Tag: Fantasy

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 1, Vol. 2 (LN)

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 1: Daughter of a Soldier, Vol. 2 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! (Light Novel)
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718356016
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

It has been a year since our hero was reborn into a new world in the body of Myne, a sickly little girl from a poor family. She’s been doing her best to fulfill her dream of making books, but her plans have been foiled at every turn.

But now Myne has a deal with Benno the merchant: With her friend Lutz’s help, she will make a paper prototype that he can sell in his shop. In exchange, he will take her and Lutz on as apprentices. But making the prototype is filled with its own challenges, and can she trust a conniving merchant like Benno? And the most important question is, does Myne have the deadly sickness known as “The Devouring”?

Personal & Info

I wanted to read this immediately after the first volume. It’s that good.

There is a mini-poster at the front of the book. The poster is not perforated, so I wouldn’t bother removing it. It’s big enough to fold out once, and has two sides. One side is the same picture as the cover, and the back is a cute picture of all the important characters pertaining to this volume.

Characters

Myne, previously Urano Motosu, is the main character. She is a twenty-two-year-old book nerd in the body of a young child. Myne suffers from poor health, and could rarely leave the house or do normal household chores. Her health is much better now, but she still gets sick far more often and easier than everyone else, and her physical strength is practically nonexistent.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. She is one year older than her, and is very responsible and capable for her age. Her current occupation is seamstress’s apprentice.

Effa is Myne and Tuuli’s mother. She dyes clothes for a career.

Gunther is Myne and Tuuli’s father. He works as a soldier who guards the South Gate.

Lutz is Myne’s friend. He is the same age as her, and he looks after her like she’s his little sister.

Otto is Gunther’s coworker. He handles all the important paperwork for the South Gate. Benno is his brother-in-law, because Otto married Benno’s sister, Corinna.

Benno is a wealthy merchant. He is Corinna’s older brother, and Otto’s brother-in-law.

Corinna is the matriarch of her family and Otto’s wife. She is a professional seamstress.

Freida is the granddaughter of the Merchant Guild’s Guildmaster. Her family is exceedingly wealthy, and she has a passion for money. She and her grandfather badly want to recruit Myne to work at their store.

Story & Thoughts

The prologue starts with Tuuli helping her mother make lunch, while Myne and Lutz are at their meeting with Otto and Benno. Chapter one starts with Myne and Lutz walking back from the meeting. There is absolutely no gap from when volume one ends to volume two beginning. I love when books just drop off and pick up in the same spot for the next volume.

Myne and Lutz have a good dynamic. Lutz is the only person in the whole city willing to spend his time looking after Myne almost every day. Her sickly condition is pretty serious, but their interactions make for some funny moments. It keeps things light enough that her illness doesn’t make the story gloomy, but whenever her condition worsens, there’s sufficient tension.

The money system finally gets an explanation. If I’m remembering correctly, there are seven different coins for currency: three different types of coppers, two types of silvers, and two types of golds. Their values have an explanation in the book, but it kind of lets you fill in the blank for the last three coins. There is a huge difference in some of the coin values. The smallest coin is worth ten, and the biggest coin, by their rule of adding a zero each increment, is worth 10,000,000. It’s pretty crazy to have a single coin worth that much.

I am in love with this series. It’s kind of funny that Myne is becoming a big bread winner for her household within a very short amount of time. What I like the most about this volume is that someone actually realized she’s not the “real” Myne. That interaction was so tense but so sweet. Again, I’m disappointed I don’t have the next volume right away. At the moment I’m typing this, it’s sold out everywhere.

Corinna’s Married Life

This is a bonus chapter in Corinna’s perspective. It covers her looking at the hairpins Myne provides to sell, and reflecting on her whirlwind romance with Otto. We heard a little about that from Otto before, but this chapter shows us a little more in depth, and from Corinna’s side of things, so we know what she was going through at the time.

Gossiping by the Well

The second bonus chapter is in Effa’s perspective. It takes place during a time when she’s doing laundry by the well with the other wives. She speculates about Myne’s change in behavior in the past year and compares her to Gunther. Apparently she considers Myne and Gunther to be similar.

A Court of Silver Flames

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A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
Series Name: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Volume Number: 4
Genres: Enemies to Lovers, Fae, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-63557-799-0
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Nesta Archeron has always been prickly—proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And since the war—since being made High Fae against her will—she’s struggled to forget the horrors she endured and find a place for herself within the strange and deadly Night Court.

The person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred, winged warrior who is there at Nesta’s every turn. But her temper isn’t the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and it only burns hotter as they are forced to work closely together.

As the threat of war casts its shadow over them once again, Nesta and Cassian must battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance—and healing—in each other’s arms.

Personal & Info

This book is in two perspectives instead of just one. It’s a change from the rest of the series. The only other book in the series like this is A Court of Frost and Starlight, which has several perspectives. Nesta is the main character for this book, but the love interest, Cassian, also has his perspective included.

The map at the front of this book is much prettier than the maps in the other books.

The friend who gifted me the ACOTAR box set was on this book when I started the series. They fell into a reading slump, and I somehow managed to pass them and finish the last book in the set before them. Now I’m the one waiting on them to be able to talk about it. The tables have turned.

Content Warnings

-Depression
-Suicidal thoughts
-Sexual Assault
-Grief
-Abuse

Characters

Feyre is the High Lady of the Night Court, and commonly known as Feyre Cursebreaker. She likes to paint, and she doesn’t actually do much in this book, even though she has been the main character in the series until now.

Elain is the middle child in her family. She likes to garden, and is generally considered the pretty sister. She’s become more assertive as her character has developed, but her love life still has a long way to go.

Nesta is the eldest sister in her family, and the main character of this book. She tends to have an unsavory personality, and likes to read.

Rhysand is High Lord of the Night Court, and Feyre’s mate. His special skill involves mind manipulation.

Cassian is Rhysand’s general. He’s the love interest for the book, which is to be expected since he and Nesta have always had a sort of tension.

Amren is Rhysand’s second in command. She was Nesta’s friend after the dip in the cauldron, but as of ACOFAS, that is no longer the case.

Azriel is Rhysand’s Shadowsinger/Spy, and fills military based roles along with Cassian.

Mor is Rhysand’s third in command. She handles affairs regarding the Court of Nightmares when Rhys and Feyre are not present. She also functions as an envoy to other Fae nations.

Eris is the heir to the Autumn Court. He has a sordid history with Mor, and is a tentative ally to the Night Court.

Gwyn is a priestess who lives in the library under the House of Wind. She likes to sing, and befriends Nesta.

Emerie is an Illyrian female with clipped wings introduced in ACOSAF who runs her own store in Illyria. She is also Nesta’s friend.

Several priestesses from the library are mentioned throughout the book, but Gwyn is the most important.

Vassa, Lucien, and Jurian are not terribly important in this book.

Story & Thoughts

Let me start by saying I have always liked Nesta. She’s a complicated person, with a lot of baggage, who comes off as detestable. But that’s not why I like her. In the first book, something about the core of her character resonated with me.

In this book, Nesta is in a place where she needs to grow. She lacks trust and communication skills, and she falls into the idea that nobody can possibly understand what she’s going through, even though both of her sisters have also had to make the human to Fae adjustment. What it really comes down to is she doesn’t want to be happy. This book might hit close to home for some, because it covers feelings of depression and worthlessness, while still wanting to be loved, but feeling like it isn’t something deserved. The story is Nesta’s journey to recovery, and a heartwarming tale of sisterhood.

On the other side of things, there are so many sex scenes, and they are far more explicit than any of the other volumes. Nesta is a fan of smut novels, so I think it’s written that way to mesh with her personal perspective. Cassian is just as dirty as she is. Sometimes the book feels more like an erotica than a romance.

I enjoyed the story. It’s lengthy, and a bit slow to start, but the pace is what it needs to tell Nesta’s story properly. Her progress is slow, and at times feels like not much is happening, but it’s all important. It feels natural when you start to notice the growth and how it occurs.

I do have some gripes. My biggest one probably being that I think Nesta should be with someone else. After learning more about Nesta, I think Cassian is what she needs for her recovery, but not what she should have in a partner. They just don’t mesh in a way that interests me. I don’t think he is stimulating enough for her in some ways she might prefer. There’s a certain kind of banter that’s missing. It’s hard to explain.

There is no cliffhanger in this book. Everything is wrapped up nicely. I would have liked to see the aftermath of the Illyrian weirdness cleaned up at the end, but maybe that will be covered a in another book. Someone somewhere should be in trouble after all that.

Bofuri, Vol. 4 (LN)

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Bofuri, Vol. 4 by Yuumikan, Koin
Series Name: Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. (Light Novel)
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life, Video Games
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9753-2358-5
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

With new allies and skills at the ready, Maple Tree embarks on their first event! The obvious favorites to take the crown are the big guilds like Flame Empire and the Order of the Holy Sword, each boasting well over a hundred members and some of the best players who topped the ranks in previous events. To make matters worse, everyone on the server has been stocking up on anti-Maple skills and items after her rise to infamy. For any hope of victory, Maple Tree will have to overcome incredible odds and shatter all expectations—or wipe out everybody else trying!

Personal & Info

I’m still not impressed with the cheap paper the publisher uses for this series. Three out of four volumes so far have some kind of damage just from normal handling or shipping. Be careful with the physical copies. They are not nearly as durable as the average book.

Characters

Maple Tree

Kaede Honjou, player name Maple, is the main character. She didn’t play video games much until she tried New World Online. The game has a pain system that allows the player to actually feel pain when they take damage. Because of this feature, Maple puts ALL stat points into her defense. Since starting the game, Maple has become an absolute horror to other players.

Risa Shiromine, player name Sally, is Maple’s friend. She introduced Kaede to the game, and decided to follow her lead in making an overpowered build. Her primary stat is agility, and she has a special skill as a gamer to be able to handle fast movement and reaction times without any additional program assistance. Like Maple, she has established a horrifying reputation to other players.

Kasumi is a katana weilding player that Maple and Sally befriended during the second game event. She has yet to be infected by Maple’s weirdness.

Kanade is a mage player that Maple befriended during the second game event. His staff is a Rubik’s cube. He has an ability that lets him store spells for later use, which makes him a bit overpowered as a mage.

Chrome is the Anonymous Great Shielder in the forums and Maple’s friend. He’s also one of the best great shielders in the game. He has been infected by Maple’s weird luck and managed to get some overpowered gear and skills of his own.

Iz is a crafter that Maple met through Chrome. She’s one of the best in the game. With her new gear and skills, she’s also likely considered overpowered.

Yui and Mai are twins only differentiated by their hair colors of white and black. They are Maple’s newest friends, and chose pure strength builds.

Oboro and Syrup are Sally and Maple’s animal companion rewards from the second event. Oboro is a fox, and Syrup is a turtle.

The Order of the Holy Sword

Pain is the top player on the server. He plays a holy sword knight.

Frederica is a mage. She tried to get intel on Sally before the event and has a bit of a rivalry with her.

Drag has the nickname Groundsplitter. He’s an axe wielder and tends to make Frederica cover his defense while he focuses on DPS. He is fifth in the player rankings.

Dread has the nickname Godspeed. He uses daggers similarly to Sally and appears to be faster than her. He also has a heightened sense of intuition for danger, which helps make him a formidable foe. His ranking from the first event is second.

Flame Empire

Mii has the nickname Flame Empress. She is a mage specializing in fire magic. I would guess the guild is named after her.

Marx has the nickname Trapper. His specialty is setting traps, and he is eighth in player rankings.

Misery has the nickname Saint Misery. She’s primarily a healer, but she is tenth in player rankings.

Shin has the nickname Splinter Sword. His rival is Kasumi, because he lost to her in the first event.

Story & Thoughts

The entirety of this volume is the fourth game event. It covers a lot with a large amount of characters. More information about and inclusion of other top ten players are shown. Most of them are in the three guilds the description mentions: The Order of the Holy Sword, Flame Empire, and Maple Tree.

I like the story well enough. The event is interesting and entertaining. The addition of so many other characters makes things feel even busier.

My main issue with the volume is that, despite the expansiveness of the event, it still seems too easy for Maple Tree. In volume three, they reveal what the event will be, as well as all of the terms and conditions. The fact each character can die a certain number of times before being removed from the event left me thinking Maple Tree would suffer more deaths throughout. The actual number of deaths in the book is well below my expectations, and thus leaves me feeling like the story lacks enough tension to truly be satisfying.

Aside from that one thing, various parts of the book had me smiling and giggling. Maple is comically overpowered. If Maple Tree had a harder time, I think my rating would be higher. It can be difficult to have overpowered characters and still keep the right amount of tension. I think the balance is a little off in that regard.

A Court of Frost and Starlight

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A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
Series Name: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Volume Number: 3.5
Genres: Fae, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-63557-562-0
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly altered world beyond, recovering from the war that changed everything. But Winter Solstice is finally approaching, and, with it, the joy of a hard-earned reprieve.

Yet even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated—scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the long-lasting effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.

Personal & Info

This book is written differently than the others. It has various perspectives from different characters. Feyre, Rhysand, Cassian, Mor, and Nesta all have at least one chapter in their perspective. The weird thing, in my opinion, is that only Feyre and Rhys are in first person. The rest are in third.

Characters

Feyre is the High Lady of the Night Court, and commonly known as Feyre Cursebreaker. She likes to paint.

Elain is the middle child in her family. She likes to garden as a hobby, and is generally considered the pretty sister.

Nesta is the eldest sister in her family. She tends to have an unsavory personality, and likes to read.

Rhysand is High Lord of the Night Court, and Feyre’s mate. His special skill involves mind manipulation.

Mor, Amren, Cassian, and Azriel are Rhys’ and Feyre’s friends and members of their Court inner circle. Amren is second in command. Mor is third, and handles affairs with the Court of Nightmares in Rhys and Feyre’s stead. Cassian and Azriel fill more military specialized roles.

Lucien is High Fae and no longer strictly connected to any one Court.

A few new characters appear in this book, but I don’t know how much they’ll come up later. Ressina and Aranea are Feyre’s new friends from the Rainbow. Ressina is a painter, and Aranea is a weaver.

Story & Thoughts

As the description implies, this is very much a transitional volume. It takes place during the holiday season of Winter Solstice, which is basically Christmas to the Night Court, minus any religious or Santa aspects. It also covers some unfinished details regarding A Court of Wings and Ruin. Some of the things it mentions are: where Jurian is and what he’s doing, whether or not they tried to break Vassa’s curse and if they were able, how kingdoms and armies are faring after the final battle, and verification that Bryaxis is still missing.

This book is a bit slow. The first seventy or so pages are not very interesting. It does pick up eventually and get back to the same feel as the other books. Romance is not a heavy aspect in this one, aside from some updates regarding Feyre and Rhys’ relationship. The plot mostly expresses that everyone is coping with the events of the war as best they can.

The idle time over the holiday highlights the group’s personalities and quirks both as individuals and teams. For example, one of my favorite scenes involves Feyre and Cassian decorating for the holiday and the reactions of others when they see it. It’s nothing super serious, but scenes like that one do well expressing how well they know each other and how well they mesh as friends. The different perspectives also give more insights into personal aspects of characters we’ve only seen from Feyre’s view, so far.

I can’t help being disappointed that several characters aren’t currently getting along. Some of them make sense because of bigger events that happened, but some of them are just because someone says the wrong thing with good intentions. I’m sure a lot of these things will be addressed or resolved in the next book.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 1, Vol. 1 (LN)

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 1: Daughter of a Soldier, Vol. 1 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! (Light Novel)
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718356009
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

A certain college girl who’s loved books ever since she was a little girl dies in an accident and is reborn in another world she knows nothing about. She is now Myne, the sickly five-year-old daughter of a poor soldier. To make things worse, the world she’s been reborn in has a very low literacy rate and books mostly don’t exist. She’d have to pay an enormous amount of money to buy one. Myne resolves herself: If there aren’t any books, she’ll just have to make them! Her goal is to become a librarian. This story begins with her quest to make books so she can live surrounded by them!

Personal & Info

There is a mini-poster at the front of the book. The poster is not perforated, so I wouldn’t bother removing it. It’s big enough to fold out once, and has two sides. One side is the same picture as the cover, and the back is a cute picture of all the important characters pertaining to this volume.

Characters

Myne, previously Urano Motosu, is the main character. She is a twenty-two-year-old book nerd in the body of a five-year-old. Myne suffers from poor health, and can rarely leave the house or do normal household chores.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. She is one year older than her, and is very responsible and capable for her age. Her hair is green, and her eyes are blue.

Effa is Myne and Tuuli’s mother. She has green hair like Tuuli, and dyes clothes for a career.

Gunther is Myne and Tuuli’s father. He works as a soldier who guards the South Gate, and he has blue hair like Myne.

Otto is Gunther’s coworker. He handles all the important paperwork for the South Gate.

Lutz is Myne’s friend. He is the same age as her. His hair is blond and his eyes are green.

Ralph is one of Lutz’s older brothers. He has red hair, and he is the same age as Tuuli.

Fey is one of Tuuli’s friends. He has pink hair, and I think he is the same age as Tuuli.

Story & Thoughts

This isn’t the same as your average isekai. It doesn’t focus on an epic save the world plot or combat or have video game mechanics. I do get the impression magic is going to play a part in it later, but I don’t know to what extent. This series feels like it’s in a type of isekai category separate from the rest.

I can’t easily find the words to describe the important aspects of the story. The most straight forward thing I can say about it is it’s interesting. It’s not fast paced, but it has a unique kind of charm.

Myne is part of a poor family that struggles just to survive the winter, so in a world where books, paper, and ink are only for nobility, she has no chance of affording them. The majority of the volume is about Myne adapting to the new world and trying to make her own paper. It doesn’t sound very interesting, but I love it.

The relationships in Myne’s family are cute and sweet. Myne is practically instantly in adoration of her new sister, and her dad just wants his little girl to think highly of him. I love how they just humor her with obvious skepticism whenever she makes an odd request regarding knowledge from her past life.

This book is definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. I can easily see how people could find it boring. To me, it’s so interesting and charming that I am disappointed I don’t have the second volume right away. I can’t properly express why I like it as much as I do. Something about it just feels right to me, and I’m fairly certain this may be a series I add to my list of favorites.

A Day Without Myne

This bonus chapter is told in Lutz’s perspective. It takes place on a day during the five day period when Myne is sick. It’s just a simple day where the kids use teamwork to hunt something they can catch with a net. In their spare time, they talk about Myne and what they think of her.

Unchanging Daily Life

The second bonus chapter is a short story in Shuu’s perspective. He’s Myne’s friend and neighbor from her first life. The story is about a trip they went on ten years ago and the events that occurred, as well as a current trip taken to the same location. Shuu mostly reflects on the fact Urano has not changed at all in the ten years since the last trip.

Bofuri, Vol. 3 (LN)

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Bofuri, Vol. 3 by Yuumikan, Koin
Series Name: Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. (Light Novel)
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life, Video Games
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9753-2354-7
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Following their incredible performance in the treasure hunt event, Maple and Sally are interested in one thing and one thing only—buying a house! After all, every guild needs a home. Though their guild is still small, the girls and their friends are excited to have a place to meet, train, and grow—especially now that the newly minted guilds are all going to be facing off in the next big event! This is the birth of the legendary Maple Tree, the guild whose name strikes fear into the hearts of all who hear it!

Personal & Info

I had a headache while reading a large chunk of this, so it’s possible my rating might be a little lower than it deserves.

Characters

Kaede Honjou, player name Maple, is the main character. She didn’t play video games much until she tried New World Online. The game has a pain system that allows the player to actually feel pain when they take damage. Because of this feature, Maple puts ALL stat points into her defense.

Risa Shiromine, player name Sally, is Maple’s friend. She introduced Kaede to the game, and decided to follow her lead in making an overpowered build. Her primary stat is agility, and she has a special skill as a gamer to be able to handle fast movement and reaction times without any additional program assistance.

Kasumi is a katana weilding player that Maple and Sally befriended during the second game event.

Kanade is a mage player that Maple befriended during the second game event. His staff is a Rubik’s cube.

Chrome is the Anonymous Great Shielder in the forums and Maple’s friend. He’s also one of the best great shielders in the game.

Iz is a crafter that Maple met through Chrome. She’s one of the best in the game.

Yui and Mai are twins only differentiated by their hair colors of white and black. They are Maple’s newest friends, and chose pure strength builds.

Oboro and Syrup are Sally and Maple’s animal companion rewards from the second event. Oboro is a fox, and Syrup is a turtle.

Story & Thoughts

This volume is not as thick as the second, but thicker than the first. I’d rather these light novels be a little thicker, because they’re thinner than others I’m used to, but at the same time, it’s nice that they are short. Despite the thinness of the volumes, it always feels like a lot happens due to the shortness of the chapters and the fast paced story telling. They make quick, fun reads.

The book picks up after the second game event. The ability to purchase guild housing becomes available and Maple decides she wants to start her own guild. Everything takes off from there as the girls invite everyone they know, so far, to join.

Things are a little different compared to the first two volumes. Instead of just covering Maple and Sally’s adventures, the book covers all of the characters. For example, there are sections where Chrome, Iz, and Kanade all get their own individual adventures. It’s a pleasant change.

On the negative side, the story has a lot of grinding. Large sections specifically focus on gaining levels, getting a specific skill, gathering a specific item, or hoping to find good gear. Sometimes that’s interesting, but not always.

There is a game event in this volume, but it’s nothing big. It’s very short, and hardly touched on, because Maple can’t easily participate and there aren’t rewards that interest her. After that part of the story, the rest is their guild getting ready for the fourth event, which will be in the next volume.

Overall, a lot happens, but the story is a little too grindy. Regardless, there’s a lot to love. The characters are great, and Maple’s unique luck and way of playing the game seem contagious to those around her.

A Court of Wings and Ruin

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A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Series Name: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Volume Number: 3
Genres: Fae, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-63557-560-6
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre but for everything—and everyone—she holds dear.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place as one of the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers—both magical and political—and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust among the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series, the fate of Feyre’s world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.

Personal & Info

This book has some short perspective changes between Rhys and Feyre at the beginning and end portions. Aside from that, the main meat of the book is in Feyre’s perspective, as usual.

Characters

Feyre is still the main character. At this point in the story, she is a High Fae, a High Lady, and commonly known as Feyre Cursebreaker.

Elain is the middle child in Feyre’s family. She likes flowers and is considered the pretty sister.

Nesta is the eldest daughter in Feyre’s family. She comes off as snobby, selfish, and mean, but she would do anything to protect Elain.

Rhysand is the High Lord of the Night Court, and Feyre’s mate. His special skill involves mind manipulation.

Tamlin is the High Lord of the Spring Court. His special skill is shape changing, and his personality is beastly.

Mor, Amren, Cassian, and Azriel are Rhys’s friends and members of his inner circle for his court. Amren is his second in command. Mor is his third, who handles his affairs with the Court of Nightmares in his absence. Cassian and Azriel fill more military specialized roles.

Lucien is Tamlin’s emissary. He handles diplomatic relations between the seven kingdoms on Tamlin’s behalf, as well as any important tasks Tamlin needs handled.

Jurian is the human hero from the ancient war. Amarantha wore his conscious eye preserved on a ring, but he has since been restored to being human.

All of the High Lords appear in this volume, some with larger roles than others. The quick list (aside from Tamlin and Rhys) is as follows:
Helion – Day Court
Kallias – Winter Court
Thesan – Dawn Court
Beron – Autumn Court
Tarquin – Summer Court

Eris is the first son of Beron, and he has several fairly important appearances throughout the book.

Story & Thoughts

I like this volume more than the first, but less than the second. The events are more chaotic and messy. The politics between the courts and the pains of proper procedure take the stage as the Prythian prepares for war. There is a lot going on in this book, so much in fact, that it’s difficult to choose any one thing to talk about.

All of the significant characters have been mentioned at least once in the first and second books. That gives this volume plenty of freedom to focus more on relationships. I think that is my favorite thing about this one. Friendships, romances, sisterhoods, they all get more expansive coverage as relationships deepen or worsen. My one gripe with it is I want so much more for Lucien. I had high hopes in the early parts of book, but he doesn’t actually get much screen time compared to everyone else. His story seems to be a background overarching thing, so it progresses slowly.

I still love all the characters from A Court of Mist and Fury. The more I get to know them, the more I like them. After everything, I don’t hate Tamlin, but I still don’t find him likable. He’s not a lost cause, but he has a lot of growing to do.

When all was said and done, I had to take a few minutes to consider what to rate the book. The climax of the story in every volume seems to be where the series thrives, but the rest also has to be entertaining for me to give a high rating. There were a few things that didn’t quite meet my standards, which is why it’s not a five out of five.

Most of it was good, but I burned out on it around the last 150 pages, and had to work my way out of a reading slump. Sometimes the length of a book can be counterproductive. Some of the war scenes were a bit dull, and the ending seemed rushed to wrap up after the last battle. There are some other small things, but those are the main ones worth mentioning.

What guaranteed that it would not be lower than a four was how it made me feel. Before the book was over, I almost cried. There are a few things throughout the book that really tug on the heart. If I did not already know that all romances are guaranteed an H.E.A in order to even be categorized as romance, I probably would have bawled my eyes out.

The Clockwork War

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The Clockwork War by Adam Kline, Dan Whisker
Genres: Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Children
Publisher: Insight Editions
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-68383-236-2
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Beast friends Karlheinz Indergarten and Leopold Croak clash in an epic, imaginary battle waged in the branches of an enormous, ancient oak tree. But when lightning strikes young Leopold, he loses his imagination, and with it, his sense of right and wrong. The damaged boy grows to adulthood, treading a sinister path of industrial conquest. And Leopold’s thirst for power soon threatens the tree, the village, and worst of all, the children within.

But humble Karl discovers a gift for clockwork—the magic of gears and cogs—and assembles a mechanical army to fight back. Joined by the children themselves, Karl endeavors to save the village, the ancient oak, and maybe—just maybe—something more besides.

Personal & Info

This book is from an overstock discount store. I go there occasionally to find some new things to try. It looks like a cute and short stand alone story, so as long as it’s not terrible, it’s worth the purchase.

Characters

Karl Indergarten is the main character. He has a gifted imagination and owns the business K. Indergarten Clock and Watch Repair.

Leopold Croak is Karl’s childhood best friend.

Miss Understood is a kind woman who runs the local Preparatory School and Home for Orphaned Children. She has a habit of saying things that are not quite right, mostly in the case of common expressions.

Dr. Pimpledink is the village doctor.

Pim is Karl’s best friend after the incident, and a clockwork mouse.

Agatha Croak is Leopold’s daughter, who is allergic to everything, and thus lives isolated in a room at the top of a tower.

Toby, Stuart, and William are some of the kids who live at the orphanage once Karl and Leopold are grown up.

There are a few other minor characters, like Madeline, her grandmother, and the clockmaker.

Story & Thoughts

I actually forgot to read the description on the inside of the book jacket, so I had a misunderstanding of what the story was like going into it. It’s labelled as fantasy, there is a clockwork mouse on the cover, and the excerpt on the back describes a clockwork dragon defending a tree. These three things led me to believe it was a lot more fantasy than it actually was.

Don’t get me wrong, it is fantasy, just not the elves and spell casters kind. The world is a normal setting in an unspecified time. The fantasy aspect of the story comes from the fact the clockwork creations are fantastical to the point of actually being independently intelligent as if they have a heart or a soul.

Despite my misunderstanding, the story is cute. A little girl is afraid to go to Kindergarten, so her grandmother tells her a story about someone by the name of Karl Indergarten, which is supposed to be relevant to the origin of Kindergarten. But, the book is very clear, the story is not about the little girl. It’s about Karl Indergarten.

The book has the same feel as short stories kids would normally hear read aloud at a library. It even has the rhyming. The only differences are, it’s a bit longer and the vocabulary level might be a little higher. The recommended age group is closer to ten but I think kids around five might also enjoy it if read to them, and if they have a long enough attention span.

Overall, this book is not really my thing, but I think it’s a decent children’s book. My only issue with it is that Leopold’s logic has many flaws. The description says he loses his sense of right and wrong, though, so it makes sense. Children’s books don’t always have to make perfect sense anyway, either, so I don’t hold that against it.

A Court of Mist and Fury

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Series Name: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Volume Number: 2
Genres: Enemies to Lovers, Fae, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-63557-558-3
Rating: 5/5
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Description from the Book

Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world in turmoil.

Personal & Info

I was told to finish this volume, as the bare minimum, before making a judgement call about the series. The first book is not a good representation by itself. If you have not read the series and are interested in giving it a try, just know it’s about a thousand page time sink(combined count for volumes one and two) for the fair trial. The series is wildly popular, though, so you might find it worth your time.

Characters

Feyre is the main character. She is the youngest daughter in her family, and she has two older sisters. Her favorite hobby is painting, and she’s good at hunting. At this point in the story, she is now a High Fae, and everyone knows her as Feyre Cursebreaker.

Elain is the middle child in Feyre’s family. She likes flowers and is considered the pretty sister.

Nesta is the eldest daughter in Feyre’s family. She comes off as snobby, selfish, and mean, but she would do anything to protect Elain.

Tamlin is the High Fae Lord of the Spring Court. His special skill is shape changing, and his personality is beastly. Tamlin is Feyre’s love interest in the first book, and fiancee in this one.

Lucien is Tamlin’s emissary. He handles diplomatic relations between the seven kingdoms on Tamlin’s behalf, as well as any important tasks Tamlin needs handled. He can be snarky, but he usually means well.

Rhysand is the High Fae Lord of the Night Court. His special skill involves mind manipulation. He is disliked by generally everyone, because of his actions while Amarantha was in charge. He takes the stage as the lead male character in this book.

Mor, Amren, Cassian, and Azriel are Rhys’s friends and members of his inner circle for his court. Amren is his second in command. Mor is his third, who handles his affairs with the Court of Nightmares in his absence. Cassian and Azriel fill more military specialized roles.

Story & Thoughts

I am so glad I read this before deciding on committing to or abandoning the series. This is the best book I have read in a long time. It took me about four hours to get over the book hangover before I could do anything other than just stare off into space and process everything.

The first book is not my cup of tea, but it is extremely important to lay the foundations for everything. This one constantly references events from the first. It often explains other things that happened that Feyre and the reader could not possibly have known. There was so much more than what we actually saw going on. But don’t get me wrong, I still don’t like Tamlin as a love interest. Nothing in this book helps his case in my opinion.

Rhysand is the leading male in this volume, and the romance is so much better. He has way more personality and empathy than Tamlin. The build of this slow burn is so much more satisfying. It’s just so well done. Even the parts where not much is happening feel significant and engaging. I didn’t find a single moment of this entire lengthy book to be dull.

Even Feyre is better in this one. I liked her okay in the first book, but the growth and wisdom she gains in this one puts her leaps and bounds from where she started. She has a volatile temper, but she sees everything that I found myself thinking about the contents of the first book. I’m so proud of her.

There are so many things I feel like I can’t properly express with words, and things I liked about the book that I don’t want to say because they could be spoilers. What it really comes down to is the feeling that this book has so much more heart compared to the first. I can’t explain it any other way. I absolutely loved this book. If you’ve read the fist and did not enjoy it, please read this one. It is so much better. This review does not do this book justice. I do not have the words.

Bofuri, Vol. 2 (LN)

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Bofuri, Vol. 2 by Yuumikan, Koin
Series Name: Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. (Light Novel)
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life, Video Games
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9753-2354-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Maple has become famous overnight after finishing in the tip three of the battle royal and defeating over two thousand players without taking any damage at all. Now, with the treasure hunt event about to start, Maple and Sally set off in search of rare gear and adventure! The game admins and other players look on in both fear and excitement as they wait to see what crazy new development is about to hit the server!

Personal & Info

For others getting the light novels, the cover of the book is the papery kind, not the glossy kind. Because of this, it’s more flimsy. Mine has a small tear on it just from picking it up and setting it down a few times. You might want to be extra careful with how you handle it.

Characters

Kaede Honjou, player name Maple, is the main character. She didn’t play video games much until she tried New World Online. The game has a pain system that allows the player to actually feel pain when they take damage. Because of this feature, Maple puts ALL stat points into her defense.

Risa Shiromine, player name Sally, is Maple’s friend. She introduced Kaede to the game, and decided to follow her lead in making an overpowered build. Her primary stat is agility, and she has a special skill as a gamer to be able to handle fast movement and reaction times without any additional program assistance.

Several new characters appear in this volume. I can’t easily list them here without spoilers, so I’ll let anyone who doesn’t already know who they are find out by reading.

Story & Thoughts

This volume holds up well compared to the first. It’s approximately twice as thick, which is nice. The entire event they were prepping for is encompassed in this one book, so you don’t have to worry about getting the third to find out how it ends.

The length works against it a little, too, though. My biggest issue with the book is that there are several sections of the story where they have to wander around rather aimlessly. But, when something is happening, it’s really good. The various dungeons and bosses they have to clear are interesting. The boss fight with the bird had me on the edge of my seat. There’s still a decent amount of comedy mixed into the story, too.

In the first volume, there are occasional wholesome chapters of what people say in the game’s forums in reaction to Maple’s rise to fame. This one has something similar, which is the admins monitoring the event. Whenever Maple or Sally succeed at something that is designed to be impossible, or stumble into interesting situations, the admins freak out. It’s amusing, because the admins are afraid of either of them getting any more overpowered than they already are. There is also one tiny forum section as part of a normal chapter after the event is over.

The series does a good job making sure the reader knows where and how skills are obtained. However, Maple seems to have some skills that are not on her list of character information. I think they are skills she’s probably had all along, and just did not use until now. Several skills she uses in the event seem to be derived from her Hydra ability. When she first got and used the skills connected to that, there was an implication that there were only two skills: Hydra and Paralyze Shout.

I think I can excuse this, because of how early in the story it is. Maple is likely still learning what she can do. When she has to get down the cliff, she does take some time to look at her skills to see what is available to her. This all leads me to believe Hydra itself is more overpowered than I initially thought.

Overall, the book is really good. I wasn’t even in the mood to read it when I started, but after a chapter or two, I was sucked in. The series really is that good. I might have to bump it up on my priority list, because I’m always sad I don’t have the next volume.