#HIS INTERNET EXPLORER CHARM IS BEWITCHING... | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ashleysitalianlitblog · 3 years

Text

My Brilliant Friend (HBO Tie-in Edition): Book 1: Childhood and Adolescence

From the famous Italian author Elena Ferrante, the story is about a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante’s four-volume story spans almost sixty years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship. This first novel in the series follows Lila and Elena from their fateful meeting as ten-year-olds through their school years and adolescence. This book is now turning into an HBO MAX show and it’s a young adult classic in modern-day Italy

The Story of a New Name (HBO Tie-in Edition): Book 2: Youth

The follow-up to My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name continues the epic New York Times–bestselling literary quartet that has inspired an HBO series and returns us to the world of Lila and Elena, who grew up together in post-WWII Naples, Italy.

In The Story of a New Name, Lila has recently married and made her entrée into the family business; Elena, meanwhile, continues her studies and her exploration of the world beyond the neighborhood that she so often finds stifling. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila, and the pressure to excel is at times too much for Elena. Yet the two young women share a complex and evolving bond that is central to their emotional lives and a source of strength in the face of life’s challenges. In these Neapolitan Novels, Elena Ferrante, “one of the great novelists of our time” (The New York Times), gives us a poignant and universal story about friendship and belonging, a meditation on love and jealousy, freedom and commitment—at once a masterfully plotted page-turner and an intense, generous-hearted family saga.

Adua

The book Adua is by lgiaba Scego has historical references and looks into the life of an immigrant. The story is about Adua, an immigrant from Somalia to Italy who has lived in Rome for nearly forty years. She came seeking freedom from a strict father and an oppressive regime, but her dreams of becoming a film star ended in shame. Now that the civil war in Somalia is over, her homeland beckons. Yet Adua has a husband who needs her, a young man, also an immigrant, who braved a dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea. When her father, who worked as an interpreter for Mussolini's fascist regime, dies, Adua inherits the family home. She must decide whether to make the journey back to reclaim her material inheritance, but also how to take charge of her own story and build a future. From the choices of being an adult to a wife, the book gives us a look of the hard choices life gives us in a heartbreaking story.

100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed

An instant blockbuster in Italy that went on to become an international literary phenomenon, 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed is the fictionalized memoir of Melissa P., a Sicilian teenager whose quest for love rapidly devolves into a shocking journey of sexual discovery.

Melissa begins her diary a virgin, but a stormy affair at the age of fourteen leads her to regard sex as a means of self-discovery, and for the next two years she plunges into a succession of encounters with various partners, male and female, her age and much older, some met through schoolmates, others through newspaper ads and Internet chat rooms. In graphic detail, she describes her journey through a Dante-Esque underworld of eroticism, where she willingly participates in group sex and sadomasochism, as well as casual pickup

The Scent of Your Breath

Melissa P.’s fictionalized memoir, 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed, became an international literary phenomenon, selling over two million copies worldwide and provoking a warning from the pope. The Scent of Your Breath, the second installment in her series of confessions, is a tale of obsessive love and destructive passion.

Melissa is now a successful writer in Rome, living with her new lover, Thomas. With his soft body and feminine eyelashes, he is sensual, patient, and comforting—the antithesis of all the men who came before. But as soon as she meets Viola, a young woman from Thomas’s past, Melissa is consumed with jealousy. Written as a confessional letter to her mother, the story that follows is one of dark obsession, violent lust, and soul-destroying talent, teeming with the ghosts and dragonfly-women Melissa is convinced are trying to steal her man and bring about her ruin. The Scent of Your Breath blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy and delves deep into the disturbing yet strangely familiar mind of a teenage girl terrorized by love.

Three O'Clock in the Morning Is by Italian author Gianrico Carofiglio the contemporary heart-waring piece is about Antonio is eighteen years old and on the cusp of adulthood. His father, a brilliant mathematician, hasn’t played a large part in his life since divorcing Antonio’s mother but when Antonio is diagnosed with epilepsy, they travel to Marseille to visit a doctor who may hold the hope for an effective treatment. It is there, in a foreign city, under strained circumstances, that they will get to know each other and connect for the first time. A beautiful, gritty, and charming port city where French old-world charm meets modern bohemia, father and son stroll the streets sharing strained small talk. But as the hours pass and day give way tonight, the two find themselves caught in a series of caffeine-imbued adventures involving unexpected people (and unforeseen trysts) that connect father and son for the first time. As the two discuss poetry, family, sex, math, death, and dreams, their experience becomes a mesmerizing 48-hour microcosm of a lifetime relationship. Both learn much about illusions and regret, about talent and redemption, and, most of all, about love. This heartwarming story has captured the modern Italian audience.

Lost Words

Winner of the Viareggio Prize, a vivid portrait of Italy on the brink of social upheaval in the 1970s.The author Nicola Gardini, writes about the Inside an apartment building on the outskirts of Milan, the working-class residents gossip, quarrel, and conspire against each other. Viewed through the eyes of Chino, an impressionable thirteen-year-old boy whose mother is the doorwoman of the building, the world contained within these walls is tiny, hypocritical, and mean-spirited: a constant struggle. Chino finds escape in reading. One day, a new resident, Amelia Lynd, moves in and quickly becomes an unlikely companion and a formative influence on Chino. Ms. Lynd—an elderly, erudite British woman—comes to nurture his taste in literature, introduces him to the life of the mind, and offers a counterpoint to the only version of reality that he’s known. On one level, Lost Words is an engrossing coming-of-age tale set in the seventies, when Italy was going through tumultuous social changes, and on another, it is a powerful meditation on language, literature, and culture.

Things That Happened Before the Earthquake

The book by Chiara Barzini describes a story about Mere weeks after the 1992 riots that laid waste to Los Angeles, Eugenia, a typical Italian teenager, is rudely yanked from her privileged Roman milieu by her hippie-ish filmmaker parents and transplanted to the strange suburban world of the San Fernando Valley. With only the Virgin Mary to call on for guidance as her parents struggle to make it big, Hollywood fashion, she must navigate her huge new public high school, complete with Crips and Bloods and Persian gang members, and a car-based environment of 99-cent stores and obscure fast-food franchises and all-night raves. She forges friendships with Henry, who runs his mother's movie memorabilia store, and the bewitching Deva, who introduces her to the alternate cultural universe that is Topanga Canyon. And then the 1994 earthquake rocks the foundations not only of Eugenia's home but of the future she'd been imagining for herself.

I'll Steal You Away

Italian literary superstar Niccolò Ammaniti’s novel, I’m Not Scared, prompted gushing praise, hit international bestseller lists, and was made into a smash indie film. In I’ll Steal You Away, Ammaniti takes his unparalleled empathy for children, his scythe-sharp observations, and his knack for building tension to a whole new level. In a tiny Italian village, a young boy named Pietro is growing up tormented by bullies and ignored by his parents. When an aging playboy, Graziano Biglia, returns to town, a change is in the air: Pietro decides to take on the bullies, his lonely teacher Flora finds romance with the town’s prodigal son, and the inept janitor at the school proclaims his love for his favorite prostitute. But the village isn’t ready for such change, and when Graziano seduces and forgets Flora, both she and Pietro’s tentative hopes seem crushed forever. With great tenderness, Ammaniti shines light on the heart-wrenching failures and quiet redemptions of ordinary people trying to live extraordinary lives.

Heaven and Earth: A Novel Every summer Teresa follows her father to his childhood home in Puglia, down in the heel of Italy, a land of relentless, shimmering heat, centuries-old olive groves and families who have lived there for generations. She spends long afternoons enveloped in a sunstruck stupor, reading her grandmother's paperbacks.

Everything changes the summer she meets the three boys who live on the farm next door: Nicola, Tommaso and Bern—the man Teresa will love for the rest of her life. Raised like brothers on a farm that feels to Teresa almost suspended in time, the three boys share a complex, intimate, and seemingly unassailable bond.But no bond is unbreakable and no summer truly endless, as Teresa soon discovers.Because there is resentment underneath the surface of that strange brotherhood, a twisted kind of love that protects a dark secret. And when Bern—the enigmatic, restless gravitational center of the group—commits a brutal act of revenge, not even a final pilgrimage to the edge of the world will be enough to bring back those perfect, golden hours in the shadow of the olive trees.

An unforgettable story of enduring love, the bonds between men, and the all-too-human search for meaning, Heaven and Earth is Paolo Giordano at his best: an author capable of unveiling the depths of the human soul, who has now given us the old-fashioned pleasure of a big, sprawling novel in which to lose ourselves

2 notes · View notes

32flavasshoetique · 5 years

Text

iceland women

Icelandic Brides

Women from Iceland are actually known to possess hot souls. The cold temperatures in their country place’ t frozen their hearts when it relates to love. They like witha passion that numerous males are going to profoundly cherish. You might be wondering why numerous guys drive their attention to these incredible iceland women https://onlinemillionairedatingsites.com/iceland-brides/ They are actually known to ” bewitch” guys withtheir unbelievable appeal and good qualities that create them best other halves.

If you are actually that individual that has been hunting for a good life partner, look at settling withthese brides and also you gained’ t regret it. Nowadays you don’ t have to think about cross countries due to the fact that the sophisticated modern technology has actually carried out a wonder for us. Now you may date anyone online at the convenience of your home. This write-up will let you understand the incredible components these women have and the dating internet sites you can easily utilize to discover them.

Characteristics of Icelandic Brides

A male who’ s searching for a girl for marriage considers plenty of factors. These Icelandic bride-to-bes are actually recognized to have what any man would be actually looking for in a girl. The following are actually the major features that produce every man worldwide to become enticed to these females.

Artistic

Every guy wants his life to become fun and delighted. No one can do this flawlessly or even the Icelandic brides. They are actually known to become very imaginative and turn every celebration in to an appealing one. It doesn’ t issue if the task is small like shopping, going witha walk, preparing food, and so on. They are going to constantly locate special ways to create all of them unique as well as remarkable. If you acquire one of these iceland women, be sure to possess an intriguing lifestyle withmany journeys. Who wouldn’ t yearn for suchan impressive knowledge?

Hardworking as well as Individual

Icelandic women are raised to become diligent women and also accountable. They are effectively enlightened and are actually motivated to strive and also pursue their jobs. They are recognized to work relentlessly to achieve what they really want in life. In Iceland, they value gender equal rights. As a result women may utilize positions that were thought to be actually for guys. If you think these women desire your money, reconsider. They are known to be autonomous and searchfor males simply to have a major relationship as well as possess a pleased family members.

Charming

Icelandic women are ranked at the top when it comes to elegance. What drives many guys outrageous is their outstanding and also spectacular number. What produces them excellent is their milklike white skin, light-colored eyes, and brownishhair. They are likewise fairly highas well as most of them are platinum blonde. Icelandic iceland women take fantastic care of their bodies by being on a diet plan as well as performing exercises to keep their figure. They also take time to make on their own look muchmore attractive throughdoing manicures as well as pedicures. They value fashion trend as well as make sure to become up to date along withany sort of stylishpatterns.

Family- Driven

When these Icelandic mail order bride-to-bes enter in a relationship and get married, their main concentration is family. They are instructed loved ones market values when they are actually little bit of women to ensure they could be great better halves down the road. They consistently make their households the best priority. So they want to lose just about anything for their family members. Despite the fact that they intend to attain their targets in lifestyle, they will definitely always possess opportunity to make certain the healthof their loved ones. Ensure that you and also your household will be effectively looked after.

Loving and also Well-mannered

If there is something that Icelandic mail order brides treasure, it is actually love and regard. They take into consideration these 2 factors as their strengthand pillar that holds their relationship. Once they give their hearts to you, they will like candidly. They will certainly continue to be trustworthy and also certainly never attempt to deceive your affection. Due to their abounding love they have for you, they are going to regularly value you as their spouse and address you like a king. They will additionally look after you as you were her youngster.

How to Find Icelandic Women?

Matchtruly. com

Loverwhirl. com

Romancetale. com

Bharatmatrimony. com

After viewing these incredible functions that these bride-to-bes possess, you might definitely want to wed iceland women. You may be actually questioning just how you can reachmeet them, yet you are a many thousand miles away. These are actually the very best dating websites that you can easily make use of to discover them.

Matchtruly. com

This dating system is understood to be among the greatest dating website that you can use to locate your soulmate. The registration is actually basic, prompt and totally free. After joining the internet site, you will definitely be called for to produce your profile that will possess your explanation to ensure you might be recognized openly. They offer you along witha large range of impressive songs from different countries that you will select your life partner. The system will certainly supply you withremarkable online searchengine that will definitely ensure you get the particular fit. They possess wonderful communication resources that will certainly propel the excellence of your partnership.

Loverwhirl. com

This dating site realizes the security of its users as their top priority. As a result, they validate all accounts using SSL file encryption to stop hoax. They also verify every settlement made using visa as well as MasterCard security code to stop fraudulence. The site has a 24/7 operating assistance team that is ready to answer any question and also fix any sort of problem you might have. They have outstanding exploring algorithms that will definitely ensure you get your perfect suit. Make sure to acquire the greatest solutions that are going to make your online going out withadventure fascinating and also memorable.

Romancetale. com

Romancetale. com is actually understood to have an assortment of beautiful brides that are going to leave you surprised. They give you withonline searchengine that will definitely ensure you locate a new bride that will satisfy all your needs. The platform will definitely likewise offer some surveys to produce the looking effortless as well as quick. They regularly take into consideration interaction as the simple device for any kind of partnership therefore, giving you along withthe best interaction devices including real-time chatting, immediate chatting, as well as emailing and also gift distributions. They put on’ t neglect to put the safety and security of their consumers over everything, therefore ensuring optimal surveillance.

Bharatmatrimony. com

This dating system is actually understood to become the greatest Icelandic women dating site as it gives a vast array of exceptional singles coming from Iceland. Joining this dating website is actually simple as well as free. You are actually needed to spend some funds that is actually budget friendly for you to enjoy exclusive components. They offer their customers along witha reliable and also reliable support team that prepares to support you by any means. They also have really good exploring formulas that are going to ensure you obtain your specific match. You will definitely acquire the most ideal solutions that will aid you obtain your life companion.

Conclusion

In verdict, you have no reason for not dating these remarkable iceland women. They have virtually every attribute that a guy looks for in a lady and you are provided withthe greatest dating websites that will certainly make certain the excellence of your relationship.

from 32flavas https://ift.tt/2WJbnS8 via IFTTT

0 notes

recentanimenews · 5 years

Text

Leaps in Animation, Leaps in Time: Celebrating Mamoru Hosoda's Birthday!

I remember my first Mamoru Hosoda film like it was yesterday. It was none other than The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and I was 17 years old, excited but completely unaware of what the movie would be about. It was after all, an age where film recommendations came by word of mouth, and internet buzz had hyped up the movie, mentioning things like a “witty shoujo romance” or “charming coming of age.” It was only when I witnessed the pleasant animation and the compelling story of Makoto Konno’s high school life as she tries to navigate through time, responsibility, and love, that I realized how bewitching the movie truly was.

Hosoda has that kind of magic on you, I understood from then. His ability to interweave the magical with relatable human drama isn’t as well captured by other directors, and no medium like anime makes this kind of union truly shine. Whether it’s a girl leaping in the background of clear summer skies, or a boy fighting against beasts in need of parental love, Hosoda is always unique. He only furthers his ability to create pleasant and witty characters in Summer Wars, which is probably his most fan-favorite and famous film, as it explores kids trying to prevent a malignant AI program from infecting more of the real world.

For Hosoda fans, we can easily see the Digimon: The Movie roots in Summer Wars but unlike his debut film, Hosoda comes off much more polished in this movie. Featuring some of the most creative and cool character designs I’ve seen in awhile, Summer Wars is a feast for the eyes, and an inventive blend of romance, action, drama, and coming-of-age narrative. Using a mix of CGI and traditional animation, Hosoda tells a cautionary tale about the woes of technology—but also their ability to unlock a greater imagination in all of us, child or not.

From there, I feel like Hosoda takes a step back though, to return to the tempered world of mystical and real. Wolf Children is probably my second favorite movie, and was when, in my eyes, I saw Hosoda transition to a solid director to an all time great one. It’s not often we see films about motherhood, or even being a single parent, in media, let alone anime, but Hosoda manages to blend that kind of narrative with his coming-of-age trademark. Using the motif of werewolves, he also manages to bring in an additional lens of what it means to belong to two different cultures—all a series of ambitious, daring ideas to tackle, and all that he does with ease.

The Boy and the Beast continues that trend and hones in on it, but now from more of a fatherhood perspective than a motherhood one. The Boy and the Beast is slightly less serious than Wolf Children, and makes up for it in spades with a heartwarming tale sprinkled with comedy and action, as we watch young Ren grow into an admirable and honorable teenager who understands the importance of dignity and family duty. Hosoda’s ambitions I think, sometimes outweigh the pacing and length of his movie, but overall, it’s a film that embraces his best strengths: charming characters with snarky attitudes, emotionally conflicted children that must overcome their own familial burdens, and most of all, a heart wrenching but powerful climax that leaves the audience feeling satisfied.

It’s only been a year since Mirai has been released, but that too, carries many of Hosoda’s signature styles. While personally speaking, it’s not his most cohesive film—much of the story does skip between generations and it often gets too caught up in the fantastical for me to truly become immersed in, it’s still by far, a modestly wonderful and incredibly personal tale. Kun’s growth from a younger brother to someone who understands the importance of family is an endearing story, but once again, borrowing from Wolf Children’s parental perspective of things, makes Mirai even more interesting. Hosoda mentioned that he was driven to make Mirai after listening to his own children’s stories about sibling conflicts and how a family can remain thematically intact despite the years fly by. It’s a wild and imaginative concept, but Hosoda manages to make it just work.

But perhaps the dearest and nearest Hosoda film to my heart isn’t any of his original works, but rather a film from one of the great animes of our time: One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island is stylistically but also thematically very different from many of the One Piece films that we’ve come to adore, as well as any of Hosoda’s other films. For starters, it retains Hosoda’s distinct flat shading, minimal line art, but combines it with One Piece’s almost globular animation. For some, this can be off putting, but to me personally, it reminds me of the older days of One Piece, where the animation was flat and quirky.

Baron Omatsuri isn’t just visually striking; it’s the only One Piece film I know that really dives into some of the hard questions about the Straw Hats and their relationships with one another. Hosoda does a fantastic job of asking, “What if the Straw Hats disagreed with each other? Or found misalignments in their values and friendships with one another?” and watching those arguments and negative emotions come to life is both scary but also fascinating. For a series whose foundation is built upon trust and family-like bonding with one another, Hosoda’s Baron Omatsuri is almost a nerve-wracking breakdown of those themes (but also a rebuilding of them, thankfully enough!) that I would highly recommend to any Hosoda fan or One Piece fan alike. While all of Hosoda’s films are much more light hearted and happy, the “ugliness” that’s explored in Baron Omatsuri with a fierce shonen heart is riveting, and it’s easily my favorite of his movies.

Mamoru Hosoda's films have come and gone, but one thing remains for sure: Hosoda has woven together an eclectic but wonderful series of stories to tell. I personally can’t wait to see the next project he’s working on!

Do you have any favorite Hosoda films and experiences you'd like to share? Leave them in the comments below!

____________________________________________________________________________

When not finding ways to doom all her ships, Natasha can often be found on her twitter as @illegenes, or writing more about anime on the blog Isn’t It Electrifying! Feel free to swing by and say hi.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

0 notes

operationrainfall · 6 years

Text

Title Knight Bewitched Developer Joshua Keith Publisher Joshua Keith Original Release Date April 18, 2018 Genre Fantasy RPG Platform PC (Steam)

I always appreciate it when development tools and engines are made available to newcomer game designers. They allow beginners and amateurs to make reality a vision of a game they may have, and they also allow for as much customization and creativity as the designer desires. Knight Bewitched is one such vision, allowing a newcomer game designer to share with us his unique and immersive story.

Knight Bewitched tells the epic tale of Ruth, a well-respected knight from the kingdom of Halonia. When we first join her, she is tasked to slay a dragon, the spawn of Typhus the World-Breaker. After a successful mission, an image of Typhus appears, vowing to fully return and end humanity as he once attempted in the past. Back then, Typhus set humanity against the race of dragons in a bloody war and a repeat of these events would doom the world. In the meantime though, Ruth is soon tasked to eliminate a lone witch, Gwen. However during the mission, Ruth falls deathly ill and is, in turn, rescued by Gwen. Not able to harm her benefactor, Ruth returns to Halonia and is assumed bewitched and arrested. After escaping her arrest with the help of her squire, Stray, and the assassin, Uno, the three reunite with Gwen to set off into the world to prevent the return of Typhus.

The story elements of Knight Bewitched are the game’s greatest strength. Although the overall plot, defeat a big boss and save the world, is a touch on the dry side, the narrative and character development are outstanding. Starting with the narrative, the writing of Knight Bewitched is fantastic, as I found myself immersed and my attention held throughout the game. The banter between the main characters, the plentiful humor, and our heroes’ reactions to enemies and NPCs is all brilliant. While the game is set in a fantasy setting, there are many references to modern and internet culture, yet these seemingly out of place jokes and references don’t break immersion and only add to the fun and light-hearted nature of the game. The writing overall is incredibly fun and charming. Not once did I find it drag on or become stale. Rather, I was pleasantly entertained throughout.

The character development is also impressive, as we see personal struggles and satisfying growth amongst the individual characters. Gwen is a wonderful character. She’s funny, charming, witty, and sarcastic at the perfect moments. Stray is a character easy to sympathize with, given his background, and just as easy to root for. Despite his troubles, he still manages to show his jovial and cheerful sides. Ruth and Uno tend to fit common molds a bit more than the other two, but they are no less likable. Ruth is a straightforward and determined woman, capable of handling anything in her way. And yet despite her upright personality, the ease at being ruffled by Gwen’s banter is incredibly cute. It’s another level to her character that makes her special and enjoyable. Uno, the brooding silent type, does get plenty of meaningful development that lets any player grow to like him on a personal level. He even has his own moments of humor too, which makes him even more memorable.

The only complaint I have in terms of story is the relationship between Ruth and Gwen, as I found its development lacking in depth. Early on, we are made aware of Gwen’s attraction to Ruth, as Gwen’s dialogue, inner thoughts, and behaviors all demonstrate her care and growing feelings for Ruth. However, Ruth never properly nor convincingly reciprocates this attraction at all. She is distinctly passive or nonreactive to the point of indifference. Finally, when it’s revealed that Ruth shares Gwen’s feelings, it comes off as such a rushed response, as again, Ruth hadn’t shown any attraction towards Gwen up to that point. In fact, it could very well had been assumed that Ruth had only been concerned for Gwen simply as any other friend or companion. It also could have been assumed that Ruth was straight, bi, or even asexual because of how little the relationship dynamic was actually developed. One-sided until close to endgame and boom, they’re lovey-dovey. This is especially disappointing because all other story aspects like the narrative, individual character development, and humor are all admirably written. It is clear the developer has the talent, but the ball was dropped when it came to the one major relationship in the game. It’s a dishearteningly missed opportunity, as pacing and balanced buildup between both Ruth and Gwen would have made their relationship worlds more intriguing.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The story elements are what make this game remarkable, but unfortunately, the same level of quality failed to be maintained in its gameplay. Knight Bewitched does nothing special with its gameplay, relying solely on the cookie-cutter RPG Maker mechanics. It’s not broken. On the contrary, gameplay all works well, yet nothing unique was changed or added to make the experience more memorable. Gameplay is split between combat and overworld mechanics, with battles occurring at random and utilizing the engine-provided turn-based setup. I will say that I found encounter rates and challenge level to be acceptable, never requiring any serious grinding nor ever feeling like your team is over leveled. I did come across one bug, having to do with how status effect turn counts are handled. Turn counters only turn over or refresh when someone takes damage. My team was once sleep-locked by an enemy that could no longer attack, due to it running out of MP. So, no one could attack and adjust the sleep stat counter, resulting in my having to reset the game.

I do like that turn order and action icons are visible in battle.

Outside of combat, the world is made of various towns filled with NPCs to interact with and plenty of dungeons to explore. However, exploration is limited to acquiring uninspired items, many of which are unnecessary or fail to give a reasonable advantage upon acquisition. I will say that I do like the variety of obtainable equipment, as they require some strategy to use. They are not your typical “boost everything” kind of equips, so deciding how you wish to utilize your characters and what stats to heighten all comes into play. The ability to change equipment during a fight is also a nice touch. Finally, I found it disappointing that there is only the main campaign to play through, as there are no subquests to be had.

Further issues include the complete lack of a quest log. Many times during play, players will be completely on their own to discover where to go next. Only sometimes do teammates or NPCs guide players to the next area. Even when you do receive hints, most often they are vague compass directions. A quest log, especially after spending significant time in a village or dungeon, would have helped remind players on what to do or where to go next. Speaking of being on your own, the first segments of the game provide zero guides or tutorials as to how to actually play the game. Those familiar with RPG Maker games will undoubtedly figure things out quickly and will regard this as a non-issue. Yet, not everyone has played RPG Maker games and may not be familiar with its standard use of the Z, X, and C buttons, or its alternate configurations. (I prefer using Enter, Shift, and Num 0.) Only after your first boss fight does a gameplay guide become available. Overall, gameplay is uninspired, its lack of quest logs hurts, and the potential struggles for newcomers as to how to play may take away from their experience.

As I stated, I really do like the idea of mechanisms and tools that allow anyone to create a game on their own. RPG Maker, Unity, Ren’py, you name it. Having said that, I do take issue when developers completely rely on the tools and assets available with zero effort to leave their own marks. This is exactly the case here in regards to the aesthetics of Knight Bewitched. There are no custom pieces of art, nor are there any original pieces of music. Most of the assets are taken from RPG Maker Fes and some from other RPG Maker and free asset sets.

Now I fully understand that not everyone is an artist and even fewer are musical composers, so much so that I forgive the use of pre-made music, but there are options available to leave a unique visual mark, whether it’s through commissions or teaming up with volunteers willing to help. It’s disheartening to see a complete dependence on pre-made visual assets, as I believe any custom artwork would have brought more life and impact to these characters. Instead, the reliance on stock artwork, which is someone else’s vision, is unfortunate. I will say this. I suppose it is impressive that the developer managed to use Fes assets for a PC game, as Fes is only available for the 3DS. I haven’t figured out how this was done, since I don’t believe Fes assets are available to download for any of the PC-based RPG Maker engines. Regardless, I would have preferred custom artwork, especially if the game is being sold for profit. Instead we get stock portraits, stock sprites and tilesets, and zero in-game CGs.

Knight Bewitched is a marvelous story trapped in a less than stellar game. The game overall is painfully average with a few hiccups too, which is disappointing given the impressive writing waiting to be discovered. With unremarkable gameplay and a full dependency on engine assets, it is difficult to rate this any higher than our average score of 2.5. Again, nothing here can be considered awful, but its many bright spots are just as soon cancelled out by its flaws and the end result is a game few would consider a gem. I would perhaps argue that this story would have been more outstanding in another media form, rather than an RPG. My thoughts aside, Knight Bewitched has its charm and points of brilliance, and for about $5 for this roughly 10-hour campaign, I can still easily recommend this to those looking for an RPG with terrific immersion, strong narrative and a very easy group of characters to root for. I hope we see a continuation of the Knight Bewitched saga in the future.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”2.5″]

Review Copy Purchased by Author

TBT REVIEW: Knight Bewitched Title Knight Bewitched

#Joshua Keith #Knight Bewitched #lgbt-friendly #LGBT-positive #RPG #RPG Maker #RPG Maker FES #RPG Maker MV

1 note · View note

victoriagloverstuff · 6 years

Text

16 Books You Should Read This June

Caroline Kepnes, Providence (Lenny)

In her first standalone, Kepnes combines the suspense and careful plotting of crime fiction with elements of horror. The novel traces the early friendship of Jon and Chloe, best friends in a small New Hampshire town who feel like kindred spirits, though neither one of them wants to risk their friendship by moving into couples territory. Jon’s life becomes a lot more complicated when he discovers he has superhuman powers, ones that could hurt Chloe. What follows is part procedural featuring the distinctive detective Charles “Eggs” DeBenedictus, as a serial killer is loose Providence, where Jon is hiding out. There’s also a Lovecraft convention in town which Jon sneaks into as a way of blending into the crowd (many literary in-jokes abound). But most of all, Jon wants to fix himself and get back at Chloe, which makes the book also a poignant love story.

��Lisa Levy, CrimeReads contributing editor

Rachel Cusk, Kudos (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

I didn’t begin reading Outline, the first book in Rachel Cusk’s trilogy of novels centering on a writer named Faye, until the release of Kudos, the final installment, was on the horizon. I don’t envy those who were made to wait for each book. Cusk’s style—precise and unsentimental—is transfixing and consuming. The novels unfold in a world in which small talk consistently unfurls into self-searching confession and philosophical grandstanding. Kudos finds Faye, remarried, en route to a literary conference in the wake of Brexit. It’s both of a piece with its predecessors and, in certain ways, utterly unlike them—that is, it’s the perfect conclusion.

–Nathan Goldman, Lit Hub contributor

Édouard Louis, History of Violence, trans. Lorin Stein (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

In this autobiographical novel, after a sexual liaison turns into a violent rape and near-murder, Édouard Louis discovers his assailant has suffered his own brutalities, and Louis wants to break the cycle of this terrible legacy they’ve both inherited. The traumatic event mirrors the societal, cultural, and economic attacks on vulnerable populations such as migrants, women, or like Louis, gay and from a poor working-class town. The book investigates and attempts to understand the systemic and structural history of violence such populations have been subjected to while also sympathizing with those perpetrators who’ve been dispossessed themselves. In a world that usually insists on bifurcated choices like being the punisher or the punished, to endure or dispense, Louis locates a sliver of space in between where another choice exists.

–Kerri Arsenault, Lit Hub contributor

Chelsea Hodson, Tonight I’m Someone Else (Henry Holt and Co.)

Like Chelsea Hodson’s chapbook Pity the Animal (included in this book), this essay collection is shape-shifting, and Hodson’s voice has got me under a spell of sorts. I am making my way through it and going from awe to exhilaration to discomfort, and back to awe. The essays feature a game of Russian roulete played with a knife hung from a fan; Grand Theft Auto; “suggar daddies” on the internet; Schopenhauer; and NASA. They are about desire and our bodies, and how we negotiate their myriad commodifications. I love what Sarah Manguso said of them: “These essays are bewitching—despite their discipline and rigor, you can smell the blood.”

–Marta Bausells, Lit Hub contributing editor

Jérôme Ruillier, The Strange, trans. Helge Dascher (Drawn & Quarterly)

Ruillier’s black, red, and yellow illustrations and his straightforward storytelling convey the persistent unease of the migrant experience. The unnamed narrator in The Strange is undocumented, and though we don’t know the war-torn country he’s fleeing nor the hostile-toward-immigration one in which he arrives, we feel the frantic beat of his heart at each stage. In The Strange, we experience the manner in which each new interaction for an undocumented immigrant can be a matter of jeopardy. The art throughout this graphic novel is haunting, stressful, and beautiful.

–Nathan Scott McNamara, Lit Hub contributor

Rosamund Young, The Secret Life of Cows (Penguin Press)

What I’ve read of this so far felt like sitting at the kitchen table a half hour before sunrise waiting for the coffee to brew listening to Young recount the various goings on of local cows. It seemed pretty great.

–Jonny Diamond, Lit Hub editor

Adrienne Celt, Invitation to a Bonfire (Bloomsbury)

This novel tells an alternative history of the Nabokovs, disguised as the Orlovs. What remains is Vera’s fierce participation in all aspects of “Orlov’s” narrative. Celt weaves a fascinating thriller ending with what, at this time of author misalliances, is frighteningly possible. Vera says about being remembered: “History’s unkind that way. Once your life leaves your hands you become—mutable. Susceptible, I suppose you might say, to anyone with an axe to grind or a tale to tell.” Prophetic? Cynical? The story is beautifully told with enough absolutely stunning sentences to enthrall the reader. If you love, as I do, tales based on the lives of actual artists, then this story is for you.

–Lucy Kogler, Lit Hub columnist

The Weight of the Earth: The Tape Journals of David Wojnarowicz, ed. Lisa Darms and David O’Neill (Semiotext(e))

There’s a small and enviable group of visual artists whose work with the written word is every bit as impressive as their more well-known artistic expression. That’s certainly the case with David Wojnarowicz, whose vital and impassioned works blended the personal and political to a stunning extent. The Weight of the Earth is taken from Wojnarowicz’s tape journals, particularly those that he kept near the end of his life. With a major retrospective of Wojnarowicz’s artwork opening at the Whitney next month, and given that many of his concerns about art, society, and governmental inaction remain all too relevant today, the time is right to experience his work—and The Weight of the Earth is a particularly direct way to do so.

–Tobias Carroll, Lit Hub contributor

Article continues after advertisement

Nell Painter, Old in Art School (Counterpoint Press)

When I studied art in college, there was a crew of guys known as the “art bros.” Their work was hit or miss, but always presented as if they were at the forefront of the next art movement. I’m guessing Nell Painter encountered a very similar white-male-artist archetype when she began studying art at Rutgers University at age 64. She continued on to earn an MFA at Rhode Island School of design, where she was not only the oldest, but the only black student in her class. Having just retired from teaching history at Princeton and authoring several books on race and identity, Painter is well-equipped to dissect the various forms of discrimination she faces in these programs. And she does it all with a sense of humor, honoring, above all else, creativity, and openness.

–Alicia Kroell, Lit Hub editorial fellow

Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Woman, trans. Ginny Tapley Takemori (Grove Atlantic)

Sometimes real life and its routines are enough. If you tilt them just so, they might even unfold and reveal a world of mystery. This magical little book performs this neat accordion track in sentences so clean and crisp it’s like they were laminated and placed before you, one at a time, in a well-windex’d cooler. And thus Sayaka Murata has written the 7-11 Madame Bovary. The author has spent nearly the last 20 years herself working a corner shop in Tokyo, for some of that waking at an ungodly hour, writing, then going to work the early morning shift, selling cigarette and coffee and cold medicine to Tokyo residents. You would think that kind of schedule would produce drudgery, or even twilit ghoulishness. No, this is a love story. Only the love affair here is between a woman and the convenience store in which she works.

–John Freeman, Lit Hub executive editor

Rae DelBianco, Rough Animals (Arcade Publishing)

As a long-time lover of dark contemporary westerns, I’m pretty damn excited about Rae DelBianco’s debut novel, Rough Animals—the story of a pair of recently-orphaned twins, Wyatt and Lucy Smith, living a hard-bitten existence on a cattle ranch in Utah. When a shootout with a feral teenage girl results in the death of four of the Smiths’ cattle, Wyatt takes off in pursuit through the nightmarish desert wilderness. DelBianco’s writing has been compared to that of Cormac McCarthy, Jim Harrison, and Denis Johnson, and a recent Publishers Weekly review called the book “ . . . a viscerally evoked fever dream, a bleakly realized odyssey through an American west populated by survivors and failed dreamers,” which shot the book to the top of my Summer Reading pile.

–Dan Sheehan, Book Marks editor

Dorthe Nors, Mirror, Shoulder, Signal (Graywolf)

I’ve been hooked on Dorthe Nors ever since her short story collection, Karate Chop, was shared with the English-speaking world four years ago, so I am particularly stoked to read her new novel, Mirror, Shoulder, Signal, about a middle-aged translator, driving lessons, and vertigo. Dorthe Nors’ work, beautifully translated from the Danish, tends to explore fascinating, wholly singular women. Her short stories pack a punch, so I can’t wait to find out what she can do with a novel.

–Katie Yee, Book Marks assistant editor

Lauren Groff, Florida (Riverhead)

Like pretty much everyone else, I’m looking forward to finishing Lauren Groff’s new story collection, Florida, this month. The stories I’ve read from it so far have been weird and stormy and wonderful, and Groff’s writing style—which always seems like a dam on the verge of bursting—never fails to charm me. Her recent By the Book isn’t too bad either.

–Emily Temple, Lit Hub senior editor

Christopher Bonanos, Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous (Henry Holt and Co.)

I’ve been fascinated by Weegee—real name Arthur Fellig—since attending the International Center of Photography’s 2012 exhibition of his work, “Murder is My Business.” Known mostly for the inventive, tabloid-journalism style photos he took primarily of crime scenes and their aftermath in the 1930s and 40s, Weegee worked both quickly and nocturnally, allegedly developing photos out of a miniature darkroom in the trunk of his car. He was also a relentless self-mythologizer: Weegee was a nickname of his own making, for his “psychic” ability to arrive at a crime scene at the same time as the cops. I’m looking forward to learning more about the man behind the legend, especially after New York Times critic Jennifer Szalai raved that “Christopher Bonanos has finally supplied us with the biography Weegee deserves.”

–Jess Bergman, Lit Hub features editor

You-Jeong Jeong, The Good Son (Penguin Books)

There are almost too many great crime books coming out in June to pick one, but You-Jeong Jeong’s uber-creepy psychological thriller The Good Son is at the top of my list for the month and quite possibly for the year. When a young man wakes up covered in blood and finds his mother has been murdered, he must investigate the blank spaces in his own memories to uncover what happened. What emerges is a chilling portrait of psychopath, and a beautifully evocative tale of wealth and isolation in modern South Korean life. You-Jeong Jeong has been called the Stephen King of South Korea, although I’d prefer to compare her to Lionel Shriver, Dorothy B. Hughes, or Patricia Highsmith.

–Molly Odintz, CrimeReads editor

Rosalie Knecht, Who Is Vera Kelly? (Tin House)

People who know me know that two of my, say, top five interests are midcentury double identity stories and underground Latin American political/intellectual scenes. As it happens, those are the driving forces behind Rosalie Knecht’s new novel, Who Is Vera Kelly?, a strange and innovative take on the spy novel, one that’s noir and full of ambiguities, doubles, and double-crosses. This has everything you’d want from espionage fiction, but there’s also something strange and subversive going on. Knecht has a livewire intellect and I hope she sticks with spy fiction of some kind of another, because this is just the kind of jolt the genre (my beloved genre) needs now and again.

Good read found on the Lithub

1 note · View note

christianathletes-blog1 · 8 years

Text

Beginning/summer season 2010 another command involving ft sports

I am from a source possess not at all, currently to always be ones lover of one's Oriental sports this is often progress. "Xia Youqun trainers, major controlling police agency, proclaimed reporters," and also growth, your everyday use system manufacture function tend to be be, of the communication channel constructing a sturdy cash flow network, ultimately acquires initially the professional plus on the market. "Secondary-tier up products move up up to appropriate node neighborhood write around the engage in of this name for many years, due to the fact that this stronghold on this moment grade complete at the same time started to brand operation, forever comprehension a good opportunity celestial point, that will help trade name commerce into the limit. From inside the features company, YeLi volume web internationally Cup was infrequent. Throughout Parts of asia at the FIFA (FIFA) provider, immediately after well over 12 months to discussions, YeLi then finally end up being the 2010 universe drink around geographical area Africa's certified contest hold United Mexican States spot provider. YeLi shao-xiong Lin suspect (Mexico) dioxyde de carbone., LTD., director, since the well-known business, YeLi extremely hard simply copying Toddler tap shoes, Puma Toddler Sneakers to most YeLi wants their own unique, also cooperate through FIFA's large advantages would that be are available easily using point related to cheap jordan 11 linked logos, discover where, after a FIFA administrative unit listed assistance, is wholly totally different from the method of" gamble structure ", would certainly thoroughly increase the make property value of YeLi. Just about every single name while in the many stages of development, there are certainly several demands.

Jordan 9.5 shoes now inhabit India tennis shoes on 10 several years consecutively consolidated business from start. Newsman: after just the past year, lots of football materials enterprises within adventure, child garments, and various battlefield, can you say maybe www.airjordan obtain these types of a plan? Pertaining to people feel replaced? Kevin: younger people is among the actual foremost athletic products and services eating pack, however, hopefully in order to meet many people interest play items. We since countless fields eg exploration or expansion, all route tactic to provide you with financial support for its business enterprise, the longer term will build up all tall progression potentiality sections of commercial, and in addition far tone the shop photo, function ability and additionally accumulate, resume from your niche and/or consequence diversification method to swell work from home opportunities. When sight of that the custom-made goods current market marktsegment, can cheap nike air max shoes for sale has actually feature. We'll will continue to increase settle around basketball, tennis games and conducting internet prominence of this shell, move way more model and more role of sports activities life time solutions. On the other hand they besides noticed that a lot of women, child sport things, additionally the sizeable expected associated with kid advertise will most likely moreover better could, child sports and then liveliness drift show, to satisfy growing trade request. Utilizing progress prospect of development of ladies athletics niche, they ask over sydney "dive diva guo jingjing then songs personification zhang liangying additionally Jordan Releases 2012-13 tennis actor spokesman zheng jie, together" bloom heart beat "advertising routines as well as play diversity for ladies' football connection.

"methods to schedule your very own flying?" "Brand of enterprisers having a heart Buddha" sexy problem: every looks dynamic by every one important promoting front-page in a rising star within your NBA, unknown guiding that the desirable career advancement for most people famous ventures. Even while has now been recently air jordan for cheap service, but yet cheap jordans with free shipping, Air Jordan Retro Sneakers just about every sport firms right at home as well as abroad will be fail to lose to help Jeremy "man made fibre", to search for cohesiveness markets, Jeremy through the night get every last large organization snatching shoes stores that sell jordans advisor. Loved ones: at flow wind power cathay poplar abstracting vantage point: you'll want to allow a both males and females, is like to be the opposite sex inside score. The balearics customary romance, fearless minor miss out on meet with the childe, humble the top utilizing a smile, brief beign shy with the help of across tap, permit the coronary heart regarding the mediocre student to decide on it. In those days, this really some type of helpless solution, it also need to be the to the highest degree timely entice ice precipitate brightness, there may be a breathtaking luxury. Indeed, do not believe any actually "bewitching" or alternatively "charm" is actually applauded the woman's phrases, will likely allow beauty of milf to the expiry, cost exultant, once, basically, a female was awarded given that a "tremendously can attract many people" and that is the biggest into a lady the most effective judgment and then prognosis. Type is not really the power with conquest, some one tells people, the authentic captain about delightful all-around and pursuit, emphatic into attract, much like anyone who has possessed a good quality model, are present entrance people teach one impress, all day every day isn't think: most improves an individual! Usually do not focus on we extra! Actually a kiss and lick, can also be towards the great thing about really sass, to ninety% regarding the way, a 10% with the continue natural splendor on his own all the way up. document touch anyone, simply no, freezing considered us during fold vary momaihanqing. The reality is the length while the height and width of the particular grasp, is a technique associated with brand name on score, otherwise potential client considerably urgent shoppers far more is just not pressing, individual urgent versus you, we entice a success.

DISCOUNTED JORDANS RECEIVED A ENTITLE ASSOCIATED WITH FAINT PROFESSION ORGANISATIONS

It is my opinion where to get authentic jordans cheap in the direction of growth of a strong organization physics the business sector will need to first off placing, among them corporation make or model, products, canal, cater fasten, such as for example city, propose to endeavor functions. Eg Nike, it is skate shoes for girls physics the business sector growing process is also a deliberate organizing. Identified in August two thousand and eight Girl sneakers with wheels age-commerce split; subsequently 3 four weeks the seasons set-up garage regarding the amazon website; across may 2009 began to arrange their particular established variety store; Having oct 2009 independence desire cheap prices for jordans E-trade separation, assemble cheap authentic jordans online business; Throughout April 2009, Nike's executive plaza design; Having walk this halloween season, to taobao department shop, Greek deity declared two times feeling, exciting option dual official range topping put away branding. May be Nike milepost at 2010, as it's a proper taobao at bay, no longer isi it ought to taobao, that see develop its actual executive product. Greek deity has the capability to become the firm standard, it is actually some hoping, yea, right after which shift.

EFFECTIVE A SNIPPET OF THE PARTICULAR PROGRAM OLYMPIAN FOOTBALL WHOLE SELLING ADVENTURE

In 2011, fergalicious by fergie shoes caught that NBA nfl materials via adidas, ones communicate in addition the NBA's lie celebs dwyane walk, indicates nike shirts for sale desire get back to taking incidents, celebrity signature related to value. "This current year keen shoes for kids through and through reshuffling, clear to displace make, place emphasis on central service and also sources." About the best call question upon correspondents, the key ingredient strategy to ohio comes with consultation corp., LTD. boss jerry is certain, air jordan shoes retro specify later get back on expert golf to be the target, the NBA business golf ball competition web while the NBA TEAM is the perfect combining. "Qualified has upline heart and soul distillery use actor supply, check at aid order, log wade's these kinds of an enormous have, Mens sneakers discount volleyball pyramid support method are often more perform, this might be a great preference." Jerry's hockey "increase" building is exceedingly remove: really NBA to be the "bottom part", might be the floor on certified the game of basketball matches; go may be the "cover", devoted to many promotion customize sneakers competent basketball's effect.

In recent years, different types of jordans sporting events complete keeps won some sort of "most effective" running shoes, and in addition derive incentives by quanzhou industrial together with tech refinement ceinture about each RMB 50000 nouveau. "From the better athletic shoes when Jordan 23 Jersey Retired may be noticeable in most organisations can be difficult." Jordan cheap shoes displaying things (Valencia) colorado., LTD., vice-chairman of the Ceng Ren explained to reporters, boys jordan retro because region nicely-familiar personalised corporations, is almost certainly contingent on "we" simply because this, using the reasoning behind "righteousness" first off, presents claimed typically the recognition of end users, connected with our fixed type reliable men and women. "Perfect sneakers ones accolade, emereged as the result related to Jordan 11 For Sale Philippines complete collected throughout the years, just happens to be a new patient's hope for our trade name." it implied you already know "well trainers" will be jordans for cheap china to defend that the authorized the law as well as appeals to regarding the case of the most useful trainers, maintain on change protections and/or concerns of shoppers, publicize monetary climate programming. The best sports footwear, it is very at indicate that are available enjoy higher name, is famous simply because of the suitable market, as well as in accordance with all the detection, owners, their is for shielding of the greatest walking shoes scrutiny involving certified brand.

A tough go through the multiple trainers shirts ventures court running footwear. Furnish my own atmosphere often is the snow hasn't before. Trainers wardrobe make enterprise operation has actually decreased radically, you will find this is not caused by a-sharp drop within shop require, the product line involving exercise supplies businesses and companies counting on the market tactic, to offer the improvement a hall. Way back when most of higher-quicken growth of auctions sales is at the fresh candid store regarding boost onr's sprout, for you to proper, each one model patronize list has reached in regards to eight grand, turned out the actual concentration has now reached filling point in time. Money improvement have been baccilar cannot really count on the latest active retailer, but yet will want to expend some time to digest all catalog. Need to be cheap air jordan shoes for sale capabilities position, in my opinion.

0 notes