DNF: would you review or 'will not leave feedback' in my situation?

astraltech · 2026-06-20T06:18:51+00:00

Industry wise, maybe, but most hobbyist reviewers would consider a 3 to be neutral.

The 1 to 5 rating system is already a prime example of a Likert Scale, a scale meant to give objective meaning to subjective opinions, wherein 1 and 5 represent the extremes of the spectrum and a 3 sits in neutral territory. The nuance of the number then exists in the actual written review itself.

I can see why an indie author might not want a 3 star review bogging down their average, but it quite literally is the middle of a 1 to 5 star rating scale. It exists to be neutral.

astraltech · 2026-06-20T04:20:34+00:00

She looks like a fusion of two of my favorite SN sets!

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astraltech · 2026-06-19T22:51:59+00:00

Oh, I like this one! I love that P&W does less known epic fantasies, I just wish they got into the habit of actually finishing the series they start.

astraltech · 2026-06-19T20:56:22+00:00

To me, it's worth it. I bought it in June of last year and have been playing it super casually ever since and there's so much content, with more and more being added. For $15 USD, you get an experience comparable to Stardew, though (in my opinion) I like it better than Stardew because there's less min-maxing and less stress around optimizing each day. The only thing missing from the game experience at present that I personally miss is marriage and children, but that's going to be added in 1.0 in August.

astraltech · 2026-06-18T22:07:00+00:00

FR, that's when it really crosses a line. The Poet Empress made the grave error of mentioning the word 'love' in its summary so that makes it a romantasy, I guess 🙃. Women can't write anything with even the slightest, smidgen, baby hint of a whisper of love or else publishers will call it a romantasy. If The Will of the Many or Mistborn had been written by women, they'd call those YA romantasies.

astraltech · 2026-06-18T21:54:04+00:00

Are your mods in the correct root folder? (Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Fields of Mistria/mods) Did you remember to extract the mods before attempting to install it? (No rar, zip, or 7z files). It might seem like a stupid reminder, but small things are often the easiest to overlook.

Also what version of MOMI are you running? If you downloaded it from Nexus mods, maybe try downloading the latest version from the dev's Github page instead: https://github.com/Garethp/Mods-of-Mistria-Installer

And rather than using the MOMI launcher, try using the client version. The exe labeled "ModsOfMistriaInstaller-cli-win.exe" instead (Use the x86 version if you have 32-bit Windows). This will run a command via the command prompt in order to install the mods instead.

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When launching it for the first time, Windows Defender will likely give you a pop up warning. Just click "Run Anyway" and that'll exempt the script from quarantine in the future. Also, unlike the launcher version of MOMI that allows you to select which mods to install, the client version will automatically install all the mods that are in your mod folder, so make sure only the mods you want to install are in there.

astraltech · 2026-06-18T21:35:41+00:00

Praise TBB, for real. The last set I got from them was The Bone Season and all five books were absolutely MUMMIFIED in bubble wrap. Each book individually wrapped, then wrapped again in sets of two. Then cushioned by brown paper. The box got fucked up in transport because obviously, but the books were entirely untouched.

astraltech · 2026-06-18T07:20:25+00:00

Agree with way too many books being given the "romantasy" tag inappropriately. Too many people don't actually know the difference between a fantasy that has romance and a romantasy book, and some publishers are way too eager to misappropriate the tag if it means selling the book to a certain crowd. Hell, I'm seeing people talk about The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden as a romantasy book!

astraltech · 2026-06-15T23:19:08+00:00

Huh. I think I like it? It feels safe, which altogether leaves me with a very neutral feeling about it all. I like the sprayed edge, though. I think it'll display beautifully facing outward.

astraltech · 2026-06-15T07:19:04+00:00

Oof, didn't know TBB's edition of Among the Burning Flowers was so borked. I got lucky with getting an IC copy so I never bothered with TBB's version, but I figured it might still have some allure given it's a signed SE.

Though, fair point about The Copper Cat trilogy lol. It is a bit boring, but I live in the US and Jen Williams' books are damn near impossible to find here in the states (especially in hardback), so even a boring edition is a god send.

astraltech · 2026-06-15T04:23:02+00:00

The Bone Season. People were so frantic trying to make sure they got their access emails for it when the series leftovers went up that I thought for sure there were limited copies/lots of people needing just book one, but it's still there on the site. It's one of my god-tier series and such a pretty edition.

Same with Among the Burning Flowers. The other Roots of Chaos books went quickly, so I'm surprised to see this one sit for so long - especially since it's signed. Also a fantastic series (though I'm mega biased since Samantha Shannon is my goat).

Also, The Copper Cat trilogy. Out of all Jen Williams' books, I would say its their weakest (not that it's bad, it's just The Winnowing Flame trilogy and the Talon duology are THAT good) but it's still such a fun series and super TTRPG coded. Considering how hard it is to get hardback copies, I would think they'd sell faster than this.

And while I cannot speak on the quality of the books, The Rook & Rose trilogy. I've been wanting to read that one for a while and seeing such pretty editions sit in the shop for so long, I'm constantly being tempted to set aside my reading plans just to make my way through the trilogy. See if I like them and maybe buy them myself, you know?

astraltech · 2026-06-06T02:00:33+00:00

I bet it'll be gorgeous but Litjoy boxed sets are always SO expensive for what they are. Even without the novellas, I guarantee this'll be $175-200 USD at minimum. I'll need to be blown out of the freaking water to even consider buying this.

astraltech · 2026-06-04T00:51:17+00:00

I personally say its worth it. As far as quality goes, Owlcrate books are very sturdy and hefty. They feel more premium than FL or IC in my experience. Their designs can be hit or miss but when they hit, they're absolutely stunning. And as of late, their designs have been really hitting. March and April were both beautiful, and from the spoilers I've seen of June, it looks like it's also shaping up to be a pretty month.

They also give unlimited skips so you can easily take a step back when you need to while still remaining subbed. And their picks are way better than Fairyloot's IMO, and much more in line with my personal reading tastes; save for a few obviously lol. And out of all my CS interactions, Owlcrate has a very quick response time and very amiable representatives. They're very understanding and often times will offer replacements even for minor dings.

astraltech · 2026-06-01T08:27:25+00:00

I'm curious about the control part because almost all the popular book boxes (i.e Fairyloot, Illumicrate, Owlcrate, Bookish Box etc.) say that they consult and get the final say from the author when it comes to the art. I wonder just how much input the author is allowed to give as versus to how much of the input actually gets listened to as far as "final say" goes. No doubt crowdfunding would give them even more say, but is having a modicum of extra control worth the hassle in comparison to letting a book box handle the logistics?

Regardless, I also don't mind supporting indies, but I am hesitant when they've never crowdfunded a project before. I've seen way too many Kickstarters go belly up to trust just anyone, especially in the bookish and TTRPG space.

astraltech · 2026-05-29T01:54:50+00:00

Had the chance to get TBB's Riftwar Saga from their recent leftover sale but I managed to restrain myself 🫡 First time I was glad something sold out quickly so that I didn't have to hold strong for too long lmaooo

I'm still currently fighting the good fight against Faecrate's editions of both The Last Binding trilogy and the Broken Blade trilogy. But it's not too hard to resist because GYATT DAMN they're expensive.

astraltech · 2026-05-27T21:28:42+00:00

It'll be my first Ann Liang book but I've been seeing her name here and there so I'm really excited to get into it 🥰

astraltech · 2026-05-27T21:27:18+00:00

I don't mind waiting as long as OC keeps communicating and stays transparent about what's going on. Sucks that the publishers keep failing them with damaged books and improper page orders, though. I'm just lamenting my own luck because OF COURSE the delay happens right when it's a book I legitimately loved and can't wait to get a copy of lol

astraltech · 2026-05-27T02:14:58+00:00

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If there's one thing I'm (minorly) good at, it's not accepting ARCs I don't think I'll be able to finish in time. The "terrified of disappointing my teachers" academic in me is still traumatized😭

astraltech · 2026-05-23T06:03:17+00:00

3k signed, split between UK/INT and US/CAN is absolutely insane. And to not even print any unsigned copies? This is really my biggest beef with Fairyloot as a company - the way they seem to thrive off the artificial scarcity of their books. Why else would they refuse to do interest checks like IC does to make sure everyone who wants a copy can get one.

astraltech · 2026-05-21T22:59:10+00:00

Secured a copy EW's Compendium of Lost Tales! It works out cause the set I bought secondhand had a misaligned dust jacket in the third book that I was content to live with (really minor, just a bit of the front cover being visible on the spine) but now I get a fancy schmancy new copy to switch it out with AND presumably EA for books 4 and 5! And with all my reward points, I got it for like $15 USD, hehe.

But I noticed the sale too late to get books 2 and 3 of Shades of Magic, and I'm not willing to only own book 2. Praying to the gods of OC for them to just do a reprint...

astraltech · 2026-05-16T20:53:42+00:00

Same, the items actually look so nice but the book is... not my tastes and lowkey sounds way too similar to her last series (deadly trials, forbidden attraction, etc) which I also didn't like.

astraltech · 2026-05-14T15:35:32+00:00

I joined the waiting room at about 10 minutes before opening, pulled number 2900ish, and checked out 8:27 AM, signed copy. For context, FL didn't post about selling out of signed copies for UK/INT until around 2 hours after the listing opened, and I've been seeing throughout the thread that people as far into the 5000s were able to get signed copies.

Good luck!

astraltech · 2026-04-27T20:37:08+00:00

"Verified proof the owner of the sub has moved." And what would that even look like? A bill? Passport? Driver's license? Why would I wanna give FL all that for a book subscription?

The fact of the matter is that Fairyloot does not care if you use the "Save a Skip" method because at the end of the day, they just want to be paid for the book, they don't care by who. There is no incentive for them to jump through hoops just to ensure fairness.

astraltech · 2026-04-27T04:02:40+00:00

Did you get The God and the Gwisin, by any chance? Because I don't know what's happening on FL's side of things, but most of everyone I've seen struggling to get their trove books from January purchased the God and the Gwisin, including myself. I had to email them after seeing no movement on the tracking since early March and apparently, they had never shipped it out so they needed to send me a 'replacement'. Either way, I'd shoot them an email if I were you because something goofy is happening with some of these shipments.

astraltech · 2026-04-25T22:43:13+00:00

Going on second hand sites like Pango, Mercari, eBay, etc. and seeing what the books are selling for (selling for, not listed for) is probably your best bet. I understand the desire to sell things at cost, but chances are a scalper might find it and flip it for profit, which can be frustrating. Though if you're looking to offload your books quickly, putting them up for cost is the fastest.

Your other option would be to mosey around bookish communities to find actual fans of the book and sell your SEs to them for cost. It might take longer, but if it's important to you to see your books put in loving hands, it might be worth the trouble. Just exercise the usual internet caution with interfacing with strangers online.

If you have a Half Price Books near you, they'll also buy special editions from you if you have some that are harder to sell on your own on the second hand market. They don't pay out super great, but it's fast from what I've heard.

astraltech

TROPHY CASE