Challenge Corner discussion

Welcome to the dragon’s hoard!

From Anne McCaffrey to Rebecca Yarros, some of the most beloved fantasy series of the past decades have featured dragons and dragon riders. So this challenge is all about celebrating dragons! Teams will work together to collect gems for their dragon’s hoard, and each week of the quarter will feature an opportunity for bonus points themed around famous book dragons from across the decades! Full challenge rules below:

This challenge will begin at midnight on July 1st and will end at 11:59 Pacific Time on September 30th. Winners will be announced October 1st. When signing up, please let me know how many books you think you can read per month. This is so I can correctly balance the teams. If there are any specific players you’d like to be teamed with please let me know and I will do my best to put you together, but I cannot guarantee that everyone will get their teammate requests.

How to Play

There are two game mechanics at play in this challenge. The first one works a lot like the Easter egg hunt challenge we’ve done in the past. You and your teammates will first work together to spell out HOARD using book titles and author's names. You will then collect gemstones to fill your dragon’s hoard. Each hoard can hold 20 gemstones, after which you will have to build a new hoard via spellout.

For the spell out, you can use the first letter of ANY word in the title, series title, or author’s first/last name. Any edition of the book will work as well.

For example, you could post the following:

Review: Add link
Buddy Read: Add link (if applicable)
Pages: Most rated (e.g. this one would be 366)
Spell out: R
How it Fits: Author's middle initial is R

The scores would then look like this:

______Name__|___Books__|___Buddy___|___Pages___|___Total___
____________|___Read___|___Reads___|___Read____|__Points___

Player1___|____1_____|__________|____4_____|____4_____
Player2___|__________|__________|__________|__________

Total_____|____1_____|__________|____4_____|____4_____

Hoard 1: 
H - 
O - 
A - 
R - The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
D -

Once your hoard is ready for some treasure, you will read for different gems using any of the categories below. All categories are repeatable throughout the challenge, one book per gem. Every completed hoard with 20 gems total will earn +10 bonus points!

Gems:


Ruby:
Cover is mostly red (80%)
Features a forbidden romance
Book published in July (any year)
Takes place in India, Vietnam, or Afghanistan
Page count contains a 9 (fun fact: rubies are a 9 on the Mohs scale!)


Citrine
Cover is mostly yellow (80%)
Features a rags to riches story (your interpretation)
Book published in November (any year)
Takes place in Brazil or Russia
Page count contains a 7 (fun fact: citrine is a 7 on the Mohs scale!)


Emerald:
Cover is mostly green (80%)
Features a character who is reincarnated
Book published in May (any year)
Author’s initials in EMERALD
Page count contains an 8 (fun fact: emerald is an 8 on the Mohs scale!)


Sapphire:
Cover is mostly blue (80%)
Read a book that was published 60+ years ago
Book published in September
Book title contains a double consonant
Stars on cover


Diamond:
Re-read a book you rated 5 stars
Features a marriage
Published in April (any year)
Read a book with 10,000 or fewer ratings
1 or 0 in page count (fun fact: diamond is a 10 on the Mohs scale!)


Opal:
5+ colours on cover
Set in Australia
Published in October (any year)
Read a book that you think is very creative
5 in page count (fun fact: opal is between a 5 and a 6 on the Mohs scale!)

The second part of the challenge is a weekly bonus action. At the beginning of each week (schedule posted below), your team will be visited by a random famous dragon from a book or film. Each of these dragons has 4 tasks to complete, one book per task. If you complete all four tasks then your team unlocks that dragon’s special ability! These are effects that happen to your team or a team of your choosing - adding points, stealing gems, and more!

These bonus actions are completely optional. There is no penalty for choosing not to complete that week’s dragon. It’s up to your team whether you want to try and unlock that dragon’s special ability.

Books used for the bonus dragon CANNOT be used as gems or for the spellout (UNLESS you are using a bonus action that allows otherwise).

Dragons:


Saphira:
1. Book features elves
2. MC has a childhood best friend
3. Author’s initials in PAOLINI
4. “Bright” and “scales” in text (pg/% and quote)

Special Ability: Saphira and her rider, Eragon, share a profound bond. You may use three books for two tasks each (e.g. The Hobbit could be used for an H in HOARD and also for Sapphire - book published 60+ years ago)


Dragon
1. MPG comedy
2. Book includes a fairytale or myth
3. Letters DONKEY in title (any order)
4. Features a rescue

Special Ability: Dragon and Donkey’s children are mischievous little thieves! You steal 3 gems from the team of your choice.


Smaug
1. Letters GOLD in title (any order)
2. Features the destruction of an entire town or city
3. MC must defeat a fearsome beast
4. MPG Classic

Special Ability: The terror of Erebor has burned Laketown to the ground! A team of your choosing loses 5 points per week until the end of this challenge (UNLESS they use a special ability to heal later in the game).


Norberta
1. Features an animal sidekick
2. MPG Middle Grade
3. Read a book from the Banned Books List
4. MC gambles in a card game

Special Ability: This little dragon is small but mighty! Your next three books with 200 pages or less will be worth 10 points each.


Villentretenmerth
1. Features a shapeshifter
2. Book has been turned into a TV show, movie, or game
3. MC shows mercy to an enemy (your interpretation)
4. Title is 17 letters or more

Special Ability: This dragon from The Witcher can shapeshift into anything! Your team may use any two books for next week’s dragon tasks, regardless of whether those books fit the task or not.


Haku
1. MC is protective (your interpretation)
2. River on cover
3. Read a book that has been translated into English
4. MC is cursed or enchanted

Special Ability: Haku sacrifices himself to keep Chihiro safe from Yubaba! You may use this special ability to block 1 action taken against you by another team.


Viserion, Rhaegal, and Drogon
1. Features a character with white hair
2. Book is part of a trilogy
3. Fire on cover
4. V, R, and D in series title (any order)

Special Ability: These three dragons have flames strong enough to conquer all of Westeros! The team of your choosing gets burned and loses 10 points per week for the next three weeks.


Tairneanach
1. “Morning” and “Star” in text (pg/% and quote)
2. Book has gold lettering on cover
3. Features a character who is wise and snarky
4. Author’s initials in YARROS

Special Ability: Tairn is wise, strong, and courageous, and he has chosen you! Your team may choose which dragon you read for next week (and you may choose to re-read for a dragon you have already completed).


Ramoth
1. Author is Irish or Irish-American
2. Features soulmates and/or a soulbond
3. “Thread” in text (pg/% and quote)
4. Book published between 1967-2000

Special Ability: In McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, the six Weyrs must work together to defend the planet! The team of your choice must read 660 pages before they can complete a task for their dragon this week.


Yevaud
1. Features a sea voyage
2. Text includes a conlang (constructed/fictional language like Elvish or Klingon)
3. MC’s name starts with G, E, or D
4. Shadow on cover

Special Ability: In Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series, dragons are protectors of ancient knowledge and sources of wisdom. Yevaud grants your team one completed HOARD.


Temeraire
1. MPG Historical
2. MC is a military leader
3. “Napoleon” in text (pg/% and quote)
4. Author’s initials in TEMERAIRE

Special Ability: Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series is a time-bending historical re-imagining, this time with dragons! Your team may re-use any three books that you have already posted. You will get points for them again and may use them for any task that they fit, not only the one they were originally used for.


Mushu
1. Author is Chinese or Chinese-American
2. Food on cover
3. “Dishonour” in text (pg/% and quote)
4. Letters MULAN in title (any order)

Special Ability: This tiny dragon will make a man out of you to defeat the Huns! The team of your choice will lose one each of H, O, A, R, D.


Tintaglia
1. MC undergoes a transformation (your interpretation)
2. Book is from a series that has other interconnected series (e.g. 3. any Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus book would count)
4. Features a burial
5. Features a sentient object

Special Ability: Tintaglia from Robin Hobbs’ Liveship Traders series helps ensure that new dragons can hatch for the first time in decades! Your team may “heal” from the burning abilities of any other dragon. If your team has not been targeted by burning, you gain 9 gems.

Schedule:
Week 1: July 1st - July 6th
Week 2: July 7th - July 12th
Week 3: July 13th - July 19th
Week 4: July 20th - July 26th
Week 5: July 27th - August 2nd
Week 6: August 3rd - August 9th
Week 7: August 10th - August 16th
Week 8: August 17th - August 23rd
Week 9: August 24th - August 30th
Week 10: August 31st - September 6th
Week 11: September 7th - September 13th
Week 12: September 14th - September 20th
Week 13: September 21st - September 30th

Rules
The general challenge rules can be found here

Graphic novels can be counted toward categories if they are at least 100 pages after dividing the most rated page count by 4. You can combine graphic novels to hit the page count minimum.

*Page Points:
<50 pages = .25 points
51 - 99 pages = .5 points
^^^ these books will only count for page points
100 - 149 pages = 1 point
150 - 249 pages = 2 points
250 - 349 pages = 3 points
350 - 449 pages = 4 points
450 - 549 pages = 5 points
550 - 649 pages = 6 points
650 - 749 pages = 7 points
750 - 849 pages = 8 points
850 - 949 pages = 9 points
950+ = 10 points
*Buddy read points will double the page count.
**Reading and participating in the group book of the month will triple the page count

Participants:
BabyLunLun - 5 bpm
Laura - 10 bpm
CB - 18 bpm
Jamie - 25 bpm
Zorina - 10 bpm
Hayley - 10 bpm
Kassandra - 10 bpm
Megan - 10 bpm
Amanda - 30 bpm
Amanda E - 7 bpm
C - 4 bpm
Lys - 20 bpm
Becky - 20 bpm
Alaina - 30 bpm
Ashley - 10 bpm
Michelle - 20 bpm
Dede - 30 bpm
Aly - 10 bpm
Cindy - 15 bpm
Kim - 4 bpm
Vicki - 20 bpm
Rachael - 5 bpm
MeganCG - 12 bpm
Trisha - 15 bpm
TheSleepyLibrarian - 5 bpm
ADD
ADD

Me 5bpm

Looks fun! 10 bpm

Looks great, I’d love to join! I read about 18 books per month

I'm in for 25bpm

I'm in for 10

In for 10

I'm in for 10!

I'm in for 10 bpm. Could I be on a team with Laura msg 10 please

me! 30 BPM

Me please! 7 bpm

4 bpm!

Me, please. 20 bpm

Got you all added!

Can I join, please! 20 bpm! :)

Oops, forgot to join this one. I'm in :) Uh... 30ish books per month?

Saige wrote: "Got you all added!"

Just dropping in to say: How much I absolutely love all the images you've embedded into this challenge and the well-thought through tasks.

I'd like to join 10 bpm

Audiophile Archives wrote: "Saige wrote: "Got you all added!"

Just dropping in to say: How much I absolutely love all the images you've embedded into this challenge and the well-thought through tasks."

Thank you!! It was a lot of fun to build, so I'm glad you enjoy it. I'm really excited to see how all the special abilities shake out during the challenge!

Saige wrote: "Audiophile Archives wrote: "Saige wrote: "Got you all added!"

Just dropping in to say: How much I absolutely love all the images you've embedded into this challenge and the well-thought through ta..."

🤗ME TOO! I'm hesitant to join (the "punking" aspect does give me pause...) so I'll probably just watch. But if you need any assistance with the updates, consider me a dragon-ally!

I'm in - 20 BPM

IS it to late to join? If not, I'm in - 30 BPM

Dede wrote: "IS it to late to join? If not, I'm in - 30 BPM"

Not too late at all!

I’ll join with 15bpm

I didn't see my name on a team. Did I miss it?

ashley.ೃ࿐ wrote: "I didn't see my name on a team. Did I miss it?"

Hi! No you didn't miss it, Alaina and I just miscommunicated and she sent out the teams while I was still changing some things around. Here is the list - you are on Team Fearsome Claws!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Cindy wrote: "I’ll join with 15bpm"

Welcome! Please head over to Team Spreading Wings!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

4 bpm for me please

I love dragons, so I'd like to join. 20 bpm.

hope it's not too late to join. 5 bpm for me!

Vicki wrote: "I love dragons, so I'd like to join. 20 bpm."

Welcome! Please head over to Team Fearsome Claws: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Rachael ༊·˚ wrote: "hope it's not too late to join. 5 bpm for me!"

Welcome! Please head over to Team Fiery Breath: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Kim wrote: "4 bpm for me please"

Welcome! Please head over to Team Fiery Breath: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm in for 12 bpm

I'd like to join - hoping I'm back to read more this next month!
maybe 15 to 20 books this month? I'm really not sure. . .

I would like to join for 5 bpm if I can.

Megan wrote: "I'm in for 12 bpm"

Welcome! Your team is below. By the way, there are two Megans in this challenge, so I'd like to differentiate you so it's clear on the overall scores who is who. Do you have a middle or last initial I could add?

Please head over to Team Spreading Wings: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Trisha wrote: "I'd like to join - hoping I'm back to read more this next month!
maybe 15 to 20 books this month? I'm really not sure. . ."

Welcome! Please join team Fiery Breath: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

TheSleepyLibrarian wrote: "I would like to join for 5 bpm if I can."

Welcome! Please join up with Team Fearsome Claws: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Saige wrote: "Megan wrote: "I'm in for 12 bpm"

Welcome! Your team is below. By the way, there are two Megans in this challenge, so I'd like to differentiate you so it's clear on the overall scores who is who. D..."

CG works :)

I'll play, about 20 bpm

Scores!

______Team__|___Books__|___Buddy___|___Pages___|___Total___
____________|___Read___|___Reads___|___Read____|__Points___

FearsomeClaws_|____13____|__________|____46____|____46____
SpreadingWings|____8_____|____6_____|____23____|____29____
FieryBreath___|____7_____|____2_____|____24____|____26____

Catsalive wrote: "I'll play, about 20 bpm"

Welcome! Please join Team Fiery Breath: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...