Bloodborne: The Veil Torn Asunder Part 1

Today's post is on Bloodborne: The Veil Torn Asunder Part 1 by by Aleš Kot and illustrated by Piotr Kowalski. It is 32 pages long and is published by Titan Comics. The cover has a hunter jumping on some prey. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the world of Bloodborne and seeing more of it. There is no foul language, no sex, and some violence in this comic. The story is told from third person close of the unnamed main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From Hoopla's page- The city of Yharnam: an ancient, gothic metropolis and home to the Healing Church.
The Healing Church is known for its miraculous blood-based curatives, of which many – citizens and travelers alike – seek to exploit.
Recent days have seen the city fall foul to a nightmarish plague known as the Ashen Blood disease, the source of which remains a mystery.
Trapped in a threatening world of gods and monsters, where reality is never what it seems, one man resolves to welcome the madness, and the truth it may reveal…

Review- Another new story in the world of Bloodbrone. We follow a unnamed character this time and he is going mad. He was researching something about the Old Ones but in the process he is losing his minds as happens. Again like in the Song of Crows we do not have a lot of written story telling but mostly in the art. I would like to know what he was looking for and why was he researching the Old Ones. Is he trying to deal with the Ashen Plague or something else? I still like the series but I am wanting more from it. I want more answers about the characters, who they are, and what drives them. Kot has been given more to create and I feel that he is just poking the lore and the setting instead of really engaging with it. I am going to see this arc to the end but right now I am not expecting too much.

I give this volume a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this comic using my local library's Hoopla account.

A Man & His Cat, volume 1

Today's post is on A Man & His Cat, volume 1 by Umi Sakurai. It is 148 pages long and is published by Square Enix Manga. The cover is yellow with the man and the cat on it. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. the intended reader is someone who wants a sweet pet story. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoiler Ahead.

From the back of the book- A kitten languished in a pet shop, unwanted and unloved. Even as his price drops with each passing day, no one spares him a glance unless it's to call him names. Having practically given up on life, the kitty himself is most shocked of all when an older gentleman comes into the store and wants to take him home! Will the man and the cat find what they're looking for... in each other?

Review- This is a wonderful manga but you are going to cry while reading this. Fukumaru, which means basically good fortune/joy, has decided that no one will ever love or want him to be their cat because he is not as cute as other cats. But one day an older gentleman come into the shop and picks Fukumaru. Then this manga becomes about their life together. It is sweet, the art is good, and if you are a pet owner you will feel this story in your heart. The opening is a little sad with Fukumaru being so lonely but that changes quickly and he comes to love and trust the man, Fuyuki Kanda, who needs Fukumaru just as much as Fukumaru needs Kanda. I love everything about this manga, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The next volume cannot come out soon enough.

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

Brimstone

Today’s post is on Brimstone by Cherie Priest. It is a standalone novel. It is 326 pages long and is published by Ace Books. The cover has a woman silhouetted in flame. The intended reader is someone who likes period pieces with a little darkness in them. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is from first person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book -In the trenches of Europe during the Great War, Tomas Cordero operated a weapon more devastating than any gun: a flame projector that doused the enemy in liquid fire. Having left the battlefield a shattered man, he comes home to find yet more tragedy for in his absence, his wife has died of the flu. Haunted by memories of the woman he loved and the atrocities he perpetrated, Tomas dreams of fire and finds himself setting match to flame when awake. . . .
Alice Dartle is a talented clairvoyant living among others who share her gifts in the community of Cassadaga, Florida. She too dreams of fire, knowing her nightmares are connected to the shell-shocked war veteran and widower. And she believes she can bring peace to him and his wife s spirit.
But the inferno that threatens to consume Tomas and Alice was set ablaze centuries ago by someone whose hatred transcended death itself. . . .

Review- This book is billed as a horror novel but it really isn’t. It has some horror elements like the bad guy being a living flame that wants to burn the world down but it is more like magical realism. By that I mean Alice and the other mystics’ abilities are just there and they work. Nothing fancy or shocking about their powers. The creature bad-guy is really horrid but not creepy or scary in a traditional sense. It wants what it wants and it wants to burn all the witches and then the world. Tomas is very sympathetic with his grief and PTSD and fear that he will never see his beloved wife again. I really enjoyed the setting of the book with Cassasdaga itself being a character and very important to the story. I recommend this book if you looking for a mix of light horror and magical realism.

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.

You Too?: 25 Voice Share Their #MeToo Stories

Today's post is on You Too?: 25 Voice Share Their #MeToo Stories edited by Janet Gurtler. The cover is black with drawn portraits of the authors. It is 320 pages long and is published by Inkyard Press. Te intended reader is young adult or someone interested in the stories from the #MeToo movement. There is some mild foul language, discussion of sex, sexual abuse, incest, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A timely and heartfelt collection of essays inspired by the #MeToo movement, edited by acclaimed young adult and middle-grade author Janet Gurtler. Featuring Beth Revis, Mackenzi Lee, Ellen Hopkins, Saundra Mitchell, Jennifer Brown, Cheryl Rainfield and many more.When #MeToo went viral, Janet Gurtler was among the millions of people who began to reflect on her past experiences. Things she had reluctantly accepted—male classmates groping her at recess, harassment at work—came back to her in startling clarity. She needed teens to know what she had not: that no young person should be subject to sexual assault, or made to feel unsafe, less than or degraded.You Too? was born out of that need. By turns thoughtful and explosive, these personal stories encompass a wide range of experiences and will resonate with every reader who has wondered, “Why is this happening to me?” or secretly felt that their own mistreatment or abuse is somehow their fault—it’s not. Candid and empowering, You Too? is written for teens, but also an essential resource for the adults in their lives—an urgent, compassionate call to listen and create change.

Review- This is a intense series of essays about a big issue that young women in the modern world have and will deal with. Some of the essays are more intense with topics within them and some are milder but they all reflect something that the readers will understand and maybe learn how to better deal with. While this will be a tough read at time, it is a worthy one. Moving, interesting, at times very hard to read but still has merit, I would recommend this book.

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.

Yona of the Dawn, volume 9

Today's post is on Yona of the Dawn, volume 9 by Mizuhi Kusanagi. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. As it is the ninth in the long running series you need to have read the first eight in the series to understand what is going on. The cover has Zona and Zeno on it. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story id told from third person close of Yona with some from other characters to add to the overall narrative. There Be Spoiler Ahead.

From the back of the book- Zeno, the Yellow Dragon, joins Yona’s party, and now the Four Dragons are finally assembled! Yona and her friends head to Yun’s birthplace in the land of the Fire Tribe. The people in the area not only have to deal with famine, but are forced into poverty by heavy taxes. What measures will Yona and her friends take to protect the town from oppressive government officials?

Review- With all the dragons together, Yona now has to decide what to do but fate is on the move for her again. Yun goes to see from friends from a very poor village in the Fire Tribe and sees corrupt officials taking food from starving children and Yona cannot not do something. She wants to face the kingdom her father made and then do what she can to help. This volume is more about world-building than last few have been with seeing how the Fire Tribe is leading and what they are doing in their lands. We meet Lord Tae-Jun again and he is suffering from believing that he killed Yona. It will be interesting to see what happens when he sees her again. Good volume and I cannot wait to see more.

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.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, vol 8: My Best Friend’s Squirrel

Today’s post is on The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, vol 8: My Best Friend’s Squirrel by Ryan North (Author) and Erica Henderson (Artist). It is 316 pages long and is published by Marvel Comics. The cover has Squirrel Girl riding Silver Surfer’s board with friends.  The intended reader is someone who has read the previous volumes. There is no foul language, no sex, and comic violence in this volume. The story is told from third person close of the characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Journey to the Forbidden Pla-nut!
When Nancy and Tippy find themselves on an alien world where all is not what it seems, Squirrel Girl must find a way to get to the other side of the universe to save them. And fast! Intergalactic transport through the cosmic realm? This sounds like a job for the Sorcerer Supreme! Doctor Strange will be only too happy to...wait, what's that? Doctor Strange is gone and now Loki is Earth's Sorcerer Supreme? Oh. Well, I'm sure he'll do his best. After all, what could possibly go wrong? Be here as everything possible goes wrong!

Review- Another wonderful volume of Squirrel Girl’s adventures. Lots of characters, misunderstandings, and time hijinks. The first half of the volume is going to save Nancy and Tippy from getting eaten, at least that is the way it looks. Squirrel Girl gets Loki to help as he loves Nancy and the Silver Surfer makes an appearance as a maybe bad guy but not really. The last half is Doreen and Nancy trying to escape from hyper-speed and having to live their lives in that. The stories are fun but with this comic it really is the characters that you are reading for. They are so fun, creative, and just great to spend time with. I recommend this comic series and this volume.

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.

Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World

Today's Non-Fiction post is on Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World by Shannon Watts. It is 304 pages long and is published by Harper Collins. The cover is white with a picture of the group Moms Demand Action on it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the group Moms Demand Action, interested in learning how to create a group movement, or someone who is interested in gun lobby and government. There is mild foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Protecting Kids from Unsafe Gun Laws Takes a Movement of Moms.
Shannon Watts was a stay-at-home mom folding laundry when news broke of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Outraged, Watts decided to do something about it. Fight like a Mother is the incredible account of how one mother's cry for change became the driving force behind gun safety progress. What started as a simple Facebook group to connect with other frustrated parents grew into Moms Demand Action, a national movement with millions of supporters and a powerful grassroots network of local chapters in all fifty states.
Watts has been called 'the NRA worst nightmare'- and her army of moms has bravely gone up against the gun lobby, showing up in their signature re shirts, blocking the hallways of Congress with their strollers, electing gun sense candidates and running for office themselves, and proving that if the 80 million moms in this country come together, they can put an end to gun violence.
Fight like a Mother will inspire everyone- mothers and fathers, students and teachers, an anyone motivated to enact change- to get to work transforming hearts and minds, and passing laws that save lives.

Review- An interesting, moving, and informative nonfiction read about how a grassroots movement can be a true force to be reckoned with. Watts starts with herself at home the day of the Sandy Hook shooting and the horror that overcame her. From there we travel with her from her creating her Facebook page all the way to 2018 and all the ways that Moms Demand Action have moved across America. Watts gives good advice about starting a movement, about having goals, and having expectations. It is very written, not overly emotionally but it does not play down the seriousness of gun violence and the trauma of those who survive it. This is both a useful guide for movements and a a study in gun violence in America. I enjoyed reading this and I would recommend it.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book as a gift.

Fire in His Fingertips: A Flirty Fireman Ravishes Me with His Smoldering Gaze, volume 1

Today's post on Fire in His Fingertips: A Flirty Fireman Ravishes Me with His Smoldering Gaze, volume 1 by Kawano Tanishi. It is 166 pages long and is published by Ghost Ship. The cover has the two main characters on it looking as each other. The intended reader is ADULT as this manga has adult content. There mild foul language, sex and sexuality, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character Ryo. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Passion Ablaze!
Ryo tries to set up her strapping fireman  friend Souma with a co-worker from her office, but her matching-making efforts hit a brick wall. It turns out that Souma has the hots for Ryo instead. And when a fire breaks out in Ryo's apartment, it's Souma who comes to the rescue and the heat really gets turned up for the fiery couple!

Review- This is a josei manga witch is a manga written for adult women. Like all other manga you have levels and this manga is on the high end of josei with explicit content. That said I enjoyed it. Ryo doesn't see that he childhood friend Souma has always been interested in her and Souma doesn't know how to tell her that it's her he wants to date. So we have our plot, Ryo not understanding Souma and Souma trying to express himself to Ryo. Nothing ground breaking but it interesting that this manga was brought over in the first place and such a strong explicit one at that. If you are curious about josei manga when give this one a look.

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

The Gospel of Winter

Today’s post is on The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely. It is 296 pages long and is published by Margaret K. McElderry Books. The cover is grey with a shadow of a young man behind the title which is red. The intended reader is someone who is interesting in issues books, books about dealing with sexual abuse, or are interesting the Catholic priest scandal from the eyes of a victim. There is mild foul language, drug use, talk of sex and sexual abuse, and no violence in this novel. The story is told from the first person perspective of the main character Aidan. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- As sixteen-year-old Aidan Donovan’s fractured family disintegrates around him, he searches for solace in a few bumps on Adderall, his father’s wet bar, and the attentions of his local priest, Father Greg- the only adult who actually listens to him.
When Christmas hits, Aidan’s world collapses in a crisis of trust when he recognizes of Father Greg’s affections. He turns to a crew of new friends to help make sense of his life: Josie, the girls he just might love; Sophie, who’s a little wild; and Mark, the charismatic swim team captain whose own secret agonies converge with Aidan’s.

Review- With a topic this intense it could be easy to mishandle it but Kiely does not do that. He handles this story with concern but he does not tone down the seriousness of the topic. It is not graphic but the reader knows what is happening when Aidan has a flashback or when he hears Father Greg with his new boy. Aidan is very troubled and has no idea about what to do. He does not want to deal with it, he wants to pretend that nothing happened to him, and then just move on with his life. But as we travel with Aidan, we see just how much Aidan is suffering from his past.  Aidan is trying forget doing that with Adderall and alcohol but he is just drowning in his pain and it's not working. When he starts to make some friends who all having problems too that’s when things start to unravel for his inner life. Mark was once Father Greg’s boy too and he is trying to deal with that and being gay. Aidan and Mark are both dancing around what happened to them and they have different ways of dealing with it. The story does not have a real resolution but more of an open ended close and that feels accurate to real life. I do recommend this book for older teens and adults who want to look at the Catholic sex scandal from a different angle.

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

The Secret Serial Killer: The True Story of Kieran Kelly

Today's post is on The Secret Serial Killer: The True Story of Kieran Kelly by Robert Mulhern. It is 196 pages long and is published by Pen and Sword True Crime. The cover is a picture of Kieran Kelly. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime and unsolved murders. There is mild foul language, discussion of sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Journalist Robert Mulhern has spent three years investigating claims Kieran Kelly, a two-time convicted killer, has in fact murdered amn more people- 31 to be exact. Kelly's claims first emerged in 193 after he killed his cellmate in London's Clapham Police Station, having been arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Under questioning, the labourer from Ireland candidly confessed to strangling the prisoner to dozens of unreported and unsolved murders over the previous 30 years.
Kelly's victims died from stabbing, strangulation and blunt force trauma. Others survived being thrown in the path of trains on the London Underground.
Detectives believed they were in the presence of Britain's most prolific serial killer, yet Kelly's claims escaped public scrutiny for three decades. Then in 2015, a former police officer alleged the murders had been covered up the British Government. A sense of urgency gathered around the case; a new investigation begged to be undertaken. Especially after it emerged that remains, thought to be human, had been discovered on the site of Kelly's one-time home in Ireland. Against the background of intense international media interest, London's then Metropolitan Police chief, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, committed to revisited the case. In this thrilling new book we cross two countries and three police forces in search of the truth.
Using new eye-witness testimonies, the case of Kiernam Kelly, has been been methodically rebuilt, with new evidence gathered from a range of sources in Britain and Ireland. Fighting a fog of contradictory claims, the narrative pursuit of the Secret Serial Killer negotiates a series of curious twists before culminating in a bizarre showdown on the commons that Kelly himself once stalked.

Review- This is a circuitous narrative that ends up nowhere and I am not sure if that is the author's fault or the story itself. Kieran Kelly was in jail when he killed a fellow inmate then he confessed to thirty odd more murders to the police. The author Mulhern comes into the story of Kelly much later as he contacted by the former police officer Geoff Platt and then Mulhern begins his own investigation into the crimes himself. It is very detailed with interviews with people who knew Kelly, worked on his cases on both sides of it, and get access to files but not all of them. That is one of the questions this book brings up why is some of the Kelly case open to the public but not all and what parts are not? The murders are terrible but he Kelly kill any of the other people he claimed to have or is it the just delusions of a sick man? In the end I am not sure of anything. This book, in my opinion, just rises more questions about the cases around Kelly than answers.

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.

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Vol. 1: Heed My Call, Beast! Part 1

Today's post is on Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Vol. 1: Heed My Call, Beast! Part 1 by Yoshinobu Akita, Muraji (Illustrations). It is 180 pages long and is published by Seven Seas Published. The cover has Orphen in the canter looking cool and dramatic. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy and adventure manga. There is mild foul language, no sex, and action violence in this series. The story is told from the third person close of Orphen. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- He calls himself Orphen: a rogue sorcerer who turned his back on the Tower of Fangs, the powerful academy that trained him. In those hallowed halls, a terrible curse fell upon his best friend Azalie, twisting her into a monstrous beast…and the teachers decided to simply cover it up. Forsaking his studies and even his own name, Orphen now wanders the land searching for Azalie, and a cure for what she has become. It won’t be easy–a quest brimming with adventure, spells, and swords awaits!

Review- This is a great first volume. We get everything we need for a series start, the hero, the quest, some mildly funny/annoying sidekicks, and a girl with more strength than brains and it is a good start! Orphen is a classic manga that is having new life breathed into it and I am very pleased with the results so far. Lots of action in this volume to off set the very dark story about magic gone wrong. Lots of world building, character introductions, and plot threads going on in this volume so we should get going really fast from here now. I am looking forward to the next volume.

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

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces

Today’s post is on Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero. It is 284 pages long and is published by Cinco Puntos Press. The cover is green with a young woman pieced together from different pictures in the center. The intended readers are young adults. There is mild foul language, implied and talk of sex, and talk of violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of Gabi. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy's pregnancy, Sebastian's coming out, the cute boys, her father's meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity.For all the gorditas, flaquitas, and in-between girls trying to mke their space in the world. Don’t worry, you got this.

Review- This is a moving and interesting book about a young woman making her own space. The story is told from Gabi’s journal over the course of her senior year of high school. Gabi is a senior and trying to make the best choices for where to go for college. She is going to college and she wants to go to Berkley but she is not sure if she is good enough to get in. Then there is her family, her mother wants her to stay home and not get pregnant, her father is a meth addict and is spiraling out of control, and her younger brother is starting to act out; add in her friends’ problems and we have our story. The writing is great, the characters are interesting and believable, and the plot is engaging. Gabi is a good protagonist with flaws, hopes, and goals. Gabi writes about her world and it is very real reflecting the real world back at the reader. She makes good choices, bad choices, and has to learn to live with the choices of others too. If you are looking for a real world based novel with an interesting main character, I would recommend this novel.

I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book as a gift.