Happy Friday everyone! Hope everyone’s 2024 is off to a good start so far. Here’s a little story I wrote called At the Crossroads. Hope you like it!
At the Crossroads by Adam Wright
It was midnight when Jasper McPheerson got to the crossroads, his guitar strapped across his back.
He had a bag of ingredients with him. The sack was small. It fit in the palm of his hand. He looked at the full moon.
Slowly, he untied the string on the bag. He picked up the feather and blew it into the wind. He pinched the strands of hair between his fingers and gently dropped them to the ground. With the pocket knife he sliced deep enough into his palm to draw a few drops of blood and placed his hand directly in the center of the crossroads. Finally, he lit a small candle with his Zippo lighter and sat cross legged.
Jasper closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He recited the chant. It had taken him months to learn enough Latin to be able to pronounce all the words. It had taken even longer to recite it from memory with no pauses, interruptions, or mistakes. Now he knew it as well as he knew the pledge of allegiance.
After the chant was finished, Jasper expected something to happen. He listened to the wind and waited. He heard the sound of crickets and waited. He smelled the fresh cut grass and the stench of residual oil hanging in the air and he continued to wait. Keeping his eyes closed, he fought to stay awake. His pulse slowed and he caught his head drooping a time or two.
The smells around him started to change. Instead of grass he smelled sulfur. Instead of crickets he heard the sound of crackling flames and felt the heat of a campfire all too close to him.
Jasper opened his eyes. Before him stood a man in a pair of old blue jeans, a dark leather overcoat, and a wide brimmed black hat. The man’s eyes glowed with a fiery red light. The man was thin and his face was gaunt. When he spoke to Jasper the voice sounded like the hum of electricity running through a high voltage wire.
“Not this horse shit again. I suppose you want something from me?”
Jasper found his mouth was dry and when he spoke it came out as a thin whisper.
“Yes, sir. I do.”
“On with it then, what do you want? You’ve got me trapped here until we make a deal. For both our sakes, and to keep me from boredom, make it a good one.”
“Famous. A famous musician. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
The man cocked his head to the side as if in thought. He scratched at his chin and Jasper saw razor sharp black nails.
“Fifteen thousand, four hundred and seven.” The man’s voice crackled once again.
“Excuse me?”
“That’s the exact number of times someone has asked me to make them a famous musician. You do a thing once and it never ends. I have immense power at my fingertips. Are you sure you don’t want something else? It’s not very original.”
Jasper stood up and stepped closer.
“Please, sir. Like I said, it’s all I’ve ever wanted. There’s nothing else for me.”
“Can’t you reconsider? I mean, you could be rich and not famous. Or, hell, here’s an idea, ask me to stop world hunger. You never know, maybe I could do it. No one’s asked. Maybe the reason you want fame is to meet women. I can do that for you also. But really, this whole devil down in Georgia at the crossroads thing is just a trope. Can’t you be more creative?”
Jasper took his guitar off his shoulder and grabbed a pick from his pocket. He started the first few notes of Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. The man grabbed Jasper’s wrist. His hand was like a hot coal on Jasper’s skin.
“No need for that, son. I’ve heard that song plenty. I can see your mind is made up. You know what you’ll owe me?”
Jasper swallowed.
“My soul.”
The man nodded. He then spit into his hand and extended it toward Jasper. Jasper did the same and they shook.
“Well, that’s it I guess. I’ll be seeing you soon. Enjoy your fame.”
The man faded into haze until Jasper saw a blinding white light. He heard the sound of a horn blaring. Before he knew what was happening, two tons of steel collided with Jasper and he was no more than a streak on the pavement.
The next day the headline that made Jasper famous read:
MUSICIAN STRUCK BY PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADE AT MIDNIGHT IN GEORGIA
Hello book lovers! It’s 2024 and that means we’ve all got a fresh year full of reading to look forward to. But what is there to read? There’s millions of books out there and tons of blog lists recommending those books. So, I decided to come up with my own list of what I think might be worth reading this year. For the most part these will be fantasy or science fiction books but that’s just my taste. If you read anything this year and you like it, you win your year in reading. I’ll get into why I think the books below are worth reading but a lot of them have been around for a long time so it might be a re-read for you. Anyway, I hope you like the list!
The Dune Series
Dune by Frank Herbert
Dune is one of the most brilliant science fiction books of all time. It has an epic and sweeping story spanning entire planets but it focuses on a small group of characters in a desperate situation. You probably know there was a Dune movie released in 2021 and there will be a part two of that film released this year. Both films are based on the first book in the series. There are a total of 6 books in the series so if you enjoy the first one, there’s still plenty to read after that first book.
The Wheel of Time Series
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
No matter how you feel about the adaptation of the Wheel of Time series, the books written by Robert Jordan have been well loved for decades. There is good reason for this as the stories are immersive and sweeping and contain everything you would want in a fantasy series while providing incredible and unexpected twists. The book to start with is The Eye of the World but there are a whopping 14 books to read. The last three were written by Brandon Sanderson who we’ll be talking about later in this list but the rest were written by Jordan himself. If you haven’t started reading this series, 2024 is the perfect year to start. There have been 2 seasons of The Wheel of Time television show released with a third on the way.
The Time Corrector Series
The Winding by Avi Datta
In the past few years one of the most beautiful books I have read was The Winding by Avi Datta. This is the first part in the Time Corrector series. It’s full of interesting time travel concepts but also contains an incredible romance story. A third volume of the series is on the way and I’ll be reviewing that book in February. If you are looking for a great science fiction book, a great romance, or simply an amazing story, I can’t recommend this series enough. With there only being three books so far, it should be pretty quick to catch up and get a bit further on your reading challenges this year.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Okay, I know, I know, every fantasy fan has probably already read this. But, if you are like me, you can never get enough of these books. It’s where a lot of western fantasy comes from and Tolkien’s genius is virtually unmatched in literature. If that weren’t enough, there is a re-release of the Lord of the Rings films in January and, believe it or not, another LOTR related movie is coming out in 2024. It’s called The War of the Rohirrim and is going to be an animated film starring the voice talents of some of the cast from the live action films. That makes 2024 the perfect year to revisit this series. (Well I think every year is the perfect year for that but at least I have an excuse now)
Literally anything by Brandon Sanderson
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Who is the least adapted but most prolific fantasy author alive today? Hands down, Brandon Sanderson. To say he is prolific is truly an understatement, this guy writes volumes of books the way I consume popcorn. My personal favorite series of his is The Stormlight Archives but these books are all huge so I am plodding my way through them. He also has the notable and extremely enjoyable series Mistborn, a great single volume novel called Elantris and a series of Y.A. books called Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. A lot of his books tie together into a shared universe he calls the Cosmere which leads to plenty of fun and interesting easter eggs. I haven’t come across one of Sanderson’s books I don’t like, however, he writes an incredible amount of books so I have not nearly read them all. 2024 is a good year to start these books because, well, any year is a good year to start his stuff and he’s overdue for an adaptation of his work in film or television so you might as well get on the bandwagon where all the cool kids are now.
Conclusion
This is by no means an exhaustive list of great science fiction and fantasy books. Other great authors to consider include N. K. Jemisin with her Broken Earth series, The Binti series by Nnedi Okorafor, anything by Neil Gaiman, The Earthsea Cycles by Ursula K. Leguin and The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Put simply, there are too many books out there for me to read so I can’t tell you everything you should read but those are a few of my suggestions for the year.
What are you planning to read this year? I’m always looking for a good book recommendation, especially in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror categories so let me know in the comments!
Literally yours,
Slick Dungeon
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
Well Happy New Year out there all you dungeon crawlers! It’s officially 2024 but before we start off the new year for real, I thought I would give a little wrap up about what happened here on my blog this year. I’ll also give you a little peek into a few of the things you might see on here in 2024. If you can’t stand this kind of a post, don’t feel like you need to read it, I just like to do a little reflection now and then. I’m just going to be talking about what happened on my blog more or less, not big news stories (for the most part) or anything like that. Let’s see what happened in the categories I covered.
film
I started off the year wanting to review every movie I saw. I failed on that goal because, well, you know, life and stuff. But I started out reviewing one of the oddest movies I have ever seen called Adult Swim Yule Log (AKA The Fireplace). It’s not for everyone but it’s definitely memorable. In January I also reviewed Prey which is best entry the Predator series has had in decades. Horror films in theaters started off fairly strong in the form of M3GAN about an android doll who does what android dolls do and tries to kill everyone. January also had a Friday the 13th in it so I reviewed the last of the Friday the 13th movies I can, Freddy vs. Jason. I’m still hopeful for a 13th movie in the series but we’ll see if that ever actually happens.
In February they rereleased Titanic for a limited time and made me ugly cry as always. On Valentine’s day I watched Picnic at Hanging Rock which is a quiet horror movie with a decidedly creepy vibe which also happens to take place on Valentine’s day. I also watched Tom Hanks be a grumpy old man in A Man Called Otto. February brought with it more Ant-Man in the form of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It was sort of okay but certainly not Marvel’s best.
In May it was the anniversary of Return of the Jedi so I wanted to give everyone a guide on how to go about watching, reading, playing etc. in the universe of Star Wars. I’ve got a lot left to review on that so stay tuned if you like Star Wars. Also in May I reviewed the entire Fast & Furious franchise starting with the very first movie, The Fast & The Furious. It’s mind boggling how far into ridiculousness these films get.
I didn’t really watch any movies in July actually so nothing to report here.
In August there was a refreshingly independent horror movie called Talk to Me. And a couple of box office juggernauts were launched with Oppenheimer and Barbie. I watched them both but only got around to reviewing the first one. They’re both worth watching though!
In October I reviewed the whole Psycho franchise (excluding the TV series Bates Motel) starting with the first film. I also reviewed the double feature slashers of X and Pearl.
I was a little burned out on movies so didn’t review any others until December when I watched what might have been my favorite film of 2023 and an absolute mastery of storytelling with Godzilla Minus One.
So, what’s coming up on this blog for film for 2024? Well, I can’t say I am overly excited about what is coming to theaters but I’m sure I will review a few things here. I’ll almost certainly review the Oscar picks for best picture. As far as film series to review I think I am going to go with the whole Halloween franchise and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. We’ll see if I end up doing any others.
Books
It was a busy year in books for me. In February I read the second volume of the Time Corrector series, The Movement by Avi Datta. It’s a fantastic series and a beautiful book. And I am very excited that I have the third volume which I will be reviewing in early February. I also started reviewing the Empire series by Tim Goff.
In November I read Illyadra by Adriel Wallaker and Drakomunda by Guy Quarterly.
December I read The Badlander by Tom Golden which has an utterly unforgettable ending. I also read To the Solemn Graves which is a solid ghost story anthology by Kim Idynne.
In 2024 you can expect more reviews of independent author’s books from Reedsy. I’m also hoping to but in a few more Star Wars book reviews and couple of reviews for bigger name authors, especially in fantasy and science fiction. I am a slow reader so we’ll see how far I get.
Marvel
I continue my quest to review every Marvel 616 comic in order and I made some progress this year. There is still a ton to go.
I could link every post I did on these this year but my series of reviews is meant to be read from the beginning so I am going to cheat a little and just link you to that first post here. If you read through it, you can link to the next one at the bottom and go in order.
I love Marvel comics and for 2024 I plan to continue with these reviews. I have to take breaks from it here and there because as much as I do love them, these early issues can seem a bit repetitive. Once you’ve seen Thor beat up a bunch of communists you don’t really need to see it again but that just keeps happening. Anyway, as far as Marvel goes on this blog just watch for more of it!
Star Wars
As far as Star Wars goes, as I mentioned above I have a lot left to review. I did come up with a guide for how to get started here. And I managed to review The Light of the Jedi.
For 2024 I’ll be reviewing Into the Dark which is the next book in phase 1 of the High Republic series. I will also probably start reviewing the movies but those are going to be a super deep dive so I’m not sure if I will complete that this year. I’ll be consuming tons of Star Wars stuff as I always to but how much I review basically remains to be seen.
Role Playing Games
Oh boy did a lot happen in the world of TTRPGs this year! There were too many crazy things to cover but the year did not start off well for Wizards of the Coast who makes Dungeons & Dragons. They had a huge debacle in what came to be knows as the OGL well.. debacle. And a ton of other stuff happened too. At the end of 2023 I basically feel better about TTRPGs as a hobby as a whole but D&D really needs to figure itself out as soon as possible if it wants to stay the most popular TTRPG of all time.
In January I gave my recommendations for the Top 5 TTRPGs to play in 2023. Also in January things started happening with the OGL (Open Gaming License) which allows creators to make third party stuff for D&D. But you know what? There are other rules systems and companies out there and people who want to make stuff for TTRPGs can use them. One of my favorites is the Basic Role Playing system by Chaosium. January just went crazy with the whole OGL thing and another company who I would say proved to be one of the best in 2023 was Paizo who makes Pathfinder. I wrote about that here.
In February I gave my picks for great gifts for any game master here. I know, it’s not romantic or whatever but hey, everyone can use dice and stuff like that. There were also a lot of play tests of new games happening in 2023. In particular in February there was the first play test of what was called Project Black Flag but will be known as Tales of the Valiant. It’s got the potential to be a D&D rival but it remains to be seen how popular it ends up becoming.
One of the things I find most difficult about TTRPGs is just finding a group to play consistently. A great way around that is to play solo TTRPG games which is why I cam up with my list of Top 5 Solo TTRPGs in April.
In August I got my hot little hands on a game I am super excited about which combines my love of Marvel comics with my love of TTRPGs. That’s right, I wrote about everything you need to know about the Marvel Multiverse Tabletop Role Playing Game. I also did a review of the core rulebook here and did a breakdown of the first chapter here. I’ll be doing a lot more with this book and this game in 2024 so if you are into Marvel TTRPGs watch for that.
In October I did one of the two things I am most proud of for 2023. I wrote my first scenario for Call of Cthulhu 7th edition called Fantastic Light Display. I worked for more than a month on it and I’m still just really excited to have published anything TTRPG related. This is definitely not for everyone but I had an absolute blast making it.
Also, because it was October, I couldn’t resist giving my recommendations for the Top 5 Monster TTRPGs to play.
In December, the MCDM TTRPG had a crowdfunding kick off and I have to say this is the game I am most excited for coming out in 2024 so expect a lot more written about it right here on this blog.
I had such a great time making my first Call of Cthulhu 7th edition scenario that I decided to do it again. This one is called Trouble on the Rock and is set on Alcatraz island just as the military prison is about to become a federal penitentiary. This is also just the first part as I intend to do two more in the On the Rock series. In February watch for the second in the series called Terror on the Rock. Just to be clear, these are related but stand alone scenarios so you don’t have to play one to enjoy the other. If you are into TTRPGs and like Call of Cthulhu it would be awesome if you could spread the word about it!
In 2024 you can expect more posts about how to play TTRPGs, more Top 5 lists, and definitely more scenarios, adventures etc written by yours truly!
Stories by Me
I definitely didn’t write as many short stories in 2023 as I intended to but I still got a few out.
In January I wrote Resolutions. Never try to grow tomatoes is my advice.
In February I wrote about Twenty Years of Walking Away and a story called Invasion. I also posted a story called Space Walk. That story actually first appeared in a collection called Flashbang! Volume II featuring a bunch of independent authors. I just wanted everyone to enjoy my story for free as well if they wished to.
In September I had another story featured in a collection called In a Flash. Again, it features a whole lot of independent authors and they are all flash fiction stories so it’s a nice small bite of fiction for when you don’t have a lot of time.
And as I said in the section above, I published my first two Call of Cthulhu 7th edition scenarios. These are not technically stories but they are written by me and I hope people enjoy them. I’m not trying to make anyone spend a dime on anything I write unless they want to but if you do, buying those scenarios is the best way currently to show your support for this blog.
In 2024 I definitely want to bring back my Flash Fiction Friday series and hopefully have a few good stories for you to read. I absolutely am not going to have one for every Friday of the year but I’ll do what I can!
I’m also working on a novel, but I’ll tell you more about that once I get to a point where I think it’s really worth sharing something. I’m not sure what all else I will get up to as far as writing goes this year but you can definitely expect more blog posts!
Heading into 2024
There are a lot of things I am excited for in the coming year and I hope you’ll decide to keep reading some of my posts whether you enjoy my fiction, my reviews of books and movies, my nerding out about Star Wars and Marvel and TTRPGs or all of the above. I hope everyone has an incredible 2024 and I wish all of you a Happy New Year!
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
SYNOPSIS
Feeling shunned in their new neighborhood, a family attributes the cold attitude of the neighbors to prejudice—but a little investigation unearths a more shocking motive. A conniving widower finds a new wife through a foreign dating service, but the bride turns out to know him much more intimately than he imagined. A young man enlists a shaman to exorcise a terrifying spirit from his apartment, and as he learns more about the supposed ghost, he begins to form a strange and tender bond with her. To the Solemn Graves presents thirteen illustrated stories that, while laced with the supernatural, remind us that most horror comes from the all too natural.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
REVIEW
To the Solemn Graves is a book of 13 short stories. They have a diverse cast of characters with diverse viewpoints but all of them have one thing in common. They deal with ghosts in some way. Some of the stories have actual ghosts or ghost like encounters while others are more grounded in the natural world. But most of the stories have a deeper meaning and go beyond just spooks and scares.
From a family adjusting to a new home, to a “mail order bride” who knows more than she is letting on to a creaky staircase where a writer finds inspiration and something sinister, the stories are all fairly entertaining. The illustrations are well made and haunting.
Like any short story collection there are some stories that stand out more than others and much of that is based on the readers taste. In this volume it seems to me the ones that shine brightest are the ones which reveal a more human and often times more evil motive than a ghost might have. My personal favorite was the one titled Consequences which proves to be a good mix of the real, the surreal, and the supernatural.
Another aspect that is often lacking in ghost stories but is present here is diversity. The characters come for a good variety of genders, sexual identities and backgrounds making for a refreshing read. Kim Idynne excels at getting the reading into the head of her characters quickly no matter who they are and where they come from.
If you enjoy ghost stories but are looking for something with a few surprise twists and turns, with engaging characters and a decent payoff in each story, To the Solemn Graves is definitely worth reading. If another collection comes from this author I expect it will also be a refreshing read when it appears.
Hello horror fans, Slick Dungeon here! I’m back to review another horror film and this one is my pick for not just one of the best horror films, but one of the best films of 2023. I am talking, of course, about Godzilla Minus One. Despite the title making me think there should be zero Godzillas, there is in fact an epic Godzilla in this movie. There will be some spoilers in this review but I will try to keep them light enough you should be able to see it without worry. Still, if things like knowing there is a Godzilla in this movie is too much of a spoiler for you, go see the movie and come back to read the review!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
To KNow Before You go
There are a few things to know before you watch this film. First, this is not directly related to the most recent Godzilla movies set in the so called Monarch Monsterverse. Those films kicked off with Bryan Cranston in 2014 and there are so far four movies with another slated to come out next year and a television series. In addition all of those are American productions while Godzilla Minus One is the first Godzilla movie to come out of Japan for quite some time. You absolutely do not have to have ever seen any Godzilla movie to enjoy Godzilla Minus One. This is the rare case where knowing too much about the previous films might even bog you down a bit.
What’s with that title?
Before I get too far into the review, I am going to touch upon the title for a moment because it is kind of an odd title. Some people have theorized the minus one is because this is a sort of prequel film to the original Godzilla of 1954. That is, in fact not true. This is more of a reimagining of the original Godzilla, however Minus One tells a much more moving story.
The reason the title is Godzilla Minus One has to do with where Japan was as a country and culture following the events of World War II. Having lost a war, been devastated by two nuclear blasts and struggling to come back from its lowest point in history, Japan was at zero. But in Godzilla Minus One, the idea is, what if they could sink lower. On top of all of the devastation, destruction and heartbreak, there is now an unstoppable monster set out to devastate everything Japan has started to rebuild.
But How about the Movie Itself?
If that was the only idea, this might make for a decent film. But the movie follows the central character of pilot Kōichi Shikishima. Shikishima has committed an act he and many other people feel is unforgivable when he happens upon the impossible. A legendary monster so large and powerful it could level cities in an instant. Godzilla.
On the surface the film is obviously about how to stop a Kaiju from wreaking havoc upon a civilization. But, the film goes far deeper than that to touch on themes of loss, hope, redemption, power structures, and who should be held responsible for decisions that cost lives. Is it courageous to do something reckless, just because those in authority want you to? Are you a coward if you freeze at a particular moment in time? And what would the effect be on a war torn civilization if it had to face a new threat after such loss?
The action here is excellent and Godzilla himself has never looked better. All the big Kaiju pieces you want in a movie like this are there but this one shines because it was so well thought through. Godzilla Minus One is not just a good lesson in how to create an action film but an excellent lesson in how to tell a story. More film makers should take note.
I won’t spoil much but I will say there is one line in this movie that just shows how well thought out the approach to a disaster film is here. There is a moment with my favorite line in an Godzilla film I have seen when a character says, “To have never gone to war is something to be proud of.” It’s extremely moving and nearly pitch perfect. I never thought a Kaiju film would make me think about the deeper meaning of life but if any film pulls it off, this one does.
Have you seen this one? Do you think it stands up to the original? Let me know in the comments!
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The world is dying. The gods have waged war against one another and are scattered and weakening. Everything from the sun to the winds are affected. Cyprian Fontaine is a collector of artifacts who holds a noble lineage. Years ago, his father set out on an expedition to save the world but never returned. When he learns the true nature of what his father was doing, Cyprian knows he will need to join the expedition attempting to finish what his father didn’t and save the world from certain death. But along the way the party will face extreme weather they are not used to, starving and maddened humans who want to enslave them, and gods who while weakened are still certainly powerful enough to kill any mortal. Guiding the expedition is a single outsider, a so called badlander. But are his motivations to help humanity survive or simply to achieve his own ends?
Badlander is a fascinating book that pulls no punches whatsoever. It’s nice to see a fantasy book that actually takes into account the environment as well. The threats are not simply endless sword battles but things as simple as lack of food or water could easily kill this party if they are not careful. Tom Golden does a fantastic job of managing a large list of characters, knowing when to zoom in on some and turn away from others.
At times it seemed perhaps the scale of the gods depicted in the book was somewhat flexible and it was hard to tell exactly how much of a threat they were. There are also a few times where battles may have lasted just a tad too long in the book but reading to the end was wholly satisfying. The last act of the book does not end in the way much of fantasy does and this makes it utterly refreshing to read.
The book is a good mix of survival adventure, political intrigue, fantasy action, a bit of romance, and a whole lot of sacrifice.
If you like fantasy books where the characters take on impossible odds and keep trying to save the world because there is no other choice, this book should be right for you. If nothing else, I guarantee you will not forget the ending of this book.
A Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition One Shot Scenario for 2-4 Players
Happy December folks! I’ve just published my second scenario for Call of Cthulhu 7th edition.
Trouble on the Rock is a scenario appropriate for 2-4 players and should take about 2-4 hours to play. This is part 1 of a 3 part series that takes place on Alcatraz Island. The year is 1934, the prison is just about to become a Federal Penitentiary and something on the island is on the loose! Can your investigators get to the bottom of it? Or will they be stuck on The Rock forever?
There’s lots of cool stuff in here, including player and Keeper maps, 6 handouts, and 4 pre-generated investigator sheets!
Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon here. There has been a lot of activity in the TTRPG space this year. We’ve had everything from the OGL debacle at the beginning of the year to the launch of Candela Obscura by the people over at Critical Role and the launch of the new Marvel TTRPG. But, if I had to choose the one single thing I am most excited about in the TTRPG space right now, it’s the upcoming RPG from MCDM productions. And just today they have launched their fundraiser for the game on Backerkit. I just wanted to share with you all why I think this one is worth backing.
Let me start by saying, I almost never recommend backing a game that isn’t already released. There are so many problems with it from both the consumer and game developer side. But with MCDM I am making an exception. Why? Because they have a proven track record of delivering extremely high quality products reliably. And they are honest about their communication when things go wrong. On top of that, Matt Colville who runs MCDM has made a significant point of treating his people ethically and paying them a living wage. If any independent creator in TTRPG’s deserves to be funded, it’s them.
One might assume I am being paid to say this but I am not. I gladly recommend everything MCDM makes in the TTRPG space with confidence, no need for anyone to pay me to say that. Okay, maybe I don’t recommend the t-shirts and stuff like that but if you want ’em buy ’em. I have purchased their books, the Arcadia magazines and watched a lot of the MCDM videos. All of them have been fantastic at making the game I love to play better.
So, when it was announced MCDM would be making their own game I was intrigued. Of course, I could end up wrong and this whole thing might not be a good game but the first four words they came up with for the game seem to have just about everything I want in a TTRPG. Tactical heroic cinematic fantasy ticks all my boxes for a D&D like game which is not D&D. I’ll stick to other games for horror but for fantasy, I could see myself switching to this one on a regular basis.
I could go off on a huge blog post here about why this game is a good idea but I’m going to keep it short and give you a link where you can see Matt Colville give the long pitch. For me, there are three reasons to back this game.
It’s an alternate to D&D that is going through a vigorous testing process and I think it will only improve because of that.
The creators of the game are being treated fairly and ethically, not just as profit machines who can be replaced by AI.
It sounds as fun as hell and MCDM is going to have an open license for the game which will allow people to make stuff for it which will make it even better.
But, here’s the thing. We’ll only get the game if it gets backed. If you can’t afford it, I implore you not to spend any money on it because that helps no one. If, on the other hand, you are thinking about buying yet another supplemental D&D book, maybe back this game instead. You can get in for as low as $40 if you just want the game rules. You get more stuff the higher up you go on the tier levels so obviously spend what you think is right for you.
If this is backed, I’m certain we’ll be playing it by the end of the year in 2024. (albeit with playtest packets and not the full game)
If I have sold you on it, click this link to check it out and back it. If you still aren’t sold on it, maybe check out the video that goes with it and decide if it’s right for you.
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Drakomunda is a book that takes place in a land of dark magic and strange artifacts where anyone can have their lives altered by fate. A series of short but related stories are presented in the book, all with a bit of a different flavor. Some take place in a decidedly ancient society while others feel like they are happening closer to our time, albeit still in a quite fantastical world.
Like with any book filled with shorter entries some stand out more than others. Overall, Guy Quarterly, does a fantastic job with his characters and the book is simply full of great action and horror. A few of the stories feel like they could have been shortened just a bit but in the end the payoff is usually worth it.
Whether Quarterly is writing about a caravan crossing the desert, a shipwrecked crew, brave warriors trying to fit in with their tribe, or warlords getting their revenge, the stories are gripping. Often times they are decidedly dark and the threats and menace in the book is palpable. Quarterly is especially good at building out interesting villains here.
Many of the themes of the book deal with unlikely allies, unexpected betrayals, and even love both gained and lost. Because the stories are so varied, there is surely something for any reader to like here but which ones stand out most to a reader will depend on individual tastes. The whole collection is very much worth reading.
There is a fair amount of gore so any readers sensitive to that may wish to take caution. That’s not to say everything in the book is always gratuitous, just that those who are squeamish about such things may not enjoy every aspect of every story.
With this as a debut, I am looking forward to reading more of his work. If you like fantasy with a dark edge, and enjoy short fiction along those lines, this is a perfect book for you.
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
A kingdom is about to collapse, torn by war on all sides. Factions are coming after the crown that makes Renovia the mightiest nation of its time. But, this great nation is near its ruin. A king’s only solution is to protect his children, and the future of his kingdom, by sending Kairo and Aterah into the future where they will forget all they have known.
The future is a time of war and rebellion and Aterah and Kairo are on what seems to be the losing side. There are factions and warlords surrounding them who are not only deadly, they deal in magic known as vuu. The powerful magic is used in different ways by different nations and at this moment in time, Renovia seems to have none of it. But, there are artifacts that can restore the world to what it once was. Kairo and Aterah have no indication of how important they are in events to come. And there are others who covet the power of vuu and the artifacts that can restore Renovia.
Illyadra is a high magic fantasy epic. Several people and nations will be taking actions that will sway the fate of the world entirely. Some of these people are unaware of what is to happen, while others are making strategic plans on how they can capitalize for themselves. There are battles to the death using weapons, magic, and even with only the power of words. When Aterah is taken, Kairo must take action to rescue his sister. Unfortunately for him, a major injury means he will need all the help he can get. But what form that takes will surprise everyone.
The author, Adriel Wallaker, does a fair job of handling a large cast of characters. It can be at times somewhat difficult for the reader to keep them all straight as a few of them have very similar names. But the writing is strong enough this is not too much of a concern. Wallaker also does a decent job of tying things up in the end while still leaving the reader wanting to know what will happen next in the series. There are some spots in the book where the action gets a bit tedious but for the most part it’s fun.
Readers should be forewarned there is quite graphic violence in the book. It is handled well by the author but not for the squeamish at heart.
One of the more interesting aspects of the book was seeing magic used in ways not simply related to battle. Especially intriguing were the people who could wield influence over others with arguments. This is one area it would have been nice to see a little more of because those portions of the story were quite engaging. This is where a lot of the philosophy behind vuu comes in and is rather fascinating.
If you like sprawling epics where magic is everywhere and can be used in a lot of ways, Illyadra is definitely worth a read.
