Tag: Fantasy

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 4

fantasticfictionsblog

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 4 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: 978-1-64609-248-2
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Miyo Saimori, the eldest of her clan and yet unblessed by the supernatural talent that graced her father and half sister, is sent off to marry into the Gifted Kudo clan. The young and aloof clan leader, Kiyoka Kudo, finds himself intrigued by this girl who stands worlds apart from the spoiled, social-climbing women who usually vie for his hand.

All too soon, Kiyoka comes to regard Miyo with affection and they make their engagement real and official, but Miyo still worries she lacks the training to be a wife worthy of the Kudo clan. Enter Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki, who takes it upon herself to tutor Miyo – and tease Kiyoka along the way!

Suddenly Miyo and Kiyoka cross paths with a mysterious man named Arata Tsuruki. What does he want, and what connection does he have to the enigmatic and powerful Usuba clan that Miyo’s mother hailed from?

Personal & Info

I bought this at the same time as volume three, and I read them back to back. Unfortunately, there is no word of the existence of, or any plan for, volume five. I hope the manga continues, but in the mean time, I’m going to work on getting the light novels. The light novels seem to be still ongoing with new releases.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the leading lady. She has a long history of suffering abuse at the hands of her own family. Now that she’s out from under their roof, she can finally start to heal.

Kiyoka Kudo is the male love interest. He has high political and military standing as well as wealth, and he is the current head of the Kudo family. His job is getting very demanding.

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

Hazuki Kudo is Kiyoka Kudo’s older sister. We learn more about her history in this volume.

Yoshito Godo is a young man who works as Kiyoka’s aide in the grotesquery military branch. We see him frequently in this book as Kiyoka spends a lot of time at work.

Arata Tsuruki is 24 years old, and the heir to the Tsuruki family, which owns a trading company.

Story & Thoughts

This seems like a plot building volume. Miyo’s immediate family problems are behind her and no longer a threat to her health or wellbeing. The story is moving forward with Miyo’s education and dealing with her trauma.

Her biggest problem in this book is her nightmares. The cause is unclear, but they’re obviously related to her trauma. She’s not receiving scathing verbal abuse from her family anymore, so her mind is supplying it while she sleeps. While she’s struggling with that, Kiyoka spends most of the volume busy with work.

Some important and interesting things go on in this volume. I can’t say I’m satisfied with it, though. It’s good for the story progression, but I also feel like it’s a step backwards. Miyo’s health is deteriorating, again, and she hasn’t learned how to make her needs or struggles heard. She still has a long way to go when it comes to recovering from her family’s abuse.

The things I like most about the volume are that we learn more about what Hazuki’s life has been like, and Kiyoka finally makes some progress on research regarding the Usubas. There’s enough new information to draw me in for reading the next book when it eventually becomes available. It would be more interesting if we could see the side of Kiyoka’s job that isn’t just paperwork, but maybe that will come along later.

To Ease the Pain of Loneliness

This is a bonus novel style chapter. It stars Hazuki reminiscing with Miyo about the time when Kiyoka decided to leave home. She ponders what he needed from the house in which he currently lives, and what similar aspects she sees in Miyo that makes Kiyoka enjoy her company. It’s written with Hazuki’s perspective. I think it gives her a little more depth to add onto the little we’ve learned about her.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3

fantasticfictionsblog

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 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: 978-1-64609-156-0
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Though Miyo Saimori has found a place as Kiyoka Kudo‘s potential bride, the fact remains that she is untouched by thee supernatural power that defines both the Saimori and Kudo clans.

While Kiyoka seems willing to accept her as she is, Miyo is unsure and bewildered – she has never known such warmth in all her life…

Just as Miyo dares to believe she may have found happiness at last, her jealous half sister, Kaya, kidnaps her and locks her in a storehouse. Kaya’s eyes are red with rage as she declares her intention to dissolve Miyo and Kiyoka’s engagement and take Miyo’s place as his fiancée herself!

Will Kiyoka’s otherworldly abilities deliver her from Kaya’s clutches in time?

Personal & Info

I reread the first two volumes before reading this. It had been a while since I read them, and I was a bit late in getting volume three. I bought volumes three and four at the same time, so I’ll be caught up on the manga after reading both. Volume five is not yet out, even though it was rumored to release October of 2023.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the leading lady. She has a long history of suffering abuse at the hands of her own family. Now that she’s out from under their roof, she can finally start to heal.

Kiyoka Kudo is the male love interest. He has high political and military standing as well as wealth, and he is the current head of the Kudo family.

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

Kaya Saimori is Miyo’s younger half-sister. She received everything Miyo did not growing up, and has been conditioned to want to be better than Miyo at everything and always have better than her.

Koji Tatsuishi is Miyo’s childhood friend. He is engaged to Kaya as an arrangement to become the next head of the Saimori family since they don’t have any sons.

Hazuki Kudo is Kiyoka Kudo’s older sister.

Masashi Okaito is the forty-year-old Major General in charge of the Grotesquerie unit.

Story & Thoughts

The first chunk of the book finishes the events from volume two. It shows Miyo’s side of things while Kiyoka is breaking down the gate. She stands up for herself against her family’s wishes for the first time in her life. I’m so proud of Miyo for not surrendering when it matters most. She’s had a lot of growth in a short amount of time.

Miyo’s family is absolutely insane. They shouldn’t have set her up with Kiyoka Kudo in the first place if they were going to decide she wasn’t good enough for that kind of life. They probably expected him to immediately throw her out.

The rest of the volume is more relaxed. Miyo wants to continue her cancelled education from her childhood, so Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki, is arranged to be her tutor. She seems super nice, and interacting with her will likely be good for Miyo.

New events are set in motion as Kiyoka receives a serious job order involving dangerous ghosts, and some interestingly foreboding foreshadowing predictions about Miyo. Something has been happening with her while she sleeps, so I wonder if all of these things are connected.

With her family out of the way, I’m curious to see what will happen next. I don’t like this volume as much as the first two, but it seems like it’s a transitional volume, so that’s normal. Either way, it’s still pretty good, and I’m looking forward to reading more of the series.

Rain

This is another bonus short story chapter written like a light novel. It focuses on an unpleasant memory of Miyo’s as a dream. The point of it seems to be Miyo realizing she can finally let out the repressed emotions she’s hidden away for so long, while speculating about whether it ever would have made a difference if she’d bothered to cry before. I think it shows more of her growth from healing to finally be able to let herself feel all the things she’s been repressing. The hope that one day she might not think about any of those traumatic experiences at all is promising.

Crystal Keepers

fantasticfictionsblog

Crystal Keepers by Brandon Mull
Series Name: Five Kingdoms
Volume Number: 3
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9707-8
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Synopsis from the Book

Cole Randolph still can’t believe the way his life has turned inside out. Stuck in a strange land far from home, he has found his friend Dalton and has survived the first two kingdoms of the Outskirts, but none of that has prepared him for the magnetic highways and robotic bounty hunters of Zeropolis.

Ruled by Abram Trench, who stayed loyal to the evil High King, the government of Zeropolis uses advanced technologies to keep tight control. Luckily, the resistance in Zeropolis is anchored by the Crystal Keepers – a group of young rebels with unique weapons.

On the run from the High King’s secret police, Cole and Dalton hope to find more of their lost friends and help Mira locate her sister Constance. But time is running out for Cole to uncover the secrets behind the Zeropolitan government and unravel the mystery of who helped the High King steal his daughters’ powers.

Personal & Info

I found myself in great need of something fantasy that does not involve vampires or romance, so I circled back around to this series to scratch that itch. This book was just what I needed.

Content Warnings

Slavery is a big industry in the Outskirts. If you don’t like elements of slavery in your stories, this series is not for you.

Mira and her sisters have more years than they look, but not in a creepy way. They are children, and think of themselves as children, despite their number of years. Any crushes regarding these characters are not intended to be creepy. The idea is they are as old as they claim to be, because they have never been any other age. I can see how this might still upset some people, so just use your own discretion.

Characters

Cole Randolph is the main character. He’s in sixth grade, and shorter than most in his class. His weapon of choice is a jumping sword. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to use that at all in this book.

Jace was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s moody, arrogant, and rash, but has a good heart. His current hobby is pranking and bullying Dalton, likely as a form of hazing. His weapon of choice is a rope that he doesn’t get to use in this book.

Mira, also known as Miracle Pemberton, is an eleven year old girl who has been hiding from her father for decades. She is one of the High Shaper’s daughters, and did not age during the time her powers were missing.

Dalton is Cole’s best friend. He stresses easily and tends to be anxious. He can create seemings, but that ability does not work in Zeropolis.

Joe is a member of the resistance, also referred to as the Unseen. He’s originally from Monterey, California. We get a little more of his backstory in this volume.

Constance, or Costa, is the princess the group is trying to locate in Zeropolis.

Roulette is a Crystal Keeper. She’s the one we see most often.

Googol is one of the leaders of the Unseen in Zeropolis, and their chief tinker.

Nova is the leader of the Unseen in Zeropolis.

Blake Daniels is one of the kids abducted in Sky Raiders. He’s not exactly a friend to Cole, but Cole still cared enough to inquire about him. Blake has a one of a kind technomancer ability that makes him very useful.

The Hunter is a character who has been silently pursuing the group since they entered Elloweer in Rogue Knight. He’s been a background concern, until now.

Sidekick is an intelligent robot in the guise of an old cleaning bot.

As usual, there are plenty more characters that are not listed here, but these are the ones I feel are most important.

Story & Thoughts

The story picks up where the last leaves off, like usual. However, getting started, it feels slow in comparison. Things are happening and the group is going places, but it really just feels like a lot of nothing and running around. There’s a significant amount of trying to get from A to B, just to find out that B is a problem, which means going to C instead.

I think this is probably the weakest book in the series, so far. That doesn’t mean it’s not good, though. It’s just a little different. I’d describe it as a transitional volume. There’s a lot of information gathering, and heavy focus on Cole doing things alone.

Cole himself is the main focus of the whole book. The group is constantly splitting up, most often with Mira going a separate direction from all of her friends. Cole even goes on his own adventure, without anybody else. Some sections feel like we’re missing out on the interesting bits because we’re following Cole around, but other times it’s very important that he’s doing these things alone. Most of it is important plot building, despite the drag of some sections.

Zeropolis is pretty cool. It’s the high tech area of the Outskirts, and their shaping is basically technomancy. We get to see some cool exoskeleton action suits and various other high tech gizmos. There are some artificial intelligence supercomputers and robot characters. My favorite character in the whole book is actually one of the bots, Sidekick. Sidekick has a charming personality, and they play a huge part in the story, even though they are just a small bot.

I can’t help thinking that Abram Trench must not have been thinking when he helped create Roxie. What he did to make her seems like a very dumb idea. With the public history of Zeropolis being what it is, he should have known better.

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha

fantasticfictionsblog

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha by Dragongarow Lee
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0371-5
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

A Dragon Ball fan’s Greatest dream is getting to live in the Dragon Ball universe and fight alongside Goku and his friends! One particular fan thinks he’s living the dream when he suddenly dies and is reborn in the Dragon Ball world, but he’s in for a rude awakening when he realizes he’s been reincarnated as everyone’s favorite punching bag, Yamcha!

Personal & Info

I grew up watching Dragon Ball religiously and playing all of the games I could get my hands on. It had a huge impact on my life, but these days I’m not interested in anything made after the release of GT. This book was given to me as a gift, and it was the first time I was excited about anything Dragon Ball related in a long time.

I think this manga is more likely to be enjoyed by people already familiar with the Dragon Ball universe. It would be more difficult to follow story elements if the reader doesn’t know anything about the series or the original plot.

Characters

Yamcha is the main character, or in this case, an unnamed protagonist in the body of Yamcha. A Dragon Ball superfan, to be more specific.

Several characters appear throughout the book, but most of them only have brief appearances since the story focuses on Yamcha. If you’re familiar with Dragon Ball, just think of the gang from the Saiyan Saga, and that pretty much covers it.

Story & Thoughts

This was actually more serious than I was expecting. I thought it was going to be a hard core comedy, and I would have been okay with that. It’s not super funny, but it does have some laughs. The focus is more about Yamcha crushing on Bulma and using his fan knowledge of the series to try hard not to die in any of the events that would normally threaten his life.

Part of me was hoping that Yamcha would overcome Goku’s level of power and steal the show somehow, but realistically, that’s not possible for a human. Wishful thinking, I guess. I was a little worried when I heard Yamcha’s intentions, at first. Trunks is one of my favorite characters in the series. If Yamcha succeeded in what he wanted, then my favorite character would no longer exist. I don’t know if I would like a Dragon Ball world where Trunks was never born.

I never read the manga for Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z, but I get the feeling this uses the terms and names from that version. Some are spelled different than the TV versions or just completely different words (probably the Japanese ones).

Overall, I give this manga a soft three out of five. I like it enough to say that I enjoyed it. The story is so fast paced it covers Dragon Ball, the saiyan saga, AND the Cell saga, all in one tiny book. I think if it were longer, it could probably make a really good action drama romance series. That’s a spin on the series I would love to see. Regardless, the book is a fun and quick read that triggers all the right kinds of nostalgia. It almost makes me want to collect the manga for the parts of the Dragon Ball universe that I know I like.

The Lightning Thief

fantasticfictionsblog

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
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

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.

Marked

fantasticfictionsblog

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
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

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.

Beautiful Creatures

fantasticfictionsblog

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
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

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)

fantasticfictionsblog

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
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

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.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 8 (LN)

fantasticfictionsblog

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 8: Town of Strife I 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: 978-0-316-24546-3
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Hearing rumors of a “leg bone of the wolf” being used as an artifact of the Church to showcase its power, Lawrence and Holo head to the site to gather more information. Holo can’t just turn away from what might be a relic of her own kind, after all. Of course, upon arrival, the travelers find that the town is the center of a giant trade dispute! Seems that Col will be getting a lesson in microeconomics!

Personal & Info

Again, it’s been a while since the last volume. I keep intending to circle back around to things, but my reading schedule remains a mess.

Characters

Lawrence and Holo trust each other more in this volume than they seem to in most. Holo is left to her own devices with Col multiple times, with the only stipulation being not to let her drink too much. She even runs an errand for Lawrence on her own, which hardly ever happens. Unfortunately, she’s back to hitting Lawrence on occasion when she is displeased enough. Holo does a poor job of hiding her jealousy and anger during the parts of the story that include Eve.

Col enters the story in volume six. He’s at most thirteen, and smart for his age. His intention is to study church law, but first he needs a better understanding of how the world works. He learns various lessons from Lawrence and Holo every day, even if he doesn’t always understand what they mean. While he is a great help and meticulous in his tasks, Lawrence cannot in good conscience claim him as an apprentice.

Eve Bolan is the merchant woman they met in Lenos. Their dealings with her there were not entirely wholesome. Lawrence can’t help but admire her regardless, because her business skills and connections are top notch. Not to mention her pretty face and ability to perfectly control her facial features when making deals. The dealings with her in Kerube are likely not entirely wholesome, either.

Story & Thoughts

Volume seven is a deviation to side stories completely irrelevant to the main plot, so this one picks up where six leaves off. Lawrence and company arrive in Kerube. Priorities are a little different from the initial plans, though. When leaving Lenos, the idea was to catch up to Eve and get Lawrence’s money back. I think it’s pretty clear that was just a pretense for Lawrence and Holo to extend their time together, because now that they are there, they don’t care about the money. That intention is completely forgotten. Instead, they are looking into rumors about the leg bone of a wolf, potentially from one of Holo’s deceased friends.

As far as the story itself goes, this is part one of a two part series of events. Because of that, this volume is entirely the set up. The usual half to three quarters of the volume that normally sets up the problem or scheme is this entire book. It does make it feel a little slow, but the set up is interesting enough.

I have some issues. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been a while since I read something from the series, or if my brain was just tired. It could also be actual editing mistakes that cut necessary sentences from the story. I don’t really know.

What I do know is I had more of an issue than usual telling who was saying what, and there were unclear details that kept throwing me off. An example of the type of detail I’m referring to would be, at one point Lawrence orders himself an ale and has a conversation with Eve. Eve never orders her own drink, nor does the text say anywhere at all that she drinks from Lawrence’s cup. She thanks him for the ale after the conversation, adding to my confusion, and later it clearly states she shared his cup.

There are many parts of the book that caused me this kind of confusion. If I’m mistaken and the text is correct and I just missed something, I’m sorry, but I flipped back several times to check things and could not find mention of the wording that would have said so. To me, it felt as if the text was saying what happened after the fact and expecting nobody to notice.

Some of the writing in this volume is also redundant. In the first several pages, it’s like they can’t stop telling you about the fact Eve sunk a ship in the river. It’s so frequent it’s actually annoying. The other redundant things are smaller, so I don’t entirely remember which details they were stating.

The copper coins explanation didn’t make much sense to me. They didn’t explain that in much detail, because supposedly it’s super simple, but I don’t get it. I read the explanation multiple times and it didn’t help.

Overall, the book is fine. It’s just much slower, because it’s part one of a two parter. The issues I experienced dragged the rating down a bit. I admit I was tired when I read the majority of it, but I really don’t think I missed anything. I’ve read other volumes of this series while tired and didn’t have these kinds of problems.

Rogue Knight

fantasticfictionsblog

Rogue Knight by Brandon Mull
Series Name: Five Kingdoms
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9704-7
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Cole Randolph never meant to come to the Outskirts, but when his friends were kidnapped on Halloween he had to try to save them. Now he’s trapped in a world that lies between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death.

Cole’s hunt for his lost friends has led him to the kingdom of Elloweer. Accompanied by new friends Mira, Twitch, and Jace, Cole teams up with the resistance movement and joins the search for Mira’s sister Honor.

But Elloweer has grown unstable. A mysterious enemy is wiping out towns, leaving no witnesses or survivors. And an infamous rebel known throughout the kingdom as the Rogue Knight is upsetting the balance of power.

With enemies in pursuit, Cole and Mira must resort to a fascinating new kind of magic to protect themselves. Every move is filled with danger as Cole and his friends try to outwit the High King, who will stop at nothing to regain what he has lost.

Personal & Info

This is volume two of the Five Kingdoms series. Odds are, if you’re reading this, you already know that, because you’ve likely already read the first one. If not, I’m including a link you can use to check out my review for the first volume instead to avoid reading any spoilers in this one.

The gap between reading the first and second books is longer than I would have liked, but thankfully Rogue Knight includes some refreshers in the beginning.

Content Warnings

Slavery is a big industry in the Outskirts. If you don’t like elements of slavery in your stories, this series is not for you.

Mira and her sisters have more years than they look, but not in a creepy way. They are children, and think of themselves as children, despite their number of years. Any crushes regarding these characters are not intended to be creepy. The idea is they are as old as they claim to be, because they have never been any other age. I can see how this might still upset some people, so just use your own discretion.

Characters

Cole Randolph is the main character. He’s in sixth grade, and shorter than most in his class. At this point in the story, his weapon of choice is a jumping sword. Unfortunately, Sambrian items don’t work in Elloweer.

Jace was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s moody, arrogant, and rash, but has a good heart. He now likes scaring his friends as a hobby. At least he no longer teases in the same mean ways as before.

Mira, also known as Miracle Pemberton, is an eleven year old girl who has been hiding from her father for decades. She is one of the High Shaper’s daughters, and did not age during the time her powers were missing.

Twitch, whose real name is Ruben, was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s from Elloweer and has a cautious personality. In Elloweer, he has grasshopper legs, wings, and antennae, because he is a race called grinaldi. Outside of Elloweer, Twitch has to use a ring to access his grinaldi form and abilities.

Dalton is Cole’s best friend. He stresses easily and tends to be anxious. He can create seemings, so he studies in Elloweer.

Joe is a member of the resistance, also referred to as the unseen. He warns Mira about impending danger in the first book, and helps out significantly as one of the gang in this one.

Skye Ryland is a member of the resistance. She’s also a fugitive, and one of the best illusionists in Elloweer.

Honor, or Nori, is Mira’s second oldest sister. She prefers to keep her hair short, and shows great skill with swords and bows. As her name implies, she is an honorable and brave person.

There are more characters, but these are the significant ones worth mentioning that do not spoil anything.

Story & Thoughts

The first book takes place in Sambria, where the gifts they use are referred to as shaping. This one continues where that one leaves off, with the group traveling in an auto-coach. Our heroes are Elloweer-bound to rescue Mira’s sister Honor. New country, new way of shaping. Sambrian shaping does not work in Elloweer. Ellowine shapers are referred to as enchanters. They’re illusionists who make seemings, and have similarities to magicians.

Once the story gets going, it’s hard to put it down. There are so many twists and turns and interesting developments. It isn’t just defeat the monster and get the power back like the first one. There are multiple problems to deal with, and new information that will contribute to the story to come.

Some of the story puzzles are easy to guess the answer. One mystery is to figure out the Rogue Knight’s identity. I wrote down my theory as I was reading, and I got it right. Another mystery is a game Jace, Cole, and Mira must play. Based on the description, I immediately knew the correct answer. So, the mysteries are not difficult, but that’s fine.

I like this book more than the first one. Sky Raiders is good, but it has all the base world building to slow it down. This one moves much faster since that world building is already done. Instead, this volume only has to cover the lore pertinent to Elloweer and enchanters. There’s also far more action. The governing system of Elloweer relies on knights and sword fighting, so the adventure in this instance is more violent. People get hurt or die often. But, don’t worry, none of the descriptions are particularly gory. The book is for kids, after all.

I also love the idea of the confidence lounge. This series is fantastic for D&D inspiration. There are a lot of things in the story that can easily be applied to a D&D setting. As a nerd who’s just getting started on learning how to run a game, I’m always looking for more ideas, and I’m constantly amazed by the things I find in the Five Kingdoms.