also dealing with the Fae, the Shadow Fae, and a shadow wraith. I loved all the new types of fantasy beings in this book. There were a few plot twist throughout the book, and I loved how the whole trilogy was tied up nicely by the end of the book.
Where do I start with the characters in Promenade? Just like in the previous two books in the trilogy, Shamy does an amazing job at breathing life into each and every one of her characters no matter how big or small of a role they play. November redeemed herself in Promenade after annoying me in Etude. I admired her love and strong bond with Vincent. I loved how she'd risk everything just to try to make sure he and her friends would be alright (even if it would sometimes have the opposite effect). The depth of November's emotions felt very realistic, and I felt myself having the same feelings as November. I enjoyed reading about the Vincent of 1901. He was much different from the present day Vincent, and it was interesting to read how different they were. I liked how we got to know Quincey a little better in this book as well. I enjoyed learning more about him. Cam was also heavily featured, and I was thrilled! I've always had a soft spot for Cam after the first book in the trilogy when he turns over a new leaf. We are also introduced to the characters of Rowan and Hazel. Although they weren't featured a lot, they were still awesome characters. We also get to meet Vincent's father. Let's just say he is definitely a piece of work! Shamy does a fantastic job of making us kind of sympathize with him for wanting to protect his land and people but at the same time, hating him for what he's done to the people he thinks disobey him.
Trigger warnings for Promenade include murder, attempted murder, torture, violence, and blackmail.
Overall, Promenade is one of the best books I've read in awhile. With it's exciting plot and well developed characters, you'd be hard pressed not to like this book. I would definitely recommend Promenade by Morgan Shamy to those aged 14+ who are willing to stay up all night to finish a book due to how great it is!
In Promenade, November and Vincent are in two separate eras in time. After an attack on November's life that lives others she cares about dead, she enlists the help of the Fae to help her get back in time to help stop Vincent's death in the present time. However, there's the shadow wraith that keeps coming after her to send her back to her time. November must convince Vincent, who's a totally different person than his present self, to somehow change the future to prevent his death in her time. However, things don't go as planned. More lives are lost, and November's plan is left in shambles.
I very much loved the plot of Promenade! I was hooked right from the start. Yes, the first two books in the series are fantastic, but Promenade really blew me away! There's so much action and adventure packed in each and every page throughout this book. It's hard not to get sucked right back into November's world. There was a few time where the pacing took off without me, and I was left confused, but that was not very often. Other than those few times, the pacing was perfect, and I found myself fully immersed in the story. I loved the setting of early 20th century London, England. With Shamy's great descriptions of everything that was around, I was easily transported back with November. It was easy to imagine everything going on around November. The world building was so good! The time travel aspect was written superbly, and it was done in a way that wasn't extremely confusing. In Promenade, we still had some mentions of blood walkers, shifters, and witches, but now November was also dealing with the Fae, the Shadow Fae, and a shadow wraith. I loved all the new types of fantasy beings in this book. There were a few plot twist throughout the book, and I loved how the whole trilogy was tied up nicely by the end of the book.
Where do I start with the characters in Promenade? Just like in the previous two books in the trilogy, Shamy does an amazing job at breathing life into each and every one of her characters no matter how big or small of a role they play. November redeemed herself in Promenade after annoying me in Etude. I admired her love and strong bond with Vincent. I loved how she'd risk everything just to try to make sure he and her friends would be alright (even if it would sometimes have the opposite effect). The depth of November's emotions felt very realistic, and I felt myself having the same feelings as November. I enjoyed reading about the Vincent of 1901. He was much different from the present day Vincent, and it was interesting to read how different they were. I liked how we got to know Quincey a little better in this book as well. I enjoyed learning more about him. Cam was also heavily featured, and I was thrilled! I've always had a soft spot for Cam after the first book in the trilogy when he turns over a new leaf. We are also introduced to the characters of Rowan and Hazel. Although they weren't featured a lot, they were still awesome characters. We also get to meet Vincent's father. Let's just say he is definitely a piece of work! Shamy does a fantastic job of making us kind of sympathize with him for wanting to protect his land and people but at the same time, hating him for what he's done to the people he thinks disobey him.
Trigger warnings for Promenade include murder, attempted murder, torture, violence, and blackmail.
Overall, Promenade is one of the best books I've read in awhile. With it's exciting plot and well developed characters, you'd be hard pressed not to like this book. I would definitely recommend Promenade by Morgan Shamy to those aged 14+ who are willing to stay up all night to finish a book due to how great it is!
Rachel King (13 KP) rated The Lens and the Looker in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The premise of this book was quite intriguing, so I had high hopes to see how this concept of "History Camps" played out using the city of Verona in the year 1347. What I did not really understand was why Hansum and Lincoln were specifically cast as lens-maker apprentices. Kaufman goes into extreme detail regarding the intricacies of making lenses for eye glasses with rudimentary tools of that time period, and quite a bit of the book is devoted to the education of the process and the modernization of the tools used. Seeing the lens-making business in practice in the "real" Verona showed that the "lenses for the eyes" contributed as more of a novelty for the wealthy and educated than a wide-spread tool used by the masses. In contrast, Shamira's role as kitchen girl made much more sense to me, as that is a generic role that would not necessarily impede the progression of plot.
Backing up, I was very interested in the present-day time period of 2347 and the few details that Kaufman spared regarding this society. Unfortunately, not much is explained about how this society came to be. A brief explanation is given for the planetary population of 300 million, along with other random details interspersed throughout the book, such as every child born is paired with an A.I., people are implanted with a device that keeps disease and infection at bay, and parents are only allowed to have one child with a lottery sometimes allowing for a second child. The purpose of the History Camps are explained through the rebellious attitudes of the three main characters and how they can easily manipulate the system for their own entertainment. As a parent, the word that continually echoed through my head regarding these children in the Hard-Time History Camp is "Spoiled!" Though they are supposed to be learning about how the rebellion of the human populations of the past caused everything from war, to disease, to poverty and famine, the way the children are coddled and protected from any sort of real pain or hardship makes me wonder how these History Camps ever accomplished anything of lasting value in any child.
Once the children are brought to the real Verona and abandoned as orphans, they finally begin to get a taste of real difficulty and hardship, but this is where the believability ends for me. The children had a single day in the History Camp Verona to get acquainted with their roles, and they show up in the real Verona as near-experts, maneuvering the details of their jobs to accommodate for comfort and ease of use that the family they work for is not familiar with, of course all with the help and direction of a very convenient genie. On top of all of this, the three children become agreeable, cooperative, and hard-working practically overnight, with little sign of the rebellious tendencies that put them in a History Camp in the first place. These transitions in character development felt forced to me.
Another aspect that really bugged me from the beginning of the book was the awkwardness of the dialog throughout the book, specifically regarding the children's speech. It felt stilted and over-simplified, and slowed down my reading because I consistently felt that children today did not speak like this. Some of the speech of the people native to the real Verona also seemed strange, but I attributed that to the speech of the time period.
Many of the characters took on unique facets that made them rather memorable to me, such as Ugilino's looks and arrogance, Signora della Cappa's madness, and Shamira's artistic inclinations. The budding romance between Hansum, or "Romero", and Guilietta copies the Shakespearean play, "Romeo and Juliet", in many ways, down to the presence of a Father Lurenzano, and I have to wonder about Kaufman's motivations for working this tale into the plot. And again, their romance also felt forced and over-the-top, missing the reality-warping conviction that is obvious in the original Shakespeare story.
I also have to wonder how these advancements that the three children are introducing to 1347 Verona are actually affecting the progression of time, since this is a much harped-upon concern regarding time travel. The only thing that is apparent to both the children and the reader is the quaint changes made to the appearance of the genie. Something else that is also mentioned early on is that this is also the same time period as the Black Plague, which has yet to make an appearance. Hopefully, the next book in the trilogy will address these things, The Bronze and the Brimstone: The Verona Trilogy, Book 2.
This book seemed geared to appeal to pre-teens and young teens in many ways, but as an adult reader, it left much to be desired for me.
Backing up, I was very interested in the present-day time period of 2347 and the few details that Kaufman spared regarding this society. Unfortunately, not much is explained about how this society came to be. A brief explanation is given for the planetary population of 300 million, along with other random details interspersed throughout the book, such as every child born is paired with an A.I., people are implanted with a device that keeps disease and infection at bay, and parents are only allowed to have one child with a lottery sometimes allowing for a second child. The purpose of the History Camps are explained through the rebellious attitudes of the three main characters and how they can easily manipulate the system for their own entertainment. As a parent, the word that continually echoed through my head regarding these children in the Hard-Time History Camp is "Spoiled!" Though they are supposed to be learning about how the rebellion of the human populations of the past caused everything from war, to disease, to poverty and famine, the way the children are coddled and protected from any sort of real pain or hardship makes me wonder how these History Camps ever accomplished anything of lasting value in any child.
Once the children are brought to the real Verona and abandoned as orphans, they finally begin to get a taste of real difficulty and hardship, but this is where the believability ends for me. The children had a single day in the History Camp Verona to get acquainted with their roles, and they show up in the real Verona as near-experts, maneuvering the details of their jobs to accommodate for comfort and ease of use that the family they work for is not familiar with, of course all with the help and direction of a very convenient genie. On top of all of this, the three children become agreeable, cooperative, and hard-working practically overnight, with little sign of the rebellious tendencies that put them in a History Camp in the first place. These transitions in character development felt forced to me.
Another aspect that really bugged me from the beginning of the book was the awkwardness of the dialog throughout the book, specifically regarding the children's speech. It felt stilted and over-simplified, and slowed down my reading because I consistently felt that children today did not speak like this. Some of the speech of the people native to the real Verona also seemed strange, but I attributed that to the speech of the time period.
Many of the characters took on unique facets that made them rather memorable to me, such as Ugilino's looks and arrogance, Signora della Cappa's madness, and Shamira's artistic inclinations. The budding romance between Hansum, or "Romero", and Guilietta copies the Shakespearean play, "Romeo and Juliet", in many ways, down to the presence of a Father Lurenzano, and I have to wonder about Kaufman's motivations for working this tale into the plot. And again, their romance also felt forced and over-the-top, missing the reality-warping conviction that is obvious in the original Shakespeare story.
I also have to wonder how these advancements that the three children are introducing to 1347 Verona are actually affecting the progression of time, since this is a much harped-upon concern regarding time travel. The only thing that is apparent to both the children and the reader is the quaint changes made to the appearance of the genie. Something else that is also mentioned early on is that this is also the same time period as the Black Plague, which has yet to make an appearance. Hopefully, the next book in the trilogy will address these things, The Bronze and the Brimstone: The Verona Trilogy, Book 2.
This book seemed geared to appeal to pre-teens and young teens in many ways, but as an adult reader, it left much to be desired for me.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tiny Epic Zombies in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
Who doesn’t love a day at the mall? Hanging out with friends, hitting the food court, checking out the sales at your favorite stores, trying to survive a zombie apocalypse, the possibilities are endless! Wait, what? Zombie apocalypse? Definitely NOT what you had in mind when you planned your trip to the mall, but it looks like you’re caught in the midst! The stores are in disarray and the mall is a mass of chaos (picture Black Friday shopping), and you need to get out! You and a band of survivors must fend off a hoard of zombies while collecting supplies and completing communal objectives in order to make it out alive!
Our next Tiny Epic game review brings us to the world of Zombies! Travis and I kickstarted this game last year, and it’s been a unique addition to the Tiny Epic series. Don’t let the adorable zombies fool you – the game requires a good amount of teamwork and strategy to be successful! And it can be played either cooperatively or competitively – a choice that I have not seen executed in a game before. So read on, fellow gamers, to decide if you have what it takes to survive this zombie infestation alive!
Disclaimer: There are 5 different game modes for Tiny Epic Zombies, but we have only played the completely Cooperative Game vs. an AI Zombie player. Once we have played the other game modes, we will either amend this review or write a new one! – L
Welcome to Tiny Epic Zombies – a cooperative game in which players must successfully complete 3 objectives before they are overrun by zombies. Players take on the role of mall-goers (each with a special ability) who have thus far survived the zombie outbreak. Players will move throughout the mall, battling zombies and picking up supplies, while working towards completing communal objectives. If all 3 objectives are completed, the players win! If the Search Deck runs out, or if the zombies take control of the courtyard and its remaining survivors, the players have lost the game.
For such a ‘tiny’ game, there really is a lot going on. Each player’s turn consists of 3 moves, after each of which the player may A) kill a zombie, B) use room abilities and/or interact with tokens, and C) collect items. It is important to note, players may only perform the B and C actions if there are no zombies remaining in any room of their current store. At the end of their turn, the player will reveal their Search Card (drawn blindly), and will add zombies to the mall accordingly. After zombies are added, the player blindly draws a new Search Card, and play continues. If the Search Deck runs out at any point in the game, players get one final turn to complete their objectives, otherwise they lose!
Simple, right? Not exactly. I know for me, personally, it can be hard to keep track of my turns since each of your 3 moves could potentially allow you to perform 3 additional actions. Turns can get a little muddled with so much to do if you are not paying close attention. After a few plays, it gets easier to remember the turn order, but even then I still keep the rule book on hand to double-check all of my turns.
Ultimately, the thing that can make or break a game is what objectives the players are trying to complete. You shuffle, randomly draw 3 objectives, and go from there. Some objectives are pretty involved and require lots of action to complete, while others are pretty straight-forward and simple. If you draw 3 tough ones (like we did in our first game together), it could be very difficult to succeed. The right combination of objectives can make the game super fun, but unless you hand-pick them for a balanced game, there’s always the chance you’ll get the hardest ones at once. Regarding the objectives though, I do really like that this game can be cooperative – everyone must pitch in to help, and no single player is the ‘hero.’ You have to work closely with the other players to determine the best strategy in order to complete the objectives as quickly as possible. Some objectives can be a challenge for sure, but being able to divvy up certain responsibilities can help make the game feel more manageable.
Overall, I like this game because it’s cute (just look at those little zombies!), cooperative (yay teamwork!), and challenging. There’s kind of a learning curve for turn order, but once you get the hang of it, and collectively figure out the best strategy for objective completion, the game is pretty enjoyable! Purple Phoenix Games gives this installment a bloodied 17 / 24.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/tiny-epic-zombies-reviews/
Our next Tiny Epic game review brings us to the world of Zombies! Travis and I kickstarted this game last year, and it’s been a unique addition to the Tiny Epic series. Don’t let the adorable zombies fool you – the game requires a good amount of teamwork and strategy to be successful! And it can be played either cooperatively or competitively – a choice that I have not seen executed in a game before. So read on, fellow gamers, to decide if you have what it takes to survive this zombie infestation alive!
Disclaimer: There are 5 different game modes for Tiny Epic Zombies, but we have only played the completely Cooperative Game vs. an AI Zombie player. Once we have played the other game modes, we will either amend this review or write a new one! – L
Welcome to Tiny Epic Zombies – a cooperative game in which players must successfully complete 3 objectives before they are overrun by zombies. Players take on the role of mall-goers (each with a special ability) who have thus far survived the zombie outbreak. Players will move throughout the mall, battling zombies and picking up supplies, while working towards completing communal objectives. If all 3 objectives are completed, the players win! If the Search Deck runs out, or if the zombies take control of the courtyard and its remaining survivors, the players have lost the game.
For such a ‘tiny’ game, there really is a lot going on. Each player’s turn consists of 3 moves, after each of which the player may A) kill a zombie, B) use room abilities and/or interact with tokens, and C) collect items. It is important to note, players may only perform the B and C actions if there are no zombies remaining in any room of their current store. At the end of their turn, the player will reveal their Search Card (drawn blindly), and will add zombies to the mall accordingly. After zombies are added, the player blindly draws a new Search Card, and play continues. If the Search Deck runs out at any point in the game, players get one final turn to complete their objectives, otherwise they lose!
Simple, right? Not exactly. I know for me, personally, it can be hard to keep track of my turns since each of your 3 moves could potentially allow you to perform 3 additional actions. Turns can get a little muddled with so much to do if you are not paying close attention. After a few plays, it gets easier to remember the turn order, but even then I still keep the rule book on hand to double-check all of my turns.
Ultimately, the thing that can make or break a game is what objectives the players are trying to complete. You shuffle, randomly draw 3 objectives, and go from there. Some objectives are pretty involved and require lots of action to complete, while others are pretty straight-forward and simple. If you draw 3 tough ones (like we did in our first game together), it could be very difficult to succeed. The right combination of objectives can make the game super fun, but unless you hand-pick them for a balanced game, there’s always the chance you’ll get the hardest ones at once. Regarding the objectives though, I do really like that this game can be cooperative – everyone must pitch in to help, and no single player is the ‘hero.’ You have to work closely with the other players to determine the best strategy in order to complete the objectives as quickly as possible. Some objectives can be a challenge for sure, but being able to divvy up certain responsibilities can help make the game feel more manageable.
Overall, I like this game because it’s cute (just look at those little zombies!), cooperative (yay teamwork!), and challenging. There’s kind of a learning curve for turn order, but once you get the hang of it, and collectively figure out the best strategy for objective completion, the game is pretty enjoyable! Purple Phoenix Games gives this installment a bloodied 17 / 24.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/tiny-epic-zombies-reviews/
Kyera (8 KP) rated Lord Of Shadows in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Lord of Shadows is the second book in the Dark Artifices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. The book is fantastically written and follows our main characters as they deal with the aftermath of Lady Midnight. Be sure that you read Lady Midnight before delving into this book as there will be many spoilers.
The storylines come together and diverge beautifully in this story, allowing each character to shine. Even though Julian and Emma are the main characters, we get to spend more time with the other Blackthorns, Kit, Cristina, Diana and the others. Each character grows over the course of the novel and we get to know them better. My heart goes out to Dru because although she has her family, she doesn’t have a best friend or someone to truly talk to – like Julian and Emma or Ty and Livvy. She clearly longs for that connection, or to at least be included more by her family and I think many can relate to that.
I loved getting to know Ty and Livvy more because they have such a unique and precious bond. It was also great to see Kit join in with their adventures, even though he is not new to the Shadow World he is new to being a Shadowhunter. They made him feel like part of the family and he understood Ty immediately in a way that most outsiders don’t take the time to. He fits in perfectly with them and I couldn’t wait to see how they would grow as a trio throughout the novel.
Mark has come into his own in this novel – the events he went through in Lady Midnight and with the Wild Hunt changed him, made him less sure of himself. Since he has been back with his family, he is learning to trust again and view himself as a Shadowhunter. He must reconcile his feelings about Kieran with the faerie’s betrayal in Lady Midnight, become more responsible and hopefully take some of the burdens off Julian.
Emma is dealing with the aftermath of discovering who killed her parents and why. As that pursuit has fueled her for the last five years, it’s a strange transition for her. It doesn’t help that her relationship with Julian is as complicated as ever. The two are battling with their emotions and letting it affect them as parabatai. The characters that Cassie has created are so real that you hurt when they hurt and just wish for a happy ending for all of them.
It was fantastic to see the cameos from some of the beloved characters we know from the other Shadowhunter Chronicles series. I personally miss them and always wonder what they’re up to now, how their lives are and what shenanigans they’re embroiled in. Cassie does not disappoint and the cameos were lengthy and detailed enough that I feel satisfied (although of course, I would be happy with several spin-off books chronicling their adventures).
Lord of Shadows takes our heroes outside of Los Angeles, which was brilliant because it allowed Cassie to continue to build and artfully illustrate her world. My favourite new location was Faerie, which we have visited before in the books but was allowed to flourish in this novel. The land was described in greater detail and the Fae themselves were given more depth. Previously, we witnessed interactions between the Seelie Queen and the Nephilim, but now we were able to learn more about the Unseelie.
I didn’t feel that there were any pacing issues in this story – the stories were interwoven with one another masterfully and action was interspersed with storytelling and world building elements. Each action made by the characters purposefully brought us down a road that while we won’t understand fully yet, you can sense the plot points are being introduced and will be fully realized in Queen of Air and Darkness. There are elements that feel like foreshadowing, but we won’t understand them until the series has concluded.
The final chapter was a rollercoaster that brought together several storylines and found all our characters together – but nothing played out as expected. Cassie is skilled at subverting our expectations and yet not leaving us unsatisfied with the conclusion. While I cannot believe some of the things that happened over the course of the novel, I appreciate the beauty of the plot and story, while not feeling like the book left me with a torturous cliffhanger.
I’ve mentioned it before, but Cassie’s books continue to get better and Lord of Shadows was fantastic. I highly recommend reading this book (after Lady Midnight, of course, and perhaps the rest of the Shadowhunter Chronicles as well) because in my humble opinion you will not regret it. I am absolutely in love with the book and utterly destroyed that we have to wait until 2019 to read the conclusion.
The storylines come together and diverge beautifully in this story, allowing each character to shine. Even though Julian and Emma are the main characters, we get to spend more time with the other Blackthorns, Kit, Cristina, Diana and the others. Each character grows over the course of the novel and we get to know them better. My heart goes out to Dru because although she has her family, she doesn’t have a best friend or someone to truly talk to – like Julian and Emma or Ty and Livvy. She clearly longs for that connection, or to at least be included more by her family and I think many can relate to that.
I loved getting to know Ty and Livvy more because they have such a unique and precious bond. It was also great to see Kit join in with their adventures, even though he is not new to the Shadow World he is new to being a Shadowhunter. They made him feel like part of the family and he understood Ty immediately in a way that most outsiders don’t take the time to. He fits in perfectly with them and I couldn’t wait to see how they would grow as a trio throughout the novel.
Mark has come into his own in this novel – the events he went through in Lady Midnight and with the Wild Hunt changed him, made him less sure of himself. Since he has been back with his family, he is learning to trust again and view himself as a Shadowhunter. He must reconcile his feelings about Kieran with the faerie’s betrayal in Lady Midnight, become more responsible and hopefully take some of the burdens off Julian.
Emma is dealing with the aftermath of discovering who killed her parents and why. As that pursuit has fueled her for the last five years, it’s a strange transition for her. It doesn’t help that her relationship with Julian is as complicated as ever. The two are battling with their emotions and letting it affect them as parabatai. The characters that Cassie has created are so real that you hurt when they hurt and just wish for a happy ending for all of them.
It was fantastic to see the cameos from some of the beloved characters we know from the other Shadowhunter Chronicles series. I personally miss them and always wonder what they’re up to now, how their lives are and what shenanigans they’re embroiled in. Cassie does not disappoint and the cameos were lengthy and detailed enough that I feel satisfied (although of course, I would be happy with several spin-off books chronicling their adventures).
Lord of Shadows takes our heroes outside of Los Angeles, which was brilliant because it allowed Cassie to continue to build and artfully illustrate her world. My favourite new location was Faerie, which we have visited before in the books but was allowed to flourish in this novel. The land was described in greater detail and the Fae themselves were given more depth. Previously, we witnessed interactions between the Seelie Queen and the Nephilim, but now we were able to learn more about the Unseelie.
I didn’t feel that there were any pacing issues in this story – the stories were interwoven with one another masterfully and action was interspersed with storytelling and world building elements. Each action made by the characters purposefully brought us down a road that while we won’t understand fully yet, you can sense the plot points are being introduced and will be fully realized in Queen of Air and Darkness. There are elements that feel like foreshadowing, but we won’t understand them until the series has concluded.
The final chapter was a rollercoaster that brought together several storylines and found all our characters together – but nothing played out as expected. Cassie is skilled at subverting our expectations and yet not leaving us unsatisfied with the conclusion. While I cannot believe some of the things that happened over the course of the novel, I appreciate the beauty of the plot and story, while not feeling like the book left me with a torturous cliffhanger.
I’ve mentioned it before, but Cassie’s books continue to get better and Lord of Shadows was fantastic. I highly recommend reading this book (after Lady Midnight, of course, and perhaps the rest of the Shadowhunter Chronicles as well) because in my humble opinion you will not regret it. I am absolutely in love with the book and utterly destroyed that we have to wait until 2019 to read the conclusion.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Nations: The Dice Game in Tabletop Games
Aug 16, 2019 (Updated Jul 17, 2021)
If you have been around board games over the past several years you will notice trends here and there. Some games came out with smaller, easier to digest, versions of themselves as card games, or roll-and-writes, or in this case: dice games. The goal is to get the same kind of feeling and experience as playing the older sibling in a much smaller and time-friendly spin-off. I have played Nations (the original big game) before, but does Nations: The Dice Game give a similar feel?
Nations: The Dice Game (can I please just call it Nations for this review as we know I am not talking about the original? Thanks.) is a civilization building, upgrade tile drafting, dice game for one to four players. Players will be upgrading their civilizations over four game rounds to compete for Books and VPs. The player with the most VP at the end of the game is the winner.
Disclaimer: The photos shown here is for a solo game, as I took them during my learning game using the solo rules. Normally the purple d4 is not used in multiplayer games. -T
To setup, each player will choose a starter civilization mat, receive five white dice, a gold chit, and a re-roll chit. Player order will be determined by cards and each player will receive their player order card which doubles as a reference card (great idea). The Progress Board will be set on the table and populated with randomized Age I Progress tiles according to the rule book. The Score Board will also be placed on the table to track Books, Events, and final VPs. The game begins with each player rolling their five dice.
Nations (TDG) is played over four ages with multiple rounds per age. At the beginning of each age old tiles will be removed from the Progress Board and new ones for the current age added. Also an Event tile will be drawn and placed on the Score Board to signify goals for Famine and War at the end of the age. On a player’s turn they will take one action from the following: Re-Roll (any or all unused dice by spending a re-roll chit), Buy tile (from the Progress Board to upgrade player mat spaces and dice), or Build Wonder (tile using Stone dice or chits for VP). When a player has taken as many turns/actions they wish for the age, they turn their player order card to the side to indicate they have passed for the remainder of the age.
Once all players have passed, they will tally their unused dice and any chits showing Books to be recorded on the Book track. Players will score points for Books based on how many opponents they have outscored for Books. Then players will consult the face-up Event tile that was revealed at the beginning of the round. The top portion displays VP earned when players discard unused dice and chits showing Famine leaf icons matching or exceeding what is on the Event tile. Similarly, for War players will consult the Event tile and use the sword icons on unused dice and chits to score any VPs for War. Play continues in this way across all four ages and once the fourth age has been scored the game ends and winner named victorious!
Components. I have mostly good news here. The dice in this dice game are wonderful. They are all easy to read and understand, and feel great when rolling nine or ten of them at once. The chits are fine, the Progress and Event tiles are nice and thick. The player mats, Score Board, and Progress Board are very thin though. I was going to give that a negative remark, but you know, players don’t really handle them during the game so there is no real need for them to be any thicker. The art is similar as in Nations, and while it does not resonate with me, it is fine. I won’t be playing Nations for the art.
All in all the game is fine. It didn’t blow me away or completely replace Nations (the big game) for me. It IS a pretty quick game to play, so there is one definite improvement over the big brother game; 10-15 minutes per player is pretty spot on. I usually do not prefer dice games to the originals (BANG! The Dice Game being the obvious improvement), and this one is really just on par with the big game. While it takes up less space on the shelf, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it over its sibling. I feel the same way about each game, so my recommendation is get the version you feel would be played more often. Purple Phoenix Games gives Nations: The Dice Game a Montezuma-should-be-in-Age-IV 6 / 12. Give it a shot if you are into dice games, but grab the original if you want something meatier.
Nations: The Dice Game (can I please just call it Nations for this review as we know I am not talking about the original? Thanks.) is a civilization building, upgrade tile drafting, dice game for one to four players. Players will be upgrading their civilizations over four game rounds to compete for Books and VPs. The player with the most VP at the end of the game is the winner.
Disclaimer: The photos shown here is for a solo game, as I took them during my learning game using the solo rules. Normally the purple d4 is not used in multiplayer games. -T
To setup, each player will choose a starter civilization mat, receive five white dice, a gold chit, and a re-roll chit. Player order will be determined by cards and each player will receive their player order card which doubles as a reference card (great idea). The Progress Board will be set on the table and populated with randomized Age I Progress tiles according to the rule book. The Score Board will also be placed on the table to track Books, Events, and final VPs. The game begins with each player rolling their five dice.
Nations (TDG) is played over four ages with multiple rounds per age. At the beginning of each age old tiles will be removed from the Progress Board and new ones for the current age added. Also an Event tile will be drawn and placed on the Score Board to signify goals for Famine and War at the end of the age. On a player’s turn they will take one action from the following: Re-Roll (any or all unused dice by spending a re-roll chit), Buy tile (from the Progress Board to upgrade player mat spaces and dice), or Build Wonder (tile using Stone dice or chits for VP). When a player has taken as many turns/actions they wish for the age, they turn their player order card to the side to indicate they have passed for the remainder of the age.
Once all players have passed, they will tally their unused dice and any chits showing Books to be recorded on the Book track. Players will score points for Books based on how many opponents they have outscored for Books. Then players will consult the face-up Event tile that was revealed at the beginning of the round. The top portion displays VP earned when players discard unused dice and chits showing Famine leaf icons matching or exceeding what is on the Event tile. Similarly, for War players will consult the Event tile and use the sword icons on unused dice and chits to score any VPs for War. Play continues in this way across all four ages and once the fourth age has been scored the game ends and winner named victorious!
Components. I have mostly good news here. The dice in this dice game are wonderful. They are all easy to read and understand, and feel great when rolling nine or ten of them at once. The chits are fine, the Progress and Event tiles are nice and thick. The player mats, Score Board, and Progress Board are very thin though. I was going to give that a negative remark, but you know, players don’t really handle them during the game so there is no real need for them to be any thicker. The art is similar as in Nations, and while it does not resonate with me, it is fine. I won’t be playing Nations for the art.
All in all the game is fine. It didn’t blow me away or completely replace Nations (the big game) for me. It IS a pretty quick game to play, so there is one definite improvement over the big brother game; 10-15 minutes per player is pretty spot on. I usually do not prefer dice games to the originals (BANG! The Dice Game being the obvious improvement), and this one is really just on par with the big game. While it takes up less space on the shelf, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it over its sibling. I feel the same way about each game, so my recommendation is get the version you feel would be played more often. Purple Phoenix Games gives Nations: The Dice Game a Montezuma-should-be-in-Age-IV 6 / 12. Give it a shot if you are into dice games, but grab the original if you want something meatier.
Mothergamer (1521 KP) rated BEYOND: Two Souls in Video Games
Jun 21, 2019
I had never played Beyond: Two Souls and I got the game for free with my Playstation Plus subscription. I decided to check it out. Right from the start of the game, the story hooks you in with an introduction to a young woman (played by Ellen Page) sitting in a sheriff's office looking grim. This is where Beyond really begins. It's an intriguing way to start a story and I found myself wanting to know who this young woman was and how she got to this point.
As the story progresses, you learn that the young woman's name is Jodie and she has a psychic connection with an entity known as Aiden. Jodie can communicate and work with Aiden to use telepathic abilities such as moving objects or possessing people's minds. This is where the game has time jumps between Jodie's childhood, her teen years, and adulthood. It seems the story does this on purpose, showing that memories in Jodie's mind are jumbled so there are frequent time jumps back and forth. It can be a little confusing at times, but it seems to meld well with the story.
You can adjust the difficulty settings in the game from easy to normal depending on your play style which is nice. Since this was my first time playing the game, I went with the easy setting so I could get a feel for things and just enjoy the story. As the story switched back and forth in the timeline you get to see the things Jodie went through as a kid with Aiden and how she came to be with the lead scientist of the paranormal department, Nathan who is played by Willem Dafoe. Throughout Jodie's childhood, Nathan is a constant presence and a bit of a father figure to her as they run tests to see how strong Jodie's abilities are as well as testing her connection to Aiden. This is where the game introduces you to the controls and the quick action button events.
You can also switch views between Jodie and Aiden. There are many points in the game where Jodie relies on Aiden for certain parts of the story in order to move objects, possess people, or fight enemies. This is where the quick action controls come in. Honestly, I did not like the quick action controls because for me it detracted from the story immersion and often felt like a chore to do especially if I missed it the first time. There were times where it was vital that I not miss the quick action moment and it could be very frustrating when I did miss it.
The aspect of Jodie and Aiden learning and growing together as the story progresses is definitely interesting. There are great emotional moments in the story with Jodie as she is trying to navigate what it means to be herself while trying to adjust and separate herself from Aiden. You also get to see how her relationships change with people like Nathan as she grows. The time skips through the fifteen year span of Jodie's life fill in some of the gaps in the story, but there are times where it feels a bit muddled because in some aspects it takes away the player control and just takes you along for the ride. That is not necessarily a bad thing, because Ellen Page does a phenomenal job as Jodie and I found myself caring a lot about this character and wanting to protect her from all the people who were trying to control or manipulate her.
There are multiple endings to Beyond depending on choices you make as Jodie, but it doesn't always seem like there are a ton of choices because you are basically there to see Jodie's story unfold and see how she came to be where she is. The voice acting and motion capture of the game is incredible and everyone did a fantastic job telling this story. That's not to say Beyond isn't flawed. As I said before, I did not like the quick action event sequences. I felt this detracted from the story a bit. I also felt there were a couple of writing choices that could have been done better and in a more thoughtful manner such as a troubling scene in one of Jodie's teen years memories. I also felt the ending could have been stronger because it took an odd cliffhanger turn. That being said, I did enjoy Beyond: Two Souls because of the great casting and the story. Ellen Page as Jodie is the real deal bringing a great sincerity to the character that made me care genuinely about Jodie and wanting her to be okay. That is the sign of some good storytelling. Beyond is definitely worth playing through at least once to see the story unfold through Jodie's eyes.
As the story progresses, you learn that the young woman's name is Jodie and she has a psychic connection with an entity known as Aiden. Jodie can communicate and work with Aiden to use telepathic abilities such as moving objects or possessing people's minds. This is where the game has time jumps between Jodie's childhood, her teen years, and adulthood. It seems the story does this on purpose, showing that memories in Jodie's mind are jumbled so there are frequent time jumps back and forth. It can be a little confusing at times, but it seems to meld well with the story.
You can adjust the difficulty settings in the game from easy to normal depending on your play style which is nice. Since this was my first time playing the game, I went with the easy setting so I could get a feel for things and just enjoy the story. As the story switched back and forth in the timeline you get to see the things Jodie went through as a kid with Aiden and how she came to be with the lead scientist of the paranormal department, Nathan who is played by Willem Dafoe. Throughout Jodie's childhood, Nathan is a constant presence and a bit of a father figure to her as they run tests to see how strong Jodie's abilities are as well as testing her connection to Aiden. This is where the game introduces you to the controls and the quick action button events.
You can also switch views between Jodie and Aiden. There are many points in the game where Jodie relies on Aiden for certain parts of the story in order to move objects, possess people, or fight enemies. This is where the quick action controls come in. Honestly, I did not like the quick action controls because for me it detracted from the story immersion and often felt like a chore to do especially if I missed it the first time. There were times where it was vital that I not miss the quick action moment and it could be very frustrating when I did miss it.
The aspect of Jodie and Aiden learning and growing together as the story progresses is definitely interesting. There are great emotional moments in the story with Jodie as she is trying to navigate what it means to be herself while trying to adjust and separate herself from Aiden. You also get to see how her relationships change with people like Nathan as she grows. The time skips through the fifteen year span of Jodie's life fill in some of the gaps in the story, but there are times where it feels a bit muddled because in some aspects it takes away the player control and just takes you along for the ride. That is not necessarily a bad thing, because Ellen Page does a phenomenal job as Jodie and I found myself caring a lot about this character and wanting to protect her from all the people who were trying to control or manipulate her.
There are multiple endings to Beyond depending on choices you make as Jodie, but it doesn't always seem like there are a ton of choices because you are basically there to see Jodie's story unfold and see how she came to be where she is. The voice acting and motion capture of the game is incredible and everyone did a fantastic job telling this story. That's not to say Beyond isn't flawed. As I said before, I did not like the quick action event sequences. I felt this detracted from the story a bit. I also felt there were a couple of writing choices that could have been done better and in a more thoughtful manner such as a troubling scene in one of Jodie's teen years memories. I also felt the ending could have been stronger because it took an odd cliffhanger turn. That being said, I did enjoy Beyond: Two Souls because of the great casting and the story. Ellen Page as Jodie is the real deal bringing a great sincerity to the character that made me care genuinely about Jodie and wanting her to be okay. That is the sign of some good storytelling. Beyond is definitely worth playing through at least once to see the story unfold through Jodie's eyes.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Art of Hunting (The Gravedigger Chronicles #2) in Books
Nov 8, 2019
I read the first installment of the Gravedigger Chronicles, Sea Of Ghosts a little while ago and the sheer imagination really grabbed my attention. While waiting for the second book I read Campbell's first trilogy and this confirmed a grasp for creating very different, if very dark, fantasy worlds.
The first book follows the story of Thomas Granger, ex-Colonel with the elite 'Gravediggers' army unit now the owner and warden of a decrepit prison in a world that is literally drowning. Humans share the world with the intelligent and long-lived Unmer, for centuries their slaves until a band of telepaths overthrew them. In revenge the Unmer seeded the sees with thousands of small bottles - icusae - which are constantly producing poisonous 'brine', making the seas toxic and raising the sea level.
Granger sets off on a quest to find is estranged daughter Ianthe - herself an incredibly powerful but blind telepath - and so we see this strange and often brutal world, meeting Briana Marks the arrogant head of the telepaths and Ethan Maskeleyne, metaphysicist and hunter of Unmer treasure.
The book ends cataclysmically with Ianthe all but destroying the telepaths' power with her mind and setting the trapped Unmer prince Marquetta free at the same time as her father - now with magical armour and sword - arrives to rescue her himself.
The second book carried straight on from the first, detailing the aftermath of the battle and the Unmer's plans to once again rule, beginning with Marquetta's plan to marry Ianthe. Granger is naturally suspicious of his motives towards his only daughter. Marquetta also needs to eliminate another Unmer lord, Conquillas, who has been hired as an assassin by Briana Marks to kill Marquetta and his uncle. Conquillas is an Unmer rebel who has studied war and hunting until it is an art form to him. Marquetta plans to eliminate him by challenging him to a tournament which is rigged so that Conquillas cannot survive.
Learning of the plans, Granger decides to leave his daughter and travel to find Conquillas and warn him. But soon he has more to worry about as his Unmer sword literally has a mind of its own. Meanwhile Maskeleyne is on his own quest to discover why the unfortunate people who have 'drowned' in the brine seas (but still have a sort of life) are bringing him keys.
As can be seen from the brief description above this is a complex book. Although the story is told from four viewpoints - Granger, Ianthe, Maskeleyne and Briana Marks - the bulk of the story is carried by Granger (on his own quest) and Ianthe (following with the Unmer). Granger is a terrific character - he is gruff and insentimental and is not always a sympathetic character. But he is also very driven and always sees the solution to anything as a straight line, regardless of any obstacles on that path he will just bulldoze straight through them. Ianthe is more subtle as a character because she is essentially tagging along with Marquetta and apart from the marriage plot doesn't really contribute very much.
The world they inhabit is excellent. This is a different kind of fantasy world. Rather than being stuck in medieval worlds as tends to be the case, there is a lot of technology. There are guns and gas cutting torches for example. Everything seems to be very very old and anything enchanted by the Unmer is as dangerous to the innocent wielder as their target.
After the first book it is interesting to see more of the Unmer in action. Marquetta is a proud and determined prince, his uncle fills the role of scheming manipulator well and it is not clear if Marquetta follows his uncle or is merely another pawn in the play. Conquillas is also well drawn for the few scenes he is in, the consumate warrior and hunter while still being otherworldly and cold towards the humans that he deals with. Maskeleyne also comes to the fore in this book after being something of a villain in the first book in this book he is not at odds with the other main characters and so is a much more rounded person rather than a cipher to explain Unmer artifacts and move the plot along.
Yes this is a hard read; the chapters are long (there are only 8 chapters in the book) which means it is a long time between breaks in the narrative and the start does take a long long time to get going although a lot of the information is vital in setting up the rest of the book. Once it gets going however it flows well. In fact I would say the tournament at the end was a little rushed - some more insight into the early rounds would have been interesting I think - but as the main point is to get the final showdown this can be excused.
Overall, a fantastic second part and I eagerly look forward the the third installment.
Rating: Some slight swearing and crude references
The first book follows the story of Thomas Granger, ex-Colonel with the elite 'Gravediggers' army unit now the owner and warden of a decrepit prison in a world that is literally drowning. Humans share the world with the intelligent and long-lived Unmer, for centuries their slaves until a band of telepaths overthrew them. In revenge the Unmer seeded the sees with thousands of small bottles - icusae - which are constantly producing poisonous 'brine', making the seas toxic and raising the sea level.
Granger sets off on a quest to find is estranged daughter Ianthe - herself an incredibly powerful but blind telepath - and so we see this strange and often brutal world, meeting Briana Marks the arrogant head of the telepaths and Ethan Maskeleyne, metaphysicist and hunter of Unmer treasure.
The book ends cataclysmically with Ianthe all but destroying the telepaths' power with her mind and setting the trapped Unmer prince Marquetta free at the same time as her father - now with magical armour and sword - arrives to rescue her himself.
The second book carried straight on from the first, detailing the aftermath of the battle and the Unmer's plans to once again rule, beginning with Marquetta's plan to marry Ianthe. Granger is naturally suspicious of his motives towards his only daughter. Marquetta also needs to eliminate another Unmer lord, Conquillas, who has been hired as an assassin by Briana Marks to kill Marquetta and his uncle. Conquillas is an Unmer rebel who has studied war and hunting until it is an art form to him. Marquetta plans to eliminate him by challenging him to a tournament which is rigged so that Conquillas cannot survive.
Learning of the plans, Granger decides to leave his daughter and travel to find Conquillas and warn him. But soon he has more to worry about as his Unmer sword literally has a mind of its own. Meanwhile Maskeleyne is on his own quest to discover why the unfortunate people who have 'drowned' in the brine seas (but still have a sort of life) are bringing him keys.
As can be seen from the brief description above this is a complex book. Although the story is told from four viewpoints - Granger, Ianthe, Maskeleyne and Briana Marks - the bulk of the story is carried by Granger (on his own quest) and Ianthe (following with the Unmer). Granger is a terrific character - he is gruff and insentimental and is not always a sympathetic character. But he is also very driven and always sees the solution to anything as a straight line, regardless of any obstacles on that path he will just bulldoze straight through them. Ianthe is more subtle as a character because she is essentially tagging along with Marquetta and apart from the marriage plot doesn't really contribute very much.
The world they inhabit is excellent. This is a different kind of fantasy world. Rather than being stuck in medieval worlds as tends to be the case, there is a lot of technology. There are guns and gas cutting torches for example. Everything seems to be very very old and anything enchanted by the Unmer is as dangerous to the innocent wielder as their target.
After the first book it is interesting to see more of the Unmer in action. Marquetta is a proud and determined prince, his uncle fills the role of scheming manipulator well and it is not clear if Marquetta follows his uncle or is merely another pawn in the play. Conquillas is also well drawn for the few scenes he is in, the consumate warrior and hunter while still being otherworldly and cold towards the humans that he deals with. Maskeleyne also comes to the fore in this book after being something of a villain in the first book in this book he is not at odds with the other main characters and so is a much more rounded person rather than a cipher to explain Unmer artifacts and move the plot along.
Yes this is a hard read; the chapters are long (there are only 8 chapters in the book) which means it is a long time between breaks in the narrative and the start does take a long long time to get going although a lot of the information is vital in setting up the rest of the book. Once it gets going however it flows well. In fact I would say the tournament at the end was a little rushed - some more insight into the early rounds would have been interesting I think - but as the main point is to get the final showdown this can be excused.
Overall, a fantastic second part and I eagerly look forward the the third installment.
Rating: Some slight swearing and crude references
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Go Extinct!: Stardust Catches the Carnivores in Tabletop Games
Mar 26, 2020
“Yo, uhh, got any sevens?” “Naw, go fish.” “Dag, yo.” “Hmm, got any Queens?” “Nope, go fish.” “*&%#@!!” While this may be many of us during the social distancing or self-isolation using meager playing cards, there is now another option – Go Extinct!: Stardust Catches the Carnivores. The title is long, but the playtime isn’t, and the Go Fish is there, but it is masked by an educational skin. Does this one make a case for our collection?
In Go Extinct!: Stardust Catches the Carnivores (which I will shorten to Go Extinct from here on out) players are attempting to score the most points at the end of the game by collecting runs(?) of animals within the same biological family, called “clades.” More points are gained by collecting families with more members, and the game has a known end timeline – when the players’ cards run out.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give a feel for how the game generally plays. You are invited to back the game through the Kickstarter campaign running until April 16, 2020, purchase from your FLGS upon release, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the large board on the table for all to see. Follow the setup rules per player count listed in the rule book (because it’s different for three players and for 4+). Shuffle the cards and deal each player six cards. The rest of the deck becomes the central draw deck. You are now ready to begin!
A game of Go Extinct is played over several rounds where players are trying to collect and play complete clades of animals. Only clades played to the players’ personal score piles can be scored at the end of the game, and once in the score pile, can no longer be stolen (asked for) by other players – just like in Go Fish.
Go Extinct becomes a bit more distinct when asking for cards. A player can ask a specific player for a specific animal (Wolverine, Polar Bear, etc) or can ask for cards within the same family (a cub of Delicate Dog or Ancestor of Ursidae). If a player is given a specific animal species, the asking player may take another turn to ask for more animals or clade members. If the ask is unsuccessful, the asked player announces, “Go Extinct” to indicate that the asking player must hunt for animals elsewhere, namely, the draw pile. Redraw at the end of a turn to a hand size of six and the game continues with the next player.
Again, the game ends once all the cards are played, but when the draw deck runs out, a new rule enters play. When asked for a clade, the asked player must give up to three of their cards, if they have that many of that clade. Once a player runs out of cards in their hand, they are finished, and the game ends when every player is out of cards. Tally up the points per clade size, and determine who is the best at collecting animal clades!
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of this game, which is on Kickstarter now, so the components may be different from what will be produced via a successful KS campaign. That said, the components we received are great! The cards are good quality with excellent card art depicting extinct and current animals. The graphic layout is good, and once you can read the cards, the board is no longer really necessary for play. That board. It is absolutely beautiful, though not overly ornate, and is also completely unnecessary for play. We did enjoy having it on the table while we played, but players never actually interact with it or use for anything other than reference. It is a nice touch, though.
Being a family man, myself, and having young children, this will be great for when my kids learn to read. Learning the names of ancestral animals and scientific nomenclature of current animals is something I cannot wait to teach my kids. I really see no reason for me to ever teach them Go Fish while I have Go Extinct in my collection, and I do believe I will keep it there for a long time. If you enjoy light games with a heavy dose of education and direct player interaction without conflict, then Go Extinct is for you. It may be too light for hardcore gamers, but those gamers are not the intended audience. If you are looking for games to bond with your kids over, then you simply must check out Go Extinct. Or if you just want to learn a little something yourself, go ahead and pick up a copy or three. I recommend it. Visit the Kickstarter campaign here and tell them Purple Phoenix Games sent you!
In Go Extinct!: Stardust Catches the Carnivores (which I will shorten to Go Extinct from here on out) players are attempting to score the most points at the end of the game by collecting runs(?) of animals within the same biological family, called “clades.” More points are gained by collecting families with more members, and the game has a known end timeline – when the players’ cards run out.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give a feel for how the game generally plays. You are invited to back the game through the Kickstarter campaign running until April 16, 2020, purchase from your FLGS upon release, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the large board on the table for all to see. Follow the setup rules per player count listed in the rule book (because it’s different for three players and for 4+). Shuffle the cards and deal each player six cards. The rest of the deck becomes the central draw deck. You are now ready to begin!
A game of Go Extinct is played over several rounds where players are trying to collect and play complete clades of animals. Only clades played to the players’ personal score piles can be scored at the end of the game, and once in the score pile, can no longer be stolen (asked for) by other players – just like in Go Fish.
Go Extinct becomes a bit more distinct when asking for cards. A player can ask a specific player for a specific animal (Wolverine, Polar Bear, etc) or can ask for cards within the same family (a cub of Delicate Dog or Ancestor of Ursidae). If a player is given a specific animal species, the asking player may take another turn to ask for more animals or clade members. If the ask is unsuccessful, the asked player announces, “Go Extinct” to indicate that the asking player must hunt for animals elsewhere, namely, the draw pile. Redraw at the end of a turn to a hand size of six and the game continues with the next player.
Again, the game ends once all the cards are played, but when the draw deck runs out, a new rule enters play. When asked for a clade, the asked player must give up to three of their cards, if they have that many of that clade. Once a player runs out of cards in their hand, they are finished, and the game ends when every player is out of cards. Tally up the points per clade size, and determine who is the best at collecting animal clades!
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of this game, which is on Kickstarter now, so the components may be different from what will be produced via a successful KS campaign. That said, the components we received are great! The cards are good quality with excellent card art depicting extinct and current animals. The graphic layout is good, and once you can read the cards, the board is no longer really necessary for play. That board. It is absolutely beautiful, though not overly ornate, and is also completely unnecessary for play. We did enjoy having it on the table while we played, but players never actually interact with it or use for anything other than reference. It is a nice touch, though.
Being a family man, myself, and having young children, this will be great for when my kids learn to read. Learning the names of ancestral animals and scientific nomenclature of current animals is something I cannot wait to teach my kids. I really see no reason for me to ever teach them Go Fish while I have Go Extinct in my collection, and I do believe I will keep it there for a long time. If you enjoy light games with a heavy dose of education and direct player interaction without conflict, then Go Extinct is for you. It may be too light for hardcore gamers, but those gamers are not the intended audience. If you are looking for games to bond with your kids over, then you simply must check out Go Extinct. Or if you just want to learn a little something yourself, go ahead and pick up a copy or three. I recommend it. Visit the Kickstarter campaign here and tell them Purple Phoenix Games sent you!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Caretakers in Books
Apr 6, 2020
As soon as I read the synopsis for The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell, I was instantly hooked. I knew it was a book that I had to read. It's like it was calling out to me saying "read me...read me." What a wild ride The Caretakers had in store for me!
Tessa Shepard made a documentary that helped free a man that she thought was framed for murder. However, when it seems he's killed the police chief's daughter, Tessa's life becomes upended. Around the same time, Tessa and her twin sister inherit a large estate named Fallbrook. There she meets two old ladies who are the caretakers of Fallbrook that have their own crazy story about the past when it comes to Fallbrooks history. With danger lurking around every corner, Tessa must try to survive and figure out the two old ladies' story.
I could not fault the plot of The Caretakers at all. It was absolutely solid from beginning to end. With The Caretakers, I felt like I was sort of getting two stories in one which was great! The first story is Tessa's. The narrative follows Tessa as she deals with her conscience about freeing a man from prison who may have actually been guilty. She's also dealing with the fallout between her and her twin sister Margot. With Tessa's reputation in tatters, Tessa tries to stay out of the spotlight and deal with what's going on in her personal life, but it doesn't turn out to be that easy. The second narrative belongs to the two old ladies and caretakers of Fallbrook, Kitty and Deidre. Their story was the most interesting to read about. Kitty and Deidre remember two different accounts of what actually befell Fallbrook when they were children. It was traumatizing for both of them, and at least one of the sisters has blocked out the actual memories of the horrible event that happened there. I found myself trying to guess which events were the true ones. Kudos to Eliza Maxwell for adding so many plot twists to The Caretakers that I never saw coming! I absolutely was thrilled that there were so many plot twists. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, a curve ball was thrown at me making me have to start my guess work all over again. However, all cliff hangers and questions are answered by the end of the book.
The characters in The Caretakers were all written fantastically! All were fleshed out appropriately even the minor characters. It was easy to empathize with everything Tessa was going through. She had so much bad stuff going on at one time. Learning her back story, it was easy to see why she thought the way she did. I liked Margot as well. While she's not a main character, she does play a fairly important role in Tessa's life. Sometimes I felt like Margot was a little too closed off when it came to Tessa and her husband, Ben. This wasn't due to bad writing, but quite the opposite. I felt like this was a character flaw that even real life people struggle with. I enjoyed Oliver's character. He made for a fantastic antagonist. Oliver was the one who Tessa freed from prison due to her documentary. Through fantastic storytelling, it was easy to see why Oliver went off the deep end after he was released. I felt bad for him actually. Deidre was an interesting character, and I came to understand why she was wary of strangers meddling in hers and Kitty's business. Kitty was my all time favorite character in The Caretakers though. I was sucked up in her childlike way of acting. She seemed to trust everyone and came across as such a sweet person. It seemed like she was too nice to be unkind towards anyone. I felt like Kitty had the most interesting backstory out of all the characters. The Cooke family, who had previously lived in Fallbrook before it became derelict, had the most intriguing story out of everyone. I really enjoyed reading about them.
Trigger warnings for The Caretakers include profanity, murder, violence, drinking, and police corruption.
To say I was blown away by The Caretakers is an understatement. Seriously, this book gave me goosebumps and a severe book hangover. That's how great it was! With intriguing plot lines and fantastic characters, it was such a fantastic read. I would most definitely recommend The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell to those aged 17+. I really believe readers of all genres will really enjoy this book!
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(A special thank you to Lone Star Literary Life and Eliza Maxwell for sending me a paperback and Netgalley for an eBook of The Caretakers in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Tessa Shepard made a documentary that helped free a man that she thought was framed for murder. However, when it seems he's killed the police chief's daughter, Tessa's life becomes upended. Around the same time, Tessa and her twin sister inherit a large estate named Fallbrook. There she meets two old ladies who are the caretakers of Fallbrook that have their own crazy story about the past when it comes to Fallbrooks history. With danger lurking around every corner, Tessa must try to survive and figure out the two old ladies' story.
I could not fault the plot of The Caretakers at all. It was absolutely solid from beginning to end. With The Caretakers, I felt like I was sort of getting two stories in one which was great! The first story is Tessa's. The narrative follows Tessa as she deals with her conscience about freeing a man from prison who may have actually been guilty. She's also dealing with the fallout between her and her twin sister Margot. With Tessa's reputation in tatters, Tessa tries to stay out of the spotlight and deal with what's going on in her personal life, but it doesn't turn out to be that easy. The second narrative belongs to the two old ladies and caretakers of Fallbrook, Kitty and Deidre. Their story was the most interesting to read about. Kitty and Deidre remember two different accounts of what actually befell Fallbrook when they were children. It was traumatizing for both of them, and at least one of the sisters has blocked out the actual memories of the horrible event that happened there. I found myself trying to guess which events were the true ones. Kudos to Eliza Maxwell for adding so many plot twists to The Caretakers that I never saw coming! I absolutely was thrilled that there were so many plot twists. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, a curve ball was thrown at me making me have to start my guess work all over again. However, all cliff hangers and questions are answered by the end of the book.
The characters in The Caretakers were all written fantastically! All were fleshed out appropriately even the minor characters. It was easy to empathize with everything Tessa was going through. She had so much bad stuff going on at one time. Learning her back story, it was easy to see why she thought the way she did. I liked Margot as well. While she's not a main character, she does play a fairly important role in Tessa's life. Sometimes I felt like Margot was a little too closed off when it came to Tessa and her husband, Ben. This wasn't due to bad writing, but quite the opposite. I felt like this was a character flaw that even real life people struggle with. I enjoyed Oliver's character. He made for a fantastic antagonist. Oliver was the one who Tessa freed from prison due to her documentary. Through fantastic storytelling, it was easy to see why Oliver went off the deep end after he was released. I felt bad for him actually. Deidre was an interesting character, and I came to understand why she was wary of strangers meddling in hers and Kitty's business. Kitty was my all time favorite character in The Caretakers though. I was sucked up in her childlike way of acting. She seemed to trust everyone and came across as such a sweet person. It seemed like she was too nice to be unkind towards anyone. I felt like Kitty had the most interesting backstory out of all the characters. The Cooke family, who had previously lived in Fallbrook before it became derelict, had the most intriguing story out of everyone. I really enjoyed reading about them.
Trigger warnings for The Caretakers include profanity, murder, violence, drinking, and police corruption.
To say I was blown away by The Caretakers is an understatement. Seriously, this book gave me goosebumps and a severe book hangover. That's how great it was! With intriguing plot lines and fantastic characters, it was such a fantastic read. I would most definitely recommend The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell to those aged 17+. I really believe readers of all genres will really enjoy this book!
--
(A special thank you to Lone Star Literary Life and Eliza Maxwell for sending me a paperback and Netgalley for an eBook of The Caretakers in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Thread Needle in Books
Jun 17, 2021
“Magic is the first sin. It must be bound.”
Anna is an orphan, she is a witch with no magic, she is a nobody.
Raised by her aunt in London since her parents’ death when she was just 3 months old, Anna leads a monotonous life of school, homework, chores and learning to control her magic. Not that she has much magic to control, but Anna has been raised in the shadow of the Binders, a coven who believe magic is a sin and who will bind Anna’s magic when she turns 16. Until then, Anna must not draw attention to herself or the world of magic, she must shrink and she must be invisible. Only when her magic is bound will she be safe…or so the Binders would lead her to believe.
Threadneedle begins around Anna’s 15th birthday, when Anna and her Aunt receive a surprise visit from a family friend (and witch) Selene, her daughter Effie and friend Attis. Anna has idolised Selene since her childhood but I imagine even she did not anticipate this birthday visit to change her life so significantly.
Selene, Effie and Attis are the complete opposite of the Binders, using magic freely and unreservedly: they open up a whole new world to the reluctant Anna and even convince her to create a coven with them, discovering new witches right under their noses. However, as Anna practices magic more, a peculiar symbol seems to haunt her; the symbol of the eye – the symbol of a curse.
The majority of Threadneedle takes place within Anna’s home and school. Anna’s life as a nobody at school is turned on its head with Effie’s arrival and she finds that, along with friends, comes the drama of a typical teenage girl. Bullying and body-shaming are key topics here and sort of edged the book into the YA category in my opinion.
Anna as a character is portrayed as an entirely ordinary teenager, if a little meek. Her aunt, in juxtaposition, is controlling and dominating, although she always expresses that this is necessary to protect Anna and comes from a place of love. Aunt is rarely referred to by her name and has an abusive hold over Anna, punishing her with magic if she so much as shows a flicker of emotion. The reader witnesses Anna’s emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her Aunt, with Cari Thomas even beginning each chapter with one of the Binders’ tenets, signifying the brainwashing nature of the coven.
Anna doesn’t remain meek for long though: fuelled by her intrigue of magic and the mystery behind her parent’s death, Anna soon starts pushing the boundaries that she has lived within for so long. Will she succeed and manage to discover the magical world that surrounds her? Or will her magic be knotted before she gets the chance?
Despite being set in present-day London, Thomas really does introduce an entirely new world of magic with different magical languages, different covens and the constant threat of The Hunters. I found the mixture of darkness and realism incredible.
I also loved the fact that the magic and non-magic worlds run side by side in Thomas’ world but I am very conscious that any magical book written post-Harry Potter is obviously going to have comparisons made. However, Anna does not have the safety of Hogwarts or a doting headmaster to fall back on. There are no teachers providing an education in magic, she must find her magic on her own. No this is a far cry from Harry Potter; Threadneedle is more like a bubbling mixture of Charmed, with a ladle full of Mean Girls and a teaspoon of The Craft for good measure.
The sheer amount of world building by Cari Thomas means that the first few chapters of Threadneedle can feel quite slow but the novel soon settles into place. Thomas also has almost a rhythmic quality to her narrative, with fast-paced writing in dramatic spots before slowing right down again to represent Anna’s isolation. The final chapters were so captivating, with several mysteries that had been steadily growing finally coming to a head: I couldn’t read this fast enough.
Threadneedle is the first in the Language of Magic series by Cari Thomas and it is one hell of a debut! From prophecies and poison to bullies and love triangles; magical libraries, witch hunters and more plot twists than you can imagine, this book has it all. Thomas’ writing is so clever that towards the end of the book even the reader doesn’t know who to believe any more!
Thank you to HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to discover this new world. The hype around this book is going to be crazy and it is completely deserved.
Anna is an orphan, she is a witch with no magic, she is a nobody.
Raised by her aunt in London since her parents’ death when she was just 3 months old, Anna leads a monotonous life of school, homework, chores and learning to control her magic. Not that she has much magic to control, but Anna has been raised in the shadow of the Binders, a coven who believe magic is a sin and who will bind Anna’s magic when she turns 16. Until then, Anna must not draw attention to herself or the world of magic, she must shrink and she must be invisible. Only when her magic is bound will she be safe…or so the Binders would lead her to believe.
Threadneedle begins around Anna’s 15th birthday, when Anna and her Aunt receive a surprise visit from a family friend (and witch) Selene, her daughter Effie and friend Attis. Anna has idolised Selene since her childhood but I imagine even she did not anticipate this birthday visit to change her life so significantly.
Selene, Effie and Attis are the complete opposite of the Binders, using magic freely and unreservedly: they open up a whole new world to the reluctant Anna and even convince her to create a coven with them, discovering new witches right under their noses. However, as Anna practices magic more, a peculiar symbol seems to haunt her; the symbol of the eye – the symbol of a curse.
The majority of Threadneedle takes place within Anna’s home and school. Anna’s life as a nobody at school is turned on its head with Effie’s arrival and she finds that, along with friends, comes the drama of a typical teenage girl. Bullying and body-shaming are key topics here and sort of edged the book into the YA category in my opinion.
Anna as a character is portrayed as an entirely ordinary teenager, if a little meek. Her aunt, in juxtaposition, is controlling and dominating, although she always expresses that this is necessary to protect Anna and comes from a place of love. Aunt is rarely referred to by her name and has an abusive hold over Anna, punishing her with magic if she so much as shows a flicker of emotion. The reader witnesses Anna’s emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her Aunt, with Cari Thomas even beginning each chapter with one of the Binders’ tenets, signifying the brainwashing nature of the coven.
Anna doesn’t remain meek for long though: fuelled by her intrigue of magic and the mystery behind her parent’s death, Anna soon starts pushing the boundaries that she has lived within for so long. Will she succeed and manage to discover the magical world that surrounds her? Or will her magic be knotted before she gets the chance?
Despite being set in present-day London, Thomas really does introduce an entirely new world of magic with different magical languages, different covens and the constant threat of The Hunters. I found the mixture of darkness and realism incredible.
I also loved the fact that the magic and non-magic worlds run side by side in Thomas’ world but I am very conscious that any magical book written post-Harry Potter is obviously going to have comparisons made. However, Anna does not have the safety of Hogwarts or a doting headmaster to fall back on. There are no teachers providing an education in magic, she must find her magic on her own. No this is a far cry from Harry Potter; Threadneedle is more like a bubbling mixture of Charmed, with a ladle full of Mean Girls and a teaspoon of The Craft for good measure.
The sheer amount of world building by Cari Thomas means that the first few chapters of Threadneedle can feel quite slow but the novel soon settles into place. Thomas also has almost a rhythmic quality to her narrative, with fast-paced writing in dramatic spots before slowing right down again to represent Anna’s isolation. The final chapters were so captivating, with several mysteries that had been steadily growing finally coming to a head: I couldn’t read this fast enough.
Threadneedle is the first in the Language of Magic series by Cari Thomas and it is one hell of a debut! From prophecies and poison to bullies and love triangles; magical libraries, witch hunters and more plot twists than you can imagine, this book has it all. Thomas’ writing is so clever that towards the end of the book even the reader doesn’t know who to believe any more!
Thank you to HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to discover this new world. The hype around this book is going to be crazy and it is completely deserved.