Light Novel & Manga Haul September-October 2024

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About

This haul contains all comics, light novels, and manga for the months of September and October. I had enough to post a haul at the end of September, but I ended up delaying long enough that I decided to just do a two month haul instead.

Everything here is purchased in new condition. Some books come from Amazon, some from Barnes & Noble, and some from local stores.

Comics

Archie: Halloween Special

The only thing Archie I’ve ever tried is the TV show, Riverdale. Archie and Sabrina are in the same universe, so they often have crossovers. I like Sabrina, but I’m new to the comics, so, Halloween Archie special crossover with Sabrina.

What is it?

One-shot Halloween comic of Archie, featuring Sabrina. People not familiar with the comics would likely recognize the characters from the Riverdale TV show.

Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Annual Spectaculars & Holiday Special

These three comics are not trade paperbacks. They are stand alone stories as single comics with the carboard backing and sleeves to keep them in good condition. Every year or so, Archie Comics releases an annual comic for Sabrina, that’s what these Annual Spectaculars are. The Holiday Special is just a separate one-shot story.

I’ve always liked everything Sabrina ever since I was a young child. These were given to me to try to encourage me to read more non-manga comics. I have not read any Sabrina comics before, except one four book series that was published in a manga style, so these are a new format of the Sabrina universe for me.

What is it?

One-shot comics of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. People not familiar with the comics would likely recognize the character from the old TV show or the more recent Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Light Novels

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 2

I love the manga for this series so much that I waited years for the light novel to get a physical release. Unfortunately, I had some bad luck with this volume. After ordering, the bubble packet was delivered empty, with a giant hole in the side, as if the book were too heavy and just fell out somewhere along the way. Customer service was contacted and a new volume was sent to replace it.

I ended up giving the replacement book a quick mold treatment upon arrival, because it had some gross black stuff on it, and I wanted to be absolutely certain it was not mold. It probably wasn’t mold, but the treatment was also the only way I could think of to get the gross stuff off of the book. Needless to say, my experience getting a copy of this was stressful and frustrating.

On the upside, the book itself is great. The light novel volumes feel durable, and decently thick. This one has twenty chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue, which is a lot for a light novel. It’s definitely a quality product.

I have not reviewed any of the light novels, yet, but if you want to read my reviews for the manga volumes, they can be found in the index section.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 6-9

This series is numbered a little strangely. It’s broken up into parts with their own volume numbers. These volumes are Part 2, volumes 3 and 4, and Part 3, volumes 1 and 2.

Most of these came from Barnes & Noble, because that’s the only place I could find Part 2, Volume 3 in stock. Part 2, Volume 4 and Part 3, Volume 2 were included in the order, because I wanted free shipping, and it doesn’t hurt to have more volumes ahead of time. I could only find Part 3, Volume 1 on Crunchyroll, so I had to order that, too, since Barnes & Noble didn’t have that one, and I didn’t want to have a gap. As I collect the series, I keep encountering volumes going out of stock in most places, so I end up panic buying multiple books at a time.

I already reviewed all of the volumes before these ones. They can be found in the index section.

What is it?

An isekai about a bookworm who wakes up as a five-year-old girl in a world where books are unobtainable by the general public, so she decides to make her own and strive to make them more accessable.

Manga

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 12

I’m late in reading this, because I haven’t been in a manga mood lately, but I’m still trying to keep up with the releases. Despite not wanting to read it right away, I did purchase this volume on the day of release. Reviews for volumes one through eleven are available, so at least I’m not too far behind.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 8 & 9

I can say for sure that I have no plans to binge read this series this year. Maybe next year I’ll have more volumes and more motivation. As it is currently, I’m not in the mood for manga, and I’d rather have more than just these nine volumes before digging into this series.

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

The Darkdeep

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The Darkdeep by Ally Condie, Brendan Reichs
Series Name: The Darkdeep
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal
Intended Age Group: Children
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0046-5
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Everyone in Timbers knows Still Cove is off-limits, with its creepy Beast sightings and equally terrifying legends. But when a bullying incident sends twelve-year-old Nico Holland over a cliff and into Still Cove’s icy waters, friends Tyler and Emma—and even Opal Walsh, who usually runs with the popular kids—rush to his rescue…and discover a mysterious island hiding in the murky, swirling mists below.

Though the island appears uninhabited, the kids can’t shake a feeling that something about it is definitely not right. Their suspicious grow when they stumble upon an abandoned houseboat filled with all sorts of curiosities: odd-looking weapons, unnerving portraits, maps to unknown places, and a glass jar containing something completely unidentifiable. And in the boat’s lowest depths churns a dark, deep secret.

As the group delves into this mysterious new clubhouse, their lives begin to intertwine in weird and dangerous ways. For something ancient has awakened…and it can detect not only their wishes and dreams, but also their darkest, most terrible imaginings. Do they have what it takes to face the shadowy secrets lurking within their own hearts?

Personal & Info

This book is written in two perspectives that alternate by chapter.

The Darkdeep is volume one of a trilogy. The second and third books in the series are The Beast and The Torchbearers.

Apparently, this is the same author as the dystopian trilogy, Matched. I tried to read that from the library a few years ago and couldn’t finish it. My notes say I intended to finish it, but just never did. I guess it was too dull for me to pick back up. I don’t have the same problem with this book. After finishing, I put the second and third volumes on my wish list for a later date.

Characters

Nico Holland is one of the twelve-year-old main characters. Half of the story is in his perspective. Nico lives mostly alone with his dad, Warren Holland, who tends to work a lot and leaves him home alone frequently. His dad is a ranger, and Nico’s older brother Rob is away at university.

Tyler Watson is one of Nico’s best friends. He seems like the cautious intellectual of the three.

Emma Fairington is Nico’s other best friend. She seems to be the curious adventurous type. Emma has been close friends with Tyler since they were little.

Opal Walsh is the other main character. Half of the story is in her perspective. She doesn’t quite have a solid friend group. Opal used to be close friends with Nico when they were little, but as time passed, they drifted apart. Now she lives in the rich part of town and hangs out with the popular kids. Her mother, Kathryn Walsh, works at the bank.

Logan Nantes is basically the most popular guy at school. He is the son of Sylvain and Lori Nantes. His family owns the most profitable business in town, a logging company that employs the majority of the townsfolk. Logan covers the role of school bully to Nico, because of a recent family grudge. He’s also the leader of the popular friend group that Opal hangs around.

Story & Thoughts

This is a fun read. It’s not mind-blowingly amazing, but it checks a lot of boxes for what I expect from novels for the intended age group. Stories like this one, with themes about facing your fears, are fun and empowering.

The story takes place in the vicinity of the fictional small town of Timbers in the state of Washington. Their local myth is that there is a Beast living in the eternally foggy Still Cove. It’s in this cove that the kids discover an unknown island full of mystery.

The oddities inside the houseboat are just the beginning. I like the idea of the figments and the explanation behind them. It makes for a cool story while adding some horror and thriller aspects with a little silliness. It’s the right balance to make things interesting without making it scary. The movie and tv references also make things relatable.

I don’t like that the whole town treats Nico badly because of a job related decision his father made, but I get they have reason to be upset. It’s completely unfair to Nico. He didn’t do anything wrong, and really, neither did his dad.

As a first volume in a series, I think this book does a good job. It has its own complete story with no cliffhangers, but it sets up some eerie questions for the next book to answer. There is obviously still more going on than the kids realize. I like the book enough to be interested in reading the rest of the series, but I likely won’t go out of my way to get more volumes

Pandora

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Pandora by Anne Rice
Series Name: New Tales of the Vampires
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-375-40159-8
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Anne Rice, creator of the Vampire Lestat, the Mayfair witches and the mazing worlds they inhabit, now gives us the first in a new series of novels linked together by the fledgling vampire David Talbot, who has set out to become a chronicler of his fellow Undead.

The novel opens in present-day Paris in a crowded café, where David meets Pandora. She is two thousand years old, a Child of the Millennia, the first vampire ever made by the great Marius. David persuades her to tell the story of her life.

Pandora begins, reluctantly at first and then with increasing passion, to recount her mesmerizing tale, which takes us through the ages, from Imperial Rome to eighteenth-century France to twentieth-century Paris and New Orleans. She carries us back to her mortal girlhood in the world of Ceasar Augustus, a world chronicled by Ovid and Petronius. This is where Pandora meets and falls in love with the handsome, charismatic, lighthearted, still mortal Marius. This is the Rome she is forced to flee in fear of assassination by conspirators plotting to take over the city. And we follow her to the exotic port of Antioch, where she is destined to be reunited with Marius, now immortal and haunted by his vampire nature, who will bestow on her the Dark Gift as they set out on the fraught and fantastic adventure of their two turbulent centuries together.

Personal & Info

This month (October, 2024) is my first time trying any Anne Rice novels. At this point, this is only the second. I might try more if I come across them, but I likely won’t go looking for them.

While this is not directly part of Anne Rice’s series, The Vampire Chronicles, it is associated with it. I haven’t read that series, so I’m basing my knowledge on what information I have been able to gather. The events and characters mentioned in chapter one are supposedly relevant to The Vampire Chronicles, but you do not need to be familiar with any of it to understand the meat of the book.

The New Tales of the Vampires series only has two volumes. The second book is Vittorio, The Vampire. I have no intention of reading it, but now you know what to look for if you do.

Content Warnings

You can expect the story to include or mention things that were normal in the historical time period in which the book is set. These include things like slavery, rape, grooming, and pedophilia.

Characters

Pandora is the main character. Her birth name is Lydia, and ever since her childhood, she’s always been smart and well-read. She is a citizen of Rome and daughter of a Senator. Her father, the Senator, is Maximus. She has five older brothers, two of whom are Lucius and Antony. I don’t recall any mention of names for the other three.

Marius is a friend of Pandora’s father, Maximus. He is a traveling scholar from a nation of people the Romans consider barbarians. He is also the only man Pandora has ever truly loved.

Flavius is a philosopher and scholar. He has an ivory leg, and has been a slave all his life.

David is the vampire who asks Pandora to write her memoir, and therefore, the recipient of her narration. There is another David in the story with a son by the name of Jacob, but they are not relevant to this David, and they only play a transitional role in the story.

Story & Thoughts

I admit, I didn’t know what this was when I got it. Upon seeing the title Pandora, my thought process led me to think about the Pandora of the Pandora’s box myth. That is not what this is, but the story does have Greek and Roman themes, which is something I tend to enjoy.

The book is basically a journal style memoir about this vampire Pandora’s life. This guy David Talbot makes a request in chapter one that she write it. He wants to know her story. That’s all fine and dandy, but chapter one is a slog! It was a struggle to get through four pages, let alone finish the chapter. Pandora spends the whole chapter reflecting on the request, the café she’s sitting in, the pen in her hand, the journal she’s writing in…Her musings are so boring and agonizingly slow. Plus, if you’re not familiar with The Vampire Chronicles, a chunk of what she talks about regarding other vampires is nonsensical.

Once the story gets going, though, it’s actually kind of enjoyable. I like things with Greek, Roman, or Egyptian themes, so the setting of Pandora’s history is at least interesting. I’m no history buff, but I think at least some of the things mentioned in the story are historically accurate. They line up with some other things I’ve read that have similar themes.

Pandora’s journey from child to adult to vampire is definitely interesting, but only enough for me to finish the book. It’s not very long, so her whole life is crammed into only about two hundred pages. The book could have been much longer. The majority of her existence is crammed into the last chapter. It literally glosses over everything in her life after her first night as a vampire. That’s practically the entire two thousand years. You can’t seriously tell me that nothing else interesting happened during those years. Apparently, Pandora feels only her sightings of Marius are worth mentioning.

I got some amusement out of this book, but all in all, I’m just glad it’s done. I have no interest in pursuing any of the other volumes or relevant series. It was okay, and it had its moments. That’s about all I can really say about it.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 2, Vol. 3 (LN)

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 2: Apprentice Shrine Maiden, Vol. 3 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! (Light Novel)
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718356054
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

An immense display of mana in front of the Knight’s Order has earned Myne the attention of nobles. The result? Yet more people appear, hoping to exploit the young apprentice shrine maiden’s value. And so the High Priest decides to shelter Myne in the temple to safeguard her from the impending danger he foresees. But Myne’s main concern is still books, and she works to advance the printing process so that their price will fall and more people can buy them. Her long winter in the temple away from her family begins, but everything changes as the harsh winter passes and the spring nears, offering a glimpse into what the future holds.

Personal & Info

There’s a new map in this book! I can’t say for sure what exactly it is. I think it’s the country of Ehrenfest and other surrounding countries, but the “Country Border Gate” encompassing the lot of them makes me wonder if I’m wrong. I’m hoping another volume will have more detailed information on this.

Characters

Myne’s Family

Myne, previously Urano Motosu, is the main character. Now that her Devouring is under control, she mainly just suffers from normal poor health. Myne constantly comes up with product ideas from modern Earth that can break or revolutionize the Ehrenfest market.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. She is one year older than her, and is very responsible and capable for her age. Her current occupation is apprentice seamstress.

Effa is Myne and Tuuli’s mother. She dyes clothes for a career.

Gunther is Myne and Tuuli’s father. He works as a soldier who guards one of the city gates.

The Gilberta Company

Benno is a wealthy merchant. He is Corinna’s older brother, and Otto’s brother-in-law. Benno currently runs the family fabric store, and takes care of Myne and Lutz in relation to their merchant endeavors.

Mark is Benno’s store manager. He teaches all of the apprentices they take on, and tends to important store matters on Benno’s behalf.

Corinna is Otto’s wife and Benno’s sister. She is a professional seamstress.

Otto is Gunther’s coworker. He handles all the important paperwork for guarding the gate. Benno is his brother-in-law, because Otto married Benno’s sister, Corinna.

Lutz is Myne’s friend. He is the same age as she is, and he looks after her to monitor her health. Thanks to Myne, he is now following his dream to become a merchant. Lutz also helps Myne and her workshop make products.

The Temple

The High Bishop is supposed to be in charge of the temple, but he pushes all responsibilities onto the High Priest. Due to events from Part 1, Volume 3, he hates Myne, and will do whatever he can to spy on her and make her miserable.

High Priest Ferdinand is Myne’s guardian at the temple. He is twenty, fairly new to his job, and convolutedly related to the High Bishop.

Sylvester is a blue priest who accompanies the High Priest and Myne during Spring Prayer. He is an eccentric and rather childish person. His actual noble rank remains a mystery.

Fran is one of the High Priest’s best attendants. He is seventeen, and reassigned to Myne upon her joining the temple. By loyalty, he technically works for the High Priest instead of Myne. Fran is assigned to Myne to help her learn and adapt to life in the temple. He is also responsible for watching Myne’s health while she is at the temple.

Gil is about ten. He is assigned to Myne as an attendant, by order of the High Bishop, specifically to cause her trouble. That plan has failed, and he now works hard to be useful and help Myne.

Delia is eight. She is assigned as an attendant to Myne, by order of the High Bishop, to spy on her.

Wilma is one of Myne’s attendants. She is good at art, and permitted to stay in the orphanage to take care of the children.

Rosina is one of Myne’s attendants. She has a talent for music, and previously worked for an eccentric blue shrine maiden along with Wilma. Her primary responsibilities are to teach Myne how to play the harspiel and help Fran with paperwork.

Arno is one of the High Priest’s attendants.

Ehrenfest’s Knight’s Order

Karstedt is the captain of Ehrenfest Knight’s Order. He’s also a close friend of High Priest Ferdinand.

Damuel is a kind knight from the previous volume, currently assigned as Myne’s guard.

Other

Hugo is a chef Benno hired. He is about twenty, and he is learning to cook in a noble’s kitchen by practicing in Myne’s quarters at the temple.

Ella is the apprentice chef Benno hired. She is in her early teens, and is learning to cook with Hugo in Myne’s quarters at the temple.

Johann is an apprentice craftsman at the smithy. He specializes in small detail work that is typically too difficult for others.

Story & Thoughts

After the busywork of the previous volume, this one gets things back on track. Myne starts new projects and inventions, but the story doesn’t heavily focus on them. Instead, the focus is Myne dealing with hardships

It’s already been arranged that Myne will stay at the temple all winter. That on its own is going to be hard. Unlike in her previous life, she’s much more family oriented, so months away from her family is going to be rough. Sure, she’s not alone, because she has attendants, but it’s not the same.

There has to be an obvious master and servant divide between them. Myne can’t treat her attendants like friends. Something as simple as getting a hug is not something she is able to do. When she has to go to the temple for the winter early due to potential danger, it’s even worse, because it’s more like house arrest.

The story talks a lot about how Myne is drawing attention to herself and that Benno is wise to keep her identity a secret. There are events ahead that Myne will have no control over, because it’s either do what she’s told or die for being a potential danger to herself and the country. All of that makes sense, but it can’t possibly be easy for her.

A new character gets an introduction during the spring. It’s unclear who Sylvester actually is, but one thing is for certain. He has too much authority for someone so childish and whimsical. I can’t help wondering about his actual identity and what part he might play in the future. I get the feeling he doesn’t actually live at the temple. It’s pretty clear we’re going to see him again at some point.

This series has easily become one of my favorites. Just one paragraph is enough to make me feel engrossed and comforted. I love all of the characters, even rude Sylvester after seeing more interactions. I can’t express enough how much joy and comfort I get from these books. The world comes more and more alive every volume.

Lunchtime at the Temple

This bonus chapter is in Damuel’s perspective. It takes place before Spring Prayer, while Damuel is dining with High Priest Ferdinand. Throughout their mealtime discussion, Damuel reports his perspective of Myne. In return, Ferdinand points out the “sins” of which Damuel is not aware are included in his punishment. This gives Damuel more insight into how to be a better person and a better knight.

The conversation about Damuel’s money problems in this chapter are likely relevant to Ferdinand’s discussion with Myne at a later date.

The Title of “Gutenberg”

In this chapter, we see Johann’s side of things regarding the presentation of his patron project. We get to see what happens after Myne faints, and the official judgement from the guild for his score. One thing is certain, he is not happy to have the title of “Gutenberg.”

Betrayed

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Betrayed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Series Name: House of Night
Volume Number: 2
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-312-36028-3
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night finishing school. She finally feels like she belongs, even gets chosen as the Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, she actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

Personal & Info

I reread Marked before starting this one since it’s been almost a year since I read it.

The shop links go to copies of the singular volume, but there are also box sets for the series. So, if you prefer to purchase your books in sets, you can easily find those on the same sites.

This series is definitely a result of the times. P.C. Cast consulted her daughter to help her write the speech to make it more like how teens at the time actually spoke. The series started releasing in 2007. Speech was cringe and insensitive, and political correctness was not as prevalent. If you look at the series with a modern eye, it’s easy to find it offensive. Keep in mind exactly what it is that you are reading. Some things don’t age well. I don’t deny the series has a lot of problems.

Content Warnings

-Teen deaths

-Insensitive language

-Sexual Themes

-Bullying

Characters

Zoey is the main character. She’s sixteen, and her Cherokee heritage through her grandmother is integral to her powers and identity. At this point in the story, she is leader of the Dark Daughters, and a High Priestess in training. Zoey has a special relationship with the goddess Nyx to be her eyes and ears at the House of Night.

Stevie Rae is Zoey’s roommate and best friend from Henrietta, Oklahoma. She’s a true country girl with a love of country music, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots. Zoey considers her a “true Okie” because she speaks with a southern “twang.”

Erin is a pretty blonde girl from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her best friend is her roommate Shaunee, because they are so similar in personality that they call each other twin.

Shaunee is Erin’s roommate and best friend from Connecticut. She considers herself Erin’s non-biological twin.

Damien is the guy friend in the group. He’s from Dallas, Texas, has a sophisticated vocabulary, and is out as gay.

Aphrodite is pretty, blonde, and gifted with disastrous visions of the future. She was the villain in the first book, but plays a much smaller, less evil, part in this one.

Erik is Zoey’s new unofficial boyfriend. He’s about six feet tall and good at acting. Zoey describes his appearance as reminding her of Superman with the hair curl. He’s also apparently the hottest guy at school. Absolutely everyone fawns over him.

Neferet is the High Priestess of the House of Night. She has beautiful red hair and green eyes, an affinity for cats, and a gift for healing. Neferet is also Zoey’s mentor, and she teaches Vampyre sociology class.

Loren Blake is a vampyre Poet Laureate. He’s in his early twenties, and he teaches the school poetry class.

Heath is Zoey’s ex-almost boyfriend from her life before the Change. He’s the star quarterback of the football team, and Zoey is having a hard time cutting him out of her life.

Detective Marx is a police detective investigating the disappearances of teenagers. I have a feeling he’ll be popping up again later in other volumes.

Sylvia Redbird is Zoey’s grandmother. She is the one person in the whole world whom Zoey loves more than anything. They don’t see each other often, but whenever they talk, it’s usually immense emotional support for Zoey.

Other people and cats appear in the story, but the people here are the most important.

Story & Thoughts

Betrayed has a lot of recap. I reread the first book, but it might not have even been necessary. All important or relevant events from the first volume get rehashed to remind the reader what happened. The reminders are all over the story, so for people reading the books consecutively, it’s probably annoying. For people who have a long gap between books, it’s probably helpful.

I already had some inklings about where the story was going to go, so a lot of things didn’t really surprise me. However, I still enjoyed the journey. The storytelling for this series is wonderful, and the characters are easy to relate and get attached to.

My biggest take away from this book is it made me cry. Something tragic happens. I saw it coming a mile away, but that didn’t make it any less sad.

The romance is getting really tangled. There are three love interests and it’s only the second volume. Zoey is breaking a ton of rules, whether accidental or on purpose. I have high hopes for a redemption arc for Aphrodite. In the mean time, based on how it ended, things are going to be very interesting.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

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Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Series Name: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Grand Central/ Hachette
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4555-1017-7
Rating: 2/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

“My baby boy…” she whispers before dying. Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother’s fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire. Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, young Lincoln sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving the Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for almost two hundred years—until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln. Now, using the journal as a guide, Seth reconstructs the true life story of America’s greatest president. For the first time ever, he reveals the hidden history behind the Civil War—and uncovers the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of the nation.

Personal & Info

First of all, I must stress that I put the intended age group as adult, not because of anything violent or explicit, but because it’s important the reader have a mature enough mind to know fact from fiction. This book is completely fictional with some real history wrapped into the story. If you can’t tell on your own that this is a retelling of history with a fictional twist, then you shouldn’t be reading it.

This novel is part of a duology. The sequel focuses on Henry Sturges, and I’d likely enjoy that one more than this one, but I have no plans or interest to read it. It’s called The Last American Vampire.

I’m not a history buff, so my review will not be taking historical accuracy into consideration.

I got my copy pre-owned from a large sale. It saddens me to see that it was a Mother’s day gift signed by a bunch of family members that ended up donated. Also upsetting that the signatures are on the inside cover instead of one of the pages that are intended for things like that.

The movie adaptation for this book got the action movie makeover treatment. It is very different. Most of the characters have entirely different personalities, while others don’t even appear at all. If you can separate the book from the movie, they’re both good in their own ways, but neither is great.

Characters

Normally, this is where I would list all of the important characters. Unfortunately, the format of this book makes that a little difficult. Most of the characters only appear briefly, so I’m just going to list a few that have the most significant bonds with the main character and might be around for more than a couple passing mentions.

Abraham Lincoln is the main character. If you don’t already recognize the name from history class, I’ll be surprised.

Thomas Lincoln is Abe’s father. He lacks ambition and will only provide the bare minimum for his family.

Henry Sturges is the vampire in the introduction, and the first vampire to befriend Abe. He appears approximately twenty-five.

Jack Armstrong is a close friend of Abe’s from Clary’s Grove in the New Salem area. He is Abe’s first apprentice. His stature is large, but patience and planning are not his strong points.

Mary Todd is Abe’s wife, and cousin of John Stuart, who is Abe’s partner at a law firm.

Joshua Speed is Abe’s second apprentice. He’s considered annoying, but becomes a close friend to Abe.

Story & Thoughts

For me, this book is an opportunity to try something new, while sticking to a theme I enjoy. It is a sort of retelling biography. I don’t normally touch biographies, but my thought process is, maybe incorporating vampires into it will make it tolerable.

As it turns out, a biography with real world history in it that also has vampires is indeed more tolerable for me than a normal biography. However, it doesn’t make it entirely enjoyable. This book’s writing style focuses around a bunch of journal entries surrounded by narrative story telling. I have many problems with this.

I think my main complaint is the story progresses too quickly. The novel covers the life of Abraham Lincoln from birth to death, and I don’t think the book is big enough to do it justice. It’s hard to get attached to any characters when almost all of them barely stick around, or only get passing mentions. It might just be my preference for reading books in a series format, but I think this book might have been better as a series, so that it could delve more deeply into Abe’s life. I understand that probably wouldn’t work with this particular novel premise, though.

I can’t really complain about the story, since it focuses on real world history. It’s enjoyable enough, and the vampires weirdly fit in a believable way. I’m not a fan of all the dates scattered around. That’s part of the biography part of it, but they mean nothing to me, and the story would feel more natural without them.

What it really comes down to is I’m not a fan of the biography style. I’d much more enjoy a story just told like any other story. For me, the biography style detracts significantly from everything. I just feel like I wanted more than what I got from the book.

Book Haul September 2024

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About

All books in this haul are pre-owned. None of them are directly from any websites. I obtained them from a friend’s bin of discards. Some of them were on my TBR beforehand, while others were added upon learning about them.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I’m trying to give classic novels another chance now that I’m not being told to read them as school assignments. This one probably wasn’t on my school reading list, since it’s considered a banned book in a lot of places, but I think it’s the type of classic novel I should read at least once. It’s not very long, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get through, as long as the story isn’t boring. Hopefully it’s not, because I’ve heard a lot of people say they really like it, and some even say it’s one of their favorites. This copy is only around 200 pages, so I’m hoping it’ll be a quick and interesting read.

What is it?

A classic stand alone coming of age novel frequently on the banned books list.

The Folk of the Air, Vol. 1 by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince is volume one of the Folk of the Air series. I don’t know much about it, but I keep seeing it pop up in recommendations for certain genres and based on things in which I have interest.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy Fae romance.

Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography

I do not own any of the Series of Unfortunate Events novels, but I have read them. They are something I would like to have for my personal library at some point. This book is sort of a companion novel, and it’s on my list of things to read. It looks like it’s made up of a bunch of letters, newspaper clippings, photos, etc. I haven’t read anything in this style before, so it should be interesting.

What is it?

A companion novel to the Series of Unfortunate Events about the fictional author of the series, Lemony Snicket.

Lives of the Mayfair Witches, Vol. 3 by Anne Rice

I didn’t know Taltos was volume three of a series. I just grabbed it because it had Anne Rice’s name on it. It’ll have to sit on my shelf until I find and read volume one. So, probably not a spooky season read for this year.

What is it?

Based on the title, probably something with witches.

Pandora by Anne Rice

I only recently read my first Anne Rice novel. I want to try more of them to see if I’d be interested in looking into more of her books. The ones I’ve been grabbing, so far, have blatant supernatural aspects, like mummies and vampires. This book is not very long, so it’ll be a nice quick spooky season read to try something new.

What is it?

Some kind of Vampire novel.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

My school definitely covered this classic novel in class, but I did not read it or retain anything from the lecture. Maybe I’ll actually enjoy it now that it’s not mandatory reading.

There is a sequel novel, but I’m going to pretend it doesn’t exist. The way it got published was pretty shady, and I hear the story isn’t that great, because it invalidates things from this first book.

What is it?

A classic novel commonly covered in school curriculum.

The Vicious Deep, Vol. 1 & 2 by Zoraida Córdova

The Vicious Deep and The Savage Blue are volumes one and two of the Vicious Deep trilogy. Something said this series is recommended to people who like the Percy Jackson books, so that’s enough for me to try it.

What is it?

Some kind of YA fantasy adventure, possibly with mythological themes.

The White Rabbit Chronicles, Vol. 1 by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland is the first volume in the White Rabbit Chronicles. I know little about it, but I like zombie stuff, so I want to try it. I’d like to track down a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at some point, too. That’s not relevant to this book. I just want to try more zombie novels.

What is it?

Seems like an Alice in Wonderland story where she has to slay zombies.

Wicked Lovely, Vol. 3 by Melissa Marr

Fragile Eternity is volume three of the Wicked Lovely series. The series is on my TBR, but I don’t have the first book. This volume will save me time later, if I end up liking the series. The series appears to be approximately five volumes, plus maybe another five short stories.

What is it?

Some kind of fae themed fantasy.

Willow by Wayland Drew, Bob Dolman, George Lucas

I’ve never seen Willow before. Apparently it’s a well known movie in the fantasy nerd community, and I somehow went my whole life without ever hearing of it, until fairly recently. I read more than I watch movies, so I’m more likely to get through it if I read the novel adaptation. There will likely be some differences from the movie, but it should still be a decent version of the story.

There is a spin off trilogy from this book. It’s called Chronicles of the Shadow War. If I like Willow, I’ll look into reading that.

What is it?

A novelization of the movie Willow.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 2, Vol. 2 (LN)

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 2: Apprentice Shrine Maiden, Vol. 2 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! (Light Novel)
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718356047
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

As Myne continues her busy life as an apprentice blue shrine maiden, some good news changes everything: Her mother is pregnant! Naturally, she immediately sets out to make a picture book for her future little sibling. But there’s still so much she doesn’t know about the temple that doing anything is a struggle. As always Myne has bitten off more than she can chew, but she charges forward with her love of books giving her strength. She soon faces problems which escalate dramatically as her shrine maiden education continues, the orphanage prepares for winter, and nobles get involved!

Personal & Info

Despite the gap for when I’m posting this review, I actually read this book immediately after the previous one. This series is becoming a comfort read, and it’s hard for me to want to read anything else between volumes. At the time of this post, I have four more volumes available to me, and I need to make myself spread them out a bit better.

Characters

Myne’s Family

Myne, previously Urano Motosu, is the main character. Now that her Devouring is under control, she mainly just suffers from normal poor health.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. She is one year older than her, and is very responsible and capable for her age. Her current occupation is seamstress’s apprentice.

Effa is Myne and Tuuli’s mother. She dyes clothes for a career.

Gunther is Myne and Tuuli’s father. He works as a soldier who guards the South Gate.

The Gilberta Company

Benno is a wealthy merchant. He is Corinna’s older brother, and Otto’s brother-in-law. Benno currently runs the family fabric store, and takes care of Myne and Lutz in relation to their merchant endeavors.

Mark is Benno’s store manager. He teaches all of the apprentices they take on, and tends to important store matters on Benno’s behalf.

Corinna is Otto’s wife and Benno’s sister. She is a professional seamstress.

Lutz is Myne’s friend. He is the same age as she is, and he looks after her to monitor her health. Thanks to Myne, he is now following his dream to become a merchant.

Otto is Gunther’s coworker. He handles all the important paperwork for the South Gate. Benno is his brother-in-law, because Otto married Benno’s sister, Corinna. He does not appear in this volume.

The Temple

The High Bishop is mentioned, but does not appear. Due to events from Part 1, Volume 3, he hates Myne. He is supposed to be in charge of the temple, but he pushes all responsibilities onto the High Priest.

High Priest Ferdinand is Myne’s guardian at the temple. He is twenty, fairly new to his job, and convolutedly related to the High Bishop.

Fran is one of the High Priest’s best attendants. He is seventeen, and reassigned to Myne upon her joining the temple. By loyalty, he technically works for the High Priest instead of Myne. Fran is assigned to Myne to help her learn and adapt to life in the temple. He is also responsible for watching Myne’s health while she is at the temple.

Gil is about ten. He is assigned to Myne as an attendant, by order of the High Bishop, specifically to cause her trouble. That plan has failed, and he now works hard to help Myne and be useful.

Delia is eight. She is assigned as an attendant to Myne, by order of the High Bishop, to spy on her.

Wilma is one of Myne’s new attendants. She is good at art, and permitted to stay in the orphanage to take care of the children.

Rosina is one of Myne’s new attendants. She has a talent for music, and previously worked for an eccentric blue shrine maiden along with Wilma.

Arno is one of the High Priest’s attendants.

Ehrenfest’s Knight’s Order

Karstedt is the captain of Ehrenfest Knight’s Order.

Damuel is a kind knight.

Shikza is a mean knight who looks down on people of lower status. He apparently used to work at the shrine as a blue priest.

Other

Hugo is the chef Benno hired. He is about twenty, and he is learning to cook in a noble’s kitchen by practicing in Myne’s quarters at the temple.

Ella is the apprentice chef Benno hired. She is in her early teens, and is learning to cook with Hugo in Myne’s quarters at the temple.

Todd is the new chef Benno hired. He starts learning in Myne’s kitchen after Hugo.

Johann is a craftsman at the smithy. He specializes in small detail work that is typically too difficult for others.

Story & Thoughts

This is probably the weakest volume out of the five, so far. The plot isn’t as strong. Most of the story focuses on busy work. Myne makes sure the workshop is productive and attempts several ideas. There’s much less drama.

For the majority of the book, the problem with Rosina is the only real drama. She only ever worked for an eccentric apprentice blue shrine maiden, so she thought that was how life was supposed to be while serving one. Once disillusioned about that, the story focuses heavily on Myne’s projects.

I was going to rate this book a three, because the whirlwind of work going on feels monotonous. I bumped up the rating by half, because the story gets more interesting and intense in the later sections.

Trombe seem to be getting more important and prevalent. The last couple volumes expand on them, and this one shows a trombe at one of it’s worst appearances. It really puts into perspective what kind of danger they’ve been playing with by making paper out of trombe wood.

The epilogue is interesting, too. A second person now knows Myne’s secret. Instead of just knowing about it, they actually see it. I’m curious to find out what they will do with this information.

The last quarter or so of the book recaptured me, and I can’t wait to read more. This series always leaves me wanting more. I can’t fully express how much I adore this series.

The Attendant of an Apprentice Blue Shrine Maiden

This bonus chapter is in Rosina’s perspective. It goes over what her life was like working for apprentice blue shrine maiden Christine, then jumps to the present. We see what her side of things is like for Myne’s ultimatum and what her thought process is like in regards to everyone telling her she needs to participate in work instead of just playing music every waking hour. She genuinely did not know Christine was an eccentric.

Apprentice Chef in the Temple

In this bonus chapter, Ella is teaching gray shrine maidens Nicola and Monika how to cook, because they will be helping her all winter. In Ella’s perspective, we get her backstory, and learn about how she got her current job. It’ also pretty clear she likely has a crush on Hugo.

The Prince of Mist

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The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Series Name: Niebla
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Little, Brown/Hachette
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-20606-8
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

It’s wartime, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital city where they live and move to a small coastal village. But from the minute they cross the threshold of their new home, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house lurks the spirit of a young boy who died by drowning.

Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist—a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. With the help of their new friend Roland, the Carvers soon get caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and enchanted statues—an adventure that will change their lives forever.

Personal & Info

I got this book as one of many from a large sale. The cover looks like it has a ghost on it, so I figure it will be a decent spooky season read. There is a Q&A in the back of the book. I will not be reading that. I always skip those unless the book is exceptionally phenomenal.

The series as a whole is a trilogy. The second and third volumes are The Midnight Palace and The Watcher in the Shadows. Based on what I can tell from descriptions, I don’t think the story with these particular characters is ongoing. It looks like each book has a new set of characters.

Characters

Max Carver is the main character. He is thirteen and the majority of the story is in his perspective.

Maximilian Carver is Max’s dad. He’s a clockmaker, and is frequently referred to as “the clockmaker.”

Andrea Carver is Max’s mom.

Alicia Carver is Max’s older sister. She’s about fifteen.

Irina Carver is Max’s younger sister. She’s eight.

Roland is either sixteen or seventeen. He is the adoptive grandson of the keeper of the lighthouse, Victor Kray.

Victor Kray is Roland’s adoptive grandfather and the keeper of the lighthouse. He took up the post after arriving at the town via shipwreck.

Story & Thoughts

This book is a little too normal for my taste. It takes place in 1943 during the war, but the war is more of a setting detail for the time period than anything. The Carver family decides to relocate to a more rural oceanside town. They move into a nice house near the beach that has been sitting empty for years and that’s where the story actually starts.

The description is a bit misleading, so it should really be taken with a grain of salt. As the story progresses, it all seems very normal. The family gradually settles into the house, and the kids start to make friends. The mystery presents itself as a simple intrigue of looking at interesting things on the property, like an enclosed garden of statues, and unlabeled videos. It just has an inkling of it all being a little strange.

Eventually, some paranormal stuff starts to happen, but it’s just some minor eerie things. The house isn’t haunted. This is not that kind of story. There’s something bigger going on, and all the little things are a build up.

My biggest take away from the story is that it makes me think of Rumplestiltskin. That’s about as much as I can say without outright spoiling anything.

Initially I was going to rate it a 2.75, because the story is fine, but a little dull, since it mostly follows the day to day life of Max. But I like the later parts enough that I bumped it up to a three. What it comes down to is, the story itself is good, but it just isn’t my kind of book.

I’m not satisfied with the ending, either. If you want a story with a happy ending, this isn’t for you. I don’t care that it isn’t a happy ending, it’s just not the ending I wanted. At least it ends complete enough that I don’t feel the need to bother with the other volumes, because I don’t have enough interest to want to.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 2, Vol. 1 (LN)

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 2: Apprentice Shrine Maiden, Vol. 1 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! (Light Novel)
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718356030
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

With her baptism ceremony complete, Myne begins work in the temple as an apprentice shrine maiden. Awaiting within is what she always wanted: a room full of books! But her new life isn’t quite the dream she was hoping for; she’s surrounded by nobles who scorn her common origins, and even her own servants are causing her trouble. On top of that, she has to constantly battle the weakness of her own body. But with a love for books burning in her heart, Myne gives her all to her new apprentice duties. Thus begins part two of this bingo-fantasy!

Personal & Info

Unlike the first three books in the series, this one doesn’t have a map of the city. However, the character page is more expansive than the ones prior. I was hoping for a map of the temple grounds, but there isn’t one.

Characters

Myne’s Family

Myne, previously Urano Motosu, is the main character. Now that her Devouring is under control, she mainly just suffers from normal poor health.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. She is one year older than her, and is very responsible and capable for her age. Her current occupation is seamstress’s apprentice.

Effa is Myne and Tuuli’s mother. She dyes clothes for a career.

Gunther is Myne and Tuuli’s father. He works as a soldier who guards the South Gate.

The Gilberta Company

Benno is a wealthy merchant. He is Corinna’s older brother, and Otto’s brother-in-law. Benno currently runs the family fabric store, and takes care of Myne and Lutz in relation to their merchant endeavors.

Mark is Benno’s store manager. He teaches all of the apprentices they take on, and tends to important store matters on Benno’s behalf.

Corinna is Otto’s wife and Benno’s sister. She is a professional seamstress.

Lutz is Myne’s friend. He is the same age as she is, and he looks after her to monitor her health. Thanks to Myne, he is now following his dream to become a merchant.

Otto is Gunther’s coworker. He handles all the important paperwork for the South Gate. Benno is his brother-in-law, because Otto married Benno’s sister, Corinna. He does not appear in this volume.

The Temple

The High Bishop is mentioned several times, but does not appear outside of the prologue. Due to events of the previous volume, he hates Myne.

High Priest Ferdinand is Myne’s guardian at the temple. He is twenty, fairly new to his job, and convolutedly related to the High Bishop.

Fran is one of the High Priest’s best attendants. He is seventeen, and reassigned to Myne upon her joining the temple. By loyalty, he technically works for the High Priest instead of Myne. Fran is assigned to Myne to help her learn and adapt to life in the temple.

Gil is about ten. He is assigned to Myne as an attendant, by order of the High Bishop, specifically to cause her trouble.

Delia is eight. She is assigned as an attendant to Myne, by order of the High Bishop, to spy on her.

Arno is one of the High Priest’s attendants.

Other

Karla and Deid are Lutz’s parents.

Hugo is the chef Benno hired. He is about twenty, and he is learning to cook in a noble’s kitchen by practicing in Myne’s quarters at the temple.

Ella is the apprentice chef Benno hired. She is in her early teens, and is learning to cook with Hugo in Myne’s quarters at the temple.

Story & Thoughts

The prologue covers the High Priest discussing Myne’s terms with the High Bishop. We get some background information about both the High Priest and the High Bishop. The High Bishop also sets some terms of his own regarding two out of three of Myne’s attendants. After that, the transitional month passes, and Myne enters the temple in the first chapter.

This volume primarily focuses on Myne’s time adjusting to her new apprenticeship at the temple. Life at the temple is very different from what she was expecting. Of course, Myne, being who she is, can’t help turning the place on its head.

The temple has some strange and down right outrageous ideals. The High Bishop makes the rules, so it’s clear he’s not a good person. For example, the story claims the temple doesn’t consider kids under the age of seven (pre-baptism) to be people. It’s pretty horrible, but Myne gets involved in some clever ways to get around the rules.

I think the volume is interesting. The world inside the temple has its own culture, and in most ways, is completely ignorant of what goes on outside. I like how Myne handles the problems with her attendants, and the new insight about trombe. Some subtle questions arise that have me curious, but Myne doesn’t care about them, so I’ll have to wait and see if any answers crop up later.

A Place Still Far From Here

This bonus chapter is in Tuuli’s perspective. It covers a day when Tuuli brings two coworker friends to the North side of town to observe fashion trends. Tuuli seems to have more ambition than any other apprentice where she works, and instead of getting intimidated by hard designs, she strives to be skilled enough to be able to handle them.

An Attendant’s Self-Awareness

The last bonus chapter is in Gil’s perspective. It takes place on the day when Gunther, Tuuli, and Lutz take the orphans to the forest. During the walk, Gil resolves his determination to be useful to Myne.