Review: Four Against Darkness

 

A little while ago I bought Four Against Darkness, which is a solo (solitaire) RPG book, a bit like Dungeons & Dragons in a much lighter way. Although for a single player, there are four members of the party made of various classes chosen by said player (elf, dwarf, halfling, wizard, warrior, etc). NB this can also be played as a light RPG with a party of players.

To play you need the book itself, a pair of d6 (six-sided dice), and some graph paper.

The game procedurally generates dungeons by rolling dice, with the contents of rooms generated the same way. These contents can be foes (large or small), unusual features, or traps. The dungeon is ‘won’ by defeating the final boss (which can appear in any room or corridor) and getting out alive (retracing steps can mean encountering wandering monsters).

Necessarily, characters and combat are way more basic than tabletop RPGs. Most of this is down to dice rolling, although player choice is present in some important ways, such as choosing when your wizard or elf casts spells (which are powerful but you only get a few for a level 1 wizard and one for a level 1 elf). Likewise, you can choose to search an empty room (which can lead to finding useful stuff or being attacked). When to use healing powers/potions/bandages can also be important.

Players can also choose to not immediately attack foes, who may flee or ask for a bribe.

It’ll be slower than this the first time and the number of bosses can vary (the fewest I encountered was one, the most was five), but a game might last around 45 minutes from start to finish. Overall, I like this book and the system a lot. Once you get to grips with the rules things flow pretty smoothly and quirks add a little to the characters/party (my rogue, Rapsnax, has rolled a 1 on every single trap he’s ever tried to disarm, failing every time).

There are a lot of supplementary books, offering specific adventures/dungeons, new classes, and expanding the levels for characters. But I would strongly advocate just buying the first book (around £10) and seeing if it’s to your liking before considering buying some of the many extra books.

Incidentally, RPG book fans should be aware that Lone Wolf is getting a full re-release, with the first few out already. If you’ve got a gap in your collection now (or very soon) is a good time to fill it.

Thaddeus

Technical Woe

 

Here’s a little story of what happened, starting 1 November 2022.

Just after signing in that morning, my computer decided a blue screen of death was appropriate. The restart indicated it could take an hour to mend itself. With utmost calm I went to play videogames for an hour or two and then return to see how things were going.

The desktop had then chosen to become a brick. It wasn’t doing anything, it wasn’t reloading, it didn’t appear active at all. However, I’d been idly musing buying a new computer, so I thought I’d do that and when it was sorted see about fixing old computer to retrieve a handful of useful files, and then either sell, give away, or recycle it.

The normal computer people I use for my desktops didn’t reply. Maybe the e-mail has changed. No worries. I bought my laptop, which has been essential to keep working, from Dell directly. So I browse around for a new desktop there and select/order one. In addition to a regular discount I also had a code for more than £100 extra off. Not bad.

It came just before 5pm on the indicated day. Bit late, but not so bad. I then discovered I’d made a mistake. There was no VGA port just HDMI. Well, not to worry. I unhooked my old (but perfectly functional) monitor and dragged in my almost-as-old bedroom TV, just to ensure the machine worked ahead of a freshly ordered monitor arriving.

Going through the setup process, all seems well... and then it doesn’t progress. The next item won’t load. I can go back one space but cannot advance any further.

I try the recommended steps from the Dell virtual assistant. Nothing works. So live chat starts, and a perfectly nice fellow called Allan has suggestions. I can’t try the one time boot menu because for some reason the old TV (while fine for most of the process) initially has the Dell logo squashed and this means the one time boot menu is the same way and the text is unreadable.

Ok, bad luck but the monitor’s coming in a day or two. I’ve got the file I need loaded to a USB I know works, so I’ll wait.

Monitor comes. I check it works, and it does, and then hook it up to the new desktop. I get into the one time boot menu without difficulty, and there’s no USB option. I try again with different ports, and nothing shows.

I’m pretty frustrated at this point. It’s been two working weeks since the initial computer failure, and around four days since the non-functional computer came. So I ask for a replacement.

And then the thing occurs which annoys me quite a lot. I think if I were a younger man I may have been enraged.

There’s a 48 hour period for approval. After which a replacement may take 4-6 weeks to arrive.

Everything else was misfortune. A month to a month and a half wait for a replacement computer when the paid-for desktop took a couple of days to arrived is a choice. And a pretty shitty choice given what I paid for does not work.

Part of me is wondering about just asking for a refund and ordering afresh, but I did get a fairly hefty discount overall.

I am not delighted with the situation.

Extra bit, added 15 November: 

My request for a replacement for the newly delivered and unuseable machine was rejected. I have arranged, at least, for a pickup return and a refund. We shall see what new torment awaits with this.

I should stress that, contrary to my own expectations, I have managed to get the old computer working again but have no idea if it'll be alright or break once more, and I did lose every file on here (although much was backed up).

Thaddeus

Review: The Dragonbone Chair, by Tad Williams

I’ve been looking to clear out old books, but some I haven’t read in so long I’m uncertain whether I want to keep or not. And so I re-read The Dragonbone Chair, by Tad Williams, the first entry in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. The last time I read this was so long ago it predates this blog...

The story focuses almost entirely on Simon, a dogsbody adolescent in the Hayholt castle. He’s a daydreamer and well-natured, if a bit dopey and lazy. Early on, he shifts from being mostly a cleaner to the new apprentice of Doctor Morgenes, who is something of a wizardly chap. When the very elderly king dies and his son takes over, the kingdom seems to have a new lease of life. But then bad weather falls, crops fail, and there are dark undercurrents swirling...

In addition to Simon, we do occasionally get the perspective of others, but it’s very much his story, starting in the humdrum world of the castle and then moving through an interesting world put together by the author. Often, the pace could be faster, and the writing opts for more detail over action most of the time. However, I did find myself reading through this sizeable book (just a little over 900 pages) rapidly, so I’m not sure if it counts as a valid criticism that some fat could be cut.

There’s a nice variety to the peoples of the world, both in varying human kingdoms, and differing races. A sense of history weighs upon things which adds a sense of depth and realism. While there are long periods without action this does mean that when things happen (and they can happen quickly) it has all the more impact.

Another advantage of the slower pace is that it gives time for things to develop. I can’t detail this without spoiling the plot, but suffice to say this also makes the descent of the kingdom feel more gradual and plausible.

Map fans will be pleased that there are multiple cartographic delights, and while I’m less interested in these than many people it’s still a plus. The feeling of the world is akin to that of Middle Earth rather than more recent Martin/Abercrombie style worlds.

Overall, I liked it a lot, which is sort of annoying because I need to clear shelf space. Just started the second, but as it’s similarly massive any review will be some time coming.

Thaddeus

PS For anyone wondering about relative quiet, it’s partly because I’ve been busy with other matters and, in the last week, partly due to computer woe.

Review: A Short History of Europe (by Simon Jenkins)

This book was  gift, and one I was very interested to read. How did it do, covering the history of a continent within just 300 pages?

Very well, in short.

There are some obvious drawbacks. By necessity, such an undertaking has to skimp on details, but this is compensated for by placing in a broader context various events and adding depth through this method rather than by a closer focus.

There are some minor errors or areas of contention (such as describing Aachen as Charlemagne’s capital) but these do not alter the meaning or fundamentally change anything. 

As might be expected due to both proximity and the greater amount of information available there is more page space devoted to more recent events while those of the dim past are quickly covered. By page 100 (a third in) we’re already up to the Renaissance. Much the contents were familiar to me, but quite a lot was new, and the writing style made the history effortless to read and (as happens occasionally) I did deliberately slow down so as to not just blast through it. 

Necessarily, modern politics is contentious and the book (published four years ago) includes the ever so slightly polarising topic of the UK leaving the EU. I was pleased to find the author took what I found to be an objective stance on this, raising both the advantages and disadvantages of how Europe sought to cope after WWII, and the great problem (as I also see it) of a lack of democratic consensus which needs addressing one way or another.

The nature of the beast is such that the pace must be swift and the historical events covered in broad strokes but I nevertheless found it a highly engaging book and well worth reading.

 

Thaddeus

Returning to Tales of the Ketty Jay (four book series), by Chris Wooding

I did an individual ‘returning’ blog of the first entry (Retribution Falls) to see whether that book lived up to my lofty memories, and was delighted it did so.

While also reading other things at the same, I opted to finish off the entire four part series, and it’s fantastic to renew my acquaintance with a story that remains every bit as engaging and fun as it was the first time I read it.

Although this is a series review I’ll do my best to minimise spoilers and just give an overall picture.

The story follows Darian Frey, captain of the Ketty Jay, and his crew of freebooters and misfits. A spot of drunkenness, a dash of drug abuse, and a few very dark secrets pepper the plot. Some of these are critical for personal character stories (every crew member gets at least a little development) or affect the plot itself. There’s a plausible realism to the needling between various characters (poor old Harkins gets teased a lot, and the idiot Pinn is routinely mocked). 

Because the series is only four books there’s enough space for developing the cast and moving along the world (the crew are involved in some pretty significant events) but not so much it ever gets bloated. The story moves along quickly for the most part but isn’t afraid to take its time when called for, and while I wished there had been more to read that’s a sign the author made a smart call rather than returning to the well until it ran dry.

The setting is a fictional, steampunk world in which airships have two engines, one using aerium for lift and another set burning standard fuel for propulsion. The war between Vardia and Samarla ended recently, with the ‘Sammies’ lacking much aerium but otherwise a menacing threat. We learn stuff from inference and plot-relevant conversation which helps paint a much broader world, though details are not info-dumped. Frey and company are mostly Vardians, but his engineer is the taciturn Silo, a former slave from Samarla.

There’s a fair amount of violence, and while there’s frisky time that’s mostly implied and forms a hazy watercolour rather than being explicit. There’s a lot of humour throughout which works very well indeed, sometimes in direct jokes between characters, sometimes by shifting the perspective to an imbecile and offering a moron’s view of the world. All the characters have their flaws, and their talents, and it both humanises them and makes for better interactions and storytelling.

 

In short, I had very fond memories of Tales of the Ketty Jay and the series more than lived up to them. I can’t recommend them enough.

 

I’ve got the four books in physical form but upon checking you can buy the series as a single e-book from Amazon. I’d advocate downloading the sample for that (which should be sizeable) just to check it’s up your street, and then buying it. The last book is just shy of 500 pages, the first is around 450, so the whole lot is around 2,000 pages.

 

Thaddeus

Review: The Seleukid Empire Trilogy, by John D Grainger

 

This is a collective review of the three part history, starting with The Rise of the Seleukid Empire, continuing with The Seleukid Empire of Antiochos III, and concluding with The Fall of the Seleukid Empire.

 

Some parts of this, notably the reigns of Seleukos I and Antiochos III, were fairly familiar to me, but other parts were largely or entirely new.

Our tale begins with the death of Alexander the Great and the struggle by his Successors to hold together his empire, which quickly became a scramble to carve our their own territories. Seleukos (also spelled Seleucus) was one of the most successful but the sprawling territory he amassed proved both boon and bane compared to the more cohesive and compact Macedonian and Egyptian realms that were created from the ashes of Alexander’s land.

Historical sources are very uneven, which is why Antiochos III has a whole volume to himself as both Livy and Polybius covered this in some degree. The most recent part of Livy I read was the one including this section, and I fairly recently compared two editions of Polybius so I was fairly up to speed on the central volume. This was also something of a convenient reign to have good historical sources because it was roughly central in terms of both timing and power.

 

I’ve read many Pen & Sword books over the years but lack of space meant this was my first foray into their e-books. The expected downside of maps being almost entirely useless was true, but there was an unexpected upside which is that endnotes were very convenient (just click to check then press back to return to the text).

The author’s coverage of certain reigns was dictated by the presence, or absence, of sound historical sources which means some are flitted over and one gets a whole book but this cannot be helped. Where inferences and educated guesswork come into play this is made plain. Mostly easy to read, there were occasional typos or a slightly repetitive sentence structure but nothing terrible. Familiarity with ancient geography was helpful due to the map situation but the descriptions were usually good enough to paint an accurate picture (for example, I’m not sure I’ve seen Arachosia on a map but it was clear enough it was well to the east).

Battles and war are covered to good effect, as are some surprisingly interesting sections on the foundations of cities, especially by Seleukos I. Much of what happens in Asia Minor (sometimes part of the Empire), Egypt, and Macedonia is also covered in much the same way that medieval English history necessarily has plenty of info on relations with France.

I decided to read the trilogy all together and review it in a single section because reviewing the final part of a trilogy always seems close to pointless (if you like parts 1 and 2 then almost always part 3 is good). It covers the early Diadochi era of Alexander’s Successors through a more stable period and then, inevitable, the whittling away of territory until there’s a rather tame end.

I suspect many readers, like me, will know something of the start of the Seleukid Empire and the reign of Antiochos III, although it’s worth mentioning this history did furnish additional perspective/details that I wasn’t necessarily expecting. The extra knowledge about the fragmentary nature of Asia Minor, relations with the murder-incest enthusiasts of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the birth of Parthia, Tigranes’ rapid rise and demise, and the familial loyalty that came too late after decades of infighting were all very interesting.

Never felt like stopping reading the trilogy or taking a break once I’d started, and it’s a very good read that I recommend to fans of classical history.

 

Thaddeus

Review: Wasteland 3 (PS4)

NB I completed my playthrough of this on the PS5, as my first (PS4) attempt was somewhat set back by the console breaking. 

Wasteland 3 is a post-apocalyptic RPG set in the USA (Colorado, specifically). It’s got a grim sense of humour throughout, a six-man party, and a very interesting setup for combat and non-combat skills, plus plenty of decisions to make. But is it a good game?

Gameplay

The combat of Wasteland 3 will be easily recognisable to anyone who’s enjoyed XCOM or XCOM 2, but does handle things differently enough to set it apart. For those unaware, this style involves a turn-based approach on a grid, with the entirety of one side progressing at once, which means getting the jump on enemies is worth a lot. Movement and actions, such as firing weapons or throwing grenades, consume AP (action points).

However, whereas XCOM 2 has two AP and that’s it, Wasteland 3 has a more nuanced system with characters capable of having more or less AP depending on stats, and different weapons consuming different amounts. Heavy weapons and sniper rifles consume almost a whole AP bar, whereas shotguns and pistols can be fired multiple times in a single round without difficulty. This increases flexibility and makes the choice of weaponry (a mix through the squad is a good idea) crucial. In addition to the player and enemy sides, you may have a friendly turn, which will be your non-controlled allies such as animal followers and extra chaps (or robots) you pick up along the way.

On standard difficulty I found the combat to be sharp enough I needed to stay awake but, for the most part, usually not too challenging. That said, I had several hours in my initial borked playthrough as experience so I wasn’t diving in fresh and that may’ve smoothed my path a bit. Nevertheless, combat is fun and if you take it for granted you can easily end up in trouble. This is a big Wasteland 3 review highlight.

Out of combat players have multiple significant decisions to make regarding who lives and dies, and who you help, or not. You can also unlock multiple new dialogue options by proficiency in various skills, most commonly the hard ass/kiss ass skills. The game does a good job of ensuring you can be as nice or dickish as you like.

 

Story

Post-apocalypse is a genre I can really take or leave, but I still liked Wasteland 3 a lot, which is a testament to how well it’s written. There are plenty of grisly moments and daft comedy, which both work well.

You play as the leaders (even if playing solo you make two characters at the get go) of Team November. And by leaders, I mean survivors, because the other four dozen get killed in the intro. Hailing from Arizona, you’re in Colorado at the invitation of the state’s ruler, the Patriarch. He’s got supplies which the Rangers desperately need, all you need to do is capture his kids and stop them causing problems. But things may not be so simple… The Patriarch’s children are Valor, Victory, and Liberty, or Nerd, Psycho, and Tyrant if you want to know their respective personalities.

Beyond this core of the game there are a good number of side quests, exploring the map will throw up some fun gems you can easily miss (I especially liked paying Santa a visit), and each major quest can go down various ways. It’s pretty good, with some interesting twists that I won’t spoil.

Companions could be better, though. I liked Lucia quite a lot, but the other (non-player made) companions stayed pretty much undeveloped through the story. They will leave if you act contrary to their interests, apparently.

 

Sound

In most areas good, this is sometimes excellent. One stand-out example was when I loaded up a game in the world map and the radio played some random nonsense. This happened and it was a psycho with a chainsaw and screaming in the background, which was very well done (although not great for those who are squeamish). Flamethrowers, explosions, gunfire, ambient effects, and voice acting are all either good or very good.

The music deserves a special mention as there are a small number of fights (including one in the intro area) that have their own excellent tracks, as does one (optional) fight that can lead to a new companion. The latter was a rare occasion when I deliberately paused mid-fight just to listen to the music a bit more.

 

Graphics

As an isometric RPG this is not the biggest deal in the world, but the graphics get the job done without being spectacular. Occasionally you see major characters (the Patriarch, for example) up close and they’ll look ok, but not amazing.

 

Bugs and Other Problems

There were some bugs. I had a small number of crashes, perhaps three or so in an entire playthrough (I’d guess perhaps 30 hours total, can’t be sure). In addition, I once got stuck in combat and the enemy turn just wouldn’t start. That’s not ideal.

 

Replayability

There are two ways this game offers good replayability: difficulty and choices. The difficulty has several basic levels making combat easier or harder, but with some degree of customization covering things like permanent character death and friendly fire (NB even when this is off, you’ll be affected by AoE stuff so don’t throw a Molotov on your animal follower or you’ll end up with a hotdog).

Choices are plentiful and missions can often have multiple outcomes. Sometimes failure to attend to a matter can lead to it being resolved in your absence (I have one confirmed case of this, unsure if other things can happen this way). And certain missions can only be completed if you ignore an alternative, which will have consequences.

 

Conclusion

Wasteland 3 is not flawless. It has the odd bug and could perhaps be a little longer (playtime is perhaps around 25-30 hours, I think). But it has fantastic combat, engaging missions with multiple outcomes, and the approach to skills is excellent as all of them are useful and deciding where to spend points (and which perks to get) will alter your playthrough significantly. It’s a very good game indeed.

 

Thaddeus

Returning to Retribution Falls: Tales of the Ketty Jay (book one), by Chris Wooding

  

It’s been over a decade since I last read Retribution Falls, reviewed here. I always had fond memories of it, and decided to revisit the series. Would time have changed my mind? 

No. In fact, it was even better than I remembered. Already sinking my teeth heartily into the daring meal of adventure, engaging characters, and a very well put together plot (cunning twists that make sense in the world that’s established), this was perfect when the UK decided to cosplay as Jamaica on a hot day. Unable to work, I spent hours more reading than usual and read three-quarters of the book over a two day period.

It was great, just what I needed, and eminently enjoyable. The steampunk (if I’m referring to the right genre, with lever-action shotguns, airships, and a mix of gas, oil, and electrical lighting) genre is not one I read too much, Emperor’s Edge probably being the only other series that falls into the category but the world is very well realised and comes across effortlessly. Likewise, while Frey, the captain, is the main character every crewman is fleshed out and a couple (Jez and Crake) are especially well-developed.

There’s wry humour amid a serious story, dramatic twists and turns alongside character development. It’s a cracking book and a great start to a fantastic series. It’ll be interesting for me to re-read my own review from some time ago, but right now I’m very glad that, as I try and clear out old books, I hung onto the Tales of the Ketty Jay series. It’s top stuff.

 

Thaddeus

Half A War (Shattered Sea book 3), by Joe Abercrombie

Reading multiple books and waiting until I finish a historical trilogy to review that has led to quiet the hiatus in blogging, so I thought I’d post this before Britain melts on Monday and Tuesday. 

Half A War is the third and final part of Joe Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea trilogy, and I liked it a lot. Those who have bought the first two books need have no worries on the final part proving lacklustre. Recurring characters build on the previous two books, and we have a new POV character in the form of Princess/Queen Skara, whose kingdom gets ruined by the High King and forces her to flee to the nascent alliance between old enemies Vansterland and Gettland. 

The pace moves along at a good rate, neither flitting so rapidly there’s no space to breathe nor being slow and turgid (there is a prolonged period in one place but that fits in with the story and is contrasted by a journey elsewhere). 

Downsides are few. I didn’t especially like one small twist at the end (both obvious and slightly disappointing the way it happened but it doesn’t alter anything significantly). If you prefer more complex stories then the relative simplicity may put you off but personally I found this an enjoyable, engaging, and effortless read that I consumed pretty quickly (not something that’s always the case these days). 

I've kept this pretty brief as it's the third entry so spoilers are more annoying and it's pretty much a buy or avoid for those who've read earlier books in the series.

So, I recommend this but, obviously, after the first two books. Book 2 is reviewed here, and book 1 is reviewed here.

 

For those wondering, I’m currently re-reading The Inheritance of Rome by Chris Wickham, Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding (which I may review if I haven’t already as I read it a long time ago), and the final part in a Seleukid history trilogy by John D. Grainger, which I will review on a collective basis.

Thaddeus

Alternative Civ Leaders

Been playing a spot of Civilization VI lately. Its final expansion came out a while ago and work seems to be underway on Civ VII, which made me think of some potential leader changes.

I disliked a few for historical inaccuracy in VI. Victoria was not Queen of the English, but the British (especially daft as if they wanted a female English leader then Elizabeth I is an obvious candidate). Saladin wasn’t Arabic, he was Kurdish (although he did reign over Arabs so this is more accurate, although ironic).

On the flipside, I was surprised and pleased they went with Basil II for the Byzantine Empire (which should be the Eastern Roman Empire) and Trajan over Caesar for Rome.

My experience with the main Civ games is VI and II (which came out around 1999 or thereabouts). So it’s entirely possible that I’ll be mentioning people who had leader roles before.

 

France – Philip Augustus

I’ve never actually read books specifically on French history (excepting the Albigensian Crusade) but reading English medieval history does necessarily involve a lot of French stuff, mostly in warfare. I’ve always quite liked Philip Augustus, whose shrewd approach brilliantly exploited the admittedly open goal of Henry II’s familial infighting to great effect (and he came very close to actually conquering England). Less flashy or well-known than Napoleon but he was critical to the long term success of France as a nation.

 

England - Aethelstan

The grandson of Alfred the Great, Aethelstan was the first man who could claim to be king of all England. Building on the foundations of his father and grandfather, he won crucial victories, particularly Brunanburh against a coalition of enemies. This cemented a unified England, bringing together the Anglo-Saxon people.

 

Macedonia - Philip II 

Alexander the Great still looms large in the public consciousness, and it’s easy to see why. But his father has been somewhat neglected by comparison. When Philip II became king his land was poor, wracked with war, and weak. Through astonishing military innovations (he was inspired by spending time at Thebes and witnessing Epaminondas’ success against the Spartans) he transformed the Macedonian armed forces from pretty feeble to the most powerful army in the world. He was also well along planning the invasion of Asia until he suffered an unfortunate bout of assassination. I think this is the least likely change to occur, but Macedonian history does have great men beyond Alexander and the foremost of these is Philip II.

 

Rome - Aurelian

Aurelian is one of those chaps almost nobody’s ever heard of but when they learn of what he did it’s impossible not to be impressed. When he took the purple the Empire had split into three, with the Gallic Empire of Gaul, Iberia, and Britannia in the west and the Palmyrene Empire breaking away in the east. He stitched the empire back together when it could have collapsed two centuries earlier than the western portion did, and along the way won victories over numerous barbarian tribes. (I’d change the name to the Western Roman Empire as well, and have the Byzantine Empire as the Eastern Roman Empire).

 

 

Carthage - Hannibal

Carthage is a free city in Civ VI (Dido is leader of Phoenicia). This is something of a travesty given how powerful Carthage was and how Hannibal is the greatest antagonist Rome ever faced. Who first crossed the Alps, in winter, in the face of hostile tribes? Who annihilated the Romans at Trasimene and Cannae? Who survived a decade in hostile territory, without defeat? Who would have won if it weren’t for that political lickspittle Hanno? Bring back Hannibal!

 

Thaddeus

Review: Half the World (Shattered Sea, book 2), by Joe Abercrombie

It’s been a little while since I read the first of these (Half a King), but I did remember enough to be able to follow along most of the characters that appear in this book, set a little way down the line.

The High King’s power waxes ever greater, and lesser kings and kingdoms are none too pleased at having to kneel before another. Yarvi, the protagonist of the first book, is ever-present and the driving force behind a bid to break the power of the High King and forge an alliance. The POV characters, however, are both new. Thorn Bathu is a wild, angry, and rather violent young lady who accidentally kills a man and is saved by Yarvi from execution, while Brand (whose whispered word secures her release) was set to be a warrior but gets ostracised for his deed.

The pair end up with Yarvi, and assorted rapscallions, on a ship destined to cross half the world to try and secure friends for Gettland and prise away allies from the High King. Along the way Thorn gets a serious training in weapons, and Brand discovers the warrior life he dreamt of was not necessarily it was cracked up to be.

As ever with an Abercrombie book it’s very easy to read, with engaging characters, a detailed, compelling world, and a plot that cracks along but also has slower moments to help the pacing and give the characters time to grow. I was reading another book at the same time, but still got through the almost 500 pages pretty rapidly. If you liked the first book you’ll like this, and I’m looking forward to the third.

Thaddeus

Revisiting The Wars of Alexander’s Successors, by Bob Bennett and Mike Roberts

I'd thought I'd reviewed these two books already, but it turns out not. 

It’s been a decade or so since I first read these two volumes, which covers the period immediately after Alexander’s death down to the end of the last direct Diadochi (Successors), Seleucus and Ptolemy. Details are reasonable down to the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC but become altogether more scant after that.

It’s interesting re-reading history compared to other genres because you can get more out of it and either appreciate a book to a greater extent or realise more contentious matters or even potential flaws (as an aside, I’ve started a book about the early Seleucid/Seleukid Empire and in that the author asserts Demetrius cavalry at Ipsus would probably have been able to deal with elephants rather than being totally terrified, a common view and one held by the authors here).

Since reading these I’ve reading biographies of Antigonus Monopthalmus and Pyrrhus, as well as James Romm’s excellent Ghost on the Throne, all of which cover similar ground from differing angles.

Got to say I still really like Bennett and Roberts’ two volumes on the period, which do an excellent job of presenting the major strokes of the four decades or so after Alexander’s death in the first book, before focusing on some of the biggest battles and other aspects of warfare in the second. As such, there is some overlap and, personally, I would’ve preferred a single larger volume but both are still well worth reading.

I’d still recommend these to anyone, including people who don’t normally read history but are looking to get into it.  The Diadochi period is fascinating because there’s a cauldron of war but a surplus of excellent military commanders who grew up under Alexander. Not only that, there’s plenty of scheming and double crossing, and a number of intriguing leading ladies too. 

Thaddeus

Review: Kingshold, by DP Woolliscroft

Those of you with freakishly good memories may recall I read the sample of this as part of my snapshot reviews a while back, and I’ve decided to make a little progress with those.

Kingshold occurs almost entirely within the city of the same name. Ironically enough, the king and queen have sadly died from a case of decapitation, and it’s time for an elected leader. That, essentially, is the plot, which is written in quite a charming and relaxing way.

The cast, I would say, is more ensemble than focusing on a specific individual, with POV characters including precocious maidservant Alana, Hoskin the looking-forward-to-retiring-but-can’t-yet chancellor who has to govern the city before the new lord protector is elected, Mareth the bard, Motega the mercenary, and Neenahwi[sp], his sister (and also a sorceress).

And there might be yet more skulduggery afoot from elsewhere as the potential leaders use tactics fair and foul to try and get ahead.

The book is pretty simple, and the world is interesting (beneath the city there’s another settlement of dwarves, with whom good relations are typically maintained). Although events are mostly straightforward there are sufficient twists to keep it from being predictable or tedious, a couple of which are particularly good.

I found it to be a good, relaxing read. (NB the next review might be slightly longer than usual as I’m doing a spot of beta-reading, but I may ramble about CK3 in the meantime).

 

Buying note: I got this as part of the bundle within Kingshold: The Wildfire Cycle: Volume 1, which is only £3 and (provided the sample tickles your fancy) offers great value for e-book readers.

Thaddeus

Crusader Kings 3: Reading Recommendations

It isn’t long now until the current-gen consoles get some more grand strategy in the form of Paradox’s Crusader Kings 3. As someone into history, and enjoying strategy games coming to consoles, this is right up my street.

The game can start in 867 AD or 1066 AD, and I know a little of British (and, to an extent, European/Near East/North African) history of that period. Fairly poor on the rest, and given the map includes all of Europe, the northern half of the African continent, and most of Asia there’s a lot of new stuff to explore.

If you’re into the backstory and want to learn more, here are some reading recommendations, with links to full reviews of each book indicated.

 

The Norman Conquest, by Marc Morris

This is a fantastic book, and probably my favourite by the historian (I own four of his works). Not only does this detail what goes on in 1066, one of the most important years in British history, it also explains what happened beforehand and for decades afterwards, providing plenty of context.

 

 

 

Byzantium: The Apogee (book 2 in a trilogy), by John Julius Norwich

This entire trilogy is a riveting tale of the Eastern Roman Empire, which was a yawning chasm of ignorance in my understanding of Europe before I read it. All of it is worth checking out, but both start years are covered by a single volume, The Apogee. This covers, unsurprisingly, the high point of the Eastern Roman (also known as the Byzantine) Empire and, of course, their allies and enemies over this period.

 

Viking: The Norse Warrior’s (Unofficial) Manual, by John Haywood

A slightly more lighthearted book this one, and part of a fun yet informative series. To dive into Norse culture and the raiding military antics of the time (covering both start dates), this is one of the shorter and easier reads on the list, but still does much to shine a light on the Vikings and their impact on wider Europe (most notably in Normandy and England, as well as setting up numerous cities in Ireland).

 

Alfred the Great: The Man Who Made England, by Justin Pollard

This biography covers one of England’s most important kings. While technically never ruler of all England, he and his brother halted the seemingly unstoppable Viking advance and drove it back, thereby increasing the power of Wessex. Alfred’s reign started a few years after the earlier start date in CK3, but it’s still a wonderful book and one that goes a long way to painting a picture of a very different England.

 

The Inheritance of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to 1000, by Chris Wickham

This is easily the broadest book on the list, covering not only Europe but north Africa and parts of the East over a period of centuries. It’s one of the best histories I’ve read and does a great job bridging the gap between the Western Roman world and the medieval era. If you ever want to understand why Europe was the way it was when the earlier start date comes about, look no further.

 

The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, by Marc Morris

Another Marc Morris history, this one covers almost the exact same period as Wickham but looks at England and, thus, the Anglo-Saxons. If you want a more specific look at England, this is what you’re after (note it ends right before the Battle of Hastings).

 

Thaddeus

Review: Final Fantasy VII (PS5)

NB this is a review of the base game only, I haven’t played the Intergrade additional content yet. There will be some minor spoilers in the story section, but only vague and items relating to the premise.

 

Story

So, a quarter of a century of so after the original game came out for the original Playstation we have the PS4/5 version. The story is not identical. For a start, it only covers the first portion of the original multi-disc game. In addition, some areas are more fleshed out, or slightly altered. The additions are fairly significant, in terms of both main story midway through, and optional side-quests.

For the most part, these work well. An especially good aspect is that there’s a not-at-all-subtle explanation for why things work out the way they do, and the ending of the story does give overt notice that things might be substantially different going forward.

Pacing is mostly good but there are times when it can be jarring. When one character is rushing to save a child, the game decides to throw a needless very mini-quest (30 seconds work) that is done at walking pace and pointlessly steals away the sense of urgency. However, for the most part the story is handled well.

 

Gameplay

This is the area where I changed my mind most from the demo on the PS4 to finishing the game. I really liked the materia system, and have no problem with either standard turn-based battles or the ATB approach of the original. Materia is kept in this game, and works well (as might be expected), but the ATB system has been substantially reworked. You now have two ATB slots which are slowly filled over time, and more rapidly when you attack. Most things (spells, abilities, and items) require a single slot although some abilities require both.

This actually worked very well and prevents the real time nature of basic attacks getting swallowed by spamming spells. In addition, the varying nature of the four playable characters does make a big difference, with Tifa super-fast and Barret able to deal plenty of damage (especially at range) but rather slower. Initially, I thought it was just button mashing, and while that can work with more basic fights, smart use of materia and understanding how the system works makes a big difference for tougher foes.

Beyond your usual fights there are also optional arena style locations/events (Shinra’s combat simulator, or Corneo’s colosseum, for example). The latter is especially worth visiting as some of the optional fights here can yield more powerful limit breaks.

And there’s a darts mini-game in Seventh Heaven, which I quite liked. Looking forward to when we visit the Golden Saucer.

 

 

Sound

I’ll be honest, I own several varieties of One Winged Angel so I was wondering how the score would stack up. It’s fantastic, building on the excellence of the original and generally adding more, including the boss theme (particularly when fighting the Airbuster) and One Winged Angel. The only thing I felt could have been better musically was the reactor theme.

There’s also voice-acting. Some of this is very good, particularly Barret (John Eric Bentley) who gets some great lines and delivers them very well, covering the range from heartfelt emotion to overblown comedy and the occasional dry remark. Cloud, being somewhat of a dick, was a difficult character to pull off, but he’s likeable enough to work as the protagonist without losing his capacity to be pretty laconic. The friendship between Cloud and Barret developing is handled very well, and that’s a combination of good writing and a strong voice performance.

 

Graphics

Comparing the game from the late 20^th century (which, even at the time, had poor character models) to today’s effort is a bit like comparing the drawing you did as a five year old to the one you did in your thirties. Overall, the graphics are very impressive, particularly the grand set pieces and character models for the main characters. They tread the line between realism and larger-than-life very well.

There are a few weak spots. Minor characters can have, er, interesting faces, and here and there textures are distinctly muddy. On the whole, however, it’s good stuff.

One minor weak point is that there’s a photo mode (which can also be used in almost every cutscene, exempting only FMVs) but because the player only ever controls Cloud (excepting rare times when he’s absent) you can’t really focus on other characters. Also, there’s no posing, as per Dragon Quest XI S’ mode, or facial expressions, as per Ghost of Tsushima. However, there is an array of filters and some other settings to fiddle with.

 

 

Bugs and Other Issues

During my playthrough (about 35-36 hours) I encountered no crashes, hangs, freezes, or other problems. I’m sure there is a flaw somewhere, but I didn’t find it. Overall, very impressed with how smooth the sailing was.

 

Replayability

Haven’t started this yet, but completing the game unlocks the hard difficulty (which can be played on a chapter-by-chapter basis). In addition, at least one chapter (there are 18) has differing endings, it seems. Overall, choices are not that common and you’re mostly on rails. However, the hard mode will suit those who like a challenge. There are also multiple languages, and I might try a German playthrough at some point.

 

 

Conclusion

It’s a bit weird playing such an up to date take (with some amendments) of an old favourite, but I think the Final Fantasy VII Remake is a very enjoyable game. If you’re on the fence then check out the demo (if it’s still available), but I’ve got to say that during the course of my playthrough I liked it more and more, and am looking forward to the next part.

 

Thaddeus

 

PS Having some technical woe so apologies for the lack of proofreading and any ensuing errors.

Review: The White Song (Chronicles of the Black Gate Book 5), by Phil Tucker

This is sort-of the last book in the series (there’s a sixth but it’s a prequel), which I’ve enjoyed reading over a couple of years.

Reviewing a fifth and final (in chronological terms) story is a little odd because if you’ve made it this far and liked the four preceding books then it’s nigh on certain you’ll like this. Naturally, major spoilers for preceding entries abound, so read on at your own risk.

 

***

The pinnacle of the empire is about to be under attack from a seemingly unstoppable horde of demons and while the medusa and Tharok (and the kragh generally) are now allies rather than foes, it seems the world is about to be doomed. Obviously, that doesn’t happen in the first few chapters or it’d be a short book, but the odds are very much against the good guys.

One thing I’ve always liked about this series has been the varying character of protagonists in terms of both capability and attitude. Audsley has been one of the most entertaining, and his fall from grace last time is redeemed (at least to an extent) by his intelligence and bravery in this one. Asho is as defiant as ever, and there are strongly differing opinions from major figures regarding how to try and save the world.

The various discordant allies must try to come together, for if they fail then all will be doomed. And when an ancient and immensely intelligent former enemy offers to assist it remains to be seen if he, or the medusa, can be trusted. For that matter, can they even win?

It’s difficult to elaborate much more without ruining the plot, but I will say I found it enjoyable, once again, and a fitting conclusion.

Overall, I enjoyed this fifth and (sort-of) final part of the Chronicles of the Black Gate. It’s been a fairly old school sort of read, managing to keep the black-and-white distinction of good and evil in some areas (demons) while having more complicated hues with the likes of Tharok and, especially, Audsley. The world-building has been great, with a good combination of intrigue and action.

As already mentioned, characters have been nicely varied, making them both interesting in their own right and also bringing different strengths (and weaknesses) to the table, including legitimately varying perspectives.

Looking forward to reading the prequel, but for those in any doubt I would definitely recommend giving this series a look. The first five parts can be bought as a box set e-book, which is the most cost effective way of doing it and also means you’ll have (probably, I only got it later on) a larger sample size to find out for free if it’s your cup of tea.

 

Thaddeus

Review: Berlin: The Downfall 1945, by Antony Beevor

Yes, it’s shockingly modern, but recently(ish) I read this book recounting the end of the Second World War, primarily from the Eastern aspect involving the Russians rather than the Allies. A note that I actually finished this a month or so ago but I’ve been relatively busy hence this review only being written/posted now.

World War Two is far more recent than my usual periods of classical history or medieval England, so I can’t comment on context/accuracy etc, but I did find this retelling of the events leading to the fall of Berlin to be both compelling and easy to read. Easy to read in terms of a straightforward style, that is. As might be expected with such a book there are grim aspects that are necessary, as their removal would soften reality to the point of deceit.

There’s a lot of politics alongside the military matters, and, from what I can tell (given my general ignorance of the period) there does seem to be an even-handed and honest approach to figures of history in terms of how good/bad they were. Wenck, for example, stands out as a moral man, trying to save as many of his people as he could, whereas Hitler seemed to consider the citizens of Berlin to be the kindling for the pyre of his dreams.

Politics largely gives way to military matters once the end draws near, as one might expect, (although it was present on the other side too, with Stalin and the NKVD constant sources of fear for Soviet troops). Widespread rape by Soviet soldiers is not pleasant reading, and makes the juxtaposition of the Soviet commander in Berlin after the conquest providing the population with food seem all the stranger.

With the remnants of the generation that experienced these horrors dying out, it’s important to remember the lessons of the past, without being chained by them. This book was engaging, and I read it more rapidly than I imagined it would. Not for those who are easily upset, though.

Thaddeus