James Nicoll Reviews

Crusaders by Oliver Legrand (August 2022)

CRUSADERS, the roleplaying game of superheroic action, takes you back to the 1980s, at the time of some of the most awesome comics epics ever published – but with a far simpler system than the great superhero RPGs of this glorious decade.

Leaving behind superfluous stuff like sub-stats, complex calculations or real-world physics, CRUSADERS combines genre emulation with old school spirit, using a simple, robust yet elegant D100-based core mechanic.

This 100-page rulebook includes (among other things) the description of more than 40 powers (with a myriad of options and possible refinements), GM-ing tips on how to create your own setting, sample villains and even some elegant optional rules for those who want to make their game grittier or more four-color! 

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Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans (November 2022)

Twenty-seven years ago, a Duke with a grudge led a ruthless coup against the empire of Semilla, killing thousands. He failed. The Duke was executed, a terrifyingly powerful sorcerer was imprisoned, and an unwilling princess disappeared. The empire moved on. Now, when Quill, an apprentice scribe, arrives in the capital city, he believes he’s on a simple errand for another pompous noble: fetch ancient artifacts from the magical Imperial Archives. He’s always found his apprenticeship to a lawman to be dull work. But these aren’t just any artifacts — these are the instruments of revolution, the banners under which the Duke lead his coup. Just as the artifacts are unearthed, the city is shaken by a brutal murder that seems to have been caused by a weapon not seen since the days of rebellion. With Quill being the main witness to the murder, and no one in power believing his story, he must join the Archivists — a young mage, a seasoned archivist, and a disillusioned detective — to solve the truth of the attack. And what they uncover will be the key to saving the empire — or destroying it again. 

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The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown (April 2023)

Ness Brown’s The Scourge Between Stars is a tense, claustrophobic sci-fi/horror blend in the vein of Alien and Event Horizon. 

As acting captain of the starship Calypso, Jacklyn Albright is responsible for keeping the last of humanity alive as they limp back to Earth from their forebears’ failed colony on a distant planet. 

Faced with constant threats of starvation and destruction in the treacherous minefield of interstellar space, Jacklyn’s crew has reached their breaking point. As unrest begins to spread throughout the ship’s Wards, a new threat emerges, picking off crew members in grim, bloody fashion. 

Jacklyn and her team must hunt down the ship’s unknown intruder if they have any hope of making it back to their solar system alive. 

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July 2022

22 works reviewed. 12.5 by women (57%), 9.5 by men (43%), 0 by a non-binary author (0%), 0 by authors whose gender is unknown (0%), and 9 by POC (41%)

Year to Date

151 works reviewed. 84.5 by women (56% ), 61.5 by men (41%), 5 by a non-binary author (3%), 0 by authors whose genders are unknown (0%), and 57 by POC (38%).

Grand Total to Date

2159 works reviewed. 1208.5 by women (56%), 901.5 by men (42%), 31 by non-binary authors (1%), 18 by authors whose gender is unknown (1%), and 631.75 by POC (29%).

Government Types July

Total 22, Not Applicable 5 (23%), Unclear 2 (9%), Anarchy 0 (0%), Pure democracy 0 (0%), Representative democracy 7 (32%), Oligarchy 8 (36%), Autocracy 0 (0%)

Government Type 2022 TD

Total 151, Not Applicable 26 (17%), Unclear 10 (7%), Anarchy 4 (3%), Pure democracy 1 (1%), Representative democracy 44 (29%), Oligarchy 50 (33%), Autocracy 16 (11%)

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