Book Haul - Fantastic Fictions

Book Haul April 2024

May 5, 2024May 5, 2024 fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

About

I didn’t plan on buying anything for a book haul in April, but put me in front of discount books and it’s hard for me to walk away with nothing. These four books are all from a fairly local store in pre-owned condition. All of the books are also by the same author. She has multiple pen names. The most popular of which are Amanda Quick, Jayne Ann Krentz, and Jayne Castle. Each name represents a different time period of past, present, or future for the setting of the book.

Burning Cove, Vol. 1 by Amanda Quick

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is volume one of a series called Burning Cove. The series has a total of seven volumes, with the last book released in 2023. I’ve seen this book around, but could only find hardcover copies, and therefore didn’t buy it. I know most readers prefer hardcovers, but space gets eaten up fast if everything is hardcover. I was glad to find this in paperback. My shelves are currently overpacked as it is.

March 30, 2024March 30, 2024 fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

About

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

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

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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

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

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

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

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

What is it?

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

Book Haul September 2023-February 2024

March 1, 2024March 1, 2024 fantasticfictionsblog

About

I haven’t bought many novels over the last few months, so this post covers everything since this past September. One book is from September. After that, I didn’t get another novel until January. I figured it’d be easier to just list everything since September all together in one post.

The majority of these novels are gifts to myself, because I have a February birthday and wanted to treat myself. A friend and I went bargain book shopping, so most of these are pre-owned or discount books. Most of the paperbacks are the pre-owned ones.

I’m actually very pleased with this haul. I found several books by one of my favorite authors for cheaper than if I had ordered them somewhere. Only three books in the entire haul were online orders.

Miscellaneous

The Official Fablehaven Cookbook by Brandon Mull & Cherie Mull

I mostly got this as part of my Fablehaven collection. The recipes in it actually look pretty child friendly and delicious. I’m looking forward to trying some. There’s also a short story inside called The Missing Brownies. Brownies, as in the mythical creature, not the food. I’ll probably read that at some point during my Fablehaven reread.

What is it?

A cookbook featuring recipes for dishes mentioned in the Fablehaven series or inspired by the series.

Novels

What is it?

A stand alone, probably a mystery romance as usual for this particular author.

Michael Vey: The Final Spark by Richard Paul Evans

This is volume seven of the Michael Vey series. I already read it a few years ago. It was the final volume of the series, or so I thought. It turns out they released a couple more volumes since then to continue things. Initially, I read them all from the library, or library related resources. But, I liked the series, so I figured for a reread I’d just purchase them for myself.

This is a book well into the Arcane Society and Harmony series, and I mean WELL into them. The universe for this series is long running. I started reading these books long before I even considered making a blog. Because of that, I don’t plan on posting any reviews for them until I circle back around for a reread some day.

I did already read this book. It’s the only book I got back in September. For anyone disappointed that I don’t have a review for it, I’ll at least share a rating here. It’s a three out of five, so I liked it. It was a good comfort read when I couldn’t decide what to read.

What is it?

A paranormal romance mystery that takes place on a colonized alien planet with humans who have psychic abilities.

Terciel & Elinor by Garth Nix

I haven’t touched the Abhorsen series in a while, so I don’t exactly remember where this one goes chronologically. I’m pretty sure it’s a prequel volume about Sabriel’s parents. It’s the newest volume in the series, unless I missed something. I didn’t get it immediately upon release, so I haven’t been watching the series for updates very closely.

Eventually, I’ll reread the Abhorsen series and post reviews for it. Whenever that is, is when I’ll get around to reading this. Until then, I leave you with a strong recommendation for the series in general. It’s good.

What is it?

An adventure fantasy with magic.

Manga Haul October – November 2023

December 4, 2023December 4, 2023 fantasticfictionsblog

About

I didn’t have enough books in October to bother doing a haul at the end of the month, so this haul combines the manga from both October and November. All of these books are in new condition. Two of the manga are Amazon purchases. The rest are from a local store. I prefer to buy locally if I’m able.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10

I highly recommend this series. It’s become one of my favorites. I keep up with the series pretty closely, so reviews of most, if not all, of the volumes can be found in the index section. Volume eleven is scheduled for release in March of 2024.

There is an anime out now. I’m not sure how accurate to the manga it is, because I have not yet seen it. It’s on my list of things to watch.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3 & 4

I’m building up a buffer for this series to hopefully read it for fall of 2024. My first exposure to the series was the anime. I’ve only seen the first season, but I absolutely loved it. I hear the manga is a little bit different, but I expect to enjoy it just as much.

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 & 4

Volumes one and two already have reviews available.

I’m excited to read more of this series. The first two volumes are great. These two catch me up to current release. Five was supposed to be out this past October, but I think it got delayed. I think it’s slated to be released this coming January of 2024.

There is also a light novel version of the series, which I plan on getting eventually. I think that has more volumes out than the manga, so it is probably a bit farther into the story.

I haven’t seen the anime, yet, but I’m excited about it.

What is it?

A Cinderella inspired historical romance with paranormal aspects.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 8 (volumes 22-24)

I love the anime for this, but unfortunately it’s one of the many that were never finished. The manga is apparently supposed to be darker than the show, but better. I’m looking forward to reading this series. It’s just a matter of figuring out when. I’ll probably start it on a whim one of the days when I’m not sure what to read.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Light Novel & Manga Haul September 2023

September 30, 2023September 30, 2023 fantasticfictionsblog

About

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

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

Light Novels

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 10

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

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

What is it?

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

Manga

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2

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

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1

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

What is it?

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

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

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

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

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Spy x Family, Vol. 5

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

What is it?

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

Book Haul July 2023

July 31, 2023July 31, 2023 fantasticfictionsblog

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

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.

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.

Book Haul June 2023

June 30, 2023June 30, 2023 fantasticfictionsblog

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.

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.

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.

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.

May 31, 2023May 31, 2023 fantasticfictionsblog

About

About

Most of the books in this haul are the first volumes to series of which I already have some other books. Obviously I can’t exactly start reading a series without the first volume. All of these are pre-owned purchases through Amazon.

And I Darken by Kiersten White

This is volume one of a trilogy. I already have books two and three, because the series was on my list and I found them cheap at the discount store. Obviously I couldn’t start the series without this first book, though.

What is it?

A fantasy romance of some sort? I’m not sure. I just know it’s on my list, because it interested me at some point.

East by Edith Pattou

I’ve heard good things about this book. The bargain overstock store had the sequel for cheap, so I grabbed that a while ago just in case I end up liking it. I still needed a copy of this one before I could read it.

What is it?

Supposedly a retelling of something called East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and involves a girl leaving home with a polar bear to go to a castle.

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 fantasticfictionsblog

This one is a stand alone novel. I don’t really know anything about it. It’s one I grabbed a bit randomly.

What is it?

Sounds like a Rumpelstiltskin-like mystery adventure thing.