Month: May 2019

The First Tree Review

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More video game reviews and analyses can be found here.

Title: The First Tree
Genre: Adventure/Exploration, Walking Simulator, Drama
Developer: David Wehle
Release Date: September 14, 2017

The First Tree cover

System: Nintendo Switch

The First Tree is a gorgeous, atmospheric game where you play as a fox hunting for her lost cubs through various seasonal landscapes.  In truth the fox and her search are the dream of the narrator as he attempts to work through childhood trauma culminating in one final blow.  As you, the player, control the vixen, the unseen storyteller talks to someone we assume is his wife about his father and childhood in the Alaskan wilderness, which the fox now explores.

Screenshot from The First Tree

Draped over the exquisite environment, the story intertwines with the vixen’s search in the dream.  Man-made artifacts and castoffs are strewn about, many of which the narrator will comment on if they hold some significance such as his sketchbook.  Others might be mentioned and discovered later like a lumberyard or abandoned police car, the latter which recalls a particularly offensive escapade.

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The State of the Watcher: 5/25/19

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The State of the Watcher: 6/8/19–>
A biweekly post updated every other Saturday detailing my continual struggle to complete my extensive movie, show, and anime list.

Movies: 2

John Wick

John Wick coverI’d been seeing a revival of memes about this in comparison to Game of Thrones and another Jo(h)n’s horrendous treatment of his dog (poor Ghost, though he did finally get his pets in the end).  I initially had no idea the catalyst for the titular character’s killing spree was the murder of his dog, but it was so much deeper than that when I watched it.  First, it was a puppy, a PUPPY.

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The State of the Reader: 5/22/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 5/8/19         The State of the Reader: 6/5/19–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Books Obtained: 3

Books DNF: 1

Title: The Color of Magic
Series Title: Discworld, Rincewind
Author: Terry Pratchett
Date Added: February 21, 2012
Date Started: May 7, 2019
Date DNF: May 14, 2019

The Color of Magic coverMedia: Paperback – Library

I wasn’t feeling it so I shelved it.  I’ve liked other Discworld novels, so there’s nothing inherently wrong with it; it’s just not catching me.  It may be I’m just not in the mood, and I might be inclined later, but I have to pass for now.

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The State of the Gamer: 5/21/19

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<–The State of the Gamer: 5/7/19           The State of the Gamer: 6/4/19–>

A weekly post updated every other Tuesday detailing my current gaming projects.  I have an account at Grouvee, which is a site you can use to keep track of your backlog, so please feel free to friend me there!

What I Obtained

  • The Apotheosis Project  – $1.59 @ Steam
  • Child of Light – $7.99 @ Nintendo eShop
  • Odium to the Core – $0.49 @ Nintendo eShop

What I’m Playing

Title: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Series Title: Ace Attorney
System: Nintendo Switch

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney coverDate Started: 5/6/19

*uncontrollable fangirl screaming* omfg I am obsessed with this game.  I’ve fallen into a new fandom y’all.  I am so Team Edgeworth it’s not even funny, and yes I ship him and Phoenix because the sort of Foe Yay sexual tension is AMAZING.  That freaking nerd became a defense attorney in order to run into Edgeworth again.  And of course OF COURSE you know I’m crushing hard over my extra, broody, forlorn, impeccably dressed, grey/silver haired hot prosecutor because OF COURSE I AM.

Image of Miles Edgeworth

*he so pretty*

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The State of the Writer: 5/19/19

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<–The State of the Writer: 5/5/18         The State of the Writer: 6/2/19–>

A post updated every other Sunday discussing my current writing projects and any completed the prior two weeks.

Finished Projects: 1

Project: Story
Title: The Broken Rose
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Fanfiction (FFVII) Novel
Current Word Count: 253,740
Prior Word Count: 254,083
Word Difference: -343
Status: Editing
Progress: Second edit of Chapter 16

Finished the first edit and sorted a few notes.  I’m becoming more fond of the idea of editing and posting the next three chapters together since there are a lot of cross over notes between.

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Soulless by Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate #1)

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Title: Soulless
Series Title: Parasol Protectorate
Author: Gail Carriger
Date Added: October 26, 2016
Date Started: April 26, 2018
Date Finished: June 1, 2018
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural/Paranormal, Paranormal Romance

Soulless by Gail Carriger coverPages: 357
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: October 1, 2009
Media: Paperback (Library)

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. 

First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire–and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London’s high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Note: I borrowed this from the library with the thought it was a graphic novel/manga.  While there is a manga (which I also want to read after I finish the series), I didn’t realize it was based on the book, and that is what I wound up getting.

Nothing makes me happier than when a novel I’m dicey on becomes an utter delight.  I considered DNFing this because of the, how should I say it, Victorian bigotry that’s presented more as Alexia’s navigation through it rather than her own personal fixation.  She has to be concerned with her spinster status, huge nose, and darker skin (courtesy of her Italian father) because everyone, including and especially her mother and half-sisters, judge her for it.

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The State of the Reader: 5/8/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 4/24/19         The State of the Reader: 5/22/19–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Books Obtained: 2

Books Finished: 2

Title: Coal
Series Title: Everleaf
Author: Constance Burris
Date Added: April 23, 2017
Date Started: April 10, 2019
Date Finished: April 30, 2019

Coal coverMedia: eBook/Kindle

By the end, I couldn’t stand Chalcedony.  She’s immature and needs to understand actions have consequences.  She’s supposed to be a ruler, and while I understand perceptions of power are vital, she just keeps making mistakes in order to maintain her image, which causes her to look worse.  Coal, the “weak” human, is much better at making decisions than her.  He’s not afraid to do what needs to be done even at the risk of his own life.  Even though the next book has the princess’s name, it seems to start with Coal (unfairly facing consequences for Chalcedony’s actions), so I’m interested in continuing.

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The State of the Gamer: 5/7/19

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<–The State of the Gamer: 4/23/19           The State of the Gamer: 5/21/19–>

A weekly post updated every other Tuesday detailing my current gaming projects.  I have an account at Grouvee, which is a site you can use to keep track of your backlog, so please feel free to friend me there!

What I Obtained

  • Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy – $29.99 @ Nintendo eShop

What I’m Playing

Title: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Series Title: Ace Attorney
System: Nintendo Switch

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney coverDate Started: 5/6/19

I’ve only played the prologue so far, but I love it.  The humor in it is going to be fantastic.

“When something smells it’s usually the Butz.”

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The State of the Writer: 5/5/19

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<–The State of the Writer: 4/21/18         The State of the Writer: 5/19/19–>

A post updated every other Sunday discussing my current writing projects and any completed the prior two weeks.

Finished Projects: 2

Project: Story
Title: The Broken Rose
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Fanfiction (FFVII) Novel
Current Word Count: 254,083
Prior Word Count: 254,376
Word Difference: -293
Status: Editing
Progress: First edit of Chapter 16

It’s slow going but it’s going.  I’ve been doing small editing sessions of a paragraph or two when I can snatch a few moments.  This chapter has presented some difficulties, possibly because it and the following two kind of flowed together, so I might do a three chapter update next time.  My notes are all mixed up between them, so that might be the best way to ensure everything is in its right place.  I’ll consider that more as I continue editing though.

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The Shadow Soul by Kaitlyn Davis (A Dance of Dragons #1) (DNF)

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Title: The Shadow Soul
Series Title: A Dance of Dragons
Author: Kaitlyn Davis
Date Added: June 15, 2016
Date Started: May 14, 2018
Date DNF: May 15, 2018
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult (YA), Paranormal

The Shadow Soul coverPages: 292
Publication Date: January 22, 2014
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Media: eBook/Kindle

When Jinji’s home is destroyed, she is left with nowhere to run and no one to run to–until she meets Rhen, a prince chasing rumors that foreign enemies have landed on his shores. Masquerading as a boy, Jinji joins Rhen with vengeance in her heart. But traveling together doesn’t mean trusting one another, and both are keeping a deep secret–magic. Jinji can weave the elements to create master illusions and Rhen can pull burning flames into his flesh.

But while they struggle to hide the truth, a shadow lurks in the night. An ancient evil has reawakened, and unbeknownst to them, these two unlikely companions hold the key to its defeat. Because their meeting was not coincidence–it was fate. And their story has played out before, in a long forgotten time, an age of myth that is about to be reborn…

This is one of those books that initially seems like I’d tear through with alacrity based on the blurb, but I was extremely meh about the opening.  It’s your typical destroyed people/vengeance fare, but I didn’t garner much deep emotion from it because I didn’t invest much in the characters due to that cataclysm being present in the blurb.  Even so I liked what the author was setting up with Jinji’s story arc, an indigenous young woman whose home and culture is destroyed.  I was here for that revenge story, but then…the male character is introduced.

Rhen is unlikable for a variety of reasons.  He’s arrogant as fuck with an unearned know-it-all attitude.  Davis tells us how smart he is through his own ruminations, which may be her way of disputing it, but it just comes off as pompous.  I could forgive this slight, but I was pretty much done when he revealed he might be an unabashed rapist per the very act that introduces him.

He did however feel slightly uneasy.  It really wasn’t the girl’s fault that he had slipped into her room just before dawn.

I won’t say it’s blatant, but it gave me an icky feeling.  Pairing that with a lukewarm beginning sealed the deal.  If Rhen had been interesting or reputable, I might have continued, but I had no interest in seeing a fairly decent character like Jinji paired with what can’t even be considered a mediocre man.  Maybe he matures; maybe she “fixes” him (ugh), but she deserves better.