Castle of Wizardy (David Eddings)

The Belgariad continues! Shortly after Magician's Gambit . . .

With the Orb back in their possession, the party races west to be in Riva by Erastide, to return it to its righftul place. There, Garion and Ce'Nedra will be in for a surprise as the ancient prophecy marches toward fulfillment. But their work is not finished . . . and Belgarion starts to realize what his destiny requires. Leaving the bulk of his friends, he must journey to confront the evil Torak lest the world descend into war and chaos. But what can a mere mortal do against a god?

Book four- we're nearing the end. The story continues in the same style and pacing as before. I enjoyed this one a tad more, perhaps due to a few amusing scenes and other quotable moments. Here are two exchanges I particularly enjoyed:

'You've changed a great deal,' Lelldorin noted.

'I've been changed. There's a difference. Most of it wasn't my idea.'

'We can be friends, then?'

'I think we already are, Belgarion,' Brand replied gravely. 'We both serve the same master, and that always brings men close together.'

Rating: A

Alhambra

Today's review is of the 2003 release, Alhambra. For 2-6 players, it takes 45-60 minutes.

Overview

You are a master builder in Europe, eager to demonstrate your skill. You do so by constructing the most picturesque complex of buildings- the Alhambra. Can you manage your resources effectively to do so?

In Alhambra, you obtain currency and purchase buildings to place them in your Alhambra.

- There are six different types of buildings. Each building (regardless of type) has a cost which may vary based on the number of walls around it.

- There are four different types of currency. 

To start (after shuffling the money card deck, giving initial hands to players, and shuffling the tile pile), players lay out four money cards and four building tiles in the building market. Each tile is placed in a currency column (randomly assigned). 

On your turn, you will perform one of three actions:

- Take some money. Take one money card face-up in the staging area OR multiple cards if their total value is five or less.

- Buy and position a building tile. You must pay for it using the currency in its corresponding column. (If you pay the exact cost, you may perform another action. Any overpayment is lost.) You place it either in your Alhambra or on your reserve board. 

- Redesign your Alhambra. This can involve placing a building from your reserve board in your Alhambra, moving a building from your Alhambra to your reserve board, or exchanging tiles in the two zones. 

After these actions, you place any building(s) purchased in your complex following the placement rules. At the end of your turn, replenish the building market so four money cards and four building tiles are available for the next player's turn. Play proceeds clockwise.

The game is scored at three times- at two points during the game (randomly determined through placing scoring cards in the draw deck) and once at the end. In each case, players who have the most building tiles of each type are awarded points (second and third place may also get points, depending on the round), and all players get points based on their longest continuous wall.

game in progress; image from here

Review

It was nice to finally play this game after years of hearing about it. Almost 20 years old at this point, it still holds up. The buying action was interesting- it rewarded exact payment with an extra action, which in turn encouraged money card collection and resource management. The only ding is aesthetic- both the building and currency types are represented by colors, two of which (green and blue) overlapped. That could create confusion I felt was avoidable. That aside, this is a nice one.

Rating: A

Collins Complete Spanish

Collins Complete Spanish is three books in one: grammar, verbs, and vocabulary. The grammar explains the mechanics of the language, the verb tables show declensions for 120 of the most common Spanish verbs, and the vocabulary section is a Spanish-English dictionary presented topically.

This is a great reference. I read their German version a few years ago. Here, I read some of the grammar section. 

I read more of the German one, as I was already familiar with the mechanics, and it was a wonderful refresher. As I just started Spanish six months ago, I know much less of the syntax, and this guide was harder for me to absorb. As I concluded in my review of the German one, other books are preferred for learning conversational Spanish. But this will be my go-to resource for studying a specific element of the language. The sections are clearly presented (with definitions in English of grammatical terms- handy for those who have been out of school a while) and nicely arranged. Recommended.

Rating: A

Magician's Gambit (David Eddings)

The Belgariad continues! Shortly after Queen of Sorcery . . .

As Garion learns more about his powers, the party turns east in their quest to recover the Orb, braving the caves of Ulgoland and the magical Vale of Aldur. They learn that their goal is at Rak Chtol, deep in the wastes of Cthol Murgos itself, guarded by a powerful magician. With a new ally at their side, they brave the journey . . . but is it a fool's errand?

Book three follows the trend- good story, but not stand-alone. There is some character development- of Garion and the new ally- and some suspense or poignant moments. The middle book of the pentalogy, I look forward to see where this is going.

Rating: A-

Spider-man: No Way Home

Shortly after Spider-man: Far From Home . . . [mild spoilers ahead]

The world knows that Peter Parker is Spider-man. And his life is ruined. Dogged by the press, shunned by colleges, and tormented by the masses, Peter turns to Dr. Strange in desperation. Can he help? Strange starts to work his magic, but complications arise, leading to links to other dimensions . . . and all of a sudden, Spidey finds himself confronting villains from the past. Not his past, per se, but Spider-mans' from other times. What will it take to undo the mess he has created . . . and will he be able to make the sacrifice required?

I missed this in theaters, and was eagerly awaiting the blu-ray release. This movie is highly regarded- deservedly so. It's action-packed, funny, poignant, and nostalgic, with nods to past movies (for maximum enjoyment, know your Spider-man films). But more than that, the message is powerful. Ultimately, this is a film about fighting our inherent selfishness and doing what's right regardless of personal cost. "It's not about you" is a basic life lesson that is hard to learn for us all- even Spider-man. 

Rating: A

The Mortification of Sin (John Owens)

The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, should also make it their business all of their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin. - John Owen, 1656

The Mortification of Sin, by Puritan John Owen, charges the Christian to mortify (put to death) the sin that remains in them. He looks at the topic through various lenses.

Summary

Christians are commanded to mortify sin. We see this all over the Bible (see Romans 8 , Colossians 3, and Galatians 5 as examples). We are saved from the penalty of our sins by Jesus Christ, and there is no condemnation for those who are in Him (again, Romans 8). Yet "indwelling sin continues to live in believers in some measure and degree while we are in this world," which is why the Bible talks about putting off the old sinful man and putting on the new righteous one (see Ephesians 4:22-24). God is holy and demands the same of His people (1 Peter 1:15-16). Conforming to God's holiness is a lifelong charge [and desire] of the Christian.

"Sin is always active," so "we should therefore fight against it and be vigorous at all times . . ." If we don't, it can decay and destroy us- "it gradually prevails to harden man's heart to his ruin (Hebrews 3:13)." Indeed, not only us, but those around us- the sins of one are felt by many.

It can be helpful to talk about what mortification is not. Though the goal is utter destruction of a given sin, we cannot expect that in this life. (We all stumble in many ways- James 3:2.) Nor is mortification about "the substitution of one sin for another." "You cannot mortify a specific lust that is troubling you, unless you are seeking to obey the Lord from the heart in all areas!" "We must not be concerned only with that which troubles us, but with all that troubles God. God's work is to have full victory, and universal obedience, not just the victory over sins which trouble our soul." 

Instead, mortification is (quoting Owens):

1. A habitual weakening of the lust.
2. A constant fight and contention against sin.
3. A degree of success in the battle.

How is the Christian to do this? "The Holy Spirit is our only sufficiency for the work of mortification." "He causes us to grow, thrive, flourish, and abound in the graces which are contrary, opposite, and destructive to all the works of the flesh, and contrary to the thriving of indwelling sin itself."

Owens then discusses nine preparatory directions ("preparing for the work of mortification") and two main directions (for the work of mortification itself). Quoting Owens for both lists:

1. Consider the symptoms that accompany a lust.
2. Get a clear and abiding sense upon your mind and conscience of the guilt, danger, and evil of the sin with which you are troubled.
3. Charge your conscience with the guilt of indwelling sin.
4. Seek a constant longing and thirsting to be delivered from the power of sin.
5. Consider whether the trouble that you are perplexed with is related to your particular make-up and nature.
6. Consider what occasions your sin has taken advantage of to exert itself in the past, and watch carefully at such times.
7. Rise mightily against the first sign of sin.
8. We need to be exercised with such meditations as will fill us at all times with self-abasement and thoughts of our own vileness.
9. When God stirs your heart about the guilt of your sin, concerning either its root and indwelling, or its breaking out, be careful you do not speak peace to yourself before God speaks it. Listen closely to what He says to your soul.

The two main directions:

1. Set your faith upon Christ for the killing of your sin.
• By faith fill your heart with a right consideratin of the provision that God has made in the work of Christ for the mortificationo f your sins.
• Raise up your heart in faith with an expectation of relief from Christ.
2. Consider the part that the Holy Spirit plays in mortification and the effects that are particularly ascribed to Him.
• He alone clearly and fully convinces the heart of the evil, guilt, and danger of the corruption, lust or sin that is to be mortified.
• The Spirit alone reveals to us the fullness of Christ for our relief.
• The Spirit alone establishes the heart in th expectation of relief from Christ.
• The Spirit alone brings the cross of Christ into our hearts with its sin-killing power.
• The Spirit is the Author and Finisher of our sanctification.
• All of our soul's prayers to God in our need are supported by the Spirit.

Review

I finished this short volume yesterday, and find it a suitable post for today- Good Friday, when Christians remember Christ's death on the cross. He is victorious over sin and the grave, and we are called to conform to His image. To be holy and put to death the sin the remains in us. Yet this is difficult and unpopular- our current culture has little desire to do this (or, in many cases, to even acknowledge sin as sin). I confess- I often have little desire as well, or I fall into the trap of focusing on certain sins and not others. So Owens' book was a necessary, powerful, and convicting reminder of our obligations. It is humbling, concise, and well-structured. I read the abridged and modernized (made easy to read) version. At only 130 pages, it is well worth your time.

Rating: A

Enjoying the Flames

Johnny "Hockey" Gaudreau

My favorite sports teams are a mess right now. The Orioles are pathetic. The Eagles are mired in mediocrity. Penn State is, too. The Spurs just got kicked out of the "play-in" for the playoffs. The only team with anything going for it right now is, surprisingly, the Calgary Flames.

The Flames are on the cusp of a 100-point season (that's happened only two other times since 1991) and are likely to lock up the top spot in the Pacific conference. Their best player, Johnny Gaudreau, passed the 100-pt mark for the first time in his career. Matthew Tkachuk may soon follow suit. The team went 7-0-0 on a homestand in February, becoming the first team in NHL history to do so.

The Flames have made a few smart moves in recent years:

- Their coach is once again Darryl Sutter, who led them to within one game of the crown last time he was their manager in 2004. From wikipedia, Sutter "is capable of motivating inferiorly skilled teams into overcoming more talented opponents." His "philosophy starts with strong goaltending, team defense and two-way forwards." We've seen that this year, as one site noted when analyzing the Flames' success.

- They returned to their classic uniform. Love that white-hot stylized C.

- They capitalize on value with smart player signings/trades: Jacob Markstrom, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Noah Hanifin, and Tyler Toffoli are all key contributors.

- They get value out of their homegrown talent: Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Rasmus Andersson, and Mikael Backlund come to mind.

The Flames are a small-market team, so there is urgency here. Whenever a 'little guy' goes far, the team is destined to be split up soon thereafter, as the quality players are generally snapped up on crazy contracts from other teams.

Stay together, boys!!

It's been hard to capture a no-kidding depth chart, because the line combinations are always in flux. From espn.com, here are the current player stats (for those who have played all year plus Toffoli, who was traded to them mid-year):

One depth chart from capfriendly.com:

Another from CBS Sports:

And a final from dailyfaceoff.com:

I don't know what this season holds, but it's been fun to watch.

The Bones of Arnor Campaign

Three years ago, I reviewed The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth (hereafter, JME). My sons and I recently completed the 14-adventure campaign, called The Bones of Arnor, that comes with the base game. This post is a review of that campaign.

The Bones of Arnor

In this campaign, you and your party are seeking to keep the forces of shadow (led by Atarin) at bay. You will travel through various parts of Middle Earth in the realm of Arnor (northeast of the Shire). You'll explore ruins, forests, inns, and caves. You'll interact with the living- and the dead. And you'll have to overcome enemies in droves- orcs, goblins, wights, and even the occasional troll. Do you have what it takes to prevail?

the intro screen to the campaign

example screenshot from one adventure

Campaign Features

As I've already reviewed the concepts of the game itself, this review will focus what we learned about the game playing through a campaign.

I've never played a campaign (in any game) before. We played one adventure per session. A given session lasted 30-90 minutes. With 2-3 sessions per week, it took us just under two months to get through all 14 adventures in the campaign.

Adventures were generally journey maps (the interlocking map tiles shown in the example screenshot above), but three were on battle maps (example screenshot below). These sessions had the same rules but focused on specific buildings or battlefields. Objects like walls, streams, tables, barrels, trees, fire pits, and statues were placed according to the app directions using cardboard objects included in the game. Each object could be interacted with; some (like streams) had special instructions accessed by clicking on them.

example battle map

Each adventure had one or more objectives as revealed by the app when you proceeded. Each also had a threat meter (shown at the top of the screen) that increased each round. Passing certain values would trigger events (like enemies entering the field). Players had to complete the objective(s) before the threat meter hit its maximum. The team succeeded if they met the objective(s) before this time without anyone in their party dying. The team failed if they did not meet objective(s) in time or had a party member die (when someone died, you had until the end of the round to meet the objective or you failed).

The campaign proceeds to the next adventure whether or not you succeed in the prior (most of the time), but your success or failure dictates what you face down the road. There were a two adventures that would end the campaign prematurely if you failed them- the app tells you this at the start of a given adventure. 

Review

Though I have very little RPG experience, this felt basically like an RPG where the app was the dungeon master. Though elements got repetitive, it was fun and engaging overall- and you have to immerse yourself in the story for full enjoyment. 

I was really impressed with how well the publisher made use of the cardboard representations of objects. From maps to objects to tokens, all things were double-sided and used well. In general, this had the look and feel of an experienced designer behind it.

I own the two subsequent expansions for this game- each of which includes its own campaign- but this base campaign incorporated map tiles, objects, and enemies from these later expansions once I told the app I had them. That was cool.

There is more to be explored in a given adventure than could possibly be. That lends itself to replayability; I'd like to go back and check out the things we couldn't last time.

We played on 'adventure' difficulty- meaning easy mode. We still lost 2-3 adventures along the way and then the finale. The difficulty felt suitable. I don't know how you'd survive in normal or hard modes.

Overall, this was a fun time playing with my sons. I hope to do more quests (or re-do this one) in the future. It would be easier to have a dedicated table for this, but the dining room will do for now. 

Queen of Sorcery (David Eddings)

The Belgariad continues! Shortly after Pawn of Prophecy . . .

Garion and company continue their quest to recover the Orb of Aldur. Their journeys take them south, through the towns of Arendia, Tolnedra, and Nyissa. Friends, foes, and fantastic creatures abound. Along the way, they pick up an important companion, and Garion learns more about what makes him special. Will the party be successful- or is it already too late?

Book two is much in the same vein as the first. I liked it, but it doesn't stand alone- it is a chapter in a larger story. There is some character development and suspenseful situations, but this is mostly a physical journey- it doesn't progress the story or characters quite as much as I would like for such a 'short' (5-book) series.

Rating: A-

The World of "rdles"

An example Wordle puzzle, as found on the NYT website

Wordle is a word-guessing game where you have six tries to guess a five-letter word. When you enter a guess, a green letter indicates a correct letter in the correct position; a yellow indicates a correct letter in an incorrect position (see above graphic). There is one new puzzle per day, and the website keeps track of your statistics (how many successfully guessed, how quickly you guessed them, etc.).

It started in October 2021; it's now a worldwide sensation. The New York Times bought the game in January 2022 for an undisclosed low seven-figure sum(!). It is free to play, fast, and fun. A good example of a simple concept used to great effect. 

Predictably, Wordle's success has spawned a tremendous number of knock-offs and variants in a short time. Here are just a few of them:

Original Concept

Wordle: the original. One new word daily.

Wordle archive: play any past Wordle. UPDATE: this was taken offline in mid-April.

Multiple Words

In these variants, each try is applied to multiple words at the same time.

Dordle: Guess two words at once; seven tries. 

Quordle: Guess four words at once; nine tries.

Octordle: Guess eight words at once; thirteen tries.

Duotrigordle: Guess 32 words at once; 37 tries. Scroll down to see all of them. Sheesh.

Math

Nerdle: guess an equation instead of a word. One new daily.

Primel: guess a 5-digit prime number. Six tries.

Geography

Worldle: guess the country based on its shape. Six tries.

Thematic

These variants focus on a specific theme.

Lordle of the Rings: focused on words (including proper names) that are found in Tolkien's books.

Star Wordle: focused on Star Wars terms.

Sports

Here, you guess the name of a player from a dropdown menu based on stats like team, division, position, age, and height.

Weddle: for NFL.

Poeltl: for NBA.

Wardle: for MLB.

Gordle: for NHL: this one is like normal Wordle (it doesn't use a dropdown menus for player names or use stats)

CFBordle: also like Wordle, but for college football (but not just players- teams, mascots, stadiums, etc.).

There are even more imitations, I'm sure. This site lists a few I didn't cover.

Phew! This concept has run amok. But I admit, it is fun.