Game Review: Dishonored

Dishonored is an immersing first-person action game that casts you as a supernatural assassin driven by revenge. With Dishonored's flexible combat system, creatively eliminate your targets as you combine the supernatural abilities, weapons and unusual gadgets at your disposal. Pursue your enemies under the cover of darkness or ruthlessly attack them head on with weapons drawn. The outcome of each mission plays out based on the choices you make.

Features: 

Improvise and Innovate
Approach each assassination with your own style of play. Use shadow and sound to your advantage to make your way silently through levels unseen by foes, or attack enemies head-on as they respond to your aggression. The flexible combat system allows you to creatively combine your abilities, supernatural powers and gadgets as you make your way through the levels and dispatch your targets. Improvise and innovate to define your play style.

Action with Meaning
The world of Dishonored reacts to how you play. Move like a ghost and resist corruption, or show no mercy and leave a path of destruction in your wake. Decide your approach for each mission, and the outcomes will change as a result.

Supernatural Abilities
Teleport for stealth approaches, possess any living creature, or stop time itself to orchestrate unearthly executions! Combining your suite of supernatural abilities and weapons opens up even more ways to overcome obstacles and eliminate targets. The games upgrade system allows for the mastery of deadly new abilities and devious gadgets.

A City Unlike Any Other
Enter an original world envisioned by Half-Life 2 art director Viktor Antonov. Arkane and Bethesda bring you a steampunk city where industry and the supernatural collide, creating an atmosphere thick with intrigue. The world is yours to discover.

Dishonored
Release Date:October 12, 2012
Platforms: PC || XBOX360 || PS3
Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy: Amazon (UK) || Amazon (US)

Review:

I don't know if you have heard the rumors about me being the Shadow but if you have it is pretty much true... I like two things, stealth and money, and maybe gadgets, some gadgets are always cool.

Storyline:
So in this game we take the role of Corvo, the royal protector, I know it sounds a bit like a condom brand but whatever, no title that has royal in it is shameful ! Royal protector means mainly that we are the royal families head bodyguard which is all fun and play until the queen is killed and her daughter is kidnapped by the assassins. What makes things even worse is that the queen's general and master spy are in on the assassination and blame Corvo for the queen's death. Luckily for us an underground resistance, a bunch of creepy old dudes and angry ladies if you ask me, has been formed that frees Corvo from his jail right before his execution. And then a valiant quest for revenge and the princess's salvation is starting. Well it may have some not so shiny points of black magic and blood but still pretty much valiant...

Gameplay: 
The gameplay reminded me of another all time favorite game of mine, Thief : Deadly Shadows. We take the role of a former bodyguard that became an assassin and playing the game we really feel like him. The really amazing thing here is that we can approach this quest from many different angles, we can kill every last one of the enemies, or the innocent bystanders too if we like ^^, we can just put everyone to sleep or we can avoid them completely and pass undetected. To top that our choices are saved and the city is affected, the more murderous and "dark" Corvo is the more corrupted and chaotic the city gets. The final thing I have to mention is how easy the controls are ! I could use three different spells and shoot with my crossbow a sniper targeting me within four seconds. 

Graphics:
The graphics are amazing. Even playing it on medium configuration the graphics were awesome. The liquid motions, especially the blood, felt so lifelike that enhanced the whole "feeling like Corvo" experience. I really had guilty conscience after killing an innocent bystander by accident... I noticed one or two glitches though, nothing game breaking but I had to use my dash ability to escape it and continue the game.

Characters:

This not a chapter I usually deploy in my reviews but it is a must in this game. So the main character is Corvo as we already know, the dishonored royal protector but enough about him, lets see the other characters. 

The Queen:  Even though her role is pretty limited in the game, only in the introduction I regarded her as a very wise person despite her young age. She managed to hold a city ravaged by a plague in full functioning order and that is a great achievement for a monarch, believe me, I have kill a few of them...

The Princess: I think she is actually the most lovable character in the game. She is always trying to entertain Corvo, whom I think she has a crush on, even at the times she is the one in need of cheering up. She is also admirably willpowered. Her mother was murdered and she was kidnapped and she still is smiling and studying so she can be a beacon of hope and courage to anyone around her. All that character development makes the player really want to protect her from any harm.

Piero: He is the rebel scientist, the garden variety creepy old dude when fused with a semi-mad scientist with unlimited resources. I was just happy to be his ally. His function in the game is building all the awesome gadgets Corvo uses. He can built grenades, mines, crossbows, guns, blades and my favorite gadget, Corvo's mask. The Mask has a built in magnifying glass that can zoom in three levels making every long ranged you are holding accurate like a sniper rifle, especially the crossbow.

The Outsider: This one is a bit of the mystery. He is the source of all magic. He appears to certain chosen people and gifts them with his mark enabling them to use a portion of his powers. The Outsider is believed to be immortal and always watching the world of humans for a different dimension in which time and space has no existence. He is worshiped by many as a god and he is feared by all as a demon. His powers are believed to be unlimited but noone has ever seen him using any powers. His black void eyes makes him a being that inspires both fear and respect. Every time he appeared I was looking right into his eyes, so focused that sometimes I missed what he was saying...

Those are the five more important characters according to my opinion but there are many more characters in the game that have pretty strong background stories. Almost every main character, including the assassination targets, have a personal story that makes the player connect to a degree with them.

Overall I would say that this game is legendary. It is in my top 10 games for PC ever released list right bellow Thief: Deadly Shadows. So what are you waiting for people, go buy the game, the princess is being tortured in there !

Book Review: Reaping Me Softly (+Giveaway)

Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.

At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?

Reaping Me Softly
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 220 (ebook)
Part of Series: -
Purchased: Review for tour
Rating: 4/5 stars
Buy:  Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:
So far all the books i've read regarding death have been really good, so i couldn't say no to that either.

Reaping Me Softly was a book that kept you easily in the story. I found the writing quite poetic. There were so many beautiful words used but at the same time it felt close to you and connected you with the story as any other book. 

Arianne is an average person that reminds you of people around you. It's easy to get her and both understand and like her. Her environment (family,friends,etc) is really important to the story and i loved how well was constructed, explained and how you had a chance to meet everyone and create your opinion for them.
Niko is a complicated character but quite likable and sometimes really funny too. Even though, he is a Reaper we learn that's not a bad thing. He is more like us than we think and as any teen he has his problems and falls in love for first time.

My favorite parts though, were the scenes with Death. He(i'll talk for him as he) was easily my favorite character in the book. He was so unlike what i had imagined for Death, but at the same time so right. Except the last part that he was really scary, i would totally love to meet him.

Need to be mentioned here, that this one is such a sad story in general. The end really broke my heart and made me sad. I was thinking about it a lot, because i found it quite unfair. But i guess, when you have a book regarding death you can't have fair in it, can you? 

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Book Review: Owlet (+Giveaway)

Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.

Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life

Owlet
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 200 (ebook)
Part of Series: Society of Feathers #1
Purchased: Review for tour
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Buy:  Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:
When i started reading i had some doubts, mostly because the story was going a little too fast. But it definitely has something that keeps you in and not only i finished the whole thing but i quite liked it too. 

The idea with the birds and their society, intrigued me way more than i expected. It's so well formed and detailed and so interesting. It's easily the strongest aspect of the book. Totally original and clever concept.

Now as i said at start the story was going a little too fast, and as a result i didn't enjoy some scenes as i was supposed to do. While they were so alive, with their descriptions, suddenly they were over. Still, it's a story easily followed with quite a mystery and really decent characters. You might not love all of them, but they are nice. Especially that goes for the more secondary ones like Iris dad, her aunt,etc.

There is also the romantic part of the story. At first, i got really mad about it because it seems like those ones "girl sees guy one time and falls in love with him" but thank god it was way deeper! Even if it gives you that impression, you see later that there is so much history and based on the book "lore" that actually makes sense. And each really romantic too.

Owlet was one of those books, that you start and you are not sure if you will like them til the end. And when you are finally done, you don't even know when the time passed. It's getting better and better.


EXCERPT FOR READ ALONG
“I saw the room...” Iris hesitated at the bottom of the staircase. Diana was still sitting at the window seat, only now she was staring down at the open purse sitting on her lap.

While Iris had been lying on the bed upstairs she had time to think about all of the questions that kept piling up in her mind. “It isn’t fair you know...”

“What?” Diana asked, looking up and shaking her head as though she hadn’t realized Iris was there.

“The questions...I have so many questions and no mother to ask. I have you and Dad, but Dad never answers. This leaves me with only you. I didn’t even realize you had ever met my mother, or that Dad had talked to you about her. I never even thought to ask.”

“Your father will be able to answer all of your questions soon,” Diana said, looking Iris in the eyes.

She wants to tell you more but she doesn’t think she can.

“Isn’t there anything you can tell me? Anything at all? Can’t I at least know how you met her or what she was like?”

“What she was like?” Diana turned away from Iris for a few moments, thinking silently. When she turned back, she took a deep breath and then spoke. “There are many things he wants to be the one to tell you about but...he never said I couldn’t tell you more about myself and who I am...”

Diana paused and looked back into Iris’ eyes. “Did you ever wonder why I didn’t tell you much about my past? Even if at times it seemed like I wanted to?”


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Cover Reveal: Wicked Fate + Author Interview: Tabatha Vargo

What if you lived in fear of yourself?

For Mage McPherson being afraid of herself is just the norm. Thanks to that fear, being a loner in a small town never bothered the mysterious Mage. Once she received her secret abilities, she figured being alone was the safest way to be. That all changes during her sophomore year at Summerville High when Adam, her equally mysterious secret crush, starts to notice her.

Afraid that she might heart Adam, Mage must learn to eithercontrol or deny herself. With Adam by her side she's more powerful than she's ever been, but is she powerful enough to defeat her worst nightmare? She learns a hard lesson about love and magic when her destiny comes to collect.

 AUTHOR'S BIO:

Tabatha has been writing since she could pick up a pencil. Her first publication was a little poem in her elementary school paper, from that point on she was hooked. When she was a teenager, she traded in her girly magazines for personal writing notebooks.

At nineteen, she met her own personal prince charming and writing took a back burner for a while. She is now married to that prince and the mother of a beautiful six-year-old princess/rock star. Once her daughter was born, writing came back into her life, and she finished her very first novel in May of 2009.

She is pursuing a Bachelor in English and hopes to one day teach while continuing to write.

As a stay-at-home mom and full-time student, Tabatha enjoys the freedom of spending a good bit of her days doing what she loves the most....writing.

LINKS:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/tabatha.vargo.9

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabathaVargo

Blog: http://tabathavargo.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16008688-wicked-fate 

Let's see her answers now....

1. As we always start on the interviews, try to desribe your book in one sentece.

Wicked Fate is a dangerous rollercoaster ride through a small, enchanted town full of love, magic, and destiny.

2. Why a story of witches? What is so fascinating for you that you decided to write about them?

When I was writing this book, I knew at some point someone would ask this question. I also knew that once I answered it, people would assume I was weird. I've decided I'm totally okay with that assumption.

Growing up, I was always doing "weird" things. Nothing as extreme as what is in my book, but still things I couldn't explain. For those of you who believe in spirits and paranormal things, I guess you could say I'm extremely sensitive to things of that nature. Let's put it this way, if your house is haunted and I walk in, I'm going to know it's haunted immediately. Bruce Willis and I would have been pals in the Sixth Sense. Anyway, my storyline is a combination of all of those "weird" things about me, and the overactive imagination of a fourteen-year-old girl. This story started when I was fourteen.

3. Did you do any research before starting writing?

I did not. I was actually sitting down to write my very first college paper. It was fall of 2008. I opened the document and instead of writing about Beowulf, I started writing about my main character. I couldn't stop and I finished it in early 2009.

4. You are a new author. Was it hard to write the book? What kept you stable to finish it and not give up? Did you have any support?

Coming up with storylines has always been easy for me. A lot of times, I come up with too many and it gets to be aggravating because I can't get them all done quick enough.

When I was writing Wicked Fate I joined Inkpop.com. It was a writing website hosted by HarperCollins. The title of my book at that time was Magic and the other writers on the site loved it. It made it to the top five two weeks after I posted it on there, which was awesome! They were so supportive and honestly, had they not begged for the next chapter, the book wouldn't have gotten finished.

5. How long did it take to finish it? Did you had "author's block" at some point and if so, what you did to get over it?

It took me about six months to write the book. Thankfully, I did not experience any form of author's block. This is book one of a trilogy and when I started it I knew exactly what would happen in all three books.

6. Are you reading or writing something else right now?

Right now, I'm doing little touch-ups on Wicked Fate and working on finishing the second book in the Wicked Trilogy. I'm also putting the finishing touches on a new adult novel that I wrote called On the Plus Side. It's a romance novel about a plus sized girl. You guys will love it.

7. Did you always wanted to be a writer or it just happened?

I didn't always know I wanted to be a writer, I just knew I loved doing it. I've been writing for as long as I can remember, I just never really let people read my stuff. I'm thinking now is a good time to pull everything out for the world to see.

8. How important you find the communication between you and your readers? Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews?

Communication with my readers is very

important to me. I love getting messages about what they love or hate about my work. It's the only way to grow and be the best writer you can be. I always reply to their messages and I love reading the reviews. Although, an author friend of mine says reading reviews is the worst thing a writer could do. But I'm weak! It's so hard to not read them!

9. There are many people that want to be authors. What do you suggest them?

If you love to write, then write. And be patient! I have no patience, and it was hard for me to realize that things take time, especially things like writing a book or having it published. But if you want it bad enough, and you love it, then you'll do it.

10. Something special you want to share?

I would just like to say thank you to any and everyone who has been supportive of me and my work. This isn't something I just decided to do one day. Writing has been a massive part of my life and got me through a lot of rough times when I was younger. I didn't have the greatest childhood, so opening my notebook and leaving my world for an imaginary one was my way of coping. Because of that, when I put my writing out there, and you guys enjoy it, it does something to my soul. You guys could not comprehend the depth of my gratitude.

And the small ones:

-Your favourite books and author?

Picking a favourite book or author would be like picking out a favourite star for me. I have read so many books in my life there's no way I could choose just one. My favourite genre is historical romance. My hubby calls them my smutty books.

-Your favourite band/singer?

I love Christina Perry, but I listen to everything!

-Favourite place in the world?

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be Venice. But since I've never been to Venice, my favourite place is Disney World.

-Last movie you watched at the cinemas?

I took my daughter to see Hotel Transylvania. It was adorable.

-The last book you've read?

I'm currently working on The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen.

-Have you ever googled yourself?

Of course I have! Who hasn't?

-Writing, reading or hanging out with friends?

Reading. I love my friends, but I love peace and quiet, too.

-If you wouldn't be a writer, what you would be?

I used to have a thing with designing clothes. I think making clothes would be so fun!

-And last one....printed or ebooks?

Printed! There's nothing better than the smell of a good book

Thank you Tabatha Vargo for the Interview!!

Wicked Fate is due to be released at November 30th.

So, make sure you take a copy!!