Author: fantasticfictionsblog

This Dark Endeavor

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This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
Series Name: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Adventure, Historical, Horror
Intended Age Group: 12+
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0315-4
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor can cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and his best friend, Henry, on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love – and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Personal & Info

This novel is volume one of the duology, The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. It’s apparently a prequel to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I’ve never actually read any version of Frankenstein, so that means nothing to me. I’m only familiar with some random TV specials as far as the original story goes.

There are letters written in cursive throughout the story. From the sounds of things, that’s not common curriculum in schools anymore, so just make sure you’ll be able to read those going into this.

Content Warnings

-There might be enough low end gore description to bother someone squeamish.

-An animal dies in the story.

Characters

Victor Frankenstein is the main character. He has a thirst for adventure, and he is prone to melodrama, as well as wanting things his brother Konrad has.

Konrad Frankenstein is Victor’s older identical twin brother by only two minutes. He is sensible, charming, smart, and better at just about everything.

Elizabeth is a distant cousin to Victor and Konrad on their father’s side of the family. Despite everyone in the family being atheist, she chooses to be Roman Catholic. She is the love interest of the triangle, caught between Konrad and Victor. Both like her for different reasons. Elizabeth is both feminine and smart, as well as adventurous and feisty.

Henry Clerval is the best friend to the Frankenstein twins. He has multiple fears, including heights and claustrophobia, often paired with his overactive imagination. Adventure is not his calling, because he would rather write poetry or create plays.

Alphonse and Caroline Frankenstein are the parents to Victor, Konrad, and Elizabeth, as well as the two younger boys, Ernest and William. Caroline is about twenty years younger than Alphonse. Alphonse is one of the four magistrates in the republic of Geneva.

Julius Polidori is a wheelchair-bound alchemist the main group consults throughout the story.

Various doctors and house servants also appear throughout the novel.

Story & Thoughts

The initial setting of the story is Frankenstein manor located just outside of a town by the name of Bellerive. Victor, his twin brother Konrad, and their distant cousin Elizabeth, are all sixteen. They are well off, and home schooled by their father. The three of them grew up together, and their best friend Henry, a promising youth and son of a merchant, also studies with them. Henry also often stays with them whenever his father is out of town on business.

Their house is hundreds of years old, so they occasionally find secret rooms or passages. The place they find pertaining to the story is a room that starts Victor down the road to the mad scientist we all know. Victor gets drawn to the allure of alchemy, which will likely lead him down the path of controversial sciences.

Victor doesn’t actually start seriously looking into any of it until Konrad gets sick. There’s a time when doctors don’t have a clue what his illness is, or how to treat it. Victor, Elizabeth, and Henry decide to take it upon themselves to find or make a cure, the fabled Elixir of Life. Of course, it won’t be easy. They must adventure to find the ingredients, and anything that can go wrong, does go wrong. But, the adventures themselves give Victor a chance to dabble in alchemy. He follows recipes to create concoctions that will assist in their endeavors. It only takes one alchemical solution for him to realize he has an interest in the profession.

Elizabeth is the center of all romance in the book. Everyone adores her. Henry doesn’t wish to pursue his interest, but Victor and Konrad do. I’m actually surprised Elizabeth’s immediate interest is in Konrad. Konrad seems to think her weak and not cut out for adventure, while Victor thinks of her as more of an equal and fully accepts how capable she is.

Victor doesn’t always do the morally correct things. Whenever there is something he wants, he takes advantage of every deceit and opportunity that presents itself to him. He explains this by saying he is very passionate, but there seems to be something a little more unsettling hidden beneath that. Something that implies a crazed selfishness and envy, likely due to having an overly talented brother.

Part of the climax of the story is predictable. Early on, I speculated a possibility to myself, and that ended up being exactly what happened. However, because I did not look at the description for the second book, the actual ending caught me off guard. But, it makes sense for the direction the story needs to go.

I like this book enough to look into getting a copy of the second to finish the duology.

Light Novel & Manga Haul September 2023

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About

I actually didn’t think I’d have enough books to bother with a haul this month. I expected to have maybe two at most, and I don’t do hauls unless I have at least four. But then, I remembered my one year milestone of learning Japanese happened this month, so I bought myself a few books to celebrate. So, anyway, on with the haul!

All books except two were purchased locally. The light novel came pre-owned from an Amazon seller, and Blue Exorcist came new.

Light Novels

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 10

I actually have two copies of this book. One of them is very damaged on the inside, because it was poorly inspected by the seller. It was not included in the haul for whichever month I got it, because I don’t count books like that as things for hauls. You can actually see the second copy in one of the piles in the background of the image. I’ve had rather bad luck with pre-owned book orders recently. I’m actually not yet sure what to do with the bad copy.

Reviews for several volumes are already available and can be easily found in the index. It has a spin-off series as well, but I’ve seen people say it’s best to wait until at least volume 17 of this before starting that. Slowly, but surely, I’ll get there.

What is it?

A commerce slow burn romance between a human and a snarky wolf girl.

Manga

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2

At this point in time, I’ve only seen the first season of the anime, but I absolutely loved it. If I can get enough volumes, I might read this series for spooky season, 2024.

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.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1

All I really know about this is that it’s by the same person who made Fullmetal Alchemist. FMA is one of my all time favorites, so it’s a given I need to try this new series.

What is it?

Some kind of action adventure. I’ll know more when I read the volume.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 7 (volumes 19-21)

I love the anime for this, but unfortunately it’s one of the many that were never finished. The manga is apparently supposed to be darker than the show, but better. I’m looking forward to reading the manga. It’s just a matter of figuring out when.

I thought the series was finished since they have omnibus editions, but apparently it’s still going. The omnibus editions are almost caught up to the current releases of the standard print.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Spy x Family, Vol. 5

I have not started reading this series, but I have seen the anime. From a quick flip through of the volume in the store, it looks like the anime and the manga are very similar, so I don’t feel like I need to read it any time soon. I can build up a buffer to binge later, while I enjoy season two of the anime.

What is it?

An action comedy featuring a family with a spy, an assassin, and a telepath.

Beautiful Creatures

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Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Series Name: The Caster Chronicles
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Witches
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Little, Brown/Hachette
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-316-04267-3
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous planation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Personal & Info

This is volume one of the Caster Chronicles, which is four volumes long.

I read this series back in 2013. Unfortunately, after I read it, I found out there are short stories between volumes that are digital only. This made me feel like I hadn’t gotten the complete story. I didn’t have a kindle or anything back then, either, but now I do, and I have the middle story parts as well. So, it’s time for a reread. I also have the sequel duology that I don’t want to read until I get through my reread with all the little middle stories.

Apparently, I never took any notes or wrote any reviews for my initial read, so this review will be based on my reread opinions only. The rating is an average of my original rating and and what I would currently rate it. It’s been ten years, but my first impression rating should still count for something.

Characters

Ethan Lawson Wate is the sixteen year old main character. He’s six foot two, on the school basketball team, and can’t wait to get out of boring small town Gatlin, South Carolina.

Amarie Treadeau, mostly known as Amma, is the grandmotherly housekeeper of the Wate household. She is barely five feet tall, smart, ornery, and dabbles in voodoo, which is obvious early on in the story. She comes from a long line of tarot readers, which she also does as a side business.

Wesley Jefferson Lincoln, who goes by Link, is Ethan’s best friend since the sixth grade. He has a car they refer to as the Beater. His mother, Martha Lincoln, is part of the DAR, a women’s group that runs the town.

Lena Duchannes (Du-Kane) is the love interest. She supplies most of the paranormal aspects to the story.

Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood is the local shut-in and Lena’s uncle. The townspeople of Gatlin fear him even though they never see him.

Dr. Marian Ashcroft is the head librarian, and the best friend to Ethan’s mother before her accident. She’s not from Gatlin, and is blatantly smarter than almost everyone else in town.

Ridley Duchannes is Lena’s cousin. She is one year older, and they grew up together like sisters. Their current relationship is a bit estranged.

There are tons more characters, but I’m not going to list them here. Most of them are extended family members for Ethan and Lena. The rest are classmates from Jackson High, or parents, with a small sprinkling of other less important people who only appear once or only get passing mentions.

Story & Thoughts

Beautiful Creatures takes place in the small town of Gatlin, South Carolina, where nothing surprising or interesting ever happens. The residents of Gatlin follow the negative stereotypes of xenophobia, mob mentality, and prideful confederate heritage. If you are not born and raised in their town, are a little different, or don’t agree with their glorification of the confederacy, they will hate you and try to drive you out of their town. It’s that kind of place.

The book starts off slow. Around fifty pages in, the story only just starts to get interesting after finally finishing the primary introductions to Gatlin and the community. That’s about the time Ethan starts interacting with Lena and weird stuff starts to happen. From there, the book dives into a slow burn romance with intrigue and research.

Lena is a caster, or witch, there isn’t much difference. Her sixteenth birthday is going to be an incredibly important event, but not in the way normal people have sweet sixteens. The problem is, she knows little to nothing regarding what will actually happen, and anticipates having no control over it. No one will tell her or Ethan anything helpful, because of the ridiculous idea of ignorance being safer. So, the whole book revolves around the growing romance between Lena and Ethan, while they stress and try to figure out how to change the possible worst case scenario.

I admit I probably liked this book better the first time around, but I still like it well enough. The writing is enjoyable, so the majority of the story, where it feels like not much is happening, doesn’t feel like it drags. I think the portrayal of the characters helps significantly with that. There are many, but they all seem to be done well. For me, whether or not the characters feel fleshed out or authentic often affects how tolerable any book is.

I genuinely like the story. I have no issues there. Lena is melodramatic, but she has good reason. It’s actually surprising to me that her family doesn’t take her concerns seriously. People don’t bother to comfort her, let alone tell her anything that will calm her down. It’s always just reassuring her everything is going to be fine without doing or saying anything to convince her of that.

My biggest gripe is with Ethan’s dad, Mitchell. I get that he’s grieving, but he’s doing it in a selfish way. He locks himself in the only room in the house anyone can feel close to Lila (Ethan’s mom), and nobody else is allowed to enter. Mitchell isn’t the only one who lost someone. Ethan did, too, but his dad doesn’t seem to care about that fact. They need to be there for each other. They should both have access to the room.

There is one line in the book I found so funny I had to set it down for a moment while I laughed at it. Someone threatened the possibility of a Wal-Mart opening in Gatlin and everyone was so aghast at the idea. I don’t know why, I just found it absolutely hilarious. That was the funniest thing in the whole book to me.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 9 (LN)

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Spice & Wolf, Vol. 9: Town of Strife 2 by Isuna Hasekura
Series Name: Spice & Wolf (Light Novel)
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Commerce
Intended Age Group: 15+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-24548-7
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

The capture of a narwhal and the ensuing power struggle between the northern and southern districts of Kerube has Lawrence caught in the middle! Backed into a corner by his own trade guild, can the merchant find a way to extricate himself from this delicate situation? And what of the wolf bone from Holo’s pack? Can the Wisewolf of Yoitsu manage to keep her rage and frustration in check?

Personal & Info

This is the second and final part of a two part event by the title of Town of Strife.

I think this is the first book in which I’ve seen a world map inside in a long while. Every area previously travelled to or mentioned in the series so far is marked on the map. There is also a refresher summary of part one on the map page, as well as an explanation about the narwhal and the town of Kerube.

The table of contents page has an adorable picture of Holo riding a narwhal. Definitely worth looking at.

Characters

Lawrence spends a significant amount of this volume working alone. Holo has little to nothing to do with his dealings, and mostly serves a support role. When Lawrence gets overwhelmed or afraid, she pulls him back to sanity with reason. Col assists in that regard, and also does tasks for Holo and Lawrence. The three of them seem to have a solid friendship at the moment, but I think there’s the implication of Lawrence having to face Holo’s wrath in the end. Their relationship might become more turbulent after this.

Eve Bolan is the most important person in town during Kerube’s negotiations. Everyone wants to make a deal with her, and whatever deal she chooses to make will affect the entire town. Holo despises Eve, but Lawrence and Eve are tentative friends. Lawrence said it’s something along the lines of merchants don’t hold grudges.

Lud Kieman, a senior member of the Rowan Trade Guild, who also runs one of the buildings in Kerube, is among the many who want to make a deal with Eve. He seems like a ruthless person, and obviously doesn’t think of his underlings as people. They are just tools to him. Lawrence fears his wrath, because he wants to stay on good terms with the guild, but Keiman has the power to ruin that.

Story & Thoughts

Since this is part two, it continues almost exactly where volume eight leaves off, and gives a small recap as Lawrence explains to Holo and Col what happened at his meeting with Eve. From there, the story moves forward with Lawrence getting involved in Kerube’s business, whether he wants to or not. He’s sucked right into the middle of things because of his affiliation with the Rowan Trade Guild and his acquaintance with Eve. He has little choice in the matter since a single misstep could ruin his reputation within the guild.

Lawrence actually works on the entire deal on his own. He doesn’t even bring Holo with him. He has this idea that he needs to live up to her expectations, so instead of using her assistance every step of the way, he tries to do everything without her. This delegates Holo to a more morally supportive role, and leaves her available to catch him if he falls. Her biggest job here is to be a sounding board for Lawrence’s thought process. I kind of wanted her to be a little more involved. He tried to operate without her in Lenos, too, so it’s been a while since she has actually helped him directly with a deal.

The money scam with the copper coins comes up again, and thankfully they explain it in more detail. Once they went over it, I finally understood it. I think the story was keeping all the key details secret until the last minute, which is probably why I didn’t quite get it in the previous book.

Something I had an issue with is they seem to speak in riddles more frequently. There are a few places where someone would say something, and I’d have no idea what they meant. Sometimes it would be clarified by a thought from Lawrence, but the clarification didn’t help me see how what they said could possibly be understood by the person on the receiving end of the conversation.

I also had an issue keeping the North and South sides of the town straight during the entire plot. I had a hard time remembering which one is the poor side and which side owed the other what. Or who worked for which side because of those details. Like when it said someone was allied with the North side, I wouldn’t be able to remember if that was the side that needed the money or the side that was greedy. That’s not the fault of the writing, though, it’s just my brain.

Ghost Dog Secrets

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Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret
Genres: Abuse, Contemporary, Ghosts
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-38989-1
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book

Every day, Rusty feeds an injured German shepherd that’s left chained outside in the cold with no shelter, food, or water. When he can’t get Animal Control to help, Rusty and his friend Andrew unchain the dog, named Ra, and take it to their secret hideout. Meanwhile, the ghost of a collie has been visiting Rusty, and Ra’s mean owner is making increasingly scary threats. The boys will need to figure out what the ghost dog is trying to tell them before it’s too late!

Personal & Info

This is a stand alone novel I got when filling a basket during a sale. It involves a ghost, so I saved it for spooky season.

I’m sure what everyone cares about most for information regarding any dog book is, “does the dog die?” No, the dog does not die. However, there is a ghost of a dog who did die, and the story eventually tells you how they died.

Content Warnings

This book contains themes involving animal abuse. The abuse itself is not shown, but the results of it are.

Characters

Rusty Larson is the main character. He’s in sixth grade and lives with his single mother.

Andrew Pinella is Rusty’s best friend. He contains a multitude of random trivia information.

Ra is the German shepherd the story focuses on.

Gerald Langston is a bully who also cheats off of Rusty at school. He seems to get away with everything and never receives punishment.

Mrs. Webster is Rusty’s teacher. She does her best to impart morally correct lessons and encourage community support.

Heidi Kellogg is the local animal control officer. She takes her job seriously and does not restrict herself to business hours.

Various other students and faculty also have names, but don’t play major roles in the story. Rusty’s mom and Andrew’s family members appear frequently, but are not specifically given names, except for Andrew’s little sister Wendy.

Story & Thoughts

This is a generally okay book. It’s under two hundred pages, and the story quality is decent. The events of the story are pretty simple and straight forward.

Rusty’s sixth grade class undertakes a project fundraising for the local animal shelter to help a bunch of dogs that were recently rescued from a puppy mill. At the same time, Rusty wants to help a German shepherd he noticed chained outside with no food, water, or shelter. He and his friend Andrew try to go through the right channels at first, but take things a step too far, leading to problems, but potentially saving the dog’s life before he can starve.

The simplicity makes it relatable. Any dog lover is either going to be angry or upset reading the parts where the book discusses animal abuse. It’s not as emotionally upsetting as some more renowned tragic animal stories, but it’s still stirring to read about Rusty and Andrew trying to help Ra before he can come to any more harm, or any other dogs can be hurt by the same person.

As for the ghost, it’s not malicious. The ghost is a helpful dog who wants the same thing they do. It’s the ghost of a collie, and it does what it can to show Rusty that help is needed or give warnings.

The reason I’m giving this a score lower than three is because it felt a little bland. Between events, the story needed to pass days of tedium and waiting. It felt like there were more of those than the climactic parts. The parts the blurb covers don’t even happen until closer to the middle of the book. The morals and information regarding the rescue of animals are good lessons for the story, though.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 8 (LN)

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Spice & Wolf, Vol. 8: Town of Strife I by Isuna Hasekura
Series Name: Spice & Wolf (Light Novel)
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Commerce
Intended Age Group: 15+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-24546-3
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book

Hearing rumors of a “leg bone of the wolf” being used as an artifact of the Church to showcase its power, Lawrence and Holo head to the site to gather more information. Holo can’t just turn away from what might be a relic of her own kind, after all. Of course, upon arrival, the travelers find that the town is the center of a giant trade dispute! Seems that Col will be getting a lesson in microeconomics!

Personal & Info

Again, it’s been a while since the last volume. I keep intending to circle back around to things, but my reading schedule remains a mess.

Characters

Lawrence and Holo trust each other more in this volume than they seem to in most. Holo is left to her own devices with Col multiple times, with the only stipulation being not to let her drink too much. She even runs an errand for Lawrence on her own, which hardly ever happens. Unfortunately, she’s back to hitting Lawrence on occasion when she is displeased enough. Holo does a poor job of hiding her jealousy and anger during the parts of the story that include Eve.

Col enters the story in volume six. He’s at most thirteen, and smart for his age. His intention is to study church law, but first he needs a better understanding of how the world works. He learns various lessons from Lawrence and Holo every day, even if he doesn’t always understand what they mean. While he is a great help and meticulous in his tasks, Lawrence cannot in good conscience claim him as an apprentice.

Eve Bolan is the merchant woman they met in Lenos. Their dealings with her there were not entirely wholesome. Lawrence can’t help but admire her regardless, because her business skills and connections are top notch. Not to mention her pretty face and ability to perfectly control her facial features when making deals. The dealings with her in Kerube are likely not entirely wholesome, either.

Story & Thoughts

Volume seven is a deviation to side stories completely irrelevant to the main plot, so this one picks up where six leaves off. Lawrence and company arrive in Kerube. Priorities are a little different from the initial plans, though. When leaving Lenos, the idea was to catch up to Eve and get Lawrence’s money back. I think it’s pretty clear that was just a pretense for Lawrence and Holo to extend their time together, because now that they are there, they don’t care about the money. That intention is completely forgotten. Instead, they are looking into rumors about the leg bone of a wolf, potentially from one of Holo’s deceased friends.

As far as the story itself goes, this is part one of a two part series of events. Because of that, this volume is entirely the set up. The usual half to three quarters of the volume that normally sets up the problem or scheme is this entire book. It does make it feel a little slow, but the set up is interesting enough.

I have some issues. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been a while since I read something from the series, or if my brain was just tired. It could also be actual editing mistakes that cut necessary sentences from the story. I don’t really know.

What I do know is I had more of an issue than usual telling who was saying what, and there were unclear details that kept throwing me off. An example of the type of detail I’m referring to would be, at one point Lawrence orders himself an ale and has a conversation with Eve. Eve never orders her own drink, nor does the text say anywhere at all that she drinks from Lawrence’s cup. She thanks him for the ale after the conversation, adding to my confusion, and later it clearly states she shared his cup.

There are many parts of the book that caused me this kind of confusion. If I’m mistaken and the text is correct and I just missed something, I’m sorry, but I flipped back several times to check things and could not find mention of the wording that would have said so. To me, it felt as if the text was saying what happened after the fact and expecting nobody to notice.

Some of the writing in this volume is also redundant. In the first several pages, it’s like they can’t stop telling you about the fact Eve sunk a ship in the river. It’s so frequent it’s actually annoying. The other redundant things are smaller, so I don’t entirely remember which details they were stating.

The copper coins explanation didn’t make much sense to me. They didn’t explain that in much detail, because supposedly it’s super simple, but I don’t get it. I read the explanation multiple times and it didn’t help.

Overall, the book is fine. It’s just much slower, because it’s part one of a two parter. The issues I experienced dragged the rating down a bit. I admit I was tired when I read the majority of it, but I really don’t think I missed anything. I’ve read other volumes of this series while tired and didn’t have these kinds of problems.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall

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The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender
Genres: Ghosts, Horror, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-91073-6
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the House still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls – truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

Personal & Info

This is a stand alone ghost story novel. I grabbed it one day while I was filling a basket at a book sale. It’s one of many books I got that I wouldn’t normally read, but got for the purpose of trying something new. Now that it’s September, it’s a good time to start reading spooky season novels, so it’s a great time to try things like this.

If I had to point out possible content warnings, I don’t think there really are any. It’s a ghost themed book. It’s obviously going to have themes around death, murder, and suicide. If you don’t like those themes, why would you be reading a ghost story in the first place? At worst, there’s a little girl who died, and they tell you how. I guess there’s technically child abuse to a ghost as well. The details surrounding Maria are probably the worst. Her disfigurement is a bit grotesque.

Characters

I’m choosing to leave some characters off of this list, and leaving out some details, to avoid spoilers and leave some mystery in tact.

Delia is the main character. She is approximately fifteen, and named after her great aunt on her father’s side of the family.

Janie is Delia’s younger sister. They have about a five year age gap. Janie is different than the rest of her family. She has the bluest eyes and the blondest hair compared to the muddier traits of her family, and her strong personality also sets her apart.

Nic is Delia’s best friend. They’ve been close since sixth grade.

Landon McKay is Delia’s ex-boyfriend. He’s not the greatest guy.

Brad, the dad, is obviously Delia’s father.

Lisa, the mom, is obviously Delia’s mother.

Eliza Duncombe is a ghost with a British accent, and one of Delia’s friends. She died in her pajamas.

Florence Beauregard is apparently the prettiest ghost in the house, and she speaks with a southern accent. She’s also one of Delia’s friends.

Theo Hawkins is a ghost who roams the grounds outside the house. He used to work for the government to survey properties for minerals that might be worth mining. He’s also one of Delia’s friends.

Maria is the disfigured ghost of a little girl who lives on the third floor.

Story & Thoughts

If I’m being entirely honest, this is the best ghost story I’ve ever read. That applies specifically to the time I’m typing this, and doesn’t mean much when you consider the fact I haven’t actually read a whole lot of ghost stories. But, I genuinely like this one. I think it’s very well done, and I only have a few gripes.

Since I mentioned them, I’ll start with my complaints. The big one is a trope that I tend not to like. It’s that whole, “why didn’t our child come to us with their problems,” thing. I hate that, because whenever it comes up, they either DID try to go to their parents about a problem, or they felt like they couldn’t for blatantly obvious reasons. In fact, I think I just don’t like Delia’s parents.

Brad and Lisa were incredibly dismissive of Delia’s fear. They didn’t so much as try to comfort her. Instead, she was accused of being dramatic. Not only that, but she only seems to have done one thing wrong, which was enough to make her parents treat her like what she did was habit. I get that there is the implication that her family isn’t as closely knit as it used to be, but the whole thing just doesn’t sit right with me.

My other issue is fairly minor. It felt like there was a significant amount of wasted time. Delia wasted so much time doing basically nothing. She originally wanted to find out which room was her aunt’s office, but she literally forgot about her goals for multiple years.

I’d say those things are pretty small when considering the story as a whole. The book did a great many things right in comparison. There’s a scene I think was done splendidly, but I can’t say what it is, because I don’t want to spoil anything. It involves Delia coming to terms with something early on in the book. You’ll probably know which one I mean when you come across it.

The story is sufficiently spooky where it needs to be. That’s one of the issues I tend have with most ghost stories. They’re usually not eery enough, or not written in a way that gets the intended mood across well.

I didn’t figure out the mystery part until the story gave the answer, either. The plot twists were sufficiently twisty and unexpected.

One of my favorite things about the book was the unique traits of the ghosts. They didn’t get touched on for more than three of them, though, unfortunately. The ghosts have specific sounds, odors, or visual effects depending on how they lived or died. I thought those were cool details.

Rogue Knight

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Rogue Knight by Brandon Mull
Series Name: Five Kingdoms
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9704-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Cole Randolph never meant to come to the Outskirts, but when his friends were kidnapped on Halloween he had to try to save them. Now he’s trapped in a world that lies between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death.

Cole’s hunt for his lost friends has led him to the kingdom of Elloweer. Accompanied by new friends Mira, Twitch, and Jace, Cole teams up with the resistance movement and joins the search for Mira’s sister Honor.

But Elloweer has grown unstable. A mysterious enemy is wiping out towns, leaving no witnesses or survivors. And an infamous rebel known throughout the kingdom as the Rogue Knight is upsetting the balance of power.

With enemies in pursuit, Cole and Mira must resort to a fascinating new kind of magic to protect themselves. Every move is filled with danger as Cole and his friends try to outwit the High King, who will stop at nothing to regain what he has lost.

Personal & Info

This is volume two of the Five Kingdoms series. Odds are, if you’re reading this, you already know that, because you’ve likely already read the first one. If not, I’m including a link you can use to check out my review for the first volume instead to avoid reading any spoilers in this one.

The gap between reading the first and second books is longer than I would have liked, but thankfully Rogue Knight includes some refreshers in the beginning.

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. At this point in the story, his weapon of choice is a jumping sword. Unfortunately, Sambrian items don’t work in Elloweer.

Jace was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s moody, arrogant, and rash, but has a good heart. He now likes scaring his friends as a hobby. At least he no longer teases in the same mean ways as before.

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.

Twitch, whose real name is Ruben, was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s from Elloweer and has a cautious personality. In Elloweer, he has grasshopper legs, wings, and antennae, because he is a race called grinaldi. Outside of Elloweer, Twitch has to use a ring to access his grinaldi form and abilities.

Dalton is Cole’s best friend. He stresses easily and tends to be anxious. He can create seemings, so he studies in Elloweer.

Joe is a member of the resistance, also referred to as the unseen. He warns Mira about impending danger in the first book, and helps out significantly as one of the gang in this one.

Skye Ryland is a member of the resistance. She’s also a fugitive, and one of the best illusionists in Elloweer.

Honor, or Nori, is Mira’s second oldest sister. She prefers to keep her hair short, and shows great skill with swords and bows. As her name implies, she is an honorable and brave person.

There are more characters, but these are the significant ones worth mentioning that do not spoil anything.

Story & Thoughts

The first book takes place in Sambria, where the gifts they use are referred to as shaping. This one continues where that one leaves off, with the group traveling in an auto-coach. Our heroes are Elloweer-bound to rescue Mira’s sister Honor. New country, new way of shaping. Sambrian shaping does not work in Elloweer. Ellowine shapers are referred to as enchanters. They’re illusionists who make seemings, and have similarities to magicians.

Once the story gets going, it’s hard to put it down. There are so many twists and turns and interesting developments. It isn’t just defeat the monster and get the power back like the first one. There are multiple problems to deal with, and new information that will contribute to the story to come.

Some of the story puzzles are easy to guess the answer. One mystery is to figure out the Rogue Knight’s identity. I wrote down my theory as I was reading, and I got it right. Another mystery is a game Jace, Cole, and Mira must play. Based on the description, I immediately knew the correct answer. So, the mysteries are not difficult, but that’s fine.

I like this book more than the first one. Sky Raiders is good, but it has all the base world building to slow it down. This one moves much faster since that world building is already done. Instead, this volume only has to cover the lore pertinent to Elloweer and enchanters. There’s also far more action. The governing system of Elloweer relies on knights and sword fighting, so the adventure in this instance is more violent. People get hurt or die often. But, don’t worry, none of the descriptions are particularly gory. The book is for kids, after all.

I also love the idea of the confidence lounge. This series is fantastic for D&D inspiration. There are a lot of things in the story that can easily be applied to a D&D setting. As a nerd who’s just getting started on learning how to run a game, I’m always looking for more ideas, and I’m constantly amazed by the things I find in the Five Kingdoms.

FANGS, Vol. 1

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Fangs, Vol. 1 by Billy Balibally
Series Name: Fangs
Genres: BL, Fantasy, Vampires
Intended Age Group: M 18+
Publisher: Tokyopop
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781427867933
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

As the sole survivor of a vampire attack, En wakes up to find that his hair has gone white as snow – and worse, he’s developed a craving for blood!

Fortunately, the vampire health and welfare organization FANGS is there to help with the transition, and the handsome Ichii steps up as his guardian and mentor. Swept up into a confusing and lonely new world where everyone seems to be hankering for a taste of his “virgin” blood, En must navigate the FANGS pairing system, an arrangement that sets up compatible vampires as mutual feeding partners…and partners in all other ways as well. But what happens when En panics and declares that he’ll be paired with Ichii? And what does brooding rough-around-the-edges Ichii make of his spunky, outgoing new charge?

Personal & Info

This book kept showing up in my recommendations for BL, so I finally got around to trying it. I think there are only two books in the series. If there are more, they aren’t yet listed anywhere, so as far as I know it’s a duology.

CONTENT WARNINGS
-depression
-talk of suicide
-possible dubious consent

The art often uses that snaggletooth art style. You know, the one where it looks like a tooth or fang are part of the lip instead of actual teeth. The fangs are often shown that way throughout this book. It’s certainly not my favorite art style. I prefer seeing the lips and teeth separate because it looks more normal, but also because I think vampire mouths are sexier that way. The weird lip thing just looks a bit silly to me.

It does have censorship for the intimate scenes. They use the “light saber” method. That’s what I tend to call the kind where the dicks are just an undrawn bright white mass.

Characters

En is the main character. He’s a homeless nineteen year old who was lucky, or unlucky, enough to survive a vampire attack. En is the first new vampire in approximately fifty years.

Ichii is the love interest. He’s so old that other vampires occasionally refer to him as grandpa. His job is to oversee the criminals and troubled clientele of the community. He does things like wellness checks and supplies them with blood.

Utsugi is one of the first vampires En meets. He’s paired with Aogiri, but apparently has a history of cheating.

Umesaki is a character who only comes up once. Whether or not she plays a bigger role later, I don’t know.

Aogiri is paired with Utsugi. He’s a plastic surgeon. They say he specializes in fangs. I assume they mean the organization FANGS, not literal teeth.

Masaki is, I think, the last vampire before En. Don’t take my word on that. It’s my guess based on information given. He helps host support meetings for the vampire community.

Mariko is married to Masaki. I’ll let the book explain more, because this is a unique circumstance.

Sugi is a vampire dealing with grief, whom En befriends.

Story & Thoughts

This is probably the most depressing boys love story I’ve ever read. They’re usually pretty cheery and heartwarming. This book very much is not.

There isn’t much romance in the romantic sense. Most of it is physical, but there are tender moments. It’s like a slow burn between the characters with physical intimacy before they are in love. Their experiences are based more on a need than a want. It’s making use of the vampire trope that feeding is a sexually intimate experience.

The story seems to be as much about the vampire lore as it is the budding romance between En and Ichii. En follows Ichii to work every day, since he has nothing better to be doing. They meet other people in the vampire community, and En learns what kinds of relationships and problems people of their species have, as well as how they live. He is generally not fond of any of it. It’s a big adjustment for him. But he makes friends very easily, because he’s like a ray of sunshine, or an innocent puppy, in everyone’s lives.

The fact of the matter is, most of the people in the story are lonely and/or depressed. The vampire lifestyle is not portrayed as anything glamorous. They point out how hard it is to live so long while the world moves on around you. In so many words, people grow numb and have a harder time feeling emotions like happiness. Part of the point of the existence of the FANGS organization is to try to curb this problem by pairing compatible vampires.

I like the book, but I don’t know if I recommend it, yet. I want to read the second book before I decide if it’s something I would suggest. It definitely might not be for everyone due to the depressing themes. Everyone seems to have a sad or tragic backstory. There is a blatant plot hook cliff hanger at the end of the volume, so I definitely plan to read the second book. Not just for that, but also to see how the love story develops.

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, Vol. 1

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The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Series Name: The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong
Genres: Danmei, Fantasy, Historical, Transmigration
Intended Age Group: 17+
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64827-921-8
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Half-demon Luo Binghe rose from humble beginnings and a tortured past to become unrivaled in strength and beauty. With his dominion over both the Human and Demon Realms and his hundreds-strong harem, he is truly the most powerful protagonist…in a trashy web novel series!

At least, that’s what Shen Yuan believes as he finishes reading the final chapter in Proud Immortal Demon Way. But when a bout of rage leads to his sudden death, Shen Yuan is reborn into the world of the novel in the body of Shen Qingqiu – the beautiful but cruel teacher of a young Luo Binghe. While Shen Qingqiu may have the incredible power of a cultivator, he is destined to be horrifically punished for crimes against the protagonist.

The new Shen Qingqiu now has only one course of action: get into Luo Binghe’s good graces before the young man’s rise to power or suffer the awful fate of a true scum villain!

Personal & Info

For those unfamiliar, danmei is the Chinese equivalent to boys love, and transmigration is the Chinese equivalent to isekai.

Danmei has been exploding in popularity for a while. I’m a long time fan of BL, so I figured it’s about time I got around to trying some danmei. This book is my way of metaphorically dipping my toes in to find out if I like it.

The story focuses significantly around the discipline of cultivation, which involves the use of qi, and also monsters and demons.

The book is actually shorter than it looks. Chapter one starts on page nine, and the last page is 291. The last sixty-ish pages are actually extra content intended to help the reader. There are a character and name guide, a glossary, and a gallery. I highly recommend making use of the character and name guide and the glossary if you are not familiar with danmei or Chinese literature already. They were an immense help to me for understanding tropes, name pronunciations, and additional details.

Characters

There is a wide cast of characters, so I’m just going to list the ones I feel are the most important. Some important ones, I might choose not to list. I don’t want to spoil anything for the characters who might become important later on.

Luo Binghe is the protagonist of the web novel series Proud Immortal Demon Way. As the protagonist, he’s obviously powerful and good looking, but he’s also noble and kind. Since this is the first volume, he’s obviously not at his full power.

Shen Yuan and Shen Qingqiu are for all intents and purposes the same person. Shen Yuan hates the content of the web novel and is transmigrated into Shen Qingqiu. We never actually see the original. His original behavior comes up as a subject regularly, but as soon as the book starts, Shen Qingqiu is essentially possessed by Shen Yuan. He is supposed to be the villain, but in this case, he’s the main character. The main character and the protagonist are not the same thing in this series, because the protagonist is specifically the star of the web novel, not the perspective we’re following.

Yue Qingyuan is Shen Qingqiu’s superior who often gives guidance, advice, and quests. It’s not going too far to say Shen Qinguiu benefits from his favoritism.

Ming Fan is Shen Qingqiu’s right hand disciple. He acts as an assistant for many mundane tasks that need doing. He’s also very much a bully, and takes pleasure in abusing the protagonist, Luo Binghe.

Story & Thoughts

The book is a little difficult to start, but not because of anything to do with the story. I’m not used to reading any kind of Chinese literature, so the issue is mostly the names. I like to be sure I’m mentally pronouncing things correctly, or at least as close as feasibly possible. For the first several pages, I found myself referencing the back of the book frequently. Once the story gets going, it’s not much of an issue, anymore.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but I definitely like this book more than I thought I would. It’s not fast. The romance seems to be a slow burn. The characters don’t even realize it’s happening. They just occasionally wonder why they feel a certain way, and wonder if they have a right to feel that way. I don’t think the two characters ever realize what kinds of feelings they are developing for each other, at least not in this volume. This slow burn ignorant approach leads to some down right adorable moments, and I absolutely love that.

The story itself is intriguing. It’s generally pretty different than Japanese isekai. There’s an automated system that is there to help guide Shen, and make sure the core points of the novel still happen, despite his changes to the story. The system definitely does not operate fairly. The points it threatens to take away are ridiculously large amounts compared to those it rewards, and it often makes up new types of point values.

It’s actually difficult for me to find things to say for a review that don’t spoil any content in the book. I liked it a lot, but for some reason have a hard time explaining things from it. I can’t say it was amazing, but I do love this book. It’s good, and I definitely recommend it if it falls into the genre categories that interest you.

I do not recommend setting the book down at the end of chapter two. It’s too perfect of a, “story over,” spot. I put it down at that point and it took me a whole week to be able to pick it back up. It wouldn’t be a happy end to stop there, but it feels like it could be an end. Just don’t stop there if you have a hard time picking books back up from that kind of thing.