The Ash, the Elder, and the Hen Elm

This month's book is both spoilable and utterly not so, and I can't even really explain what I mean by that. Suffice to say that much of the plot is tales within tales, and the physical, psychological and narrative realities are often going in quite different directions. All that said, unmarked spoilers for this and also one significant spoiler for Brideshead Revisited ahead, but honestly I don't think 'spoilers' could spoil the actual experience of either of those books really. The covers of this book simply DO NOT MISS - my copy's the top left one, which is understated but very beautifully done. Review The first half or so of The Magus made me go 'I'm going to need to read a fucking journal's worth of critical reviews after this in order to understand it, aren't I?' This wasn't for lack of engagement - the main character starts in a very normal world, a sort of post- Brideshead Revisited witty satire of the dullness of Life After Oxfor...

 Saw the blog bandwagon and went to the laptop like a shot. This is an ideal opportunity to rant about the things that've made my game design and writing what they are. Kinda following the model that Traverse Fantasy did of sharing general game-running inspirations, rather than for a particular game/design. (If you want to see my longer list of inspirations for a specific game, my Pillar of Velkith Tales of Theon campaign, have a look here .) Going to start with the things that mean the most to my way of doing things and keep on going. Babylon Berlin Weimar Germany neo-noir, 2017-22, created, written & directed by  Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries and Henk Handloegten I really like a game with a strong base of plausibility. The world ought to exist beyond what's 'plot-relevant' - even if there is an established plot, the rails need to be comprised of PC wants and needs rather than hard boundaries beyond which everything turns into the fucking Minecraft far lands. B...