Dark Watcher

Today’s post is on Dark Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow. It is 178 pages long and is published by Imajinn Books. It is first in her Watcher series. The cover has a storm in the back ground and the main male character looking over his shoulder towards the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy, very mild romance, and high action. There is foul language, no sex, and violence in this short story. The story is told from third person close of the characters moving from one to the next as the story goes. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-  The Lightbringer: Theodora Morgan knows she's a little strange. Her talent for healing has marked her as different all through a life spent moving from town to town when someone notices her strangeness. Now she has a home, and she doesn't want to leave--but she's been found. The Crusade wants her dead because she's psychic, the Dark wants to feed on her talent, and then there's Dante. Tall and grim and armed with black-bladed knives, guns, and a sword, he says he's here to protect her. But what if he's what Theo needs protection from most?

The Watcher: Dante is a Watcher, sworn by Circle Lightfall to protect the Lightbringers. His next assignment? Watch over Theo. She doesn't know she's a Lightbringer, she doesn't know she's surrounded by enemies, and she doesn't know she's been marked for death by a bunch of fanatics. He can't protect her if she doesn't trust him, but how can she possibly trust a man scarred by murder and warfare--a man who smells like the same Darkness Theo has been running from all her life?

Review- This is a fine novel but I wanted more romance from this story. With a blurb that the one above you would expect more of a love story but it is barely touched on. Theo is the only one who can ease Dante’s pain but that is never explored. The world building is fine and I think that this happens in the same world as her Dante Valentine series but I am not totally sure about that. The magic is neat and understandable and the villains are evil enough. But the lack of relationship building between the two main characters makes it lose a star. I did like it enough to read the next one and I think that I will like it better because now I know that there will be little to no romance in spite of how the book is described.

I give this short story a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight volume 1

Today's post is on Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight volume 1 by Rin Mikimoto. It is 188 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover is a close-up of the main character  looking pretty and pensive. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo magna, Cinderella stories, and funny love stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told in third person close of the main character Hinana. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- STARSTRUCK At school, Hinana is an honors student, respected by all her classmates. She's totally above things as juvenile as crushes and dating. Secretly, though, she has but one wish: To have a fairy-tale romance. One day, a super-hot celebrity named Kaede shows up at Hinana's high school to shoot a movie, and it becomes difficult to keep up her act. By pure chance -- or y'know, fate! -- Kaede reveals his own ridiculous personality to Hinana, and her ordinary life turns breathtakingly romantic! Or just really, really... weird?!

Review- This is a very cute re-telling of Cinderella in modern day Japan. Hinana is very serious and wants to be seen as serious but she is also has a soft-spot for love stories and romance. She wants an old-fashioned romance but she is not sure about how to get it or who to have it with. Then she meets the hero Kaede and he is used to people not taking him seriously because he is pretty and there is some shady stuff in his past about how he got his fame but he is earnest and I like him. I liked so much about this manga and I have high hopes for this series now.

I give this manga volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Maltese Falcon

Today’s post is on The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. It is 213 pages long and is published by Orion. The cover is yellow with the falcon in profile. The intended reader is someone who likes classic mysteries, hardnosed detectives, and very surprising subplots. There is foul language, sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of Spade himself. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Sam Spade is hired by the fragrant Miss Wonderley to track down her sister, who has eloped with a louse called Floyd Thursby. But Miss Wonderley is in fact the beautiful and treacherous Brigid O'Shaughnessy, and when Spade's partner Miles Archer is shot while on Thursby's trail, Spade finds himself both hunter and hunted: can he track down the jewel-encrusted bird, a treasure worth killing for, before the Fat Man finds him?

Review- I am familiar with Sam Spade from Old Time Radio and so I had a very different idea about who Sam Spade is. The radio Sam Spade is not that bad of guy, a little rough around the edges but not a bad person. The Sam Spade in the novel is not that guy. Sam Spade in the novel is a very hard man. He is survivor of World War One but that is not what makes him. What makes him is how uncaring he is about others. In pursuit of his goal he does not care about anything else. He will use anyone, in every way to get what he wants. He is not bad but he is not a good guy. The plot starts out very general with a missing sister and then a murdered partner but it takes a very sharp left into the strange when the Knight Templers are added in. Of course nothing is as it seems and Spade does get his revenge and the foundation of a genre is the end goal.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Murders That Made Headlines: Crimes of Indiana

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Murders That Made Headlines: Crimes of Indiana by Jane Simon Ammeson. It is 211 pages long and is published by Indiana University Press. The cover is a close up of a broken doll. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime and Indiana history. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and description of violence in this book. The stories are told from newspapers and other firsthand documents. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Even the most sensational and scandalous crimes can disappear into history, the spine-chilling tales forgotten by subsequent generations. Murders that Made Headlines reveals some of these extraordinary but forgotten true events that captured the public's attention in the course of the last 200 years. Jane Simon Ammeson recounts the astonishing and sometimes bizarre stories of arsenic murders, Ponzi schemes, prison escapes, perjury, and other shocking crimes that took place in the Hoosier state. When we think of bygone eras, we often imagine gentile women, respectable men, simpler times, mannerly interactions, and intimate acquaintances, but Murders that Made Headlines reveals the notorious true crimes lurking in our history.

Review- Historic true crimes that made headlines in Indiana and were very shocking for their time makes this book an interesting read but the so-so writing pulls down what could have been an exciting read. Ammeson does her research very well, with all the newspaper articles about the eleven crimes she writes giving a look into the way these crimes were reported and talked about in their time. With much of each chapter being devoted to the newspaper, letters, and other firsthand accounts, the reader really gets into the way that crime was reported and was handled in Indiana’s past. But the writing is hard get into and at times very confusing. I would have liked Ammeson to take a stronger editorial hand with her resources and make them less confusing to read. She does talk about how hard it was to work with this resources but I would not have minded is she had reedited the stories and just gave a source list at the back of the book. The crimes were shocking and it was interesting to read the first hand resources but it was still too much of a good thing and in the end dragged the narratives down.

I give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Claymore volume 7: Fit for Battle

Today's post is on Claymore volume 7: Fit for Battle by Norihiro Yagi. It is the seventh in the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the six volumes to understand the story. It is 185 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clare from the end of the volume on it looking at the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, high action, and strong female characters. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, and lots of violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Fearing that she's no match for the deadly Claymore named Ophelia, Clare spirits her companion Raki away to relative safety. But no matter how far they run they won't be able to escape Ophelia's heightened senses. And now that Ophelia knows that Clare has awakened, she will not rest until she has destroyed Clare.

Review- I had some real anxiety for Clare in this volume. Ophelia has lost her mind and only wants to kill Clare no matter what. But even in her insanity, she is still an excellent fighter and she comes very close to killing Clare. But Clare is saved by an unlikely source and the course of the story changes. One of Claymores who has sent after Teresa finds Clare and Ophelia and saves Clare. Ophelia does have character growth in this volume because by the end of it I felt sorry for her as she becomes the monster that she hates so much. But Clare still has a fight in front of her if she is going to stop Ophelia and save herself.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Ms. Marvel volume 3: Crushed

Today’ s post is on Ms. Marvel volume 3: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson (Goodreads Author), Takeshi Miyazawa (Artist), Elmo Bondoc (Artist). It is 112 pages long and is published by Marvel Comics. The cover has Ms. Marvel punching a glass window out towards the reader. The intended reader is someone who has read the first two volumes, likes superheroes, and fun story lines. There is no foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of Kamala. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kamala faces a new, terrifying threat: Excessive feelings!
Love is in the air in Jersey City as Valentine’s Day arrives! Kamala Khan may not be allowed to go to the school dance, but Ms. Marvel is! Well sort of--by crashing it in an attempt to capture Asgard’s most annoying trickster! Yup, it’s a special Valentine’s Day story featuring Marvel’s favorite charlatan, Loki! And when a mysterious stranger arrives in Jersey City, Ms. Marvel must deal with...a crush! Because this new kid is really, really cute. What are these feelings, Kamala Khan? Prepare for drama! Intrigue! Romance! Suspense! Punching things! All this and more! The fan-favorite, critically acclaimed, amazing new series continues as Kamala Khan proves why she’s the best (and most adorable) new super hero there is! Plus, see what happens when S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jemma Simmons goes undercover at Kamala’s school!

Review- This collection has four different stories in it including with everyone’s favorite Agent Coulson, that is the last one and ends with Kamala getting noticed by Coulson much to her joy. But a real villain has been introduced and he hints that someone else in Kamala’s family has inhuman powers. But the volume ends without answering a big questions about where the other inhumans are when Kamala gets kidnapped by the villain. But overall the stories in this volume are great with more character development and Kamala’s world getting a little bigger. I cannot wait to read what is going to happen next.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this volume from my local library.

Codename: Sailor V volume 1

Today's post is on Codename: Sailor V volume 1 by Naoko Takeuchi. It is 276 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has Sailor Venus in the center making a 'V' for victory sign at the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes classic manga and shojo manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and very mild violence it in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Minako. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Like Sailor Moon, Minako Aino is a normal 13-year-old schoolgirl until a fateful day when a white cat introduces himself to her and tells her she has the power to transform into the hero, Sailor V. Using a magic pen to transform, Sailor V fights the evil agents of the Dark Agency as she strives to protect the earth.

Review- A fun beginning to a the Sailor Moon saga. I love(d) Sailor Moon as a teenager when it first came over to the US so it was fun to see where the storygot Takeuchi started . We even get to see some of the other Sailors in the background of  Minako's adventures. The main purpose of this volume, if not the second one as well, is setting up the world for the Sailor Moon saga. We get to see some of the bad guys and their world. We get to see Sailor Venus as she gets her super-hero feet under her and we get some of the mystery that is the heart of Sailor Moon. I had a every nice time with this volume and I am curious about how and where the prequel is going to end.

I give this volume Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Mrs. Jeffries Dusts for Clues

In today’s post is on Mrs. Jeffries Dusts for Clues by Emily Brightwell. It is the second her Mrs. Jeffries series. It is 184 pages long and is published by Berkley. The cover is green with the title in the title and a top hat on it. The intended reader is someone who read the first volume, likes cozy mysteries, and humorous plots. The story is told from third person close of the characters moving from one to the next over the course of the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A servant girl and a priceless brooch vanish at the same time, and it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. The Inspector finds the brooch on a dead woman-but where's the missing servant? Fortunately, Mrs. Jeffries isn't one to give up on a case just because of a few loose ends . . .

Review- Another delightful mystery from Brightwell. The previous volume ended with Mrs. Luty Belle Crookshank asking Mrs. Jeffries to look for a young friend of hers that was missing. The police soon discover her clothes but not her or her shoes. From there we get another mystery from below stairs. With Mrs. Jeffries at the head and the other servants has her hands, she uncovers an interesting plot. The inspector is still as kind but a little thick-headed, the other servants are really starting to get their own personalities adding much to the story, and Mrs. Jeffries is as wonderful a character as the in the first one. I did guess the reason behind the murder but I still very much enjoyed the journey to the end. I look forward to the next volume which is going to have spiritualism and maybe even a ghost.

I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

1917: Vladimir Lenin, Woodrow Wilson, and the Year that Created the Modern Age

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by Harper Collins. 

Today's Nonfiction post is on 1917: Vladimir Lenin, Woodrow Wilson, and the Year that Created the Modern Age by Arthur Herman. It is 448 pages long and is published by Harper Collins. The cover has the eyes of the two leaders with the title below in red. The intended reader is someone interested in World War 1 history. There is some mild language, no sex, and talk of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- In 1917, Arthur Herman examines one crucial year and the two figures at its center who would set the course of modern world history: Woodrow Wilson and Vladimir Lenin. Though they were men of very different backgrounds and experiences, Herman reveals how Wilson and Lenin were very much alike. Both rose to supreme power, one through a democratic election; the other through violent revolution. Both transformed their countries by the policies they implemented, and the crucial decisions they made. Woodrow Wilson, a champion of democracy, capitalism, and the international order, steered America's involvement in World War I. Lenin, a communist revolutionary and advocate for the proletariat, lead the Bolsheviks' overthrow of Russia's earlier democratic revolution that toppled the Czar, and the establishment of a totalitarian Soviet Union. Men of opposing ideals and actions, each was idolized by millions-and vilified and feared by millions more. Though they would never meet, these two world leaders came to see in the other the evils of the world each sought to eradicate. In so doing, both would unleash the forces that still dominate our world, and that continue to shape its future from nationalism and Communism to today's maps of the Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe. In this incisive, fast-paced history, Herman brilliantly explores the birth of a potent rivalry between two men who rewrote the rules of geopolitics-and the moment, one hundred years ago, when our contemporary world began.

Review- This is a very hard, dry read about a very interesting time in history. Herman does his research , which was excellent with notes about sources and other materials, but he forgot to make his book engaging. Reading this book was not easy. It was dry, it was overloaded with details that did not add to the overall narrative, and it was boring at times. Herman takes the reader from the begins of the First World War, briefly, then he get into the meat of his book which is how these two very different leaders shaped the war and the world after it. Herman gives so much information that I was lost at times about why one detail mattered so much in the sea of everything he deluged me with, sometimes I could not even tell which detail he wanted to make more important. In the end I was very disappointed with this book because it sounds so interesting but Herman loses the power of his reading of history in all the details of that history.

I give this book a Two out of Five stars.

Claymore volume 6: The Endless Gravestones

Today's post is on Claymore volume 6: The Endless Gravestones by Norihiro Yagi. It is the sixth in the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the five volumes to understand the story. It is 189 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clare fighting the Awakened Being from the last volume alone. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, high action, and strong female characters. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, and lots of violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Clare and her fellow Claymores are nearing the end of their strength in their battle against the Awakened Being- a male ex-Claymore who can no longer control his Yoma powers. Not only is Clare the weakest among them, but she has taken the brunt of the creature's attacks as well, and yet she may be their only hope of discovering the Awakened Being's weakness.

Review- Like the past few volumes we have the ending of one plot and the beginning of another. The other Claymores that Clare was send with are very powerful, much more so than her, but the leader discovers Clare's true strength is that she can track Yoma energy. That is why she can fight Yoma so much more powerful than herself and win. It turns out they were send to die because they have been causing trouble and looking into things that the Organization does not want them to know. Clare is then sent to fight another Awakened Being but the real monster is the other Claymore. The other Claymore, Ophelia, is blood crazed and does not care for any life. She kills who she wants and if there are witnesses she kills them too. She discovers that Clare is half-Awakened and wants to kill her at all costs. That is where the volume ends. Ophelia is scarier than any other monster we have read about in the series so far and I do not think that Clare can win this fight without a high cost.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Whose Body

Today’s post is on Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers. It is 212 pages long and is published by Harper Torch. It is the first in Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey series. The cover has the main character on it looking at a clue. The intended reader is someone who likes mysteries, classic mysteries, and interesting characters. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from the third person god perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The stark naked body was lying in the tub. Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder -- especially with a pair of gold pince-nez deliberately perched before the sightless eyes. What's more, the face appeared to have been shaved after death. The police assumed that the victim was a prominent financier, but Lord Peter Wimsey, who dabbled in mystery detection as a hobby, knew better. In this, his first murder case, Lord Peter untangles the ghastly mystery of the corpse in the bath.

Review- A wonderful classic mystery made of great writing, interesting characters, and thrilling murders. Sayers gives the reader a treat in this book with a cunning murderer and a even more cunning detective. Lord Peter is funny, clever, and a good man who is trying to settle back into a world after the war but the World War 1 is not behind him but still in his mind and sometimes right in front of him. It is a subtle touch that makes this book feel set in the real world. I did not guess the villain until Lord Peter was alone with him and he was going to kill him but Lord Peter outsmarted him and saves the day. An excellent read and I look forward to more.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.