Card game | Loot

A card game for 2 - 4 players.

This is a very easy game to learn and not too complicated to play, the perfect family game. The game itself does its best with four players and takes about 20 minutes to play.

You'll find yourself a successful merchant of a dubious character. Your goal is to ferry as much goods over the sea as possible while trying to pirate whatever boat in the water not your own. [And in the odd case that someone should dare, you might have to fight of pirates yourself]

I found out about Loot when browsing the internet for a entertaining easy and fun game. The mechanism seemed ridiculously easy but yet appealing, and it does have great reviews out there. Loot not being a very complicated game I figured it would get old pretty quick and hesitated... was it worth it? I woke up the next morning thinking, why don't I just make this myself?

I immediately set to it.

In my game you're transported in to the parallel universe of Pirates of the Caribbean. As a successful man of the east India trading company your worst fears are pirates, and rightly so because here be the worst scum of them all.

Each captain has of course his own crew, Tortuga being so close and all they consume more than half the deck and come in clusters of 4, 3, 2 and 1.

With a sea so teeming with thugs there are but one law man to help defend your fleet, and that would be [The now promoted] admiral Norrington. 

Book Review | The warded man & The desert spear by Peter V. Brett

A fast-paced, post-apocalyptic, action-packed  and thoroughly enjoyable work of dark fantasy.

The painted man [also known under the variant The warded man, which is way cooler] and The desert spear are the first two volumes [of which five are planned] in the Demon cycle-series by Peter V. Brett.

Humanity is at the brink of annihilation walled in behind warded fortifications in what is presently known as the free cities. For hundred of years demons have ruled the night, rising through the ground in the millions, any unwarded being caught outside rarely survives for long.

Without any means of fighting the supernatural monsters, despair has rooted itself deeply in to humankind who only perseveres through hope. Hope of the prophesied Deliverer whom shall return [after thousands of years] to humankind with the long lost battle wards.

Peter V. Brett writes short stories

In wait for the next [third] book in the demon cycle-series from author Peter V. Brett. I discovered that he has written two stand alone volumes, which together further explore the coreling infested world and the life of Arlen, before he turns in to super-bad-awesomeness. The Great Bazaar and Other Stories and Brayan’s Gold.

The author himself explains that in an attempt to stream line the original saga he consciously neglected big parts of Arlens life and did delete a few scenes already written. These two books are meant to fill these gaps with short stories, much like The witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

If I could, I would like to encourage every writer out there to follow this example. [Pretty please]

I often feel that the best fantasy series leave us too quickly with an unexplored world and too many questions left unanswered. [Stephen Kings Dark Tower being the exemption which was about four books too long in my opinion].

With the first series finished there are most certainly enough groundwork to support one or two stand alone books, always. [Brandon Sandersons, The Alloy of law anyone?] And speaking of Brandon I think it’s high time for a new Elantris wouldn't you agree?… [Once finished of course with stormlight book 2 and the final book in the ever ongoing dragon reborn-masterpiece, A memory of light. We wouldn’t want anything to prevent the progress of those books now would we.]

Alas, there is a teeny tiny downside to this wonderful discovery, none of them exists in paperback yet [Which I, weirdly enough, find so much more appealing than hardcover - The dragon reborn-series exempted]. And to make matters worse, The great Bazaar is not even sold in Sweden... But I'm sure there is a way around this somehow :)

Book review | The complete robot by Isaac Asimov

Inspired by yesterdays post I figured this as the opportune moment to mention a word or two about Isaac Asimov and his collection of robot stories, The complete Robot.

For those of you seeking enlightenment on today's topic, Isaac Asimov is a major player in the sci-fi world and also the person who coined the three laws of robotics.

1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second law.

TV show | Äkta människor

SVT does not often hit the mark for me, so imagine my surprise when this premiered yesterday.

You may find more information about the show at SVT:s homepage.

If there are any Isaac Asimov fans out there [Swedish speaking fans that is, considering the show is in Swedish] you shouldn't miss this high quality production.

TV show | True blood, season 4

HBO continues  their high quality production of the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris with season 4 which is [naturally] based on the 4th book Dead to the world.

In a world with vampires, werewolf's, fairies and a few other supernatural beings, witches are no strangers. But when the local witches suddenly takes a turn at necromancy they scare the vampires of Louisiana in to action, causing all kinds of disturbances both for the living as well as the dead. When finally a 400 year old wicken ghost with a serious grudge against vampires gets hold of a willing body the war between witches and vampires is inevitable.

Recept | Choklad-digestivemuffins

Chokladmuffins

115gmörk choklad

1 msk            ljus sirap

115g             smör

2 msk            naturell yoghurt

12 st              krossade Digestivekex

1 dl                hasselnötter

Dekoration

200g              vit choklad

200g              philadelphiaost

Inspiration från: Fantastiska cupcakes - Wendy Sweetser

Movie review | Crazy, Stupid, Love

My first movie 2012, and what I great start it turned out to be.

A romantic comedy starring big names such as Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. It was Steves name that got me interested to begin with, his stiff-necked body language and stony facial expressions are pee-my-pants-funny when delivered in the right setting by the right character. Give Mr. Carell the right script and laughter and joy will just sprout out of the audience ears! [This is of course my very personal opinion but it does not make it any less true.]

And to my delight this was indeed a Carell-script. And unlike many others, such as Evan all mighty, 40 year old virgin or Anchorman, this comedy has depth. Not so apparent to begin with but it certainly steps it up a notch towards the end.

Movie review | The Help

So. I Cried...

This is a must see and whatever you do, seeing this should be included.

A young aspiring author by name of Skeeter [Emma Stone] decides to break new ground during the -60s civil rights Movement, by writing a book from the view point of black maids working for white families. A task she undertakes in all secrecy of course, with little help from anyone, least of all her friends whom are rather happy with the way things are.

Board game | Ticket to Ride

Last call, all aboard! Time for departure.

And that’s how it starts, the first train has found its way out on the playing board, one less track to journey by for the other eager travelers. In Ticket to Ride you’re constantly trying to beat the other players in getting control of key lines and [preferably] the longest lines as well as they score [waaay] more points while connecting your designated destinations. Don’t be too slow though in collecting resources, the game ends once a player runs out of trains.

The game can be both excitingly complex as childishly simple, albeit a player playing along the line of the latter rarely win.

Book | The last wish and Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

Through out the last couple of years there isn’t a bookshop in Sweden with an English fantasy shelf that hasn't contained a copy of at least one of these. I figured they had to either be something real special or mainstream teen garbage. Based on those facts I chose the latter and moved on with my life and past that part of the shelf. Because lets face it, how can you make an epic fantasy to rival Robert Jordan or George R R Martin in only two thin volumes?

This is of course possible, Elantris, Best served Cold, Warbreaker to name a few. Nonetheless I left them be, because, I’m ashamed to admit, the covers did not appeal to me.

Now, after having read them however, I withdraw any ill thoughts I’ve ever had against these books or its author Andrzej Sapkowski and instead turn to the publishers of the English versions (for indeed Andrzej wrote these in Polish). What are you doing?!

Movie review | Real Steel

Being a huge fan of transformers, of the toys and anime as a kid and the totally awesome movie franchise as an adult, this has been a highly anticipated movie from my side ever since I saw the first trailer. Back then I took it as I saw it, Rocky meets transformers. Lead star: Wolverine. [Me, also being a huge fan of X-men]

I have to admit my first assessment of the movie was perhaps a tiny bit of. There are no transforming robots in this movie and no sweaty, beat up guy, from Philadelphia hollering about Adrian, nor is there an immortal hairy guy with retractable claws either…

The 1st post of the blog - building in progress

Wow talk about going at this the wrong way(!) With a vague recollection of the basic web-language, I figured it couldn't be too hard to make a blog, especially since Google had opted to help me out a little bit...

Now design is important to me and therefore I just possibly couldn't launch my first ever blog without at least [At least!] a unique title picture. Creating it didn't take too long, getting it in here though... well that took over an hour. Had I known to search for the option under my basic preferences and layout design instead of going all hard core with CSS-code [knowledge of which I've completely forgotten, neglected and erased over the years] the time would probably have shortened with.. oh I don't know; an hour?

(Perhaps, had I also swallowed my pride and googled it I'm sure the outcome would have been much the same...)

Nonetheless here I am, making a terrible negative debut in the ever expanding blog sphere. I shall thus do my utter most to remedy this with a more uplifting post number two once I'm happy with the basic layout and design.