Review: Feral King (The Dominant Bastard Duology, #1) by Sparrow Beckett

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Genre: Erotica/Adult Contemporary Romance; BDSM, Dark, MMF

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: June 2017

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Minnow Korsgaard works a dead end job to make ends meet. When she’s hired to take care of a wealthy old man with no social skills, she’s excited to have found work in her field.

The new boss isn’t at all what she expected.

Severin Leduc is only thirty. He’s also a dominant, tattooed brute who’s needs someone to break through the walls he’s built. The exiled son of a wealthy family, he’s unapologetically rude and eccentric. Raised by servants, he doesn’t want extra people in his life, let alone a pretty girl who refuses to leave him in peace.

Minnow’s submissive nature sparks against Severin’s dominance. Torrid sexual attraction flares between them. Sharing her with his best friend, Rodrigo, only strengthens their growing bond, and Severin’s life is scattered into chaos. Will he learn to trust her, or will he live the rest of his life forgotten?


Warning: BDSM, dark themes. Character's memories of prior abuse may trigger some readers.

The Cover:

I really like this cover. It's a bit intense, but not a stereotypical romance cover. I think the font and placement of the cover works really well, as do all the tattoos and pose of the model.

 

Review:

I did not expect this book to be quite so dark, or so addicting.

Minnow ends up being Severin's new housekeeper/babysitter. She thinks she's going to be helping some old man, only to find out that he's a dominant thirty-year-old with no social skills. He wants nothing to do with anyone, doesn't believe anyone will stick around. He's constantly pushing Minnow, testing her and pushing her away. But Minnow is steady and she believes in him, and she's attracted despite the threat that he might actually hurt her.

I was surprised by how dark some of the sex gets. It's violent at times, physically scarring and rough and mean. I found it seriously hot, but I'm sure some people won't. I also rather understood why Minnow stayed and kept pushing him by being a steady presence, even if it seemed like he'd gone too far at times. I'm intrigued by the MM/MMF (or is it just MFM?) undertones that were present, and am hoping they'll become more serious in the next book. That makes me hopeful.

Severin has been through some awful things, and it's dark when he's finally honest with Minnow about it. I'm intrigued to see where that cliffhanger will go in the next one.

This book gave me a serious book hangover and it took me a while to get over it. I'm still a little obsessed, and am extremely excited for the next one to be released. I can't wait for it to arrive on my Kindle.

Manga Review: Kenka Bancho Otome: Love's Battle Royale, Volume 1, by Chie Shimada

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 2.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Beautiful boy rebels using their fists to fall in love!

Hinako thought she didn't have any family, but on the day she starts high school, her twin brother Hikaru suddenly appears and tricks her into taking his place. But the new school Hinako attends in his stead is beyond unusual. Now she must fight her way to the top of Shishiku Academy, an all-boys school of delinquents!

Review:

On Hinako's first day of school, where she's looking forward to starting over, she runs into a boy who looks exactly like her. She's manipulated into going to school in his place, only to find out it's an all-boys' school--for delinquents.

I'm intrigued and a little confused by Hinako and Hikaru's relationship, why Hikaru was raised in luxury while Hinako was put in an orphanage. I do think it's interesting, though, that Hikaru is supposed to be the tough man, high up at this school, and yet he hates fighting and fits in much better as a girl at Hinako's school. Hinako, on the other hand, has always been embarrassingly strong, and she hates it.

Hinako finds a mishmash couple of friends at the boys' school, though of course they don't know she's a girl. She also runs into one of her childhood friends, who she lost touch with but has always wanted to see again. This adds some complication, particularly given the feelings starting.

This was an okay first volume. Some things still need explained, and I think that some of the characters need to be expanded on a little; it's a little weak. I'm not feeling too much for any of them yet, but I have hope it'll grow on me more.

Manga Review: Ultraman, Volume 10, by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2018

Volumes: 12+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s time for a new generation of Ultraman!

Decades ago, a being known as the Giant of Light joined together with Shin Hayata of the Science Special Search Party to save Earth from an invasion of terrifying monsters called Kaiju. Now, many years later, those dark days are fading into memory, and the world is at peace. But in the shadows a new threat is growing, a danger that can only be faced by a new kind of hero—a new kind of Ultraman…

As the Star of Darkness prepares to launch its all-out assault on New York City, the SSSP begins to assemble its forces to oppose them. Shinjiro and Dan head for the Big Apple unsure if they can stop the coming storm, but unlooked-for allies may help them turn the tide. The battle to decide the fate of the Earth begins here…

Review:

Now Ultraman is needed in New York. The aliens are invading and the public is aware of it. Only, there are other people in the ultraman-like suits now, some good and some bad.

The aliens do announce that they're going to release some kind of chemical that's going to make humans go crazy and start doing awful things. In a surprising turn of events, this turns out to be a lie, so all the chaos that ensued was just to prove that humans deserve to be obliterated. This plot point was probably the most interesting to me.

This series is an easy read, but I'm only reading every other volume at this point, so a little hard to follow for me. It's a quick read, though, and quite interesting at times.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Teaser Tuesday[272]: Pyromantic (Firebug, #2) by Lish McBride

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

--------------------------------

Pyromantic (Firebug, #2) by Lish McBride

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Release Date: March 2017

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ava is having a rough time. Getting rid of Venus didn’t set her free—she’s still part of the magical mafia called the Coterie. Her new boss seems like an improvement, but who knows if he’ll stay that way—the Coterie life changes people. And since Ava’s currently avoiding her friends after (disastrously) turning down a date with Lock, well, everything kind of sucks. And that’s not even taking into account the feelings she might have for him.

But when a mysterious illness starts to affect magical beings, it’s up to Ava and her team to stop its spread…or else one of them might be next.

Excerpt:

“Alistair had to know that I'd screwed up. I excused myself to use the phone.” (Hardback, pg. 123)

What are you reading?

Manga Review: The Promised Neverland, Volume 3, by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The children of the Grace Field House orphanage have their happy lives upended when they find out they’re being raised to be fed to demons. Can they escape their fate before it’s too late?

Life at Grace Field House has been good for Emma and her fellow orphans. While the daily studying and exams they have to take are tough, their loving caretaker provides them with delicious foods and plenty of playtime. But perhaps not everything is as it seems…

As more children learn the horrifying truth, a rift begins to form between them. Can they work together so everyone can escape? Or will some children need to be left behind at the orphanage?

Review:

While what Don and Gilda are doing seems dumb, instead it seems to teach them a lesson about what Emma and Norman have told them. It's also a lesson to Emma, since she gets to see what the secrets made them think, and it put the group in a new perspective for her.

The consequences aren't immediate, at least. Only later, when Mother reveals what she actually knows and what she plans to do about it. The kids are even smart about it, calculating what they can and can't do in this situation, reading each other. But still, Mother throws an even bigger curve ball in that ends everything—at least for right now.

Man, I am seriously surprised at the twists this series has taken so quickly. We're only three books in, and already we've learned a lot and had several twists thrown in to make it harder on them all. I'm excited and horrified, and I really can't wait to see what happens next.

Manga Review: Waiting for Spring, Volume 4, by Anashin

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: January 2018

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

HOOP DREAMS The preliminary games begin, and Towa and the squad are all fired up! Mitsuki’s childhood best friend, Aya-chan, is also at the arena playing his best, and the stakes are high. As Mitsuki and Reina cheer on the Seiryo team, Mitsuki sees the boys sweep the floor and is inspired to work hard, too! But when a ref’s whistle cuts through the air, a close friend lies injured on the court…

Review:

The group starts their game, and it doesn't go how they all expect. Mitsuki and Asakura want to show up Aya-chan, but Aya-chan is older and better.

Afterward, they all deal with it differently. Some work harder to do better next time, there's some hurt feelings to get over, and one person even tries to punish himself by giving up the thing he loves. I do like the point being made that not everyone on their team is a good player, nor do they all work together as well as they should. While the four do work together amazingly, not everyone else works as well with them, and they cannot carry a whole team.

And near the end, we finally get a fun trip for the whole group. It's some fun anguish as Mitsuki has to decide where to go for it, and then they're out. There's some fun harem drama, mostly as the other guys get to tease Mitsuki—I'm glad that there isn't more than one of them falling for her (at least so far), it's appreciated. And hopefully we'll get to see Mitsuki take a stand, or make a move, soon.

Manga Review: Golden Kamuy, Volume 4, by Satoru Noda

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2018

Volumes: 14+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 2. 5.

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

A tale of high adventure and survival!

In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi Sugimoto searches the wilderness of Hokkaido for a hoard of hidden gold. With only a cryptic map and a native Ainu girl to help him, Saichi must also deal with every murderous cutthroat, bandit and rogue who knows about the treasure!

Tetsuzo Nihei, the legendary Bear Killer, is determined to become the hunter who kills Retar, the last remaining Ezo wolf. Asirpa will never allow this, and she and Immortal Sugimoto race to stop his bloodthirsty quest. Meanwhile, in the port city of Otaru, Hijikata, the relentless head of the reborn Shinsengumi, leads a band of death row inmates against Lt. Tsurumi and his 7th Division. In this clash of iron resolve, only the strongest will survive.

Review:

There's even more blood and death and awfulness in this volume. I will admit, though, that the wolf attack was very well-deserved.

I also didn't really understand what they were all fighting over until this volume. Now I understand the whole gold-search thing, and it even makes sense why exactly there's so much brutality. It's still awful, but I get it.

We get a backstory for some characters, and then we meet a new, truly terrifying character.

The use of humor, and food, mixed with all of the fighting and history is admittedly well-placed. And I don't mind these volumes, but I do think they aren't really for me.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Volume 11, by Kohei Horikoshi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February 2018

Volumes: 18+

Spoilers?: Yes.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 10. 12.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy.

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks”? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Bakugo’s abduction by the League of Villains was a carefully calculated move designed to draw out the Heroes—All Might in particular—and destroy them. Midoriya and his friends set out on a rescue mission that eventually pulls in not only All Might but also several other heroes! The casualties mount, until at last the mastermind of the plot appears—the only villain powerful enough to go head-to-head with All Might and possibly win…All For One!

Review:

All Might shows up to fight All For One, and it goes pretty bad. A lot of people show up, a lot of people get hurt. In a surprising turn of events, All Might's secret is revealed, and this means a change for Midoriya.

All of these attacks on the school have caused some issues, too, what with parents not wanting their children in danger--Understandable. Some security measures are taken, and now they want the students living in dorms, though the parents have to agree.

Midoriya has a really good mom, and it's nice to see how protective and caring she is here, as she struggles with allowing him to go back to the school where he keeps getting hurt.

There's a little fun chapter at the end, where the students get to hang out in their new dorms and see each other's rooms. This will definitely be starting an interesting arc next.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: The Water Dragon's Bride, Volume 5, by Rei Toma

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A modern-day girl gets whisked away to a strange land where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god!

In the blink of an eye, a modern-day girl named Asahi is whisked away from her warm and happy home and stranded in a strange and mysterious world where she meets a water dragon god!

Asahi is in danger because people want to use her to get the water dragon god’s power. She doesn’t want anyone to be hurt because of her, so she goes with the water dragon god and Subaru to pay a visit to the emperor. However, in exchange for his protection, the emperor makes an unexpected demand!

Review:

At the beginning of the volume, Asahi is introduced to the real idea of a romance. She has several men around her, but she's never really considered any of them romantically. But when she accidentally sees several of the villagers in compromising positions, her eyes are opened.

Not that that leads to much, of course. She's just starting to realize what the men around her could be.

Tsukihiko truly is a sweetheart. We see that as he attempts to sacrifice himself to free Asahi, only it doesn't work when Asahi realizes what he's done and won't let him go through with it. It's a really sweet moment, honestly, as Asahi interrupts and stands up to and for Tsukihiko. She has no qualms about interrupting his declaration and not feeling trapped into it, which I appreciated.

And then Asahi goes to the little emperor, who wants her to marry him in exchange for protecting her. This only makes Asahi think about the prospect in general even more. During all of this, Subaru is put on his own mission.

The interactions between Asahi and the Water Dragon God are very subtle and quiet, not usually much talking, only eye-contact and reactions. It's an interesting show of their connection. It's also a contrast to her and Subaru, which are familiar and warm and a little heartbreaking, cause you're not sure if they're leading to good or bad things.

I'm quite infatuated with this series. I want more of these relationships, and I want to know where they're going.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Rin-Ne, Volume 26, by Rumiko Takahashi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2018

Volumes: 40.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 24. 27.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Manga legend Rumiko Takahashi’s lighthearted tale of a girl who can see ghosts and a boy from beyond.

After a mysterious encounter in her childhood, Sakura Mamiya gained the power to see ghosts. Now a teenager, she just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone! Then one day she meets Rinne Rokudo, a boy who is far more than what he seems.

The haunted hijinks continue as spooky summer days turn to fall. Masato, everyone’s favorite demon, accidentally wins the favor of an angel and ends up with wings and a knack for good deeds, no matter how hard he tries to be bad! Can Rinne revert him to his normal self?

Review:

There is definitely no real story progress happening here. I'm not sure if there's really supposed to be, though. This is just fun, crazy magical antics.

We see a young boy who makes a voodoo doll of sorts, who starts causing havoc while he's asleep. A guy with an unrequited crush has a ghost following him. This witch starts haunting their teacher.

I will admit that the stories featuring craziness surrounding their teacher are probably my favorite. She's an interesting character. I like seeing Renge, too, and seeing what Rinne will do for money.

This series is fun and light and easy. Not much to say, though.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Platinum End, Volume 4, by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2017

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the creators of Death Note! Mirai may have been saved by an angel, but his battle is just beginning…

As his classmates celebrate their middle school graduation, troubled Mirai is mired in darkness. But his battle is just beginning when he receives some salvation from above in the form of an angel. Now Mirai is pitted against 12 other chosen humans in a battle in which the winner becomes the next god of the world. Mirai has an angel in his corner, but he may need to become a devil to survive.

Mirai and and the merciless Metropoliman face off for the first time. In order to achieve his goals, Mirai will have to kill his rival. But does he have it in him? Meanwhile, Saki battles her own demons…

Review:

The first part of the volume continues the fight with the god killer. He's brutal and has more up his sleeve than they even think. It gets dangerous and bad at one point, and Mirai gets a glimpse of who he is. Even that isn't much to go on, though.

It's reinforced to Mirai here, that he doesn't want to fight. He feels weak for it, but he's a pacifist; he doesn't want anyone to get hurt and he doesn't want to hurt anyone. It's a difficult stance to take in this kind of fight.

The latter half of the volume is focused on Saki. We find out what led her to being a candidate for this, and what thoughts are still going through her head. Mirai takes a good route at making her deal with her suicidal thoughts here; a bit dramatic, but it works.

I'm not a big fan of this series, but I don't mind it. It's interesting, though I still have a hard time believing in the god plot line they're working toward.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: The Prince in His Dark Days, Volume 1, by Hico Yamanaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: September 2016

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Atsuko's father is a drunk, and she's shunned by her classmates as "the poor kid." Walking the streets in a dark fog of despair, Atsuko cons perverts out of their money to survive. Then, one day, she meets Itaru, the heir to a wealthy family, who happens to look exactly like her. Itaru hatches a plan: Atsuko will live his tedious public life for him, and she will get a taste of the luxuries enjoyed by the 1%. Everybody's (finally) happy. Right?

Review:

I was actually quite interested in this series when I first heard of it. But, after starting it, I'm a bit unsure. Plus, I heard that it was ended early, which makes me wary—it is short, though, so easy to get through.

Atsuko has a useless father, and no one at school likes her. She's not old enough to get a job, so she does what she can to pay the bills. When she bumps into the rich Itaru, he kidnaps her, and they discover there's a surprising similarity in their looks. When Itaru goes missing, his helpers go to Atsuko first, wanting her to be his double.

I don't really care for Atsuko. She's weak, gets extremely happy when she's thanked because no one has ever said it to her before. Itaru seems to have possibly been holding a secret life, or at least secret desires. It's not until the second half of the volume, when we get to see Ryo's past and they celebrate his birthday, that I really enjoyed the volume. I like the relationship developing between Ryo and Atsuko, and I do like seeing Atsuko get stronger and dedicated to doing something. Shibusawa is a good character, too.

I'm iffy about this series. I liked some parts, and didn't like others. The artwork was just okay, and the beginning was rough. But it is a short series, and I kind of want to see where these plot threads go.

Manga Review: Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 23, by Yuto Tsukuda, Shun Saeki, and Yuki Morisaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump Advanced (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 29+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 22. 24.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An action-packed, saucy food comedy featuring one boy's determination to be top chef!

Soma Yukihira's old man runs a small family restaurant in the less savory end of town. Aiming to one day surpass his father's culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out until one day, out of the blue, his father decides to enroll Soma in a classy culinary school! Can Soma really cut it in a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate? And can he convince the beautiful, domineering heiress of the school that he belongs there at all?!

Dropping all pretense of being fair, the Azami administration has now declared that to pass the third stage of the advancement exam, Soma and the members of the resistance must each defeat a Council of Ten member. And what will everyone think when it comes to light that Dean Azami's real motivation for overthrowing the institute is Soma's own father, Joichiro?!

Review:

So the fight with Akira ends, with possibly-not surprising results. After that, we learn who actually won their shokugeki, and who didn't. The results are not great, and so they decide to confront the headmaster. And so does Soma's dad.

Afterward, we get to see what happened when they were kids and going to school there, Erina and Soma's dads. What happened when they were in school to make them what they are now. They both took very different paths, and Soma gets to see a new side of his dad, and why Soma is the way he is now because of it.

I really like Soma's dad, and I think it's fun when the adults all show up and get together. The next challenge will definitely be a difficult one, and it should be interesting.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!