Category: Reviews

Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 1

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Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 1 by Shiro Amano
Series Name: Kingdom Hearts
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: All Ages
Publisher: Tokyopop
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-59816-217-2
Rating: 3/5
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If you are set on getting the same old four volume editions, you can check here:
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Description from the Book

When a strange storm hits his island home, 14-year-old Sora is separated from his friends and swept into a mysterious new land. There he meets Court Wizard Donald and Captain Goofy, who are on a mission to find their king, Micky, and return him to his throne at Disney Castle. When the three learn of the Heartless, ominous creatures who feed off the darkness in the hearts of others, they join forces to recover Sora’s friends, return the king to his rightful position and save the universe from the Heartless!

Personal & Info

I’ve been a fan of Kingdom Hearts for a long time. I’ve fallen behind a little on the newer stuff, but the series, no matter which format, will always have a special place in my heart. The version of the series I have in my collection for Kingdom Hearts is out of print. It’s four volumes. I have all of them, so I will be reviewing all four.

Reprints were done for this series sometime around 2013, in which they compiled them into two books instead of four. Those will be the primary versions I link, but I will include a couple links where used versions of the old editions can be found. The 2005 print that I have, would be less convenient to find.

I can’t say for the reprints, but the editions I have read left to right instead of right to left. I still consider it a manga because that’s pretty much the only difference from the norm.

Going into this, it’s been a couple years since I played the game, but I have played it several times, so I have a solid grasp of the plot. This is technically a reread, because I have read it before. It has, however, been several years, possibly over a decade, since the last time.

Characters

Sora is the main character. He is like your stereotypical average kid thrust into fantastical save the world scenarios.

Kairi and Riku are Sora’s friends from the island. Riku is basically the cool guy, who is also a tad mean. Kairi is like the girl next door that Sora and Riku are both crushing on. The manga doesn’t make the crush very clear compared to the game.

Donald and Goofy are well known Disney characters. For this series, they are Sora’s traveling companions and allies in combat.

Various other Disney and Final Fantasy characters make appearances throughout the series. I will not list those for people who might not have any exposure to the series. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise appearances.

Story & Thoughts

This volume covers Destiny Islands, Traverse Town, and Wonder Land. The beginning of the book has a slightly different introduction where the game tutorial would be. There’s a page that tells a story about a broken world. I’m fairly certain this piece of lore is not part of the games. I can’t say if it’s part of the light novels, though, because I have not yet read them. Those will be read and reviewed at a later date.

The island section, which would be the start of the game, where we meet Sora and his friends, seems rushed. We don’t get a solid feel for the characters before everything takes off. Some jokes and interactions from the game were cut, probably to save on time and pages. This is shorter than the average manga, though, so I think they could have made it work.

The story overall seems mostly accurate. I think the fluidity of the panels in some parts is a little jank. With the extra fast pacing of the story, someone who hasn’t played the game might not get the full experience from just reading the manga. It definitely doesn’t have the same feel to it as the game either. The manga seems to try hard for a loony type of comedy that you might see in old Disney cartoons. I get why, but I’m not sure it helps the quality.

The cover art for all the chapters looks really nice. The art throughout is decent, but I think everyone seems to have a case of the baby faces. Sora looks much younger than fourteen. Leon, oh my gosh, Leon looks twelve.

I wouldn’t recommend this as your only Kingdom Hearts experience. You should definitely play the game, or watch someone else play it.

Deep and Dark and Dangerous

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Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn
Genres: Ghosts, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-547-07645-4
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Just before summer begins, thirteen-year-old Ali finds an old photograph. She recognizes the two children. One’s her mother, the other her aunt Dulcie…but who is the third person, the one who’s been torn out of the picture? Ali will have two months to figure it out, since she’s spending the summer with her aunt and her cousin in the same house her mom and aunt used to visit when they were kids.
Then Ali meets Sissy. Sissy is mean, spiteful, and determined to ruin Ali’s summer. Sissy also has a secret. Could it have something to do with the old photo? Ali is dying to find out. Though, if she’s not careful, that’s exactly what might happen to her – die, that is.

Personal & Info

I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky books. This is the last of those for me to review. My edition appears to be older than the ones currently available in stores, so the links lead to the current available edition.

Characters

Ali is the main character.

Dulcie is Ali’s aunt. She’s an artist, specifically a painter.

Claire is Ali’s mother. She seems to have a lot of problems. She’s sensitive emotionally, and for some reason overly protective of her daughter to the point Dulcie says Claire owns Ali.

Emma is Dulcie’s daughter, and Ali’s cousin. She’s about four.

Pete is Ali’s dad. He seems to be the reasonable parent. When Claire is overprotective, Pete advocates on Ali’s behalf.

Sissy, the girl they meet at the lake, is mean and temperamental. I think they said she appears to be nine or ten, but small for her age.

Story & Thoughts

I generally don’t like stories with blatantly mean people in them. This book, and Wait Till Helen Comes, which is by the same author, are both like that, though this one isn’t as bad. This one is tolerable in comparison, but there are other issues.

The story is too bland for me. There is no blatant haunting danger. It’s more manipulation and bullying than anything. Granted, it’s not a bad story. It’s just not for me.

I hate how Dulcie and Emma act throughout. Emma’s behavior makes sense due to her age and lonely upbringing, but Dulcie has no excuse. Dulcie seems straight up unreasonable in some parts. Like, yeah, it’s Ali’s fault that Emma sneaks out the window during nap time because she wasn’t watching her, because that makes sense (This is sarcasm). What’s she supposed to do, sit in Emma’s room with her for every nap and bed time? At some point the child is to blame.

If you don’t like your ghost stories to be scary, and want something a little more mysterious, maybe check this out. Nobody dies. The ghost doesn’t blatantly try to murder anyone. It’s about finding the truth so the ghost can rest.

The Secret Grave

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The Secret Grave by Lois Ruby
Genres: Contemporary, Ghosts
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-545-93250-9
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Nightshade can be deadly.

Hannah and Scooter’s sprawling, ramshackle house is named for the lethal plant that grows in the dark woods behind it. Hannah knows she’s not supposed to explore the forest or nearby Moonlight Lake. But she’s feeling lonely and desperate for an adventure. It’s there in the woods that Hannah meets Cady, a mysterious girl who promises everything Hannah’s been missing. Only Cady has a secret:

Cady Wants Hannah all to herself.

Soon Cady is copying Hannah’s style so they can be more alike. She lies to Hannah’s friends, insults Scooter, and begs Hannah to break her parents’ rules and sneak out for a midnight swim. Hannah wants to believe Cady’s just a little insecure. But when she discovers a cemetery beyond the lake with an eerily familiar headstone, she must decide whether to trust her new friend or dig for answers that may lead her to a watery grave.

Personal & Info

I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky middle grade books. It looks like a stand alone, but some places list it as number three in a series called, “Hauntings.” I will be reading it as a stand alone. If it seems like I get lost or confused by something for not reading the other books, I will say so.

Characters

Hannah Flynn is the main character. She’s the twelve year old middle child in a large family, as follows below.

Gracie is the youngest sister at two years old.

Franny, or Frences, is the older sister, and apparently grumbles a lot. She’s seventeen.

Scooter, actual name Scott Thomas, is one year younger than Hannah, and her favorite member of the family. He has chronic asthma.

Trick, also known as Patrick, is fourteen. He is obsessed with baseball.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe and Sally Flynn, I suspect they are crazy for having five kids, but they seem happy.

Luisa and Sara are Hannah’s best friends. They seem like they are friends with each other first, and Hanna second.

Cady is the girl Hannah meets in the woods. She’s rather mean and demanding.

Story & Thoughts

This book has a similar premise as Wait Till Helen Comes. Both books center on a large property where there’s an unknown area containing a tragic mystery. Both also contain ghosts only intent on communicating with the family member of the same age as the ghost.

I wouldn’t consider this one horror, though. It’s more of a chill almost normal story. Aside from one near drowning, it’s more of a story about friendship than about ghosts. Cady doesn’t seem like a nice person, but at least nobody in this book is as insufferable as Heather is in WTHC.

The plot, aside from the ghost related part, is actually relatable. Hannah’s friends will be gone for a large chunk of the summer, so she’ll be bored and lonely until they get back. This particular type of vulnerability makes her want a new friend, and rather easy to influence.

I think this story is well written. Plot devices and story telling methods are easy to pick out for young readers. Like how Nana Fiona explains banshees to Hanna, for example. There is a good call back to that later on. I think this example is called foreshadowing.

I do have one gripe with the story. Why didn’t Hanna grab her music box and take it home? That didn’t make any sense to me. She was right there, and she had the opportunity.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 6

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 6 by Kousuke Oono
Series Name: The Way of the House Husband
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2461-1
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

All of Tatsu’s hustling and networking since leaving the yakuza has earned him an offer he can’t refuse – an invitation to run with the women’s association, the movers and shakers of his neighborhood. But before he can be initiated, the Immortal Dragon must prove to the board’s heavyweights that he truly can hack it as a homemaker. It will be the greatest test of this househusband’s skills yet!

Personal & Info

This series is always good for a laugh. Volume six is the last volume my household has, so it might be a bit until I gain access to more.

Characters

Tatsu and Miku are the primary characters for each volume.

Masa, Tatsu’s sworn brother from the yakuza, is a regular. He seems to have befriended Miku, which I think is cool.

The geek dude Tatsu encounters randomly makes more appearances in this volume. I bet he and Miku would get along great, but they haven’t met, yet.

Story & Thoughts

While I’m giving this a three and a half, which is along the same lines I’ve been rating the other volumes of the series, I think this one is one of the better volumes. I like the events that occur in the chapters. While they aren’t insanely hilarious, they are more overall amusing.

Tatsu takes on more responsibilities. He tries to help a struggling housewife friend of Miku’s. The women’s association tries him as a male applicant, which leads to learning more skills. And let’s not forget dog sitting an adorable pooch.

The yakuza jokes are played up big in the first chapter. They heavily imply prostitution, but obviously that’s not what he means. We all know this by now, but his demeanor and appearance always make people in the story misunderstand.

I still think the chapters with Miku are some of the best. This volume finally hints a tiny bit at how Miku and Tatsu met. I hope we get the full story eventually.

I haven’t been reading these consecutively, but I think my favorites so far are volume one and volume six. It might be a while before I’m able to read seven and onward, since I don’t yet have access to them. They will be read and reviewed eventually, though.

Wait Till Helen Comes

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Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
Genres: Ghosts, Horror
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-547-02864-4
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their younger stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she’s made Molly and Michael’s life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that’s not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can’t get any worse.
But they do – when Helen comes.

Personal & Info

I found this, and a few other short spooky stories cheap. It’s October, so I figure it’s a good time to read them. I actually bought this twice by mistake, because I forgot I grabbed it already, and the store had a second copy. Not a big deal, they were about a dollar a piece.

Characters

Molly is the main character. Everyone seems to invalidate her all the time.

Michael, Molly’s brother, seems to only care about science and logic.

Heather is the step-sister. She’s seven, and her mother died in a fire when she was three.

Dave is the step-dad, and apparently believes everything Heather says.

Jean is the mom. She seems more reasonable than Dave.

Story & Thoughts

This is a good book, but I will not be keeping it for my collection. Heather ruins the whole thing for me. She is so insufferable, no amount of warm hearted happy endings in the world can make up for it.

Throughout the entire book, Heather is a bratty nuisance. She lies ALL the time. Her dad is wrapped around her finger and believes anything she says. Jean gives her way too much leeway, but at least she believes Molly and Michael sometimes. Overall, the parenting in this book is horrendous. I think most of the problems could be avoided if the parents put in more time and effort.

It does have some good going for it. It has some traditional ghost story aspects. There’s a detective segment where the kids go to the library to learn about the ghost, and they talk to a few people about strange occurrences. The story itself is enjoyable if you can tolerate Heather as an insufferable character.

There’s a map at the front of the book that shows the property. I wasn’t expecting that, but it’s kind of nice to have. However, I noticed the map shows four bedrooms. If the parents share a room, that leaves three for the kids, so why do the girls need to share? That doesn’t make sense to me.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 5

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol 5 by Kousuke Oono
Series Name: The Way of the House Husband
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2177-1
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Tatsu is ambushed by a yakuza with a beef, and there’s only one way to settle things – an epic rap battle! But this throwdown is only a warm-up for the buffet battle yet to come, because when you’re the Immortal Dragon, you don’t choose the househusband life, it chooses you!

Personal & Info

This series is always good for a chuckle. I think it’s wise to spread them out a little. The humor probably doesn’t hold up as well if you try to binge it, or maybe that’s just me.

Characters

Tatsu and Miku are the primary characters for each volume.

Masa, Tatsu’s sworn brother from the yakuza, is a regular.

A bunch of the retired yakuza characters from other volumes appear in this one

Story & Thoughts

The humor for this volume seems to tone down all the white powder jokes. They don’t come up as often. The jokes are more situational and related to the actions a person takes. The yakuza innuendo speech is still all over the place. I think that’s a permanent fixture because it comes from their background. At least it’s not blown out of proportion so much this time.

We learn where Miku gets her cooking skills from. She gets it from her dad. I don’t know how her mother can stand both of them in the kitchen at the same time. Tatsu certainly can’t stand the sight.

There’s a chapter about a costume contest. It seems like everyone wants second prize, which is a year supply of rice. Unfortunately the chapter does not say who wins second. They only say who wins first place.

I think this is the first time we really see Tatsu without his sunglasses. His face is shown a lot in this volume. He looks younger and more handsome without his glasses.

My favorite chapter in this book is probably the first one. Tatsu doesn’t know how to relax and Masa tries to help. The chapter at the bar is pretty good, too.

The Haunting

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The Haunting by Lindsey Duga
Genres: Ghosts, Horror
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-338-50651-8
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Emily’s dreams are finally coming true: The kind and wealthy Thorntons want to adopt her and whisk her away to a new life at Blackthorn Manor

At first, life is wonderful. But as Emily explores the grand estate, strange things start happening all around her. It’s almost as if someone-or something-wants her gone.

Now it’s up to Emily to untangle a dark family secret hiding in her new home-before the life of her dreams becomes a real nightmare!

Personal & Info

I’m looking to expand my collection of children’s books. I found this and a few other short spooky stories super cheap. It’s October, so I figure it’s a good time to read them.

Characters

Emily, the main character is a twelve year old orphan. Her prospects for the future are grim as she looks forward to going to a work house when she’s old enough.

Archie is Emily’s dog. She raised him since he was a small puppy.

Mr. and Mrs. Thornton are the nice couple who adopt Emily.

Miss Greer is the cook and housekeeper of the Thornton home, which is called Blackthorn.

Kat is a not so nice friend of Emily’s. She reminds her much of a mean girl at the orphanage.

Story & Thoughts

The story starts off grim. Emily is an orphan at an orphanage. She has no hopes of being adopted because she’s older and nobody considers her pretty. Supposedly everyone wants the little blond blue-eyed girls.

As the synopsis says, she finally gets adopted. She hit the jackpot. It’s possibly her last chance at being adopted, and the family is nice, and well off. They even let her keep her dog friend.

Things are strange right off the bat upon arriving at her new home. Emily sees creepy things she’s not sure are actually there. The house, while massive and beautiful, is unkempt.

The story progresses day to day with strange occurrences giving the reader time to speculate. It’s easy to figure it out before Emily. The title and book description practically spell it out for you, as well as some things that people let slip early on. I was only off on one detail, but all my other guesses were spot on.

I never know what to expect when I read horror, because I don’t read the genre often. This one has common haunting tropes. It’s relatively mellow with slice of life and creepy bits thrown in for the first three quarters. it doesn’t want to reveal anything too quickly. There’s a punch in the “feels” in the conclusion that I was not expecting. I anticipated the plot, but not the emotional value of the portrayal.

Honestly, I’m surprised I like it as much as I do. It’s a simple, but effective, short, ghost story. This author apparently writes a small variety of spooky stories. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get more, but if I see them around I’ll probably grab them.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Series Name: Extraordinary Voyages/Captain Nemo
Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi 
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Rand McNally & Company
Edition: Hardcover (Windermere Readers)
ISBN: NA
Rating: 1.5/5
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Description

In one of the earliest sci-fi novels, Professor Aronnax and two friends are swept away on a deep sea adventure on board the Nautilus. They receive a tour of the ocean’s depths filled with fish and rare sights.

Personal & Info

I generally have no interest in classic novels. I’m only reading this because it is recommended before Rick Riordan’s Daughter of the Deep. Although, based on his writing style, I assume you can probably read Daughter of the Deep without reading this.

I got this from the library since I likely have no interest in buying a copy. This particular copy appears to be very old. There is no dust jacket or cover art. No synopsis anywhere on or in the book, either, and I can’t locate an ISBN of any kind. I’m not sure they even used those at the time this particular edition was printed. I filled out my usual information to the best of my ability, threw together my own synopsis, and the store links will lead to more modern copies.

This book is technically part of a series, but from what I hear, you can read it as a stand alone novel and be perfectly fine. The Captain Nemo series is a trilogy, which is part of a larger series called Extraordinary Voyages. I have no plans at this time to delve into the trilogy nor the extended series.

Characters

M. Pierre Aronnax, professor from the museum of Paris. Based on the writing style, the book appears to be his journal.

Counseil, the assistant to Aronnax. He is approximately ten years younger than his mentor, which the book states puts him at about thirty. Counseil is a calm individual and rarely ever leaves his master’s side.

Ned Land is a meat obsessed Canadian harpooner. The book never lets you forget he is Canadian. He is constantly referred to as the Canadian.

Captain Nemo, commander of the Nautilus submarine, and a recluse from the land world.

Story & Thoughts

Right off the bat, I do not recommend this book. I can see how it would be appealing around the original publish date, but it does not appeal to modern day. It’s probable that maybe people interested in geography, ocean travel, or marine biology, MIGHT enjoy it. As just a book to pick up and read, though, I doubt most people would find it interesting.

A majority of the book is fish descriptions. These descriptions often use the latin and/or scientific names. Most of the time, I find these hard to follow, because I’m not familiar with the terms for marine life, and I’m certainly not going to look them up every time I don’t know something when a book has so many. The same goes for the locations.

The locations in which they travel, and the routes they take, all use nautical terms. They are constantly using compass directions as well as longitude and latitude. I don’t have the effort to bother using a map to follow the story. I can see how it might be cool to follow along by pinpointing locations on a map, though. It could give a visual representation of where and how far they travel.

Speaking of story, there is little to none. If you cut out all the technical things regarding the functions of things, the geographical travel, and descriptions of the fish, you would be left with a rather short novella instead of this five hundred page novel. Granted, the tiny bit of story is at least a little interesting. That’s the only reason I rate this a one and a half, instead of just a solid one.

Again, I do not recommend this book. I got several headaches from reading it. I only read the whole thing because I was determined to. Normally I would have abandoned it at fifty or one hundred pages at most. It took me a long time to read compared to normal because of how boring and technical it is. Unless you specifically enjoy the types of technical this book is, don’t bother.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 4

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 4 by Kousuke Oono
Series Name: The Way of the House Husband
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1767-5
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

On what begins as just another shopping trip, Tatsu has a run-in with a thief – of the feline persuasion! When the gangster-turned-homemaker gives chase, yakuza are quickly drawn into the fray, and chaos erupts in the streets of the shopping district. Even everyday errands can turn treacherous when you’re the Immortal Dragon!

Personal & Info

I wasn’t really feeling this one. I’m not sure if that speaks for the quality or my mood. It still got a smile out of me, though.

Characters

Tatsu and Miku are the primary characters for each volume.

Masa is a regular, but his parts are rather small.

Various other housewives make appearances at least once per volume.

Story & Thoughts

Masa wants so much to be like Tatsu, but he always fails spectacularly. It’s nice how supportive Tatsu is. The chapters with Masa are some of my favorites.

The chapters with Miku in them are always great. I like her interactions with Tatsu. She seems to find his eccentric qualities endearing. They also have great chemistry together, but not in a romantic way, since this series isn’t focused on that. The volleyball chapter is one of my favorites in this volume.

The white powder jokes are getting a little tired. Any food item that looks like a white powder of some sort is always referred to as white powder, by Tatsu, with the story intention of it sounding like drugs. I find it hard to believe the people he spends time with haven’t realized that yet. And how the heck is Miku supposed to know which white powder to buy for him if he refers to so many things as white powder?

I find it hard to believe a “Japanophile” can’t tell the difference between a type of dagger and a katana. I’m pretty sure the knife Tatsu uses is called a tanto. Also, who grills with charcoal INDOORS? That seems like an extremely stupid thing to do, for obvious reasons. Can’t the guy grill on his balcony instead?

There is no mention of the possible overarching plot I saw introduced in volume three. Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’ll just take longer to have any further implementation.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1

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My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1 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: 978-1-64609-146-1
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

All She wanted was a bit of happiness…

Considered night worthless for having failed to inherit the superhuman powers of the bloodlines into which she was born, Miyo Saimori lives her days unwanted and unloved.

Her stepmother and very own father have little time or affection for her, and Miyo must suffer being treated as a servant by her half sister who, unlike Miyo, is blessed with the unusual powers of their blood.

Ultimately seen as nothing more than a nuisance and a drain on the family wealth, Miyo is packed off to the Kudo house as a bridal candidate for its heir, Kiyoka Kudo.

Whispers abound about the Kudo clan, the most powerful in all the land, but will the allegedly cold and cruel ouse into which Miyo aims to marry prove much warmer than the family she left behind?

Personal & Info

This is a fairly new release. It came out the same day as The Apothecary Diaries volume 6. I’ve seen it around a bit since the release, so when I saw it at my local bookstore, I decided to look into it.

This is apparently the manga version of the series, because there is also a light novel series. However, they are both extremely new to the English translation right now, so I don’t think it matters which one I start first. I think the light novel has a little more out than the manga does, but the manga was right there, so I wouldn’t have to order it.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the main character. She experiences abuse from her own family, and is sent to court a man everyone considers cruel. Nobody expects her to stay long.

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, so many families try to arrange a marriage anyway. Most end in failure within a three day time period.

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.

Kanoko is Miyo’s step mother. She is a mean woman who resents Miyo. Her name does not come up in the volume, as far as I can remember, but it does in the short story at the end of the book.

Kaya is Miyo’s younger half sister. She receives everything Miyo does not.

Koji Tatsuishi is Miyo’s childhood friend, and the only person who is ever kind to her while she lives at home.

Shinichi Saimori is Miyo’s father. He cares not a whit for Miyo.

Sumi Usuba is Miyo’s mother. With this being a Cinderella inspired story, she is not around. We only see her in flashbacks.

Story & Thoughts

Halfway through the first chapter and this story already pulls on my heart strings. I was not expecting this to be this good. The cover doesn’t stand out to me, and the synopsis sounds mediocre, but dang. I’m going to have to keep reading the series.

The tone of the story comes off as rather serious. Miyo is a woman with a broken spirit. She’s sent to the Kudo household fully expecting to either be sent away or die there. She doesn’t even care which result occurs because either of them would be preferable to going back home, which she can’t do anyway.

There is some intrigue going on in the background, because it turns out the paranormal ability from the Usuba bloodline is special. There are people who want it. Even if Miyo herself does not have it, there’s still a good chance it could pass to her children. You know, because that’s how genetics work.

I don’t want to say too much, because I don’t want to detract from the experience of reading the book yourself. Just know that I am very interested in seeing where the story goes from here. I want to know what becomes of Miyo’s life under Kudo’s roof.

Combs and Memories

This is a short story in the back of the book. It’s about seven pages long. Miyo reminisces about a servant’s kindness regarding a comb. This is a novel style story, and if the light novel is anything like this, I’ll probably like that, too. I will likely get that version of this series eventually.