Gen Con 50th Spoils

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I've last posted. Life has been a bit chaotic for me. Between the Summer Reading Program at work, personal vacations and helping a teacher friend set up for classes I haven't had a lot of free time for writing. On the plus side, long plane rides do lend well to paper editing and I am proud to say that I have officially printed and hand edited the first draft of my novel, Fearless... now for the difficult part of typing all of the edits I made...Wish me luck! (Why are there so many corrections?!?!)

But no one wants to hear me complain about editing! You clicked on this post because you saw "Gen Con," right?

Wait--what's Gen Con?

Gen Con is the ultimate convention of nerds and board games. Everywhere you turn there are friendly faces waiting to teach you how to play new and old games alike. There are seminars on everything from RPGs to how to publish your first novel. There is beautiful artwork and super cute, cuddly stuffed animals. Anything a nerd (like me) could ever want can be found at Gen Con.

My favorite part of Gen Con are the game demos. Volunteers from around the world and gaming company employees teach you how to play the games they've brought with them. Most of the demos are free, so you can just show up to an empty table and someone will teach you how to play the game they have before them.

My fiance and I are always on the look out for good games that function really well with just two players. Party games are great, but they don't always work so well when everyone else is busy...

Games I Played and Enjoyed:

-Codenames Duet by CGE    

 Rating: 5/5 stars     Ages: 10+   Players: 2     Time: 15-30 minutes

This game was by far one of my favorites! This two player cooperative game plays much in the same as the other Codenames games--except it was designed for two players. Your opponent is the clock, therefore the game forces you to make your codenames useful for more than one agent location. It was great to play with my future husband--we made a pretty good team! But if you don't trust my judgement on how awesome this game is, let me just tell you this: they sold out EVERY SINGLE DAY. =/

- Mino & Tauri by Amigos  
               
 Rating: 5/5 stars         Ages: 6+     Players: 2        Time: 3 minutes
     
 Another two player cooperative that I absolutely LOVED. Mino & Tauri are aliens that have crash landed on Earth and lost all of their belongings. It is up to you and your partner to help them collect all of their things before the clock runs out. The catch? Mino & Tauri are trapped on opposite sides of the game board, held together by telepathic (magnetic) connections and each side of the game board is a maze with no solution and only half of the missing items. The only way to move through hedges is if your partner on the other side pulls you through. Communication required.

-Alchemists by CGE

Rating: 4/5     Ages: 13+     Players: 2-5      Time: 120 minutes

This was by far one of the more difficult games we demo'd. There's a LOT going on. But it's also a lot of fun for anyone who enjoys science. The object of the game is to experiment with the different elements and publish your findings to the public to increase your ranking as an alchemist. The cool part is that there is an app component that allows game play to be different each time you play. There's a lot of strategy involved, as you only have 6 rounds to find out and publish as much as you can! The artwork is also very beautiful and the game is just over all fun!

-Ticket to Ride by Days of Wonder

Rating: 5/5    Ages: 8+     Players: 2-5      Time: 30-60 minutes

The goal of this game is to build railways to connect cities. You get extra points by completing mission cards (which connect you from one specific city to another). You build your railways by spending the corresponding railway cards necessary to build your track. The game continues until one play is completely out of train cars. This game was a lot of fun! I absolutely loved it!

-Unlock! by Asmoode      

Rating: 4/5     Ages: 10+       Players: 2-5      Time: 45-60 minutes

This game was really neat! It is set up just like an Escape the Room puzzle! You have to solve riddles and clues to escape the room before your time runs out! This particular Escape the Room is all tucked away into a deck of cards. You start with the beginning card. From it you will find clues that will lead you to the next card. Unfortunately, the game is a one-time play. It would be great for library programming though. It is easy enough to set up, and while the puzzles might be challenging, they are very self-explanatory. I think kids and adults alike would really like this game.

Games I Played and Did Not enjoy:

These ratings are totally based on personal preference. I am in no way, shape, or form a professional gamer nor a gaming connoisseur. If you loved the games listed below, please don't hate me. With that being said:

-Fan Hunter: Urban Warfare by Devir

Rating: 2/5 stars         Ages: 14+     Players: 2        Time: Forever??

Starting with the game's positives, the back story was awesome: an evil dictator has outlawed fun and the Resistance is trying to steal it back! The artwork was great... I just don't think strategy games based on luck are my thing. The game was pretty complicated (for me--first time Miniature/ dice rolling game player) and relied A LOT on the luck of the dice. Turn taking wasn't consistent and was determined by drawing coins out of a bag. (This is probably what I liked least about the game.) One side could literally take all five moves before the second player could move. It also felt like it took FOREVER to play through one round (mostly because turns were inconsistent).

-Renaissance Man by Rio Grande Games

Rating: 3/5 stars      Ages: 13+        Players: 1-5     Time: 30 minutes

I think with this one, if we had stuck around to play it more, I probably would have liked it better. (This by the way, was the ONLY demo game I WON...) It felt very complicated to me to start off, but once I got the hang of it things went much smoother (obviously, you won, Larkynn...). The goal of this game was to build your pyramid. You do so by matching symbols across the top with symbols in the bottom two corners of the cards. Depending on what symbols you have exposed (not covered up by other cards) at the top of your cards, you have a certain amount of actions you can do. There is one action per level  of your pyramid that you have a card placed on. The trick becomes adding (hiring) when you do not have a hire symbol uncovered or have covered all of the upper symbols in any of you pyramid levels. If you don't save up barter coins in advance, you could end up missing out on any number of turns. (If anything, I found playing with strangers a bit intimidating and anxiety inducing. At home, with friends after I was more comfortable playing the game, it would probably get a 4/5 or higher.)

-NMBR9 by 999 Games

Rating: 3/5 stars            Ages: 8+                      Time: 20 minutes

This probably would have been a fun game if it hadn't given me a panic attack (I think it was mostly the idea of playing with strangers, knowing every move was being scrutinized. Oh, and the fact that I suck with spacial computation and have an irrational fear of looking like an idiot.) The goal is to build levels of numbers, one on top of the other. Pieces touching the table give you ZERO points. Every other layer multiplies the number by the level for your score. The tiles are number shaped. You have to overlap two different number tiles to stack them and they cannot have pieces of upper tiles that are not supported by a tile underneath. Each player is building their own number tower--this is a game that can be played either by yourself (my ideal version of the game, honestly) or with 2+ players. The more players you have, the less points each individual will score as the game is over when you run out of any number tile. The number tile placement is determined by drawing a card from the top of the deck. Among friends, this game would probably get a 4/5 or higher. This would also probably be a good library program game.


My Personal Spoils:

- Mino & Tauri (HAD TO HAVE IT!)

- Catan: Cities and Knights (Haven't played it yet, but we have the base game and finally learned through a few demos how to actually play it... looking forward to this one for sure!)

- AttrAction (This one we didn't play until we got home. There are 23 super magnets that you set on a flat surface and play marbles with. That's right, you take one magnet and shoot it into the other magnets, and whatever sticks together are the magnets you get to keep and use as a scoreboard. Whoever has the most magnets when the table clears is the winner! I am not so great at this, but it is a lot of fun. Also, it can be played by just two people! YAY!)

- High Noon Saloon (Haven't played this one yet. It was only $4 and the box says 2-4 players... Has anyone played this one yet?)

- RACK-O (An oldie, but a goodie ;) We won this one for free at one of the demo booths. Never turn down free games--especially if you like them!)

- Killer Bunnies (We've played this one with a few different groups of friends. This is a fairly simple deck building game. You can play it with just two people, but as with most games, the more the merrier, you know?)

- Holmes: Sherlock and Mycroft (Another 2 player game. This one was one of the more complicated ones. And it made me sad that it doesn't involve you actually solving a mystery, but it is quite fun. A bit like playing Go-Fish and 7 Wonders at the same time, but with only 2 people.)

- You Must Be an Idiot (Clearly a party game. We haven't tested this one yet... but we are looking forward to it!)

- Attack on Titan (This was a future hubby pick. He loves the anime and it plays a bit like King of Tokyo. Haven't actually played this one, but we watched a demo. Can't wait to play it!)

Wait! Larkynn, you're missing Codenames Duet! You said you loved it, but didn't BUY it?? --Uhh yeah. It was sold out, remember? ;) But the good news is that it will be in regular gaming stores by Friiiiiiiday! (Guess where I'll be!)

--Larkynn

P.S. All game information, such as Ages, Players, and Time were borrowed from boardgamegeeks.com and all of my images were borrowed from Google searches. Most of them are from places like Amazon or Boardgamegeeks--just so you're aware. All rating is totally my opinion though!

Book Reviews 2017 Part I

Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. I read for fun, I read to enlighten, and I read to escape. Reading helps me out as a librarian because it allows me to give honest reader's advisory. The more I've read, the easier it is to suggest books to different patrons! But reading also helps me as a writer. It inspires and teaches me.

So, what have I been reading lately? Let me show you!

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Powerful. Beautiful. Breathtaking.

Taylor was abandoned by her mother as a child at a Seven-Eleven along the Jellicoe Road. The Jellicoe School is the only home she can remember. While she is well looked after, she is left wanting more. More from the Cadet she tried to run away with three years ago, more from Hannah, a school mentor that has taken her under her wing, and more from the mother that abandoned her so many years ago. Who was her mother? Why did she run? And why does Taylor always dream of a beautiful boy sitting in a tree, asking her all of the questions she wishes Hannah or Jonah would ask?

This is a powerful story of how traditions and customs are built and blindly followed, unconditional love, and enduring faith. It's a story of finding yourself and never losing hope. It's about knowing that those we love are always looking out for us even after they die.

This book was suggested to me a while ago by a coworker for a homework assignment, and, I’m not going to lie. I was kind of put off by the first chapter. It starts off with a territory war between three different gangs. I felt like it just wasn’t going to be my type of book. But I felt like I had to stick with it because the coworker that suggested it is a really good friend of mine and I respect her a lot.

So I stuck it out, and I’m glad I did! Don’t be put off by all of the things you don’t know at first. Everything gets explained, and in the best ways possible. I love this book.

Warning: There are sex scenes. They aren’t explicit. There are very difficult topics including drug use, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and suicide. However, they are all handled in a very sensitive manner and they give such a resounding depth to the novel. 

And I Darken by Kiersten White

Haunting. Powerful. Raw.

Lada is the daughter of the Prince of Wallachia, a country, in a world where women are only good for child bearing and marrying for the good of their countries. But Lada is not beautiful, demure, and submissive. She is wickedly clever, brave, and savage. She is the exact opposite of her younger brother, Radu. Lada was raised by her nursemaid to challenge the patriarchy of her society and anyone who stands in her way. She is the very daughter of Wallachia herself and she will stop at nothing to claim her father’s throne. When her father abandons them to the Ottoman Empire’s Sultan as collateral for his treacherous acts, the last thing Lada expects is for her and her brother to fall in love the Sultan’s son, Mehmed. Nothing can hold her prisoner for long, nor keep her from her one true desire, returning Wallachia--not even her own heart.

This is another novel that was suggested to me by a friend (different than the one who suggested Jellicoe Road). It also took me a minute to really get into this novel as well—but again, I’m glad I stuck with it! The main character, Lada, is a total B.A. who shows little fear. As a natural coward, it was hard to relate to her at first. It also took me a while to get into the narration style. White writes in short, concise thoughts and observations. There’s little room for flowery world building-but I do promise that by the end of the novel, you will come to love Lada and cheer her on. You also have the same desire to return to Wallachia.

Warning: This novel deals with a lot of sensitive topics as well. Lada faces a lot of hardships as a woman in a male-dominated world, including rape. Her brother Radu also faces a lot of hardships for his sexual orientation, but I feel like the author does a good job of being sensitive about the subject matter.

I feel like I’m not doing this novel justice and my one paragraph summary barely scratches the surface of what happens in the book. If you like kingdom/medieval fantasy, strong, intelligent female leads, and novels that introspectively question the traditions and customs of their society—you’re going to love this book!



CatStronauts: Mission Moon by Drew Brockington

Hilarious. Inventive. Cats.

When the world is faced with an energy crisis, it's up to the World's Best Scientist and the CatStronauts to save the day! But how you say? By stopping the use of toasters and light bulbs? Only using electricity every other Tuesday? Only using batteries?? No! Of course not! The solution is to fly a rocket to the moon, setup a solar battery that will always be charged by the sun, and beam the energy back to earth using a mega microwave, of course! But the CatStronauts only have 56 days, 16 hours, 37 minutes, and 12 seconds to recharge Earth's energy levels... Will they complete their mission in time, or will all the creatures on Earth be forced to live without electricity forevermore?

You'll just have to read to find out!

This is a great read for anyone who loves adventure, outer space, cats or simply wants a good comic that will make them laugh like crazy.

Kilala Princess by Rika Tanaka

Fun. Quick. Sweet.

Kilala Princess is a Manga series about a girl who loves the Disney Princesses and dreams of one day becoming a princess herself. One day on her way home from school she stumbles upon a sleeping boy who won't wake up, so she kisses him, just like Prince Philip kisses Sleeping Beauty. As he awakens, a whole tale unfolds about how he's a Prince searching for the 7th Princess to save his country. It is rumored that the 7th Princess will be revealed when all 7 of the jewels on the Prince's tiara are returned. In order to get them, they have to visit 6 of the original Disney Princesses and rescue them!

It was a quick, fun read. Super cute! (I wish there was more to the series!)


Just out of curiosity, what are some of the things you've been reading lately?

Nature's Serenity

Nature’s Serenity: a short story

Larkynn de la Fuerza

Larkynn de la Fuerza

I stumbled upon the path, quite by accident, anger still flaring in my veins as my heavy footsteps went from pounding the pavement to crunching on the loose gravel beneath my feet. I probably should have stopped walking, but rationality was buried deep beneath my rage.

How dare he? The thought was all I could hear, the everyday sounds of my city life long forgotten in their own monotony and regularity.

It was the shift in light that finally drew me from the depths of my own dark thoughts and forced me to take in my surroundings. One look was all it took for the stress of the day to begin leeching away from my body. Golden-green sunlight filtered down from the heavy canopy that towered several feet above my head. To my left and right were tree trunks as big around as four or five of me put together. I felt instantly dwarfed, swaddled in the sudden silence of the forest. All of my problems were instantly minimized as well. There was simply no room for them in my mind next to the enormity of the greenery surrounding me.

The lack of honking cars, chattering people, roaring trucks and motorcycles, and construction roared in my ears louder than any of the city noises had ever been, making me pause. Did I step into another world unknowingly?

I turned quickly, looking back the way I had come, unable to believe that the city was still to my back. How could nature mute so much sound and activity? The concrete path I had been on only moments before ended some paces back, bathed in sunlight. The faint city noises I was so accustomed to, just barely reached my straining ears. If I hadn’t known any better, I would swear that the sound itself, the compilation of all the city noises merged into one voice that seemed to whisper, Go. Escape.

How could such a place exist in a metropolis as large as mine? Was I aware of the forest’s existence prior to my angry approach? Of course. It stood at the back of my place of work, dark, lush, and stagnant; a lost treasure hidden among a more civilized and industrialized world of constant motion. Had I known the forest was this peaceful and all encompassing? Not a chance. If nothing else, I had assumed that it was a tiny patch of trees isolated from a larger forest lurking somewhere on the outskirts of my immense city.

Heeding its whispers, I turned once more toward the mystical forest path. To my left there were worn wooden steps buried in the steep gravel path. Someone had already discovered this hidden haven of serenity and in the process of their discovery, they had marked a safe passage for future visits. Would they be offended by my trespassing?

Come, the forest seemed to hum in response to my hesitance. Lose yourself within me and find your inner peace, child.

Larkynn de la Fuerza

                                     Larkynn de la Fuerza

With one last look over my shoulder at the life I knew, the city I called home, I nodded and began walking once more. My pace slowed drastically as I continued forward, staring in amazement in every direction, as I walked further into the depths of the forest.

Maybe a little nature walk would be good for me.

On my right a stream gurgled by slowly far below me, beams of light sparkling in the swirling waves. Out of the corner of my eye, they almost looked like water sprites peeking shyly from the current at me, curious of the forest’s latest visitor.

Birds and squirrels called to me from their treetop perches, seemingly agreeing with my astonishment, welcoming me to their wondrous home. Their bright feathers of blue and red, dark pelts of brown and gray contrasted fantastically with

the dark, lush greenery surrounding us. They stood out beautifully and yet blended in perfectly. Only a slow, careful observer could pin point their exact locations.

My stress and worries began to drain away from me, flowing down the stream, back toward the city—the world from which I had come, but left so far behind. Even my darkest thoughts began to rush away from me, moving with a roaring sound of their own, very similar to the sound of cascading water and the swooshing of rustling leaves.

The further I walked, the louder the rushing, tumbling water sounds became, drowning out any other negative emotions and thoughts lingering in the depths of my mind. Everywhere I looked, there was so much life and beauty. It was hard to be anything but calm and silently amazed. The further I walked, the more I was convinced that I had entered a new and stunning world so different from my own.

Larkynn de la Fuerza

My heart swelled with one final thought, I never want to leave, before the waterfall itself came into view. It was small, but mesmerizing. Tiered river rocks created a layered ledge of miniature falls several feet below me. They held my riveted attention, the water running over the rocks, glistening in the sun seemed to have absolutely no concerns or responsibilities. I wanted nothing more than to remove my shoes and wade into the moving, relaxing stream below.

But first, I had to reach them. The path to my right was lined with a wooden fence, preventing me from attempting to climb down the cliff where I stood. It was a reasonable precaution. The water was so alluring, it diminished even my fear of heights.

Looking a head, the path continued, lined by the wooden rails. Sighing, I followed it without question, noticing where all those that had been far less patient than I had forged trails of their own down the steep embankment. There were several foot holds available in the jutting river rocks along the slope, but I stuck to the safer trail behind the man-made fence.

Safer to stick to the path, the birds seemed to tweet and I agreed with them readily. There was no harm in following the slowly sloping path to its end. Each step brought me closer to being level with the falls themselves. Surely it would lead me to the river.

At some point, my curiosity got the better of me though as I found a worn foot trail not blocked by the man-made barricade. I walked slowly, clutching at the rough bark of the towering giants as I passed beneath them. I still managed to slip, catching myself from sliding over the edge by crouching low, and reaching backward.

I came eye to eye with a lazy garter snake sun bathing on an exposed tree root. Careful, he crooned to me in a quiet hiss. Tread lightly.

I nodded to him and righted myself slowly. I continued down the path and stood toe to toe with the rushing, gurgling stream. The falls roared in my ears, calling to me. Join us!

                                     Larkynn de la Fuerza

Ignoring the sign that read, “No swimming or jumping off of the falls”, I striped off my socks and shoes, giddy with the thought of dipping my naked toes into the swirling, cascading water. As almost an after thought, I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and stashed it in my shoes with my socks before taking my first tentative step into the stream.

The water was cold upon my skin, but instead of dissuading me from continuing, it called me forward. I walked until I was ankle deep in the rushing water. A slight tug pulled me toward the edge, but it was playful and nonthreatening. I slowly paced from one bank to the other, staring down at my feet with every step. The river sprites danced among my footsteps, guiding me safely across to either side.

How had I never known that a place such as this existed?

How did it have the power to wash away all of my worries and concerns?

Seek us out when your heart is worn and wearied by the soot of your civilization, the falls chanted.

Somewhere, a jarring electronic alarm started blaring, its screams startling the birds into a frenzied flight above my head. It shattered the forest’s enchantment over my me, the water sprites dove back into the depths of the river and reality settled around my shoulders once more. My lunch break was almost over.

Despite my disappointment with having to leave my newfound haven, the thought of returning to the city could not shake my new found inner peace.

Salvation can be found even in the heart of corruption and pollution, the forest reminded me gently, as I put my shoes back on and climbed hand over hand back toward the path.

Never. Forget. The falls chanted with every heavy foot fall as I jogged back toward the city. Visit. Often.

                                     Larkynn de la Fuerza

At the mouth of the path where the loose gravel met pavement, I turned around once more, slightly out of breath and looked back at the cool, tree-darkened world I was leaving behind. I would never forget the inner peace it granted me, a troubled soul seeking salvation. I would be back, and maybe, just maybe, I would bring him with me next time.