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Unlit ( Kingdoms of Earth and Air book 1)
8.0
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Though classified as having no magic, Neve March can hear the whispers of the wind and sometimes...
Air Witch (Witches of Westwood Academy #2)
8.0
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Exams suck, especially Westwood Academy’s midyear Magical Decathlon. Maia is the youngest Witch...
Paranormal Romance
Flight (Gay Fairy Tales #3)
6.0
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Previously released as Love's Nest in 2013. There’s no greater mystery in the kingdom than...
MM Fantasy Romance Fairy tale Retelling
The Shadow Key
9.0
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There’s something devilish going on in the quiet Welsh village of Penhelyg. Will the shadow key...
Historical fiction Wales
Solomon Wendt (30 KP) rated The Big Book of Madness in Tabletop Games
May 5, 2019
Cooperation (3 more)
Spell Casting
Some randomization
Multiple Difficulties
Small cards (1 more)
Unclear rules/mechanics
This game is made by iello games, makers of Mountains of Madness and King of Tokyo. It is about student magicians that feel they aren't learning enough in their classes and decide to sneak into a library to learn new spells. There, they find a grimoire that contains monsters and accidentally releases them. They must work together to defeat the monsters and seal the book, learning from the books around them to learn new spells and collect elements to cast the spells, all while trying not to give into madness.
The game mechanics feature deck building, spell casting, cooperation, and some randomization of spells available and monsters to defeat. There are schools of magic related to the four elements; air, earth, fire, and water. Each element has two magician students that specializes in that element for a total of 8 different characters, each with their own special ability. There are four decks of spells, again related to the elements, that is randomized during set up, changing what spells are available game to game. Similarly, the monsters you must face are randomized, so the chance of having the same exact game as another is rare. The gameplay remains consistent, though.
Over the course of 6 rounds, players work together to defeat monsters. It is a pure cooperation game. No one has any secret objective and should communicate with other players. Games of this fashion, such as Pandemic, tend to end up having one or two people make all the decisions for the group. It my many plays of the game, I have only had that happen once or twice. The variation in spells, magicians, and elements usually make a player uniquely helpful to the group, allowing players to choose how they want to build their character. Although each magician has an elemental alignment, you can choose to focus on different elements and spells and are not limited to one type of role. Each element of magic has a different role to deal the challenges players face, meaning a good balance can be very beneficial. However, due to the randomization, it is possible either the spells or the monsters leave one of the elements non-essential, but that is fairly uncommon.
Overall, the game is very enjoyable and can be played multiple times with different variations. The difficulty can be adjusted if ot feels it is too hard or easy. My group that plays about once a week are clearing the 2nd difficulty 50% of the time and haven't cleared it with a variation yet. It can be a challenge and has elements of luck and strategy. It is a fun game to play with friends, especially because it is cooperative, and I would recommend adding it to your collection.
The game is 2-5 players and runs 60-90 minutes. It is family friendly and a great game for those who love magic fandoms such as Harry Potter.
The game mechanics feature deck building, spell casting, cooperation, and some randomization of spells available and monsters to defeat. There are schools of magic related to the four elements; air, earth, fire, and water. Each element has two magician students that specializes in that element for a total of 8 different characters, each with their own special ability. There are four decks of spells, again related to the elements, that is randomized during set up, changing what spells are available game to game. Similarly, the monsters you must face are randomized, so the chance of having the same exact game as another is rare. The gameplay remains consistent, though.
Over the course of 6 rounds, players work together to defeat monsters. It is a pure cooperation game. No one has any secret objective and should communicate with other players. Games of this fashion, such as Pandemic, tend to end up having one or two people make all the decisions for the group. It my many plays of the game, I have only had that happen once or twice. The variation in spells, magicians, and elements usually make a player uniquely helpful to the group, allowing players to choose how they want to build their character. Although each magician has an elemental alignment, you can choose to focus on different elements and spells and are not limited to one type of role. Each element of magic has a different role to deal the challenges players face, meaning a good balance can be very beneficial. However, due to the randomization, it is possible either the spells or the monsters leave one of the elements non-essential, but that is fairly uncommon.
Overall, the game is very enjoyable and can be played multiple times with different variations. The difficulty can be adjusted if ot feels it is too hard or easy. My group that plays about once a week are clearing the 2nd difficulty 50% of the time and haven't cleared it with a variation yet. It can be a challenge and has elements of luck and strategy. It is a fun game to play with friends, especially because it is cooperative, and I would recommend adding it to your collection.
The game is 2-5 players and runs 60-90 minutes. It is family friendly and a great game for those who love magic fandoms such as Harry Potter.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Hexed (The Witch Hunter, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Happy Friday the 13th! By no means was this review deliberately placed on this day because it's witchy (maybe it was deliberate in my subconsciousness. I don't have a say in there).
Hexed follows Indigo Blackwood, aka Indie, who has a perfect life dating the captain of the football team, popular, and has a mom who works at a voodoo shop. At least until the family "bible" goes missing after a random stranger by the name of Bishop pops into her life and tells her she may be in danger if she doesn't get the bible back. Oh, and add that there's a centuries old rivalry.
Hexed was a pretty delightful read, but it didn't exactly click with me as other witchy books do. I do love Indie's personality though (and her name it's cute), but for a good part of the book she seemed to be the type that let others walk all over her. She seems hesitant sometimes, but then decides to do it anyway, because it makes the person happy. It's not until after some [major] things go down and a chunk of the book (no books broken in process) that she finally realizes her childhood friend Bianca isn't exactly a true friend.
Thus the cheering behind the screens didn't exactly begin until a little over half the book, when Indie basically tells Bianca, "Screw you. I'm outta here." *zips off to new friend recently made that's a lot better than former friend* Oh, and she officially stops being a doormat.
There's also Bishop, in which I actually thought he either a) was shaped like the chess piece, b) has a very diagonal life, also like the chess piece I suppose, and "Bishop" was just a nickname for something super complicated, or c) he just has a weird name. A was an exaggeration, B may or may not be true except for the nickname part and C was the right answer.
Bishop to me was a bit annoying. Immature, and the sexual innuendos weren't exactly appreciated even though he's humorous. Maybe not exactly immature, but Bishop is more of the very carefree type. He also seemed to be the stalker type at first, which I personally really hate (no privacy. Come on!), following Indie around and popping up just everywhere. On the bright side, he had a legitimate reason rather than, say, "Hey, I just met you. And this is crazy. But I have a MAJOR crush on you, so let's go on a date?"
But the bread talk. I thought that was Peeta's job?
Recommended For: Paranormal Romance fans
The "Cellar": Sorcerers vs. Witches aka Magic vs. Magic rather than Mortal/Machine vs. Magic or Humans vs. Witches.
----------------
Advanced review copy provided by publisher for review
Original Review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/arc-review-hexed-by-michelle-krys.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Hexed follows Indigo Blackwood, aka Indie, who has a perfect life dating the captain of the football team, popular, and has a mom who works at a voodoo shop. At least until the family "bible" goes missing after a random stranger by the name of Bishop pops into her life and tells her she may be in danger if she doesn't get the bible back. Oh, and add that there's a centuries old rivalry.
Hexed was a pretty delightful read, but it didn't exactly click with me as other witchy books do. I do love Indie's personality though (and her name it's cute), but for a good part of the book she seemed to be the type that let others walk all over her. She seems hesitant sometimes, but then decides to do it anyway, because it makes the person happy. It's not until after some [major] things go down and a chunk of the book (no books broken in process) that she finally realizes her childhood friend Bianca isn't exactly a true friend.
Thus the cheering behind the screens didn't exactly begin until a little over half the book, when Indie basically tells Bianca, "Screw you. I'm outta here." *zips off to new friend recently made that's a lot better than former friend* Oh, and she officially stops being a doormat.
There's also Bishop, in which I actually thought he either a) was shaped like the chess piece, b) has a very diagonal life, also like the chess piece I suppose, and "Bishop" was just a nickname for something super complicated, or c) he just has a weird name. A was an exaggeration, B may or may not be true except for the nickname part and C was the right answer.
Bishop to me was a bit annoying. Immature, and the sexual innuendos weren't exactly appreciated even though he's humorous. Maybe not exactly immature, but Bishop is more of the very carefree type. He also seemed to be the stalker type at first, which I personally really hate (no privacy. Come on!), following Indie around and popping up just everywhere. On the bright side, he had a legitimate reason rather than, say, "Hey, I just met you. And this is crazy. But I have a MAJOR crush on you, so let's go on a date?"
But the bread talk. I thought that was Peeta's job?
Recommended For: Paranormal Romance fans
The "Cellar": Sorcerers vs. Witches aka Magic vs. Magic rather than Mortal/Machine vs. Magic or Humans vs. Witches.
----------------
Advanced review copy provided by publisher for review
Original Review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/arc-review-hexed-by-michelle-krys.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Room on the Broom Games
Education and Games
6.0
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BAFTA NOMINATED GAME based on the No.1 Halloween children's picture book! **Perfect for 3 - 7 year...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Grace Year in Books
Sep 26, 2019
For Tierney and the other girls in Garner County, their sixteenth year is when they are banished from the county. Their grace year. In the county, women have magic, and the girls are sent away to rid themselves of it. While away, they could supposedly be nabbed by poachers any chance they get, who sell their parts on the black market. Many don't return home, or if they do, they are missing body parts (ugh, I know). Tierney has always wanted a different life. Not an arranged marriage, nor a world where women are inferior to men. But she realizes as the grace year nears, her fellow girls may pose the greatest threat of all.
"No one speaks of the grace year. It's forbidden."
I really liked the premise of this book. I'm sure you've heard all the comparisons by now. This is "The Handmaid's Tale" plus "Lord of the Flies." Throw a little "Hunger Games" in. Sold, right? The idea that society sends girls away at sixteen to rid themselves of their "magic"--it sounds really cool. A society that fears women and takes away their status, yet relies on their parts (literally) as medicine. Yes. So much of this book is really amazing. I highlighted so many powerful lines.
But, I don't know, guys... I am still wrapping my brain around this one. I just couldn't get into it. I never wanted to pick it up--I should have cared deeply for Trinity, and I did. Sometimes. Part of the reason I had problems going back to the book was because it stressed me out. These girls were mean. Sometimes I was confused. We were thrown into the story without any backstory--what time period, why they think women have magic, why medicine consists of body parts, who are the poachers, what are the outskirts, why is the original language flowers, etc. I guess that adds to the mystique, but I don't like reading when I can't figure anything out.
"But not all of us will make it home... not in one piece."
It seemed like this was going to be a power anthem. The girls rise against society. Or maybe just Trinity escapes and the outskirts rise against society. Someone should be revolting, right? And yes, Trinity definitely had her awesome moments. But it also seemed like there were lots of moments that involved rescue--by men. There's also a really convenient insta-romance in here. Everything just seemed a little jumbled and crazy for my taste. There's some amazing, underlining worthy lines and then some that just make you cringe a bit.
So, overall, I'm not totally sold, though there's potential here. I rate based on my enjoyment, so this is a 3-star read for me. But it's getting lots of rave reviews from others, so don't let my review necessarily hold you back.
"No one speaks of the grace year. It's forbidden."
I really liked the premise of this book. I'm sure you've heard all the comparisons by now. This is "The Handmaid's Tale" plus "Lord of the Flies." Throw a little "Hunger Games" in. Sold, right? The idea that society sends girls away at sixteen to rid themselves of their "magic"--it sounds really cool. A society that fears women and takes away their status, yet relies on their parts (literally) as medicine. Yes. So much of this book is really amazing. I highlighted so many powerful lines.
But, I don't know, guys... I am still wrapping my brain around this one. I just couldn't get into it. I never wanted to pick it up--I should have cared deeply for Trinity, and I did. Sometimes. Part of the reason I had problems going back to the book was because it stressed me out. These girls were mean. Sometimes I was confused. We were thrown into the story without any backstory--what time period, why they think women have magic, why medicine consists of body parts, who are the poachers, what are the outskirts, why is the original language flowers, etc. I guess that adds to the mystique, but I don't like reading when I can't figure anything out.
"But not all of us will make it home... not in one piece."
It seemed like this was going to be a power anthem. The girls rise against society. Or maybe just Trinity escapes and the outskirts rise against society. Someone should be revolting, right? And yes, Trinity definitely had her awesome moments. But it also seemed like there were lots of moments that involved rescue--by men. There's also a really convenient insta-romance in here. Everything just seemed a little jumbled and crazy for my taste. There's some amazing, underlining worthy lines and then some that just make you cringe a bit.
So, overall, I'm not totally sold, though there's potential here. I rate based on my enjoyment, so this is a 3-star read for me. But it's getting lots of rave reviews from others, so don't let my review necessarily hold you back.
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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Sea Glass (Glass, #2) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I was a little disappointed by this book, since I enjoyed the previous one so much. I had expected Opal Cowan to spend more time and effort in exploring what she can do with her glass abilities, but it seemed to be more of the same denial of her immense magical potential. Put glass in Opal's hands and the world is hers to command, whether for good or bad, but she is so focused on the weight of responsibility that this power gives her that she really does not do much with it at all - until the tail end of the book.
A large part of the book is devoted to Opal attempting to stop the spread of blood magic knowledge, as well as monitoring Ulrick and Devlen's actions. In the meantime she graduates, gets together with the Stormdancer Kade, and pursues setting up her own private glass-making business, though with not much success in the latter. All of her pursuits take large chunks of time because someone is constantly trying to control her for her different abilities, which can make for tedious reading. I enjoyed her romance with Kade simply because there seemed very little effort on either of his or her part to connect with the other - like they were made for each other. In contrast, Devlen's almost constant attention to Opal is perplexing because Opal regularly second-guesses his intentions. It is nearly impossible to figure out his real motivation because his previous actions show him to be a very good liar and manipulator. I will be interested to see where his subplot goes in the final book.
The way that Opal finally deals with the power that she has over glass took me by surprise, but I like it. The outcome creates an entirely new set of circumstances for her, but one that she has a precedent for. Plus, no longer is she at the mercy of magic, though how much she realizes that will hopefully be shown in the final book, Spy Glass.
A large part of the book is devoted to Opal attempting to stop the spread of blood magic knowledge, as well as monitoring Ulrick and Devlen's actions. In the meantime she graduates, gets together with the Stormdancer Kade, and pursues setting up her own private glass-making business, though with not much success in the latter. All of her pursuits take large chunks of time because someone is constantly trying to control her for her different abilities, which can make for tedious reading. I enjoyed her romance with Kade simply because there seemed very little effort on either of his or her part to connect with the other - like they were made for each other. In contrast, Devlen's almost constant attention to Opal is perplexing because Opal regularly second-guesses his intentions. It is nearly impossible to figure out his real motivation because his previous actions show him to be a very good liar and manipulator. I will be interested to see where his subplot goes in the final book.
The way that Opal finally deals with the power that she has over glass took me by surprise, but I like it. The outcome creates an entirely new set of circumstances for her, but one that she has a precedent for. Plus, no longer is she at the mercy of magic, though how much she realizes that will hopefully be shown in the final book, Spy Glass.
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) May 7, 2019