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He Gets That From Me
6.0
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As a young mother with a toddler and a live-in boyfriend, Maggie Fisher’s job at a checkout...
Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes
6.0
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'PEOPLE THINK THAT STORIES ARE SHAPED BY PEOPLE. IN FACT, IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND.' At the time...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Cruel Elites (Nocturnal Academy book 2) in Books
Dec 5, 2021
203 of 250
Kindle
Cruel Elites ( Nocturnal Academy book 2)
By Margo Ryerkerk and Holly Hook
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
I refuse to end up as a vampire's slave.
There's no escape out of Nocturnal Academy's prison school. Being here means I've lost my mother, my best friend, and my freedom.
Now, Nocturnal Academy plans to make me into a courtesan for the vampires. My only hope out is topping the Placement Tests and becoming the 1 out of 100 fae who gets to shape her own fate.
But between a mysterious vampire guard confusing my feelings, my nemesis circling in on me like a viper, and a teacher who hates my guts, all my plans are falling apart. If I'm not careful, I won't even end up as a courtesan, but as dead meat.
This is the second book and definitely a star more than I rated book 1. This was more settled and the story is picking up and getting interesting. It’s definitely a tough concept that these Young mainly female fae really have limited outcomes on their lives and can be a bit tough to read in places, but I’m finding it well written! Looking forward to reading the next one.
Kindle
Cruel Elites ( Nocturnal Academy book 2)
By Margo Ryerkerk and Holly Hook
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
I refuse to end up as a vampire's slave.
There's no escape out of Nocturnal Academy's prison school. Being here means I've lost my mother, my best friend, and my freedom.
Now, Nocturnal Academy plans to make me into a courtesan for the vampires. My only hope out is topping the Placement Tests and becoming the 1 out of 100 fae who gets to shape her own fate.
But between a mysterious vampire guard confusing my feelings, my nemesis circling in on me like a viper, and a teacher who hates my guts, all my plans are falling apart. If I'm not careful, I won't even end up as a courtesan, but as dead meat.
This is the second book and definitely a star more than I rated book 1. This was more settled and the story is picking up and getting interesting. It’s definitely a tough concept that these Young mainly female fae really have limited outcomes on their lives and can be a bit tough to read in places, but I’m finding it well written! Looking forward to reading the next one.
Playing Possum (A Kristy Farrell Mystery #3)
Book
Murder, mayhem, and crawling with animals… When animals start mysteriously disappearing from...
Cozy Mystery
Murder in Morningside Heights
9.0
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In the latest from the bestselling author of Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue, former police sergeant...
What Lies Buried: A forensic psychologist’s true stories of madness, the bad and the misunderstood
8.0
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Kerry Daynes, leading forensic psychologist, opens up the case files of some of her most perplexing...
The Twyford Code
8.5
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It's time to solve the murder of the century... Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Death of a Halloween Party Monster in Books
Aug 26, 2023
Cold Costumed Corpse
This story features Lee Hollis’s series star Hayley Powell, who is hosting a Halloween party at her new restaurant. However, the night ends in horror when the body of the high school music teacher is found in the freezer. Is one of Hayley’s friends a killer?
I don’t read this series, just the novellas when they are part of an anthology I want to read, but I found myself feeling right at home partying with these characters from the beginning of this story. I did figure out one aspect of the story early on, but there were several more, including the identity of the killer, that I hadn’t pieced together until Hayley did. It’s a twist on a locked room mystery, which is always fun. The ending was great and kept me turning the pages. There are also some recipes to enjoy while you read or at a party you are hosting this Halloween.
NOTE 1: This is a novella, so expect something shorter than a typical novel before you pick it up.
NOTE 2: This novella was originally in the Halloween Party Murder anthology. If you’ve already read it there, you don’t need to buy it again here.
I don’t read this series, just the novellas when they are part of an anthology I want to read, but I found myself feeling right at home partying with these characters from the beginning of this story. I did figure out one aspect of the story early on, but there were several more, including the identity of the killer, that I hadn’t pieced together until Hayley did. It’s a twist on a locked room mystery, which is always fun. The ending was great and kept me turning the pages. There are also some recipes to enjoy while you read or at a party you are hosting this Halloween.
NOTE 1: This is a novella, so expect something shorter than a typical novel before you pick it up.
NOTE 2: This novella was originally in the Halloween Party Murder anthology. If you’ve already read it there, you don’t need to buy it again here.
ClareR (5874 KP) rated Restless Dolly Maunder in Books
Jul 20, 2024
Another fabulous read that I wouldn’t have picked up if it hadn’t have been for the Women’s Prize.
Dolly Maunder is most definitely restless. She wants more than the hand that life has dealt her - and as a female whose parents work on a farm, she is expected to get married and have children who will work on a farm.
Dolly is determined, and that’s what shows throughout this book. When her parents take away the chance for her to become a teacher, she finds other ways to change her life. She’s a force of nature! I loved Dolly’s spirit. She did come across as obstinate and single minded, neither of which is a terrible thing for someone with ambition. But it’s not easy for those who have to live with her!
This is a pretty wide-sweeping novel, from Dolly’s childhood until her old age, and it still seemed to be over too soon. It was so interesting to learn about the Australian way of life from just before WWI to after WWII, and Dolly moves around enough for the reader to see different areas of Australia.
There’s a lot of emotion in this book, and when you read the authors note at the end, you’ll see why. Recommended.
Dolly Maunder is most definitely restless. She wants more than the hand that life has dealt her - and as a female whose parents work on a farm, she is expected to get married and have children who will work on a farm.
Dolly is determined, and that’s what shows throughout this book. When her parents take away the chance for her to become a teacher, she finds other ways to change her life. She’s a force of nature! I loved Dolly’s spirit. She did come across as obstinate and single minded, neither of which is a terrible thing for someone with ambition. But it’s not easy for those who have to live with her!
This is a pretty wide-sweeping novel, from Dolly’s childhood until her old age, and it still seemed to be over too soon. It was so interesting to learn about the Australian way of life from just before WWI to after WWII, and Dolly moves around enough for the reader to see different areas of Australia.
There’s a lot of emotion in this book, and when you read the authors note at the end, you’ll see why. Recommended.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Dungeon Academy in Tabletop Games
Dec 8, 2020
Roll-and-write style games have come a really long way over the past couple years. In the olden days we had Yahtzee, and that satisfied us. But then designers began dusting off that olde mechanic and breathing new life into it. While roll-and-write may never become my favorite mechanic, I am starting to appreciate the good ones more and more each time I play them. Dungeon Academy is one of these good games.
In Dungeon Academy players are taking the roles of students attempting their finals to become graduated warriors and mages in the land. They must pass their tests though, and that entails surviving through the dreaded Dungeon four times and surpassing all opponents to receive their degree.
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 a solo game of Dungeon Academy, assemble the Dungeon component per the instructions. The player is dealt a character card with a special ability and markers to track Health and Mana throughout the game. Pile the Health and Mana tokens on the table, shuffle the Loot cards into a deck, and place the Teacher pawn nearby. Grab the pad of paper and pen and you are ready to begin.
Each attempt in the Dungeon will require the 16 Base Dice to be rolled and set inside the Dungeon. It is then flipped upside down when the timer begins and the mad dash to the Exit commences. As the player marks a line through every “room” (each die is considered a “room” in the Dungeon) they create a path to be checked at the end of the round. Once the player has made it through the Dungeon satisfactorily the Teacher will check the path.
The Teacher pawn is now used to track movement in the Dungeon. As the player tracks the path they drew on the paper, the Teacher is moved through the rooms. In each room (each die face) will be one of these possible encounters: a Mana potion to refill an empty Mana space on the character card, a Health potion, a small red Blob, a small blue Ghost, a large red Colossus, or a large blue Reaper. Each small foe encountered will be overtaken by spending one Health or Mana token from the character card. Each potion will restore spent Health or Mana. Each large foe encountered will require two Health or Mana to be spent. As the Teacher follows the path set by the player, Health and Mana will be spent and replenished on the character card, and foes defeated tracked on the sheet.
Once complete, the player will add up all the points from defeated foes (1VP per foe) and any VP from special character abilities or Loot cards. Additionally, the player will choose one of the four Quests at the bottom of the sheet to score each round for extra VP. They write these numbers on the sheet and prepare for the next level. After four total levels the game ends and the total is compared to a scale in the rulebook.
Multiplayer Dungeon Academy works the exact same way except once a player exits the Dungeon, they must grab the lowest-numbered Exit card as representation of the place finished in the Dungeon (so the first one out grabs the 1 card, etc.). The other difference from solo play is that players all compare total VP at the game end to determine the winner.
Components. This game has a large scorepad of 150 double-sided sheets, a bunch of cards for Hero characters, Loot, and Exits, as well as 18 total dice, about a trillion double-sided Health/Mana tokens and an impressive cardboard Dungeon. Everything is of wonderful Matagot quality… except for the Duneon. In my copy the Dungeon does not stay together very well. I may attempt some glue to keep the parts down that need to stay down, but it is still functional and a great design. The art style across the game is cute and fun, and I like the muted bright color scheme. That feels so weird to say/type, but the colors are vibrant hues, but muted so they stay out of the way. It’s strange and I love it.
Speaking of I love it, I love this game! It is quickly becoming one of my favorite roll-and-write games, and I can play it solo. In about 15 minutes. These are all positives, and I haven’t even really touched on the gameplay. Being able to get through a light solo game in 15 minutes while having a great time throughout is an achievement, and one I would like to applaud here. I wasn’t really sure going into this if I was going to enjoy it, but it has blown me away. Trying to evaluate the best path through the Dungeon while keeping track of how the Health and Mana is always in flux gives my brain a welcomed workout that is just a breath of fresh air for me. I love the art style and the theme, and the simple but easy to understand iconography on the dice is much appreciated.
I think that if you are looking for or lacking a similar type game in your collection you should do yourself a favor and check out Dungeon Academy. It is super quick, easy to grasp and play, requires little table space, and is simply a great time alone or with your gamer friends and family. I know I am going to be tracking lots of plays with this one. I am going to have to find a place on my shelves at eye-level because I don’t want it to be overshadowed down at foot-level.
If you already enjoy roll-and-write games and want something a little different with a great theme, or you don’t have any roll-and-writes and want to check one out for the first time, or you simply cannot get enough games featuring great art about wizards in school check this one out. I recommend it.
In Dungeon Academy players are taking the roles of students attempting their finals to become graduated warriors and mages in the land. They must pass their tests though, and that entails surviving through the dreaded Dungeon four times and surpassing all opponents to receive their degree.
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 a solo game of Dungeon Academy, assemble the Dungeon component per the instructions. The player is dealt a character card with a special ability and markers to track Health and Mana throughout the game. Pile the Health and Mana tokens on the table, shuffle the Loot cards into a deck, and place the Teacher pawn nearby. Grab the pad of paper and pen and you are ready to begin.
Each attempt in the Dungeon will require the 16 Base Dice to be rolled and set inside the Dungeon. It is then flipped upside down when the timer begins and the mad dash to the Exit commences. As the player marks a line through every “room” (each die is considered a “room” in the Dungeon) they create a path to be checked at the end of the round. Once the player has made it through the Dungeon satisfactorily the Teacher will check the path.
The Teacher pawn is now used to track movement in the Dungeon. As the player tracks the path they drew on the paper, the Teacher is moved through the rooms. In each room (each die face) will be one of these possible encounters: a Mana potion to refill an empty Mana space on the character card, a Health potion, a small red Blob, a small blue Ghost, a large red Colossus, or a large blue Reaper. Each small foe encountered will be overtaken by spending one Health or Mana token from the character card. Each potion will restore spent Health or Mana. Each large foe encountered will require two Health or Mana to be spent. As the Teacher follows the path set by the player, Health and Mana will be spent and replenished on the character card, and foes defeated tracked on the sheet.
Once complete, the player will add up all the points from defeated foes (1VP per foe) and any VP from special character abilities or Loot cards. Additionally, the player will choose one of the four Quests at the bottom of the sheet to score each round for extra VP. They write these numbers on the sheet and prepare for the next level. After four total levels the game ends and the total is compared to a scale in the rulebook.
Multiplayer Dungeon Academy works the exact same way except once a player exits the Dungeon, they must grab the lowest-numbered Exit card as representation of the place finished in the Dungeon (so the first one out grabs the 1 card, etc.). The other difference from solo play is that players all compare total VP at the game end to determine the winner.
Components. This game has a large scorepad of 150 double-sided sheets, a bunch of cards for Hero characters, Loot, and Exits, as well as 18 total dice, about a trillion double-sided Health/Mana tokens and an impressive cardboard Dungeon. Everything is of wonderful Matagot quality… except for the Duneon. In my copy the Dungeon does not stay together very well. I may attempt some glue to keep the parts down that need to stay down, but it is still functional and a great design. The art style across the game is cute and fun, and I like the muted bright color scheme. That feels so weird to say/type, but the colors are vibrant hues, but muted so they stay out of the way. It’s strange and I love it.
Speaking of I love it, I love this game! It is quickly becoming one of my favorite roll-and-write games, and I can play it solo. In about 15 minutes. These are all positives, and I haven’t even really touched on the gameplay. Being able to get through a light solo game in 15 minutes while having a great time throughout is an achievement, and one I would like to applaud here. I wasn’t really sure going into this if I was going to enjoy it, but it has blown me away. Trying to evaluate the best path through the Dungeon while keeping track of how the Health and Mana is always in flux gives my brain a welcomed workout that is just a breath of fresh air for me. I love the art style and the theme, and the simple but easy to understand iconography on the dice is much appreciated.
I think that if you are looking for or lacking a similar type game in your collection you should do yourself a favor and check out Dungeon Academy. It is super quick, easy to grasp and play, requires little table space, and is simply a great time alone or with your gamer friends and family. I know I am going to be tracking lots of plays with this one. I am going to have to find a place on my shelves at eye-level because I don’t want it to be overshadowed down at foot-level.
If you already enjoy roll-and-write games and want something a little different with a great theme, or you don’t have any roll-and-writes and want to check one out for the first time, or you simply cannot get enough games featuring great art about wizards in school check this one out. I recommend it.
