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Instant Antagonist: The Selfish Succubus
by Michael D. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/05/2020 14:45:39

Whetted my appetite for more in shuch a short space.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Instant Antagonist: The Selfish Succubus
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There Was A Dark, Dark House (FirstFable)
by William W. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 10/29/2014 09:32:31

A wonderful Halloween-themed adventure for the excelled FirstFable RPG. This has the main elements of a well-written adventure for young people - options to help instead of fight, a non-linear story path, and opportunities for the players to shape the story in their own way. Pre-generated monster characters (ghost, vampire, werewolf, and zombie) are included, as well as rules for customizing each of these to make your own. The adventure itself is short (4 page sides) and an easy read, perfect for an impulse game when some young adventurers ask for something to do on the spot, and the end of the adventure includes a fill-in-the-blanks story to encourage players to recap their adventure with words and pictures.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
There Was A Dark, Dark House (FirstFable)
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There Was A Dark, Dark House (FirstFable)
by Alexander L. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 10/29/2014 06:30:33

Originally posted at: http://diehardgamefan.com/2014/10/29/tabletop-review-there-was-a-dark-dark-house-firstfable/

It’s Halloween time and usually that would mean reviews for games like Call of Cthulhu, Cryptworld, Ravenloft, Chill, World of Darkness and other horror oriented games. The truth is, I already do that all year long, so instead of touching on the usual horror games we all know and love I thought I’d cover this adventure for FirstFable with its light hearted kid friendly Halloween themes.

FirstFable came out in 2012 and was designed to get young children into tabletop RPGs. The game is designed for kids ages six and up. Now I started gaming at age 8 with TSR’s Marvel Super Heroes, so FirstFable does feel a bit…less nuanced that what I learned to game with, but it’s a different time and a different generation and I can’t deny that FF is a lot easier to learn and play that going back and constantly using the cross reference tables for FASERIP on the back of the MSH books for every single roll I made. It’s a very cute, rules-lite game that parents can play with their kids and help them to learn why daddy and mommy love rolling up 5th Level Elven Mages or getting eaten by Deep Ones. Best of all, you can currently pick it up at DriveThruRPG.com for whatever price tag you want to place on it. It’s currently a “Pay What You Want” product and so if this review piques your interest, you can go back and purchase the core rulebook for however much you feel it is worth.

Now there, There Was a Dark, Dark House is a Halloween adventure for your FirstFable gamers. It’s not inherently scary and is actually kind of cute/sweet, but then so was A Garfield Halloween up until the ghost pirates showed up and scared the poop out of many a child who watched it. So you can make There Was a Dark, Dark House spookier and creepier if you want, but remember, it is geared for children first and foremost and most kids don’t like to be scared. Making the monsters less Chaotic Evil and more misunderstood or simply lacking in common sense gets the point across just as well and still lets the kids triumph over the situation. The adventure is written to be more lighthearted ala Mermaid Adventures, so please don’t try and take this adventure and turn it into Silent Hill if you’re running it with tykes and tots. That’s just being a jerk.

In this adventure, a little girl named Jackie has been kidnapped by a wicked witch and trapped within the town’s haunted house. The PCs are monsters who are friends with the children for whatever reason (it’s up to the player!) and set out to save the girl from her intended fate – being turned into a Jack O’Lantern! Once inside the haunted house, the characters must overcome four challenges which will then lead them to a showdown with the Witch Eliza. None of the encounters are especially troublesome (This was written for young children after all) and there certainly isn’t a threat of PC death or a TPK (Total Party Kill). If you’re looking for that sort of game, you probably shouldn’t be playing FirstFable in the first place! The encounters can occur in any order the GM wants, making it a very non-linear experience and none of them really feature combat. There is some goblin catching though. In the end, the PCs should be able to save their friend and perhaps even show the witch the error of her ways. It’s a very cute, short adventure than can be played in a single session over an hour or three. As long as you have kids that don’t need props maps or visuals to have a good time, they should have fun with this Halloween oriented FirstFable adventure. Of course, most kids are pretty good at using their imaginations, so a tabletop RPG should something almost instinctual to them.

Besides the adventure, you also get four new characters classes for FirstFable: Werewolf, Zombie, Vampire and Ghost. Of course these are all sanitized versions for children, so the vampires won’t be sucking blood, zombies won’t be eating brains and werewolves won’t be disemboweling anyone. You don’t even HAVE to play the monster character classes suggested here. The PCs could just be regular kids saving one of their own if that’s what they would before. You get blank character sheets/templates for the kids to fill out along with four pre-generated example characters. Character creation is pretty cut and dry but really young children might need help with some of the concepts or specific jargon for the game. You also get a worksheet at the end for the kids to fill out as a bit of memorabilia for the adventure they finished. That’s a really cool touch and with this, kids can remember their adventure in the Dark, Dark House.

For only $2.99, There Was a Dark, Dark House is a fine adventure for what it is. Little kids should enjoy it while seasoned veteran gamers might roll their eyes at the story and encounters – because they’re not the target audience. As a long time horror gamer myself I love the idea of an adventure in this gaming genre being written specifically for kids. They might not like scares and gore like some adults, but kids do love monsters, Halloween and costumes, so this should really make their day if they’re already starting to showing interesting in role-playing or acting. If you do have single aged children who you’d like to game with in some fashion, picking up FirstFable and There Was a Dark, Dark House might be an excellent way to get the ball rolling. To be fair though, this would have been to simple or condescending for me when I was eight, but again I was playing TSR games and reading Victorian ghost stories at that age. Most tykes will enjoy There Was a Dark, Dark House for what it is and so will the parents that run it for them.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Conventions for the Aspiring Game Professional
by Jason P. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/29/2013 22:05:46

This is an excellent guide that explains the basics for any future game professional; the fundementals necessary to make a good first impression and get started. This is absolutely worth the remarkably low price.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Conventions for the Aspiring Game Professional
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Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror
by Manda C. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/15/2012 21:21:23

Originally posted at: http://charismabonus.com/cha/2012/03/19/book-review-haunted-anthology/

Ladies and gents, I will be completely honest with you – I do not read anthologies.

Well, no, that’s not an entirely fair statement – instead let me say I do not finish anthologies. I enjoy reading, and I also enjoy doing things en masse. If I am going to have a snack, I eat a lot of things. If I am going to write, I write a lot. If I am going to code, I do it in a 10-hour marathon.

So, naturally, if I am going to read I am going to read for awhile or read a lot. Anthologies do not ordinarily lend themselves towards this kind of reading, instead I find that they’re best swallowed in small bites but still often feel unfulfilled by the end of the story. Usually anthologies do not do it for me for this reason – I want more than just a short story, I want an entire novel. I want more. I want to know what happened before and after and maybe during, should the story lend itself in that direction.

Haunted completely blew those ideas of how I feel about anthologies out of the water.

For a brief overview, Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror is one of the first offerings from FR Press – that is, the publishing side of FlamesRising.com. It features a collection of authors who seem to have ample experience with the supernatural, many of whom have also worked on role playing games like the ever-creepy World of Darkness, so these guys (and gals) know their stuff.

The first thing to note about the book is that it’s kicked off with this absolutely wonderful introduction by Jaeson K. Jrackman, a real life ghost hunter.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Jrakman sets the stage perfectly for the rest of the book, easing us slowly in to the darkness and spine-tingly mood that comes with hearing (or reading) a good ghost story – or experiencing the supernatural first hand. To my surprise and enjoyment, the tone – not just the theme – of the forward seemed to carry on through the entire book.

Though the anthology is compiled of the stories of eleven very different authors with very different writing styles, it felt more as if I was reading eleven slices of the same story. It’s not often that I feel compelled to comment on the editing of a book (particularly a work of fiction rather than a game), but it was so very obvious that great care was taken to place these stories in an order that was comfortable to the reader. Though we are introduced to many, many different protagonists and antagonists throughout the various tales, they seem to slide in and out of each other’s radar as each story follows the other. Awkward teenagers and solemn adults, the long dead and the fresh kills, the amateur hour contestants and the seasoned ghost hunters – each lend to tell the greater tale that arcs through the whole collection: the supernatural is everywhere, and all around us, with ghosts in all shapes and sizes.

I am not going to lie to you – it would be an absolute shame to pick out a particular story that stood out as a favorite because they were all equally brilliant. Each story complimented the next, and despite the obvious changes in tone or perspective between the authors, everything still flowed smoothly. All of the stories were equally creepy, though some endearing – Georgia Beaverson spun an oddly adorable tale about a young boy towards the middle of the book – and others that left you wondering exactly what happened by the end.

All in all, as what I can safely say is the first anthology I have read to completion – and in order – this was a favorite. I have no doubt that I’ll be pulling it out next time I want to share a spine-tingling story with a friend – or if I just want to curl up with something spooky.

Whether you’re a fan of anthologies or not, it would be a crime for you not to pick this up if you’re at least interested in ghosts and other supernatural beings, especially if you love seeing fiction from folks who have written for role playing games previously – you’ll be getting stories not just by Georgia Beaverson, but also Alana Joli Abbott, Jason L. Blair, Alex Bledsoe, Bill Bodden, Richard Dansky, Preston P. DuBose, Nancy O. Greene, Jess Hartley, Jason Sizemore, and Chuck Wendig – a pretty stand-up team as far as storytelling goes, all corralled and edited by Monica Valentinelli.

If you’d like to pick up the anthology, DriveThru Fiction has digital copies for just $4.99 and hard copies for $14.99 – or a combo of both versions for $15.99. For less than a couple of movie tickets, that’s a pretty good price for an afternoon with ghosts – you may just find yourself wanting to spend the money saved on an EVP detector of your own one you’re done.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror
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Redwing's Gambit
by Brian H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/04/2012 10:04:50

Redwing’s Gambit is a pleasant mix of science fiction action and suspense. Valentinelli deftly weaves her narrative through the corridors of the Haldis. Traditional sci-fi tropes such as the mysterious ship saboteur and disappearing crew members fit well for the story that Valentinelli is telling. As someone who had no previous exposure to Galileo Games Bulldogs setting, the use of these traditional tropes helped to keep me in the story as I built my understanding of the universe.

The aspect of Redwing’s Gambit that I enjoyed the most was the characters. Every last character has memorable in his or her own way. Each had just enough personality and individualism to stand out, but with none of the seemingly forced quirkiness that plagues some authors. Another sure sign that Valentinelli was successful with her characterization, I found myself wanting to know what happens next to the three main viewpoint characters Marrl, Xax, and Fang. Of the three I was particularly fond of Fang.

As a whole I found Redwing’s Gambit to be an entertaining novella, and a pretty good introduction to the Bulldogs universe. I would certainly read more stories set in the universe. If you’re into sci-fi stories I don’t think you can really go wrong giving this a read.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Redwing's Gambit
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Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 04/29/2012 19:38:47

I love a good ghost story. In this case, they aren't all ghosts, but still this is a nice compilation of short stories. Some are more traditional horror stories while others are just a neat twist ending. Overall, it's a good read and should keep you entertained.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror
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Queen Of Crows
by Scott R. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 11/30/2011 13:11:32

To be honest once I started Queen of Crows was a hard sell, mainly because I knew this pretty blond woman was telling the story of an aged and respected Navajo shaman on the eve of a major historical tragedy for the tribe. But by the second page I was sunk. Ms. Valentinelli’s talent won me over. I’ve been known to crack open a Tony Hillerman book for a little light reading. This was particularly true during my teenage years. But I also delighted in Sherman Alexie’s thorough skewering of him in Indian Killer. An anglo writing about the indigenous has a tenuous path as far as tone and respect without making their characters too perfect and false. What’s brilliant is that Valentinelli managed this with grace in a short story medium.

I adore short stories particularly in the speculative fiction genre because of their limitations. You’ve got to get in there do some quick and memorable world-building and character sketches and then BAM! You’ve got to get out again after telling some kind of a story ark. This makes for affective storytelling when done right. A good short story should be like a honed diamond right to the midbrain.

At the start the main character Tse reflects about his life and the hard choice he must make to which he has already committed but dreads. He has collaborated with a corpse-witch in learning a forbidden spell for the good of his people and has sent them away ahead of a foreseen calamity at the hands of a U.S. Army moving west now that the Civil War is over. Knowing a tiny bit about the cleanliness beliefs of Navajo in general and particularly shamans this tells me all I need to know about how desperate is his gamble. He is compelled to summon an entity who has been communicating with him, but is it a savior spirit or a force of great evil?

Valentinelli provided enough cultural flavor show us her tale is well-researched and well-intentioned but not to an elaborate S.M. Stirling-like degree what would have been excessive. One unremarked quirk was how quickly the white men barged into Tse’s hogahn, this is a terrible breech of hospitality but she already told us what kind of a guy Tse is an it would have slowed the story down a notch. Also on a personal note as someone who stutters I was impressed by the treatment she gave Captain Maynard who stuttered in a realistic manner. Not many authors get it right and the list of actors who do pretty much starts and ends with Michael Palin.

I liked that the antagonists of the piece were not, aside from one real bastard, portrayed as evil bigots. Two of them were merely soldiers doing their unseemly bloody duty and all of them reacted in different three-dimensional ways to the weird bloody conclusion of the story.

I really appreciated the extras such as the artwork and author’s afterward. To be honest I didn’t read the first draft of the story, since Valentinelli had already warned us that is was “a jumble of words” that needed to be rewritten. I’ll leave the polished version fresh in my memory, thank you and await more stories about Mahochepi if you please. And please do.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Queen Of Crows
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Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror
by Brian H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 10/11/2011 21:30:17

“Haunted”, the debut anthology of FR Press, delivers an excellently paced collection of mysterious and terrifying tales. The collection focuses on stories about hauntings and the ghost hunters that investigate them. All eleven stories in “Haunted” possess their own merits, and are distinct enough that the anthology avoids the pitfall of having eleven different stories trying to do the same thing.

Typically I am not a fan of anthologies. Usually when I set aside time to read I want to be able to delve into a novel and lose myself for a few hours. The constant shifting of gears and restarting that occurs as you move from story to story in an anthology always makes me feel tossed about. “Haunted” however, has avoided (or the very least minimized) this problem for me. The eleven stories in the collection are laid out in such a way that it feels like you are traveling through an entire pot arc, not just eleven short, disparate plots.

“Haunted” begins with the almost Sherlock Holmesian tale of haunting and mystery “What’s the Frequency, Francis?” from veteran author Alex Bledsoe. From there the stories build in both mystery and creepiness. The fourth story in the collection, “A Quiet House in the Country” by Bill Bodden, marks a noticeable increase in the action, fright, and danger that the characters in “Haunted”’s tales are facing. The action and danger build to a bloody horror movie climax in the collections seventh story, “After Life”. The final four stories of “Haunted” gradually lessen the body toll and bloodletting ending with two wonderfully crafted tales of frightening redemption and closure in “Missing Molly” and “The Angry Stick” (by Alana Joli Abbot and Preston P. DuBose respectively) . The attention and careful thought that editor Monica Valentelli put into arranging the stories in “Haunted” pays off as it the only anthology I have ever been able to read (and enjoy) in a single sitting.

The scare factor, or at the very least suspense factor, in “Haunted” is palpable. There is a moment in every story where I found myself either unsure of what was going to happen, or if the main character was going to make it out alive (which in some cases they didn’t). One thing that helps the scare factor is that only a couple of the stories in “Haunted” initially come off as formulaic (“After Life” and “What’s the Frequency, Francis?”). As such I found myself never quite sure what twist the ending might bring. In more than one instance I was surprised to the point of verbal reaction.

For the record, I read both the ePUB and PDF versions of “Haunted” on a ten-inch netbook running Adobe Digital Editions and an Android phone running the Aldiko app. “Haunted” displayed perfectly on both of my devices and did not have any annoying formatting or DRM issues that can sometimes plague an ebook. I found the ePUB version was easier on the eyes on both devices, though the PDF was readable enough.

At the extremely reasonable price of $4.99, “Haunted” is worth adding to any ghost or horror buffs collection. If you like imaginative, tightly constructed short stories, “Haunted” will certainly entertain you as it sends a shiver down your spine. Lastly, if you’re anything like me, “Haunted” just might be the first anthology you enjoy reading from cover to cover.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror
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Queen Of Crows
by Stephen J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 09/19/2010 21:41:45

Excellent story, great art, and I absolutely loved the idea of the "DVD Extra's" like bonus features. This just screams "fearless author" to me, someone who's not afraid to say "here's my story, here's my inspiration, here's some character notes, and here's an early draft so you can see how far it's come."

Absolutely intrigues me with the authors Violet Wars world setting and her other works of fiction. Well worth the price; would highly recommend.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Queen Of Crows
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Instant Antagonist: The Selfish Succubus
by Katrina R. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 07/14/2010 08:04:10

I received this through the Haiti Relief Bundle and was suprised by how useful it was when I read through it. Being systemless it was great instant inspiration. I immediately put this character into my Hunter: the Vigil game as a subtle but powerful enemy.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Instant Antagonist: The Selfish Succubus
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Queen Of Crows
by Jim C. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/04/2010 23:16:41

As described, this is an interesting format: a short story, together with a lot more information which, between the "Letter to the Reader" and early draft, provides a much stronger and more detailed context to the entity of the title. The story's worth a read in a general YA-fantasy sort of style. On a gaming site, I should mention that no game stats are included, but the extras easily provide the kind and quality of information a GM would need to derive stats for any chosen game system - so it's almost like a systemless game supplement in that regard.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Queen Of Crows
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Queen Of Crows
by Jess H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/10/2010 12:36:01

As a writer and reader, I'm intrigued by the possibilities that technology affords the publishing industry, both mainstream publishers and the "little guys" who are out there creating stories and other works of wordsmithing and looking for ways to share their creations with hungry readers. Because of this, I was very excited to hear about Monica Valentinelli's "Queen of Crows". More than your run-of-the-mill short story, this product offers readers the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in not only the history and magic of the world Valentinelli has created, but also the evolution of the tale, the inspiration behind it, and a glimpse at the very-talented creative spirits who brought the whole thing together.

The high points? Well, first, of course is Valentinelli's presentation of her work. Not only is her fiction writing a joy to read, but her research is impeccable, and her autobiographic material presents just the right combination of academia and personal interaction. If Queen of Crows was "just" the short story or the story and the author's "Inspiration" chapter, it would have been well worth the $4.99 by itself.

But it doesn't stop there. Valentinelli goes on to offer us more in-depth material on one of the main characters, as well as the setting - material which, while it is not vital to the story, intrigues as it informs. The combination of fiction and additional material really give the reader the feeling that they've gotten more than they bargained for--in a plethora of ways.

In addition, the production values are extremely well done. I opened it for the first time with Foxit, and was a little disappointed. I could see some of the art, but not all of it, and there were blank spaces that fairly cried out to be filled in the layout. But when I realized it was likely an application problem rather than an issue with the actual product, I quickly pulled up Adobe and got to see my first glimpse of what was from start to finish a truly beautiful product. The cover art is striking. The interior layout complements the story without overpowering it. The character illustration is gorgeous, and even the font and labels chosen for the novel-draft at the end of the product do exactly what they should - reinforce the nature of that piece without distracting from the reader's enjoyment of it.

I'd recommend Queen of Crows for anyone who has a soft spot for hard topics, who likes their historic fiction a bit on the dark-and-yet-beautiful side or who is looking for a glimpse into the creation process of a darned-good read. If you enjoy Orson Scott Card's Alvin the Maker series, you might well be intrigued by Queen of Crows as well as any other Violet War materials. I know I'll be keeping my eye out for what Valentinelli and her cohorts have up their sleeve next!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Queen Of Crows
by Steven D. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 03/23/2010 10:55:56

A Flames Rising Review:

I’m not only a reviewer for FlamesRising.com, I am a fan. From the features and articles to the reviews, I read and enjoy it all. I’ve even gone as far as purchasing Instant Antagonist: Selfish Succubus, the first product from Flames Rising Press. Therefore, it should go without saying (but I’m saying it anyway) that I read all of Monica Valentinelli scribes on da’ flames, and I believe that she’s one of the best contributors on the site (and coincidentally puts my feeble writing talents to shame). So you can imagine how honored and excited I was to have been given a reviewer’s copy of “The Queen of Crows”, written by Monica V. and published by Flames Rising Press (their first published fiction no less).

Outside of her writing on the flames, I’ve read Monica’s short story titled “Pie” from the horror anthology Buried Tales of Pinebox, Texas, which was one of my favorite tales if memory serves. However, I knew nothing of Monica’s work in progress, the “Violet War”, an Urban Fantasy setting in which the Queen of Crows takes place in. So, in preparation of reading this story, I decided to do a bit of homework and discover just what the Violet War is all about. And honestly, I couldn’t describe her world and do it justice, so I implore you to take a look for yourselves (you can do so by clicking here). After getting familiar with her world I felt ready to get down to business with Monica’s tale.

So after all that build up and preparation, how did my audience with the Queen of Crows fare? Well, I do have one small quibble; this short story was just too short folks! I want more, MORE I tell ya! I really enjoyed this tale, and yet Monica followed the cardinal rule of the audience; always leave them wanting more. Excellent work Monica!

Read the Full review at http://www.flamesrising.com/queen-of-crows-review/



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Queen Of Crows
by Jason T. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 03/21/2010 22:16:39

Author Monica Valentinelli’s The Queen of Crows is an eBook of sorts, but rather than a standard watermarked PDF of text-filled pages, Valentinelli’s offering is a glimpse of the potential that digital books can fulfill. The Queen of Crows is a multifaceted “product” built around a single character, complete with dynamic artwork by artist Leanne Buckley and a design motif embodying the world in which the story takes place. The book’s most interesting and perhaps most unique feature is Valentinelli’s account of her writing process and the origins of the creativity that eventually manifest as the book’s central story.

The featured component is a short story entitled The Queen of Crows in which a Native American shaman named Tse is visited in his dreams by Mahochepi, a vengeance spirit who shows him visions of white soldiers arriving in large numbers. When Mahochepi sends a Corpse-witch, her corporeal ambassador to teach Tse the spell that calls forth Mahochepi , he’s faced with a horrifying dilemma – whether to stay and face the soldiers alone or to call on the Queen of Crows and accept the consequences that accompany her.

Valentinelli’s writing is well-researched and vividly executed. Her world pulls itself from the pages of history books and comes to life, fully realized and described in concrete detail. Valentinelli populates this landscape and then crafts a slow burning and suspenseful horror that envelops the story as we read our way toward the inevitable encounter with Mahochepi – the Queen of Crows.

The short story comprises about half of the product with the second half devoted to several purposes. There’s the section entitled “Inspiration” which describes both the historical and personal origins of the story. Next Valentinelli includes a character biography for Mahochepi which describes her in great detail and provides an obvious utility for use in RPGs, an application for which Valentinelli has written in the past. There’s also a letter to the readers from Valentinelli describing both her creative philosophy and creative process followed by the start of her unfinished novel which functions as a sort of rough draft of The Queen of Crows.

The amount and variety of information contained in this project is truly impressive. There’s scary and compelling fiction, autobiographical and inspirational nonfiction, fantastic artwork, links to other resources, multiple versions of the story, the characters, and their world, and all in just 40 pages. Monica Valentinelli’s The Queen of Crows must be considered a successful experiment in digital publishing and a significant benchmark for the medium.

For more information go to: www.flamesrising.com and www.drivethruhorror.com



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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