Reed Faster Returns!: October Roundup

 The month of October has come and gone, and with it my favorite holiday of the year. It's also my roughest work month of the year and why I took a break from writing the blog. However, I definitely wasn't idle in my reading OR in my Indie video game playing. I'll put them in order down below with a brief review. 

So here we go... 

1. Wolfsong by T.J. Klune - Queer werewolf romance/horror being re-released after the rising popularity of Klune. I really, really enjoyed the exploration of found family, queer romance, and werewolves. 
2. Every the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca - MORE QUEER HORROR. I might have a bit of a theme going on here - but I love seeing myself and people I love, even in horrific situations. Especially when the situations are not BECAUSE the person is queer. 
3. Cassiel's Servant by Jacqueline Carey - A re-telling of the story of Kushiel's Dart from the point of view of Joscelin, the other beloved main character. I enjoyed this, even though it was treading a lot of familiar ground. 
4. Starter Villain by John Scalzi - CATS! TALKING CATS! Mysterious assistants, fortresses, and spies. Oh, and a newly anointed confuddled Villain who doesn't know which way to turn. I really loved the twists and turns. Scalzi does NOT disappoint. 
5. Ascension by Nicholas Binge - This book took the whole "time is taffy" and combined it with the dangers of climbing at high altitudes. Add a bit of paranoia, monsters, and people becoming "other". Definitely a unique take on the need to understand the incomprehensible.
6. The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab - Returning to the world of Londons, where magic reigns or doesn't, where the worlds are just a thin membrane away (if you have the skill and a token). I really enjoyed the return to this world, and I'm looking forward to additional stories. 
7. Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine - I read this one because it had a direct influence on the latest American Horror Story season. However, it really wasn't for me. The horror was good, but as someone who has never had any interest in having a child, it didn't quite catch me the way it could have. 
8. The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey - Check my review out on TikTok here.  
9. The Ungodly Duology by S.H. Cooper - Check my review out on TikTok here.

Now, moving onto my Indie game list.

1. Mineko's Night Market on Switch - I really loved the game play and the artwork, but this game is plagued by slow loading, stuttering during crafting, and (up until it patched a few weeks after release) being unable to complete the game entirely due to bugs not allowing me to progress. I still really recommend it, although maybe go for the more updated PC version. Switch games tend to be behind on patches due to Nintendo's rigorous process for validating them. 
2. Figment 2: Creed Valley on Switch - The sequel to Figment, we see a return to our favorite courageous pair as they track down a new nightmare while rebuilding the Moral Compass. This game really hit me in the feels about the balance between work and life and remembering the important things. My only complaint was that it was far too short!
3. Oxenfree 2 on Switch - Just as creepy, just as weird as the first installment of this game. This takes place on an island nearby to the first one, with time no longer completely being linear, and new people trying to stop the breach from opening further (well, mostly). 
4. Cocoon on Switch - Done by the same person as Limbo and Inside, this is a very visual game with very little text. You play a little guy who has the ability to carry worlds on his back and jump into them, using various powers from the world marbles themselves to beat various puzzles and big bad guys. I enjoyed playing this, even when I got stumped. 

That's it! That's all they wrote! Next week, I'll be returning to my normal posting schedule. 

There's only 365 days left until Halloween!