Talisman 5th Edition Review

Talisman 5th Edition Review

Talisman is one of the great love-it-or-hate-it board games. It’s a roll-and-move adventure where you pick a hero, wander a dangerous realm, and race to the Crown of Command in the center of the board, with a dice roll or a bad card ready to ruin your day at any moment. Avalon Hill’s 5th Edition is the first major refresh in years, and it makes a strong first impression. After playing it against the 4th Edition, though, I still reach for 4th Edition when I want a proper Talisman experience.

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Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall Review

Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall Review

Wizards of the Coast has been light on full-length campaigns for the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons, so Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall arrives with a lot of attention on it. It’s a high-level espionage adventure set in Thay, and it has real strengths. It also left me lukewarm. I would happily sit down and play it, but if you’re choosing a campaign for your table, I wouldn’t make this the go-to when there are stronger options out there.

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Ravenloft: The Horrors Within Review

Ravenloft: The Horrors Within Review

When a new Ravenloft book arrives for Dungeons & Dragons, there’s one question every player and DM asks first: is this the next Curse of Strahd? It’s an understandable reaction. Curse of Strahd is one of the most beloved adventures D&D has ever produced, and it casts a very long shadow over everything released since. So let me answer right away: no, Ravenloft: The Horrors Within is not another Curse of Strahd. It’s a different kind of book, and understanding that difference is the key to deciding whether it belongs on your shelf.

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The Odyssey In IMAX Review

The Odyssey In IMAX Review

I have had my fair share of seeing movies in IMAX over the the last few years. Films that come to mind are Dune and Dune Part 2. But more recently what I can only call is a breakthrough in the technology of IMAX camera’s has made it possible for Christopher Nolan to shoot the first film shot 100% in IMAX. Let’s dive into the stunning film of the Odyssey.

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King Killer Chronicles The Name of the Wind Review

King Killer Chronicles The Name of the Wind Review

The King Killer Chronicles is a series written by Patrick Rothfuss that started back in 2007 almost 20 years ago with the Name of the Wind. Since that time, there has been the release of 2 novellas the sequel to The Name of the Wind titled The Wise Mans Fear.

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The Expanse Cibola Burn Review

The Expanse Cibola Burn Review

Cibola Burn is that fourth installment to The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey and happens to be on of my favorite books in the series. This book sends us into the gates into new worlds with weird new life forms and new challenges. Let’s dig into Cibola Burn to see if this installment holds it’s weight to the rest of the series.

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The Expanse Abaddon's Gate Review

Abaddon's Gate Review header

Abaddon’s Gate Review

Abaddon’s Gate is the third installment and the closing of the first arc to the expanse series written by James S.A. Corey. Released June 2013, this book sets the direction for where the rest of the series will go and is a critical read to understand what will all be coming next for the series.

After the events of Caliban’s War, some mysterious ring shot out towards the edge of the solar system. This started being heavily patrolled and monitored to see what was going on. A person with a fast spaceship broke through this security and zipped through before disappearing through the ring.

This book is mainly covering the discoveries of this mysterious ring, and what that means for all the established civilizations in the solar system.

The New Characters

There are several new characters in this book that are introduced to pretty early on in the chapters. As like the other two books, each chapter covers one character and their point of view.

Rocinante

The first of these new Characters names is Clarissa Mao. If the name is familiar, it should be. Clarissa is related to Julia Mao and her father who was sent to prison after the events of Caliban’s War. Clarissa has special implants in her body that help her act super human with speed and strength. The downside is that this poisons her body every time they are used. She seeks revenge on the crew of the Rocinante for causing her dad to be sent to prison.

Another new character that we follow in this book is Bull. an OPA security chief, with all the chaos around the security of the ring and what happens through the story, Bull takes charge and leads the OPA.

Because of the ring appearing, diplomates where sent out as well including religious heads like the last new character introduced Pastor Anna Volovodov. She along with other priests and diplomates venture out to the ring and find themselves in the sticky political and violent clashes that ensue.

How does this book compare to Caliban’s War and Leviathan Wakes so far in the series? My opinion might not match most peoples opinions, but being the third book in the series, I liked it more than Caliban’s War but not as much as Leviathan Wakes. That being said, the series has been consistently great.

If you have enjoyed the first two books, you will enjoy this one quite a bit as well and it’s worth the read. It’s also at this point that you that if you like this book as well, you are probably going to stick with it for the long haul. I think that it’s totally worth it.

Abaddon’s Gate is the first book in the series that really gives the reader a view of the expanding world built by James S. A. Corey. The stakes become higher, the hard to explain phenomenon’s become normal, and the characters are so easy to buy into and want to do the “one more chapter” cause you cannot help but need to know what happens next.

If you want to get this book, you can purchase on paperback from Amazon using the link here, you can also buy the Kindle version here. If you click on the special edition cover image above, it will send you to get the special edition version as well.

If you like what you have read hear and want to see more Expanse content, consider checking out the reading order guide here; or check out our other reviews from other books in the series.

We will see you all around for the next entry into the series Cibola Burn.