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Awix (3310 KP) rated Star Wars: Edge Of The Empire Core Rulebook in Tabletop Games
Mar 7, 2018 (Updated Mar 7, 2018)
Licence-to-print-money Star Wars RPG has had an impressive amount of work put into it; absolutely not a quick cash-in. The game manages to balance crunchy rules, narrative flexibility, and that elusive Star Warsiness with impressive elegance. The main rules mechanic, which involves pools of proprietary dice, may be off-putting for some (the rules are not especially intuitive and you'll be buying a lot of special dice), but once you get used to it the opportunities it gives everyone involved to shape the narrative of the game is rather special.
The EotE-specific material is good; the main 'obligation' mechanic is likely to get overlooked/house-ruled out, but the rest of the book is very solid. A beautiful looking book, very solidly put together, and the line as a whole is well-supported and of the same quality. Fully compatible with the Age of Rebellion and Force and Destiny lines, too: lack of repeated material between books is either a good thing (you seldom pay for the same thing twice) or a pain in the neck (if you're dying to have the rules for a certain race/ship/whatever you will end up buying a lot of other books). My group played this game for almost a year and never got close to feeling bored with the setting or the rules.
The EotE-specific material is good; the main 'obligation' mechanic is likely to get overlooked/house-ruled out, but the rest of the book is very solid. A beautiful looking book, very solidly put together, and the line as a whole is well-supported and of the same quality. Fully compatible with the Age of Rebellion and Force and Destiny lines, too: lack of repeated material between books is either a good thing (you seldom pay for the same thing twice) or a pain in the neck (if you're dying to have the rules for a certain race/ship/whatever you will end up buying a lot of other books). My group played this game for almost a year and never got close to feeling bored with the setting or the rules.
Dana (24 KP) rated Robinson Crusoe in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I had to read this novel for one of my college courses. I was very excited to read it at first. I had been wanting to pick this up for a while, but didn't get around to it. As I read it, however, the boredom started to hit. There are a lot of very slow moments in this novel with little bursts of excitement. It is written as if Robinson Crusoe is talking to himself, rationalizing everything he does or thinks on this island. There were a few instances where I thought something that should have been written more in-depth were most certainly not. They were given one sentence and then it was right back to the lists of items that Crusoe had gotten. There are many ties to religion in this novel as well which is due to the time it was written. There were also a lot of random capitalizations throughout the novel which made it very difficult to get into the story at first. Once I started blocking it out, it became much easier to read. If you want to read one of the early "castaway" novels, go ahead and pick this up. But, if you want something with action and adventure, I am afraid this novel is not for you. Overall, I didn't hate it, but it isn't my favorite book either.
tonidavis (353 KP) rated Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1 in TV
Feb 24, 2018
Tilly (2 more)
Lorca
Other world episodes
You have to take it as it own seprate series else your not giving it a chance
I actually really enjoy this series but can see why some might not. To be fair any time you say Jason Isaccs I'm sold so this was a no brainer for me. The first episode i had several problems with mainly because i couldn't separate the old star trek series to this and there are a lot of inconsistencies. However once i got over myself and said okay don't focus on the fact that klingons should not have cloaking technology i actually started to love. the show, Tilly is by far my favorite characters and i keep telling my friend if she doesn't cos play other world Tilly at comic con I'm so dis owning her. ( Im only half joking when i say it)
I love the other world episode where human are out to destroy every other species lets face it the state of the planet today were more likely to be like this that accepting of every race i mean there are a lot of people who aren't accepting of people on our planet why should the universe be any different. It also just a great plot devise.
I love the other world episode where human are out to destroy every other species lets face it the state of the planet today were more likely to be like this that accepting of every race i mean there are a lot of people who aren't accepting of people on our planet why should the universe be any different. It also just a great plot devise.
Jodabel (1 KP) rated A Little Life in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Exceptional writing (3 more)
Friendship
Strong storyline
Powerful writing
A little life, a lot to digest. My favourite book
I’ve read this book 3 times in the last 18 months. The story takes a little while to get into; introducing characters etc. But plough ahead please! I can’t recommend this book enough. Though it’s not for everyone. The book takes you on a journey with the main protagonist and his three best friends. It looks at a lot of aspects of human friendships. It gets dark, very dark in places and while Jude never understands his worth (and never will) I rooted for him like I hadn’t before with other characters. I’d say this book is about love mainly and how we each love and perceive being loved; but the underlying theme is how damaged can a human being be whilst still being a human being?! This book made me cry buckets every time I’ve read it, and I know this is a bit of a non review but this story is best read and not talked about unless with fellow readers. The first time you read this book, it gets you and if you’re like I was you’ll not be able to let it go. To say this book broke my heart wouldn’t be an understatement and that does not happen.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel in Books
Jun 16, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel by Charise Mericle Harper is about June who loves to play with her dog Sam, especially since she is the only one to whom the dog can talk. When her grandmother sends her a big chalkboard on a wheel, with detailed instructions on how to use it, June is thrilled, and she and Sam have a lot of fun completing the suggested tasks. It's even more fun when a new girl moves in next door and ends up in June's class. Mae seems really nice, but classmate April is bound and determined that Mae will be her friend. The girls have to learn to get along, and eventually Mae and June become fast friends.
This is a very positive, fun story for beginning readers. The illustrations are very helpful in showing what is going on in the story and add a lot to it. Other nice touches are June's sometimes cranky teenage sister, the fact that Mae is a character of color without this fact taking over the story, and the adventure of the wonder wheel. This was a cute book about friendship, about pets, about family. June was a fabulous little kid, though a bit too much over the top at times. Still I liked how she stayed true to herself
This is a very positive, fun story for beginning readers. The illustrations are very helpful in showing what is going on in the story and add a lot to it. Other nice touches are June's sometimes cranky teenage sister, the fact that Mae is a character of color without this fact taking over the story, and the adventure of the wonder wheel. This was a cute book about friendship, about pets, about family. June was a fabulous little kid, though a bit too much over the top at times. Still I liked how she stayed true to herself
Rhys (240 KP) rated Firefly: The Game in Tabletop Games
Aug 21, 2018
Shiny.
There is a LOT to this game. Like, a lot. Setting everything up requires roughly at least a four foot square space not including each player’s own Firefly board. Basically, it is BIG.
In the simplest game mode (‘First time in the captain’s chair.’) you need the board, which is huge, the plastic ships, around 3 decks of cards, money and crew (all provided). Admittedly, the instructions are not awfully clear and you may end up creating your own variations which work better than the ‘official’. A first game should be dedicated to learning the rules and how to play before any competition starts.
However, once you know what you’re doing you can have several hours of fun. You need to do jobs for money, spend it on upgrades and crew to complete goals, often go to a place and buy or sell something. Think Monopoly meets Risk. Upgrades to Firefly ships are fairly balanced, ones that allow stealthy movements reduce movement range, while increasing range may increase fuel consumption. Although, some are more imbalanced than others, but nothing is ‘game breaking’.
Overall a fun game that takes a little time to really get into.
(Oh, no real knowledge of the series or the expanded universe is required.)
In the simplest game mode (‘First time in the captain’s chair.’) you need the board, which is huge, the plastic ships, around 3 decks of cards, money and crew (all provided). Admittedly, the instructions are not awfully clear and you may end up creating your own variations which work better than the ‘official’. A first game should be dedicated to learning the rules and how to play before any competition starts.
However, once you know what you’re doing you can have several hours of fun. You need to do jobs for money, spend it on upgrades and crew to complete goals, often go to a place and buy or sell something. Think Monopoly meets Risk. Upgrades to Firefly ships are fairly balanced, ones that allow stealthy movements reduce movement range, while increasing range may increase fuel consumption. Although, some are more imbalanced than others, but nothing is ‘game breaking’.
Overall a fun game that takes a little time to really get into.
(Oh, no real knowledge of the series or the expanded universe is required.)
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Aug 25, 2018
Could've been better
I think I must be the only person who could take or leave this film. I'd heard a lot of good things about it, but in all honesty it wasn't what I was expecting.
Firstly, I'm glad they didn't completely remake the original and instead gave this it's whole new spin by being a video game. This actually works, and works quite well. And the main cast do very well, especially Jack Black playing a teenage girl and Karen Gillan when she's trying to flirt. There is some good humour in this too, it's just not always my kind of humour.
My main issue with this film is that a lot of the script and humour seemed aimed at the teenage instagram generation. The odd joke isn't too bad, but this was a bit too much. There's also the plot, which seems a little too basic even for a video game and there is far too much explanation going on. There also isn't much in the way of threat and danger in this film. The bad guy is a bit lame and the whole Jumanji world is nowhere near as threatening as you'd have imagined from watching the original film.
This isn't a terrible film and it's not quite as bad as I'd have expected, but its not one I'd rush out to watch again.
Firstly, I'm glad they didn't completely remake the original and instead gave this it's whole new spin by being a video game. This actually works, and works quite well. And the main cast do very well, especially Jack Black playing a teenage girl and Karen Gillan when she's trying to flirt. There is some good humour in this too, it's just not always my kind of humour.
My main issue with this film is that a lot of the script and humour seemed aimed at the teenage instagram generation. The odd joke isn't too bad, but this was a bit too much. There's also the plot, which seems a little too basic even for a video game and there is far too much explanation going on. There also isn't much in the way of threat and danger in this film. The bad guy is a bit lame and the whole Jumanji world is nowhere near as threatening as you'd have imagined from watching the original film.
This isn't a terrible film and it's not quite as bad as I'd have expected, but its not one I'd rush out to watch again.
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Grandma's Poetry Book in Books
Nov 14, 2018
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a wonderful collection of poetry written by a Grandmother for her family and for all the doting grandmommas out there. I requested this in order to see things from my own mother's point of view as she herself is a new nanna. The words were so heartfelt and I enjoyed the journey surrounded by gorgeous grandaughters and grandsons who the author loves very much.
The book is described as an emotional journey from beginning to end...this it did well but one of my two gripes was that in my personal opinion the poems could have been placed in a better order than they were. Just the odd two thats all, which would of made it flow a lot better. My second and last gripe was that I felt some of the words were only chosen for the sake of making the poems rhyme even if it didn't make a lot of sense. This gripe wasn't prominent enough for me to give this collection any less than 4 stars as I enjoyed it very much.
I did have a favourite which turned my face into this...
<img src="http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/256/7/7/manga_moods__tearful_by_whitesakura59-d2yof2x.jpg"; width="180" height="160"/>
...so emotional.
I thought this was a wonderful collection of poetry written by a Grandmother for her family and for all the doting grandmommas out there. I requested this in order to see things from my own mother's point of view as she herself is a new nanna. The words were so heartfelt and I enjoyed the journey surrounded by gorgeous grandaughters and grandsons who the author loves very much.
The book is described as an emotional journey from beginning to end...this it did well but one of my two gripes was that in my personal opinion the poems could have been placed in a better order than they were. Just the odd two thats all, which would of made it flow a lot better. My second and last gripe was that I felt some of the words were only chosen for the sake of making the poems rhyme even if it didn't make a lot of sense. This gripe wasn't prominent enough for me to give this collection any less than 4 stars as I enjoyed it very much.
I did have a favourite which turned my face into this...
<img src="http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/256/7/7/manga_moods__tearful_by_whitesakura59-d2yof2x.jpg"; width="180" height="160"/>
...so emotional.
Merissa (12882 KP) rated A Wizard's Forge (The Woern Saga, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Some books are called epic simply for the sheer volume that they have. This book is epic... with volume as an added extra. This story is staggering in its magnitude. It incorporates Sci-Fi with Fantasy but also includes a lot of action. The characters are all well-developed and I really felt for Vic as she tried to work through what had happened to her. Vic is full of flaws but that just makes her more real.
As you can see from the title, this is Book 1. The story is wrapped up pretty well at the end of this book and will leave you wanting to read more.
The only thing I will say is that I skipped over the majority of the place names as they simply became too long and tongue-twisterish - Olmlablaire being one of the easiest ones. They are either very easy like Re and Latha or more complicated.
Definitely recommended for all Fantasy fans, especially those who like a bigger book to really get their teeth into. And at this price, you'll be getting a lot of book for your bucks!
This review is for the revised edition of Blade of Amber, now called A Wizard's Forge.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
As you can see from the title, this is Book 1. The story is wrapped up pretty well at the end of this book and will leave you wanting to read more.
The only thing I will say is that I skipped over the majority of the place names as they simply became too long and tongue-twisterish - Olmlablaire being one of the easiest ones. They are either very easy like Re and Latha or more complicated.
Definitely recommended for all Fantasy fans, especially those who like a bigger book to really get their teeth into. And at this price, you'll be getting a lot of book for your bucks!
This review is for the revised edition of Blade of Amber, now called A Wizard's Forge.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Anne (15117 KP) rated The Belles: The Belles Book 1 in Books
Nov 4, 2019
Well it sounds like there are some others who felt the same way as I did about this book.
It was hard to rate it and chose 3 because of the mixed feelings. It was very slow going - I made it halfway through and then stopped for a day or two and debated whether I wanted to or could finish it or not.
There’s a lot of heavy subject matter in here underneath the pretty stuff and in between the fun and interesting things. I don’t usually like or read this dark of a book much and it was a bit of a challenge for me in parts because I don’t handle reading about deaths or harming animals that well all the time - it can be hard to stomach depending on the details and who dies etc. There were also a lot of other things that bothered me or like some others mentioned maybe should have had a bit more warning before reading it. I also was not happy with the part where Alfred tried to attack and get some action during his beauty treatment.
As some others mentioned in their reviews, some of us readers perhaps more than others need to tread lightly when considering and/or reading this. I don’t know that I’ll be reading the next in this series. This book wasn’t really a good fit for me.
It was hard to rate it and chose 3 because of the mixed feelings. It was very slow going - I made it halfway through and then stopped for a day or two and debated whether I wanted to or could finish it or not.
There’s a lot of heavy subject matter in here underneath the pretty stuff and in between the fun and interesting things. I don’t usually like or read this dark of a book much and it was a bit of a challenge for me in parts because I don’t handle reading about deaths or harming animals that well all the time - it can be hard to stomach depending on the details and who dies etc. There were also a lot of other things that bothered me or like some others mentioned maybe should have had a bit more warning before reading it. I also was not happy with the part where Alfred tried to attack and get some action during his beauty treatment.
As some others mentioned in their reviews, some of us readers perhaps more than others need to tread lightly when considering and/or reading this. I don’t know that I’ll be reading the next in this series. This book wasn’t really a good fit for me.