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Monthly Archives: August 2018
The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew Williams
I greatly enjoyed The Stars Now Unclaimed. Author Williams took the familiar dystopian trope and raised it one level – instead of the Earth’s governments collapsing, we have a whole galaxy instantly regressed into various levels of pre-space technology. At … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, sci fi, sci-fi, science fiction
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Lady Mechanika 4 by Joe Benítez, M M Chen
I have read all the Lady Mechanika graphic novels and by this fourth volume, still consider them a guilty pleasure. The art is breathtaking and each page background is so beautifully embellished that it almost makes up for a good … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, graphic novel, Steampunk, urban fantasy
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Takane & Hana 5 by Yuki Shiwasu
I really enjoyed the premise of Takane Hana – our hero being a complete idiot but with redeeming qualities and the more grounded girl who has to put up with him. In a way, it was Boys Over Flowers again … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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Record of Grancrest War by Makoto Yotsuba, Ryo Mizuno, Miyū
While I imagine this is getting an English translation due to the popularity of the game/light novel/anime, I have to admit I fail to find the appeal. It’s a generic story told in a generic fantasy setting with really dumb … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, Fantasy, manga
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Fullmetal Alchemist – Fullmetal Edition 03 by Hiromu Arakawa
With this third volume, the Elric brothers begin to uncover something very rotten within the military – something that ties in directly with Ed’s search for the Philosopher stone. We get a lot more world building and several mysteries deepended. … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, Fantasy, manga
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Ao Haru Ride by Io Sakisaka
Ao Haru Ride is a gentle slice-of-life high school romance series. It has its own charms and is a very separate animal from titles like Kimi Ni Todoke – perhaps a little less mature but a bit more heartfelt. The … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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Bleach 74 by Tite Kubo
I know many long time fans will feel that this ending volume is a bit of a let down – the final battle finished fairly quickly and suddenly rather than having a long drawn out battle at the end (though … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, manga, urban fantasy
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The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu
This title is surprisingly good – well plotted, full of interesting concepts, and with a lot of wonderful mystery. I had worried it would be too much in the horror category – kids getting eaten by ‘demons’ wasn’t ever going … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, manga, sci fi, sci-fi, science fiction
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Barbarella by Mike Carey
I really did not enjoy this title. What I had hoped for was some campy fun with a bit of fan service thrown in. The original comics and movie were deliciously counter-culture at the time – making them shocking in … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, graphic novel, sci fi, sci-fi, science fiction
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Zojaqan by Kelly, Lanzing, Gooden, Astone, Wassel
I have very mixed feelings about Zojaqan. As a story, it is well told and has a complete arc. But I also have a personal dislike of messianic plots and thinly veiled references to Christianity, favorable or critical. Yes, I … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, Fantasy, graphic novel
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FullMetal Alchemist, Fullmetal edition, Volume 2 by Hiromi Arakawa
There is a good reason this is such a beloved series: mangaka Arakawa has done a superb job of creating a fully nuanced story: pathos, humor, fantasy, horror, thriller, magic, adventure – it’s all here. In this second collection, featuring … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, Fantasy, manga
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Pretty Man by Ryan Field
I made it to about 10% in and realized that what we were promised and what we got were two very different things. Most of what made Pretty Woman so successful was its unabashed charm; that is completely missing in … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, romance
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The Sabiddes Secret Baby by Keiko Yamada and Jacqueline Baird
Following the ‘secret baby’ trope closely, this feels a bit more unrealistic than others and unsurprisingly formulaic. A Greek tycoon improbably named Jed and a naive (is there any other?) heroine in Phoebe create a rather bland and somewhat unmemorable … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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Matched to a Billionare by Kat Cantrell and Mio Takai
Matched to a Billionaire is about what we would expect from the genre: marriage for convenience sake that turns into something more with time. I liked that we had two gentle characters and for once, a guy who isn’t an … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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The Blackmail Marriage By Erithen and Penny Jordan
Just as romances tend to fall into categories, so too does the art in manga. In this case, we have a very light and fluffy comedic type of young girls manga style that turns a somewhat silly romance into almost … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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Girl on a Diamond Pedestal by maisey Yates and Rihi Sachimi
These Harlequin Romances aren’t going to break any storytelling ground but they are an enjoyable if brief diversion. In this case, Girl on a Diamond Pedestal deals with the usual after-effects of bad parenting and how both leads paid for … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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When Falcone’s World Stop Turning by Abby Green and Shion Hanyu
This was a surprising choice for a manga adaptation considering the title has mixed reviews for its original 2014 Harlequin Presents source. But it is part of a series on four brothers so I imagine the rest of the books … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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The Terran Privateer by Glynn Stewart
The Terran Privateer is another undemanding but satisfying space opera sci fi from Glynn Stewart. This particular book was fun since the reference was definitely a pirates of the Caribbean in space type of swashbuckling tale. As always, the focus … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, science fiction
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1055 William the Conqueror by Patrick Weber, Emanuele Tenderini
As a piece of historical fiction, this is a clever interpretation of the Bayeux Tapestry (a cloth that was embroidered not long after the Conquest of England (1077) and has survived all these centuries to tell us the story of … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, graphic novel, Historical
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The Springfield Confidential by Mike Reiss
Springfield Confidential reads very much like a Simpsons version of a memoir – irreverent, sarcastic, self effacing, and never taking itself too seriously. But at the same time, I actually want the serious version here – all the endless jokes … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, biography, Book Reviews, non fiction, nonfiction
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