Category: Gamer

/ˈɡāmər/ noun. a person who plays video games or participates in role-playing games. “every gamer has suffered from small-screen videos”

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons is fun. I’m not a big fan of the Rick and Morty show, but even I found plenty to love in this graphic novel.

In this book, Rick, Morty, and their family explore different dimensions that represent various editions of the fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons. If you have some experience playing the game, you’ll find lots of inside jokes to enjoy.

I personally have minimal game play time with Dungeons and Dragons, but again, it was still fun.

My favorite story from this collection was the last in the book, which dealt with a character named Mr. Meeseeks. He’s from the Rick and Morty show so those who have seen the episodes with him can probably guess what happens.

It still made a great impression on me.

There’s some vulgarity and language in this book, which might make it appropriate for teens and up. That’s for you all to decide.

Thanks for reading!

DPS Only! by Xiao Tong Kong

DPS Only! by Xiao Tong Kong

Vicky lives with her brother, Vergil, who is a renowned e-sports player of the game “Xenith Orion.” Though Vicky loves to play video games too, she is too shy and self deprecating to tell him.

When an opportunity arises for Vicky to join an e-sports team of her own, she takes it, and uses a mask to conceal her identity. But she knows, it is only a matter of time until her secret comes out.

What will she do then?

I very much enjoyed this coming-of-age graphic novel. Readers get to see Vicky really coming into her own in the video game scene, while handling her personal relationships, particularly the one with her brother.

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This story touched on the potential sexism of e-sports. So few young women play, and when they do, they can draw all sorts of negative or toxic attention. Vicky avoids some of this with her costume, but other parts of it she can’t escape- like when one of the members of her brother’s team presses her for her phone number, though she doesn’t want to give it.

Or the negative comments arising from spectators to the tournament which are specifically directed to a female member of another team who isn’t hiding her gender behind a mask.

I experienced this type of thing first-hand in some of my gaming days. I was big into EverQuest in the early 2000’s. Luckily for me, that was before head-set communication during gaming was a thing, so, even though I played female avatars, most of the people I gamed with just assumed I was a guy.

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It was easy for me to hide. I never felt like I had to, like Vicky, but looking back on it all now, it saved me from negative attention for years.

News articles about e-sports have reported women comprise about half of casual gamers but only a handful of professional gamers. Here’s hoping more young women find the courage to follow their dreams!

The video game portions of this book were the most difficult to follow. It cut quickly from one character to the next with little explanation of what is going on except the kill.

Other than that, I thought this book was well done.

Highly recommended for reluctant readers, fans of video games, and readers who enjoy graphic novels.

Thanks for reading!

Magic Vol. 1 by Jed Mackay, Ig Guara (Illustrations)

Magic Vol. 1 by Jed Mackay, Ig Guara (Illustrations)

Magic Vol. 1 is a beautiful beginning to a fantasy series based on the card game, “Magic the Gathering.”

The story is quite busy for a first volume, bringing together a number of characters and introducing a fairly complex system of magic.

At least, it seemed like a lot to me as I’ve never played Magic the Gathering and have no idea how it goes. To those who are familiar with the game, this might be less of an issue.

The artwork is gorgeous. I love when talented artists team up with great writers to produce graphic novels. I believe that is the case with this book.

I’m interested to see where this goes. Recommended for fantasy readers ages 14 plus because of some violence.

Thanks for reading!

Big Book of Family Games: 101 Original Family Group Games that Don’t Need Charging by Brad Berger

Big Book of Family Games: 101 Original Family Group Games that Don’t Need Charging by Brad Berger

The title, Big Book of Family Games: 101 Original Family Group Games that Don’t Need Charging, pretty much says it all.

The games are divided into different categories: predictions, discovery, creativity, performance, deception, strategy, speed, memory, puzzle solving, and athletic. So, you can pick the game that the group is feeling like playing or is appropriate for your work, classroom, etc.

Others have gone on about the disconnected scourge of modern living, especially since the advent of this pesky virus. These games build bridges and help players get to know each other and themselves, if he or she is really honest about it.

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“What you have in your possession is a book of games that accomplishes three of my main goals when bringing people together: disconnection from technology… convenience… adaptability.” pg 6, ebook.

I’d like to add – this book of games only works if others are really into it. Otherwise, you just ask the question, which is most of these games, and get met with a blank stare.

I think one of the next challenges facing society after the pandemic will be reestablishing social conventions. Or perhaps we will all be forever changed. Here’s hoping it’s for the better.

Thanks for reading!

The Creator’s Code: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs

The Creator’s Code: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs

For The Creator’s Code, Amy Wilkinson interviewed over 200 wildly successful entrepreneurs and narrowed down the skills that they used to create their businesses to an “essential” six.

These essentials are the keys to the “creator’s code,” she writes.

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My favorite chapter from The Creator’s Code is Chapter 5: Network Minds- Solve Problems Collectively. We’ve recently instituted some collaborative projects where I work and I’m excited to see this creative skill in action.

Also, I enjoyed the portion of the book where Wilkerson explored businesses trying to integrate computer games into the work day in order to encourage co-workers to help each other as well as to instill a sense of play into the creation process.

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I wish that my library management system could be tweaked to do something like that. Imagine how fun that would be! Playing computer games in order to boost productivity.

In some ways, this book reminded me of Napoleon Hill‘s Think and Grow Rich. He also interviewed hundreds of wealthy people to understand their mind set. However, unlike the New Age, positive thinking slant of Hill’s work, Wilkinson relies on scientific studies as well as real world results.

Of the two approaches, I personally favor Napoleon Hill’s, but readers of a more scientific mind-set might enjoy this book more.

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While we’re on the subject of read-alikes, I also read [book:How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery|20342540] by Kevin Ashton and it shared some of the stories from The Creator’s Code.

It felt slightly repetitive because of this. Otherwise, I may have given The Creator’s Code five stars instead of four. It felt like I was covering the same material. Despite this bookish deja vu, The Creator’s Code is very well researched.

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So, if you’ve already read the other book, don’t be hesitant to pick this one up too. It was just not ground-breaking reading for me- my reviewer’s bias, I suppose.

There are some differences between the two works: How to Fly a Horse focuses on the history of the creative process and uses that knowledge to encourage the average Joe to be creative today.

The Creator’s Code has distilled the essential nature of creation and lists guidelines that can be used for success in business, art, science, whatever.

Though both encourage creation, Wilkinson gives actionable steps to take at the individual level whereas Ashton focuses more on the big picture.

If you enjoyed The Creator’s Code, I highly recommend How to Fly a Horse by Kevin Ashton and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Both of these works share the themes of success in business through creativity exploration.

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check! And thank you for reading!

Blood of Elves (The Witcher, #1) by Andrzej Sapkowski

Blood of Elves (The Witcher, #1) by Andrzej Sapkowski

In a fantasy realm where the races of humankind, elves, dwarves, and gnomes have ceased to co-exist peacefully, there lives a princess whose inner power, if left uncontrolled, could destroy the world. Geralt of Rivia, also known as the Witcher, and his friends, are tasked with not only protecting this girl but also instructing her so that her abilities don’t destroy her mind from the inside-out.

“Ciri had heard such reassurances in the past. … Now she believed it. Because it was Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf, the Witcher, who said it. The man who was her destiny.” pg 11, ebook

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But there are forces in this world who are seeking Ciri for other reasons. She has the potential to be a force for the greater good or a weapon of chaos.

“Difficult times are approaching,” she said quietly. “Difficult and dangerous. A time of change is coming. It would be a shame to grow old with the uncomfortable conviction that one had done nothing to ensure that these changes are for the better.” pg 23, ebook

I picked up Blood of Elves because I recently watched most of the Netflix show based on the video games and also these books. I thought Blood of Elves was the first in the series, but apparently I missed a short story collection prior to this book.

That didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this tale, but I do enjoy having context. Andrzej Sapkowski does a good job of dropping bread crumbs about who Witchers are, who Ciri is, and the complex interactions of the different powers in the world, so newcomers to the book-version of the story, like me, can keep up and it doesn’t feel like an information dump.

“You are not learning in order to kill and be killed. You are not learning to kill out of fear and hatred, but in order to save lives. Your own and those of others.” pg 59, ebook

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A small complaint though, and I had this same comment about the Netflix show, is that the storyline bounces around quite a lot. If you’re not paying attention, or reading carefully, you’re in danger of losing the thread because this isn’t a simple world nor is it populated by one dimensional characters.

Sapkowski shines in the dialogue between these characters, especially during the action sequences. It is easy to see why a video game was created using this material.

“Remember,” she repeated. “magic is Chaos, Art and Science. It is a curse, a blessing and progress. It all depends on who uses magic, how they use it, and to what purpose.” pg 147, ebook

Highly recommended for fans of the genre, the games or show. Blood of Elves delivers.

Thanks for reading!

Aching God (Iconoclasts, #1) by Mike Shel

Aching God (Iconoclasts, #1) by Mike Shel

In the fantasy world of Aching God, a mysterious plague has emerged at the headquarters of the Syraeic League, an adventuring guild that explores the ruins of an ancient civilization. Their century-old quest is to retrieve relics from the ruins and to discover more information about its culture and gods.

Auric Manteo used to go on these quests for the League until a disastrous final foray led to an abrupt retirement and years of nightmares. But things have been looking up for the aging adventurer, until he receives a letter from the League requesting his help in banishing the plague.

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“Three years of untroubled sleep, disturbed by this nightmare the very morning a summons to Boudun and the Citadel arrived? Was it a hateful premonition?” pg 28, ebook

Can Auric face the demons from his past in order to save the afflicted from the ravages of the Aching God?

“His mind flashed to images from his tenacious nightmare: the corpses, the pit, Lenda’s raggedly severed head gaping at him in accusation. He rested a shaking hand on the pommel of his sword to steady it.” pg 73, ebook

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Despite its promise, I think Aching God would be a better dungeon module than it is a story. Mike Shel begins to flesh out his characters, but they never get far beyond the basics of birthplace and motivation. I didn’t feel drawn to any of the characters because of this superficial depiction.

His magic system with its secretive sorcerers who embed gems in their foreheads in order to bind themselves to their magical powers and comrades was also interesting. But, again, Shel leaves a majority of the storytelling to the reader’s imagination rather than actually writing it.

The adventure itself is linear with few unexpected twists and turns. Even the reveal of the great mystery of the Aching God leaves something to be desired.

Only recommended for readers who adore the fantasy adventure genre. Otherwise I would give this a pass.

Thanks for reading!

Medieval Costume and How to Recreate It by Dorothy Hartley

Medieval Costume and How to Recreate It by Dorothy Hartley

“All too late it is beginning to be realized, slowly indeed but no less surely, that the historic evolution of dress and personal ornament offers a wide field for methodical study; that it is in fact a science and can be made to subserve worthier ends than those of mere amusement.” pg 11, ebook

Medieval Costume and How to Recreate It by Dorothy Hartley is more of a history book than practical manual for dressing as a historical figure, unless the reader happens to have a very highly developed tailoring ability.

From the book.

At least, more than I currently have.

That being said, the divisions of different types of historical costumes into profession is inspired. As author Dorothy Hartley explains, at the beginning of the book, professions had a huge affect on how medieval persons looked. Think doctor compared to butcher compared to musician or priest.

“After the careful restrictions of religion and royalty, musicians are refreshingly loose, and may wear anything. Since there is no definite costume for musicians we have concentrated on robes and sleeves that give free play to the arms.” pg 74, ebook

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In addition to the visible clothing, this book delves into the garments worn under historical clothing, which was a topic I hadn’t considered before. But, as Hartley writes, dressing as a historical figure gives the roleplayer the opportunity to both entertain and educate through the details of the costume.

For example, the thickness and type of the fabrics that go into hose have an obvious function as well as a proper place on timeline of historical costumes.

“To the casual enquirer it will no doubt seem a curious anomaly: it is none the less a fact that in the majority of costume-books no portions of man’s apparel are slurred over in so haphazard a fashion as those under the above heading.” (hose and breeches) pg 80

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This book is a learning experience but, as I mentioned, also a practical one if you already know how to construct a shirt or are curious about how to make a cloak hang correctly.

Highly recommended for roleplayers or historians.

Thanks for reading!

Die #2: Split the Party by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans (Artist)

Die #2: Split the Party by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans (Artist)

Now that the main characters from Die, Vol. 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker are back in the fantasy gaming world of Die, they are struggling to make their way back to the real world.

Part of that struggle involves delving into the past and decisions made by their teenage selves. There are lost loves, old enemies and even a few descendants to contend with- not to mention old hurts that they’ve carried for years between members of their own party.

Which is a particular problem for our intrepid heroes. They all have to agree that they want to leave “Die” in order to do just that. And they don’t all want to leave anymore.

Like most sequels, at least in my experience, the follow up to the first issue wasn’t as strong. Now that readers are in the character development section of the story, action moves a little slower and it reads less like a fantasy adventure and more like a drama.

I think the character with the most potential for growth is Ash, the Dictator, who is a man in the real world, but a woman in the world of Die, and controls people’s emotions with her voice. But all of the movers and shakers in this drama have some growing to do.

Ash from “Die #2”

There’s Ash’s sister Angela who plays a cyberpunk named Neo. In order to power her electronics, she uses ‘fair gold’, something which readers get to learn a little more backstory about in this issue.

My favorite character is Matt, the Grief Knight, whose power is fueled by his depression and despair. Of everyone in this story, I’m rooting for him to get home the most because of the unshakable love and devotion he has for his family.

He’s also, I think, the most relatable of the group. Who among us hasn’t felt the sting of the pain and sadness that life occasionally dishes up and wishes for a way to harness that power for the greater good?

Matt, The Grief Knight

In this issue, readers get to learn about the origins of Matt’s magical sword, the outer representation of that inner voice that whispers to him about his failings and secret anxieties.

We also brush on the mysteries of Sol’s resurrection, Chuck’s astounding conflict avoidance and the awesome extent, as well as limitations, of Isabelle’s godbinding powers.

Neo the Cyberpunk from “Die #2”

I’m interested to see where the story goes next. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy fantasy and horror-tinged graphic novels.

Thanks for reading!