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Mothergamer (1536 KP) rated Unseen Academicals (Discworld, #37; Rincewind #8) in Books
Apr 3, 2019
I recently finished reading Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett, the latest book in the Discworld series. The wizards at Unseen University discover a law that states that they must participate in city football games (soccer), but the catch is they can't use any magic. The assistant candle dribbler, Mr. Nutt is brought in to coach this humorous seemingly hopeless team of over the hill wizards. Mr. Nutt is a little odd and seems to be a goblin, but he can't really remember himself. He befriends his candle dribbler boss Trevor Likely whose father was a famous footballer and they strike up an unlikely, but endearing friendship.
I loved this book. The friendship between Mr. Nutt and Trevor makes you smile and even laugh at certain points in the story. Terry Pratchett introduces some new characters like Juliette, Trevor's love interest and assistant cook and Glenda, her supervisor who warns her all the time about men and their ways. There are even cameo appearances by old favorites like Rincewind, the librarian, DEATH, the watch, and even Lord Vetinari.
The pacing starts off a little slow, but it finds its groove and we are told a great story about football, the fans, and the players. We are also shown how wonderful it is when you have friends and loved ones, that see the good in you and because they believe in you, it brings out the best in you. There are also the funny jokes, wit, and social commentary that comes with a Discworld book, overall making it quite an enjoyable read.
If you haven't read Unseen Academicals yet and you are a Discworld fan, I suggest you do. It's a great story and you will find yourself chuckling at various moments.
I loved this book. The friendship between Mr. Nutt and Trevor makes you smile and even laugh at certain points in the story. Terry Pratchett introduces some new characters like Juliette, Trevor's love interest and assistant cook and Glenda, her supervisor who warns her all the time about men and their ways. There are even cameo appearances by old favorites like Rincewind, the librarian, DEATH, the watch, and even Lord Vetinari.
The pacing starts off a little slow, but it finds its groove and we are told a great story about football, the fans, and the players. We are also shown how wonderful it is when you have friends and loved ones, that see the good in you and because they believe in you, it brings out the best in you. There are also the funny jokes, wit, and social commentary that comes with a Discworld book, overall making it quite an enjoyable read.
If you haven't read Unseen Academicals yet and you are a Discworld fan, I suggest you do. It's a great story and you will find yourself chuckling at various moments.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
One of the most successful movie franchises of all time, McKellen played yet another iconic character in Gandalf. This wise wizard was a mainstay in the series and became a fan favourite thanks to his brilliant line-delivery and magical abilities.
McKellen was also asked to audition for the part of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series but declined after suggesting he’d had enough of wizards. He did of course return to the role of Gandalf in the Hobbit trilogy that ran from 2012 to 2014.
A supremely talented man who clearly still has a long and bright career ahead of him. Happy birthday Sir Ian McKellen, thank you for bringing so many amazing characters to the big screen! What are your favourite Ian McKellen performances?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/05/25/top-5-ian-mckellen-performances/
McKellen was also asked to audition for the part of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series but declined after suggesting he’d had enough of wizards. He did of course return to the role of Gandalf in the Hobbit trilogy that ran from 2012 to 2014.
A supremely talented man who clearly still has a long and bright career ahead of him. Happy birthday Sir Ian McKellen, thank you for bringing so many amazing characters to the big screen! What are your favourite Ian McKellen performances?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/05/25/top-5-ian-mckellen-performances/
David McK (3369 KP) rated Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The fourth installment of jim Butchers' "The Dresden Files" series, this sees the eponymous PI/Wizard-for-hire (the only professional wizard in the Chicago Phone Book) becoming embroiled in Faerie politics, as he is hired by the Winter Queen to solve a murder. Meanwhile, Harry has also to deal with the backlash from the Wizard High Council, who blame him for starting a war between the Wizards and the Vampire Courts, as he's also desperately looking for a cure for his ex-girlfriend who was bitten by a vampire towards the end of 'Grave Peril'.
This book also sees a welcome return of Karrin Murphy to a larger role than in the last novel, and with Harry still wise-cracking his way through the plot it also 'felt' (if that's the word I'm looking for) lighter than that previous installment.
This book also sees a welcome return of Karrin Murphy to a larger role than in the last novel, and with Harry still wise-cracking his way through the plot it also 'felt' (if that's the word I'm looking for) lighter than that previous installment.
The 20th (of 41) Discworld book, this is Terry Pratchett's seasonal tale, with his character of Death (HO. HO. HO) temporarily having to take over from the Hogfather: Discworld's version of Santa Claus while his grandaughter Susan attempts to find out what has happened to the real thing.
This also a subplot concerning the wizards of Unseen University, and is the novel to come up with such delights as the Sock Monster (remember all those missing socks you have? Exactly.) and the Oh God of hangovers, alongside the Verruca Gnome and the Jolly Fairy - all of which have been created by the 'spare belief' sloshing around when people stop believing in the Hogfather. It's also good to see an, essentially, extended cameo by Nobby Nobbs, while some of the footnotes scattered throughout did have me laughing out loud.
This also a subplot concerning the wizards of Unseen University, and is the novel to come up with such delights as the Sock Monster (remember all those missing socks you have? Exactly.) and the Oh God of hangovers, alongside the Verruca Gnome and the Jolly Fairy - all of which have been created by the 'spare belief' sloshing around when people stop believing in the Hogfather. It's also good to see an, essentially, extended cameo by Nobby Nobbs, while some of the footnotes scattered throughout did have me laughing out loud.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Reaper Man (Discworld, #11; Death, #2) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Not enough Death
I had high hopes for this book as Death is one of my favourite characters, but sadly it was a bit of a letdown.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad book and is still quite good, it just isn't on par with a lot of the other Discworld books that I've read. Death is a fantastic character but he just isn't featured in this book enough (despite it being about life and death). The wizards and Windle Poons are featured more heavily and sadly they're not quite as loveable. They're funny in their own way, but they get a little rambling after a while. The plot too suffers from rambling as well and the whole concept is a little bit too bonkers, even for a Discworld novel.
It's still a good book and easy to read, it just isn't one of the best in the series.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad book and is still quite good, it just isn't on par with a lot of the other Discworld books that I've read. Death is a fantastic character but he just isn't featured in this book enough (despite it being about life and death). The wizards and Windle Poons are featured more heavily and sadly they're not quite as loveable. They're funny in their own way, but they get a little rambling after a while. The plot too suffers from rambling as well and the whole concept is a little bit too bonkers, even for a Discworld novel.
It's still a good book and easy to read, it just isn't one of the best in the series.
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Infinities Gate in Books
Nov 20, 2019
“At the Equinox, a bright blue glow engulfed the entire hill. Above the monument, a vortex opened and sucked them into its eye. When the light faded, they were gone.”
Infinities Gate is the second book in the Tamara Jenkins, Sorcerer series by author John R. Moore. It tells the story of archaeology professor Tamara Jenkins and the magical world of wizards she does not just fall into but becomes one of the greatest wizards and leader against the fight against darkness. In this book, Tamara and her husband mysteriously disappear on their honeymoon, and it is up to their friends to find them. Along the way, they discover the Infinities Gate and realize that they must keep the gate from opening or risk releasing chaos itself. When talking about his book series Moore says it is “In the order of Indiana Jones crossed with Merlin.” This statement perfectly sums up the atmosphere of the book. This was the crossover I never knew I needed. This mashup was an imaginative and clever premise that immediately had me hooked into the first book which continued into the second.
The story begins quickly, showering you with information, questions, and mysteries. This kind of beginning hooked my attention immediately and made it hard to put the book down. This story is filled with mysteries, interesting twists, and exciting adventures. From wizards to Norse gods, Moore delves into the fantastical intricacies of myths and legends while still making the stories his own. You can’t help but root for Tamara as she makes her way through these magical adventures. I really liked seeing her growth in both books and found her to be an interesting and fun heroine to follow on this journey.
The Celtic and Scottish history is something I love learning about so getting to read about it, and the magical side of it was very exciting for me. My love for both Indiana Jones and Arthurian legend fueled this fascination with this story. From the very beginning of the book, it connected itself to these histories and had events taking place in some of the most magical feeling places in the world like Stonehenge and the Isle of the Sky. This setting brought the magic and history into the book beautifully.
I was very impressed with Moore’s writing style. His descriptions of the world are beautiful as is his attention to the details of history. His characters have a depth which is integral for me in any book I read. I enjoyed reading this series so much I am excited to look into some of his other work. His interest in science fiction and fantasy stories align very much with my favorite genres to read. I cannot wait for the third book in this series so I can continue my journey with the wonderful Tamara. This was a very enjoyable book that offered a quick read into a magical world. I would highly recommend this book to fantasy readers!
Infinities Gate is the second book in the Tamara Jenkins, Sorcerer series by author John R. Moore. It tells the story of archaeology professor Tamara Jenkins and the magical world of wizards she does not just fall into but becomes one of the greatest wizards and leader against the fight against darkness. In this book, Tamara and her husband mysteriously disappear on their honeymoon, and it is up to their friends to find them. Along the way, they discover the Infinities Gate and realize that they must keep the gate from opening or risk releasing chaos itself. When talking about his book series Moore says it is “In the order of Indiana Jones crossed with Merlin.” This statement perfectly sums up the atmosphere of the book. This was the crossover I never knew I needed. This mashup was an imaginative and clever premise that immediately had me hooked into the first book which continued into the second.
The story begins quickly, showering you with information, questions, and mysteries. This kind of beginning hooked my attention immediately and made it hard to put the book down. This story is filled with mysteries, interesting twists, and exciting adventures. From wizards to Norse gods, Moore delves into the fantastical intricacies of myths and legends while still making the stories his own. You can’t help but root for Tamara as she makes her way through these magical adventures. I really liked seeing her growth in both books and found her to be an interesting and fun heroine to follow on this journey.
The Celtic and Scottish history is something I love learning about so getting to read about it, and the magical side of it was very exciting for me. My love for both Indiana Jones and Arthurian legend fueled this fascination with this story. From the very beginning of the book, it connected itself to these histories and had events taking place in some of the most magical feeling places in the world like Stonehenge and the Isle of the Sky. This setting brought the magic and history into the book beautifully.
I was very impressed with Moore’s writing style. His descriptions of the world are beautiful as is his attention to the details of history. His characters have a depth which is integral for me in any book I read. I enjoyed reading this series so much I am excited to look into some of his other work. His interest in science fiction and fantasy stories align very much with my favorite genres to read. I cannot wait for the third book in this series so I can continue my journey with the wonderful Tamara. This was a very enjoyable book that offered a quick read into a magical world. I would highly recommend this book to fantasy readers!
Peter Russell (61 KP) rated Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie in Tabletop Games
Mar 26, 2019
Build and Play all out war
This game has a very special place in my heart and I wish it started getting produced again. This review is not just for the base game by the Heroscape system as a whole. To me it is a lost treasure that I still pay premium prices to collect. Heroscape is primarily a combat game with a point based army building system. But even before that, the players build a battlefield using the interlocking and stacking hex terrain features, there are tiles of lava, water and ice, there are castle sets, bridges and even a marvel set to add marvel characters. I cannot paint a picture, but just google "epic heroscape map" to see amazing battlefields people have made. Alright, so gameplay mechanics. The combat system is dice based using shields and hits and line of sight and height of target it important, where you can take cover behind objects and creatures and also gain height advantage. There are interactions between characters that buff and debuff allies and enemies and interaction with terrain types. There were 3 master sets, a castle set, a bridge set, lava set, ice set, marvel character set and multiple character expansion packs. The miniatures are prepainted. Heroscape was bought by Wizards of the Coast where they released one master set with a Dungeons and Dragons Theme and one wave of D&D character expansions. It was then discontinued. In 2016 Wizards released Magic: Arena of the planeswalkers which recycled the Heroscape rule set, terrain molds and almost all mechanics, but under the completely different Magic the Gathering Branding and with a fraction of the terrain. Arena of the planeswalkers was also discontinued. The cheapest way to try out the mechanics of this game is Arena of the planeswalkers which should be able to be sourced used locally for about the $15 range.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Tigana in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Another stunner of a book by GGK although this one is a stand alone book and is based loosely on Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries.
In so many ways similar to The Fionavar Tapestry series but so different too. A brief synopsis is that there has been a major battle between 2 wizards in which one of the wizard's sons dies. In revenge the wizard removes the name "Tigana" from the memories and vocabularies of its inhabitants so that eventually the name will die, just like his son did.
This story is so intricate and involved and it is not a clear black/white, good/evil book which is what makes it such a superb read. Everything about is well written, from the villains to the locations to the history that you are given.
This book is bittersweet and poignant and I'll leave it to you to see if there is a happy ending.
Certainly classed as a classic by me and a firm favourite.
In so many ways similar to The Fionavar Tapestry series but so different too. A brief synopsis is that there has been a major battle between 2 wizards in which one of the wizard's sons dies. In revenge the wizard removes the name "Tigana" from the memories and vocabularies of its inhabitants so that eventually the name will die, just like his son did.
This story is so intricate and involved and it is not a clear black/white, good/evil book which is what makes it such a superb read. Everything about is well written, from the villains to the locations to the history that you are given.
This book is bittersweet and poignant and I'll leave it to you to see if there is a happy ending.
Certainly classed as a classic by me and a firm favourite.
Stephanie Neve (104 KP) rated Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in Apps
Jun 23, 2019
Literally Pokemon Go for wizards
I would like to start by announcing that I am a die hard Harry Potter fan, so I am going to have patience for this app whilst it's going through its early stages.
It's literally pokemon go. If you're happy with pokemon go and you aren't obsessed with Harry Potter then you don't need this app. Particularly as it takes up so much phone space.
However so far I have been pleased. I like that there is a mixture of challenges available at fortresses to take part in. The portkeys are an interesting addition. I still can't work out what to do with my seeds.
In conclusion I think this app has great potential but I don't think it's worth it if you don't have a really good phone.
It's literally pokemon go. If you're happy with pokemon go and you aren't obsessed with Harry Potter then you don't need this app. Particularly as it takes up so much phone space.
However so far I have been pleased. I like that there is a mixture of challenges available at fortresses to take part in. The portkeys are an interesting addition. I still can't work out what to do with my seeds.
In conclusion I think this app has great potential but I don't think it's worth it if you don't have a really good phone.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Grand Grimoire of Cthulhu Mythos Magic in Tabletop Games
Oct 18, 2019
Magic doesn't play quite the role in CoC it does in most other fantasy RPGs - its tendency to either kill wizards or drive them permanently insane is probably the reason why - but it's still an important and evocative part of the 'classic' setting for the game. This book, despite the slightly silly title, probably contains everything most players will need on the topic - over 550 spells, from the relatively innocuous 'Embrace of Yog-Sothoth' to the terrifying and unspeakable 'Attract Fish', plus ideas for elaborating on things like spell components and ambient magical areas.
You could probably get by just using the material in the Keeper's Book, but if you want characters to have a wider and more varied repertoire, this book is well worth the asking price. Needless to say, there is also material here to inspire dozens of scenarios for any self-respectingly twisted and inventive Keeper, so it scores heavily in that department too.
You could probably get by just using the material in the Keeper's Book, but if you want characters to have a wider and more varied repertoire, this book is well worth the asking price. Needless to say, there is also material here to inspire dozens of scenarios for any self-respectingly twisted and inventive Keeper, so it scores heavily in that department too.