The Water Dragon's Bride, Vol. 9

Today’s post is on The Water Dragon's Bride, Vol. 9 by Rei Toma.  It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover is an illustration of Subaru. As it is the ninth in the series, you need to have read the first eight volumes to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes classic Japanese mythology stories. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- Kurose and the god of darkness conspire to take control of the emperor of Naga’s throne, and they have no qualms about using Asahi to do it! Worried for Asahi’s safety, the water dragon god decides it’s best to return her to her former world, but does Asahi want to go?

Review- The god of darkness really brings his villain a game in this volume with manipulative not only Asahi and her friends by the human he stole but what he is end game? The water dragon god is trying to protect Asahi, who doesn’t want to leave her friend in danger. So now they are on the run from another puppet of the god of darkness and that pushes Asahi and the water dragon god into a corner. With only two volumes left I have no idea how this is going to end or how it can really end well. 

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. 

Into the Sublime

Today's post is on Into the Sublime by Kate A. Boorman. It is 359 pages long and is published by Henry Holt and Company. The cover has  girl half submerged in a cave with light behind her. The intended reader is someone who likes young adult horror novels and coming of age novels. There is some foul language, no sex, and some violence in this novel. The story is told from first person perspective of the main character, Amelie. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Amelie Desmarai's story begins with believably enough: Four girls from a now-defunct thrill-seeking group planned an epic adventure to find a subterranean lake that Colorado locals call the Sublime. Legend has it that the lake has the power to change things for those who risk- and survive- the descent. Each of the girls had her own reason for going. For Amelie, it was a promise kept to beloved cousin, who recently suffered a tragic accident during one of the group's dares.
But as her account unwinds, and the girls' personalities and motives are drawn, things get complicated. Amelie is hardly the thrill-seeking type, and it appears she's not the only one with the ability to deceive. Worse yet, Amelie is covered in someone's blood, but whose, exactly? And where's the fourth girl?
Is Amelie spinning a tale to cover her guilt? Or was something inexplicable waiting for the girls down there? Amelie is the only one with answers, and she's insisting on an explanation that is more horror/fantasy than reality. Maybe the truth lies something in between?
After all, strange things inhabit dark places. And sometimes we bring the dark with us.

Review- This is a great read for spooky season. Amelie wants to face herself and make peace with her cousin's accident. The other girls have similar goals but something else is down there with them as they make their way into the sublime. The story is told from two ways in the present and the past as Amelie is speaking with police after the girls are found. She is covered in blood and the only one conscious, so she is only telling the story about what happened in the dark and in the sublime. Amelie starts at the beginning with the girls arriving at the trailhead to the caves and then her story only gets stranger. The writing is strong but the characters are the real draw to this story, as all the girls have secret motives for being there and what they bring with them into the dark. A great read and I look forward to reading the next book by this author. 

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

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 4

Today’s post is on A Man and His Cat, Vol. 4 by Umi Sakurai.  It is 164 pages long and is published by Square Enix Manga. The cover is an illustration of Utena and Touga as they duel. As it is the fourth in the series, you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes sweet stories about found family and pets. The story follows the main characters, Fukumaru and Kanda. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- Fukumaru might find it hard to imagine, but not everyone is Mr. Kanda's biggest fan! Kanade Hibino, a rival concert pianist, detests Mr. Kanda and his musical genius. But when Kanade has a furry new houseguest forced upon him, he heads to the pet store for supplies and guidance...only to run into none other than his (assumed) nemesis! Will the cats in their lives bring the two men closer together and mend old wounds?

Review- The volume picks up where the last one left off with Kanda helping a friend get his new cat adjusted to a new home. We see more of the people in Kanda’s life in this volume and how much he is loved by those around him. Fukumaru also reunites with his older sister and they bond and play together. Lots of time in vignettes of cat life in this volume too with Fukumaru stealing Kanda’s dinner and trying to sleep with a cat. This series has so much heart and it really gets the joys of getting to sharer your life with a pet. 

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. 

Lady Baltimore, Vol. 1: The Witch Queens

 

Today's post is on Lady Baltimore, vol 1: The Witch Queens by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Bridgit Connell, and Michelle Madsen. It is 144 pages long and is published by Dark Horse. The cover is Lady Baltimore with her sword. The intended reader is someone who likes reimagining of history. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and lots of violence in this comic book. The story is told from third person close of following the characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Once she was Sofia Valk, living in a village overrun by evil. In time she became Lord Baltimore's most trusted ally. Now, more than a decade after his death, Europe has erupted with the early battles of world War II and dark forces are rising again. With witches, vampires, and Nazis on the march, Sofia must embrace the title of Lady Baltimore! But can she fight monsters without becoming a monster herself?

Review- A fast and fun comic about hunting witches and Nazis. Lady Baltimore has hunted evil wherever it was and protected the innocent. When an old friend comes with a story about her husband's ghost being seen in battles across Europe, she goes to investigate and the plot goes from there. This is a very fast read with lots of action and some world building. The world on the brink of World War II with witches leading the way. I would have liked to learn more about the different witch types and other magic in this world but that did not stop me from having a good time with this story. The art is good, very western, so no big eyes here, with a muted color plate but that helps the action stand out more. I hope that this series will be continued has it was very fun and interesting. 

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

Revolutionary Girl Utena, Vol. 3: To Sprout

Today’s post is on Revolutionary Girl Utena, Vol. 3: To Sprout by Chiho Saitō, Be-Pas .  It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover is an illustration of Utena and Touga as they duel. As it is the third in the series, you need to have read the first two volumes to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and comedic violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes intense plots with lots of twists. The story follows the main character, Utena. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- Utena finds herself closer to the prince she so desperately seeks. Meanwhile, she must try to repel Touga's romantic advances and figure out what role the new boy, Akio, will play in her life.

Review- Utena loses her first fight in this volume to Touga, who gets in her head to win. He wants the power of World’s End but he also has become inflated with Utena. So Utena has a small crisis of self in the middle of the volume but she remembers who she is and what she wants from life and herself. We learn more about Anthy and what she is and the fact that she has a brother named Aiko. He wants World’s End's power too but the siblings are far more than what they appear. I think that Aiko is going to be the real villain of the series but I don’t know. As this is a short series, only three volumes are left. 

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. 

 

Cracks

 

Today's post is on Cracks by Sheila Kohler. It is 165 pages long and is published by Zoland Books. The cover is like a faded page in a journal with some children's legs at the top. The intended reader is someone who is interested in realistic horror. There is foul language, sex, sexuality, and rape, and violence in this novel. The story is told from first and third person perspectives. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the dust jacket- Set in remote corner of South Africa in the early 1960s, Cracks is a haunting, mesmerizing story of young girls caught up in a drama of passion, longing and identity. 
Fiamma Coronna, a foreign student out walking on the grounds of her boarding school, disappears one day into the heat and dust of the Transvaal. Forty years later, she schoolmates gather at the invitation of the aged headmistress to save the school from a developer's bulldozer. They has been members of the schools swim team, each completely devoted to the their coach, Miss G., a powerfully attractive, charismatic woman, who was their first crush, their "crack". Now middle-aged, each of these woman- whether accomplished or frustrated, voluble or silent- remembers the events leading to Fiamma's disappearance. 
Through image and emotion, recollection and observation the women the horror of a long-buried secret. Cracks us a singular an stunning tale of the passion and tribalism of adolescence, an exploration of time and memory, and of the carnal violence that lies at the heart of the most innocent. 

Review- This is an odd but interesting book. The unnamed narrator is just one of the girls that the reader is seeing the story through and I think that changes as the story moves. The story is told in two different times starting the characters returning to their school then dropping back into the past as they remember Fiamma, Miss G. and what happened. Time in the past has a ream like feel, aiding the surreality of the memories and the natural fading with time that happens. One major part of the story that I didn't like, is that Miss G. is never called what she is, a pedophile. Instead the girls and the women they become see her as their leader and goddess, with no understanding of the damage Miss G. is doing to them and to Fiamma. The murder itself is shocking and unexpected. There are hints throughout the book about what was going to happen and who was going to do it. An interesting read but not for everyone. 

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.

Skip Beat!, Vol. 25

Today’s post is on Skip Beat!, Vol. 25 by Yoshiki Nakamura.  It is 184 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover is an illustration of Kyoko all dressed up. As it is the twenty-fifth in the series, you need to have read the first twenty-four volumes to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and comedic violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes humorous manga with a great main character. The story follows the main character, Kyoko. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-  Kyoko's Valentine's battle with Reino has finally gained her Sho's attention—but now it's the last thing she wants! Sho is determined to make her obsessed with him, and shows up on set with an over-the-top gift to taunt her. But when Kyoko explains her true relationship with Reino, Sho makes an inexcusable move. Has he undone her years of healing in one fell swoop?!

Review- Sho is a total jerk in this volume and most of the volume is dealing with that. He forces Kyoko to kiss him in front of Ren and all her co-workers. Just when I thought I couldn’t dislike him more, he does that. He cannot stand for Kyoko to be thinking of anyone else and he is being a hardcore jerk, instead of leaving her alone. Ren is affected too and makes a small move towards Kyoko by kissing her check in thanks for a gift. That helps her forget about Sho, because who could think about him when Ren Tsuruga is there. Kyoko handles it well considering her personality but I am curious about what she is going to be working on next now that Dark Moon is done. 

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. 

Nothing But Blackened Teeth

 

Today's post is on Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw. It is 124 pages long and is published by TOR. The cover is a woman in white with no eyes but a very red mouth. The intended reader is someone who is interested in Asian flavored horror. There is foul language, sex, and some violence in this novel. The story is told from first person perspective of the main character, Cat. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.
It's the perfect venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends brought back together to celebrate a wedding.
A night of food, drinking, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare as secrets get dragged out and relationships are tested.
But the house has secrets too. Lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.
And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.

Review- A very atmospheric horror story with strong roots in classic Japanese horror. Cat and her friends going to have one heck of a wedding party before the bride and groom are married. But this group of friends have old baggage that calls to the house and the monsters that live in it. This is a short read so Khaw gets started with the creepy right away and she never stops. Cat has been studying Japan and Japanese folklore as a way to get in touch with her roots, so when she start seeing things like demons on the wallpaper, she wonders if it just her mind. The rest of the group doesn't want to really engage with what is going on around them but the bride will not be denied. I would like to see more of this world and for Khaw to have more pages to explore it in but this is a strong novel that shows Khaw's promise as a writer. 

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

Spy x Family, Vol. 6

Today’s post is on Spy x Family, Vol. 6 by Tatsuya Endo.  It is 250 pages long and is published by Viz Media. The cover is an illustration of Nightfall who works with Twilight. As it is the sixth in the series, you need to have read the first five volumes to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and comedic violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes humorous spy stories. The story follows the main character, Twilight. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-  Twilight and Nightfall enter an underground tennis tournament, hoping for an opportunity to obtain an intelligence document that threatens to bring the world to the brink of war! But will their mission be compromised by Nightfall’s secret crush on Twilight?!

Review- This volume is really mostly about the underground tennis games and it is over the top. With tricks and cheats from the other players, Twilight and Nightfall are having a hard time of it but it was a fun volume. Nightfall is not handling Twilight having a family ‘life’ without her in it very well and in fact almost gets herself injured from playing against Yor later in the volume. Twilight is clueless to her feelings for him, his beginning feelings for Yor, and Yor has no idea what she feels about any of this. Anya gets into some trouble with Damian but he is starting to see her in a new light. A very fun series that has me looking forward to the next volume eagerly. 

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.