The Game and the Board in Review / Write / Read Club (Indie & Self-Published)

Nov 01, 2022 Seth Hobbs rated it it was amazing

The Game and the Board is an interesting story of wizards and citizens who live and control things via an actual game simulation. The most interesting characters to me are Raiden and Vivani. There are some really well-written sword fights and duels in this book, and you can really feel the clash of steel as if your bones are being jarred and rattled. There are some sexual situations that get quite worrisome, as Vivani has to deal with dangerous men in her circles. Some of the drawbacks for me ar ...more

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Feb 04, 2022 Gene Kendall rated it really liked it

Behind the striking cover is, unfortunately, an opening block of text that then leads into a series of giant text blocks. After the prologue, luckily, the story loosens up and focuses more on the human element and less on the world building. Even if you're not invested in the lore (which fans of Tolkien or modern day RPGs will recognize) the characters feel human enough to keep most readers' interest.
...more

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Jun 09, 2023 Ann Birdgenaw rated it really liked it

The Game and the Board by Florian Armas is an epic fantasy on a grand scale or should I say large game board? And quite a complicated game it is. Consider a game of chess between Dungeons & Dragons and Jumanji. Two groups of color-coded wizards vie for control of the Middle Kingdom and use the mostly sentient figures to play out the game and compete in the action-packed, fantastical medieval setting. There are many characters involved in the game; King-makers, druids, kamis and Gods to name a fe ...more

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Feb 07, 2022 Ben Haskett rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-read-this-on-my-kindle, published-202x, self-pub, rrs, 2022-reads

I had to check the title of this book half a dozen times because I kept forgetting it — the title doesn't have much to do with the book. Yes, there is a game (of sorts), and yes, there is a board, but this is like if Pulp Fiction had instead been titled The Briefcase. But I digress. (What's in a name, anyway?)

What matters is this: The Game and the Board is thrilling. You'll find a heaping helping of fast-paced, well-choreographed swordplay in here typically involving horrible, awful people getti I had to check the title of this book half a dozen times because I kept forgetting it — the title doesn't have much to do with the book. Yes, there is a game (of sorts), and yes, there is a board, but this is like if Pulp Fiction had instead been titled The Briefcase. But I digress. (What's in a name, anyway?)

What matters is this: The Game and the Board is thrilling. You'll find a heaping helping of fast-paced, well-choreographed swordplay in here typically involving horrible, awful people getting their just desserts. It's perhaps a little hokey that the antagonists here are so unbearably, almost laughably evil (proud would-be rapists, violent and sociopathic bandits, etc.), but it just makes it all the more cathartic when they're cut down by the book's more virtuous characters.

There are several threads here that eventually braid together. One strand has Raiden, a young novice ambassador betrothed to a beautiful young woman named Elina, secretly training as a sword-dancer in between diplomatic missions to neighboring kingdoms. After his first somewhat shaky battle, he basically becomes unbeatable — as formidable as Stephen King's Gunslinger. He approaches battles and formal duels not with worry or fear, but pragmatism about whether it's a good move politically for the other person to die. Very little is said about sword-dancers. It's unclear how they're trained, why they must live in exile (or hide their abilities, like Raiden does), or even how they're so successful in combat. They seem to break the laws of physics, a la Neo in The Matrix. But I never felt like I needed any of that — the lack of information only adds to the mystery.

Next up is Vivani, who has to fight off a very persistent suitor and his sexually violent entourage. Turns out she's also a sword-dancer, and the comeuppance on display in her chapter is the very definition of catharsis. It is delicious. Odysseus, eat your heart out.

Then you have Rivira, whose daughter is basically gifted by the King to another (and much older) man, prompting a satisfying escape. This comes with its own perils on the road in the form of bandits who can't seem to decide whether they want to rob their victims or... you know, the other thing. Thankfully, added to the fray before long are more sword-dancers, so you can probably guess how that goes.

That probably sounds like plenty of subject matter for a novel but wait — there's more! We also have several entities from another world who travel via some unknown, ethereal means and commandeer the bodies of critters like bugs and lizards and small birds. These chapters are a little muddy, honestly, but the gist is that they had to possess these lesser beings before their souls dissipated, and then work their way up the food chain one link at a time until they can finally possess human beings. A wasp, an owl, a wolf, a bear. I didn't necessarily like where this thread ended up but found the journey enthralling.

And finally we have the rainbow wizards (and my only real stumbling block for the book), who dominate the prologue and chapters 8, 18, and 20 with nearly insurmountable walls of text that never shed much light on what the game is, how it's played, what its purpose is, or why there is so much at stake. (Though it does lead to a really well-executed cliffhanger.) It struck me more like a battle map that we sometimes see military strategists using in movies like Mulan. There are... hints... along the way about the nature of the game. Some of the characters seem to briefly suffer from derealization, questioning why they made this or that decision. Other snippets are almost reminiscent of the CIA scenes from the movie Burn After Reading, where some rainbow wizards try to piece together who did what and why and what should we do next and yadda, yadda, yadda. But it feels disconnected and never really comes together. Or... maybe it does, and I just lost the thread somewhere along the way. I don't know. These chapters feel like a lecture from Professor Cuthbert Binns.

This is the third book I've read from author Florian Armas, so at this point I think I'm used to the unorthodox internal dialogue throughout The Game and the Board. Still, it's overused. Each character will say a few words out loud and then think an entire paragraph (or more!) of indecision and insults. While it's probably there to clarify, it usually just gums up the works. And worse, everyone involved with whatever conversation will share their internal thoughts one after the other, leading to pages and pages of italicized text while we hop from one head to the next. Not my cup of tea, but at the end of the day it's also not that big a deal.

The book starts off really heavy-handed, but you should really stick with it because what comes after is worth it — even if the best parts end up feeling like vignettes. The Game and the Board is an indie book, and while it may not have the consistency of a more polished fantasy novel, it has all the right ingredients and they taste great. ...more

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Nov 18, 2023 P.J. Ashton rated it really liked it

Shelves: epic-fantasy

I haven't read anything by the author, Florian Armas before, however I do love reading fantasy, especially epic fantasy, so I picked this up on KU.

The writing is excellent. It paints pictures and describes the world well as we are with the characters. While reading, I found myself excited to find out what's happening and wanting to discover more. The plot is unique. The story starts with Rainbow Wizards, plotting a game. Akin to a game of chess, moving characters as if they were pieces on a boar I haven't read anything by the author, Florian Armas before, however I do love reading fantasy, especially epic fantasy, so I picked this up on KU.

The writing is excellent. It paints pictures and describes the world well as we are with the characters. While reading, I found myself excited to find out what's happening and wanting to discover more. The plot is unique. The story starts with Rainbow Wizards, plotting a game. Akin to a game of chess, moving characters as if they were pieces on a board, into place through a lot of political manoeuvrings. However, they face a problem, they cannot get the board to materialise. We are introduced to the main characters, Raiden who at the start is 14 but then 16. He's the son of a duke and is going to be trained at court. He is also trained in secret to become a Sword Dancer. Viani, she's a widow and as it turns out her husband and Raiden's father lost their lives fighting together. She is also secretly a Sword Dancer.

There are elements of show in the story and you are drawn into parts of the world and the politics, however there is also a lot of telling going on too. For example, Raiden is tricked into a duel through politics, the duel against Terin is built up, especially since we are told Terin is a good fighter, one of the best in the kingdom. But, then it cuts the scene and we are told Raiden won 4-1. There is also a lot of exposition telling us what is going on and I get the feeling that the book needed to be much longer. There is too much story and so it suffers through exposition.

On the whole, the characters are fine. Raiden has the potential to go places with the skills he has. He's mature for his age and is a good strategist and we see this in several scenes, especially in the planning of some battle scenes. Vivani is the best character in my opinion and she has agency in her actions, however she is underutilised due to the large number of characters.

This is a good story and the world has a lot of potential. The book is intriguing but there are far too many characters so your time with the main characters are diminished. You spend a lot of time with secondary characters who are mainly plotting. The main character, Raiden doesn't really act. He spends much of the time reacting to developments, but as this is a setup novel for a series, this is not too much of an issue as it seems he's beginning to understand what is happening to him.

Overall, I feel this is a solid read with an interesting world and plot. ...more

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Aug 24, 2022 Rik Ty rated it it was amazing

MILD SPOILERS
This is the opening installment of an epic fantasy series, and it’s fun. It’s fast-paced, and it has all of the elements you’d want in a Game Of Thrones type story: there are sword fights, there is intrigue, there are betrayals, there are escapes, there are ambushes, There are moments of improvised strategy, and there are several surreal scenes involving magic and wizards. There is even one curious thread, late in the book, involving magic-folk who enter the realm and are stuck inha MILD SPOILERS
This is the opening installment of an epic fantasy series, and it’s fun. It’s fast-paced, and it has all of the elements you’d want in a Game Of Thrones type story: there are sword fights, there is intrigue, there are betrayals, there are escapes, there are ambushes, There are moments of improvised strategy, and there are several surreal scenes involving magic and wizards. There is even one curious thread, late in the book, involving magic-folk who enter the realm and are stuck inhabiting the bodies of small animals – (wasps, owls, wolves etc). What’s very noticeable throughout, is that all the scenes in the book are very lean. This is epic fantasy for people who are happy to leave the massive books to GRR Martin.
The series’ main idea is that a council of wizards routinely set up a new game of conflict between kingdoms every time a ruler dies, and the people of the world have to live with the consequences. A King has recently died, and for most of this book, the wizards are having a tough time getting the next game to form. After the story has ended, readers are given a few chapters of the next book in the series, and we find that the new game may be different than those that have come before, and that the wizards, and the world itself, may be in for massive trouble.
In this first book, we meet a wide cast of characters, and for the most part, we meet them in moments of high drama: say, seconds before a sword fight, or when there is a knock at the gate, and “friends” arrive to throw someone’s life into upheaval. The character most focused upon in this first book is a young noble named Raiden. Raiden is a youth with a few tricks up his sleeve – he has all the talents of a smart, healthy young man, but he also has a dose of “Sword-Dancer” skills, and a nagging sensitivity to magic that sometimes functions as an early warning system. Raiden hasn’t fully come into his own, and there is no telling what the author has in mind for him, but in this book, he makes for a very adept, and likeable hero.
The women of this story have a much harder time. The book’s most intense scene comes when a Countess must accept visitors to her home, including the visitors’ accompanying soldiers, and then, with the snap of a finger, she has to contend with a plot that puts all the women of her estate (and her own daughters) at extreme risk. I was actively worried the entire time I was reading this scene.
Each scene in the book is easy to follow, and rewarding in the way it intends to be. In a first read, I did have trouble seeing the significance of each specific move, and in only a few cases was I able to see what a scene meant to the story as a whole. I trust that the moves add up to schemes, but in a first, casual read, I wasn’t able to play along. However, I still enjoyed every scene in the book. This is one instance where film has an advantage over prose. If you see the characters and the design motifs of the different groups, it is easier to see who is acting against who, and to remember the players as objects, even before you remember them as characters. In a book of prose, aiming for speed, this is harder to achieve, though avid readers of the genre may have no trouble spotting the various moves and countermoves. Even a second read would be a very different experience. I’m sure most of the plots would be very evident. I’m just a casual reader.
So yes, I highly recommend this book for fans of the genre. At first, it seems like its brevity may be its main appeal, but with the hints given of the story to come, this series may get WILD. It should easily win devoted fans of its own. When you find yourself between releases in whatever epic fantasy series you are currently following, slip this one in, and add a new series to the mix. ...more

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Jun 25, 2022 P.L. Tavormina rated it it was amazing

Well plotted and epic, characters could be more developed.

I’m so impressed with the writing, and the storytelling! The cast is large, the scope too The title is perfect because this reads (to me) like lit-RPG. I feel I am seeing a virtual reality video game play out on the page.

I do want more from the characters, and more immersion in the setting. I’d love to more about personal inner battles, flaws, emotionality. I’d love to smell the campfires, to hear the crunch of dry leaves underfoot, feel ...more

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Apr 21, 2022 E.K. Frances rated it really liked it

Ambitious. Entertaining in places, confusing in others

The Game and the Board tells the story of several characters as they battle for survival in the Middle Kingdom. There is plenty of action and politics with many fantasy elements and characters to keep track of.

The world building is thorough. There are lots of good fantasy components – Sword-dancers, magic, etc. – but some of it gets very confusing. I found the chapters focused on beings from another world and the Rainbow Wizards hard to foll ...more

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Jun 28, 2022 Lynn Helton rated it liked it

Shelves: speculative-fiction, challenge-readers-unbound-2022

A lot of intrigue & political maneuvering, rather disjointed

This book has a lot going on: political and personal intrigue, magic, and mysteries. The kingdoms are dealing with the aftermath of the overthrow of one of the kings. The various remaining nobility and royalty are engaged in intrigues and conspiracies. And mysterious groups of wizards and other magic wielders, with varying types of magic, pursue their own agendas. All these elements of a sprawling epic fantasy story are here.

Unfortunate ...more

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Jan 13, 2022 Florian Armas added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, sword-and-sorcery

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