Month: March 2024

Book Haul March 2024

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About

I didn’t buy any books this month. The only reason I have a haul at all for March is because someone gifted me a boxed set through Amazon. I’m counting boxed sets as the number of individual books in the set. They will be listed in the post as one item, because they’re all part of the same series.

There will be no manga haul for March. I didn’t meet my minimum threshold to bother posting. There should be one for the end of April, though.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

This is the five book box set for the series A Court of Thorns and Roses. It contains volumes one through four, as well as a middle volume after three. The titles are as follows: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames.

ACOTAR, as the series is commonly referred to, has been on my to-read list for a few years. I actually think I found it before I started seeing it everywhere. At some point it started to be everywhere in stores and all over my social media feeds. I had no idea it was so popular. It was just a random thing I found while browsing book descriptions online at one point.

But anyway, one of my close friends recently discovered the series, and they absolutely love it. She’s getting as many people as possible to try it, and she’s the one who gifted me this set. I guess it’s just the kick in the pants I need to get around to trying it sooner rather than later. And I have a feeling if she hadn’t gifted this to me, it probably would have been a while, because there are over 800 people waiting for volume one at my local library.

The first book is on my list of things I’ll be reading very soon, so expect a review for volume one within the next few weeks.

Below are pictures of the sides and top of the box for anyone curious about the box art.

What is it?

A fae themed fantasy romance. That’s all I know right now. More information will be available in my reviews when they are ready.

Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 2

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Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 2 by Naoya Matsumoto
Series Name: Kaiju No. 8
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2714-8
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

With the highest Kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corps cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!

The final test of the Defense Force has come to an end, but the examinees’ challenges aren’t over yet. A mysterious humanoid kaiju revives a neutralized honju and sits it on Kikoru Shinomiya. Just when Kikoru seems to be at the end of her rope, Kafka rushes to her defense! But what is the humanoid kaiju’s goal?

Personal & Info

At the time I’m typing this, I don’t currently own this volume. I borrowed this one from a friend shortly after finishing the first one. I’m glad I did, because I got more story faster than if I had waited until I got around to buying it myself. Worth it. I’ll be picking up volume two for myself to own at some point.

Characters

Kafka Hibino is the main character. He’s 32 and finally getting a chance to attain the job of his dreams. Unfortunately for him, he’s going to have to work his butt off if he wants to get there and compete with all his prodigy competition.

Mina Ashiro is the 27 year-old third division captain of the Defense Force. She’s also Kafka’s childhood friend, and basically the strongest officer on the force.

Reno Ichikawa was a new recruit at the Monster Sweeper Inc. cleanup crew, and has since befriended Kafka. He is now one of the most promising recruits on the Defense Force. He admires Kafka’s spirit and tries his hardest to help protect his secret.

Kikoru Shinomiya is the daughter of the Defense Force director and the most impressive new recruit on the force. She is one of only three people who currently know Kafka’s secret, including Kafka himself.

Haruichi Izumo, Iharu Furuhashi, and Aoi Kaguragi are three of the most promising recruits on the Defense Force. Iharu is growing on me. I’m not yet sure how I feel about Haruichi and Aoi. Those two always seem to be arguing.

Soshiro Hoshina is the vice-captain of the third division Defense Force team. The same team Mina Ashiro captains. Kafka aspires to take his position so he can stand side by side with Mina Ashiro.

Some new characters get brief introductions. I don’t know how relevant they are going to be, but they are platoon leaders for the first mission.

Story & Thoughts

This volume picks up showing the opposite side of events from the end of the first one. Instead of picking up immediately where it left off, we see Reno and Kafka as they realize Kikoru needs assistance. Once Reno realizes Kafka ran off irresponsibly, the scene jumps to where we saw Kafka standing in front of Kikoru at the end of the volume.

I find myself easily getting sucked into this series. All of the characters have strong personalities, which makes sense, because you’d need one in their line of work. In addition to that, there is a fairly large cast. Volume one introduced a bunch of characters at the exam, and this volume is introducing even more now that the exams are over. More of the captains and vice-captains are getting screen time as the new recruits are assigned to teams for training and missions.

As the story takes a little time to show more of each character, I’m growing fond of all of them. I hope that’s not something I will regret, because this seems like it might be a series where characters are going to potentially die later. Regardless, I’m loving everybody on the force, so far.

The story is also picking up. A villain has been introduced, and the action scenes are fantastic. I don’t anticipate Kafka being able to keep his secret for long. This is a bingeable series. I definitely plan to get more volumes.

Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1

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Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1 by Ryosuke Takeuchi, Hikaru Miyoshi
Series Name: Moriarty the Patriot
Genres: Historical
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1715-6
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Before he was Sherlock’s rival, Moriarty fought against the unfair caste system in London by making sure corrupt nobility got their comeuppance. But even the most well-intentioned plans can spin out of control – will Moriarty’s dream of a more just and equal world turn him into a hero…or a monster?

In the late 19th century, Great Britain rules over a quarter of the world. Nobles sit in their fancy homes in comfort and luxury, while the working class slaves away at their jobs. When young Albert James Moriarty’s upper-class family adopts two lower-class orphans, the cruelty the boys experience at his family’s hands cements Albert’s hatred of the nobility he was born into. He asks the older of the two boys-who has a genius mind and a killer instinct- to help him rid the world of evil, starting with Albert’s own family!

Personal & Info

I’ve had my eye on this series for a while. It wasn’t a priority, so this volume was on my wishlist. A friend got it for me for me as a gift, and I’m excited to get started on the series.

Moriarty the Patriot, as many probably already know, is about Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes universe. I don’t believe you need to know anything about his previous iterations or Sherlock to enjoy the story/series. If you do, the most important thing to know is probably that he is Sherlock’s rival, and usually portrayed as a villain.

After I finished reading this, I found out there is already an anime for it. It looks like the anime released around the same time as the English print of the manga. So, if anyone is interested, there’s at least one season to watch.

Characters

Moriarty, who acquires the name William James Moriarty, is the main character. By technicality, he’s the second oldest brother of the Moriarty family of nobility. Eventually he will become the rival of Sherlock Holmes, but not in this volume.

Louis is Moriarty’s younger brother. He handles the matters of home and finance.

Albert Moriarty is the eldest son of the Moriarty family of nobility, and the current head of the family. He’s the one who brought Moriarty and Louis into his family as his brothers. He completely supports Moriarty’s idea to cleanse the world.

Colonel Moran, I get the feeling that he’s a military weapons specialist. His introduction is toward the end of the book, so it doesn’t provide much information about him. The most obvious thing about him is he is a ladies’ man.

Fred is a disguise specialist. Like Moran, his introduction is toward the end of the book. He has a quiet demeanor.

Story & Thoughts

This manga starts fast. It takes place in the Victorian era. The first chapter is the backstory. It covers Moriarty’s childhood, from his time at an orphanage with his brother, to starting his life of crime. However, they seem like the crimes of an anti-hero.

Moriarty comes off as a likable character because he goes out of his way to be friendly to anyone and everyone, no matter their social standing. He helps people with any problem they may have, no matter how small, and without always knowing or caring about the reason the help is needed. In a way, he lives his life as an example of how he thinks other nobility should be.

The running theme is murder. Moriarty specifically murders people he deems evil, which usually ends up being corrupt nobility. He either takes his own initiative, or takes jobs from people the same way detectives take cases. The murder is never based on hearsay, though. He takes the time to research his targets and confirm their guilt or get a confession before carrying out his executions. All of which are orchestrated to make them look like accidents or suicides.

He has friends with specific special skills he can call on to help him with more elaborate plans. Two of them from the group picture at the beginning of the manga appear in the third chapter. They seem interesting, so I’m excited to meet the rest.

The first page has nothing to do with anything in this volume. I’m curious to see the events that lead up to what happened on that page. It seems like that particular scene might be a long way off.

I think this volume had a lot of ground to cover, and not a lot of pages to do it. It didn’t blow me away, but it’s a good start to the series. I’m definitely interested in reading more. At the very least, the volume does well portraying Moriarty’s wit and giving the reader a good feel for his character.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 4

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My Happy Marriage, Vol. 4 by Akumi Agitogi, Rito Kohsaka, Tsukiho Tsukioka
Series Name: My Happy marriage (Manga)
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-248-2
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Miyo Saimori, the eldest of her clan and yet unblessed by the supernatural talent that graced her father and half sister, is sent off to marry into the Gifted Kudo clan. The young and aloof clan leader, Kiyoka Kudo, finds himself intrigued by this girl who stands worlds apart from the spoiled, social-climbing women who usually vie for his hand.

All too soon, Kiyoka comes to regard Miyo with affection and they make their engagement real and official, but Miyo still worries she lacks the training to be a wife worthy of the Kudo clan. Enter Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki, who takes it upon herself to tutor Miyo – and tease Kiyoka along the way!

Suddenly Miyo and Kiyoka cross paths with a mysterious man named Arata Tsuruki. What does he want, and what connection does he have to the enigmatic and powerful Usuba clan that Miyo’s mother hailed from?

Personal & Info

I bought this at the same time as volume three, and I read them back to back. Unfortunately, there is no word of the existence of, or any plan for, volume five. I hope the manga continues, but in the mean time, I’m going to work on getting the light novels. The light novels seem to be still ongoing with new releases.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the leading lady. She has a long history of suffering abuse at the hands of her own family. Now that she’s out from under their roof, she can finally start to heal.

Kiyoka Kudo is the male love interest. He has high political and military standing as well as wealth, and he is the current head of the Kudo family. His job is getting very demanding.

Yurie is Kiyoka’s housekeeper. She has taken care of him since he was young, and he trusts her implicitly. She is a kind older woman and she is fond of Miyo.

Hazuki Kudo is Kiyoka Kudo’s older sister. We learn more about her history in this volume.

Yoshito Godo is a young man who works as Kiyoka’s aide in the grotesquery military branch. We see him frequently in this book as Kiyoka spends a lot of time at work.

Arata Tsuruki is 24 years old, and the heir to the Tsuruki family, which owns a trading company.

Story & Thoughts

This seems like a plot building volume. Miyo’s immediate family problems are behind her and no longer a threat to her health or wellbeing. The story is moving forward with Miyo’s education and dealing with her trauma.

Her biggest problem in this book is her nightmares. The cause is unclear, but they’re obviously related to her trauma. She’s not receiving scathing verbal abuse from her family anymore, so her mind is supplying it while she sleeps. While she’s struggling with that, Kiyoka spends most of the volume busy with work.

Some important and interesting things go on in this volume. I can’t say I’m satisfied with it, though. It’s good for the story progression, but I also feel like it’s a step backwards. Miyo’s health is deteriorating, again, and she hasn’t learned how to make her needs or struggles heard. She still has a long way to go when it comes to recovering from her family’s abuse.

The things I like most about the volume are that we learn more about what Hazuki’s life has been like, and Kiyoka finally makes some progress on research regarding the Usubas. There’s enough new information to draw me in for reading the next book when it eventually becomes available. It would be more interesting if we could see the side of Kiyoka’s job that isn’t just paperwork, but maybe that will come along later.

To Ease the Pain of Loneliness

This is a bonus novel style chapter. It stars Hazuki reminiscing with Miyo about the time when Kiyoka decided to leave home. She ponders what he needed from the house in which he currently lives, and what similar aspects she sees in Miyo that makes Kiyoka enjoy her company. It’s written with Hazuki’s perspective. I think it gives her a little more depth to add onto the little we’ve learned about her.

Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1

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Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1 by Wataru Nadatani
Series Name: Cat + Gamer
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Dark Horse
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-50672-741-7
Rating: 3.5/5
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Desription from the Book

LEVEL UP WITH A NEW FELINE FRIEND!

Riko, a twenty-nine-year-old office worker with an obsession for video games, finds her quiet life upended when she takes in a stray cat! Having no experience with pets, Riko uses lessons drawn from video games to guide her in cat care, while her cute companion tries to understand Riko’s behavior and personal obsessions through a cat’s worldview.

Personal & Info

I originally found this series while browsing, and it sounded cute. It wasn’t urgent on my list of things that I wanted to read, so I put it on my wishlist. A friend ended up sending me a copy as a gift, which is kind of funny, because the series focuses on a tuxedo cat, and that particular friend has a tuxedo cat.

The book itself doesn’t specify an intended age group. I listed thirteen and up because that’s the typical age group for most manga. There’s nothing inappropriate in it. The only thing that might affect interest is the fact the main character is a twenty-nine-year-old adult. As long as the reader likes cats and their cute antics, this manga will probably be enjoyable.

Characters

Riko Kozakura is a twenty-nine-year-old single woman who works at a trading company office. She’s a gamer, and she lives alone.

Kikuta sits next to Riko at work. She’s twenty-three, and while they aren’t exactly friends, they do occasionally converse. Kikuta loves cats, but can’t have any because she’s allergic.

Musubi is the star tuxedo cat of the story. He’s only a couple months old. His exact age is nonspecific since he was a stray.

Miho Obayashi is the recurring pet shop employee. She’s twenty-one, and thinks Riko is an oddball.

Story & Thoughts

This is a really cute series. Riko takes in a stray kitten without even thinking about it. She knows absolutely nothing about cats, but just can’t say no to that cute kitty face.

The majority of the story is through Riko’s perspective. At the end of each chapter, there are “Bonus Stage” comics that show Musubi’s perspective for whatever went on during the chapter. This is reminiscent of Chi’s Sweet Home, in my opinion. If you like either of them, you would probably like the other.

Riko’s life revolves around video games. Whenever she’s not working, she’s at home playing games. The book does a decent job assisting readers unfamiliar with parts of that lifestyle by providing footnotes about activities and terminology. The problems she encounters are definitely relatable.

Overall, I think this is a good book or series to read if you like cats or just want something cute and funny. It was an enjoyable light-hearted read when I had some time to kill. Don’t expect to be blown away, but it’ll probably make you smile. It’s not on my priority list, but I’ll likely be getting more of this series eventually.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3

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My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 by Akumi Agitogi, Rito Kohsaka, Tsukiho Tsukioka
Series Name: My Happy Marriage (Manga)
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance 
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-156-0
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Though Miyo Saimori has found a place as Kiyoka Kudo‘s potential bride, the fact remains that she is untouched by thee supernatural power that defines both the Saimori and Kudo clans.

While Kiyoka seems willing to accept her as she is, Miyo is unsure and bewildered – she has never known such warmth in all her life…

Just as Miyo dares to believe she may have found happiness at last, her jealous half sister, Kaya, kidnaps her and locks her in a storehouse. Kaya’s eyes are red with rage as she declares her intention to dissolve Miyo and Kiyoka’s engagement and take Miyo’s place as his fiancée herself!

Will Kiyoka’s otherworldly abilities deliver her from Kaya’s clutches in time?

Personal & Info

I reread the first two volumes before reading this. It had been a while since I read them, and I was a bit late in getting volume three. I bought volumes three and four at the same time, so I’ll be caught up on the manga after reading both. Volume five is not yet out, even though it was rumored to release October of 2023.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the leading lady. She has a long history of suffering abuse at the hands of her own family. Now that she’s out from under their roof, she can finally start to heal.

Kiyoka Kudo is the male love interest. He has high political and military standing as well as wealth, and he is the current head of the Kudo family.

Yurie is Kiyoka’s housekeeper. She has taken care of him since he was young, and he trusts her implicitly. She is a kind older woman and she is fond of Miyo.

Kaya Saimori is Miyo’s younger half-sister. She received everything Miyo did not growing up, and has been conditioned to want to be better than Miyo at everything and always have better than her.

Koji Tatsuishi is Miyo’s childhood friend. He is engaged to Kaya as an arrangement to become the next head of the Saimori family since they don’t have any sons.

Hazuki Kudo is Kiyoka Kudo’s older sister.

Masashi Okaito is the forty-year-old Major General in charge of the Grotesquerie unit.

Story & Thoughts

The first chunk of the book finishes the events from volume two. It shows Miyo’s side of things while Kiyoka is breaking down the gate. She stands up for herself against her family’s wishes for the first time in her life. I’m so proud of Miyo for not surrendering when it matters most. She’s had a lot of growth in a short amount of time.

Miyo’s family is absolutely insane. They shouldn’t have set her up with Kiyoka Kudo in the first place if they were going to decide she wasn’t good enough for that kind of life. They probably expected him to immediately throw her out.

The rest of the volume is more relaxed. Miyo wants to continue her cancelled education from her childhood, so Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki, is arranged to be her tutor. She seems super nice, and interacting with her will likely be good for Miyo.

New events are set in motion as Kiyoka receives a serious job order involving dangerous ghosts, and some interestingly foreboding foreshadowing predictions about Miyo. Something has been happening with her while she sleeps, so I wonder if all of these things are connected.

With her family out of the way, I’m curious to see what will happen next. I don’t like this volume as much as the first two, but it seems like it’s a transitional volume, so that’s normal. Either way, it’s still pretty good, and I’m looking forward to reading more of the series.

Rain

This is another bonus short story chapter written like a light novel. It focuses on an unpleasant memory of Miyo’s as a dream. The point of it seems to be Miyo realizing she can finally let out the repressed emotions she’s hidden away for so long, while speculating about whether it ever would have made a difference if she’d bothered to cry before. I think it shows more of her growth from healing to finally be able to let herself feel all the things she’s been repressing. The hope that one day she might not think about any of those traumatic experiences at all is promising.

Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1

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Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1 by Naoya Matsumoto
Series Name: Kaiju No. 8
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2598-4
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes and unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!

Kafka hopes to one day keep his pact with his childhood friend Mina to join the Japan Defense Force and fight by her side. But while she’s out neutralizing kaiju as Third Division captain, Kafka is stuck cleaning up the aftermath of her battles. When a sudden rule change makes Kafka eligible for the Defense Force, he decides to try out for the squad once more. There’s just one problem – He’s made the Defense Force’s neutralization list under the code name Kaiju No. 8.

Personal & Info

My friends have been highly recommending this manga for a while, so I figured I’d try it. One of them ended up with an extra copy of volume one and gave it to me. It took a while to get around to even though it was in my priority pile.

I think the anime is set to release April 2024, so there isn’t long to wait to be able to see that adaptation.

Characters

Kafka Hibino is the main character. He’s 32 and completely given up on his dream to join the Defense Force. He works as part of the cleanup crew instead.

Mina Ashiro is the 27 year-old third division captain of the Defense Force. She’s also Kafka’s childhood friend. I get the feeling they haven’t spoken in a long time.

Reno Ichikawa is an 18 year-old new recruit at the Monster Sweeper Inc. cleanup crew. He aspires to join the Defense Force and he doesn’t have the greatest first impression. Thankfully, his personality gets better as the story progresses.

Kikoru Shinomiya is the daughter of the Defense Force director and the number one applicant to watch.

Haruichi Izumo, Iharu Furuhashi, and Aoi Kaguragi are three of the best candidates for the Defense Force applicants. They’ll probably become important longterm characters later.

Soshiro Hoshina is the vice-captain of the third division Defense Force team, the same team Mina Ashiro captains. They are proctoring the exam for joining the force.

Story & Thoughts

This is pretty good. I like it enough to say I liked it. I don’t quite think it’s deserving of a four, but it’s close. The premise is interesting. I like that it stars a protagonist who isn’t a teenager. That’s not super common.

I get major Attack on Titan vibes from the series. The city is frequently attacked by Kaiju and the protagonist turns into a Kaiju himself. There are also hints that make me think he’s not the only one in this situation. Plus, there’s a special force intended to fight Kaiju. It certainly feels similar. I assume people who like one will like the other.

Unlike what I can recall about Attack on Titan, though, this series has a lot of comic relief. Kafka and Reno are amusing together. The tension never goes on for too long before they do something silly. They’re not trying to be silly, but things often turn out that way.

I think this is a strong start for the series. It explains everything you need to know, and it introduces several characters who are likely to be significant as the series progresses. These parts are done well, and now that they’re out of the way, the series should be able to really get going. I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10

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The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-136-2
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

When two beautiful foreign envoys with designs on the Emperor come calling, they spin a fantastical tale about a courtesan who once captured the imagination of their family patriarch. Now it falls to Maomao to concoct a theatrical scheme to give the ladies a whopper of a story to take home! And when the hubbub from their visit dies down, Maomao goes back to sniffing around the Inner Court for the perfume oils and spices sold by the caravan that could spell disaster for the throne’s future heirs. But the trail leads her back…to the Crystal Palace?!

Personal & Info

It took me longer than I would have liked to get around to reading this. I ended up doing a full series reread to refresh my memory, and just because I wanted to. The reread was immensely enjoyable. My review for volume eleven will be a little late, but I’ll get to it as soon as I can.

Characters

Maomao is wonderful, as always. I absolutely adore her.

Jinshi is ever present and extra stressed. He does not seem to be having a good time in this volume.

Shenlu is an older lady who runs the clinic. She’s far older than the typical court lady, likely due to her special skills.

Xing is the Head Lady-in-Waiting at the Crystal Palace. She works for Lihua.

Story & Thoughts

This volume is pretty jam packed. It has six chapters. Five of them are multipart events. Of course, the first one is the continuation of the final chapter from volume nine. But, aside from that, there is a three chapter event, and the last chapter is part one for another multipart event.

Part two of The Moon Fairy is fantastic. I was all smiles for that chapter. While I enjoyed it, I don’t think I can say the same for Jinshi.

The Inner Court has several rules that make important things, like medical care, more difficult than they should be. Maomao learns about more of these things, and sees some of the imminent problems the Inner Court is likely to face as an eventuality. It’s clear the current emperor has many things in a transitional state and has not yet fully addressed some of the policy reforms.

On that subject, I think the social aspects of the Inner Palace need addressing. That’s more of an issue for the consorts to deal with, though, and some of them are not aware of the things that need to be fixed. There always seems to be one problem or another at the Crystal Palace, but Lihua seems ready to start addressing those issues.. I hope Lishu can wise up to some of the negativity involving her own ladies-in-waiting at some point.

It’s pretty funny we only just now find out that Maomao has been breaking highly enforced rules this whole time.

I’m surprised Jinshi didn’t express anything to Maomao about the scratches on her face after the drama had passed. He’s usually more concerned about anything that hurts her. The face is also very important inside the Inner Palace because of how much of the social structure there is based on looks, so I thought there should have been a little more attention drawn to that.

All in all, the series is holding up very well. My usual rating tends to be a solid four, with only the occasional dip to a three. It’s definitely one of my current favorites.

Crystal Keepers

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Crystal Keepers by Brandon Mull
Series Name: Five Kingdoms
Volume Number: 3
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9707-8
Rating: 3/5
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Synopsis from the Book

Cole Randolph still can’t believe the way his life has turned inside out. Stuck in a strange land far from home, he has found his friend Dalton and has survived the first two kingdoms of the Outskirts, but none of that has prepared him for the magnetic highways and robotic bounty hunters of Zeropolis.

Ruled by Abram Trench, who stayed loyal to the evil High King, the government of Zeropolis uses advanced technologies to keep tight control. Luckily, the resistance in Zeropolis is anchored by the Crystal Keepers – a group of young rebels with unique weapons.

On the run from the High King’s secret police, Cole and Dalton hope to find more of their lost friends and help Mira locate her sister Constance. But time is running out for Cole to uncover the secrets behind the Zeropolitan government and unravel the mystery of who helped the High King steal his daughters’ powers.

Personal & Info

I found myself in great need of something fantasy that does not involve vampires or romance, so I circled back around to this series to scratch that itch. This book was just what I needed.

Content Warnings

Slavery is a big industry in the Outskirts. If you don’t like elements of slavery in your stories, this series is not for you.

Mira and her sisters have more years than they look, but not in a creepy way. They are children, and think of themselves as children, despite their number of years. Any crushes regarding these characters are not intended to be creepy. The idea is they are as old as they claim to be, because they have never been any other age. I can see how this might still upset some people, so just use your own discretion.

Characters

Cole Randolph is the main character. He’s in sixth grade, and shorter than most in his class. His weapon of choice is a jumping sword. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to use that at all in this book.

Jace was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s moody, arrogant, and rash, but has a good heart. His current hobby is pranking and bullying Dalton, likely as a form of hazing. His weapon of choice is a rope that he doesn’t get to use in this book.

Mira, also known as Miracle Pemberton, is an eleven year old girl who has been hiding from her father for decades. She is one of the High Shaper’s daughters, and did not age during the time her powers were missing.

Dalton is Cole’s best friend. He stresses easily and tends to be anxious. He can create seemings, but that ability does not work in Zeropolis.

Joe is a member of the resistance, also referred to as the Unseen. He’s originally from Monterey, California. We get a little more of his backstory in this volume.

Constance, or Costa, is the princess the group is trying to locate in Zeropolis.

Roulette is a Crystal Keeper. She’s the one we see most often.

Googol is one of the leaders of the Unseen in Zeropolis, and their chief tinker.

Nova is the leader of the Unseen in Zeropolis.

Blake Daniels is one of the kids abducted in Sky Raiders. He’s not exactly a friend to Cole, but Cole still cared enough to inquire about him. Blake has a one of a kind technomancer ability that makes him very useful.

The Hunter is a character who has been silently pursuing the group since they entered Elloweer in Rogue Knight. He’s been a background concern, until now.

Sidekick is an intelligent robot in the guise of an old cleaning bot.

As usual, there are plenty more characters that are not listed here, but these are the ones I feel are most important.

Story & Thoughts

The story picks up where the last leaves off, like usual. However, getting started, it feels slow in comparison. Things are happening and the group is going places, but it really just feels like a lot of nothing and running around. There’s a significant amount of trying to get from A to B, just to find out that B is a problem, which means going to C instead.

I think this is probably the weakest book in the series, so far. That doesn’t mean it’s not good, though. It’s just a little different. I’d describe it as a transitional volume. There’s a lot of information gathering, and heavy focus on Cole doing things alone.

Cole himself is the main focus of the whole book. The group is constantly splitting up, most often with Mira going a separate direction from all of her friends. Cole even goes on his own adventure, without anybody else. Some sections feel like we’re missing out on the interesting bits because we’re following Cole around, but other times it’s very important that he’s doing these things alone. Most of it is important plot building, despite the drag of some sections.

Zeropolis is pretty cool. It’s the high tech area of the Outskirts, and their shaping is basically technomancy. We get to see some cool exoskeleton action suits and various other high tech gizmos. There are some artificial intelligence supercomputers and robot characters. My favorite character in the whole book is actually one of the bots, Sidekick. Sidekick has a charming personality, and they play a huge part in the story, even though they are just a small bot.

I can’t help thinking that Abram Trench must not have been thinking when he helped create Roxie. What he did to make her seems like a very dumb idea. With the public history of Zeropolis being what it is, he should have known better.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 3

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 3 by Hiromu Arakawa
Series Name: Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Genres: Action, Adventure, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-244-4
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

To get some answers, Yuru warily accepts an invitation from the Kagemoris, the very people who assaulted his village. This soon turns into an uneasy alliance when an ambush threatens everyone’s safety. But not even that surprise can prepare Yuru for Asa’s story! What is the stark secret to claiming the twins’ powers? And does Yuru have what it takes to confront what lies in the abyss…and beyond?

Personal & Info

I’ve been wanting to read this volume for a while now, but I’ve been too exhausted. It’s been sitting in my pile for about three weeks, so I’m glad I can finally get around to it. I feel like I can’t get these fast enough, because they all end on some sort of cliff hanger, whether it’s informational or action related. The urge to be able to binge is strong.

Characters

Yuru is the older male twin of the two main characters. He has great hunting skills and a helpful nature.

Asa is the younger female twin of the two main characters. She is Yuru’s younger sister, and she seems to adore her brother with an unusual intensity.

Gabby seems to be a good friend to Asa, but she doesn’t like Yuru after the events of the first volume. I like her even more after learning what names she chose for her daemons.

Ryuu Tadera, who goes by Dera, is a seer. This means he can see Daemons. He is half of the Higashi Village retainer pair, and he acts as supply runner and liaison. He is currently posing as Yuru’s father and guardian.

Jin Kagemori is the youngest of the three Kagemori brothers. He’s a high rank in the family organization in which Asa chooses to reside.

Divine Guardians Left and Right are the most important daemon characters, so far, with ongoing appearances. Yuru is their master and they rarely ever leave his side. They are made of stone, and their abilities are intended to be direct counters to Break and Seal.

Story & Thoughts

This is the third volume, and it’s still going strong. The focus of the plot for the volume is continuing to dump information they started discussing from volume two. The only reason I’m giving it a four instead of a five is because plot building episodes of anything tend to be a little less satisfying.

I love learning more about the plot regarding any story I’m reading, but let’s face it, they’re not always the most amazing sections. However, I feel like this series does a good job keeping those parts entertaining. The discussions have a certain liveliness about them, while still managing to keep the serious undertone.

In this case, we get more information about Yuru and Asa’s childhood. Yuru’s childhood was already filled with danger that no child should have to deal with, and Asa’s life after leaving the village has been no picnic. The conversation picks up from the dramatic conversational cliff hanger of volume two, and we learn how she acquired Break, which also tells us why she wears an eyepatch.

Aside from that, there are many areas in the second half where there is comic relief from Yuru seeing and learning more about modern things. Hiromu Arakawa does a good job with these parts by making them feel natural and not too time consuming. Yuru’s face in these situations is always priceless.

I think this series is well on its way to becoming one of my new favorites. I love everything about it, so far.

The bonus comic in the back titled Entombed, which stars the daemon Break, is all too relatable to me.