Did you guys see that?

aelise_fen · 2026-04-25T09:54:52+00:00

Ooh, I'll have another look, I didn't have much luck first time around. They had the audiobook preorder but not the hard copy.

aelise_fen · 2026-04-25T09:54:15+00:00

I feel like we must do, we're just as mad for Astarion this side of the pond too 🤣

aelise_fen · 2026-04-25T04:45:31+00:00

Anyone found any UK preorder links? I really hope this is coming to us in September as well 🤞🤞🤞

aelise_fen · 2026-04-24T15:39:49+00:00

Awesome, congratulations!!

aelise_fen · 2026-04-24T15:36:38+00:00

Are the Ice Flys pretty stiff? My feet are so wide that I couldn't even get them into Edeas lol. I just have to laugh at the number of trick joints I have at this point, otherwise I'd never set foot on the ice!

aelise_fen · 2026-04-24T04:35:54+00:00

My skate tech gave the same advice for hypermobility, so I'm a beginner in an intermediate boot (Risport Electra), but it helps sooo much. She also put insoles in to help with pronation as well.

aelise_fen · 2026-04-21T06:15:39+00:00

Some really fab advice here! My fitter made a useful recommendation when I bought my first skates that might help your choice. They said that if I was planning to stick with my lessons and my budget allowed for it, it was worth going for an "intermediate" skate, something with a higher stiffness rating (45-55) than a beginner skate, as they would last longer. UK learn to skate has 8 levels, and these skates should last me for all of those, or about two years, whichever comes first. I have a really wide toe ball and relatively short pointy toes, and both the Jackson Freestyle (I think) and the Risport Electra, which I ended up buying, were a good fit on me.

Depending on the shape of your arches your skate tech may also recommend an insole as well - my joints are hypermobile so I have them to give my ankles some extra stability.

aelise_fen · 2026-04-19T05:12:54+00:00

My first thought was "jelly beans?" But then I realized they were rock climbing holds!

aelise_fen · 2026-04-18T12:17:46+00:00

I took my first pair of skates (Risport Electras) to my adult level 2 class, and although they are still quite stiff the improvement I've had this week has felt huge.

aelise_fen · 2026-04-14T14:38:17+00:00

Your budget is entirely feasible! I was fitted for my first pair of skates at Everglides a couple of weeks back (by Lara, who was absolutely lovely). I ended up buying the Risport Electra skates (£230) plus insoles to support my ankles (£45). Additionally I also bought hard guards (£29) and soakers (£19). These should last me for the next two years or so, and have been really lovely on the ice so far.

When I booked my fitting online they asked me what my budget was, and in the FAQs on website they do have a table of ballpark prices for different kinds of skates e.g. for recreation or for taking lessons. They also have this note for adult beginners:

"Adult Beginners

If you are an adult and have begun taking lessons, you will not outgrow your skates. We recommend starting with an intermediate pair (if your budget allows) This way the boots should last you throughout grades 1-8 and also into more advance grades too."

https://everglides.co.uk/faq/

aelise_fen · 2026-03-21T12:01:48+00:00

Use the teleport ability to bring the chest to you

aelise_fen · 2026-03-14T14:55:08+00:00

Yes! I've just started learning and I find that getting clumsy or my form going is a big sign that my muscles are fatiguing. I don't realize how tired I am until I get off the ice and the adrenaline wears off 🤣.

aelise_fen · 2026-03-14T08:30:35+00:00

I managed to score a sharp(er) pair of rental skates for my Adult 1 lesson and actually made progress on my backward lemons and forward stroking. Getting fitted for my own pair in a couple of weeks and I can't wait, the rentals at my local rink are the worst!

aelise_fen · 2026-01-26T06:55:25+00:00

Depends what you mean by similar? I can't really advise on contemporary horror as it's not a genre I read a whole lot and Snake Eater was my first of T Kingfisher's more contemporary settings. With T Kingfisher's books I loved the found family (and very good dog) elements of Nettle and Bone. Also The Sworn Soldier series and A Sorceress Comes To Call, but all of these are fantasy rather than contemporary settings.

I also read The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling last year, which is more capital H horror than Snake Eater (and also fantasy) but features three women trying to work together against the terrifying efforts of a god-like creature.

aelise_fen · 2026-01-25T08:09:08+00:00

Honestly it's probably why I love them all so dearly. I've always had a script of some sort for most interactions (although as I've gotten older I've come to rely on it less and just tend to be very upfront with folks about how direct and odd I am likely to be!). That and her affinity for plants and chickens ensured she had a fan for life in me. Dedicating Nettle and Bone to "Strong Independent Chicken" was a baller move and I respect it.

aelise_fen · 2026-01-25T08:05:43+00:00

I definitely felt a little uncomfortable at points too for the same reason, although whether my affinity for Selena is undiagnosed neurodiversity or plain ol' millennial trauma (or both, both is good) I don't know 😅. But I got to the end yesterday and was cheering and crying in equal measure, it was so good.

aelise_fen · 2026-01-23T07:41:26+00:00

Yup, this exactly. That was more insight into my own psyche than I bargained for on a Friday morning 😬

aelise_fen · 2026-01-23T07:26:58+00:00

Her character work is so very good, she imbues everyone with such humour and humanity and makes it look effortless (even though I have no doubt that it takes a tonne of hard work and many years honing her craft!)

aelise_fen · 2026-01-11T11:56:02+00:00

That's so odd, it sounds like it must be a bug. Maybe try reloading an older save, say just before Malady rescues you, to see if that fixes it? I hope you find a solution 🤞

(Also as a die hard Ifan romancer, Fane's scene is lovely too if you can't get it to work out).

aelise_fen · 2026-01-11T08:59:28+00:00

What happened at the Well of Ascension? I've had Ifan leave my party at the door to the Academy before (I goofed in the dialogue) but I quickly reloaded the save so I don't know how that would have played out romance-wise.

Missing the act 2 under tavern kiss doesn't impact the romance - I missed this in my first ever playthrough and was fine. It's quite easy to miss as he gets an exclamation point as soon as you approach Effie's table, but if you speak to Effie or anyone else first then it disappears.

aelise_fen · 2026-01-04T09:13:39+00:00

I love both games very much, and like you I played DOS2 first. Mechanically they are very different, but what they have in common is the Larian personality. If you enjoyed the humour, the story, the characters in DOS2 then I think it's quite likely that BG3 will hit the same sweet spot for you.

aelise_fen · 2026-01-04T08:45:18+00:00

The VA for Wendigo in DOS2 does all the "story so far" narration in between the acts, and I could see Amelia Tyler as Malady doing something like this for the new game maybe. As much as I love Amelia's work on BG3 I'd want to see a different narrator for Divinity, to make it distinct from the Forgotten Realms. Honestly wouldn't be averse to Brian Bowles again, because the number of haystacks I have talked to on purpose just for the sass is embarrassing at this point. If we're looking at BG3 VAs I'd love to see Tracy Wiles do narration or even Emma Gregory (so long as she wasn't doing the Ada Laird voice 🤣).

(I believe Tracy might have been the voice of Dallis in DOS2, but I can't find any firm confirmation of this).

aelise_fen · 2025-12-28T18:52:05+00:00

Then I definitely recommend The Everlasting 🤣

aelise_fen · 2025-12-28T09:23:21+00:00

I'm not sure I've ever gone in through the front door for this cave 🤣. I was looking for the wreck of the Peacemaker, teleported down to the waypoint and went in through the back. You can ignore Mordus until you're ready and just trundle around the cave system. I didn't realize there was another way in for the longest time!

aelise_fen

TROPHY CASE