Tag: Historical

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Historical, LGBTQ+, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Tor/ Tom Doherty Associates/ Macmillan
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-7653-8756-1
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman named Adeline meets a dangerous stranger and makes a terrible mistake.

As she realizes the limitations of her Faustian bargain—being able to live forever, without being able to be remembered by anyone she sees—Addie chooses to flee her small village, as everything she once held dear is torn away.

But there are still dreams to be had, and a life to live, and she is determined to find excitement and satisfaction in the wide, beckoning world—even if she will be doomed to be alone forever.

Or not quite alone—as every year, on her birthday, the alluring Luc comes to visit, checking to see if she is ready to give up her soul. Their darkly thrilling game stretches through the ages, seeing Addie witness history and fight to regain herself as she crosses oceans and tries on various lives.

It will be three hundred years before she stumbles into a hidden bookstore and discovers someone who can remember her name—and suddenly, everything changes again.

Personal & Info

This is a standalone novel. It’s been on my TBR for a few years and I am reading a copy from my local library.

I tagged this book as both contemporary and historical, because it jumps back and forth between historical dates and the more modern year of 2014.

Characters

Addie LaRue, the main character, is eternally twenty-three. She is originally from the late 1600’s and always dreamed of traveling and seeing the world outside her small hometown village. She never wanted to belong to anybody or anything.

Luc is an old god who functions as a sort of devil. He is a creature of the night, and he makes deals in exchange for souls. He presents himself with a name and appearance provided by Addie. Similarly to a genie, Luc likes to twist people’s wishes to amuse himself and torment people by giving them a semblance of what they ask for.

Henry is the person who can remember Addie. He’s approximately twenty-nine, and he’s never been able to figure out what he wants to do with his life. He runs a bookstore currently entrusted to him by the official owner. His best friends are Bea (Beatrice), an art school student trying to come up with a thesis, and Robbie, a rising theater actor.

Stories & Thoughts

I added this book to my list about a year after release. Recently, it kept popping up in my recommendations with the suggestion to see if it lives up to the hype. Honestly, I don’t think it does. It’s not bad, though, more like just okay.

It starts very slow. The story goes back and forth between past and present to tell the story of Addie’s life. In the present of 2014, which is where the story starts, Addie is turning three hundred and twenty-three. We get to see how she lives and how she gets by. Most of her lifestyle involves entering the homes of those she’s met when they aren’t around, and just stealing anything she needs, since nobody will remember her.

The past, which alternates every chapter or so, tells her history starting when she is about seven. After the deal with the devil situation occurs, these parts usually cover various years of the anniversary date. Addie has a rather complicated relationship with Luc. It’s like an eternal chess game of wits and will.

This is what it is for a large chunk of the book. I admit, I found it rather dull. The writing is good and the concept is intriguing, but it’s just so mundane to read. Whenever I put it down, it was hard to pick back up. I considered abandoning it several times and kept waiting for it to get better.

Eventually, Henry is introduced into the story. He gets his own perspective chapters scattered in. I was sure the story would get better from there. It didn’t. I felt the same drag, and it was still hard to pick back up whenever I put it down.

It doesn’t even feel worth it to finish the book. There is no actual ending. The book ends, but Addie’s story isn’t even over. And I don’t mean that in the romance novel sort of way where they live out the rest of their lives. There is romance in this book, but it’s not a romance novel. I mean it more like Addie’s first three hundred years were basically round one of a very long game, and we’re not ever going to see how the whole game ends. We’ll never know if she finds happiness or gets out of her deal. It’s just not satisfying.

I generally don’t like open ended books. If you don’t either, don’t read this. I pushed my way through this book, hoping it would get better and at least have a satisfying end, only to be disappointed. Sometimes highly rated popular novels just aren’t worth all the hype.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1 (LN)

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1 by Natsu Hyuuga, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-272-7
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Maomao leads an unassuming life with her father, an apothecary, but kidnappers whisk her away to a world of consorts and serving women in the empire’s rear palace. Sold into imperial servitude, the girl keeps her quick wit, sharp mind, and medical knowledge a secret. But the head eunuch, Jinshi, shatters Maomao’s low profile when she catches his eye. He perceives her true skills and makes her a lady-in-waiting to the rear palace’s top consort. Can Maomao quietly pass her term of service as her lady’s food tester, or will observational prowess and curiosity push her into danger as she uncovers turmoil at court?

Personal & Info

I’m going into this having already read the manga and seen the first season of the anime. The manga was my first exposure to the series. The anime came second, so this is the third and final format. It’s a little ironic since this is the core material. The light novel released first, but didn’t get physical releases until recently.

After trying all three formats, I have some advice. If you want to enjoy the light novel to its fullest, read it first. If you want the best possible version, watch the anime (it’s practically a 1:1 adaptation of the light novel with improvements). The manga is good, and the art is beautiful, but they did cut some less important things and change some minor details. This is one of the rare instances in which the light novel is the worst version (in my opinion).

Content Warnings

It’s hard to warn about everything, but I think these are the most important. There are a lot of things that come up briefly to a minor degree and I’m never sure if I should list them.

-Bullying
-Child/Infant Death
-Human Trafficking
-Sexism
-Sexual Assault
-Suicide

Characters

Maomao, the main character, is a trained apothecary. She grew up in the pleasure district, in a house with her adoptive father, along with the assistance of the courtesans at the Verdigris brothel.

Jinshi, a eunuch who appears to be in charge of running the rear palace, seems to be fond of Maomao, or at least intrigued by her. He is androgynously attractive enough that he turns heads wherever he goes, but his looks have no affect on Maomao.

Xiaolan is a maidservant who works with Maomao at the start of the novel. She loves to gossip and eat sweet treats. Xiaolan is probably the closest thing to a friend Maomao has.

Gao Shun is Jinshi’s aide.

Gyokuyou, the Precious Consort, is the Emperor’s favored consort. She resides in the Jade Pavilion of the rear palace, and has four ladies-in-waiting.

Hongniang is Gyokyou’s head lady-in-waiting. The ladies that serve beneath her are Yinghua, Guiyuan, and Ailan.

Lihua, the Wise consort, resides in the Crystal Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the emperor’s second favorite consort. She has several ladies-in-waiting, but they don’t appear to be good at their jobs.

Lishu, the Virtuous consort, resides in the Diamond Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the youngest of the four highest ranking consorts at only fourteen. She has several ladies-in-waiting, but they don’t appear to be nice or good at their jobs.

Ah-Duo, the Pure Consort, resides in the Garnet Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the oldest of the four highest ranking consorts at approximately thirty-five, one year older than the emperor. She has several ladies-in-waiting and they all seem to be well trained hard workers. Ah-Duo also has the added history of being a lifelong childhood friend and confidant to the emperor.

Fengming is Ah-Duo’s humble and capable head lady-in-waiting. Her family business is bee farming.

Lihaku is a young up and coming military man.

Luomen is Maomao’s adoptive father. She often compares him to an old woman due to his personality and hobbled way of walking.

Story & Thoughts

Since I’ve already read the manga and seen the first season of the anime, I went into this knowing it would essentially be nothing new to me. However, due to how much I love the series, an additional format to try is just a bonus. There are always some differences, even if they’re small, and I did learn a few things from this version that I didn’t know before.

The story itself is essentially the same, almost identical to the anime, which is good. Already knowing everything that’s going to happen makes it easier to look for things that stand out as negatives. This might make it seem like I’m dragging the book through the mud, so I’ll say right now that the story being so consistent is grounds enough for a four out of five rating. The only reason I took away half a star is because of personal gripes.

Most of my biggest complaints come down to writing style. I get the feeling, since this started as a web novel, that the author likely isn’t that great at writing. The parts that matter are good. They have a lot of detail and paint a clear picture with words. The problems arise in the parts that seem like they aren’t as important, or feel like maybe the author doesn’t think those parts are.

Dialogue for important explanations and details in the manga and anime are often instead summarized in this version. I can’t tell you how many times the story explains something in a narrator paragraph instead of using the characters to actually portray a discussion. Sometimes they even just say that someone explained something, instead of taking the time to explain it to the reader. It feels like lazy writing and, in my opinion, it takes away from the enjoyment of the story. It breaks the immersion that the better parts of the story have.

In addition to that, there are conversations that seem stiff. You get the occasional clenching of fists or tilting of the head, but there are many times where it seems people are just standing or sitting stiffly for entire conversations. Sometimes the other adaptations add movement in these places. I think that’s an improvement.

There are also some areas that are just confusing to read. A good example of this is early on when Maomao is summoned along with other serving girls to see Jinshi. (These are pages 20-22.) Instead of singling her out just the one time, it somehow singles her out twice. The details in this particular area are extremely lacking. The first time she’s singled out gives no rhyme or reason. Did the girls who arrived before her not have freckles and therefore get dismissed? The second time is the one we all know where she reads the note. I reread this section several times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything, but it must just be poorly written.

I do think it starts to get better toward the later parts of the volume. It’s possible the first chunk might just be a rough start while the author gets comfortable with the style in which they want to write. I won’t know if that’s the case until I read more volumes.

If I had to describe the book, though, I’d say it comes across as more serious than the other versions of the story. The slow burn romance that seems obvious elsewhere seems like it might not even be there at all. It’s hard to explain, but the vibe is just a bit different, even though it’s the same story.

Overall, it’s still good. It does some things better than the other adaptations and others worse. No version is ever going to be perfect. The important thing is that I enjoyed reading it. I plan to keep reading the light novels for the time being, so even though I complain about the writing, it’s not bad enough for me to want to give up on it.

The Magician’s Lie

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister
Genres: Abuse, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4926-2899-6
Rating: 3.75/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

The Amazing Arden saws a man in half every night. The crowds pay good money to watch: she’s perhaps the most notorious illusionist in the country. But when one show goes terribly wrong, she finds herself in a one-room police station with a desperate officer determined to discover the truth. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie, endless night, the magician will need to pull off one final act—this time with her own life at stake.

Personal & Info

My main reason for reading this is that it’s apparently recommended for people who like Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. I like both of those, so I think it’s worth trying. After reading it, I think the recommendation is accurate. The book has similar vibes to both of those novels. It has more magic than Water for Elephants, but less than The Night Circus.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Animal Abuse
-Attempted Rape
-Self Harm

Characters

Ada, also known as Vivi, or the Amazing Arden, is the main character. She is a stage magician specializing in illusions. Her most notable feature is her unique eyes. They are blue, but her left eye is half brown as if cut through the middle.

Ray is Ada’s cousin by marriage. He is the son of Ada’s step father’s brother, and he is four years older than her. Ray is effectively the villain of the story.

Clyde is Ada’s first love. He is two years older than Ada and has a talent with plants.

Adelaide is the wife of a recently deceased magician who owns an entire company. She takes it upon herself to complete his obligations and step into the spotlight as a magician herself. Adelaide is also Ada’s mentor and kind of a surrogate mother.

Officer Virgil Holt is a main character in the sense that he is the police officer to whom Ada is telling her story. He is the only officer in a small Iowa town called Janesville, and he doesn’t expect to have his job much longer due to medical reasons.

Story & Thoughts

I think the most important thing to know about this book is the plot has an overarching abuse theme. Spoiler or not, it’s also important to know it has a good ending. So, while the book can be a bit dark, it’s not horribly depressing. The balance between the abuse, romance, and tension is good. No one aspect lingers too long, but they last long enough to keep the story interesting and stir the right feelings

The story covers about thirteen years of Ada’s life, from age twelve to approximately twenty-five. Suspected of murder, her life story is supposed to prove her innocence. Her tale is full of abuse, tragedy, hope, and love. Her life has been both ordinary and anything but.

Normally I don’t resonate well with historical fiction. They’re usually dull and boring. However, I think this is one of the better ones. I tag it loosely as fantasy, because Ada has real magic in a debatable sense. She can heal herself, but it’s not instant. Her injuries heal remarkably faster than the norm, which can only be explained as magic. It adds a tiny fantastical element to the book, but the story and writing themselves are good enough without it. During the long sections when her ability doesn’t come up, it still holds my interest.

I think the only reason I’m not giving this book a four is because there are a few places that montage the passing of time. Those parts are fine, but I find them less interesting. More actual magic would appeal to me more, too. None of the magic in Ada’s show is real. They emphasize many times it’s all an illusion. I like it well enough the way it is, though.

The Clockwork Three

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Urban
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-545-20339-5
Rating: 1.75/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician who sees no way to escape from his ruthless master, until the day he finds an enchanted green violin.

Frederick is an apprentice clockmaker with a past he cannot remember, who secretly works to build the most magnificent clockwork man the world has ever seen.

Hannah is a maid in a grand hotel, whose life is one of endless drudgery, until she encounters a mystifying new guest and learns of a hidden treasure.

As mysterious circumstances bring them together, the lives of these three children soon interlock, like the turning gears of a clock, and they realize that each one holds the key to the others’ puzzles. The trios’ adventures sweep them through the winding alleyways and glittering plazas of their city, and along the way Giuseppe, Hannah, and Frederick must learn to trust in one another — and in themselves — for they risk losing the things they hold most and dear, as the dangers they face quickly become all too real.

Personal & Info

This is from a fill a basket pre-owned book sale. My only reason for grabbing it, is that it is a stand alone novel. I like to just grab some stand alone novels to try something different.

Interestingly, this book is in multiple perspectives, which consistently alternate in the same order. It’s always Giuseppe, then Frederick, and then Hannah. This is the first book I’ve seen like that, but oddly, it works.

I went into this blind. I didn’t look at the description until after I finished the whole book. It’s pretty clear that the description embellishes a bit.

The Barnes & Noble shop link only has the ebook and audiobook versions.

Content Warnings

-Child Abuse
-Death
-Guns
-Human Trafficking
-Kidnapping

Characters

Giuseppe, one of the main characters, is eleven. His parents died and he and his siblings were sent to live with his uncle, who sold him to Stephano at age five. Giuseppe is a gifted musician with a kind heart. All he wants is to go home to Italy and be reunited with his brother and sister.

Stephano is a Padrone. He kidnaps and purchases children to work for him as slave labor. All the kids work on street corners playing instruments to collect money on his behalf.

Paolo & Ezio are two of the meaner kids working for Stephano. They bully the younger kids and steal their money, which guarantees they get punished by Stephano for not bringing home their quota. Paolo and Ezio also function as enforcers, because they seem to like inflicting violence.

Pietro is a new kid working for Stephano, who was abducted from his family’s yard back in Italy. He never seems to be able to make enough money on his own to avoid punishment.

Reverend Grey is the elderly Priest of the Old Rock Church, and a good friend to Giuseppe.

Frederick, one of the main characters, is thirteen. He is an orphan apprentice clockmaker with a traumatic past that he would rather not remember. All he wants is to qualify for Journeyman with the clockmaker’s guild so he can gain more independence.

Master Isaiah Branch is Frederick’s guardian and master. He is the one who took Frederick out of the orphanage.

Hannah, one of the main characters, is twelve. Her father is not well, so she quit school to be able to work while her mother takes care of him. Hanna works at the Gilbert Hotel as a maid.

Miss Wool is a mean woman who manages the maids at the Gilbert Hotel.

Mister Hans Grunholdt is the Gilbert Hotel manager. He’s not the best person, but apparently does his job well.

Mister Twine owns the Gilbert Hotel. He is also sort of a friend of Hannah’s family. Her father used to work for him, and he gave her a job when requested.

Madame Constance Bernadette Pomeroy is a wealthy spiritualist currently residing on the top floor of the Gilbert Hotel.

Yakov is Madam Pomeroy’s bodyguard. He is a former Russian soldier with the ability to predict the future via dreams and visions. Madam Pomeroy refers to him as her golem.

Alice is the Gilberta Hotel’s gardener. As far as anyone can remember, she’s always been there, and has always been old.

Pullman is the McCauley Park warden. His family has fulfilled the job for generations.

Mister Reginald Diamond is the current owner of the Archer Museum. He doesn’t seem like a good or kind person.

Story & Thoughts

So, first things first, I chose to read this at this particular time, because various labeling claimed it is lighthearted. It is definitely not. I don’t know what peoples’ definition of lighthearted is, but all the main characters are in depressing or traumatic situations.

Giuseppe is basically enslaved. His own uncle sold him when he was only five. He works day in and day out to make money for Stephano, and he doesn’t get to keep any of it, nor does he get to eat enough to be content. It specifically says the kids only get fed enough to keep them half starved. On top of that, if the kids don’t make a daily quota, they get a beating or are thrown into the rat cellar. Giuseppe clearly states kids have died in that room.

Frederick is traumatized from his mother abandoning him at the orphanage when he was about six. The orphanage made him do dangerous slave labor working with machines. Punishment for mistakes or bad behavior was basically flogging. He had to endure this environment for four years, and now the memories haunt him.

Hanna’s father had a stroke and lost the use of his speech and legs. Her mother has to take care of him, and her sisters are too young to contribute anything to the family. Hannah had to drop out of school to work and support her whole family by herself. She’s only twelve. Part of the story involves her father’s condition worsening.

All of this is very depressing. On top of their situations, their city sounds like a huge disgusting mess. This is not the kind of book I would choose for something lighthearted.

As for the rest, the story is slow. Despite the depressing subject matter, it does have a happy ending. Well, sort of, it feels bittersweet. The kids achieve their goals, but it feels like they didn’t really have anything to do with the result. When I read a children’s book, or a book about kids, I want it to feel like the kids are the heroes, like they really did something. I don’t get that feeling from this book. It feels like the adults in their lives conveniently remedy all their problems for them. It’s like the kids show up to deal with the issue, but the adults involved swoop in and save the day.

I can’t say I liked it, but I didn’t hate it, either. The characters were enjoyable, but the story was weak. I think people who like this might also enjoy Liesl & Po. That one was also lackluster to me, but I kind of get similar vibes.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 13

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 13 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-347-2
Rating: 4.25/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Following an uncomfortably close call with both flying bullets and Jinshi while on a hunting trip, Maomao picks up the trail of the would-be assassins with the help of Li Haku and his trusty hound. Up against Maomao’s quick wit and the dog’s sharp nose, the culprits have nowhere to hide! Having deduced the identity and the intent of the schemers, Maomao returns to the Inner Court with an unexpected discovery about Jinshi hanging over her, but there’s no avoiding her heavenly master when he has yet another mystery for her to puzzle out…

Personal & Info

With this volume, I’m now caught up with the current release. Volume fourteen won’t be available until October, so it’ll be a long wait. If I get the itch for more Apothecary Diaries, I have a few of the light novels that I can start reading.

Characters

Maomao’s time after the hunt is pretty chill. She gets to put her hair removal skills from the pleasure district to good use.

Jinshi is a bit more intense and aggressive in this volume.

Gao Shun and Ba Sen don’t get much screen time. After the hunt is over, it’s back to attending Jinshi as usual for Gao Shun.

Li Haku is only briefly in the first chapter to finish up the events regarding the hunt.

Xiaolan’s work contract expires in about six months, so she’s worried about finding a job afterward. A lowly laundry maid doesn’t have any social connections. I think Xiaolan has a good head on her shoulders when it comes to taking care of herself and thinking of the future.

Shisui is as enigmatic as ever. She’s eccentric, but helpful, and seems to be a good friend.

Seki-u is one of the three new ladies-in-waiting working for Consort Gyokuyo. She is the youngest of three sisters, who look like triplets, but are actually a year apart consecutively. Seki-u is the same age as Maomao, and she adorns her hair with a red ribbon to differentiate herself from her sisters, who wear a black or white ribbon. If everything goes well, she might be Maomao’s newest long term friend.

Consort Lishu and her head lady-in-waiting, Kanan, have a mystery for Maomao to solve in the fourth chapter.

Story & Thoughts

The first chapter wraps up the events of the hunting trip. While not action packed, some significant things happen. Most importantly, any mystery that might have been in question about Jinshi is now clear. Anyone who did not catch on sooner should now know Jinshi’s identity and rank.

After returning from the hunting trip, the volume is pretty chill. Due to where the characters live, the series can’t have a stereotypical beach episode. Instead, there’s a bathhouse episode, which focuses on ways maids and ladies-in-waiting can go about trying to make better social connections to plan for the future. This also leads into the main mystery for the volume, which involves Consort Lishu.

I think this is one of the better volumes. There’s a lot I like about it. It’s hilarious that Maomao keeps thinking about Jinshi’s “frog.” I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep that out of her mind. She definitely seems a little traumatized from that revelation. The bathhouse stuff is funny and doesn’t feel pointless.

Most notably, Jinshi’s behavior is different. Maomao is close to the truth, and Jinshi wants very much to bring her into his inner circle. She’s proven herself too useful to keep in the dark, and because of this, Jinshi is much more aggressive. The heavenly eunuch is downright intimidating and menacing in the majority of his appearances. I choose to interpret this as the story building tension, and I’m so sad the next volume is several months away. Thankfully, there isn’t a cliffhanger, but there is a strong implication of important things, that will potentially change Maomao’s life, to come.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 12

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 12 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-296-3
Rating: 3.75/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Strong-armed into getting out more, Maomao attends a spooky soiree where court ladies share spine-tingling tales of terror as a diversion from their daily toil. While there are plenty of chills to go around, the thrills are perhaps few for the skeptical Maomao…until the evening takes an eerie turn! And she doesn’t have long to wait for more excitement! Jinshi requests Maomao’s presence on a hunting trip, and as ever, all is not as it seems when court intrigue and subterfuge are in play. When a break from a banquet on the hunt goes awry, master and servant soon find themselves in a very tight spot and uncomfortably close quarters…

Personal & Info

I haven’t been in the mood to read manga for a while, so I’ve been holding onto this volume since I bought it around release. Before reading it, I did a full one through eleven reread. I already have volume thirteen, so a review for that should be up soon, too, if not around the same time as this one.

Characters

Maomao has less opportunity to show off her passions for poison and medicine in this volume due to people dragging her around.

Yinghua and Hongniang are the only of Consort Gyokuyo’s ladies-in-waiting to appear here. We mostly see Yinghua since she participates in the events of the Ghost Stories chapter.

Gyokuyo gets a couple brief appearances in the early parts of the volume, but we don’t see her much.

Shisui, Maomao’s relatively new, bug enthusiast friend, is around for the events of the Ghost Stories chapter. We don’t see her again after that. I’ve seen it said that she works at the laundry, but I’ve also seen it said she is a lady-in-waiting, so I’m not sure which it really is. She’s probably a lady-in-waiting who handles laundry, if I had to guess.

Jinshi is one of the leading characters in this volume. After the first chapter, he takes Maomao away on a summer hunting trip that will take multiple days.

Gao Shun, who is usually Jinshi’s attendant, is not serving that role, this time. He is a guest for the hunt.

Ba Sen, Gao Shun’s son, is serving as Jinshi’s attendant in his father’s place for the duration of the hunting trip.

Li Haku is in charge of dog sitting over the course of the hunting trip.

Story & Thoughts

There are five chapters in this volume, and four of them are relevant to a hunting trip event. The trip does not come to a resolution, so it will continue in the next book. The chapter before the hunting trip is just a quick thing about ladies-in-waiting meeting up at night to tell spooky stories. There isn’t much special there, but it implies a possible real ghost to end the night with a real scare for the characters.

I think the end portion is the best part of the book. Maomao is desperate not to learn anything important that could get her into trouble later or require keeping secrets. So much so, that it leads to a comedic situation.

I think Maomao and Jinshi make some inadvertent progress in their relationship. Not in a healthy way, mind you, but Jinshi’s annoyed assertiveness will probably give Maomao something to think about. Whether she wanted to or not, she learned something she didn’t want to know. Denial won’t change that.

Thankfully, I already have the next volume, so I can continue reading to see what happens next. I’m glad Li Haku is getting some attention. It sounds like he’s steadily moving up in his career, but pairing him with a dog is adorable. Sadly, I don’t think they bothered to name the dog. If they did, they certainly didn’t mention it.

My theory about the plot for the volume is, I think Jinshi was invited on the hunting trip as his actual identity. The identity Maomao is unaware of, but has been revealed to us in a vague fashion by Lakan in another volume. It seems like nobody really knows what his actual identity looks like, since nobody ever sees him, so that would explain the face covering during the trip, and the need for an alias.

Of Monsters and Madness

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday
Series Name: Of Monsters and Madness
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Egmont
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-60684-463-2
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Summoned to Philadelphia after her mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Annabel Lee hopes this new start will be her chance to make her dream of becoming a surgeon a reality.

But there are dark secrets in Annabel’s new home: whispers of strange activities, unsavory characters making deliveries in the dead of night, and a wave of murders sweeping the city. And when her father deems her interest in medicine unseemly and forbids her from practicing, she’s determined to prove him wrong.

With the help of handsome laboratory assistant Allan Poe and his unsettling cousin, Edgar, Annabel probes into her father’s research. But the links she discovers between the experiments being conducted, the stories Allan writes late into the night, and her new city’s gruesome crimes can be no coincidence. And she’ll sacrifice everything to stop them.

Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Of Monsters and Madness is a Gothic thrill for the modern age.

Personal & Info

I’m going to warn interested readers now, this book does not have an actual ending. It abruptly stops, then has a chapter that says two weeks later. That last chapter describes the premise for the second book in the duology. The second book, Of Phantoms and Fury, has no physical copy. It’s only available as an audiobook.

Characters

Annabel Lee is the main character. The story is in her first person present tense perspective. Based on the dates the book provides, Annabel is sixteen. For the last ten years, she’s been living in Siam with her mother.

Markus is Annabel’s father. He has a twisted foot that hinders his walking. His personality is not pleasant. He used to be a doctor, and he has a laboratory in the basement.

Grand-père is Annabel’s grandfather. We never get a name for him aside from how Annabel and the servants refer to him.

Allan Poe is Markus’s assistant. Everyone considers him to be a fine gentleman.

Edgar Poe is Allan’s cousin, and Markus’s assistant. Unlike Allan, he is not a gentleman, and everyone in the house avoids him.

Maddy is Annabel’s dressing maid. She is kind and apparently short.

Cook and Johanna are the house chef and chef’s assistant. They are both kind and hard working.

Mrs. Tusk is Annabel’s tutor. She is the former headmistress of Menard’s School for Girls.

Story & Thoughts

The story takes place in Philadelphia in 1826. Annabel has lived in Siam with her mother for the past ten years, until her mother fell ill and died. The book starts with Annabel arriving in Philadelphia by ship, payed for her by her father, whom she’s never met. She has been invited to live with him in his house that is completely different from her usual lifestyle.

From there, the story is rather simple. Annabel adjusts to living in a large house that has servants. She hardly ever sees her father, because he’s so busy with his work. During her free time, Annabel explores the house and discovers there are suspicious activities and secrets.

Edgar Allen Poe’s work is actually incorporated into the story. I didn’t catch on right away, because I’m not into poetry or classic literature. Some of the more common references jumped out at me and then the story started making more interesting sense.

I don’t want to say too much about anything, because it would be so easy to spoil the entire story. All I can really say is it’s definitely Edgar Allen Poe and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde smashed together, but it works. If you like one or both of those, then you might like this book. It’s just okay to me, but I’m not terribly familiar with either source material.

It bothers me that the book doesn’t have an actual ending. A more solid wrap up would probably earn it some extra points. The story also feels a little slow, because it’s the kind that builds things up until closer to the end. Nothing is very surprising, either, because knowing the inspirations for the story makes the bigger plot points obvious.

Pandora

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

Pandora by Anne Rice
Series Name: New Tales of the Vampires
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-375-40159-8
Rating: 2/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Anne Rice, creator of the Vampire Lestat, the Mayfair witches and the mazing worlds they inhabit, now gives us the first in a new series of novels linked together by the fledgling vampire David Talbot, who has set out to become a chronicler of his fellow Undead.

The novel opens in present-day Paris in a crowded café, where David meets Pandora. She is two thousand years old, a Child of the Millennia, the first vampire ever made by the great Marius. David persuades her to tell the story of her life.

Pandora begins, reluctantly at first and then with increasing passion, to recount her mesmerizing tale, which takes us through the ages, from Imperial Rome to eighteenth-century France to twentieth-century Paris and New Orleans. She carries us back to her mortal girlhood in the world of Ceasar Augustus, a world chronicled by Ovid and Petronius. This is where Pandora meets and falls in love with the handsome, charismatic, lighthearted, still mortal Marius. This is the Rome she is forced to flee in fear of assassination by conspirators plotting to take over the city. And we follow her to the exotic port of Antioch, where she is destined to be reunited with Marius, now immortal and haunted by his vampire nature, who will bestow on her the Dark Gift as they set out on the fraught and fantastic adventure of their two turbulent centuries together.

Personal & Info

This month (October, 2024) is my first time trying any Anne Rice novels. At this point, this is only the second. I might try more if I come across them, but I likely won’t go looking for them.

While this is not directly part of Anne Rice’s series, The Vampire Chronicles, it is associated with it. I haven’t read that series, so I’m basing my knowledge on what information I have been able to gather. The events and characters mentioned in chapter one are supposedly relevant to The Vampire Chronicles, but you do not need to be familiar with any of it to understand the meat of the book.

The New Tales of the Vampires series only has two volumes. The second book is Vittorio, The Vampire. I have no intention of reading it, but now you know what to look for if you do.

Content Warnings

You can expect the story to include or mention things that were normal in the historical time period in which the book is set. These include things like slavery, rape, grooming, and pedophilia.

Characters

Pandora is the main character. Her birth name is Lydia, and ever since her childhood, she’s always been smart and well-read. She is a citizen of Rome and daughter of a Senator. Her father, the Senator, is Maximus. She has five older brothers, two of whom are Lucius and Antony. I don’t recall any mention of names for the other three.

Marius is a friend of Pandora’s father, Maximus. He is a traveling scholar from a nation of people the Romans consider barbarians. He is also the only man Pandora has ever truly loved.

Flavius is a philosopher and scholar. He has an ivory leg, and has been a slave all his life.

David is the vampire who asks Pandora to write her memoir, and therefore, the recipient of her narration. There is another David in the story with a son by the name of Jacob, but they are not relevant to this David, and they only play a transitional role in the story.

Story & Thoughts

I admit, I didn’t know what this was when I got it. Upon seeing the title Pandora, my thought process led me to think about the Pandora of the Pandora’s box myth. That is not what this is, but the story does have Greek and Roman themes, which is something I tend to enjoy.

The book is basically a journal style memoir about this vampire Pandora’s life. This guy David Talbot makes a request in chapter one that she write it. He wants to know her story. That’s all fine and dandy, but chapter one is a slog! It was a struggle to get through four pages, let alone finish the chapter. Pandora spends the whole chapter reflecting on the request, the café she’s sitting in, the pen in her hand, the journal she’s writing in…Her musings are so boring and agonizingly slow. Plus, if you’re not familiar with The Vampire Chronicles, a chunk of what she talks about regarding other vampires is nonsensical.

Once the story gets going, though, it’s actually kind of enjoyable. I like things with Greek, Roman, or Egyptian themes, so the setting of Pandora’s history is at least interesting. I’m no history buff, but I think at least some of the things mentioned in the story are historically accurate. They line up with some other things I’ve read that have similar themes.

Pandora’s journey from child to adult to vampire is definitely interesting, but only enough for me to finish the book. It’s not very long, so her whole life is crammed into only about two hundred pages. The book could have been much longer. The majority of her existence is crammed into the last chapter. It literally glosses over everything in her life after her first night as a vampire. That’s practically the entire two thousand years. You can’t seriously tell me that nothing else interesting happened during those years. Apparently, Pandora feels only her sightings of Marius are worth mentioning.

I got some amusement out of this book, but all in all, I’m just glad it’s done. I have no interest in pursuing any of the other volumes or relevant series. It was okay, and it had its moments. That’s about all I can really say about it.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Series Name: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Grand Central/ Hachette
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4555-1017-7
Rating: 2/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

“My baby boy…” she whispers before dying. Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother’s fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire. Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, young Lincoln sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving the Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for almost two hundred years—until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln. Now, using the journal as a guide, Seth reconstructs the true life story of America’s greatest president. For the first time ever, he reveals the hidden history behind the Civil War—and uncovers the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of the nation.

Personal & Info

First of all, I must stress that I put the intended age group as adult, not because of anything violent or explicit, but because it’s important the reader have a mature enough mind to know fact from fiction. This book is completely fictional with some real history wrapped into the story. If you can’t tell on your own that this is a retelling of history with a fictional twist, then you shouldn’t be reading it.

This novel is part of a duology. The sequel focuses on Henry Sturges, and I’d likely enjoy that one more than this one, but I have no plans or interest to read it. It’s called The Last American Vampire.

I’m not a history buff, so my review will not be taking historical accuracy into consideration.

I got my copy pre-owned from a large sale. It saddens me to see that it was a Mother’s day gift signed by a bunch of family members that ended up donated. Also upsetting that the signatures are on the inside cover instead of one of the pages that are intended for things like that.

The movie adaptation for this book got the action movie makeover treatment. It is very different. Most of the characters have entirely different personalities, while others don’t even appear at all. If you can separate the book from the movie, they’re both good in their own ways, but neither is great.

Characters

Normally, this is where I would list all of the important characters. Unfortunately, the format of this book makes that a little difficult. Most of the characters only appear briefly, so I’m just going to list a few that have the most significant bonds with the main character and might be around for more than a couple passing mentions.

Abraham Lincoln is the main character. If you don’t already recognize the name from history class, I’ll be surprised.

Thomas Lincoln is Abe’s father. He lacks ambition and will only provide the bare minimum for his family.

Henry Sturges is the vampire in the introduction, and the first vampire to befriend Abe. He appears approximately twenty-five.

Jack Armstrong is a close friend of Abe’s from Clary’s Grove in the New Salem area. He is Abe’s first apprentice. His stature is large, but patience and planning are not his strong points.

Mary Todd is Abe’s wife, and cousin of John Stuart, who is Abe’s partner at a law firm.

Joshua Speed is Abe’s second apprentice. He’s considered annoying, but becomes a close friend to Abe.

Story & Thoughts

For me, this book is an opportunity to try something new, while sticking to a theme I enjoy. It is a sort of retelling biography. I don’t normally touch biographies, but my thought process is, maybe incorporating vampires into it will make it tolerable.

As it turns out, a biography with real world history in it that also has vampires is indeed more tolerable for me than a normal biography. However, it doesn’t make it entirely enjoyable. This book’s writing style focuses around a bunch of journal entries surrounded by narrative story telling. I have many problems with this.

I think my main complaint is the story progresses too quickly. The novel covers the life of Abraham Lincoln from birth to death, and I don’t think the book is big enough to do it justice. It’s hard to get attached to any characters when almost all of them barely stick around, or only get passing mentions. It might just be my preference for reading books in a series format, but I think this book might have been better as a series, so that it could delve more deeply into Abe’s life. I understand that probably wouldn’t work with this particular novel premise, though.

I can’t really complain about the story, since it focuses on real world history. It’s enjoyable enough, and the vampires weirdly fit in a believable way. I’m not a fan of all the dates scattered around. That’s part of the biography part of it, but they mean nothing to me, and the story would feel more natural without them.

What it really comes down to is I’m not a fan of the biography style. I’d much more enjoy a story just told like any other story. For me, the biography style detracts significantly from everything. I just feel like I wanted more than what I got from the book.

The Prince of Mist

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Series Name: Niebla
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Little, Brown/Hachette
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-20606-8
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

It’s wartime, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital city where they live and move to a small coastal village. But from the minute they cross the threshold of their new home, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house lurks the spirit of a young boy who died by drowning.

Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist—a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. With the help of their new friend Roland, the Carvers soon get caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and enchanted statues—an adventure that will change their lives forever.

Personal & Info

I got this book as one of many from a large sale. The cover looks like it has a ghost on it, so I figure it will be a decent spooky season read. There is a Q&A in the back of the book. I will not be reading that. I always skip those unless the book is exceptionally phenomenal.

The series as a whole is a trilogy. The second and third volumes are The Midnight Palace and The Watcher in the Shadows. Based on what I can tell from descriptions, I don’t think the story with these particular characters is ongoing. It looks like each book has a new set of characters.

Characters

Max Carver is the main character. He is thirteen and the majority of the story is in his perspective.

Maximilian Carver is Max’s dad. He’s a clockmaker, and is frequently referred to as “the clockmaker.”

Andrea Carver is Max’s mom.

Alicia Carver is Max’s older sister. She’s about fifteen.

Irina Carver is Max’s younger sister. She’s eight.

Roland is either sixteen or seventeen. He is the adoptive grandson of the keeper of the lighthouse, Victor Kray.

Victor Kray is Roland’s adoptive grandfather and the keeper of the lighthouse. He took up the post after arriving at the town via shipwreck.

Story & Thoughts

This book is a little too normal for my taste. It takes place in 1943 during the war, but the war is more of a setting detail for the time period than anything. The Carver family decides to relocate to a more rural oceanside town. They move into a nice house near the beach that has been sitting empty for years and that’s where the story actually starts.

The description is a bit misleading, so it should really be taken with a grain of salt. As the story progresses, it all seems very normal. The family gradually settles into the house, and the kids start to make friends. The mystery presents itself as a simple intrigue of looking at interesting things on the property, like an enclosed garden of statues, and unlabeled videos. It just has an inkling of it all being a little strange.

Eventually, some paranormal stuff starts to happen, but it’s just some minor eerie things. The house isn’t haunted. This is not that kind of story. There’s something bigger going on, and all the little things are a build up.

My biggest take away from the story is that it makes me think of Rumplestiltskin. That’s about as much as I can say without outright spoiling anything.

Initially I was going to rate it a 2.75, because the story is fine, but a little dull, since it mostly follows the day to day life of Max. But I like the later parts enough that I bumped it up to a three. What it comes down to is, the story itself is good, but it just isn’t my kind of book.

I’m not satisfied with the ending, either. If you want a story with a happy ending, this isn’t for you. I don’t care that it isn’t a happy ending, it’s just not the ending I wanted. At least it ends complete enough that I don’t feel the need to bother with the other volumes, because I don’t have enough interest to want to.