Layton Brothers: Mystery Room App Review

Layton Brothers: Mystery Room 

Series: Professor Layton (spin off)

Developer: LEVEL-5 & Matrix Software

Publisher: LEVEL-5

Platforms: iOS (4.3 and later)

Android (2.3.3 and later)

Price:

Intro and first 2 cases are free

Files 3-6 are $2.99

Files 7-9 are $1.99

In App Purchases: Case Files 3-9

Rating (out of 5): 4.5  

Summary (Wiki):

The game follows Lucy Baker, a beginning detective who is transferred to Scotland Yard. Here, she works under Alfendi Layton, son of the renowned Professor Hershel Layton. Together, they investigate crimes for Scotland Yard's "Mystery Room".

Review:

The Mystery Room is a spin off game of the Inspector Layton series. I haven’t played any of the other games so I have nothing to compare this one too, though from what I’ve seen it’s different from the other Layton games, but still a great deal of fun. For the I-phone the first 2 cases are free then you must purchase the rest of the cases in two separate bundles but end up totaling about $5 if you get them both. If you want to find out the story then you’ll have to buy both bundles and play all 9 levels of the game.

This game’s immersive mystery solving game play struck me as very unique. Most ‘mystery’ games I’ve played are hidden object or puzzle solving games and while I’ve enjoyed them I’ve always been partial to games that allow me to work to solve the mystery and this one did just that. It makes you think by laying out the crime scene and allowing you to move through it examining each piece of evidence and then asking you questions pertaining to said evidence. You work your way through witness statements and questioning sessions to eventually solve the crime and confront the suspect. 

I loved being able to work my way through the crime scene and form my own opinions on what had happened. Being able to go back to it and the witness statements was often helpful in answering the questions that led you to the criminal. I found myself having to really pay attention to witness statements and what the evidence was because when it came to the questioning sessions even the small details were important. The game allows you infinite guesses, but it’s still a lot of fun when you’ve figured out the answer the first try.  

The second thing that really hooked me about this game was it’s story line. This is actually what brought me back to the game. Originally I didn’t want to pay for the rest of the cases, no matter how fun they did turn out to be but the story is what kept bringing me back to want to play more, it sparked my curiosity and I wasn’t disappointed in the end after purchasing and playing through all the levels. The story follows Lucy Baker a new detective who is assigned to work with Alfendi Layton,( affectionately known as Al or Prof) in Scotland Yard’s special unit called the Mystery Room. As the game progresses you begin to find out that there is more to Al than you realize, and that he is not telling you quite everything about some of the cases you come up against. My curiosity as to who he really was and what had happened hooked me and caused me to play through level after level as the story began to grow and things started getting more interesting. 

The graphics were always clear and the game never glitched on me. The loading times were very short and never got in the way of my enjoying the game. The only thing that may bother you as a player is the way some of the characters talk. I always found their accents and ways of speaking interesting and sometimes humorous but on the review in Apple’s App store some people had complained about it and I felt compelled to warn anyone who may play it that yes many of the character’s have strong accents and speak funnily sometimes. If this bothers you then don’t play the game. If you think it may bother you but your not sure then play the free version and make your decision afterwards if you want to purchase the rest or not.

I really enjoyed the games music. It gave the game a definite feel of mystery and detective work and was fun. It really helped to pull me in as I was exploring , and especially when confronting the suspect.  

As I said earlier I wasn’t originally intending to purchase anything in this game but I ended up buying all 9 cases. For the price (around $5) it’s a good game. The game play was very enjoyable and for the unique experience the price wasn’t bad. If they made any more cases I would probably buy them as well. For me $5 for a full game is not bad, really I prefer paying for the game once (or twice in this case)instead of constantly having to dish out for in app purchases to keep me going. 

Overall I highly recommend this game if you have time to spare and enjoy solving mysteries. My only downside to the game is that I wish it were longer. 

Games I’ve found similar to this one: Nancy Drew PC games. 

~Dawn

The False Prince Book Review

The False Prince

Jennifer A. Nielsen

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Release Date: Apr 1, 2012

Series: The Ascendance Trilogy

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Age Recommendation: 12 and up

Author Website: http://www.jennielsen.com/

Summary (found on Amazon):

In this first book in a remarkable trilogy, an orphan is forced into a twisted game with deadly stakes.

Choose to lie...or choose to die.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Review:

The first thing to catch my attention about this book was the cover and title, both sparked my interest and imagination. I am happy to say that Jennifer A. Nielsen did not disappoint my expectations. This book has the feel of a well written fantasy novel without the magic and sorcery involved.

The protagonist Sage is a witty sharp tongued orphan who seems too smart for his own good, and I mean that in a positive way. His quick wit and sharp mind get him out of trouble almost as often as they get him into it. Along with three other orphans Sage is dragged into a scheme concocted by one of the kingdom’s noblemen, Conner. This scheme involves a competition between the boys to see which of them has what it takes to become the kingdom’s lost prince.

Secret agenda’s and trickery are the heartbeat of the competition starting with Sage himself. Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s going on the story throws in twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.

The layers-upon-layers in this book created a momentum that never let up. Every detail, no matter how small, felt like it was leading to something. Sage himself always seemed to be hiding something from everyone, including me as a reader. Oftentimes I knew he was hiding something more than he was revealing and it would drag me breathless through more pages as I searched for the reveal that was inevitable, crying out in excitement when I got it right and berating myself when I got it wrong.

I enjoyed seeing the story told from Sage’s point of view. Not only because he acted as an unreliable narrator (something I love) but because it’s not often I get to read a book written from the perspective of a male character and I enjoy the difference when it happens.

Each of the books characters are interesting with each one having their own agendas and backgrounds. Not one felt like a cookie cutter creation with each one being well rounded. And while you may not find yourself loving every character, you will find a grudging respect for some, and more than one will surprise you by the end of the story.

One of the best parts of this book is that it leaves you feeling satisfied with it’s ending. Yes you desperately want more, but that’s because you’ve fallen in love with the characters and the world, not because you’ve been left with a cliffhanger.

I would (and am) recommending this book to anyone and everyone that I can, both old and young. It’s a great read from start to finish, a true gem to discover. I only recommend waiting to start it until you have time to read it from cover to cover.

~Dawn

Prompted to Write

I usually don't like writing poems. I have nothing against poetry or even reading them. I even have quite a few that I really enjoy going back to every now and then but for the most part I'm not what you would call a poetry person. I'm telling you this because recently I submitted a poem to a competition that was written due to a prompt.

A few years ago I took a creative writing course at the college I was attending. During the course of this class we spent equal time writing both poetry and prose, something I was not happy about at the time. But I wanted to get as much out of the class as I could so I stuck it out churning out the proper lines and stanzas required for each poetry assignment. Eventually I was assigned to write a pantoum. For those of you who've never heard of this style of poetry it a Malaysian poetic form that was introduced to the West by Victor Hugo. The Pantoum can be unlimited in it's stanzas and follows a standard rhyme form of ABAB. Things get interesting when you begin to write the poem itself, everything is said twice. 

Here is an example of what I'm talking about:

Stanza 1:

Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4

Stanza 2:

Line 5 (repeat of line 2 in stanza 1)
Line 6 (new line)
Line 7   (repeat of line 4 in stanza 1)
Line 8 (new line) 

Stanza 3/Last Stanza (This is the format for the last stanza no matter how many preceding stanzas exist):

Line 9   (line 2 of the previous stanza)
Line 10 (line 3 of the first stanza)
Line 11 (line 4 of the previous stanza)
Line 12 (line 1 of the first stanza) 

This assginment spurned me into creating the piece of poetry that I submitted to the contest I mentioned.  Without my Professor's prompt I would have never written the poem or had anything to submit to this particular competition. It's been 2 years since I've last submitted my work anywhere and whether I win or lose this competition I'm glad I had something I was confident in to submit. 

In the Teen Writing Club I Co-lead we use prompts monthly to get the teens to expand their writing. It is amazing to me how many different stories or poems can come from a simple prompt. I love seeing how each person has put their own unique spin on what they're given. And they enjoy it too, many have talked about how the prompts have pushed them as writers.

Some of my best, and worst, work has been due to prompts that I've been assigned or have found on my own. I've written things that I've never wanted to and things that I'd never dared try before. They've helped me expand my writing and given me breakthroughs in areas that I've wanted to try but haven't known where to start.

Prompts have power. They have the power to ignite imagination and cause people to do things that they would never have done before, with surprising results. So the next time you want to expand your writing borders try a prompt, it's easy to find them online with a simple Google (or Bing) search, you may end up getting your next winning piece or successful novel from it.

Here is a list of a few prompts I've used before:

• Write a Pantoum.
• Use these 7 items in a story: A bottle of Baily's Irish Cream, A locket with one picture missing, a crack, a fedora, a cat, a conch shell, and an old tattered dictionary.
• Write a story/poem based on a piece of instrumental music.
• Write a page from a book titled: How to Survive a Boring Class.
• Create a short story that is 26 sentences long, each sentence beginning with the next letter of the alphabet.
• Silvery flakes drifted down, glittering in the bright light of the harvest moon. The blackbird, screeched... 
• Write a story focusing on a Damsel in Distress. 

Feel free to try a few of the examples or tell me of your own experience in the comments.

~Dawn

Stealing the Preacher Book Review

Stealing the Preacher

Karen Witemeyer

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Christian/Historical Fiction

Release Date: Jun 1, 2013

Series: None, but one related book: Short Straw Bride

Violence/Profanity/mature content: Mild violence, none of the rest

Age: Young Adult +

Author’s Website: http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/

Book Summary (from author’s website):

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he’s forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he’s haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind—a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.

For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna’s outlaw father is dead-set against his daughter courting a preacher?

Review:

This is the third book by Karen Witemeyer that I’ve read and I must say that she hasn’t let me down yet. Stealing the preacher is a delightful read that captivates you (literally) from the very first chapter.

It doesn’t take long to see where the title comes in to play in this book as Crockett Archer, on his way to a new preaching position, finds himself kidnapped from the train and hauled off as a birthday present for the outlaw’s daughter. Joanna Robbins has been praying for a preacher to come and is more than a little surprised when one shows up in the most unconventional of ways. The two of them end up working together to both unite their community and lead Joanna’s father into the faith.

There is more to this story than just the main characters (as delightful as they are) and every one of the characters in this book add life and depth to the story from Joanna’s grumpy but loveable father to the rambunctious neighbor Jackson. And as I learned more about each character especially Joanna’s father, I fell more and more in love with the book.

Karen’s writing style is another thing that I enjoyed. I can be picky when it comes to an author’s voice or style, but no fear with Ms. Witemeyer. Her descriptions are delightful, weather it’s a picturesque church service or a thunderous rainstorm each scene is written in a way that makes the words come to life as I’m reading them. As for the book’s third person point of view her switching between the characters never left me jarred or confused as sometimes happens in books. Her style kept me engulfed in the story and never faltered keeping my attention solely on the book.

My only discrepancy was the way Crockett handled the situation with Holly. I won’t spoil it for you, but it just reaffirms to me that when doing ministry with the opposite gender always have a third person with you to back up the situation.

This story is one that balances, fun, laughter, faith, and redemption with a flair of action and danger to keep one turning page after page until the book is done. 

~Dawn