Tag: Magic

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 4

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 4 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
Series Name: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Genres: Adventure, Elves, Fantasy, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Sunday
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2725-4
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

The village priest Sein has no intention of becoming an adventurer, but his desire to find a long-lost friend may lead him to join Frieren’s party on their journey north. They are headed for the magical city of Äußerst, where Frieren can obtain the first-class mage certification needed to enter the Northern Plateau region. At Fieren’s urging, Fern decides to take the certification exam as well, and faces some unexpected competition…

Personal & Info

I’m slowly catching up on this series. I want to be up to current volumes before I watch the anime, which is supposed to come out sometime later this year.

Characters

Frieren is an elf mage famous for defeating the demon king with her companions around 80 years ago. She’s a bit of a slob and rather lazy. Her hobby is collecting any and all types of magic spells, no matter how useless they may seem.

Fern is Frieren’s mage companion and apprentice. She seems to take a motherly role in caring for Frieren.

Stark is Eisen’s apprentice. He has low self confidence, but great skill as a warrior.

Sein is the party’s new priest. He seems to be the peacemaker of the party.

Story & Thoughts

The story picks up where volume three left off. The group is in a village trying to recruit a priest for their travels. Of course, the guys also get their stuff back. It doesn’t seem like they learn their lesson, though, because there’s a panel later that implies they lose it again. Sein and Stark shouldn’t gamble. They obviously aren’t good at it.

After they leave the village, they continue their travels to Äußerst. This series is the best I’ve seen at actually portraying travel. I mean, aside from a few gems, like maybe Inuyasha, for example. It takes a certain kind of skill to cover travel without it getting dull. There are plenty of random encounters and towns to visit.

It always seems like someone learns something, or some of them grow closer from the events of their journey. None of it feels insignificant, and the characters themselves are wonderfully portrayed enough to make their interactions entertaining. Stark and Fern are lucky to have Sein with them, because they appear to be navigating some difficult times communicating with each other due to their young ages. Frieren is not one to assist in mediating things like that.

Based on their interactions, I’m starting to ship Stark and Fern. They always want to apologize to each other, but don’t know how. They have definitely gotten more comfortable with each other compared to when Stark first joined the party. Fern seemed almost mean to him back then.

Near the end of the volume, they finally make it to Äußerst, where they can take the first class mage exam. Either Fern or Frieren will need to pass. They need one first class mage certification to get permission to continue their main quest of going to Ende in search of Aureole. The test itself will be in the next volume.

Bofuri, Vol. 1 (LN)

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Bofuri, Vol. 1 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: 978-1-9753-2273-1
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Though she doesn’t play many MMOs, Maple has either a natural talent or impossibly good luck, because by pouring every last stat point she has into Vitality, she’s created a character who can’t be hurt! Whether it’s physical attacks or magic or status effects, nothing poses a real threat. In no time at all, news spreads across the server about the adorable terror who can’t be defeated. While Maple may just be having fun, her broken build is sure to attract lots of unexpected attention…

Personal & Info

This is a title I’ve seen around frequently, but when it comes to isekai or video game theme series, I like to be careful with my selections. Those genres are so popular right now, it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth trying. I didn’t decide to try the series until a friend recommended it, and I didn’t get around to having a copy until that same friend sent me one for my birthday.

I’m trying to expand my light novel collection, so for things that have them, I choose to get the light novel versions. The manga for this is probably amusing. The light novel is funny enough, but seeing more visuals must be hilarious. I’ll probably get the manga eventually to have both.

For others getting the light novels, the cover style of the book is the papery kind, not the glossy kind. Because of this, I think it’s a little more flimsy. Mine has a small tear on it just from picking it up and setting it down a few times. I don’t recall doing anything rough enough to cause that, so you might want to be careful with how you handle it. Or maybe I was just unlucky, who knows.

Characters

Kaede Honjou, player name Maple, is the main character. She does not know how to play video games, which leads to her putting all points into her defense.

Risa Shiromine, player name Sally, is Maple’s friend. She introduces her to the game, but she doesn’t join her until about halfway through the book, because her parents are making her study to get her grades up.

Story & Thoughts

I wasn’t sure if this was an isekai or not going into it. It is not. This series is about a VR game with the title New World Online, and Kaede’s time playing it.

The chapters are short, and the story is funny with a fast pace. The prologue and chapter one were all I needed to get hooked. Now I have to add this series to the list of many that I need to buy.

I love how much creativity the game allows. I wish games really had this many realistic options. It’s like anything you can think of can be applied to the game mechanics, even if it’s a little ridiculous. Maple’s gameplay experience proves this time and time again.

The gaming community for NWO is so wholesome. Everyone in the forum wants to watch over Maple, because regardless of her build, she’s still new to the game. That is so much better than most of the gaming communities I hear about.

Some of the conversations are not entirely clear about who is speaking, so you have to pay attention to the context.

There’s a bonus chapter at the end. It mostly covers some sightseeing and things Maple does to get materials for her white shield.

If I have to complain about something, I think it’s how much time the grinding at the end takes. By then, they are both just trying to obtain skills and items while time is elapsing until the second event. That felt a little draggy to me.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 3

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 3 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
Series Name: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Genres: Adventure, Elves, Fantasy, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Sunday
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2724-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

An old enemy returns as Frieren continues her journey north. Decades ago, Frieren and her party defeated a servant of the Demon King called Aura the Guillotine, one of the powerful demons known as the Seven Sages of Destruction. Now Aura is back with a score to settle. But what price did Frieren pay for victory in the past, and how will the choices she made then affect the present?

Personal & Info

I haven’t been to the bookstore in a while due to holidays and various other reasons. I grabbed this on my birthday while going around to a couple different stores. This is definitely a series I intend to read long term.

Characters

Frieren is an elf mage famous for defeating the demon king with her companions around 80 years ago. She’s a bit of a slob and rather lazy. Her hobby is collecting any and all types of magic spells, no matter how useless they may seem.

Fern is Frieren’s mage companion and apprentice. She seems to take a motherly role in caring for Frieren.

Stark is Eisen’s apprentice. He has low self confidence, but great skill as a warrior.

Story & Thoughts

The story here picks up where the previous volume left off dealing with the demons. Those events take up more than half the book. It’s the first really serious battle in the series so far. Not necessarily serious for Frieren, but definitely for Fern and Stark.

There are several flashbacks. The story uses them to show how Frieren originally learns certain skills or advice. They come up frequently for showing what affects her decisions in handling her traveling companions, too. It seems like she had little to no social skills before she became an adventurer.

I love the dramatic moment where Frieren reveals her true strength to Aura. Stark and Fern’s first battle with demons is pretty great, too. The advice Stark applies from Eisen is amusing, but also not wrong.

For an Elf who claims an adventure was only a measly ten years long, that adventure seems to have changed her significantly and drastically affected her thinking and morals.

It looks like the group might be getting a new party member. That will likely be solidified in the next volume.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 2

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 2 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
Series Name: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Genres: Adventure, Elves, Fantasy, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Sunday
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2723-0
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Elf Mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

At Eisen’s urging, Frieren and her apprentice Fern head north seeking the land where heroes souls are said to rest, which also happens to be the location of the Demon King’s castle. Along the way, they meet Eisen’s apprentice, whose fighting skills may come in handy – though the Demon King is long gone, his surviving minions have unfinished business with Frieren!

Personal & Info

I forgot I already bought this. Well, I guess that means I can read it sooner than I expected. At the time I am typing this, I already have volume three, so it will follow soon. Anything after three is going to take a little while to get and review. I don’t know when, but I’ll review them quickly once I obtain them.

I highly recommend this series for anyone who likes elves or D&D or fantasy. It’s so good it might even be one of my new favorites.

Characters

Frieren is an elf mage famous for defeating the demon king with her companions around 80 years ago. She’s a bit of a slob and rather lazy. Her hobby is collecting any and all types of magic spells, no matter how useless they may seem.

Fern is Frieren’s mage companion and apprentice. She seems to take a motherly role in caring for Frieren.

Stark is Eisen’s apprentice. He is a powerful warrior whose never seen any actual combat.

Story & Thoughts

Frieren recruits another traveling companion in this volume. Eisen has an apprentice who has run out on him. His name is Stark, and while he has great skill, he lacks confidence. A warrior will be a helpful addition to the group.

The story is gaining more traction as Frieren sets out to complete a goal. She is heading to Ende in search of Aureole, so she may speak with her dead friend Himmel. It takes approximately ten years to reach Ende, and with Frieren’s leisurely pace, it could take far longer than that.

Things get more intense toward the end of the volume. A town is dealing with demons, and in imminent peril, because they are not as aware of demon nature as Frieren. Apparently her reputation is well known among demons.

I love how Stark and Fern interact. Their conversation while clearing the landslide cracks me up.

The art is beautiful. I never tire of looking at it. There’s just something about the style that makes it cute, but also serious, and the backgrounds are always so detailed.

The elf perspective is still done great. Frieren is ready to wait possibly more than three years for permission to pass through a gate, but her comrades are having none of that. We also get a vague idea of how long Frieren will live. Ten years is apparently less than one one-hundredth of her life. It’s mind boggling to think about.

The Night Circus

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Genres: Historical, Magic, Romance
Intended Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Anchor
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-307-74443-2
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque de Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Amidst the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.

Personal & Info

I’m reading this as a recommendation from a friend. Upon receiving this recommendation, I was told the ending is probably the weakest part of the story. I disagree. I think the ending is pretty good. The book feels like a Romeo and Juliet type story, so the ending seems fitting in my opinion.

If anything, I think the first half of the book is the weakest. Everything takes forever to actually feel like things begin. It took me several months to get through the book because of that. It’s interesting enough because of the concept and writing, but it just feels so slow. About halfway through, everything seems to pick up drastically. That’s also when the romance starts to get emphasis.

This is a rather complicated book. Events can be hard to keep track of because chapters tend to jump forward and backward in time. The events involving Bailey occur in the future for most of the book until the main story catches up to that point. I recommend paying extra attention to which year the story is on, and maybe flipping back to double check the dates.

Characters

Hector Bowen, Prospero the Enchanter, is Celia’s father. He doesn’t come across as the greatest dad.

Alexander, Hector’s rival, has different ideals than Hector. He chooses to teach a child from an orphanage to compete against Celia.

Celia Bowen is the female lead. She is the daughter of Hector Bowen, and appears to be naturally gifted with the same talent as her father.

Marco Alisdair, the male lead, is the boy from an orphanage Alexander chooses to teach.

Chandresh Christophe Lefèvre is a theatrical producer. Bowen describes him as wealthy, eccentric, forward thinking, a bit obsessive, and somewhat unpredictable. He assembles the committee to create the circus without knowing it is the venue for the competition.

Ana Padva is a retired Romanian prima ballerina. She’s known for her impeccable sense of style, and she helps plan the circus.

Tara and Lainie Burgess are sisters who look very much alike. They do a little bit of everything, and help plan the circus.

Ethan Barris is an engineer. He commissions the famous clock for the circus, helps plan the circus, and collaborates with elaborate projects for both sides of the competition.

Friedrick Thiessen is the artisan who makes the clock for the circus. He also becomes a huge fan of the circus itself.

Bailey Clarke is an average farm boy. His family has an orchard and sheep. He loves the circus.

Poppet and Widget are fraternal twins born on opening night of the circus. They have unique talents.

Tsukiko is the contortionist Chandresh hires for the circus, but there is more to her than anybody knows.

Isobel is a girl Marco meets early in the book. She seems like a love interest right off the bat, and her role in the story is more important then one might think.

Story & Thoughts

As the description says, there is a competition occurring in the circus. However, I don’t think the competition itself is the main aspect of the story. To me, I get the feeling the story focuses more on what surrounds the competition and the effect it has on everything around it.

The competition itself is extremely inhumane. The contenders have no choice in the matter and are arranged to compete at young ages. Hector and Alexander both use rather inhumane and cruel methods of teaching. Marco is left alone constantly to study things he doesn’t understand. Celia is taught more psychologically in ways that could be as traumatizing as they are productive. The rules of the game are not even made clear until near the end.

There are first person perspectives throughout the book to portray the perspective of a circus goer. I’m not fond of these. They seem unnecessary, but I guess they are probably trying to emphasize the amazement of the circus experience.

The writing is very vivid. Morgenstern knows how to paint a picture with her words without doing too much or too little. All of the descriptions make for an enjoyable read.

I like all of the characters. They seem well defined and detailed despite there being so many. The interactions and reactions are as enjoyable as the detailed descriptions. I especially like the scene where Marco first lays eyes on Celia for her audition. His reaction there is priceless, probably one of my favorite parts in the whole book. I just love how her performance rattles him.

The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! Vol. 1

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The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! Vol. 1 by Shiroichi Amaui, Konekoneko, Tamagonokimi
Series Name: The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon!
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic, Vampires, Wolves
Intended Age Group: 16+
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64651-334-5
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Now that he has reached 20 years of age, self-proclaimed mediocre demon Chrono Alkon is eager to begin his mandatory year of schooling in the Demon King’s castle. It’s his dream to spend the year having fun and making friends, but when he gets a shocking result in his class designation test, that dream is put in jeopardy. To make things even more difficult, Chrono is from a small remote village and has little sense of what is considered “normal” at school. As the resident country bumpkin, he finds himself facing maddening misunderstandings and unexpected adventures. Will this “mediocre” demon ever have the peaceful school life he’s always wanted, or will he be derailed by the demons who understand him better than he understands himself?

Personal & Info

I found this at my local book store on a day when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy anything.

It does have slavery aspects in it, so if you don’t like that kind of thing, it might not be for you. The way the story presents it is not abusive or anything, though. It’s actually accidental and contributes to the main story. Kind of like how How Not to Summon A Demon Lord starts off with accidental slavery.

Characters

Chrono Alkon is the main character. Apparently he is a Jinn, but I’m not sure which lore, if any, this series uses for that.

Grude Vogney is the class bully, but he seems easily disarmed by Chrono’s antics. I get some Bakugo vibes from him.

Sofia Grave is a vampire princess. I have no idea what kind of lore they are using for this. She has wings, and nobody mentions anything about any sunlight issues.

Liza Malta Philanikos is the current Demon King. She’s short and busty.

Dante is one of the faculty members of the school. He seems to be the primary instructor, and some sort of canine in the furry category.

Yukino Salmard is a lycanthrope. She does not appear to be one in the traditional sense, but more of the person with animal ears way. She’s a veteran in the Special Exploration Unit.

Story & Thoughts

I’m wary of trying isekai and fantasy manga these days because they are so popular and there are so many. Because of that, I don’t want to commit to any unless I try reading the first volume. I am so glad I tried this one. It’s fantasy, starring demons, with an over powered main character.

Generally, I tend not to like over powered main character tropes, but this one does it right. Chrono is powerful, without being intentionally cool or edgy. He doesn’t even think he is powerful, hence the, “self proclaimed mediocre,” part of the title. It makes the story so much more enjoyable, and adds wonderful comedy.

The characters are charming and amusing. I think the Demon King seems a little weak for her title, but that might just be a reflection of how strong Chrono actually is. Even the bully character, Grude, is amusing. His interactions and reactions with Chrono are hilarious.

By the end of the volume, I think I’m getting some possible harem vibes, but I don’t know enough about the series to be sure. What I do know is the three girls in his life all seem very fond of him. I would not be surprised if it goes in that direction.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 1

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
Series Name: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Genres: Adventure, Elves, Fantasy, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Sunday
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2576-2
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

Decades after their victory, the funeral of one of her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning a new adventure…

Personal & Info

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this series, and it popped up regularly in advertisements. When I saw it in my local bookstore, I made sure to grab it to give it a try.

People who enjoy fantasy, stories about elves, or D&D will probably like this series. I definitely plan on continuing to read and review it. It might not happen quickly, but it’s definitely on my list of things to continue.

Characters

Frieren is the main character. She is the elf mage in a party that defeats the Demon King and then goes their separate ways. She’s also a bit of a slob and rather lazy.

Himmel is listed as the hero of the party. He is the pretty boy with a heart of gold.

Heiter is the priest of the party, constantly called corrupt by his comrades because of his drinking and ideals.

Eisen is the Dwarf warrior of the party.

Fern is an aspiring mage in the care of Heiter. She becomes Frieren’s new companion in her travels.

Story & Thoughts

I hear this series is a bit of a tear jerker, and I can see why. The cover is beautiful, but the implications start immediately. Upon opening the book, the first page is a blackened out version of the cover image, so all you see is Frieren sitting by herself with barely visible shadows of her friends beside her. As the elf of the party, it is her fate to outlive everyone she meets.

The first chapter does a good job pointing out the differences in how an elf thinks compared to the average person. Her life span is so much longer that while everyone is commenting on how it’s been a long ten years and discussing retirement from adventuring, Frieren is thinking of it as having been ONLY ten years. What is a long time to her companions feels more like five minutes to her. The comments she makes in this chapter really drive the point home. She talks about meeting up in fifty years like it’s nothing.

When the reality of her life span becomes obvious to her, Frieren decides to travel. Her reasons are unclear to herself, but I think she wants to honor her comrades and clean up whatever messes are left unfinished. She thinks her reasons are to learn more spells and do tasks specifically for herself in a form of self gratification, but I’m sure there is more to it than that.

The elf perspective is done wonderfully, and the responses to Frieren’s behavior and ideals as an elf are great. It is perfectly understandable for a human to get a little impatient spending six months simply looking for a flower.

Calluna (Spell Library #4)

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

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

Personal & Info

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

Characters

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

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

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

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

Elias, I believe he is an angel.

Story & Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lupine (Spell Library #3)

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

Description

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

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

Personal & Info

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

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

Characters

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

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

Story & Thoughts

I like the story and the characters.

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

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

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

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

Juniper (Spell Library #2)

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

Description

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

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

Personal & Info

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

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

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

Characters

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

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

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

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

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

Story & Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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