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Tranquility
Tranquility
2020 | Card Game, Numbers Game
Are you a boat person? As in, do you enjoy lounging on a boat, floating to nowhere in particular, just enjoying the day? Or are you a thrill-seeking water-skiier or tuber that enjoys shredding the waves and nearly drowning? Perhaps you are neither. I am definitely in the first category. I would rather just toot around a lake in a boat, maybe throw out a fishing pole, and just enjoy being out on the water with little care for what may be happening in the world around me. So when I heard that Lucky Duck Games was planning on publishing Tranquility I just had to jump at the opportunity to get it on my table. And I was definitely impressed.

Tranquility is a cooperative hand management, tile placement card game for one to five players. In it players will be attempting to create a sea of islands around which they sail their boat towards infinite paradise. They will accomplish this by laying numbered cards from their hand in numerical order before any of the players run out of chances to play a card. Oh, and there’s also no talking during the game. That’s kind of a big deal.

DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T


To setup the standard game, place all the border cards around a 6×6 grid, as in the photo below. Shuffle the appropriate number of Start and Finish cards into the deck of Island cards and place that beside the grid. Draw a hand of five cards and the game may begin. Setup is similar to the multiplayer setup, with a few changes. Once the hand of cards has been drawn, the game may begin! It is the solo player’s goal to build the sea of island cards, and place the Start and Finish cards before they run out of cards to be legally played.
The game is played over many turns. Each turn players will be either playing a card from hand or discarding two cards. When a player plays a card from hand to the grid, they may place it anywhere they wish within the grid. The goal is to have each card placed numerically in order beginning from the lower left of the grid in a zig-zag pattern left to right, then ascending to the next highest level. In other words, the play area would be ordered numerically as English-speaking people read, but from the bottom up instead of the top down – like a reverse typewriter.

When a card is played, the player may choose to place it in its own area, or immediately next to another card already in play. If the new card is placed adjacent to an existing card, the player must discard cards equal to the difference between the values of the two adjacent cards. For example, if a 12 is placed next to a 14, then the player would need to discard two cards after placement. If a card is placed that is already in direct numerical order, no discards are needed. Again, a card at the right-hand edge of a row is adjacent to the card on the next row higher on the left-hand edge, and this is the most difficult aspect of the game to grasp for new players.

Should a player instead wish to discard two cards for their turn, they do so to their discard pile. After each action (playing a card or discarding two cards) the player will draw back up to their hand of five cards.


Eventually, the player will happen across the Start and Finish cards. In the solo game, when a Start card is placed (outside the grid, but in amongst the border cards in the lower left-hand corner), the player will need to draw eight cards from the draw deck, keep four, and discard the remaining eight. This eats up cards from the draw pile and draws the game closer to the end. When the grid is completed and all the numbered cards are in numerical order, the player may then play the Finish card to end the game. If all cards are properly placed the player wins! If not, they must try again. Probably immediately, because it is that kind of game.
Components. This game is a bunch of square cards in a cubic box. Now, while that doesn’t sound super exciting, the art on the cards certainly make up for the lack of component diversity. Each card is matte finished, which I prefer for cards with great art on them. And oh man, that art is something wonderful! I have always been a fan of Tristam Rossin’s art, and it is on full display here. The cards are, well, I guess I cannot find the correct word because they aren’t double-sided, but split on the horizontal, with a daytime scene on the “top” and a nighttime scene on the “bottom” (or vice-versa, however you feel). I have nothing but praise for the components here.

The gameplay is familiar in feel, but definitely a little different and a whole lot of fun. Fans of The Mind will find this familiar in that the game is structured around silent players building a grid/stack of numerically appropriate cards until the win condition is met. However, I have not been able to play The Mind solo, and Tranquility comes with solo rules in the box. So that’s a win in my book.

Now, Tranquility solo is no cakewalk. No, there are no other players to make crazy decisions to throw off any tactics planned, but you most certainly can misjudge where to place a card, and then be married to its position as you try to fill in all the appropriate cards around it. I learned that all too early when I decided my first game that I should try to divide the grid into equal sections and approximate where a 48 should go. Well, I’ll tell you now that a 48 has absolutely no business being a row above a 19 (check the photo above if you don’t believe me). Silly choices like this make for an afternoon of pondering optimal placements when unboxing your next play, and that brings a smile to my face. Any time I think about a game the next day or several days later and it entices me to play again with a different strategy, I feel is the mark of a great game.

I have yet to play this with a group (damn COVID), but I know the people I play with are going to love this one. And, honestly, I am going to love the peace and quiet as the game plays out, so I can think about my turn and then think about a different possibility once someone ruins my plans. But I tell you what, even as a solo game, this one is great. I am quite happy to keep this as a pure solo experience, but I do want to try it once with others. We do not typically give out ratings for Solo Chronicles reviews, but this one would be pretty high, I’m telling you now. Okay, I have to go get the boat ready and pack my cooler. Enjoy Tranquility!
  
Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants
Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants
Stephan Pastis | 2017 | Children, Humor & Comedy, Mystery
8
6.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>

For fans of <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i> (Kinney, 2004) is a juvenile series by American author, Stephan Pastis, about a young boy who believes he is the world’s greatest detective. A series that is continually growing, the sixth <i>Timmy Failure </i>story is now available for fans and new readers. Subtitled <i>The Cat Stole My Pants</i>, Timmy Failure embarks on an adventure of mystery and crime solving whilst getting himself into all sorts of mischief.

Emulating both real and fictional detectives, Timmy has established his own agency, Failure, Inc., of which he is the sole employee after the flight of his (imaginary) ex-business partner, Total the polar bear, who is currently seeking political asylum in Cuba. Unfortunately, Timmy has been forced to join his mother and Doorman Dave on their honeymoon in Key West, Florida, along with Doorman Dave’s nephew, Emilio.

“Crime doesn’t take a holiday. Neither does greatness.” Determined to continue solving crimes, Timmy hires Emilio as an unpaid intern and sets off searching for crimes, greatly over exaggerating every little piece of “evidence” he finds. However, it soon appears that someone is out to get Timmy and he, along with Emilio, is determined to find out whom.

Timmy is a melodramatic, unconventional child with a large ego and is constantly getting told off. From annoying adults to having his pants stolen by a polydactyl cat – or so he claims – there is no end to the hilarious situations he causes.

The cat that stole Timmy’s pants only makes a brief appearance in the book, therefore the subtitle is more to attract the attention of young readers with its silliness rather than be suggestive of a certain storyline.

Despite his grand claims, Timmy is not a very good detective and a lot of his unsolved crimes have been invented by his overactive imagination. This adds to the humour because, although he seems like an intelligent child, his ideas are completely silly.

Adorned with childish drawings and diagrams, Timmy Failure narrates the story from his subjective point of view, inflating his successes and blaming any failure on poor Emilio. No one takes Timmy seriously, which is something many of the target readers may appreciate, although they should also understand how futile Timmy’s attempts are at being a detective.

The storyline is not particularly clear until the final chapters of the book. Up until that moment, the book is full of disastrous, imaginary detective endeavours that prove Timmy to be nothing more than an annoying, inventive boy.

Some of the language may be above children’s reading capabilities, however, the humour is directly on their level. Whereas an adult may not find the idea of a cat stealing someone’s pants amusing, a child would find that hysterical.

There is no reason to read the <i>Timmy Failure</i> books in order, so if you, like me, read book six first, there is no problem. The stories are particularly aimed at young boys and will hopefully encourage the demographic to start reading more. Whilst it may not be a great feat of literature, it is a good enough introduction to the world of books.
  
    OBD Fusion

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A
Alternity
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review is also on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


When I read the synopsis of Alternity by Mari Mancusi, I knew I would probably love this book! I wasn't wrong. This book is amazing!

Skye is just your average 18 year old girl. There's nothing that different about her. She has a fantastic boyfriend, she goes to school, and she works as a video games tester. She's been having these strange nightmares about being in a weird place. They're making her lose sleep until one day she actually wakes up in the place from her nightmare. Now she doesn't know who to trust. And why do people keep calling her Mariah?? Skye soon discovers she's arrived on another planet, and something sinister is going on.

The title to this book is great!! Alternity - like an alternative reality. It definitely fits right in with the story. From what I've heard, this book was originally released under the title of Moongazing. I'm glad the author decided to change the title as Alternity sounds like a much more interesting title.

I love the sci-fi feel of this cover. The picture of Skye on the front with a katana and the moon in the background is perfect for this story. I'm usually not a fan of just putting a pretty face on the cover, but it seems to work with this book.

I thought the world building and setting were fantastic!! The author has us believe that the planet of Terra is very much like Earth would be if there was to be some sort of post apocalyptic event. There's no sun, no sky...just bleakness. The underground bit of Terra is portrayed rather well with it being full of the poor people of Terra and those who have been mutated by radiation due to having to mine for the rich people.

The pacing for Alternity is beyond fantastic! In fact, I couldn't put this book down! Each chapter had me looking forward to the next as everything just flowed really well. Never, not even for one moment, was I even remotely bored reading Alternity.

The dialogue is fantastic in this book. I especially enjoyed the dialogue between Dawn and Skye. There are a few swear words but not many. The only minor annoyance I found was that at two points in the book, the author goes from using present tense to past tense.

The characters in this book are very believable. Skye was a great protagonist. She felt like a real person. In fact, I found myself wanting to be friends with her especially as we both have a love for video games! I love the fact that she started out a bit unsure of herself but throughout the story, she became a strong person. Dawn came across as a lovely guy. He wants what's best for his people, and he'll do whatever it takes to protect them. Duske makes an excellent villain. He's very charming, but he can be very very vile. He is very believable as being a bad guy, and he plays the role excellently.

Alternity by Mari Mancusi is a well executed book that will leave you feeling as if you are a part of the book. This is definitely one of those books that you have to read as you will not be disappointed!

I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 16+, especially those who are fans of dystopian or post-apocalyptic novels. However, I feel this is one of those books that can be enjoyed by almost everyone.
  
Serious Sweet: Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize
Serious Sweet: Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize
A.L. Kennedy | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Suspence, Point of view, plot (0 more)
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This novel is a work of art, l I would expect nothing less from a Man Booker contender.
‘The trouble was, that Margaret Thatcher got her drunk.’


A.L. Kennedy is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, and comedian. Her most recent novel, Serious Sweet, 2016, was long listed for this year’s Man Booker prize. Prior to reading the novel, I read some reviews and was fascinated by their diversity, comments ranging from disappointing to outright marvellous. This told me that I was about to embark on a work of art, after all I would expect nothing less from a Man Booker contender.
The novel is set in the heart of contemporary London and follows its two main characters, John Sigurdsson and Meg Williams through a single day. John is a fickle character, who at 59-year of age, has recently divorced is adulterous wife, and his professional life is hanging in the balance. Working as a senior civil servant in Westminster, he is attempting to uncover some pretty immoral activity. John has a talent for letter writing, this, he finds, is a romantic way to connect to women, whilst otherwise remaining inconspicuous. This is how he meets Meg.
Meg Williams is a 45-year-old bankrupt accountant, now working in an animal shelter because, ‘people who’ve been damaged by people go and work with salvaged animals because the animals have also been damaged by people’ (128). Meg is a victim of sexual abuse from a previous partner, something that we only learn in smatterings throughout the novel. A struggling alcoholic, Meg is on the wagon then off the wagon and blames her more recent fall on Margaret Thatcher, ‘The trouble was that Margaret Thatcher got her drunk.’
While the novel itself can be read as a political satire, and political corruption is plentiful in the narrative, I feel it is simply a back-story. The real story is the unfolding of the human consciousness and the power of the mind. Kennedy shows the reader the power of will through the thoughts of each character, stripping them back to their rawest and purest selves, and showing real courage and hope.
When John and Meg eventually meet at the end of the novel, it is not without some supercharged emotional turmoil. Connecting initially through letter writing, however, allowed the characters to open up their inner thoughts and feelings and gave a platform to be open and honest without the restrictions of reality. This, I believe, is where hope is born in the story.
Watching these two characters evolve was a real delight for me and I feel that Kennedy did the novel justice. You can almost feel each character battle with their own heads while their consciousness’ begins to intertwine. And let us not forget those beautifully written vignettes between chapters. Kennedy has written a wonderful novel, and Serious Sweet, I believe was worthy of its Man Booker place.
  
Queen of Air and Darkness: The Dark Artifices
Queen of Air and Darkness: The Dark Artifices
Cassandra Clare | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
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I was lucky enough to be approached by LoveReading to review and join the blog tour for The Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare. Starting today, and posting every Wednesday, you will get to see what I thought about this series.

<b><i>Series: The Dark Artifices</i></b>

#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2843390110">Lady Midnight</a> - ★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2865130437">Lord of Shadows</a> - ★★★★★
#3 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2865131320">Queen of Air and Darkness</a> - ★★★★★

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We made it to the finish line. After three weeks of me into the shadowhunter world, I am now back in reality, wishing I could never leave from that amazing world. Queen of Air and Darkness was the lovely desert after such a tasty appetiser and main course. A perfect way to leave a restaurant.

The finale of The Dark Artifices was everything I was hoping for. Full of adventure, emotions and wisdom from a lot of characters. Development like I have never seen before... I found myself attached to so many characters, genuinely feeling for them and being with them in all their adventures.

Don't get me wrong, I do get attached to characters quite easily, but it's usually two at best in one book. This book had me loving so many characters in different ways, with different strengths and such strong emotion.

Queen of Air and Darkness finishes off where it starts, and without spoilers it's quite hard to say what goes on in this book. A forbidden love, unexplainable sadness and the best romance I have read in quite some time. Danger and faerie battles all over again. Love and betrayal, love and loyalty...

During the first couple pages, I was a complete wreck. I cried so hard and felt so sad. And after that, I had my favourites in this book and they didn't disappoint. I loved every moment of this book and I can't recommend this series enough.

Read this series, get into the world of power, magic, angels, beauty and danger. Get into a world of adventure, love, betrayal and excellent character development. The series was so satisfying, even though the ending didn't seem like a proper ending and I am sure there are many new books coming.

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