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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Vixen (Flappers, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<i>3.75 stars</i>
<b><i>Once upon a time there were three beautiful girls who went to the best schools (and speakeasies), and they were each assigned booze and clothes that are the cat's meow. But the flapper lifestyle took them into different directions and now they work to find out who they are and what makes them truly happy. My name is Vixen.</i></b>
And so you've been introduced to the first installment of The Flappers series Charlie's Angels' style (the best I was able to come up with anyway).
<b>Meet our <s>Angels</s> Vixens:</b>
<u><i>Gloria</i></u> - She's the one who has it all: <i>the</i> name, riches, looks, clothes, a handsome fiancee, everything comes easily to her, and everybody seemingly loves her. But this poor little rich girl isn't so happy after all and so she begins to rebel.
<u><i>Clara</i></u> - Burned by her former flapper lifestyle, she's now trying to start over as "Country Clara" without her sordid past coming to light. So has she turned into a goody-two shoes or is it just part of a grander scheme? Only time will tell.
<u><i>Lorraine</i></u> - Jealous of best friend, Gloria, she's desperate to step out of Glo's shadow to become the center of attention as an individual.
<b>Before getting to my review, there are a few questions that should be addressed:</b>
Is this great literature? <i>No.</i>
Will this book change your life? <i>No.</i>
Will you learn anything from reading this book? <i>No. Well, maybe some twenties' slang.</i>
Is this book accurate to the period? <i>No, there are some liberties, but it's good enough as wallpaper to the players and scenes.</i>
Is this book entertaining beyond belief? <i>A resounding YES!</i>
VIXEN is very easy to read and captured my attention from the first page, and while it may not be the best book ever, I had a lot of fun reading it. While there's nothing glaringly obvious anachronism-wise, I did question some word choices, phrases, and actions, but overall they were easy to overlook and I likened it to watching A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger. Written in third-person, each chapter focuses on one the three girls' point-of-view, starting with Gloria and continuing with Clara and then Lorraine, throughout the book until the end.
As for the characters, Clara (named after Ms. Clara Bow?) was definitely my favorite to read about, she's recovering from the aftereffects of her life in New York City (which includes a boy, of course), and is trying her best to leave the past behind and move on with her life. Her story had a lot to offer and she felt like a real person who had made mistakes and was now left dealing with the repercussions. Lorraine was a trainwreck you can't take your eyes off of, and while I can't say I liked her, I felt sorry for her. She tries way too hard to stand out and ends up making herself look pathetic; if she keeps it up she'll turn into a very ugly person whom everyone hates. Forget Gloria, Lorraine is the "real" poor little rich girl of the book. She's in the middle of making all the wrong decisions and we're along for the journey, which made her multidimensional and interesting to read about as well. Gloria was my least favorite, mainly because I don't think the author knew quite how to write her. At one moment Gloria seemed like a good girl rebelling, but then there would be moments where she was a real bitch and those two aspects just didn't gel into a cohesive whole. Now if she was seemingly sweet on the outside and really was a conniving bitch underneath, then I'd be on board or at least would get it. But she wasn't that type of bitch and she wasn't Alexis Carrington-bitchy (or insert less-dated reference here) either. How she was written made her look more like Sybil and didn't render me to sympathize with her at all. It didn't help that I felt she was too close to a Mary-Sue for my liking. I don't like perfect or near-perfect characters, they're boring and so was she. What was her motivation for anything, such as singing? Was that always a dream or did it just now come about? Is her recent behavior only happening because she's unhappy? Sorry, but there's just not enough there to make me care about this character. Gloria needed to be more fleshed out to make her feel like a real human, with real thoughts in her head and real feelings, and not a cliched cardboard cut-out.
The love aspects of the novel were fairly glossed over, mainly Gloria and Jerome's story, and felt more like teenage hormones than actual real love.
<i>"I don't know you but you're hot and I love you."
"Nothing will keep us apart!"
"We'll be together forever!"</i>
Which is too bad because I like the idea of an interracial romance taking place in the 1920's, it could have been fantastic, but instead was tepid and generally unromantic. It didn't help that half the duo was boring old Gloria and the other half never developed beyond the fact that he's a black musician who's forbidden to her due to the color of his skin. I wished for more impact and still hope for that in the next installment of the series. Clara's budding relationship with Marcus was far more realistic because they actually had conversations *gasp* and was well-paced. The relationships between the girls were touch and go, sometimes they felt authentic, then at other times interactions appeared too advanced to where the relationship had last left off; it was like there were scenes edited out in chunks. The same could be said of the developing romance between Gloria and Jerome.
So a few things bothered me in the book, such as the issue I had with every girl who wasn't one of the main trio being cattily described, i.e. eyes are close together, that color makes her look sallow, etc. Can we get over doing that already? That's not encouraging good behavior. A little more positivity would be a refreshing change. Another thing that annoyed me was at one point, the crap hit the fan and *minor spoiler* <spoiler>Gloria's career as a torch singer, which she's naturally perfect at (of course), came out into the open. So who does she immediately blame? Her best friend, Lorraine of course, whom she slaps! And who to this point Gloria had no provocation to even think it'd be her who had spilled the beans. Lorraine had not done anything to deserve Gloria's wrath, or at least nothing she knew about yet, so I don't know if the author had forgotten that fact or what. It did not make any kind of sense because there were other people who knew what Gloria was up to and others who could have easily found out. To me it was sloppy writing. What kind of friend does that make Gloria anyway? Not one I'd like, who always thinks the worst of her best friend without any miniscule proof of guilt. Told ya she was a bitch</spoiler>. There were some minor editing inaccuracies, such as when Gloria's dress goes from gold sequined to red in less than a page (pages 74-5) but nothing too overt to jar me out of the book altogether. Lastly, perhaps there was a bit too much twenties' slang that wasn't always incorporated into the text as smoothly as possible.
Overall, the plots were well-done and moved along at a brisk enough pace that I never got bored. The ending unfolded so that it tied up the multiple plotlines while still keeping plenty of loose ends for the sequel. So, a lot of the book is superficial, in some cases there are caricatures instead of characters, and it is a shallow interpretation of the Roaring Twenties, I don't care, the book is just plain fun and sometimes that's all I need. And while I can't say I loved this book and it totally lived up to its beautiful cover (seriously that dress is gorgeous, though I could do without the pit shot), I was suitably entertained and will read the sequels to find out what happens next, while I keep up the hope that Gloria will turn into a real, live girl.
<b><i>Once upon a time there were three beautiful girls who went to the best schools (and speakeasies), and they were each assigned booze and clothes that are the cat's meow. But the flapper lifestyle took them into different directions and now they work to find out who they are and what makes them truly happy. My name is Vixen.</i></b>
And so you've been introduced to the first installment of The Flappers series Charlie's Angels' style (the best I was able to come up with anyway).
<b>Meet our <s>Angels</s> Vixens:</b>
<u><i>Gloria</i></u> - She's the one who has it all: <i>the</i> name, riches, looks, clothes, a handsome fiancee, everything comes easily to her, and everybody seemingly loves her. But this poor little rich girl isn't so happy after all and so she begins to rebel.
<u><i>Clara</i></u> - Burned by her former flapper lifestyle, she's now trying to start over as "Country Clara" without her sordid past coming to light. So has she turned into a goody-two shoes or is it just part of a grander scheme? Only time will tell.
<u><i>Lorraine</i></u> - Jealous of best friend, Gloria, she's desperate to step out of Glo's shadow to become the center of attention as an individual.
<b>Before getting to my review, there are a few questions that should be addressed:</b>
Is this great literature? <i>No.</i>
Will this book change your life? <i>No.</i>
Will you learn anything from reading this book? <i>No. Well, maybe some twenties' slang.</i>
Is this book accurate to the period? <i>No, there are some liberties, but it's good enough as wallpaper to the players and scenes.</i>
Is this book entertaining beyond belief? <i>A resounding YES!</i>
VIXEN is very easy to read and captured my attention from the first page, and while it may not be the best book ever, I had a lot of fun reading it. While there's nothing glaringly obvious anachronism-wise, I did question some word choices, phrases, and actions, but overall they were easy to overlook and I likened it to watching A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger. Written in third-person, each chapter focuses on one the three girls' point-of-view, starting with Gloria and continuing with Clara and then Lorraine, throughout the book until the end.
As for the characters, Clara (named after Ms. Clara Bow?) was definitely my favorite to read about, she's recovering from the aftereffects of her life in New York City (which includes a boy, of course), and is trying her best to leave the past behind and move on with her life. Her story had a lot to offer and she felt like a real person who had made mistakes and was now left dealing with the repercussions. Lorraine was a trainwreck you can't take your eyes off of, and while I can't say I liked her, I felt sorry for her. She tries way too hard to stand out and ends up making herself look pathetic; if she keeps it up she'll turn into a very ugly person whom everyone hates. Forget Gloria, Lorraine is the "real" poor little rich girl of the book. She's in the middle of making all the wrong decisions and we're along for the journey, which made her multidimensional and interesting to read about as well. Gloria was my least favorite, mainly because I don't think the author knew quite how to write her. At one moment Gloria seemed like a good girl rebelling, but then there would be moments where she was a real bitch and those two aspects just didn't gel into a cohesive whole. Now if she was seemingly sweet on the outside and really was a conniving bitch underneath, then I'd be on board or at least would get it. But she wasn't that type of bitch and she wasn't Alexis Carrington-bitchy (or insert less-dated reference here) either. How she was written made her look more like Sybil and didn't render me to sympathize with her at all. It didn't help that I felt she was too close to a Mary-Sue for my liking. I don't like perfect or near-perfect characters, they're boring and so was she. What was her motivation for anything, such as singing? Was that always a dream or did it just now come about? Is her recent behavior only happening because she's unhappy? Sorry, but there's just not enough there to make me care about this character. Gloria needed to be more fleshed out to make her feel like a real human, with real thoughts in her head and real feelings, and not a cliched cardboard cut-out.
The love aspects of the novel were fairly glossed over, mainly Gloria and Jerome's story, and felt more like teenage hormones than actual real love.
<i>"I don't know you but you're hot and I love you."
"Nothing will keep us apart!"
"We'll be together forever!"</i>
Which is too bad because I like the idea of an interracial romance taking place in the 1920's, it could have been fantastic, but instead was tepid and generally unromantic. It didn't help that half the duo was boring old Gloria and the other half never developed beyond the fact that he's a black musician who's forbidden to her due to the color of his skin. I wished for more impact and still hope for that in the next installment of the series. Clara's budding relationship with Marcus was far more realistic because they actually had conversations *gasp* and was well-paced. The relationships between the girls were touch and go, sometimes they felt authentic, then at other times interactions appeared too advanced to where the relationship had last left off; it was like there were scenes edited out in chunks. The same could be said of the developing romance between Gloria and Jerome.
So a few things bothered me in the book, such as the issue I had with every girl who wasn't one of the main trio being cattily described, i.e. eyes are close together, that color makes her look sallow, etc. Can we get over doing that already? That's not encouraging good behavior. A little more positivity would be a refreshing change. Another thing that annoyed me was at one point, the crap hit the fan and *minor spoiler* <spoiler>Gloria's career as a torch singer, which she's naturally perfect at (of course), came out into the open. So who does she immediately blame? Her best friend, Lorraine of course, whom she slaps! And who to this point Gloria had no provocation to even think it'd be her who had spilled the beans. Lorraine had not done anything to deserve Gloria's wrath, or at least nothing she knew about yet, so I don't know if the author had forgotten that fact or what. It did not make any kind of sense because there were other people who knew what Gloria was up to and others who could have easily found out. To me it was sloppy writing. What kind of friend does that make Gloria anyway? Not one I'd like, who always thinks the worst of her best friend without any miniscule proof of guilt. Told ya she was a bitch</spoiler>. There were some minor editing inaccuracies, such as when Gloria's dress goes from gold sequined to red in less than a page (pages 74-5) but nothing too overt to jar me out of the book altogether. Lastly, perhaps there was a bit too much twenties' slang that wasn't always incorporated into the text as smoothly as possible.
Overall, the plots were well-done and moved along at a brisk enough pace that I never got bored. The ending unfolded so that it tied up the multiple plotlines while still keeping plenty of loose ends for the sequel. So, a lot of the book is superficial, in some cases there are caricatures instead of characters, and it is a shallow interpretation of the Roaring Twenties, I don't care, the book is just plain fun and sometimes that's all I need. And while I can't say I loved this book and it totally lived up to its beautiful cover (seriously that dress is gorgeous, though I could do without the pit shot), I was suitably entertained and will read the sequels to find out what happens next, while I keep up the hope that Gloria will turn into a real, live girl.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Kingdoms of the Deep in Tabletop Games
Dec 26, 2020
Underwater-themed games are fast becoming some of my favorite to play. I have always enjoyed visiting aquariums (the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is by far the best I’ve seen) and I have owned many of my own tanks. So I have a soft spot. Couple a great theme with a great publisher and what do we get? A great game? Yep!
Kingdoms of the Deep is an abstracted area-control game set in the ocean for one to six players. In it players lead a faction of creatures intent on ruling the underwater kingdom. The player who scores the most VP at the end of the game is the winner, and as their king the player must rule with a strong pectoral fin. Okay, that last part isn’t in the rules, but it should be.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this preview. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to back the game on Kickstarter launching January 12, 2021, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after it is fulfilled. -T
To setup players will choose a color and take all components of that color. Obviously, the best choice is purple. Next the central board will be built of large hex tiles surrounding an Atlantis tile. Upon Atlantis one Shark token will be placed. The Score Board is placed near the central hex board and upon it is placed the Round Marker, the End Game Scoring tile, and the three Goal cards. Players then populate the board with their Influence Cubes on their specific preferred terrain types. Upgrade Cubes (discs in the final version) are then placed on each player’s individual play mats on the furthest value to the left, save for the Reset upgrades: players will choose one to place a cube. Give the starting player the Start Player token (a manta ray in this prototype) and the game may begin!
On a turn each player will choose a card from their hand of Action cards to be flipped simultaneously. The starting player will resolve their card first and play will continue around the table thenceforth. Each player will take their action and prepare for the next round. Should a player choose a card that no other player had chosen for the round they will also be able to activate the Solo Ability printed on the card. Typically these Solo Abilities are a furtherance of the action chosen. For example, should a player choose the Deploy Action card and be the only one to do so, they will be able to deploy one additional Influence Cube on the board than normal. The actions are Bolster, Deploy, Move, Upgrade, Shark, and Reset. Each action is limited to a number of cubes added, spaces moved, or upgrades allowed according to where the player board discs (large cubes in the prototype) lie on the player’s mat.
The Bolster action allows the player to add a number of Influence Cubes to the board on the player’s current preferred terrain type. To Deploy units is to add Influence Cubes to the board on hexes already containing their Influence or hexes directly adjacent to those already containing their Influence cubes. When a player chooses the Move action they are able to move creatures (Influence Cubes of any player and Shark tokens) a number of spaces that can be used for once creature or split between several. Players will certainly wish to Upgrade their actions throughout the game by increasing their player board discs’ spaces on their mat. For example, upgrading the Move action could allow the player to move creatures three spaces instead of two. The Shark action allows the player to move the Shark token(s) and chomp creatures on the same hex. Once a Shark feeds, the controlling player will increase their standing on their own Bait Pile track on their play mat. Certain increments on this track will provide the player with one instance of an action (Move, Deploy, etc), and the creature’s Influence Cube is returned to the matching player. Reset actions allow the player to recall their played Action cards to their hands, but also provide whichever action the player originally chose at setup. Should a player wish to Upgrade their Reset action more actions will become available to them each time they utilize the Reset action. Additionally, at the end of the player’s turn having used the Reset action card the Round Marker token is moved one space closer to the end of the game on its track. More on this later.
During play, some creatures may be moved onto the Atlantis tile in the middle of the board via the Deploy or Move actions. When this happens the player who moved the cube onto the Atlantis tile will score a point immediately, and the creature cube is placed in the Atlantis castle (cloth bag in the prototype, but a castle component in the final version). At the end of the game points are awarded to the player with the most creatures in Atlantis.
Every three movements of the Round Marker token signifies a scoring round takes place. Players will consult the current Goal card for any scoring round bonuses and points are earned. The Goal card is then discarded to reveal the next Goal card in sequence on which players can concentrate during the next rounds of play. Also during the first two of these scoring rounds another Shark token is added to the board on the Atlantis tile to be moved around seeking lunch. Once the Round Marker reaches the final scoring round the game ends and points are tallied to arrive at the winner.
Components. Again, this is a prototype version of the game, and while I know certain things will be different in the final version, I do not know what else may be upgraded as a result of any stretch goals reached. Therefore I do not want to comment on the quality of the components, but rather the art style and direction this game is heading toward actual production.
The art on this one is simply gorgeous. The style is the same as that of Animal Kingdoms, which is also a release from Galactic Raptor. All the art I have seen in this game is sublime and permeates the theme into every portion of the game. It is so beautifully colorful and the creatures are all unique and interesting that it may be difficult to concentrate on the actual game for some people, I imagine.
All that aside, I really do think this is a good game. It certainly gives me the Witch’s Brew/Broom Service vibe with benefits for the player who chooses something the others have not. Combine that feeling with that of the chaos of Survive!: Escape from Atlantis area control of constantly-shifting cube placement and I think Galactic Raptor has a hit here. Again, I am excited to see the final product with the more premium components and tweaked rules, but what I have here is still a good implementation of the mechanics with a hard-to-beat theme.
I do quite like the Shark ability to chomp not only everyone else’s creatures, but also your own to take those cubes back into your supply to be Bolstered or Deployed elsewhere. I also really like being able to Upgrade any action I wish to truly personalize my style and tactics during play. I like being able to Move other players’ creatures into Atlantis for that immediate point, but also to remove that cube from play altogether. It creates quite an interesting dynamic and strategy to facilitate other players’ majority status in Atlantis in order to gain quick points and board control right away. There are so many thing to like about this game, and I am so glad I was able to give it a chance on the table.
If you enjoy games similar to those I mentioned previously, then check out Kingdoms of the Deep. It is beautiful, offers quite a bit of strategy and tactics, and stands to become an excellent mid-weight simultaneous action, area control game WITH SHARKS. While I probably won’t be playing this one every game night, I can certainly see myself introducing it to many of my fellow gamers. I urge you to check out the Kickstarter campaign for Kingdoms of the Deep once it launches in January. Tell ’em Old Travis sent ya.
Kingdoms of the Deep is an abstracted area-control game set in the ocean for one to six players. In it players lead a faction of creatures intent on ruling the underwater kingdom. The player who scores the most VP at the end of the game is the winner, and as their king the player must rule with a strong pectoral fin. Okay, that last part isn’t in the rules, but it should be.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this preview. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to back the game on Kickstarter launching January 12, 2021, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after it is fulfilled. -T
To setup players will choose a color and take all components of that color. Obviously, the best choice is purple. Next the central board will be built of large hex tiles surrounding an Atlantis tile. Upon Atlantis one Shark token will be placed. The Score Board is placed near the central hex board and upon it is placed the Round Marker, the End Game Scoring tile, and the three Goal cards. Players then populate the board with their Influence Cubes on their specific preferred terrain types. Upgrade Cubes (discs in the final version) are then placed on each player’s individual play mats on the furthest value to the left, save for the Reset upgrades: players will choose one to place a cube. Give the starting player the Start Player token (a manta ray in this prototype) and the game may begin!
On a turn each player will choose a card from their hand of Action cards to be flipped simultaneously. The starting player will resolve their card first and play will continue around the table thenceforth. Each player will take their action and prepare for the next round. Should a player choose a card that no other player had chosen for the round they will also be able to activate the Solo Ability printed on the card. Typically these Solo Abilities are a furtherance of the action chosen. For example, should a player choose the Deploy Action card and be the only one to do so, they will be able to deploy one additional Influence Cube on the board than normal. The actions are Bolster, Deploy, Move, Upgrade, Shark, and Reset. Each action is limited to a number of cubes added, spaces moved, or upgrades allowed according to where the player board discs (large cubes in the prototype) lie on the player’s mat.
The Bolster action allows the player to add a number of Influence Cubes to the board on the player’s current preferred terrain type. To Deploy units is to add Influence Cubes to the board on hexes already containing their Influence or hexes directly adjacent to those already containing their Influence cubes. When a player chooses the Move action they are able to move creatures (Influence Cubes of any player and Shark tokens) a number of spaces that can be used for once creature or split between several. Players will certainly wish to Upgrade their actions throughout the game by increasing their player board discs’ spaces on their mat. For example, upgrading the Move action could allow the player to move creatures three spaces instead of two. The Shark action allows the player to move the Shark token(s) and chomp creatures on the same hex. Once a Shark feeds, the controlling player will increase their standing on their own Bait Pile track on their play mat. Certain increments on this track will provide the player with one instance of an action (Move, Deploy, etc), and the creature’s Influence Cube is returned to the matching player. Reset actions allow the player to recall their played Action cards to their hands, but also provide whichever action the player originally chose at setup. Should a player wish to Upgrade their Reset action more actions will become available to them each time they utilize the Reset action. Additionally, at the end of the player’s turn having used the Reset action card the Round Marker token is moved one space closer to the end of the game on its track. More on this later.
During play, some creatures may be moved onto the Atlantis tile in the middle of the board via the Deploy or Move actions. When this happens the player who moved the cube onto the Atlantis tile will score a point immediately, and the creature cube is placed in the Atlantis castle (cloth bag in the prototype, but a castle component in the final version). At the end of the game points are awarded to the player with the most creatures in Atlantis.
Every three movements of the Round Marker token signifies a scoring round takes place. Players will consult the current Goal card for any scoring round bonuses and points are earned. The Goal card is then discarded to reveal the next Goal card in sequence on which players can concentrate during the next rounds of play. Also during the first two of these scoring rounds another Shark token is added to the board on the Atlantis tile to be moved around seeking lunch. Once the Round Marker reaches the final scoring round the game ends and points are tallied to arrive at the winner.
Components. Again, this is a prototype version of the game, and while I know certain things will be different in the final version, I do not know what else may be upgraded as a result of any stretch goals reached. Therefore I do not want to comment on the quality of the components, but rather the art style and direction this game is heading toward actual production.
The art on this one is simply gorgeous. The style is the same as that of Animal Kingdoms, which is also a release from Galactic Raptor. All the art I have seen in this game is sublime and permeates the theme into every portion of the game. It is so beautifully colorful and the creatures are all unique and interesting that it may be difficult to concentrate on the actual game for some people, I imagine.
All that aside, I really do think this is a good game. It certainly gives me the Witch’s Brew/Broom Service vibe with benefits for the player who chooses something the others have not. Combine that feeling with that of the chaos of Survive!: Escape from Atlantis area control of constantly-shifting cube placement and I think Galactic Raptor has a hit here. Again, I am excited to see the final product with the more premium components and tweaked rules, but what I have here is still a good implementation of the mechanics with a hard-to-beat theme.
I do quite like the Shark ability to chomp not only everyone else’s creatures, but also your own to take those cubes back into your supply to be Bolstered or Deployed elsewhere. I also really like being able to Upgrade any action I wish to truly personalize my style and tactics during play. I like being able to Move other players’ creatures into Atlantis for that immediate point, but also to remove that cube from play altogether. It creates quite an interesting dynamic and strategy to facilitate other players’ majority status in Atlantis in order to gain quick points and board control right away. There are so many thing to like about this game, and I am so glad I was able to give it a chance on the table.
If you enjoy games similar to those I mentioned previously, then check out Kingdoms of the Deep. It is beautiful, offers quite a bit of strategy and tactics, and stands to become an excellent mid-weight simultaneous action, area control game WITH SHARKS. While I probably won’t be playing this one every game night, I can certainly see myself introducing it to many of my fellow gamers. I urge you to check out the Kickstarter campaign for Kingdoms of the Deep once it launches in January. Tell ’em Old Travis sent ya.
