Tag: Fantasy

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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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.

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.

His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1

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His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1 by Saiko Wadori, Mika Kajiyama
Series Name: His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai, Romance 
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-63858-407-0
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

For Takatsuki Sakura, a trip to the library turns into a fantastical journey. She has been swept away to a grandiose castle ruled by a gorgeous demon king. Magic and wonder covers every room. Taking it in, Sakura can hardly breathe…because of all the dust and dirt. A curse has prevented this kingdom from cleaning. Only Sakura and her housekeeping knowhow can scrub away this dark magic and grime!

Personal & Info

Not going to lie, I grabbed this because the cover looks nice and the description mentions the word library.

Housekeepers and maids are always popular in manga. I don’t think I’ve actually tried any series with them in the title, though. I did see a couple episodes of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, and I like that. I’ll probably try reading or watching more of that eventually. Anyway, my point is, this is my first real try(maybe specifically with manga) at anything with maid or housekeeper in the title.

Characters

Sakura, is the main character. She’s an enthusiastic neat freak, because her mother traumatized her as a child.

His Majesty the Demon King, I don’t believe we get a name in this volume. We’re going to have to wait and see about that. He’s so pretty.

Milia is a cat demon with shapeshifting abilities. She’s the girl with purple hair on the cover.

Lehaye is the chamberlain to the King. He takes advantage of any profitable opportunity.

Sadeen is His Majesty’s personal guard. He’s mostly good at doing strong man things.

Ruval is a minstrel, and self-invited guest in the palace.

Story & Thoughts

Isekai are a dime a dozen these days, so I’m always a little wary when trying them. This one is surprisingly good. I give it a three and a half out of five. Three and a half usually means above average enough that it stands out to me and I want to continue the series. It seems like it can only get better from here. Several plot hooks are thrown in toward the end of the volume.

The kingdom this takes place in is heavily reliant on magic. Nobody knows how to do anything without it. This is why Sakura is their only hope for cleanliness.

This series is interesting because it has cleaning tutorials thrown in. Legit tutorials, like using salt to clean iron, and the use of baking soda as a cleaning agent. It even talks about alkaline solutions. You could probably legitimately learn some cleaning tips from reading this.

The King is not exactly what one would expect in a standard isekai. He’s literally just living in luxury, and has no plans to cause any chaos. There’s no evil army for a hero to fight against. He’s not even a villain. I think the atypical cast adds to the charm of the story. The whole thing is unexpectedly wholesome.

The afterward describes the series as a rom-com, and I do agree with that. There are funny moments scattered around, and the story doesn’t seem super serious. Nothing blatantly romantic happens in this volume, but there are definitely hints of romance to come. I’m interested in seeing what happens.

Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)

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Lover at Last by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41880-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has found and identity as a brutal fighter in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another…

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: It seems Qhuinn has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young. It’s hard for Blay to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. And Qhuinn needs to come to terms with some dark things before he can move forward….

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions, but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn learns the true meaning of courage, and two hearts meant to be together finally become one.

Personal & Info

As with Lover Mine, this is a volume I was looking forward to reading. Lover mine was a smidge disappointing though, definitely not as good as I thought it would be. I think Qhuinn’s book is done better. Both have long buildups over several volumes, but I just think this one is all around better in comparison.

I have to give props for putting an M-M story in the middle of an M-F erotic romance series. And not pulling any punches at that. No scenes have any censoring in comparison to the content we see in all the other volumes. I imagine this volume might make some angry if they are not expecting it, or have an extreme disinterest in M-M romance.

Regarding crossover parts with the BDB and Fallen Angels series, there is a mention in this volume. Back in a different book, when Assail makes his first appearance, the description of his home gives pause to wonder, but it is confirmed now. He lives in the house Vin DiPietro builds in volume one, Covet. He gets a mention in this book.

Characters

Qhuinn is essentially the main character for this volume.

Blay is important, because this is his and Qhuinn’s book, but he doesn’t get nearly as much screen time.

Layla gets a lot of attention, because of her arrangement with Qhuinn.

As minor characters for the volume, there are Tez and Assail. I don’t really care about the parts pertaining to Tez. I’m sure that will amount to something later, but in this book, all I care about is the romance. I don’t care about the Assail parts, either, at least not until the later parts. They seem irrelevant early on, and get more interesting toward the end.

Story & Thoughts

Upon finishing Lover Reborn, Qhuinn seems to have a strong resolve to make a move with Blay. That got me excited to read this volume. Fast forward to starting the book, and I find it surprising Qhuinn seems to have lost that motivation, and is instead rather unchanged from the previous book. This, I think, throws off the pacing.

I also think that Blay, as the love interest, has less screen time than the love interests usually get in the series. Things focus primarily on Qhuinn, and what goes on in his mind, and his life. He’s the one experiencing all the big changes, good and bad.

I both love and hate this volume, though. So many of the problems between Qhuinn and Blay could be easily resolved if they would just talk to each other honestly. Blay makes so many assumptions about Qhuinn’s life and doesn’t believe him when he tells the truth. And Blay chooses to live behind a lie of omission, which just makes things harder for Qhuinn, because he’s trying to respect something that doesn’t exist. So frustrating, but dang this is a good volume.

Aside from the primary couple of the book, I’m constantly drawn to the Layla x Xcor parts of the story. It’s like a variation of Romeo and Juliet, minus the suicide. I’m curious to see what happens. If they’ll ever be together, or if their relationship will end in tragedy. It’s already pretty tragic. They are unlucky to be drawn to each other.

Notable Issues

Why does Payne have to “recharge” but V doesn’t?

When Blay needs to feed, I swear his conversation with Qhuinn says he will do it alone, but when it actually happens Qhuinn goes with anyway. Did I misinterpret? Is this a mistake? Blay acts like he agreed to share all along, but that isn’t the context I see in that section.

Trigger Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of trigger warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Yagi the Bookshop Goat

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Yagi the Bookshop Goat by Fumi Furukawa
Genres: BL, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: 18+
Publisher: Tokyopop
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4278-6889-3
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Yagi is a rare sort of goat – one who loves reading books just as much as eating them! With his special talent to taste feelings contained upon paper, he’s always dreamed of becoming a bookseller. Unfortunately paper-munching goats aren’t exactly welcome in bookstores, even in a wonderful world where all different animals live in peaceful coexistence.

Eventually, Yagi is able to persuade Ookami, the strict wolf manager, into giving him a job at his bookshop… but can a goat surrounded by books resist his natural instincts? And what about the instincts of the a wolf, who’s been charmed by a sweet and tender goat?

Personal & Info

I hear Tokyopop is releasing some good yaoi/BL stuff, and this is a stand alone manga, so I figure it’s a good one to try.  I have The Cat Proposed for the same reason, and I have to say, neither of them are disappointing. Two out of two fairly current Tokyopop BL manga, and I like them both. I’ll have to look into getting more.

Characters

Yagi, obviously, the goat.

Ookami, the wolf, and store manager.

Chita, a cheetah girl who appears to be one of Yagi’s best friends. She works at the bookshop.

Shimafukurou, a Blakiston’s fish owl, and an employee at the bookshop.

Kuma-sensei, an author of children’s books. He stops at the shop frequently.

I adore the character designs in this book. Everyone is so cute. My only disappointment is, I don’t think we ever get to see Chita’s tail, even though she is frequently shown.

Story & Thoughts

The story starts off rather quick. It’s fast paced throughout, but it’s a stand alone story, so that’s to be expected.

The story itself is simple, and I think it progresses seemingly unnaturally fast, or unrealistically in some ways. Basically, it’s the type of story where neither knows how the other feels, so they both decide to do nothing until they know more, but their secret love of the other makes them do things normal friends or coworkers wouldn’t normally do.

There’s nothing surprising about the story, either. There’s a backstory involving Yagi and Ookami, but it’s so blatantly obvious to the reader that there is no mystery. Even Ookami knows, so it seems Yagi is the only one truly in the dark about anything. If I were rating on story alone, the score would likely be lower. However, I think it deserves a four out of five, because it’s so darn cute and funny.

I was smiling and giggling the whole way. The character designs, facial expressions, and their interactions are all amazing. The occasional chibi style parts are great, too. The image on the back cover is a good example. I’d love a bookmark or something with that on it.

There are two erotic scenes in the book. This manga does have censoring, though. Instead of the black bars or blurring, it uses the bright light method. You know, the kind where they place a ball of light at the tip or covering the whole thing. There are some panels where it looks like Yagi doesn’t even have a penis.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 4 (LN)

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Spice & Wolf, Vol. 4 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: 978-0-7595-3108-6
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Continuing their journey north, Lawrence and Holo stop in the village of Tereo in hopes of finding a local abbey where they might uncover more information regarding the fate of Holo’s ancient home, Yoitsu. Soon after their arrival, though, the companions are caught up in a local dispute between Tereo and the neighboring town of Enberch that could cost Lawrence and Holo both their fortunes and their lives! With the Wisewolf’s help, can Lawrence devise a way to save an entire town from ruin – and his skin and that of his traveling companion in the process?

Personal & Info

I think this is the first volume to dip in rating, which is pretty good, if you ask me. One through three are solid fours, and any series is bound to have a dip eventually. Honestly, I expected a dip much sooner.

Characters

The book starts approximately six days after the events of volume three. Lawrence and Holo seem to be getting along better than ever. They have a more solid and trusting relationship than before the catastrophic events involving Amati. However, at this point, they seem to be hyperaware of other couples. I think the implication of Holo and Lawrence liking each other, or looking like a couple to outsiders, is getting more emphasis.

Story & Thoughts

I don’t think the story for this one is quite as strong as the others. It isn’t nearly as much of a nail-biter, because it’s made clear Lawrence and Holo are truly in no danger, unlike every volume, so far. It’s actually extremely disappointing how quickly the option to flee comes to mind.

This volume deals more heavily with the status of religion while in the village of Tereo. The religious aspects of the story are more of a background thing until now. The affairs of a church and the desire to protect the village are a main theme of the story, probably not how you would think, though.

It’s unfortunate how foolish the villagers of Tereo are. They seem like a hive mind of distrust, except for a small number. They seem to be living on ignorant luck until Lawrence and Holo come to visit. I find it surprising a village that small would even have any secrets. Shouldn’t the whole village know everything about everything involving what goes on?

I always hear gossip spreads like wildfire in places like that, yet nobody seems to know anything about the Father Franz deal except the village elder Sem and Elsa. The deal gets high praise in the story, but when you think about it, it actually seems flimsy. It’s no wonder this problem occurs so shortly after the arbitrator dies.

I know what a miller is, but I guess I never thought they would be distrusted. It makes sense when you look at it from a more primitive and less educated perspective, though. I doubt the villagers in this book have much of an education. They seem rather superstitious and paranoid. I hope Evan’s life gets better.

Notable Issues

I see in this volume, they overlook the details about Holo’s ability to transform. The first few volumes make it clear she needs to either ingest wheat, or fresh blood, to trigger the change, or have enough energy for it, or something along those lines. She seems to change form without any of that in this one. It never says she eats any wheat to do it, nor does she bite anyone for blood. I’m not sure why it’s different here.

Calluna (Spell Library #4)

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Calluna by Jewels Arthur
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Elves, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086GFHRZJ
Rating: 3/5
Amazon

Description

Calluna doesn’t buy into all the love junk she sees all over town. She’d rather spend her time working at her pet store Beastie Besties, where she’s recently been curing a slew of cursed animals. She’s determined to find the culprit and put a stop to the curses. Her goals do not change when she suddenly finds herself with multiple fated mates, and dark secrets come to light.

Personal & Info

I’m going to be honest. I don’t remember some of the serious story parts. However, I do remember most of the romance, which I think is the most important part of each book in this series. It’s been about a year since I read this, and this was the last one I read. So if I read more and review them, it’ll be from here on out.

Characters

Calluna is the main character. She’s something called a changeling. I’m not completely clear on all the lore for that, but I think in this case it means she was swapped with another baby.

Lars is Calluna’s friend, whom works with her at her pet store, where they treat cursed animals.

Landyn, I think he’s a griffin, and he works at a night club or bar, if I remember correctly.

Rhett and Damian, they are themselves a couple. Rhett is a fennec fox shifter, and Damian is a meerkat shifter.

Elias, I believe he is an angel.

Story & Thoughts

As usual for this series, I like the characters. They are always well defined and full of personality.

There are more lore dumps in this volume for how the world works. Rules about magic, some species laws, stuff like that. It makes the series feel more fleshed out. I love that stuff.

The writing style is a little different than previous volumes. This one rotates through all of Calluna’s mates at least once to help flesh things out. It gives a better idea of how the mate bond feels to each of them, and what their lives are like behind the scenes. It works well with the lore dumps to make them feel more natural.

At this point, four books into the series, I think it’s safe to say you never really know what you’re getting into. Violet and Lupine seem tame, and Juniper and Calluna are very sexual. Be ready for either possibility when digging into this series.

This one is a step up from Lupine, but not as good as Violet or Juniper.

I’m a little confused why Vampires are out and about during the day with nothing to say they were using any sort of covering like Bert does, which is specifically mentioned in the first book. There are two instances in here where different vampires are visiting somewhere outside their home in what appeared to be daylight hours, but nothing is specified about window coverings or what they are wearing to protect them from the sun. It seems odd.

I’m sad they never the epilogue never says what the men get for their tattoos, only Calluna.

Lupine (Spell Library #3)

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Lupine by Hanleigh Bradley
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Wolves
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN:  B086BKF1ZN
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon

Description

Lupine, a wolf shifter, and an orphan herself, runs the Silver Springs Orphanage. She’s never felt like she truly belonged. Always overworked and stressed, she’s always busy taking care of the twenty unique children of the orphanage. None of them are human.

When the mafia comes to town and moves in across the street, will Lupine find a home and connection with the wolves?

Personal & Info

First of all, there is a disclaimer at the start of the book saying the author usually writes in British English, but is writing in US English for this particular series, and it asks readers to be patient with the occasional British slip. That’s all fine and good. I don’t mind that. However, with this knowledge, I became aware of how many slips there were. There were a lot. I think this book needed someone with US English as their first language to proof it. It would have been fine on its own, but as part of a series, it felt jarring.

I don’t have good notes for this one, so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say. I’ll do my best anyway.

Characters

Lupine, the main character, is a wolf shifter in charge of running the Silver Springs orphanage. I think she has one employee/helper, but I can’t remember their name. I don’t think they are important for the purposes of the review.

Wren, Rehan, Camden, and Kalen are all the love interests. They are wolf shifter mafia dudes who move in across the street.

Story & Thoughts

I like the story and the characters.

I don’t think this is good as Juniper or Violet. It doesn’t seem like there is much actually going on. The problems in the other books come across as more dire. This one is more slice of life with minor inconvenience.

The confrontation toward the end is resolved quickly. It’s obvious there is more to Lupine’s story, because the main issue isn’t even addressed in this book. It doesn’t occur here, which makes the story feel lacking. To try explaining it better, I feel like finishing this one only feels like reading half a book. I believe there’s another Lupine book in this series later on that deals with the part that isn’t addressed in this one.

I’m actually surprised about the love interests. When I hear mafia, I don’t think of guys like these. They seem more like yakuza than mafia. Is there a difference? I think there’s a difference.

I find it amusing all five of them piled into Lupine’s bed. I’m not sure how comfortable that would be, but I bet it’s cramped. It just goes to show how close wolves like to be to their mates.

Juniper (Spell Library #2)

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Juniper by Eva Delaney
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Fantasy, Ghosts, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Pirates, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086HG2WRC
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon

Description

Juniper is in hiding from some allies turned enemies for taking some things that weren’t hers. When she decides to use some dark magic for a night of fun with her three favorite toys, things go awry. The toys become dildo shifters! The three being: a shy vampire, an 18th century pirate, and Shakespeare himself.

The spell only lasts until morning, so Juniper promises to show them a good time. But can she really stand to let them go? If she wants a real chance at a future with them, she must come out of hiding and confront her problems.

Personal & Info

Violet is good, so I am continuing the series. If you also read Violet, I do not recommend using that as an expectation for this book. Violet is cute and funny, and generally appropriate. This book goes in a completely different, erotic, direction.

Some of these have paperback copies available, but not all of them. I can only find Amazon links for them, so that’s all I’m listing.

I don’t have good notes for this one, so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say. I’ll do my best anyway.

Characters

Juniper, the main character, is a dark witch. She’s hiding from people in plain sight by not using dark magic, because apparently people can track that. She’s a thriving business woman in the sex toy industry. Her products are magically enhanced for all kinds of shenanigans.

Oscar, I believe he is the bookish vampire. He is my favorite in this volume. I resonate with him and want him for myself.

Sam is the pirate. I think he hogs most of Juniper’s attention.

Shakes is literally Shakespeare. I think they function under the logic he doesn’t LOOK like Shakespeare because he looks younger than the commonly seen pictures or something like that.

Alyssa, I think she is Juniper’s best friend, if I am remembering right.

Story & Thoughts

I actually think the first third of the book is difficult to read, because it seems like it’s trying too hard. By this I mean, throwing in as many sexual jokes and phrases as possible, to the point where they don’t make sense, or sound strange. Some of the humor is lost because of this. After the first third, the story finds its pace and gets better.

This book has more action in it than Violet. There are magic duels, for example. I think an entire street gets messed up because of one.

I can’t remember the finer details about the story events toward the end with the island and the other witches and warlocks or whatever you want to call them. What I do remember is the book is very erotic, like, maybe eighty percent erotic, and twenty percent actual deep story. I’m making up these numbers.

There are elaborate sex scenes scattered about. Three ways, guy on guy, almost anything you can think for them to do, they do. It’s not shy either, you might as well be reading a full blown erotica.

It’s incredibly obvious Juniper’s favorite guy is the pirate. They have the best chemistry of the three, and their personalities seem to compliment each other in a gravitational way.

Violet (Spell Library #1)

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Violet by Mia Harlan
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086HXCNHT
Rating: 4.5/5
Amazon

Description

Violet is a young chameleon shifter on the run. She’s spent the past year posing as her 80-year-old best friend in Silver Springs. No one can ever find out who she is or what she looks like or she might end up dead. Not even her three fated mates: a bear shifter, a vampire mage, and a troll cop. But that might be out of her control.

Personal & Info

I see a lot of ebook ads on social media. That’s where I found this one. The description was so out there and funny on its own that I added it to my wish list. I scroll through my wish list regularly for sales, and this one was free one day, so I grabbed it. I’m glad I did, too, because this book is glorious!

I am unable to find any hardcopies or listings on other major sites, so I’ve only listed the link to the Amazon kindle version.

It’s been a while since I read this, but I like to read this series every so often as a pallet cleanser when I need a break. At this point, I’ve read four of them (in the past two years), so I’d like to get reviews up for them so I won’t be missing any when I get around to reading more of them.

All of these books CAN be read as stand alone novels, but they do connect a little. The characters appear in other books, and the main connector is a novel that gets passed to each main character.

Characters

Violet, the main character, is a chameleon shifter. She impersonates her best friend to work at the library. Violet is in a bit of trouble, so nobody can know who she really is.

Violet, Violet’s best friend (yes there are two Violets), is a skunk shifter. Other Violet impersonates this Violet at work.

Liam is troll police officer. I don’t mean the jokester kind, he is a literal troll. He’s related to one of the old ladies that frequents the library.

Bert is Liam’s partner. He’s a vampire who chooses to work the day shift.

Cash is a wealthy vampire. His name is rather fitting when you think about it. I think he invented this world’s version of social media, if I remember right.

Nole is a bear shifter. He works at the library with Violet. I believe he has two brothers, but I probably won’t be mentioning them.

Story & Thoughts

This book has me laughing and giggling most of the way. The first half is hilarious

The story occurs within the span of only a few days. Day one, Violet is practically bombarded by men. I won’t say how, because that would spoil the comedy.

My favorite is Cash. I like his sense of humor the most, and he seems like the sweetest, in my opinion. No details on how or why, because I don’t want to spoil anything.

The story is not purely comedy, though. It gets serious in the second half, but the events practically fly by, so it doesn’t feel like the book itself is serious.

Both Violets get a happy ending, which is great. It’s not really a surprise though, because as a romance, a happily ever after is standard. I am a little surprised at the ending old lady Violet gets, though. That part caught me off guard, but good for her.

The general setting of the story intrigues me, but I have to wonder what humans see if they can’t see all the paranormal stuff.

I’m tempted to give Violet a perfect score, because, as a comedy, the rating system is a little different. I laughed a lot, which is good, but I feel like there is something missing from the serious section. I love this book. It’s a great break from the more serious fantasy I often read.