The Cursed Princess and the Lucky Knight

 

Today's post is on The Cursed Princess and the Lucky Knight by Uta Narusawa and art by Takashi Kiriya, It is 196 pages long and is published by Cross Infinite world. The cover the two main characters on it. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy romance stories. There is very mild foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of the characters, moving as the plot needs. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- She's got the money. but he's got all the luck!
After mysterious deaths and misfortune ravages her family and leaves plucky Duchess Sonia de Clare orphaned in the Royal Abbey, Sonia is forced to take matters into her own hands when the king orders her into an arranged marriage to fulfill her duty as the surviving heiress to the massive Clare fortune.
Fully prepared to marry the dashing prince of the kingdom and retake her home Sonia is only met with disappointment when she discovers who her mysterious groom to be is.
But when her own castle turns against her in a series of horrifying supernatural phenomena, Sonia quickly discovers te noble knight Sir Cristford Cortot is far more capable of protecting his cursed princess than any foppish prince ever could!

Review- A very fun, quick read with cute characters and a fun setting. Sonia is the last living member of the powerful de Clare family and she has been protected for most of her life. Protected both from the curse and from knowledge of the curse, her godfather, the king feared that she would give into despair if she knew that her family were murdered and now she was next. Sir Cristford is a blessed and powerful knight, so blessed in fact that the pope believes that Cristford can protect Sonia as she goes to defeat the cursed and the one who cast it. The art for this light novel is good, I would liked more illustrations as they added a lot to the story. This is a good, fun romance read, the translation is pretty good, and the characters are fun. Sonia is brave and even when she felt scared and unsure about what she should do, she never give up. Cristford is a good male lea, he is funny, brave, and willing to whatever it takes to help and save Sonia. The love story is in the background but very sweet. I would like to read more by this author. 

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

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life

 

Today's nonfiction post is on The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield. It is 328 pages long and is published by Random House. The cover is a picture of Friedman. The intended reader is someone who is interested in women's history, code breaking, and World War II history. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In the summer of 1916, a young woman from Indiana set out to solve a mystery. It involved an oddball millionaire, a volume of Shakespeare's plays, and the secret world of codes and ciphers. Within a year, she had transformed herself into one of America's top code breakers.
During World War I, Elizebeth Smith Friedman cracked thousands of messages, but that was only the beginning of her brilliant career. In the 1920s and 1930s, she pitted her wits against the mob. When World War II broke out, she hunted Nazi spies.
Despite her fame, she was a woman of many secrets, and later she was pushed into the shadows. To get the true measure of her hidden life, you must delve deep, the way a code breaker would, searching for the truth that lies just out of sight.

Review- An interesting and well researched biography of a hidden woman and what she gave her country. Elizebeth Smith Friedman was a woman who refused to hide her gifts and in fact, she insisted on using them for her country. She learned how to break codes with her future husband and together, they they broke codes for the Army in WWI. Then she continued to work to stop mobsters and then Nazis. Her life was full of challenges, not just from the codes but from the men around her, the men on both sides of the law and the wars. They underestimated her and the mob/Nazis paid the price for doing so. This is a biography written for young adults but the writing is excellent and an adult who wants to learn about Friedman will not be bored with this book. It is very well researched from primary resources from letters and other first hand documents. 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.

Remina

Today’s post is on Remina by Junji Ito.  It is 250 pages long and is published by Viz Media. The cover is an illustration of the planet Remina and frightened people. There is mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes horror and cosmic horror stories. The story follows different characters closely. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-  I MET REMINA'S EYE.

An unknown planet emerges from inside a wormhole, and its discoverer, Dr. Oguro, christens the celestial body "Remina" after his own daughter. His finding is met with great fanfare, and Remina herself rises to fame. However, the planet picks up speed as it moves along in its curious orbit, eliminating planets and stars one after another until finally Earth itself faces extinction… Is the girl Remina the true cause of the catastrophe? A masterwork of horror from Junji Ito, unfolding on a universal scale.

THE PLANET NOTICED OUR EXISTENCE...

Review- Another masterpiece by Ito. A new planet is discovered at the end of the universe and is named after the finder's daughter, Remina. But the planet is seen to be moving across the universe and looks like it is coming for earth. People decide that the planet is being summoned by Remina and she wants to kill all life. Things get dark from there. Ito really gets into cosmic horror in this manga with an unstoppable hungry planet eating its way across the universe and coming for earth. Lots of action in this manga with not much in way of characters or character development. This one is all about the unstoppable horror coming for everyone. I enjoyed this manga and Ito is a master. 

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. 

The Hollow Heart

 

Today's post is on The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski. It is 296 pages long and is published by Farrar Straus Giroux. It is the second in her Forgotten Gods duology, you need to have read the first novel to understand the story. The cover has Nirrim on it with blood coming from her ears and a crown of leaves on her head. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy with a strong historical flavoring and queer characters. There is mild foul language, implied sex, and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from multiple view points changing every chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- At the end of The Midnight Lie, Nirrim offered up her heart to the god of thieves to restore her people's memories of their city's history. The Half Kith who once lived imprisoned behind the city's wall now realize that many among them are powerful. Meanwhile, the person Nirrim once loved most, Sid has returned to her home country of Herran, where she must navigate the politics of being a rogue princess who has finally agreed to do her duty.
In the Herrani court, rumors begin to grow of a new threat rising across the sea, of magic unleashed on the world, and of a cruel black-haired queen who can push flase memories into your mind so you believe your dearest friends to be your enemies.
Sid doesn't know that this queen is Nirrim, who seeks her revenge against a world that has wronged her. Can Sid save Nirrim from herself? Does Nirrim even want to be saved? As blood is shed an war begins, Sid and Nirrim find that it might not matter what they want... for the gods have their own plans.

Review- An okay conclusion to a great first half. Nirrim has sold her heart to free her people and then becomes their queen. She wants to free all slaves and punish all masters, no matter who those people really are. Sid has been called home to discover who is trying to kill her mother, the queen. They are separated until near the end of the book but that is not what makes this book so bland to me. I think that Rutkoski wants to take her world to a new level of fantasy and is using this book to do with all the gods and magic we see in it. In fact one of the points of view we have is of the god of lies, wo is telling a story in background about the past. I would like to see more this world, as I really enjoyed The Winner's Curse series and this is a direct sequel to that trilogy. I am willing to read more Rutkoski but I hope that for her next series, she can recapture the magic of Curse and The Midnight Lie. 

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

Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood

 

Today's nonfiction post is on Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood by Stephen Mills. It is 318 pages long and is published by Henry Holt and Company. The cover is a picture of a lake with the woods behind it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in survival memoirs. There is some foul language, discussion of sexual abuse, and mild violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- At thirteen years old, Stephen Mills is chosen for special attention by the director of the Jewish summer camp, a charismatic social worker intent on becoming his friend. Stephen, whose father had died when he was four, places his trust in this authority figure, who first grooms and then molests him for two years.
Stephen tells no one, but the aftershocks rip through his adult life, as intense as his denial: self-loathing, drug abuse, petty crime, and horrific nightmares, all made made worse by the discovery that his abuser is moving from cap to camp, state to state, molesting other boys. Only physical and mental collapse brings Stephen to confront the truth of his boyhood and begin the painful process of recovery- as well as a decades-long crusade to stop a serial predator, find justice, and hold to account those who failed the children in their care. 
The trauma of sexual abuse is shared by one out of every six men, yet few have broken their silence. Un flinching and compulsively readable, Chosen eloquently speaks for those countless others and their families. It is a rare act of consummate courage and generosity- the indelible story of a man who faces his torment and his tormentor and, in the process, is made whole. 

Review- This is a moving memoir of survival and healing from great trauma. Mills was already traumatized before he met his abuser, as his mother refused to speak of his biological father at all, in fact she tried to erase him from their lives. So Mills felt cut off from a father figure, then his abuser comes into his life. After follows a tragically standard abuse script and Mills does not hold back on details but he does describe the events from his child's perspective. The reader travels with Mills on his long journey towards the truth and honesty about what happened to him. At times it is very hard to read this book because Mills does not hold back but I was so invested in Mills and his journey, that I could not leave him half-way. I needed to see him deal with his trauma and find life and hope on the other side. I would recommend this book but with a warning about the sexual abuse that Mills survived. 

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

Revolutionary Girl Utena, Vol. 2: To Plant

Today’s post is on Revolutionary Girl Utena, Vol. 2: To Plant by Chiho Saitō.  It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover is an illustration of Utena and Touga. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes classic shoujo manga, deeply philosophical stories, and great art. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-  Utena gains entry to the Ohtori Academy's inner circle -- the sword-fighting student council. Destiny seems to have brought her together with council leader Touga, but is she merely a pawn in his mysterious scheme?

Review- Utena learns more about the world she has chosen to be part of but there is still so much that she doesn’t understand and no one is trying to explain it to her. In this volume it is more about Utena and her new relationships with the other Rose knights. They all have received letters that led them, like Utena, to the World’s End and to duel there. But the other duelists soon see that Utena is special because a glowing man comes from the castle to help her fight and win. But the volume ends with Touga pretending to be Utena’s prince and I am curious about how she is going to handle this and what she is going to do to him when it is revealed that he is lying to her. 

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

 

Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, vol 2

 

Today's post is on Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, vol 2 by Reia and illustrations by Haduki Futaba. It is 242 pages long and is published by Airship. The cover has Iris, Dean, and Berne on it, looking very glamorous. As is it the second volume in the series, you need to have read the first novel to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes political books with a light side of romance and court drama. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is mostly told from first person perspective of Iris with some parts of chapters told from third person close of different characters for world and character building. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The Perils of High Society
When Iris was expelled from the royal academy, she was banished from high society. Two years later, she may be the beloved acting governor of Armelia and president of a flourishing company, but she dares not consort with the rest of the nobility. Now she's received an invitation to the annual Foundation Day celebration- an invitation from the royal family no less, who she cannot afford to refuse/ Thrust into the fray of society politics, Iris must rapidly learn to stand her ground, lest she lost everything she's worked so hard to build. 

Review- This volume starts to have lots more of the court and political drama, as Iris is back in the capital by invitation from the queen dowager. In the capital, Iris doesn't waste her time and does more than just go to parties. She gets a feel for what is going on between the two princes and what the 'heroine' is doing. Then someone starts to move against her and tries to have her removed from the state church. With the help of her friends and the work she has done, Iris able to save her family and reputation. This volume has good character, plot, and world growth, and the reader gets a sense of how much time has passed from the beginning of the story. I really enjoyed this volume with all the things that I have listed above. Things are moving in the background of the story that is going to be very interesting to see what is going to happen. 

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

Shadowman: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling

 

Today's post is on Shadowman: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling by Ron Franscell. It is 292 pages long and is published by Berkley. The cover is black with a picture of man and a map underneath him. The intended reader is someone who is interested in historical true crime and the creation of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. There is some foul language, discussion of sexual violence, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- On June 25, 1973, a seven-old-year girl went missing from the Montana campground where her family was vacationing. Somebody had slit open the back of her tent and snatched her from under their noses. None of the family members had seen or heard anything. Susie Jaeger had vanished into thin air, plucked by a shadow. 
The largest manhunt in the state's history ensued. As days stretched into weeks, and weeks into months, Special Agent Pete Dunbar sough help from FBI Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, where two agents had hatched a radical new idea: What if criminals left a psychological trail that would lead us to them? Patrick Mullany and Howard Tenten had created the Behavioral Analysis Unit to explore this new "voodoo" they called "criminal profiling."
They built the FBI's first profile of an unknown subject; The UnSub who snatched Susie Jaeger and another victim. Their deductions led to the capture of a cunning and savage serial killer. he victims' parents had closure. And police work would never be the same. 

Review- An interesting case and interesting to read about the beginning of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The story starts with two other deaths, both ruled as accidental but of course the reader knows that someone odd is going on. Then we get into the kidnapping of Susie Jaeger. Her sister wakes up and discovers that their tent has been cut open and her younger sister, Susie is gone. Within hours the whole park and county is looking for her but there is a lot of uninhabited land in Montana. Because it is a kidnapping the local FBI agent takes the case. The case itself is very interesting, with lots of questions about how and why, the FBI agent Pete Dunbar is an interesting man who is willing to take risks to get justice. The risk is inviting the infant Behavioral Analysis Unit into the case. At the time, the BAU was not seen as very trustworthy, just some headshrinkers who wanted to play cops. But with this case BAU and profiling started to the respect and understand that it has today. The writing is good, the mystery does keep you guessing but not for long, and the ending is as happy as it can be considering this is true crime. I would recommend this book for true crime fans. 

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.

Sweat and Soap, Vol 4

Today’s post is on Sweat and Soap, Vol 4 by Kintetsu Yamada.  It is 189 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover is an illustration of the main characters, Asako and Natori. There is no foul language, mild sex and sexuality, and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes josei manga, mature love stories, and sweet characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-  Dinner and Dread.
Natori and Asako are back from their first trip together, a romantic getaway to Hokkaido. But when Asako returns to the office, her anxiety comes back, too, because it’s time to let their secret out and reveal their relationship to their coworkers. Natori sets up an outing to introduce Asako to his teammates in product development. But this is a far cry from the accounting department, and Natori’s coworkers all seem fashionable, ambitious, cool- on a whole different level! Suddenly, those moments spent soaking in the hot spring bath seem so far away!

Review- The blurb is just the first part of the story but the main plot threads in this volume are about Natori and Asako starting to talk about moving in together. Natori brings it up very casually but then they both panic a bit about it for different reasons. Natori is afraid that Asako has misunderstood him and Asako is worried about him not liking her as much once he sees her all the time and lives with her flaws. But as usual with this manga, they handle these problems like adults and talk about them. That is the best thing about this manga, the fact that Asako and Natori act like adults and communicate with each other. I look forward to the next volume. 

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

A Caribbean Mystery

 

Today's post is on A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie. It is 272 pages long and is published by William Marrow. The cover has a cruise ship and a bright blue sky on it. The intended reader is someone who likes mysteries. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close mainly following Miss Marple but other characters at time. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- As Miss Marple Sat basking in the Caribbean sunshine, she felt mildly discontented with life. True, the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here in paradise nothing ever happened.
Eventually, her interest was aroused by an old soldier's yarn about a murderer he had known. Infuriatingly, just as he was about to show her a snapshot of this acquaintance, the Major was suddenly interrupted. A diversion that was to prove fatal. 

Review- A masterpiece from the queen of crime herself. Miss Marple is vacationing and she is bored out of her mind when Major Palgrave starting her a story about a murderer that he knew back in India. When he dies the next day under strange circumstances, Miss Marple is on the case. What follows is an interesting and twisty mystery with a very active Miss Marple. She is out following people, breaking into other's rooms, and getting other people to help with a little bit of blackmail; anything to get justice and make her holiday more interesting. I recommend this classic and everything by Christie. 

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

Scoundrel: How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved Him, the Conservative Establishment, and the Courts to Set Him Free

 

Today's nonfiction post is on Scoundrel: How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved Him, the Conservative Establishment, and the Courts to Set Him Free by Sarah Weinman. It is 447 pages long and is published by Harper Collins. The cover is a newspaper article about him and his different victims. The intended reader is someone who is interested in historical true crime and politics. There is some foul language, some discussion of sex and sexuality, and some violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The astonishing story of a murderer who conned the people around him- including conservative thinker William F. Buckley Jr.- into helping set him free.
In the 1960s. Edgar Smith, while on New Jersey's death row for the murder of teenager Victoria Zielinski, struck up a correspondence with William F. Buckley, who refused to believed that a man who supported the conservative movement could have committed such a heinous crime, began to advocate not only for Smith's life to be spared but also for his sentence to be overturned.
So begins a bizarre and tragic tale of midcentury America. Sarah Weinman's Scoundrel leads us through the twists of fate and fortune that brought Smith to freedom, book deals, fame, and eventually to attempting murder again. In Smith, Weinman has uncovered a psychopath who slipped his way into public acclaim and acceptance before crashing down to earth once again. 
From the people Smith deceived- Buckley, the book editor who published his work, friends from back home, and the women who loved him, among others- to Americans who were willing to buy into his lies, Weinman explores who in our world is accorded innocence, and how the public becomes complicit in the stories we tell one another.
Scoundrel shows, with clear eyes and sympathy for all those who entered Smith's orbit, how and why he was able to manipulate, obfuscate, and make a mockery of both well-meaning people and the American criminal justice system. It tells a forgotten part of American history at the nexus of justice, prison reform, and civil rights, and exposes how one man's ill-conceived plan to set another man free came at the great expense of Edgar Smith's victims. 

Review- A well written true crime story with good notes and index for personal research, if wanted. Weinman, whose first book I have read, does a good job with this story and all the very different personalities that are in this story. It is very clear who the reader is with and how they are involved with Edgar Smith. The book begins with an introduction about the crime and the people the reader is about to follow. Then we get right into the story with the first known victim, Victoria Zielinski, her life and her death. The police do their job and they find their man, convict him, and that should have been the end of Smith's story. But instead he came to the attention of one of the great conservative thinkers' and Smith did what he always did and conned him, just like everyone else in his life. I enjoyed this book and Weinman handled the subject with insight and care for the all of Smith's victims. I would recommend this true crime book. 

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.

Yakuza Lover, Vol. 4

Today’s post is on Yakuza Lover, Vol. 4 by Nozomi Mino.  It is 176 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has the two main characters in an embrace. As it is the fourth in the series you need to have read the first three volumes. There is mild foul language, sex and sexuality, and mild violence in this manga. The intended reader is someone who likes josei manga, adult themes, and complicated love stories. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Yuri. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- Yuri and Oya’s relationship faces complications when Oya’s father, the boss of the syndicate, issues a warning to Yuri, demanding she cut ties with Oya and the yakuza. When Oya finds out, the situation turns explosive. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman enters the fray, adding brand-new challenges to the star-crossed couple’s growing love.

Review- Most of this volume is fluff with some plot threads being put out there. Yuri meets Oya’s father and the boss of the family. She impresses him with her bravery and loyalty to Oya. Then the story jumps to an unknown woman who wants Oya for herself. But the rest of the volume is Yuri and Oya being together and having fun both in and out of bed. I like to see that Yuri is having her own life outside of Oya and their relationship, yes she does think about it and plan for how it will effect her life but Yuri is doing the things she wants. She is not just waiting for Oya to call, she has friends, school, and a job. I look forward to seeing what is going to happen next. 

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

 

Vampire Hunter D: Tale of the Dead Town

 

Today's post is on Vampire Hunter D: Tale of the Dead Town by Hideyuki Kikuchi and art by Yoshitaka Amano. It is 167 pages long and is published by Dark Horse Published. The cover is a close up illustration of D. The intended reader is someone who likes dystopian, horror novels. As it is the fourth novel in the series, it would be helpful to have read the first three novels for context. There is some mild foul language, mild sexuality, and violence in this novel. The story is told from third person god perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- When vampires attack a floating city, only one man can save paradise.
The City, a tiny metropolis of a new hundred sheltered citizens floating serenely on a seemingly random course a few feet above the ground, has long been thought safe from the predation of marauding monsters. It seems like a paradise.
A paradise shattered when an invasion of apparent vampires threatens the small haven. While the Vampire Hunter known only as "D" struggles to exterminate the scourge, a former denizen of the City, the attractive Lori Knight, and the brash John M. Brasselli Pluto VIII seize control of the City, lurching it onto a new and deadly course. D's travails are just beginning.

Review- This is a very fast paced novel with a lot of characters and the reader gets to see a newish side of D, during his interactions with others. It starts with D helping Pluto and Knight fight off some beasts on the frontier. They head to the floating city where somehow a vampire has gotten on board and is feeding on the citizens. This is the first novel that directly references any of the previous novels, the girl from the first novel and what is learn about the Scared Ancestor from the third novel. The plot is more than just find the vampire with all the characters in this novel. From Pluto with his strange body jumping ability to the doctor who has some strange fighting training, there is more than just what the reader has gotten from the previous novels. I hope that future novels are done more in this style. 

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