Category: Reviews

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 2

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 2 by Hiromu Arakawa
Series Name: Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Genres: Action, Adventure, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-222-2
Rating: 5/5
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Description from the Book

Ancient Daemons awaken to fight a new battle in an age-old war!!!

Yuru’s quiet life comes to a sudden, bewildering end when his mountain home is attacked…by none other than his twin sister, Asa! Forced to assume the role of Daemon Wielder, Yuru manages to escape with the help of his new allies. But while they seek to keep him hidden, Yuru seeks answers, a search that puts him on a collision course with Asa and her mysterious coconspirators, the Kagemori clan…

Personal & Info

I bought this before I read volume one, and I’m glad I did, because I wanted more after finishing the first book. I’ll have to get more after this one. This is as far as my buffer goes for the series. I’ll try to get reviews up for more volumes whenever I manage to get more.

Characters

Yuru is the older male twin of the two main characters. He has great hunting skills and a helpful nature. This volume shows more insight into how much of a badass he is.

Asa is the younger female twin of the two main characters. She is Yuru’s younger sister, and she seems to adore her brother. A more cheery side of her personality is shown here instead of her ruthless assassin characteristics from the first book.

Ryuu Tadera, who goes by Dera, is a seer. This means he can see Daemons. He is half of the Higashi Village retainer pair, and he acts as supply runner and liaison. He often brings medicine and other helpful things to the isolated mountain village. Currently, he is posing as Yuru’s father.

Hana Danno is Dera’s partner, the other half of the Higashi Village retainer pair. She’s also a seer, but she’s never been to the village. When Dera goes up to the village, she usually waits somewhere outside as his transportation. She’s currently masquerading as Yuru’s step mother.

Gabby seems to be a good friend of Asa’s, but she doesn’t like Yuru after the events of the first volume.

Jin Kagemori appears to be a high rank in some kind of family organization fighting against the village.

Haruo and Akio appear to be Jin’s right hand men, at least for this volume. Both of them have Daemon pairs.

Dr. Sakurazawa is a doctor at the Kagemori mansion. It’s unclear if they will be a significant character, but they are present throughout a large portion of the volume.

More Daemons than in the previous volume appear. All of the ones seen before are present, as well as a bunch of new ones. Most of them are likely one-off appearances, aside from the ones who are partners with newly significant characters.

Story & Thoughts

The fast, intense, start of volume one doesn’t lose any ground as this one continues right where it leaves off. Yuru rushes into danger to find answers to his questions regarding his family. There’s no shortage of action.

In volume one, Yuru’s hunting skills are shown to be top notch. Now, we get to see how lethal he really is. He is skilled in more than just the bow that we’ve already seen him use. He’s a nightmare in the dark, and the demonstration of his talents paints him as a real badass. Asa basically has a super power, yes, but I think the sheer skill in what Yuru does with mundane simple weapons is way cooler.

As the story progresses we get a little better of an understanding about what’s really going on. Not nearly enough, but it’s a start. I have a feeling any information involving the parents will be a long way off, but in the mean time, we’ll likely get to know Asa a bit better. She seems thrilled to have her brother close, even if they are complete strangers to each other.

I love seeing all the varieties of Daemons. Some look like they come from mythologies, while others are from straight up fairy tale or story book characters. I just really love this whole concept for how they work.

I think my favorite characters, so far, are Yuru and Gabby. Yuru, because he’s a badass in a way that ticks a lot of my boxes, and Gabby…Well, she’s just growing on me. She has Ed’s cranky face, and I love that, but she’s also super vicious. But I can tell she has a soft side, too. She seems like a good friend, and she really cares about her Daemons.

I’ll definitely be getting more volumes for this series, and I definitely recommend it.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1 by Hiromu Arakawa
Series Name: Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Genres: Action, Adventure, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-186-7
Rating: 5/5
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Description from the Book

Ancient Daemons awaken to fight a new battle in an age-old war!!

In a remote mountain village under the watchful eyes of two stone guardians, the young Yuru contentedly lives off the land while staying close to the only family he has left – Asa, his precious twin sister. Asa, meanwhile, carries out a mysterious “duty” on behalf of the village while locked in a cage. Why is Asa a prisoner? And what other secrets does Yuru’s otherwise idyllic home hide?

Personal & Info

I don’t have reviews of it on here, yet, but Fullmetal Alchemist is one of my all time favorite anime and manga. This series is fairly new by the same creator. That’s all I need to be willing to try it. I’m going into this with only the information from the back of volume one.

Characters

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

Asa is the younger female twin of the two main characters. She’s Yuru’s younger sister, and little is known about her from this volume alone. All we really know is that she is powerful and she might be on the wrong side of a conflict.

Ryuu Tadera, who goes by Dera, is a seer. This means he can see Daemons. He is half of the Higashi Village retainer pair, and he acts as supply runner and liaison. He often brings medicine and other helpful things to the isolated mountain village.

Hana Danno is Dera’s partner, the other half of the Higashi Village retainer pair. She’s also a seer, but she’s never been to the village. When Dera goes up to the village, she usually waits somewhere outside as his transportation.

Gabby appears to be a good friend of Asa’s. She apparently doesn’t mind pain, and her Daemons are a set of teeth.

Jin Kagemori appears to be a higher rank up in some kind of organization. His Daemons appear to be themed around angler fish.

Various Daemons are also characters. I don’t know which ones are important enough to list, nor do I want to spoil too much by describing them in any further detail. The most important are probably Left and Right. You’ll understand that more if you read the book.

Story & Thoughts

Going into this, I had no idea what to expect. The description is vague and even potentially sounds dull. I put my trust in Hiromu Arakawa in hopes it would be worth reading, and she did not let me down. The description only really covers the introduction portion of the book. Things quickly escalate and change from there. One second it’s a peaceful isolated village expressing to the reader how they struggle for resources and to find work, and the next, people are getting their throats slit or just entirely sliced in half.

The village is quickly left behind as Yuru is forced into the modern world. The story is serious, but makes time for funny moments. Yuru knows nothing of the world outside the village, so there are amusing interactions as he adjusts to culture shock. Everything he sees awes and amazes him. I wasn’t expecting the story to go into the modern world, but so far I don’t mind.

I love the concept of the Daemons and their bonds with people. It’s cool they come in pairs. No two sets are the same. And speaking of Gabby’s teeth, I never would have thought a disembodied set of teeth could be cute.

The series has a similar vibe to Fullmetal Alchemist in all the right ways. There’s action, supernatural aspects, adventure, bloody violent ruthlessness, and comic relief. I devoured this volume and loved every minute of it. It has a bit of a tense cliffhanger at the end, so I’m glad I already have volume two. This book is a nice strong start to a new series, and I really hope it stays good.

The Wolf Princess

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The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable
Genres: Adventure, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic/ Chicken House
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-52841-2
Rating: 1.5/5
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Description from the Book

Sophie always dreamed of winter…

…of sparkling snowflakes, silver birch forests, and air so crisp and cold it brought a blush to her cheeks. But Sophie’s days in London are filled with rain. Only the friendship of bookish Marianne and glamorous Delphine makes it better.

Then, as if by magic, the girls find themselves traveling deep into wintery Russia. Abruptly abandoned in a blinding blizzard, they fear for their lives. But just like in a fairy tale, a princess comes to their rescue: the beautiful, imperious Anna Volkonskaya, who brings them to a winter palace that was magnificent – once upon a time.

At first, Sophie is enchanted by Princess Anna’s tales of glittering gray diamonds and wild white wolves. But she soon grows concerned. What is her place in the sinister mystery that surrounds the place? Even as the wind and wolves howl outside, is Sophie in more danger now than she ever was lost in the snow?

Personal & Info

This is one of the many books I purchased at a large pre-owned book sale. There’s finally snow on the ground, so I thought it would make a good winter read. The book itself mentions a blizzard, so, fitting enough, right?

There is a small glossary of Russian words and expressions in the back of the book. I don’t think it’s necessary to reference it. The story tells you the meaning of pretty much all of the words that come up or gives enough context to figure them out.

I’m not very familiar with Russian words or names, so if I make any typos or misuse any words, I apologize.

Content Warnings

-Death. A person dies “on-screen” and one seemingly “off-screen.”

-Animal hunting/abuse. One or more animals gets hurt and there is a description of a cruel way to hunt for sport.

Characters

Sophie Smith is the main character. She is an orphan, and attends school at the New Bloomsbury College for Young Ladies in London. Her current guardian travels frequently, and tends to be stingy with her money, so Sophie’s clothes are old and full of holes.

Marianne is Sophie’s smart friend. She’s the type with good grades, scholarly interests, and logical thinking. It’s clear early on that she has no interest in trying to look more feminine.

Delphine is Sophie’s fashionable friend. She loves clothes, grooming, and meeting important people. She can also be a bit selfish at times, if the situation involves any of those three things.

Princess Anna Feodorovna Volkonskaya is the sole survivor of her family lineage. She has an alluringly charming quality about her that makes people want to be around her and make her happy.

Ivan Ivanovich is a former military man who works for the princess. He is grateful to her, because she took him in when he had nowhere else to go.

Dmitri and Masha are siblings whose family works for the Volkonsky family. Their family has been loyal to the Volkonskys for generations.

Story & Thoughts

This book feels like it starts slow. It’s only 309 pages, so when I say slow, I mean it feels like nothing significant is happening until about halfway through. The entire first half of the book is introducing the characters, their lifestyles, their personalities, and setting up the plot. The gist of that being that the girls are going on a school trip to Russia.

Some unusual events happen to the girls after arriving in Russia. The description covers most of it, but it had been months since I read the description, so I was going into it blind. The series of events after arriving in Russia were just barely intriguing enough to keep me reading. I picked up the book three times, and the only reason I actually finished it was because it’s so short that I was close to the end, anyway.

The girls meet the princess halfway through, and that’s where the real meat of the story starts. Unfortunately, I still didn’t find it very interesting after that, either. I wasn’t invested in the story, just mildly curious about the end result. I was hoping for something more paranormal, like one of the characters turning out to be a shifter, but that didn’t happen.

In regards to the mystery, it’s simple. It’s probably a little more quizzical for people of the intended age group. I’m not the intended age group, so the answer was obvious to me. So obvious, in fact, that I can’t help thinking that Sophie is a little dense. She’s clueless for basically the entire book, and most of her thoughts and actions are based on some instinctual reaction.

This is not something I would recommend to anyone, nor is it something I think I would read again. It’s so mediocre to me that I’m surprised I even finished it. I really didn’t think I would.

The Lightning Thief

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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Series Name: Percy Jackson and the Olympians/ Camp Half-Blood Chronicles
Volume Number: 1/1
Genres: Adventure, Contemporary, Fantasy, Mythology
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-078685629-9
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school…again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed in his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Personal & Info

This is a reread review. I think I first read this back in 2018. I wanted to read it again to have a fresh memory to see what the differences are between the book and the new Disney+ series adaptation. The first episode of the series already aired by the time I got around to finishing, and I think I’ve already seen episode four by the time I’m typing this. My thoughts on the show will not be included in this review. I’ll be focusing on the book.

As far as the rating goes, I think it’s about the same as it was for my first read. It’s a solid three or possibly three and a half or somewhere between.

I love that this series has ADHD and Dyslexia representation. That’s not something I commonly see in books. Another series that has some good fantasy representation of a disorder is Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans. I don’t have any reviews for that series on here, yet, but I do plan to reread it eventually, since it has more volumes now. The Micheal Vey series has a main character with Tourette Syndrome, and it focuses on kids that have electric powers. I definitely recommend it.

Characters

Percy (Perseus) Jackson is the twelve year old lead character. He’s a demigod son of Poseidon. Anyone who has heard of the series already knows that, and it’s revealed early on in the story, so it’s not a spoiler. His parentage makes him a big deal, because he’s a child of one of the “big three” Greek gods.

Grover Underwood is Percy’s best friend, and the comic relief throughout the book. He’s the food obsessed character. He’s also prone to anxiety, and often bleats like a goat, because he’s a satyr.

Sally Jackson is Percy’s mom. She’s lived a rather unfortunate life, but her dream is to be a novelist.

Gabe Ugliano is Sally’s husband and Percy’s step father. Percy’s nickname for him is Smelly Gabe, and the pun of his last name speaks for itself as to what kind of person he is.

Annabeth Chase is around twelve, just like Percy. She’s the demigod daughter of Athena, and she has five beads on her camp necklace, which means she’s been there for five years. Her relationship with her human family is a bit tenuous and complicated. Annabeth is the smart character.

Mr. D, the camp director, is the god Dionysus. He runs the camp as a punishment, and he’s not great with kids.

Chiron, as in the centaur of Greek myth, is one of the people who runs camp half-blood. He helps train the demigods and gives them guidance.

Luke Castellan is nineteen, and a son of Hermes. He’s also the best swordsman at camp, and leader of the Hermes cabin. Annabeth has a blatantly obvious crush on him, but he thinks of her as a little sister.

Clarisse La Rue is a demigod daughter of Ares. She’s not terribly important in this book, but she plays a bigger role in some of the other volumes. She mostly plays the role of camp bully in the early parts of the story.

Of course, various Greek gods, demigods, and monsters also make appearances in the story or get significant mentions.

Story & Thoughts

Upon first reading this book, there are a few strong thoughts. Those primarily being, I don’t like Annabeth, and the children having to carry on the grudges of their parents is ridiculous. Now, for the reread, I can’t actually remember why I disliked Annabeth so much right away.

My memory says I consider her a bully, but she doesn’t actually do anything significantly mean in this book. There’s a little bit of name calling, but it doesn’t seem as mean spirited to me as I remember. I still think the kids carrying on parental grudges is silly, though. Annabeth, of all people, should certainly see it that way, because she’s supposed to be the smart one. If she were truly wise, she wouldn’t buy into all that.

One of the great things about this book is you don’t have to know anything about Greek mythology to read it. Any time something relevant comes up, like a god or a monster, they tell you the story. For example, Medusa makes an appearance at some point. They explain the most important parts of her story so you know who she is and why she is how she is. It’s like you get mini lessons while reading an enjoyable story.

The writing is all around great. The flow of the words makes the book feel like a comfort read. All of the descriptions are relatable and easy to understand, which makes forming a mental picture simple. Whether it’s monsters, places, or character descriptions, they’re all well done.

I also like the foreshadowing. Using the Oracle to give an extremely vague layout of the plot structure is pretty clever. The reader and the heroes both get a chance to figure out the meaning as the story progresses. The chapter titles are also wonderful. They give you insight into what happens in each chapter without spoiling anything, but they’re also silly enough to garner interest.

One more important good thing about it. The story has a serious plot, but the adventure has a lot of laughs. The kids don’t stop acting like kids just because things are serious.

The book is generally good, but as much as I praise it, it’s not perfect. It does feel like it drags in some areas, and Annabeth having a crush on the cool older boy is such a stereotype. Nothing bogs the story down too much, though. It’s well worth the read.

Deception

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Deception by Amanda Quick
Genres: Historical, Mystery, Regency, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Bantam
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-553-56506-0
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Once Olympia Wingfield had been free to devote all her time to her true passion: the study of ancient legends and long-lost treasure. But now, with three hellion nephews to raise, the absentminded beauty has very little time for research. Which makes it seem all the more serendipitous when a handsome stranger strides into Olympia’s library unannounced and proceeds to set her world to rights…

Tall and dark, with long, windswept black hair, Jared Chillhurst is the embodiment of Olympia’s most exotic dreams…a daring pirate, masquerading in teacher’s garb, whose plundering kisses and traveler’s tales quickly win her heart. Yet all too soon innocent Olympia will discover that the enigmatic and wickedly sensual Mr. Chillhurst is no lowly tutor but a future earl with a wealth of secrets – the kind that will lead them both on a perilous quest for a hidden fortune and a love worth more than gold.

Personal & Info

I found this book in pre-owned condition very cheap. I buy and read pretty much any Krentz/Quick/Castle novels I can find. They have a consistent story formula, and for some reason I always find the stories and writing style to be my comfort reads. Whenever I don’t know what to read or what I’m in the mood for, I grab a book by this/these author(s) and it always helps.

This is an older novel from the early to mid 90’s, so it’s going to be more common to find used copies, but it looks like Amazon and Barnes & Noble have reprints for newer copies.

Characters

Artemis Wingfield is Olympia Wingfield’s uncle. He is an older man with preference for fine manners, like dressing up for dinner and proper etiquette.

Jared Ryder, Viscount Chillhurst, is the thirty-four year old male lead of the story. He has an eyepatch and prefers to dress more like a pirate than follow any fashion fads. His family owns the Flamecrest fleet, and his father is the Earl of Flamecrest. Jared is the oddball in his family, because all his relatives are eccentrically proud of their buccaneer heritage, but Jared himself has a preference for schedules and economics.

Olympia Wingfield is the twenty-five year old female lead. She was raised and educated by her two eccentric aunts, only one of which was a blood relative. Olympia has a fascination of foreign lands and their cultures. Due to her interests, she is a member of the Society for Travel and Exploration.

Magnus Ryder, the Earl of Flamecrest, is Jared’s father. He is more like a pirate than what you would expect of an Earl.

Thaddeus Ryder is Jared’s uncle and Magnus’ brother. He is also a pirate type.

Mrs. Bird is Olympia’s housekeeper. She worked for Olympia’s aunts before her, and she is a strongly opinionated woman.

Ethan and Hugh are Olympia’s eight year old twin nephews.

Robert is Olympia’s ten year old nephew. He is the most civilized of the three nephews that Olympia is raising.

Demetria Seaton is Jared’s beautiful ex-fiancee. She now goes by Lady Beaumont after marrying a wealthy man.

Felix Hartwell is Jared’s man of business. He takes care of all business related affairs for Jared in London, and Jared considers him to be a good friend and very much like himself.

Gifford Seaton is Demetria’s brother. He is emotional and tends to have a hot temper, but cares deeply for what little family he has.

Constance Kirkdale is a good friend of Demetria’s. She is described as Demetria’s opposite in every physical way, but still pretty.

There are a significant number of other characters with names in the book, but these ones make up the starting families and the people important to them. Whether or not the culprit for the mystery is someone else or one of these, I will not say one way or the other.

Story & Thoughts

The prologue sets up the entire premise. Artemis Wingfield hires Jared Ryder to escort goods, one of which is a diary significant to the story, to his niece in Upper Tudway in Dorset. Artemis has a loose tongue, because he spills a ton of information that no cautious person would ever bother sharing. He practically gives Olympia’s entire life story to a man he hardly knows. Not only that, but he provides enough information to make it known that she can’t seem to hold down a tutor for her nephews, which is just what Jared needs to be able to insert himself into her household later.

Despite the lack of caution, it does do a good job setting things up. Both leads get an introduction in a way that explains their personalities and interests. It also provides the motive for Jared to go meet Olympia in the first place, while setting up the story point about the diary in the process.

I actually really like Jared’s character concept and presentation. He is born and raised a buccaneer, but prefers to be a skilled businessman with a schedule and personal set of rules. It basically makes him a businessman with a unique set of skills, because he is trained in the pirate-like skillset, even though he prefers not to have to use any of them. On top of that, he knows when to make use of them, and when to take the benefit from people’s assumptions regarding his appearance.

The story takes the instant attraction angle. Jared and Olympia both fall for each other from the moment they meet, but neither says anything about it for a long time. The only thing that prolongs it is respect for propriety and reputation. If they both would just be open about it from the beginning, it would be an entirely different kind of book. Honestly, I find stories where lack of communication is the only thing holding it back to be a bit frustrating.

The subject of marriage comes up about halfway through the book. It’s an interesting twist the way it happens. But at the same time, if you don’t know how Olympia feels, it comes off as entrapment. I was not satisfied with how the characters navigated this part of the story.

This is probably a good time to say Olympia’s character bothers me a bit. Her interests are fine, and most of her personality is fine, but there are little things. She is absent minded, like to the point she neglects to say the things that matter at the actual time when they matter. This tends to cause unnecessary emotional turmoil. But, what bothers me more is relevant to her interests. She could be taken aback or surprised by something, but as soon as she hears it’s a foreign custom somewhere she immediately changes her mind about it and is gung-ho about doing or trying whatever it is. She doesn’t even require any proof. In my opinion, this makes her far too gullible.

All in all, I like the book well enough. It’s a good comfort read to get me back on track after a small hiatus. The story is good enough to be interesting, but not amazing. I figured out the culprit almost immediately, so the mystery part is not difficult. The best parts are the character interactions, despite how frustrating some of them might be due to lack of communication. I’ll likely hold onto this one.

Surprisingly, this book aged well. I think the terminology it uses for describing characters has come full circle in a way that makes it mostly correct according to modern standards.

Time of the Witches

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Time of the Witches by Anna Myers
Genres: Historical
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-22863-3
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

An orphan named Drucilla finally has a place to call home with the Putnam family in Salem. Although her adopted mother is strange – haunted by a troubled past – Dru feels drawn to her as the mother she never had. When a new reverend and his family move into town with their servant, Tituba, life takes a strange turn as young girls begin to fall ill and accusations of witchcraft begin to swirl. Reluctant to turn her back on the Putnams or her peers and overwhelmed by the power of groupthink among the other girls in town, Dru becomes one of the accusers herself. But when her best friend, Gabe, is accused, she must find a way to end the hysteria, or risk losing him forever.

Personal & Info

I got this as something to try for a spooky season read. It’s a stand alone historical fiction story. The story itself is fiction, because Dru and Gabe were created for the book, but apparently many of the characters are based on real people. There’s an author’s note in the back that explains a little about the real life events, and shows a listing of who died and how. So, while I didn’t know going into it, this book is actually a fictional retelling of actual Salem witch trial deaths.

This post is two months late, but I did indeed read it in October.

Content Warnings

-Death. There are many deaths in the book, including adults and infants.

-Slavery. The new minister has two.

-Abuse. Slaves and housekeepers are not treated well. Drucilla also suffers obvious mental abuse at the hands of her new mother.

Characters

Drucilla Overbey, who mostly goes by Dru, is the main character. The story covers her life from birth until about fifteen or sixteen. She can play the lute and she’s good at putting plans into action or taking action when necessary.

Gabriel Matson is Dru’s best friend. He’s practically her twin brother, because they share a birthday and grew up together raised by all of the same parents. Gabe is book smart and logical. He tends to be a voice of reason for Dru, but he doesn’t always understand the emotional perspective.

Mrs. Ann Putnam is the wife and mother in the family that takes in Dru. She is obviously mentally unwell, but can occasionally be kind. Her personality toward Dru is a good example of a toxic relationship.

Mr. Thomas Putnam is the husband and father in the family that takes in Dru. He seems to stay out of most drama and spends his time outside working. He seems like a kind man, but his flaw is that he does whatever his wife wants, even if he disagrees with her.

Ann Putnam is the eldest daughter in the family that takes in Dru. She’s about three years younger than Dru and takes after her mother in many ways.

Thomas Junior and Elizabeth are the youngest children in the Putnam house. Elizabeth is the youngest, and for a time, the apple of her mother’s eye. Both of them bond strongly with Dru, because she spends significant time babysitting and tutoring them.

Rose is the housekeeper at Thomas Putnam’s house. She hates them, but she must tolerate Mrs. Putnam’s abuse and all around unpleasantness, because she is working off a debt. Rose is probably the closest thing to a friend Dru has in the house.

There are a ton of other characters in the book, but I think the most important ones are the two primaries and Thomas’ branch of the Putnam family. We don’t see much of the family that takes in Gabe. Other characters, while they might be significant, don’t actually appear much. The majority of the story occurs in the house in which Dru lives.

Story & Thoughts

The first chunk of the book takes time to get the reader familiar with Dru and Gabe. It covers the events of their birth, their childhoods, and all the tragedies that occur around them as they are left behind by everyone they know and love. This section is important, because it shows how close Gabe and Dru are, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. They are different and opposites in many ways, but throughout out their childhood, they are the only constant in each other’s lives.

At age twelve, the two of them are separated for the first time since they were born. Gabe is sent to live with Mary Putnam, and Dru to live with Thomas Putnam’s family. These are two branches of the same family, and they are in a feud. This is where the story truly starts.

The story is slow. It never feels like much of anything is happening. I think the only reason I managed to read the whole book is because it does such a thorough job introducing Dru and Gabe.

There are no actual witches in the story. Instead, it covers the hysteria of what the time of the witch trials was probably like. Dru, against her own wishes, is pulled into the series of events that lead to everything spinning out of control. Everything is out of hand before she realizes what’s happening. The whole thing is a psychological nightmare revolving around the power of suggestion.

It’s clear at one point that the accusers don’t even care if they are correct, because they know they benefit from making the accusations. They claim they are accusing people on behalf of their religion, but there is just blatantly a time when someone says it’s basically an inconvenient time to accuse a person, so maybe that person can be a witch next year. It’s unclear if they fully realize what exactly they are doing, but it seems like they must know.

Overall, it’s an okay book. I likely won’t read it again, and it certainly was not what I was expecting. I was hoping for a book that actually included real magic in it. If Dru or somebody else turned out to actually be or become a witch, that would have made it far more interesting to me.

Marked

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Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Series Name: House of Night
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-312-36026-9
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

ENTER THE DARK, MAGICAL WORLD OF THE HOUSE OF NIGHT, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change – and not all those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny – with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Personal & Info

I’m going into this without reading any descriptions. I’ve heard so many people praise the series. When I found a few volumes cheaply at my local store, I made sure to grab them. All I know going into it is that it has something to do with vampires.

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

Content Warnings

-Teen deaths

-Insensitive language (This book is from 2007 so characters throw around words like “retarded” due to that being the type of language used at the time the book was written.)

-Sexual themes (The story mentions things like blowjobs and erotic dancing.)

-Bullying (The gay character experiences bullying, and the mean girl character bullies everybody.)

Characters

Zoey Redbird, original last name Montgomery, is the sixteen year old main character. Her heritage is Cherokee on her mother’s side through her grandmother, Sylvia Redbird. She has an older sister and a younger brother, and she doesn’t like either of them.

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

Erin Bates is a pretty blonde girl from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her best friend is her roommate Shaunee, because they are extremely similar in personality and share a shoe size.

Shaunee Cole is Erin’s roommate from Connecticut. They are so similar in personality and interests that they call each other “Twin.”

Damien Maslin is the guy friend in the group. He’s from Dallas, Texas, has a sophisticated vocabulary, and faces bullying due to being gay.

Aphrodite is the mean girl of the story. She’s the “it girl.” She’s blonde, pretty, gifted, and prone to inappropriate behavior. Her three friend followers are Pemphredo, Enyo, and Deino. The main friend group refers to these four people as the “hags from hell.”

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

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

There are many more characters with names: Zoey’s friends and family from before, various teachers and other students, cats, etc.

Story & Thoughts

The story takes place in Oklahoma. Zoey attends school at Broken Arrow South Intermediate High School, but quickly ends up having to transfer to the House of Night finishing school in Tulsa. The book starts off with her getting marked as a fledgling vampyre, and vampyre fledglings can’t survive on their own.

Based on what I gather from her friends and family in the beginning, becoming a fledgling is the best thing that could have possibly happened to Zoey. Her family no longer feels like a family, so she’s unhappy at home, and her friends don’t seem like they are actually friends. Her best friend Kayla isn’t a very good friend, because she keeps important secrets from her. I’m not sure how much Zoey really likes her either, considering she calls Kayla’s speech “K-babble.” On top of that, Zoey’s almost boyfriend is the star athlete of the school, but he’s taken up drinking alcohol as if it were also a sport.

The friends Zoey makes at the House of Night seem way better than the people she previously surrounded herself with. Erin, Damien, Shaunee, and Stevie Rae already have a wonderful friendship. When Zoey gets to her new school and meets her roommate’s friend group, she experiences a warm welcome, and finds great friends in them. There’s a level of trust she has with this group that there’s no possible way she could have had with her previous friends.

I like this book. It’s really easy to get into and hooked me in the first few pages. The characters are well done. The way they speak and act feels more solidly real than a lot of other books. I was similar in age to the characters around the time this book was published, and I can tell effort was made to make it seem authentic. Granted, I did not speak the same way these teens do, but I am well aware that the “cool kids” did indeed speak in a similar manner to what is portrayed in this book. It’s a little annoying at first, because it means not everything is as grammatically correct as most books. But, once it gets going it feels natural.

Vampyre lore in this particular world is a little different than the usual. First and most obvious, their faces are marked with a crescent moon. Most adults have elaborate forehead decorations adorning the crescent. It’s easy to identify a vampyre on sight.

They don’t burn up in the sun. Sunlight is unpleasant to them, but it doesn’t kill them. They don’t have fangs. The change from human to vampyre is triggered by a special combination of genetics and hormones. And, the weirdest to me, they’re allied with cats. Most lore usually says cats hate the undead, but I guess these vampyres are not really undead, or at least it doesn’t seem like they are.

I also find it interesting most of the names and culture for vampyres involves Greek mythology. Many kids choose to have Greek names. Their Goddess is Nyx, and their sociology class talks about many of the roles vampyres play throughout history. The one that jumps at me the most is that the Amazons were all apparently vampyres. That one bothers me, because it mentions the disproven fact about them removing a breast.

This is a series I definitely intend to read more of. There are plenty of plot hooks to keep the draw. Something mysterious is going on at the school. Zoey’s uniqueness as a Cherokee fledgling is ongoing, and the book ends with a drop of more intrigue.

My only real problem with the story is so minor, it doesn’t even matter. I don’t keep up with celebrities, so I pretty much have no idea who any of the famous people are that the characters mention. A celebrity comparison is used to describe how Aphrodite looks, and I had to look up a picture to see who they were talking about. Aside from that, my only gripe is that the book wastes paper by always making chapters start on the right page. If a chapter ends on the right page, the back side of the paper is blank to make sure the chapter starts on the side they want.

This Dark Endeavor

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

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

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

Personal & Info

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

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

Content Warnings

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

-An animal dies in the story.

Characters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Various doctors and house servants also appear throughout the novel.

Story & Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beautiful Creatures

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

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

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

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

Personal & Info

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

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

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

Characters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story & Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 9 (LN)

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

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

Personal & Info

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

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

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

Characters

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

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

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

Story & Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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