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lurkykitty (3 KP) rated The Kingdom of Back in Books

Mar 26, 2020

The Kingdom of Back

Marie Lu | 2020 | Music & Dance, Young Adult (YA)

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Mozart's sister reimagined

Marie Lu, known for her fantasy and science fiction has created a well-written and imaginative story about the childhood of the Mozart siblings. Wolfgang Mozart had an older sister nicknamed Nannerl, and together they imagined a fantasy land called the Kingdom of Back.
Nannerl, like her brother, is a enormous talent in terms of playing and composing music, but it is 18th century Europe and women are not allowed to openly compose or have musical careers. Her greatest wish is to be remembered forever. Enter Hyacinthe, a faerie prince from the Kingdom of Back, who offers to make Nannerl's wish a reality, if she will complete a series of tasks for him. At first Nannerl is enthusiastic as she follows his wishes, but soon realizes that there is a sinister price that comes with Hyacinthe's demands. She realizes she must rethink her priorities.
A big theme is this novel is the constraints that were placed on women in this time and it made me wonder how many talented women throughout history were unable to pursue their dreams. Four and a half stars.

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated Star Trek Adventures in Tabletop Games

Apr 26, 2020

The latest in a very long line of Star Trek role-playing games is also one of the best. You too can don the velour jumpsuit of a Starfleet officer, explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilisations, etc. Not a good choice if you are looking for a generic science fiction roleplaying experience, as the game is specifically designed to replicate the feel and philosophy of classic Star Trek - phasering the opposition into submission is unlikely to work, using your brains and working together should produce better results.

The basic system is sound and relatively straightforward, with players and GMs having a number of ways to influence the action. However, some of the more complex mechanics and systems do take a little bit of effort to get your head around (it's generally worth it though), and I wouldn't want to embark upon even a simple ship-to-ship combat engagement without everyone involved having some kind of cheat sheet to hand. I'm not sure how many people will be looking for a 'classic' Star Trek role-playing experience, but for those who are, this is a very good bet.