Author: fantasticfictionsblog

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 2

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My Happy Marriage, Vol. 2 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: 978-1-64609-147-8
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

For failing to inherit the unusual power that should be hers by birthright and bringing shame to her noble lineage, Miyo Saimori is cast out to become another’s problem.

Sent to the preternaturally powerful Kudo clan as a potential bride for its heir, Kiyoka, Miyo is surprised to experience true kindness for the first time in her life.

Despite the rumors in town that warn of his cold, haughty demeanor, Kiyoka Kudo warms quickly to the eldest Saimori daughter after the secrets of her past pique his interest.

But though Miyo has begin to feel at home with Kiyoka, the fact remains that she lacks the supernatural power prized by both the Saimori and Kudo clans, rendering her unfit to be Kiyoka’s bride.

Will the small happiness Miyo has found with Kiyoka end as soon as it has begun?

Personal & Info

I like the first volume, but for some reason ended up waiting a whole year to get around to reading the second. Probably because the series is releasing rather slowly. There’s an anime out now, though, so I want to catch up with the manga before watching that.

My Happy Marriage isn’t exactly a peppy series, but it can be both heartwarming and tragic. Keep that in mind when deciding when to indulge.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the main character. She experienced abuse from her own family, and was sent to court a man everyone considers cruel. She has no psychic ability

Kiyoka Kudo is the love interest of the story. Everyone thinks he is too cruel for anyone to marry, but he has high political standing and wealth. He appears to have a destructive ability focusing around fire.

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

Kaya Saimori is Miyo’s younger half-sister. She received everything Miyo did not growing up, and she blatantly bullies her sister whenever she sees her.

Koji Tatsuishi is Miyo’s childhood friend. His hope was to marry her one day to save her from her terrible family.

Yoshito Godo is a young man who works as Kiyoka’s aide in the grotesquery military branch. He appears in volume one, but shows up more frequently in this one.

Lord Tatsuichi, I didn’t catch his first name, is the head of his household. He makes some morally questionable decisions.

Kazushi Tatsuichi is Koji’s brother. I’m not sure if he is older or younger. He plays a minor role, and appears maybe twice.

Story & Thoughts

This volume is a little more cheery than the first one. Miyo is starting to make a little personal growth, but her past still haunts her. Her scars run deep, and the people who inflicted them are still around to cause more damage.

The plot thickens, delving more into the schemes and reasonings of people who don’t want Miyo to marry Kiyoka. Opposing sides are made clear showing who would like to protect her instead of using her for their own selfish desires. Some plans of protection are more reasonable than others.

Kaya and Koji both get more coverage. We see how terrible Kaya is, and a glimpse into her childhood to understand a little about why she turned out that way. Koji’s family dynamic is revealed, and his silent inner thoughts are surprising when compared to his exterior personality.

Overall, there’s a lot to unload in this volume. It pulls at my heart, and it blatantly shows where most of the main characters stand. Kiyoka is proving to be a better person than his public opinion implies. The Saimori and the Tatsuichi on the other hand, both are proving to be extremely sketchy.

It’s difficult to talk about this series without spoiling anything. These books are best read fresh, not knowing what will happen. That raw emotion of the first time read just hits hard. Miyo’s tragic past and her struggle moving forward. The slow burn of romance bringing the first real happiness into her life under the constant threat of losing it. I’ll definitely be reading this series long term.

What Godo Saw

Like the first volume, this is a short story relevant to the events of the book. Combs and Memories is more of a continuation. What Godo saw is a change in perspective, instead. It covers Godo’s side of the events of the dinner at Kiyoka’s home. Apparently there was more going on than it appeared, because this story gets into his head and states his intentions, as well as a few small conversations the manga did not show.

The Hunger Pains: A Parody

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The Hunger Pains: A parody by The Harvard Lampoon
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Dystopia, Parody, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4516-6820-9
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

When Kantkiss Neverclean replaces her sister as a contestant on the Hunger Games – the second-highest rated reality TV show in Peaceland, behind Extreme Home Makeover – she has no idea what to expect.

Having Lived her entire life in the telemarketing district’s worst neighborhood, the Crack, Kantkiss feels unprepared to fight to the death while simultaneously winking and looking adorable for the cameras. But when her survival rests on choosing between dreamy hunk from home, Carol Handsomestein, or doughy klutz, Pita Malarkey, Kantkiss discovers that the toughest conflicts may not be on the battlefield but in her own heart…which is unfortunately on a battlefield.

Personal & Info

This book is a parody novel of The Hunger Games. It’s fairly short, at about 157 pages. I’ve seen several parody movies of things, but never read a parody novel. My curiosity won out and made me grab this book, since it was cheap.

Based on the appearance of the book alone, I’m impressed. The cover is essentially identical to the source material, except for the position of the bird. Not only that, but the chapter and page numbers are also decorated with the same touches as the Hunger Games novel. Effort was obviously made to make it visually recognizable as a parody and to give the pages the same feel.

Characters

As usual for a parody, the characters have silly and ridiculous names that sound close enough to the original to work out who is which original character. I’m only going to list a few of them as examples, because learning the names is part of the comedy.

Kantkiss Neverclean – Katniss Everdeen

Pita Malarkey – Peeta Mellark

Carol Handsomestein – Gale Hawthorne

Cinnabon – Cinna

Effu Poorpeople – Effie Trinket

I’m sure you get the idea.

Story & Thoughts

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. A novel parody can’t be the same as you would expect a movie parody to be, right? Wrong. This book is exactly what I expect movie parodies to be. In fact, this book should have been a movie instead of a novel.

The majority of the comedy is based on low intelligence and gags that would be way better as visuals. For example, there’s a scene where Kantkiss and Carol are harvesting a cow, and they pull out T-bone steaks and things that a butcher would obviously have to prepare. That scene would go over better with visual props.

Using the buffoon main character trope is taking the easy and boring way to write comedy. Kantkiss is so ridiculously unintelligent that she doesn’t know how to sit on a sofa. She misunderstands everyone else’s feelings and hopelessly sees the good in people to the point of misinterpreting everything they say. Her thoughts and behavior imply she’s so deranged that it’s amazing she could have even survived to become a teenager in the first place. It felt like the writers were either trying way too hard to make things funny, or weren’t trying hard enough.

There are some good gags in the book, though. Changing the specialties of the districts to stuff like telemarketing and theater was pretty funny. Haymitch’s parody character having a gambling problem instead of a drinking problem as an ongoing joke was pretty good, too. There just wasn’t a good balance of the good gags versus the blatantly silly stuff.

If I had to describe what the overall comedy is like, I think it’s a bit juvenile for the age group. People under fifteen might think it’s hilarious, but people over fifteen might think it’s meh. But obviously that also depends on your taste in comedy. I prefer things a bit more witty, but if you like things a bit more idiotic, this might be something you’d enjoy.

I think I would have liked this more if it were a movie. My expectations are a bit different for a book. I can’t exactly say I like it, but I can’t really say I don’t either. I’ll likely keep it as a novelty for my Hunger Games set.

Content Warnings

There’s obviously violence in this book because, duh, The Hunger Games, but there’s something specific that might bother some people. A baby dies in a rather violent manner.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 5

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 5 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
Series Name: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Genres: Adventure, Elves, Fantasy, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Sunday
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-3007-0
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

Frieren and Fern have ended up on different teams in the highly competitive first-class mage exam. Capturing a rare bird is required to pass, but personality clashes among teammates are making things difficult. Everyone soon realizes there is more at stake than mere success or failure – for some of them, the exam could be a matter of life and death.

Personal & Info

I’m slowly catching up on this series. I want to be up to current volumes before I watch the anime, which is supposed to come out sometime this fall. This is a great series, and I highly recommend it to fans of elves, magic, or Dungeons & Dragons.

Characters

Frieren is an elf mage famous for defeating the demon king with her companions around 80 years ago. She’s a bit of a slob and rather lazy. Her hobby is collecting any and all types of magic spells, no matter how useless they may seem. Her perspective on magic is that the pursuit of the art itself is the greatest joy.

Fern is Frieren’s mage companion and apprentice. She seems to take a motherly role in caring for both Frieren and Stark.

Stark is Eisen’s apprentice. He has great skill as a warrior. He doesn’t get much screen time in this volume, since it focuses on the Mage exam.

Kanne and Lawine are both third-class mages. They are Frieren’s teammates for the first part of the exam. Both of them attended the same academy of magic, and are good friends, despite how often they fight.

Übel and Land are third and second class mages. They are Fern’s teammates for the first part of the exam. Little is information is given for them. Übel is no stranger to murder, which was made clear in volume four.

There are plenty more characters in this volume, as there are several teams for the exam. I think Fern and Frieren’s teams are the most important, so those are the ones I’m choosing to list.

Story & Thoughts

I think this is the best volume in the series, so far. It has comedy, strategy, competition, and magic battles. All wonderful elements for a great volume.

The book starts off by jumping straight into the exam. The teams assigned at the end of book four are gathered at the location for the first-class certification exam’s first test. It is here where they are given a small cage, and the rules and conditions of the test are explained. To pass, teams must catch a special bird, a stille, and have it in the cage at the end of the time limit, with all three team members also present. Generally anything goes, as long as nobody leaves the testing area, which is basically impossible to leave anyway.

The entire volume focuses on this portion of the test. There are ten chapters, and only the last two take place outside of the test. Those final chapters are mostly relaxation and enjoying time with friends as everyone relaxes before the second part of the test.

There is a significant amount of magical combat compared to all of the previous volumes. The birds for the exam are hard to catch, so most opt for trying to steal from others. I actually love the combat, because we get to see more varieties of mage capabilities and spell preferences. Frieren and Fern like to keep things simple, so it’s nice to see how other casters do things.

We still see flashbacks from Frieren’s past, as usual, but I feel like this volume has so much more meat to it than others. I think a big part of that is the number of characters. Generally speaking, there are several fun new characters in this volume, and they all seem to have strong personalities or character quirks that make them engaging and entertaining.

The large number of people is handled well. The ones who are not important are seen in the background or only in a few panels, while the ones that matter get just the right amount of screen time.

I’m looking forward to reading the next volume to see how the second part of the test goes. The competing characters are interesting enough that I actually care to find out who all passes the tests, and hope certain ones don’t perish.

Book Haul July 2023

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About

All books in this haul are pre-owned.

Due to the large size of my book hauls recently, it’s clear the way I type them is a bit inefficient. From here on out, I will be typing them the same way I do manga hauls. Books will be listed alphabetically by series name and volume number, and I will put the individual titles in the descriptions. This will group all relevant things together, so the information and connected novels will not be scattered throughout the haul.

I also like the system I used last month for organizing the piles, so I will be sticking to that when the hauls are large. The pile system in the picture from left to right:
-Volume ones to try
-Series which I still need the first volume
-Stand alone
-Series including first volumes and up.
-Later volumes in series I already own

Bloodline, Vol. 2 by Kate Cary

Bloodline is a duology. I’ll try almost anything that involves vampires or werewolves, so I just need the first volume, titled Bloodline, and then I can read the entire duology. The book in this haul, Reckoning, is the second volume.

What is it?

A historical vampire fantasy.

Blue Bloods, Vol. 2, 3, 4, 5, & 5.5 by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods is a vampire series I’ve been meaning to try. I saw this chunk of books on the shelf and just grabbed them all. Now I just need volume one, and then I will have a large chunk of the series to find out if I like it. The series is nine books long, possibly ongoing, and has some middle volumes.

The titles for this lot are: 2 – Masquerade, 3 – Revelations, 4 – The Van Alen Legacy, 5 -Misguided Angel, and 5.5 – Bloody Valentine.

What is it?

A vampire fantasy.

Circus Mirandus, Vol. 1 by Cassie Beasley

This is volume one of a duology. It doesn’t appear to have a series name aside from simply the name of the first book. It sounded interesting, so I grabbed it as something to try.

For those interested, volume two is called The Bootlace Magician.

What is it?

A middle grade fiction involving a circus and real magic.

Codebearers, Vol. 2 & 3 by The Miller Brothers

Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire are the second and third volumes of the Codebearers trilogy. I know absolutely nothing about it, but only one book is missing, so I figured it was cheap enough to try. Christian fiction is not really my thing, but it’s not always bad, so I’ll find out if this series is a hit or a miss when I read it. It stood out to me on the shelf because the series uses weird 3D art for the covers, which looks super corny.

What is it?

Sounds like some kind of Christian fantasy adventure.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

I think this is a stand alone. It’s not super long, and it’s published by Scholastic, so it’s likely not very terrifying. I’ll probably read this around October for a spooky story.

What is it?

A ghost horror mystery.

Dragonlance: Chronicles, Vol. 4 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, & The New Adventures, Vol. 2 by Jeff Sampson

I’m slowly collecting the Dragonlance universe books, and I think I have maybe nine, so far. That does not include these two. When I saw these on the shelf, I had no idea what they were. They didn’t look like any Dragonlance books I’d ever seen from my research, but the collection is massive, so I figured better to grab them than not.

To the Gates of Palanthas says it’s volume four of Chronicles, but I’m well aware that series is a trilogy, which I already own. I wasn’t sure if there was another Chronicles it was referring to. It turns out, this book is a shorter copy of part of the story. It’s part two of the second book, Dragons of Winter Night. So, I don’t actually need this book, but it’s cool to know they printed it in this format. It looks like it’s intended as a way for younger readers to have an easier time reading the usually lengthy books.

Wizard’s Betrayal says it’s volume two of The New Adventures, or Trinistyr Trilogy. Despite looking similar to the book mentioned above, this one is not a smaller divvied version of something else. So, I actually did needed a copy of this. I’ll find volume one of this trilogy some other time. It appears to be out of print, so I’ll have to poke around for some cheaper prices.

What is it?

A fantasy universe inspired by Dungeons & Dragons.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I’ve seen the movie for this, but never read it. Books tend to be better, so I want to see how this one compares.

Apparently this is technically part of a series. It appears to be a stand alone novel, but it has a prequel book, Ogre Enchanted, that can be read on its own. There’s also an unofficial sequel called Fairest. I’m not sure if there are more, but these three can at least be read by themselves individually, so that’s good.

What is it?

A fairy tale retelling of Cinderella.

The Faelin Chronicles, Vol. 2 by C. Aubrey Hall

The Call of Eirian is the second book of The Faelin Chronicles trilogy. It looked interesting at a quick glance, so I grabbed it. I will have to get volume one, Crystal Bones, before I can start reading the series.

What is it?

A fantasy starring twins who are half-fae and half-human.

Gifted, Vol. 1 by Marilyn Kaye

Out of Sight, Out of Mind is volume one of the Gifted series. It’s a first volume, and it’s paranormal, so that was enough for me to grab it. Gifted appears to be a six book series.

What is it?

Sounds like a paranormal school setting involving supernatural powers.

House of Night, Vol 6, 7, & 8 by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

These volumes are (in order) Tempted, Burned, and Awakened. They are part of the House of Night series, which I have not yet read, but I’ve heard very good things about. I already have the first four books, so I didn’t see the harm in grabbing these three, since they were so cheap. If I get volume five, I have a significant buffer to find out if I like the series or not.

All three of these books are hardcover, but Awakened is missing the dust jacket, which actually isn’t that bad since the under-cover looks fine. I broke my own policy for these, because I figured it doesn’t matter if they are so cheap. Usually I wouldn’t buy hardcover books if I already started the series as paperbacks. Hopefully that won’t drive me up the wall later.

What is it?

A vampire fantasy.

Niebla, Vol. 1 by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Prince of Mist is volume one of the Niebla series, also known as Mist. It’s a trilogy, and I grabbed it as something to new to try. The description sounded interesting enough.

What is it?

Sounds like some kind of historical mystery, possibly involving a ghost.

The Osserian Saga, Vol. 2 & 3 by David Forbes

The Amber Wizard, volume one of this series, is in my June haul from last month. The series is a trilogy, so these two volumes complete the set. I have not read any of it, yet, but if I end up liking it, I now have all of it at my disposal.

Volume two: The Words of Making

Volume three: The Commanding Stone

What is it?

A fantasy series, probably involving magic.

The Princess Diaries, Vol. 6 by Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries is a lengthy series that appears to be ongoing. I think it’s about twelve-ish volumes right now. I already have the first three for sure, but have not yet read them. This one is volume six, Princess in Training. I figured it couldn’t hurt to grab it for the low price just in case I like the series, less for me to have to worry about getting later.

What is it?

A coming of age story, I think, possibly with some romance.

Ranger’s Apprentice, Vol 2 by John Flanagan

The Burning Bridge is book two of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This sixteen book series has been on my list for a while, and I already have the first volume, so when I saw the second one, I made sure to grab it. I don’t particularly need it right away, but it never hurts to have an extra volume or two to be able to read more of a series quickly.

The first volume, The Ruins of Gorlan, was in my End of 2022 haul.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Rats of Nimh, Vol. 2 by Jane Leslie Conly

The first volume, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, was included back in my February haul. Rasco and the Rats of Nimh is volume two, and I just happened to find it. That gives me two out of three.

The first book is written by a different name than the other two. A quick google search tells me the sequels are written by the daughter of the original author. I’ve only read one series where another author took over, and I didn’t like that one, so this should be interesting.

Serafina, Vol. 2 by Robert Beatty

Serafina is a four volume series. Serafina and the Twisted Staff is volume two. The store did not have the first volume, but it was so cheap it was worth getting the second book first. When I get the first one later, I’ll have half the series to figure out if I like it.

The first volume is called Serafina and the Black Cloak.

What is it?

A middle grade historical fiction with fantasy and mystery elements.

Tomorrow Girls, Vol. 1, 2, & 4 by Eva Gray

These books have been on the shelf every time I’ve gone to the store. I debated on grabbing them a few times. Nobody else ever grabbed them, so I decided to go for it this time. The fact one and two are here gives me a bit to try, and if I decide I like the series, I can track down volume three. Apparently the series is only four books long, anyway.

The titles of these volumes are: 1 – Behind the Gates, 2 – Run for Cover, and 4 – Set Me Free.

What is it?

Some kind of dystopia.

Waterfire Saga, Vol. 2 by Jennifer Donnelly

Rogue Wave is volume two of the Waterfire Saga. The cover art for this book is pretty, so that’s what caught my attention. Waterfire is an interesting title for a series, so I’m curious to find out what it’s all about. The series is four books long.

The first book, which I will need to get to be able to start the series, is titled Deep Blue.

What is it?

A mermaid fantasy.

Light Novel and Manga Haul July 2023

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About

I was expecting to barely have enough books to even do a manga haul this month. My self control obviously needs work.

The books in this haul are a mix of Amazon orders, new and used, and purchases from my local store.

Comics

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift

This is the fourth omnibus in the recommended reading order for the Avatar comics, at least as far as I know. I think this is the library edition. For most of the Avatar comics, the paperbacks seem to be the individuals, and the hardcovers tend to be the omnibus library editions.

What is it?

A comic omnibus of The Rift that continues the story from the TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Light Novels

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, Vol 1

This book is a danmei, which is a genre that is exploding in popularity right now. Danmei is essentially the Chinese equivalent to Boys Love. I generally love stories with BL couplings, so I got this book to try some danmei.

I specifically chose this one to try, because it’s rather short as a series. It only has four volumes in total. The series is a trilogy, with a fourth book that covers content for both past and future. So, if I like the series, it won’t be a huge commitment to finish it.

What is it?

From what I can tell, it’s a historical isekai BL romance.

Manga

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8

The Apothecary Diaries is a fantastic series and I highly recommend it. The review for this volume is already available. Volume nine will release on August, 15th.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 18, 19, & 22

Flame of Recca is out of print, but I started my collection in middle school, so I want to finish it. The remaining volumes are higher in price, so they likely will not be seen in my hauls very frequently. I also will be purchasing them out of order from here on out, because it’ll be entirely based on what I find at reasonable prices based on availability.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 5

I love this series. I’m a little behind on the English releases, but I’m trying to catch up. My goal is to catch up to the current releases before I watch the anime. There’s still time before that airs.

At the time of this post, reviews for the first four volumes are available. Five should be up in the near future.

What is it?

A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.

Inuyasha VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 5

I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often. Reviews for this series will likely wait until I feel like doing a re-read, which will probably be a good while.

Recently, I’ve also started getting the sequel series, Yashahime. I haven’t read any of it, yet, but reviews for it will be up eventually.

What is it?

A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 6 (volumes 16-18)

I’m getting these as they release, and I have plenty to get started on whenever I feel like it. This series is one of the manga I’m looking forward to reading the most. I just haven’t found the right time to start it.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 15

This is the final volume of the Tail of the Moon series. It completes my collection, so after all these years, I can finally finish reading it. This series will be on the short list for manga I will be reading.

What is it?

A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8

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The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8 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: 978-1-64609-134-8
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Sly tactician Lakan’s attempts at provocation lead to his own downfall when Maomao challenges him to elephant chess, only to outplay him in a game of wits! In a stupor from drinking “poison” as punishment for his loss, Lakan dreams of a long-lost past, his affair with a beautiful courtesan, and meeting her daughter for the very first time. Upon waking, he finds himself at Verdigris, where he is pressed to buy the freedom of a girl of his choosing and take her home as his wife! But will any of the flowers there catch his eye when his heart is in love with a memory?

Personal & Info

I keep a close eye on the release dates for this series. This volume was originally planned to release in May. Unfortunately, it was delayed until July, so it’s been a full six months since the last book. Things have been rather hectic for me lately, so I didn’t have time to re-read the previous volumes. Hopefully I remember enough to keep up with the story.

Characters

Maomao, my favorite character in the series, continues to be eccentric in all the best ways. We learn more about her origins in this volume.

Lakan is probably the most unlikeable character in the series. Despite previous hinting, he’s not as terrible as implied, but he’s still pretty bad.

Jinshi, always intrigued by Maomao, realizes he is a cat person.

Other characters also appear, but these three consume most of the screen time.

Story & Thoughts

The book starts off by diving into Lakan’s backstory. There is a preview of this at the end of volume seven, so I was expecting it. None of it justifies anything he does, but it gives some insight into understanding why he does things. It’s weird to see him more humanized after the series painted him to be an insensitive jerk of a tactician. I get the feeling the story is trying to emphasize that he’s not really a bad person, just different, and often misunderstood.

Out of the six chapters, four of them focus on backstory. Maomao and Lakan are the main focus of the volume, and their connection finally gets an in depth explanation. We even get to see Maomao’s mother. Most of the information has been hinted at throughout the story, so these chapters just solidify everything. The part that got me was the reveal of who Luomen, Maomao’s Pa, really is. That was something I never saw coming.

I’d been wondering about Maomao’s nightmare from an earlier volume. That’s one of the things that gets an explanation in this book, so I’m pretty happy about that. Maomao has certainly had an interesting childhood.

The last two chapters are more fun. There aren’t any blatant mysteries. It’s just life getting back to normal after the Garden Banquet.

Maomao and Jinshi seem to have what could be a moment in this volume. It lasts for maybe a second. They seem to have potential romantic moments scattered throughout the series, but they never last long, and quickly devolve into comedy. I can’t help wondering if one of these times one of those moments will be different.

I did notice an issue that confounded my brain. There was a sentence in the book where, I’m not sure if it’s a translation error or editing problem, but the text was confusing. The wording was strange enough that I didn’t exactly understand the intended meaning of what it was trying to say. I muddled through, but I had to re-read the sentence multiple times and guess at the intention.

Wait Until Midnight

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Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick
Genres: Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Jove/Berkly/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-515-13862-2
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Gentle Reader,

It could have been a scene from one of my novels. As a rule, respectable ladies do not accept calls from Mysterious Gentlemen on business of the most grave importance – but I confess that I was possessed of a lively curiosity. The past three years had been so determinedly dull, I hoped Mr. Adam Hardesty would offer a tiny respite from it. Indeed, upon first glance, Mr. Hardesty had such a formidable, thrilling presence, he quickly became the model for the villain in the sensation novel I was currently writing.

Imagine my shock and distress then, when Mr. Hardesty accused me of being party to a plot of murder, blackmail, and general villainy! I knew nothing of such occurrences, and proclaimed my innocence. Unfortunately, Mr. Hardesty left unconvinced, and I had an uneasy feeling over what his search would uncover. You see, Gentle Reader, though I live a most uneventful life now, my past contained a Great Scandal that would be ruinous if resurrected. To protect my secrets from Mr. Hardesty’s investigation, I concluded that I would need to conduct an inquiry of my own, and if that meant sharing my findings with Mr. Hardesty, so be it. And my course of action had nothing whatsoever to do with the illicit, passionate feelings that he aroused in me – feelings that propriety would definitely frown upon…

Yours most sincerely,
Caroline Fordyce

Personal & Info

While I only gave this three stars, it’s a good three stars. I consider books from this author to be comfort reads.

This stand alone book has psychical themes, but there are no real psychics in it. It simply takes place during a time when seances and psychic demonstrations were popular. They are all parlor tricks, so if you’re not into paranormal, it should still be fine for you to read this book.

The character list for this book is very long. I did my best to list all of the ones I feel are important, and the ones I recall making any kind of appearance that might be significant. There are more named characters than the ones I listed here. If I forgot to put them down, they likely were not important. Whether or not the murderer’s name is on the list, I will not say.

Characters

Caroline Fordyce is the leading lady. She’s a sensation novelist whose stories are published weekly in the Flying Intelligencer.

Adam Hardesty is the leading man. He comes from a poor background, which gives him a unique set of skills. Julia, Jessica, and Nathan are his adopted siblings.

Wilson Grendon is a wealthy, elderly widower. He took in Adam and his siblings and passes them off as his own distant relatives.

Emma is Caroline’s aunt and only living blood relative. She dresses plainly and presents a tall and severe appearance, with a matching personality.

Milly is Caroline’s aunt, but not a blood relative. She is short and wears brightly colored clothing, which matches her optimistic and cheerful personality.

Julia is Adam’s adoptive sister. She is married to Robert, the Earl of Sourthwood, with two children.

Robert is the Earl of Southwood. He is married to Julia, and they have two children. Robert is essentially a quiet and thoughtful man.

Mrs. Plummer is Caroline’s housekeeper.

Morton is Adam’s butler.

Elizebeth Delmont is the initial murder victim. She is spiritualist who hosts seances and spends time at the Society for Psychical Investigations.

Julian Elsworth is a fashionable practitioner of psychical powers. People consider him to be very attractive. He conducts his business in private homes in only the most exclusive circles.

Durward Reed is the President of the Society for Psychical Investigations and publisher of the newspaper New Dawn. He owns the mansion, Wintersett House, that the society uses as its headquarters.

Harold Filby is Adam’s fashionable and bespectacled man of business. He runs all kinds of errands and gathers information.

Ned is Adam’s coachmen. He’s worked for Adam for a long time.

Irene Toller is another spiritualist. She is Elizebeth Delmont’s rival in business.

Bess Whaley is Irene’s housekeeper and assistant.

Mr. Spraggett is Caroline’s publisher, described as a nervous, wiry, and balding man.

Gilbert Otford is a correspondent for the Flying Intelligencer. He wrote an article about Caroline claiming she has psychical powers.

Story & Thoughts

This book took way longer than I intended to read. No fault to the quality, I’ve just had a lot going on. As with most books by this author, this is a murder mystery. The murder is introduced at the beginning and the whole book is a romance based around the investigation.

It’s actually pretty interesting, because the majority of books I read by this author are about psychics. Psychics with actual talents, I mean. This book is only about frauds, psychics who use tricks and mechanisms to make people think they have powers. It’s an interesting flip from the usual content.

The book also follows the author’s standard storytelling formula. There’s both a murder and a backstory issue. Both get resolved by the end of the book. Some people don’t like writers who have a consistent formula for their stories. If that’s you, then consider this your warning so you know this author, and all her other pseudonyms, uses a consistent formula. I think that’s one of the things that makes them feel like comfort reads, but I understand not everyone relates to that.

The whole of the story is pretty straight forward, so I don’t have much to say about it. I do think it’s important to note that I had no idea who the villain of the story was until the story pointed them out. While it’s not always a bad thing to know who the villain is early, it’s nice to be surprised at the end. It really had me going, thinking I knew who the culprit was, then threw a curveball. Although, the more I think about it, the more I realize there were clues that pointed to them that I didn’t connect until after. So, there is the possibility to figure things out earlier than I did.

I think the most amusing thing in the story is how fixated Adam gets on the fact Caroline finds him inspirational for the villain of her novel. He doesn’t read her novel, but he can’t help thinking of the villain as literally himself whenever someone talks about it. It offends him to no end, and he can’t help interjecting possible hopes for the character or disgust for any unjust actions. The whole situation had me giggling whenever it came up, and during the first half of the book, it’s quite frequent.

My Best (♀) Butler, Vol. 1

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My Best (♀) Butler, Vol. 1 by Souko Masaki
Series Name: My Best (♀) Butler
Genres: Comedy, gender-bend
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: ebook
ISBN: 9781646596515
Rating: 4/5
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Description

Rui Aoto’s family has fallen on hard times. It’s up to her to take care of her younger brother Kyo, and she refuses to be a burden on friends or family. When Rui cross-dresses to be able to work at a host club, things go awry. A rich boy, named Tohma, comes to her rescue, and her life changes drastically. To amuse Tohma, Rui agrees to a wager, and must now serve as Tohma’s “male” butler until next march. If she can do so, without exposing her true gender, Tohma will give her $10,000.

Personal & Info

I absolutely could not decide what to read for this week. Normally, I choose random numbers by rolling dice to decide which ebook on my list to read, but this time I was not satisfied with any of my choices. I ended up asking friends for random numbers instead, and then narrowing it down randomly from there. For some reason, I was more satisfied with that end result than my own. Anyway, this is the book that was chosen via coin flip after all others were eliminated.

This is one of the ebooks I got for free from a BookWalker sale. It does not appear to have any physical copies in English, yet.

Depending on your preference for consent, this book might irk you. There is crotch grabbing and peeking up skirts. That’s pretty much the only thing I recall seeing that is worth mentioning for any kind of warning.

Characters

Rui Aoto is the main character. She is Kyo’s older sister and considered flat chested.

Kyo Aoto is Rui’s younger brother. He dropped out of school after a confession to a male classmate went wrong.

Moka seems like Rui’s best friend. She is the daughter of the bakers who take Rui and Kyo in at the start of the book.

Benny is Moka and Rui’s friend.

Tohma is a bored and lonely rich kid. He has a bit of an attitude, and a severe allergy to women.

Saginuma is Tohma’s driver and butler, because they have yet to replace the previous butler. He’s been with Tohma’s family for a long time.

Yoinomiya and Ohgi are the two guys Tohma requested to watch over Rui at school.

Mr. T. Bear is a handmade teddybear from a series of children’s books. Mr. T. Bear is very important to Tohma. Kyo and Tohma are both fans of the Mr. T. Bear books.

Haruki is Tohma’s cousin, and the despot of the school. He has an anger problem.

Hatarai is Haruki’s butler.

Goryoba and Watatsumi are student council members. Goryoba is apparently very strong, and Watatsumi is “elitist.”

There are an abundance of characters with names throughout the book. I know I did not mention them all, and that is intentional. Several of them are insignificant, or only appear once or twice, so are not worth mentioning here.

Story & Thoughts

I went into this manga blind, and I’m pleasantly surprised that it’s a gender-bend. Those are some of my favorite kinds of manga. Yes, I know, the lady butler part should have made that obvious, but I wasn’t looking too closely at it.

Anyway, the setting is a little generic. The city they live in is divided into ten wards, which divide the people by wealth. Ward ten, where Rui and her friends live in the beginning of the story, is the poorest. Ward one, where Tohma lives, is the richest.

The host club job Rui’s friend Sera sets her up with is super creepy. The employees, who are teenaged boys (this is where the cross-dressing comes in), sit in a lobby where they can eat and drink from the club menu as much as they want. The facility has one way mirrors, where clients can see the employees to choose one to request for a private sitting. It’s supposed to be conversational entertainment, but the clients are all apparently older, and usually creepy, men.

Rui is warned before her shift starts that she should never leave the building with a client, because it’s unsafe, but that’s practically the first thing she does. It’s like she has no survival instinct. She definitely does not come off as an intelligent character early on.

The day to day life adventures Rui has as Tohma’s butler are amusing. She has much to learn, and must learn everything quickly. Reputation and perception are extremely important to do her job, as well as knowing how to use her resources to her advantage. The simple and ridiculous ordeals she has to deal with make good comedy. The people and places are definitely not entirely normal, either.

I have some suspicions about the Mr. T. Bear stories. I think they’re more than just a series of children’s books that Tohma likes.

There is a tiny bit of romance, but I don’t know if it’s enough to label the book as romance. Rui has a crush and gets flustered, but it doesn’t seem romantic to me. It could escalate to be more romantic later, but I won’t know for sure unless I read more.

I do intend to read more of this series eventually. It bugs me that it’s only available digitally. I’m going to have to figure out which source I would prefer to use, because I don’t usually commit to any digital manga.

A Condition Called Love, Vol. 1

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A Condition Called Love, Vol. 1 by Megumi Morino
Series Name: A Condition Called Love
Genres: Romance, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: ebook
ISBN: 9781646593415
Rating: 5/5
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Description

Hotaru Hinase is a normal girl who doesn’t care much for the idea of love. It’s just not for her, or at least that’s what she thinks. Change is set in motion when a simple act of kindness wins the heart of school heartthrob Hananoi. A trial run at dating might be just what Hotaru needs to find out what love means to her.

Personal & Info

My life has been high stress as of late, so I’ve been unable to get much reading done. I’m reviewing this digital manga as my book for the week, because one manga is all I can manage right now.

I got this for free from a BookWalker sale, but unlike other manga I’ve gotten this way, this one is actually available in print.

Characters

Hotaru Hinase is the leading lady. She’s a first year student in high school, and she is convinced love is not for her.

Hananoi is the leading man. He’s a good looking guy, but girls seem to always be disappointed when they get to know him, because they have different ideas of what he should be like based on his looks.

Kyo is Hotaru’s best friend.

Hibiki Keigo is Kyo’s boyfriend. He is the one who asked her out.

Kagari, I think, is Hotaru’s older sister.

Tomo is Hotaru’s little sister. She figure skates.

Story & Thoughts

I chose this at random on a day when I absolutely did not feel like reading anything. It was a great choice, though, because instead of trudging though it, I actually enjoyed the story immensely. This series is definitely going on my wish list of things to get for my physical shelf.

The art is beautiful. It has a unique charm that I can’t find the words to describe. I love the facial expressions. Hotaru’s thick eyebrows are fantastic, too. I don’t see many characters drawn that way.

The characters are interesting. Hananoi is a bit intense in an insane way. He’s kind and sweet and considerate, but he goes over the top on everything to the point of changing himself or to the detriment of his health. He just doesn’t know where to draw the line on doing anything for the one he loves.

Hotaru is a good compliment to his personality, because she acts as a sort of ground. She insists he does not change himself for her sake, and she doesn’t want him doing anything for her that is bad for his health or well-being. It seems like Hananoi isn’t used to people liking him for who he is or caring about his health. I think they are good for each other. They are each what the other seems to need.

As for the story itself. It’s so sweet and wholesome. It follows Hotaru as the main character. She doesn’t think love is for her and she is okay with that, but she sees what it’s like for other people who have someone, and she is open to finding out if she is capable of that connection. As the story progresses, she starts to learn what love means to her. Her initial thoughts about it were more than likely because she didn’t fully understand it. Hananoi likely had a point when he said she simply lacked experience.

This is a great manga. I smiled and laughed while reading it. It has sweet moments that make me go, “aww”. The characters are engaging and interesting. I love everything about it. Hananoi still seems to have some mystery about him, so I still see things for the story to build on as the story progresses. This is a series I definitely plan to read more of at some point.

Book Haul June 2023

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About

This haul is significantly larger than usual, because my local store is having a sale to clear out a bunch of their used books. All except one book in this haul are from my local store’s sale. I think the price of each book comes out to be about forty-four cents.

The pile system in the picture from left to right:
-Volume ones to try
– Books in which I still need the first volume
-Stand alones
-Series in which the pile includes first volumes and up.
-Later volumes in series I already own

The Wizard’s Jokebook doesn’t fit into any of those categories, so I just put it in front by itself.

Above the Veil by Garth Nix

This is volume four of The Seventh Tower. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I’ve seen this book popping up in the lists of what my circle of friends have read, so I figured I’d try it. Apparently there’s a movie, too. I did not know that. If Tim Burton was involved, it must be good. Also, this appears to be part of a duology. Volume two is called The Last American Vampire.

What is it?

A paranormal historical fiction.

Aenir by Garth Nix

Aenir is volume three of the Seventh Tower series. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I’ll have to get the first book later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Amber Wizard by David Forbes

I don’t know anything about this, but it mentions a wizard, and I like magic, so that’s good enough for me to give it a try. It’s the first volume of The Osserian Saga, which appears to be a trilogy.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

This is volume one of the Robert Langdon series. I’ve heard good things about this book and the more well known sequel, The Davinci Code. Apparently you can read the books individually as stand alone novels, but I’d rather read them in order.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

This book is the first volume of the Farseer Trilogy. I managed to find the entire trilogy at the store, so I have the whole thing in case I like it. The only part I’m missing is the prequel, which isn’t immediately important.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb

The Farseer Trilogy ends with this third volume. There’s an additional prequel totaling four books, but I don’t have that and will worry about it when or if I actually need it.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Battle of the Beasts by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini

This is volume two of the House of Secrets trilogy. I found volume two so cheap that it’s worth getting just to have more to read in case I like the first volume, which I will have to get later. I didn’t look too closely at any description aside from skimming it for volume one. It mentions the occult, so I grabbed it.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy.

Castle by Garth Nix

Castle is volume two of the series The Seventh Tower. This haul has volumes two through five. The store didn’t have volume one, so I’ll have to get that one later.

I have the Abhorsen series and love it, so I’m getting more Garth Nix books to try.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Chestnut Soldier by Jenny Nimmo

This is volume three of The Magician trilogy, also known as the Snow Spider trilogy. Volume two is also in this haul. I will have to get the first one later.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy involving magic.

The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

I think this is a stand alone novel. I just kind of grabbed it because it’s nice to have some things that are not part of a series to read. It has something to do with clocks and three children.

What is it?

A children’s historical fiction.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians is a three book series. This is volume one. I’ve heard good things about it, and I’ve never seen the movie, so I grabbed it to fill space and have something to try.

What is it?

A contemporary fiction, possibly with some romance. I don’t really know much about it.

The Cursed Towers by Kate Forsyth

This is volume three of The Witches of Eileanan. I’m missing book four, The Forbidden Land.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Daemon Eyes by Camille Bacon-Smith

Daemon Eyes is a two in one edition of volumes one and two for the series Daemon Inc. There are three volumes total in the standard series, so if I like this book, I will only have to buy one more.

What is it?

Based on the description, it sounds like an urban fantasy mystery detective series.

A Dark Inheritance by Chris D’Lacey

The Unicorne Files is a trilogy, and this is volume one. I only skimmed half the description before grabbing the book. It’s published by Scholastic, so it’s appropriate for kids. I’m pretty sure unicorns don’t actually have anything to do with the story, and that the name likely represents the fantastical, since it’s the name of an organization.

What is it?

A paranormal mystery adventure.

The Dark Planet by Patrick Carman

The Dark Planet is volume three in the Atherton trilogy. Volume two, Rivers of Fire, is also in this haul. I don’t have volume one, but if I get it later, whether I like it or not, the last two volumes only cost me about a dollar.

What is it?

A children’s sci-fi fantasy.

The Darkdeep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs

I don’t think I even read the description for this book. It’s volume one of The Darkdeep trilogy, so I just grabbed it as something to try.

What is it?

A children’s horror of some kind.

The Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

The Dark Endeavor is volume one of the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein duology. I don’t know if the name has anything to do with the original Frankenstein, but the description sounds interesting, so I’m going to try it.

What is it?

A historical fiction adventure, I think, probably with some horror.

Dark is the Moon by Ian Irvine

This is volume three in the series The View from the Mirror. Volume one is also in this haul. I don’t have volume two. The series totals to four books in length.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

I added this book to my to-read list years ago and haven’t gotten around to it. This is volume one of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. Aside from the three standard books in the trilogy, there is also a volume 2.5. It’s called Night of Cake & Puppets, and appears to be less than 300 pages long.

What is it?

A young adult fantasy.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I’ve heard good things about this book from pretty much everyone. People and TV shows all give it high praise. It’s volume two in the Robert Langdon series, but I hear you can read it as a stand alone.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Double Eclipse by Melissa de la Cruz

This is volume two of Summer on East End, so I have the complete duology to find out if I’m interested in reading more by the author. Volume one is listed farther down in the haul because it’s alphabetical by title.

What is it?

A young adult witch story with romance.

The Dragon and the Djinn by Gordon R. Dickson

This is volume six of the Dragon Knight series. Volume five is also in this haul.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy sci-fi isekai involving a man who becomes a dragon.

The Dragons of the Cuyahoga by S. Andrew Swann

This is the first volume of the duology for the Cleveland Portal series. There is also an omnibus edition that has both volumes in one book. This is one of the many first volumes I got to try something new.

What is it?

An urban fantasy where fictional creatures have come through a portal to Cleveland.

The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll by Gordon R. Dickson

Dragon Knight is a nine book series, and this is volume five. The store only had five and six, but I’m definitely interested in trying this series, so I got these later volumes in case I like it. The first book in the series is called The Dragon and the George.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy sci-fi isekai involving a man who becomes a dragon.

The Dragon Quartet Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Marjorie B. Kellogg

This is an omnibus edition for the Dragon Quartet series. It contains volume one, The Book of Earth, and volume two, The Book of Water. There are four individual books total, so there are only two omnibus editions. I grabbed this mostly because it’s a volume one of something fantasy for me to try.

What is it?

An elemental dragon themed fantasy that apparently takes place in medieval Europe and the distant future.

The Dragon Society by Lawrence Watt-Evans

Dragon Society is volume two of the Obsidian Chronicles. I mostly grabbed it because two and three were available. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy involving dragons.

Dragon Venom by Lawrence Watt-Evans

This is the third and final volume of the Obsidian Chronicles.

What is it?

A fantasy involving dragons.

The Elvenbane by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey

Elvenbane is another book I grabbed just because it’s a volume one of something new for me to try. It’s part of the Halfblood Chronicles, which is a trilogy.

What is it?

A fantasy about a half-elf child of destiny raised by dragons.

Emlyn’s Moon by Jenny Nimmo

This is volume two of the Snow Spider trilogy, also known as The Magician Trilogy according to the cover of this copy. I don’t know much about it, but I’m generally willing to try new children’s books lately. I will have to get volume one in order to start the series.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy involving magic.

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Back in 2021, I read the entire Maze Runner series. It was interesting, but generally average, in my opinion, but I’m curious to see if there are other things by the same author I would like better. So, after I finished, I poked around a little to see what else there might be. This is volume one of The Mortality Doctrine, which consists of a trilogy and one prequel.

What is it?

A young adult sci-fi involving gamers and hackers with a virtual internet, possibly dystopia.

The Far Kingdoms by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch

I already have volume three of this series. I don’t remember where or how I got it, but I do. It’s the the Anteros series. With this book, I can at least start the series and figure out if I even want to get volume two to be able to read volume three. The series is four books long.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

The Fathomless Caves by Kate Forsyth

This is volume six of The Witches of Eileanan. I think this is the final volume for the series.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens

The Fire Chronicle is volume two of a trilogy called The Books of Beginning. I don’t have the first volume, but it doesn’t hurt to already have the second since I found it cheap. Volume one, The Emerald Atlas, was already on my to-read list when I found this.

What is it?

A children’s adventure series involving time travel.

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

This is volume one of The Forgetting, which appears to be a duology. I don’t really know anything about it aside from the fact it involves people forgetting things on a regular basis and only being able to remember things that are written down. The main character is the only person who has never forgotten anything.

What is it?

Probably some kind of dystopia, possibly with science fiction and maybe a mystery.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

This looks like a thick MMORPG themed stand alone novel. I haven’t really found any VR or MMORPG themed novels that I like, yet, but I haven’t tried very many, either. I’m hoping this one will be better than Ready Player One, which I didn’t even bother to finish, because I didn’t like it.

What is it?

Seems like science fiction, maybe dystopia.

Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret

I blindly grabbed this one because it looks like a children’s spooky story and I want to try more of those.

What is it?

A children’s ghost story.

The Glass Word by Kai Meyer

This is the final volume of the Dark Reflections trilogy, also known as Merle-Zyklus. Volume two is also in this haul. I don’t have volume one, yet.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy set in Italy.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow is volume one of the Sky Chasers trilogy. I grabbed it as something to try.

What is it?

A young adult science fiction dystopia.

Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz

Grand Passion is a stand alone novel written by Jayne Ann Krentz, also known as Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle. This is her contemporary setting pseudonym. I don’t know what this book is about, and I don’t care, because I will pretty much read anything by this author.

What is it?

A contemporary mystery romance.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

This is volume one of the Underland Chronicles. It’s five books long, and written by the same author as The Hunger Games. I like The Hunger games, so I want to try other things by the same author.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy adventure.

The Hunger Pains: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

This is a Hunger Games parody book. Some parodies are really good while others are really bad. It was too enticing on the shelf for me to pass up.

What is it?

A parody book for The Hunger Games.

Impossible Odds by Dave Duncan

I don’t have the first volume for this series. It’s The King’s Blades series, and this is volume five. I do randomly have volume four, though, so I figure it doesn’t hurt to grab this one ahead of time.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy.

Inferno by Dan Brown

This is volume four of the Robert Langdon series. This brings me to three volumes from the same series in this haul, but I’m missing volume three. Apparently you can read the books individually as stand alone novels, but I’d rather read them in order. Unfortunately, this is the movie tie-in edition, but it was super cheap, and they didn’t have any other copies.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Into Battle by Garth Nix

This is volume five of The Seventh Tower series. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Jaguar Knights by Dave Duncan

The Jaguar Knights is part of The King’s Blades series. It’s volume six, right after Impossible Odds, which is also in this haul. I’m missing the first three volumes of the series, but with how cheaply I found these, it’s worth it to have them as a just in case.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy.

The Keeper by David Baldacci

This is volume two of the Vega Jane series, also known as The Finisher in the Netherlands. It consists of four volumes, and one is already on my list of things to read, but I don’t have it. I grabbed this one so I’ll have the first two to try when I get around to buying the first one.

What is it?

A dystopian fantasy.

The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda

This is volume one of the Rondo trilogy. I didn’t have much time left to look at books, and this one mentions a witch, so that is good enough for me.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

This is a stand alone story. Liesle & Po and The Spindlers are both written by the same author. This one is apparently supposed to be really good.

What is it?

I think it’s a stand alone children’s fantasy adventure.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I’ve only read two books by John Green, and they didn’t really interest me. This is the last one I’m going to try. If I don’t like this one, I won’t read any more by this author.

What is it?

A coming of age contemporary fiction stand alone novel.

The Lost Heiress by Catherine Fisher

Relic Master is a four volume series, and this is volume two. I still need to get volume one to be able to start the series. This one was so cheap that it makes it worth it to have the second one in case I end up liking the first book.

What is it?

Some kind of sci-fi fantasy, possibly dystopia.

The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone by Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick

This is a stand alone novel. It looks like this might be a movie tie in edition because the cover looks like a movie poster. Apparently this is religious fiction. I didn’t realize that when I grabbed it. I probably wouldn’t have if I’d known. Christian fiction is very hit or miss for me.

What is it?

A children’s Christian fiction adventure.

The Lost Swords: The First Triad by Fred Saberhagen

This is an omnibus for volumes one through three of the Lost Swords series. Honestly, I only grabbed this because the entire series was on the shelf.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s.

The Lost Swords: The Second Triad by Fred Saberhagen

As with The First Triad, this book is an omnibus edition for The Lost Swords. It contains volumes four through six.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s.

The Lost Swords: Endgame by Fred Saberhagen

This is the final omnibus edition for The Lost Swords. It contains volumes seven and eight.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s to early 90s.

The Magician’s Lie

This is a stand alone novel I found in a section in which I don’t normally find anything that catches my interest. It’s recommended for people who like Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. I’ve read both of those, and liked both, so I figured I’d try it.

What is it?

A historical fiction mystery involving some magic.

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

I mostly just grabbed this because it’s volume one of a series. The series is called The secret, and it’s about five volumes long. Volume six is a do it yourself mystery, and I’m not sure if that one is necessary to read/write.

What is it?

A children’s mystery adventure.

Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

This is volume one of the Of Monsters and Madness duology. I don’t know anything about the series, but this volume is supposed to be a retelling featuring Edgar Allen Poe and his character Annabel Lee. I’m not familiar with any of that, so I won’t be comparing anything to this when I read it.

What is it?

A historical fiction horror retelling.

Phantom by Terry Goodkind

My May haul had a large chunk of this series. It’s called the Sword of Truth. This is volume ten. I believe I’m still missing six and eight, but I’m set with a good buffer to try the series. Someone at the store said it was good, so I’m optimistic.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

The Pool of Two Moons by Kate Forsyth

This is volume two of The Witches of Eileanan. This haul finishes off the entire six book series collection except for a single volume. I already have volume one, but have not yet read it. The only one I’m missing at this point is volume four, The Forbidden Land.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Promise Not to Tell by Jayne Ann Kretnz

This is volume two of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, and all three volumes are in this haul.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Quest for Celestia by Steven James

I mostly just grabbed this one because it’s a stand alone and the description mentions the word fantasy. It’s a retelling of a book I’ve never heard of before, so I don’t really know anything about it.

What is it?

A reimagined retelling of The Pilgrim’s Progress. It looks like it’s a Christian fantasy of some kind.

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

This is volume one of the Red Sparrow trilogy. I’ve seen the movie, but never read the book, so I figured I’d give it a try. Unfortunately, the book got a little torn while traveling from the store to my home. It’s not too bad, though. Mostly a small tear on the back cover that effects the last few pages, which are only a preview for another book, anyway. The store had a copy of the movie cover version and a standard version, so I went with the standard.

What is it?

A mystery thriller with espionage.

Rivers of Fire by Patrick Carman

Rivers of fire is volume two of a trilogy called Atherton. I don’t know much about it, but the store had the last two out of three volumes, so I figured why not. If I find the first book somewhere, two and three basically only cost me about a dollar. Even if I end up not liking it, that’s not much of a waste.

What is it?

A children’s sci-fi fantasy.

The Roads of Heaven by Melissa Scott

I grabbed this book on a whim. It looks like it’s an omnibus edition of a science fiction series from the 80s. It costed practically nothing, so I figure no harm done by trying it. There is no barcode or ISBN anywhere on the book. It looks like it might have been published before that was a standard.

The individual books for the trilogy inside this omnibus are Five-Twelfths of Heaven, Silence in Solitude, and Empress of Earth.

What is it?

A space travel sci-fi trilogy omnibus from the 80s.

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

This is volume two of the Farseer trilogy. I don’t really know anything about the series.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

This is book two of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. It’s four volumes long, and I’ve actually already read it before. I read the whole series from my local library, but I found it so charming I wanted my own copies. This is the first one I’ve found, so it’s the only volume I currently own. The copy I initially read also had a different cover than this one, but I don’t think that really matters in the end.

Something interesting to know about the series is the volumes were not written in order. I don’t remember what the written order is, but there is an excerpt in one of the books that explains why and how they were written outside of chronological order.

What is it?

A fairy tale-esque fantasy with dragons.

A Shadow on the Glass by Ian Irvine

I was getting to the point of trying to fill space during one of my trips to the book store and I saw this was a volume one for a fantasy, so I just grabbed it. It’s part of the series The View from the Mirror. I don’t really know anything about it.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

The Skull of the World by Kate Forsyth

This is volume five of the series The Witches of Eileanan.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

This book actually made it onto my list only about a year ago. It’s volume one of the Chicagoland Vampires series, which appears to be about thirteen volumes long, with a smattering of half volumes throughout. There also appears to be a spin-off series called Heirs of Chicagoland, which appears to still be releasing. Volume five is scheduled to release this November.

What is it?

An urban fantasy with a vampire theme.

Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner

Sphinx’s Princess is part of two series. It’s volume three in a series called Princesses of Myth, which contains the other series, a duology, by the title Sphinx’s Princess. I think I can read this without reading the books before it, because it looks like Princesses of Myth is made up of a bunch of duologies. This particular one is Egyptian themed, so it caught my interest when I saw it on the shelf. It stars Nefertiti.

What is it?

A historical fiction, possibly with some fantasy and mythology mixed in.

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

I never knew what to read when I was younger, so I’m always on the lookout for good children’s books to try. This one is a stand alone novel, and it’s written by the same author as Liesl & Po. Between the time I got it, and making this post, I’ve already managed to read it, so there is already a review available.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.

Stone Field by Christy Lenzi

I grabbed this while trying to fill space at the end of one of my store runs. I don’t really know anything about it aside from it being a stand alone novel. Apparently it’s supposed to be a retelling of Wuthering Heights, which I’m not familiar with, so I will not be comparing the two.

What is it?

A stand alone historical romance.

The Stone Light by Kai Meyer

This is volume two of the Dark Reflections trilogy, also known as Merle-Zyklus. I only grabbed it because it sounds like a fantasy adventure, and the store had 2/3 of the books. I still need to find the first one to be able to read the series.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy set in Italy.

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

This is volume one of the Ever After High series. I grabbed both one and two of the series just to fill some final space in my basket. Based on the cover, it kind of looks like a more adorable version of The School for Good and Evil, which I have not yet read, either. I’m expecting some similarities.

What is it?

A fairy tale themed fantasy.

The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong

The Summoning is volume one of the Darkest Powers series. Apparently it’s supposed to take place in the same universe as the Otherworld series, which is one I love, so I’m looking forward to reading this. There’s also a sequel series to this one called Darkness Rising.

Unfortunately, this book is one I ordered from an unfamiliar Amazon marketplace seller that supposedly had 91% positive feedback. It was supposed to be in very good condition with “gently used” as the description. That’s not how it looks. It looks more like good condition with all the scrapes and creases on the cover. I don’t care enough to complain, but I probably won’t be ordering from that seller again.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal urban fantsy.

Sunwing by Kenneth Oppel

Sunwing is volume two of the Silverwing trilogy. I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I grabbed it. I was rushing to choose a few final books at the store that day. Honestly, I only grabbed this one because I have a friend who likes bats, so I figured I’d give whatever this is a try.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure with animals.

Sweep, Vol. 3 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume three of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes seven ( The Calling), eight (Changeling), and nine (Strife) of the series. Volume one is already on my to-read list, so I figure if I end up liking it, it’s better to have the other books in the series bought cheaply. Volumes four and five of these omnibus editions are also in this haul, so I’m only missing the first two, which are the equivalent of six standard books.

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

Sweep, Vol. 4 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume four of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes ten (Seeker), eleven (Origins), and twelve (Eclipse).

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

Sweep, Vol. 5 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume five of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes thirteen (Reckoning), fourteen (Full Circle), and fifteen (Night’s Child). This book is the last volume for these editions, so in total I have three out of five of the Sweep books.

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison

I don’t think this is my usual preference, but it might be paranormal enough for me to enjoy. It sounds like there is at least a little bit of witch magic involved in the story. It’s volume one of a four book series called Magic.

What is it?

A paranormal story involving wish-granting baked goods, possibly with romance.

Time of the Witches by Anna Myers

This is a stand alone story involving Salem witch trial accusations. It’s short, so I grabbed it as something to try. The book is published by Scholastic, so it’s probably intended for children.

What is it?

A historical fiction.

Triple Moon by Melissa de la Cruz

I have something else by this author on my to-read list, but the store doesn’t have that, so I grabbed this instead. It sounds witchy, so I’ll probably like it. The series is called Summer on East End, and it’s a duology. I managed to get both in this haul.

What is it?

A young adult witch story with romance.

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Unbreakable is volume one of a series called The Legion. It currently has two volumes with no release date for the third. Upon doing some quick research, it looks like the third book will likely be independently published whenever the author gets around to it. Because of that, this likely will not be urgent on my to-read list.

This is the same author as Beautiful Creatures, and I liked that series, so I figured I would grab this to try something else by the same author.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal series involving ghosts and uniquely skilled teens to fight them.

The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale

The Unfairest of Them All is volume two of the Ever After High series. This series appears to have a couple spin-offs as well, but I won’t delve into those unless I end up liking these first two volumes.

What is it?

A fairy tale themed fantasy.

Untouchable by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is volume three of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, so this is the final volume.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Uprising by Sean McCabe

This is volume one of a series called Vampire Federation. It’s apparently a duology, but it’s vampire themed, so that immediately catches my interest enough to try it.

What is it?

An urban fantasy involving vampires.

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Virals is a spin-off series from Bones, also known as the Temperance Brennen series. This is the first volume. I’ve seen almost all of the TV show for Bones, and I read the first volume of the novel series a few years back, so I figured I’d give this a try. It looks like it’s more paranormal than the core material.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal science fiction mystery.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

This is volume one of the Warm Bodies series, which I think is primarily a trilogy. I saw the movie years ago and didn’t find out until after that it was based on a book. It’s been sitting on my to-read list ever since, and I just haven’t gotten around to it. Now I can at least read the first volume and see what it’s like compared to the movie.

What is it?

A zombie apocalypse romance in which the love interest is a zombie.

When All the Girls have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is volume one of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, and all three volumes are in this haul. I have no idea what it’s about, and I don’t really care, because I like the author.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Wickedly Wonderful by Deborah Blake

Ever heard of Baba Yaga? Well, that’s the name of this series. This is volume two, and supposedly that name is a title carried by a select few, instead of an actual person. The series has four volumes plus some half volumes, and a prequel story.

What is it?

An urban fantasy with witches and dragon dogs.

The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

This book is a stand alone story by the same author who wrote the Artemis Fowl series. I’ve never read that series, but I’ve heard good things, so I figured I’d try this to see if I like the author. The description says it’s a race between the demonic and the divine to claim a soul.

What is it?

Some sort of paranormal fantasy.

The Wizard’s Jokebook by Chris Tait

As a nerd, I couldn’t pass this up. It’s just a thin book full of bad jokes.

What is it?

A children’s jokebook filled with wizard themed dad jokes.

The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

This is volume one of the series The Wizards of Once. It’s four volumes long by the same author as How to Train Your Dragon, which I have not read, but would like to.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable

This is a stand alone story. I dug through the boxes of kids’ books at the store, and it looked interesting.

What is it?

A stand alone middle grade mystery, maybe. I’m not sure.

The Wolves of London by Mark Morris

This is one I grabbed toward the end of one of my store runs while trying to fill space. It’s the first volume of the series Obsidian Heart.

What is it?

A time travel mystery.