Monday, December 23, 2024

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 3

Today's post is on Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 3 by Yū Tomofuji. It is 192 pages long and is published by Yen Press. As it is the third volume in the series, you need to have read the first two volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes slow burn love stories, political shojo, and fantasy. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main characters, Sariphi and The King. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- Intent on avenging Sariphi's sacrifice, her childhood friend Ilya infiltrates the royal palace, only to discover her alive and well. When he demands her returns, Sariphi refuses him outright, driving Ilya to make a desperate choice to abduct her from right under the nose of the beast king! But instead of giving chase, the king hesitates, paralyzed by doubt... Will Sariphi and Leonhart's story come to an abrupt close...?

Review- This volume gives the reader a bigger look into the human world and how beasts are seen. Ilya is the sole survivor of a beast raid on his village but he hates all beasts because of it. So when he discovers that Sariphi has been given to the Beast Kingdom, he will do anything to get revenge or free her. The most important thing is that Leonhart, as the King, is keeping the human world safe by controlling and, when needed, punishing the beasts. A good volume and it adds to both character and world development. I look forward to reading the next volume. 

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

Friday, December 20, 2024

Wonder Woman, Vol. 3: The Circle

Today's post is on Wonder Woman, Vol. 3: The Circle by Gail Simone, Terry Dodson (Illustrator), Rachel Dodson (Illustrator). It is 160 pages long and is published by DC Comics. The cover has Wonder Woman on it. The intended reader is someone who likes superheroes, Wonder Woman in particular. There is mild foul language, no sex, and action violence in this comic. The story closely follows Wonder Woman but moves around as needed. 

From the dust jacket- Gail Simone, acclaimed writer of BIRD OF PREY, SECRET SIX and more, unveils her own unique vision for Wonder Woman in this hard-hitting graphic novel. This title includes Simone's first tales of the Amazon Princess. Along the way, readers will learn what deadly secret the mysterious Circle holds about Diana's birth. Plus, the reformed Secret Society of Super Villains invades Paradise Island, led by the dread Captain Nazi. Collecting issues #14-19 of her hit series!

Review- A interesting four issue run about some history of Wonder Woman around her birth and a two more issues about an alien invasion on another planet and Diana being their champion. Each issue starts in the past around Diana's birth and how it changed her home. The rest of the issue is about Diana trying to get to her home to protect her mother and the other Amazons. The art is fantastic, I love how Dodson draw Diana with a strong jaw, muscles, and beautiful blue eyes. She looks every bit a goddess and warrior. Last two issues the story was interesting but the art was not as good. Gail Simone is a wonderful writer and she knows her Wonder Woman. Simone understands that Diana is a complex character with deep passions and a drive to live up to her name. I look forward to reading more of Simone's work. 

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

Monday, December 16, 2024

Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden, Vol. 06

Today's manga post is on Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden, Vol. 06 by Yuu Watase. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Takiko and two of the Celestial Warriors on it. As it is the sixth volume in the series, you need to have read the first five to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo manga, epic historical fantasy, and slow burn love stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild action violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Takiko. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Takiko has found another Celestial Warrior--in a house of ill repute! But the proud, bitter Inami has no interest in following the priestess, and she intends to test Takiko's mettle in a duel. Can Takiko's skill with the naginata withstand a full Celestial attack? And when a dark force engulfs the women of the brothel, can Takiko and Inami join forces to save them?

Review- Takiko has found the next Celestial Warrior but she does not want anything to do with her or summoning Genbu. She has had a very hard life and just wants to protect what she has. But of course with fate and the heavens moving, there is no hiding now. Then they discover that one of the Celestial Warriors is working for the enemy. The plot continues to be strongest aspect of this series with action moving the plot forward more than the characters. But works in this manga. I would like more in-depth time with the characters but the story is so interesting, that I do not mind being pulled along. 

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

Friday, December 13, 2024

Rosemary’s Baby

Today's post is on Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. It is 308 pages long and is published by Signet. The cover is red with a baby pram in the center. The intended reader is someone who likes horror novels. There is foul language, sex and sexuality, and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of Rosemary. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Suppose you were an up-to-date young wife who moved into an old and elegant New York apartment house with a rather strange past.
Suppose that only after you became pregnant did you begin to suspect the building harbored a diabolically evil group of devil worshippers who had mastered the arts of black magic and witchcraft.
Suppose that this satanic conspiracy set out to claim not only your husband but your baby.
Well, that's what happened to Rosemary... Or did it...?

Review- This is an interesting classic horror novel. The story of Rosemary and her pregnancy is a journey for both her and the reader. The novel starts months before she gets pregnant and goes until after she gives birth. The writing is spare, very plain style, and that suits the novel. It helps with the more surreal aspects of the story and makes them more palatable. The scene when Rosemary gets pregnant is very dreamlike and that helps with the scene. The mystery of what is real or not, what did Rosemary experience is anything, that pulls both the reader and Rosemary along. We are on a journey together to discover Rosemary's baby. If you are interesting in classic horror then you should read this one but if you're pregnant, wait. 

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

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

A Rome of One's Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire

Today's post is on A Rome of One's Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire by Emma Southon. It is 416 pages long and is publsihed by Harry N. Abrams. The audiobook was read by Danielle Cohen. The cover is light blue with a marble bust in the center and a magnifying glass enlarging the face. The intended reader is someone who likes roman history and women's history. There is foul language, discussion of sex, rape, childbirth, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the audiobook- From the acclaimed author of A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a wildly entertaining new history of Rome that uses the lives of twenty-one extraordinary women to upend our understanding of the ancient world The history of Rome has long been narrow and one-sided, essentially a history of "the Doing of Important Things." It is a history of winning battles, passing laws, and "Having Important Opinions in Public." And as far as Roman historians have been concerned, women don't make that history. From Romulus through "the political stab-fest of the late Republic," and then on to all the emperors, Roman historians may deign to give you a wife or a mother to show how bad things get when women get out of control, but history is more than that. Emma Southon's A Rome of One's Own will correct that. This is a retelling of the history of Rome with the Important Things, but also all the things Roman history writers relegate to the background--or designate as domestic, feminine, or worthless. This is a history of individuals, twenty-one women who span the length of its territory and its centuries, who caused outrage, led armies in rebellion, wrote poetry, lived independently or under the thumb of emperors. A social and cultural history told with humor and verve as well as a deep scholarly background, A Rome of One's Own highlights women overlooked and misunderstood, and through them offers a fascinating and groundbreaking chronicle of the ancient world.

Review- A great book about Roman history and the women who lived it. Southon returns with more fascinating stories about Rome and the people who lived in the enteral city. She starts at the very founding of Rome and the women who kidnapped to become the very first Roman women. Then we travel all along the republic and then empire and learned about women's lives. The writing is excellent, the narratives are interesting, and the reader does a wonderful job. I would recommend this book and I look forward to Southon's next book. 

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

Monday, December 9, 2024

Queen's Quality, Vol. 6

Today's manga post is on Queen's Quality, Vol. 6 by Kyousuke Motomi. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Fumi and Kyutaro on it. As it ist the sixth in the series, you need to have read the first five volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy stories, slow burn romance, and shojo manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild action violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Fumi and Kyutaro. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the manga- Kyutaro and Fumi get a taste of just how formidable the Silver Sea Snake is, and so they set out to the Holy Ground of the Old Byakko Clan in order to get stronger. However, they’re in for an unwelcome surprise when they find out what this mysterious clan has in store for them!

Review- Fumi and Kyutaro are invited to come to the Byakko house in order to train. Of course, it is more than just that. The Byakko want to test Kyutaro, to see if he is a good consort for Fumi. There is some good plot movement in this volume with more about what happened when Kyutaro's parents died and maybe what happened to Fumi during that time too. Fumi continues to surprise everyone around her with personality and force. She is more than the Byakko thought and maybe more than they can handle. This continues to be a strong series with interesting characters. I look forward to reading the next volume. 

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

Monday, December 2, 2024

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?

Today's manga post is on What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?, Vol. 5 by MyeongMi Kim (artist) and Jeong Gyeong-yun (original author). It is 272 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cove is blue with Miso Kim in the center. As it is the fifth volume, you need to have read the first four to understand the story. The story is told from third person following closely to Miso and Youngjun. There is mild foul language, mild sexuality, and no violence in this manga. The intended reader is someone who likes silly, office romances. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- Now that Miso has regained her memories, she and Youngjun are closer than ever! But before they can truly start the next chapter of their lives together, Youngjun and his family must first face the immense pain their actions have caused. Will past tragedy continue to tear them apart, or will they finally mend what’s been broken?

Review- All the secrets of the past are out now. Miso remembers what happened and who she was with when she was kidnapped. Miso and Youngjun have a good heart-to-heart and decide to move forward together. Miso's dad is also in this volume and he's pretty funny. He wants to pretend to be a disapproving dad to make Youngjun work harder. It's not over done, so it's funny. But the biggest plot moment for me was when Youngjun and his brother have it out. They clear the air and make peace with each other. The volume ends with Youngjun proposing to Miso and her accepting. I'm look forward to the next volume to see what happens next. 

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