Thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending these samples!

I love building out my TTRPG library—but there was a point at which I realized that building out that library means more than having a bunch of modules and guides. It was around the time I read How to Defend Your Lair. The thing is, anyone can DM and anyone can play, and that's the beauty of it. But for people who do want a bit more, there is more.

On September 24, we get a one-two punch of TTRPG library must-haves. One is for roleplay, and one is for fun.

The Düngeonmeister Book of RPG Trivia

By Jef Aldritch & Jon Taylor
Available September 24

I've loved the Düngeonmeister book series ever since friend and collaborator Rob mixed us up themed drinks at one of his monthly games. The number of books I have to hand by Aldritch & Taylor is constantly growing, and each has made me (I like to think) a better player.

This one, though, is mainly for funsies.

This handy book serves up more than 400 trivia questions about RPGs and RPG culture. From the beloved to the obscure, from the games themselves to the media around them, this one is full of thinkers.

Since I got my copy, I've enjoyed pulling the book out before one of my weekly games and testing my friends at the table. Who was the rogue who died at the beginning of the Darkest Dungeon Chick tract? What was Marlon Wayans's character's class in that one D&D movie we don't talk about? Which video games shaped the TTPRG industry? All that and more is covered in this book. Plus, there's "Critical Info" throughout, offering more details on especially bizarre trivia tidbits.

Will this book make you a better player? Probably not; but it's not meant to. Will it start some fantastic discussions at the table before and after games? Absolutely. And you'll find out why Gary Gygax spent his life on an FBI watchlist. And isn't that worth the price of admission on its own?

The Ultimate RPG Series Presents: Oh Captain, My Captain!
by James d'Amato
Available September 24

Whether I'm writing a story for publication or crafting an RPG character, one of my favorite ways to build them is by answering questions. It's how one of my regular groups starts every session, and it leads to some of the most intriguing plot points. Now imagine a short-form TTRPG where that's the entirety of the process. That's Oh Captain, My Captain!... and it's one of the most surprisingly satisfying one-shot RPG experiences I've ever had.

Each player is a member of a crew led by a bold captain. Only one thing is known about that captain: the crew trusts them implicitly. This small crew is accompanying the captain on a quest for a legendary treasure—and you also don't know what that is. Details about the captain, the treasure, and the characters at the table are revealed by taking turns answering questions. At the end, players come to a consensus on what the treasure is, what sort of captain they follow, and how they confront one final challenge once the treasure is in sight.

I played this game with Phoenix and Katy, the former being a local DM whose table I'm at fairly regularly, the latter of whom is usually at those tables with me. Starting out with nothing but one of the "Captain Cards," we ended up with surprisingly fleshed out characters of our own. Through pointed questions, Phoenix created a strait-laced former paladin who refused to execute the captain and was recruited into her crew; Katy created the captain's secret lover; and I created a young prisoner captured by another crew and offered freedom in exchange for help on this quest. We were all shocked at how naturally and quickly these characters arose through nothing but questions.

That said, the questions are extremely well written and lead to a series of follow-up questions in the group. For example, one card states: "The captain once confessed a regret to you. Why does this haunt you?" Note that the question is not focused on the minutiae of what that regret was (though it will come out while answering the question). Rather, it asks how the character was affected by the revelation. All the questions are like this, leading to insightful discussions.

If there is one issue with this deck, it's that the voting on the captain's nature is a bit too open-ended—to the point of causing confusing rather than encouraging discussion. The three options are "strong or evil," "weak or foolish," and "wise or righteous." Two of us voted the third; one of us voted the first. But we were all agreed that our captain was equally strong and righteous, but that the strength took priority. The best way around this is likely to have a discussion about your choices after they're made and figure out what each of you is really voting for.

Oh Captain, My Captain! is a fun game for people who enjoy character building. But it's also a fantastic exercise to help new groups learn to roleplay together. It demonstrates, in a contained game, just how quickly collaborative storytelling can bring a cast of characters to life. For longer gaming sessions, it's also a great warm-up to get your brain into that "yes and" space. This will not be living on my bookshelf; it will be living in my gaming bag, accompanying me everywhere. I am legitimately in awe of this game.

 

The impostor syndrome that comes with being an editor for the Black Archive range is offset by the fact that I get to read these amazing books before the majority of the world. It's also a reminder that there's no one way to write a Black Archive, and every approach comes with its own flavor. Some are deep dives into history; others are careful looks at the production of a specific story and everything that went wrong (or right) at the time. Some analyze the surrounding literature and media that influenced the story, while others pick apart the story itself. A hard line for quality bounding a nebulous playing field for approach makes this one of my favorite series to read, edit, and write for.

As ever, it would be disingenuous of me to review, but I can preview. Dale Smith's treatment of Silence of the Library and Forest of the Dead marks the 72nd entry in this series, and it's a reminder of the wildly different approaches a Black Archive can take. Rather than a straightforward analysis or a production brief, Smith uses the two-parter to launch off into a variety of topics—branching out into the wider world and then back into the episode itself. Sections of the book cover everything from women in media to the nature of fear to how one might oversee a library the size of, well, the Library. There's also a discussion of the nature of writing long-game story arcs: how much is planned, how much is happenstance, and how much does it matter which is which?

Personally, I especially enjoyed the discussion of how Steven Moffat's grounding in comedy informs his drama—and, by extension, how comedic beats can be transformed into dramatic beats. This book also pulls from Smith's own life and experiences: a reminder that a good Black Archive is, at its heart, the event horizon of a Doctor Who story and its observer.

As I read each of these new entries, I also re-evaluate my own role as a Black Archive writer. What does it mean when I sit down to talk about an episode? What can I bring to a reading of a story, and where does that intersect with my interests and life experiences? That will be addressed for a second time soon.

Pick up a copy of The Black Archive #72: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

 

August is the busiest of months at my day job, hence this set of reviews coming a bit later than intended. This month's books include middle-reader and YA tales, vampires, Jinn, witches, and one of my favorite literary detectives making a comeback.

Thanks as always to every publisher and author for sharing their ARCs with me! Follow the link above each book to get a copy for yourself, and be sure to leave a review of your own to support them!

A BITTER TASTE
by Josh Reynolds
Available Now

There are few feelings better than opening a new Daidoji Shin novel, and A Bitter Taste is no exception. Set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings, the series follows a seemingly lazy and empty-headed member of the courtly Crane Clan. But like every excellent gentleman detective, Shin has hidden depths, and spends his ample spare time turning his mind to puzzles and mysteries. In his fifth outing, the walls are closing in as his family is demanding he finally settle down and get married. He's convinced this is the direst thing that could happen to him... until he's accused of the murder of Kenzo, a Crane Clan auditor.

Now, Shin and his allies—including bodyguard Kasami, investigator and former fiancee Ko, and loyal gambler-turned-servant Kitano—must clear his name. Diving into this strange murder, however, unearths even more mysteries, many dating back across all the books so far. Shin may know he hasn't committed murder, but there's much more he doesn't know. And his discoveries will call into question every choice he's made and every associate he's trusted since his crime-solving adventures began.

A Bitter Taste is a concentration of everything that makes Daidoji Shin novels so good, from the Wodehousian dialogue and social antics to the multilayered mystery waiting to be unraveled. Long-time readers will have a lot to contend with, as the events of this book upend much we thought we knew, and not everyone will make it out alive. It's a novel as glib and dramatic as the white-haired sleuth himself. This is Reynolds at his best—which, as his work is always top tier, is saying something.

JOSEPHINE'S TEAR
by V.I. Davis
Available Now

In Sophie Devereaux's world, humanity's only protection from the threat of Dark Witches is vampires. In exchange for safety, humans offer the nobles of each vampire clan a vassal: a companion to feed from, who will be returned home after year's end. After her mother was killed, allegedly at the hands of Dark Witches, Sophie has stepped up to be a vassal herself. But it's not out of gratitude: in truth, her mother was killed by a vampire, and the key to ending the threat of both vampires and Dark Witches lies in a magic amulet somewhere in the manor she now calls home.

As Sophie navigates the world of vampires, she also learns more about her lord, Henry. This handsome, seemingly penitent vampire isn't like the others. As she contends with her feelings for Henry and discoveries about her mother's demise, she seeks out the amulet known as Josephine's Tear. But as the truths of this world become more evident, Sophie's path forward becomes more difficult. In the end, she may have to sacrifice someone she cares about—and perhaps her own humanity—to set things right.

The character work in Josephine's Tear is excellent, and this vampire romance sidesteps (and even calls out) a lot of the issues I personally have with paranormal romance in general. Lack of consent and the involvement of underage parties were both addressed and laid bare in the form of subplots involving the story's less savoury parties. That said, less care seems to be given to the crux of the story. Josephine's Tear itself is a macguffin, there's no denying; however, much of the meat of the story speeds by in a page or two. While it's clear that the focus of the book is the romance, it would be nice to see the seeds of that excellent fantasy adventure plot really bloom. Davis is an excellent new voice with a lot to bring to the genre, and seeing both her strengths balanced in further volumes would be a treat.

THE LAST WITCH IN EDINBURGH
by Marielle Thompson
Available Now

Nellie Duncan lives in an alternate Edinburgh in the 1800s—one where women are hanged as witches in the town square. Nellie doesn't fully believe in witches; but one night, as she's helping her drunken father keep watch for resurrectionists, she sees a woman brought back to life: one she'd only just watched hang.

This discovery leads her to Rae Women's Apothecary, where certain women of Edinburgh care for the locals and fight for the winter deity known as the Cailleach. Those who fully embrace their role as the Cailleach's daughters become "witches" of a sort: gifted with longevity and a second life. As Nellie finds a lover in Jean Rae and a place among these women, the Cailleach's jealous son fights back, seeding the ground with hate for any woman who might serve her. And decades later, when Nellie returns to the site of her defeat with her adopted daughter, she discovers she's not as alone as she thought. Not only that, but the battle against Angus and his withering summer heat must be fought with new tactics.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh brims with love of all sorts: romantic, familial, the love between friends, and the love between mentors. It also speaks a lot of often-forgotten truths about violence against women—notably, that women can be guilty of it, and that men are not born violent and hateful. In its latter half, it does occasionally suffer from the same issue as many modern books with a message: a seeming uncertainty about whether or not it's speaking the message clearly enough, leading to the dialogue to drive said message home occasionally being stilted and reading more like a college course than a narrative. That, however, is the only real downside of an otherwise engaging and heartfelt novel.

NOT NOTHING
by Gayle Foreman
Available August 27

Alex—more commonly referred to in the pages of Not Nothing as "the boy"—has done something terrible. At the age of 12, he has an impending court date, the threat of a reform home, and community service ahead of him. He's taken up work he can't stand at a retirement home, forced to work alongside a girl named Maya-Jade whom he instantly decides to dislike. Then, while delivering meals during a lockdown, he meets Josey: a 107-year-old man, blind and nonverbal. But something about Alex makes Josey break his silence.

Soon, the two begin to talk, with Josey telling the story of how he met his wife Olka and the two's trials during the Holocaust. Their time together inspires Alex to do more: befriending Maya-Jade and the other residents of Shady Glen, fighting for what's right, and telling the stories of the rest of the residents. But as Josey's story nears its end, the truth of Alex's crime comes out—to Josey, Maya-Jade, and everyone.

Not Nothing may dwell on dark topics, but it's ultimately a hopeful read. It posits that, no matter how little you've done before, or how badly you've acted, you are always in a position to change. To use Alex's most hated word, there is always an opportunity to become a better person. It's an important lesson, especially for young readers—we can always become the best version of ourselves, even when others have seen us at our worst.

DAUGHTER OF LIGHT AND DARK
by Ahlam Faris
Available August 30

Mina has been called many things in her time, not all of them kind. In a world where humans summon and enslave Jinn into rings, Mina has the uncommon ability to see and speak with them freely. So she knows what it means for a Jinn's freedom to be taken—not just for the Jinn themselves, but for the very fabric of reality. So, with the help of her Jinn protector Ashrush, she sets out to free the powerful spirits trapped inside a dozen gold rings. That includes the one belonging to her late mother.

On the first leg of this daunting task, Mina faces opposition from many fronts. Four of these rings belong to members of the Sultan's family, and Mina must engineer friendships in high places to even get close to them. Meanwhile, a cult is systematically killing off the Seers who commune with Jinn, and it would seem that Mina's friend Saif has some sort of connection to them. And there's something else: a dark power within Mina that has begun to emerge for. Could this have something to do with the name the Jinn use for her—the Daughter of Light and Dark?

Ahlam Faris's first book is enjoyable, with a good structure and an interesting narrative. It does suffer a bit from the common issues of a first book, especially a self-published first book: unchecked typos and occasional grammatical issues, plot points that could be better grounded with a second pass, and so on. But none of these factors counts against Faris's talent. She's brewed up an intriguing story in an equally intriguing setting, and I look forward to seeing her writing grow and evolve over time.

 

It's that time again—time for me to get a new issue of Otaku USA Magazine in my mailbox and remember I wrote about a whole bunch of anime several months ago. The Fall 2024 issue is the latest, and I've got several pieces about some shows I really liked very much.

The first of my three reviews in this issue is for Unnamed Memory, a fantasy/romance about a cursed heir to the throne and the long-lived witch he loves. This has a lot of Frieren energy, particularly in terms of the toll of immortality.

Given the Black Archive draft I'm currently working on, I've actually been thinking a lot about immortality in fiction and how it's often seen as a curse or a monkey's paw. The examination of longevity as neither a blessing nor a curse, but rather a new spin on the human condition with its own joys and difficulties, is extremely refreshing.

Speaking of paranormal beings in love, my second review is for Vampire Dormitory. This series is pure shoujo bait, she said affectionately—about a vampire named Ruka who's so obsessed with 2D girls that he can't fall in love with a real woman. Instead, he decides to love on sad boy Mito, showing him affection until his blood tastes good again. The twist? Mito is actually a girl!

I had a lot of fun watching this series, and sometimes you just need the shoujo formula to bring you a bit of joy.

Finally for my reviews this issue, but not for my contributions this issue, is Tonari no Yokai-san. Set in an alternate universe where yokai and other beasties live alongside humans, this is a surprisingly cozy series with a lot of heart.

The deeper you dive into this series, the more there is to love: from examinations of what it means to be human to some truly dark mysteries. But all of it keeps a sort of Ghibli-adjacent vibe that makes even the most dramatic episodes feel like a warm hug.

And then there's my feature on Astro Note. This is an absolutely fab original rom-com series with lovely animation and great writing. But what really makes me love it is its retro vibe... in particular, the similarities it bears to not one, but two Rumiko Takahashi classics.

Check out your local newsstands for the latest issue, and keep an eye on the Otaku USA website for more features from me!

 

Helldivers 2 has been getting lots of attention lately—and, speaking from experience, that attention is very justified. Between being raised by grandparents who frowned on video games and having a neurological condition that makes motion and visual effects in games uncomfortable (if not outright dangerous), I am not as entrenched in gaming as many of my fellow X-ennials. I don't have decades of muscle memory that make Soulsborne games rewarding or first-person shooters second nature. It's why I follow video game channels, to be honest: it's the only way I can interact with most offerings long-term.

So when I find a game that I both can play and want to play, it's huge. So when both the oshi and my friend group couldn't shut up about Helldivers 2, I had to give it a go. And it is one of the few games, ever, that I have stuck with consistently since picking it up. Or as consistently as I can while holding down multiple jobs.

It's Starship Troopers meets the Terminator franchise. It's a blunt and unsubtle satire of modern warfare. It's also fun as hell and shockingly welcoming to new and untested gamers. So, in advance of the upcoming Escalation of Freedom update, I thought it was time to give a rundown of what works, why it works, and also a diplomatic assessment of where the game could be a bit better. Because we're all about spreading democracy, right?...

The Good

The thing that first attracted me to Helldivers 2 is how it handles multiplayer. I've never enjoyed PVP, and not just because I don't have the time or skills to "git gud." I have more fun figuring out how to deploy resources to solve a problem—whether that be through tactical games like Super Robot Wars or real-time co-op. I do, in fact, love it when a plan comes together.

So knowing that Helldivers 2 is co-op only was a huge draw. Sure, a rando could drop in on your mission and make life difficult, but the way things are set up, there's only so much they can do that. Alongside that, it's hard to be a detriment to your team just by being unskilled, which makes the learning curve much more welcoming. When you're in an environment where everyone's working toward the same goal, coming back to learn and improve is way more fun.

I really appreciate that you can set up for private games, friends-only matches, or open things up to anyone. The in-game voice chat works pretty well, too; I've only encountered a few glitches in my time, and they can generally be fixed by rebooting.

Visually it's a gorgeous game. The planets all feel like different planets, even if you're doing similar missions and fighting similar baddies. Evacuating civilians on any planet requires the same steps (regardless of if you're fighting bugs or bots), but whether you're braving blizzards or fire tornadoes depends on where you land. Leveling up your ship actually leads to aesthetic changes, which both look good and help you get a better sense of how far you've come. And maybe this is just the propane porn fan in me talking, but those explosions are glorious.

Best of all, I love the game devs' involvement. This ranges from actively handling the wargame aspect to doing some frankly magnificent social media work. While there are very few interpersonal problems, they fix the ones that arise (like the issue of "grief kicking"). And they're also just damn good people—don't forget how they matched players' motivation to save in-game children by donating to Save the Children.

The Bad

I will say, the good outweighs the bad in Helldivers 2. If it didn't, I wouldn't keep coming back. But many are the times when a night's diving has ended in frustration. If I was soloing, I would chalk this up to me just sucking at gaming and call it a day. But when I'm in the company of leveled-up friends who do have the gamer instincts I lack, and even they're frustrated beyond the bounds of fun, something's up.

The two biggest issues, at least in my experience, are glitchy crossplay and whatever is going on with enemy spawning. In the case of the former, I'm simply hoping this is a matter of growing pains. The fact that there's cross-system play at all is magnificent. But as a Steam player, I have a much harder time friending my actual friends. This is even with my PSN account hooked up. You can generate friend codes, but they reset whenever you log off, meaning I can't just pass a code to my buddy for them to pick up at their convenience. (Accursed time zones.)

Now, spawn rates. Again, I wouldn't complain about these if it were just me, because I generally assume any major problems I have in video games are a skill issue. But there's a strange disconnect between how many outposts you close up and how many breaches come in. A friend apparently found the formula: shutting down outposts lessens the wave of enemies until it doesn't. There's some kind of magic number at which they'll start calling in outside forces, so there's a degree of management to be done. This has my little brain ticking over: more tactics to work out.

But I have found myself on lower-level missions where the sheer amount of spawns makes no sense. The storyteller in me wants to believe they're stressing us out in advance of introducing new power-ups. The baby gamer in me just feels frustrated.

Your Mileage May Vary

There are shades of grey in anything, of course—things I think I want, but that I'm aware might unbalance what already works. Things that might suit only me as opposed to the broad player base. So this is where I throw those: things I've observed, but that I'm aware might just be a "me" thing, so I'm not confident enough to file them under things that are "good" or "bad."

First is squad size. Four might be the magic number, and if that's what the devs have found works, so be it. I will admit that my desire for a more flexible squad size comes from the fact that I have lots of friends who play, and I want more of us to get to convene. I think all of us have been stuck outside "4/4 fighting Terminids" at some point. That desire, though, is absolutely not a good reason to unbalance the gameplay. But I wouldn't say no to the occasional super-duper-democracy mission with bigger squads.

I also crave a bit more storytelling... but again, that's the storyteller in me. I am absolutely the personal who interacts with non-mission-critical prompts, trying to glean whatever I can about the setting. And considering we are the ones shaping this universe with our actions, there's only so much story one can pre-plan. If we fail to liberate a planet, that just happens and the course of the war changes. (See also the "Save the Children" thing—we chose saving kids over upgrades and that happened.) And that's a part of the game I love a lot because of how important it makes even one player feel. But if the devs ever feel so inclined, I'd love to see some story points backfilled after the fact. Aconyte, if you ever pick up the license for tie-in books, call me.

Last thing... I just want to be able to swim. Or even to get some armor in a warbond that lets me swim. Just give me some little orange floaties. Something.

All things being equal, this game is magnificent. I love the visuals. I love the music. I love the explosions. I love that, as war-torn and ridiculous as it is, the player base as people is so good. If you're wondering whether you should play, the answer is yes.

I'd give you my info so you could friend me, but again, Steam friend codes are a mess.

Writing about anime as (part of) my day job absolutely influences how much I write about it outside my day job. It's just logical. If I can monetize an article idea, I'm going to pitch it over to a magazine. Besides, a good chunk of my readership here on the blog and on my social media is more interested in the other parts of my career Venn diagram, so there's not a huge point in talking more.

That said, there are some things that just don't belong in an anime magazine or on an anime news website. Stuff like "Okay but seriously, here are the ones I'd tell you to watch without any sidebars or cautions." There are plenty of things I'd recommend if you're a hardcore anime fan, if you're into this or that specific subgenre, etc. But sight unseen? I don't get many.

So, here under my own roof, I'm going to try and give some occasional new anime recommendations to people who might not be as anime-focused. I've yet to see a Cowboy Bebop or a Keep Your Hands off Eizouken! this season, but there's still some fun to be had.

The Elusive Samurai

Tokiyuki Hojo was the ninth and final head of the Hojo clan, whose family fell apart during the 1333 siege of Kamakura. His attempts to return to power involves a cycle of fleeing, amassing armies, and fleeing again. By 1352 he managed to recapture Kamakura, but was beheaded a year later.

This is all historical fact. It is also the basis for The Elusive Samurai, an award-winning manga recently adapted into an anime. In this retelling, Tokiyuki Hojo is depicted as a young boy with a talent for evading capture. With the help of Suwa Yorishige (depicted here as a deity-level being with future vision), he hones his skills, turning the battlefield into his own brutal game of tag.

The love for the original manga of The Elusive Samurai is more than warranted, and its anime adaptation is possibly the most beautiful show currently airing. Its blend of anachronistic humor and stunningly animated action has left me speechless so far. If you only watch one new anime this season, go for this one. You don't need any anime knowledge: just an interest in history and a willingness to play along with some tonally-dissonant goofiness.

Ramen Akaneko

Sometimes you just want to chill, and I get that. Ramen Akaneko is my laid-back show of the season. It's a show about a ramen shop run by cats. And that's it. That's all you need to know.

The shop has just accepted its one human employee, who works part-time keeping the staff brushed and will occasionally don a kabuki stagehand outfit to wash dishes up front. (Patrons are here to see the cute feline staff, after all.) A gentle giant of a tiger works in the back making the shop's fresh noodles. And that's pretty much it. The stakes are low, with the most dramatic event so far being a YouTuber trying to take video inside the restaurant to boost his viewing figures.

I've already recommended this one to several friends, and I'm sure many more would enjoy it. Sometimes you just need something laid-back and cute at the end of your day.

Pseudo Harem

I'm recommending this one with full awareness that it will be a harder sell. But Pseudo Harem really surprised me. And you only need one basic piece of knowledge about anime to enjoy it, which you might have already: an awareness of harem anime.

For those who don't know, "harem anime" are those shows where one guy (often with nothing to recommend him) is fawned over by multiple love interests, each representing a very specific character trope. Kind of like horny commedia dell'arte: you will know the characters even if you've never seen the show before. There's the aloof cool girl, the spoiled needy girl, the big sister and little sister types, the shy bookworm, the flirt, and so on.

Pseudo Harem is about two drama club nerds in love. The boy, Eiji, dreams of having his own harem of anime girls. The girl, Rin, is a gifted actress who improvs all these different character tropes on the fly to amuse him. In actuality, though, she has a massive crush on him. These different personas let her voice her feelings safely, but she also has no idea whether Eiji reciprocates her feelings or just has fun interacting with her cast of characters. It's an earnest and self-aware little show that I did not expect to enjoy—definitely my wild card of the summer.

If you'd like to see more of my writing on all things anime, check out my news coverage on Crunchyroll and my features on Otaku USA!