My package for Paperback Adventures arrived just before Christmas so I kept it back as one of my „Christmas Presents“
It is another word game by Tim Fowers with roots in Paperback more than Hardback. I would describe it as a „solo word-game boss battler with deckbuilding“
Some rules explanations
So in keeping with the theme you play a character against a sequence of „Lackeys“ and „Bosses“ to write an adventures trilogy. You started with a deck with 10 Letters, a couple of „core“ items, another starter item and 20 HP. Each round you draw 4 cards to make words with. If this sounds impossible: it is hard.
To make a word you splay the cards either right to attack or left to defend with each card providing a variety of symbols depending on the splay. Each card also has a special ability but only the top card gets used. After that it becomes „Fatigued“ instead of going to your discard pile like the rest of your letters, it goes to a separate pile that will reset only after a fight is over thus reducing your deck and setting a timer for each fight,
For letters is quite difficult. So each opponent has one vowel from their name as Achilles Heel. You can use this vowel in your word. If you use the vowel the action selector of the opponent moves once. So by using it or not you can make sure some actions are skipped. Strategic use of the vowel is quite important. There is also a wildcard you can use to provide any letter. Not using it gives a little bonus at the end of your turn.
Over the course of the game you gain items, powerful McGuffins (like Chekov‘s Gun) and more letters and upgrades for your letters (they come in opaque sleeves and the back has an improved version of the card).
I found it quite difficult—maybe I should have used the introductory mode where the boss vowels provide a few symbols when used. With mostly short words I have had to use a scrabble dictionary to check if some of my attempts are valid. I can accept „Blah“ as a word if it helps me defeat the Giant Spider 
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It is not a short game. Battling 6 opponents takes a while especially when each move is a puzzle on its own.
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My biggest (personal) criticism is that the deck doesn‘t grow a lot. It changes but most of the time cards are just replaced not added. Only the first two „bosses“ add a card each. So most of the changes are either upgrades, switches and gaining items & McGuffins. This is more personal preference than criticism….
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I have also had to consult the rulebook quite a lot initially and there are some rules that are easy to get wrong the card replacement instead of addition being quite Gntuitive because most deck builders I know tend to grow the deck. Also there are a few timing issues that one needs to be aware of.
But I have had great fun in my 2 games so far and can‘t wait to find time to play more! Definitely a keeper.
PS: I only have 1 of 3 character boxes because uncharacteristically I didn’t go for the all in pledge. I am not sure I regret not buying the other 2 boxes. One the one hand with 1 character box the game‘s size is quite acceptable on the other after 2 games with the poison lady (Damsel—that causes Distress) I am ready to try another play style… but I have yet to explore most of the content so…