Manga Review: Black Lagoon, Volume 11, by Rei Hiroe

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2020

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 10.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Four hardcore heroes. One high-speed torpedo boat. Ten thousand bullets!

Lock n' load with the baddest group of mercenaries ever to hit the high seas of Southeast Asia! Aboard their World War II torpedo boat, the Black Lagoon, Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rock, the salaryman from Japan, deliver anything, anywhere. In the dangerous underworld of the Russian Mafia, Chinese triads, Colombian drug cartels, crazed assassins, and ruthless mercenaries, it's hard to know who to trust. But if you've got a delivery to make, and you don't mind a little property damage along the way, you can count on the crew of the Black Lagoon!

Disavowed by the Chinese government and now hunted as a traitor, Feng Yifei has turned to Rock and Revy for help. While dodging the PRC’s four hired guns from one side of Roanapur to the other, Feng presses Rock to make an important decision. Things get even more complicated when Eda shows an interest in the situation, and if she’s involved, it means the CIA isn’t far behind…

Review:

Having not read or watched any of this series, I wasn't quite sure what I was starting. It's more Cowboy Bebop than I had expected.

Feng and Rock are attempting to save some hard drive and de-encrypt some kind of information, and since Feng has a price on her head, there's a lot of shooting happening because of it. That's fine with Revy, who's all for having a gun fight, up until she gets arrested.

There's a lot of shooting up in this volume, and a lot more deaths than I expected. I didn't realize this was such a bloody series. There's also quite a bit of politics, which I was surprised by, and found interesting, actually.

I didn't mind some of the characters, and even find the idea of the story interesting, but I don't think I'd be all that interested this far in depth into the political matters. I didn't mind Revy's character. I think that Eda might have been the most interesting of the characters to me, honestly, and we only saw her briefly a couple of times. But I liked her. I can get behind some badass females.

I don't think this is a series I'd really search out, so I'm not sure if I'll be watching the anime any time soon, but I didn't mind this.

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

Manga Review: Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction, Volume 4, by Inio Asano

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2019

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s just an everyday apocalypse.

Three years ago the aliens invaded Tokyo. Nothing was ever the same again. But after a while, even impending doom starts to feel ordinary.

Despite the ongoing menace of wild Invaders and A-ray contamination, people are still moving to Tokyo to find opportunities and themselves. After all, the likelihood of getting squashed by a crashing Invader vessel is still extremely low! Meanwhile, Kadode and her friends have started university, where they must face the crisis of choosing which school club to join—a critical decision that will affect the rest of their lives!

Review:

We follow Takemoto for the first half of this volume, as she's getting ready to go to Tokyo despite everyone's warnings. Then we're back to Oran, and college and clubs.

The overarching theme in this volume is the rights of aliens. These creatures have invaded Japan, and now people are debating and protesting over whether they should outright attack the aliens or whether they have rights that should be protected. We see both sides here, as we get to meet the aliens who're stranded and have taken shelter on Earth. Both sides of this are a bit disturbing, and then the reality check we're given is quite awful.

I don't know any of the characters in this series, really, so instead I get to follow the politics more. And it's disturbing and hard to take at times, how surreal and yet so very real, it is.

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

Novel Review: Starfall (Starflight, #2) by Melissa Landers

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Genre: YA Sci-fi Romance

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: 2017

Spoilers?: No.

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

Starflight 1.

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Princess Cassia Rose fled her home world of Eturia to escape an arranged marriage, she had no idea her sudden departure would spark a war. Now after two years hiding as a ship hand, she is finally returning to her beloved home, but not in the way she imagined. Shackled by bounty hunters, she is violently dragged back to account for her crimes. Her only solace is that the Banshee crew managed to evade capture, including Kane Arric, her best friend...with occasional benefits.

Meanwhile, Kane and the rest of the crew of the Banshee plan a desperate rescue mission. But when they arrive on Eturia, Cassia isn't exactly in need of heroics—she's claimed her birthright as Eturia's queen, but has inherited a war-torn planet simmering with rebellion. Cassia must make alliances, and Kane, the bastard son of a merchant, isn't a choice that will earn her any friends. Kane knows he will never find someone to replace Cassia—and is certain she returns his feelings—but how can he throw away his own promising future waiting on a queen?

When the outer realm is threatened by the dangerous Zhang mafia, Cassia, Kane and the rest of the Banshee crew uncover a horrifying conspiracy that endangers the entire universe. In the face of unspeakable evil, Cassia must confront her own family's complicated legacy on Eturia and decide once and for all who her real family is.

The Cover:

I really like these covers. They're pretty, and I love the colors and shiny parts. I appreciate this one shows Cassia going back to her planet, too, since now they're not running away from anything. Since the story doesn't focus overly on the romance, I like that the covers don't, either.

Review:

This book takes place quickly after the first one, only now we're following Cassia and Kane. I was intrigued by their relationship in the first book, and I'm always a sucker for childhood friend/friends to lovers stories. They're a favorite of mine, so I was actually looking forward to this one more than the first.

Similar to the first book, the romance takes a backseat compared to the action and main plot lines. For this book, it's that Cassia's home planet is looking for her. Only for her to find out that some big things have changed, and she actually needs to go back to try and settle things.

I really liked the idea behind Cassie being a runaway princess and going back to her kingdom to take her place back and make things right again. Some of it just didn't play out as well.

I think Cassia played it well, for the most part. She played it smart and did what she needed to in the moment, trusted who she thought she could and fought when needed. Cassie and Kane were actually separated for most of the book, and then there were clear conflicts, since Cassie and Kane grew up on very different sides of the kingdom. She was a princess, and he was a merchants son.

The way it played out wasn't terribly surprising—who was behind what, who was secretly and openly against her. And it was a fun story, for the most part. But certain parts went in odd directions, and some story lines got dragged out or seemed unnecessary. But I think part of that might be that this reads almost more like an adventure novel, more than a sci-fi or romance story.

All this to say, it was all right. I didn't mind it, but it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The romance was rather subtle and not very intense, like I hoped it would be. I'll probably try another of Landers' novels at some point, but I'll have different expectations, I think.

Novel Review: Restore Me (Shatter Me, #4) by Tahereh Mafi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: March 2018

Spoilers?: No.

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

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

The Cover:

I absolutely love the covers of this series. They're gorgeous, and simple and eye-catching, without being embarrassing or typical young adult paranormal romance at all. Each one is very similar, but the colors are different enough, and they each depict something else. I love the beauty in the details of them.

Review:

It has been such a long time since the original trilogy ended, that I had forgotten some of the main plot points, and how it ended. But that didn't really hinder me in any way, as this book just starts it right back up.

Juliette is now in charge, and she's learning the responsibilities and what that entails. Warner is coming to terms with his new position, and the fact that his father is dead, and that he has siblings now. It's all very complicated.

And then the kids of the other world leaders show up to meet Juliette, with supposedly innocent reasons, but we all know this isn't true. Warner is keeping things from Juliette. And Juliette is trying to be a leader on her own, without Warner, who never wanted that position anyway.

And then we discover that Juliette can do more damage than anyone ever suspected, and we get thrown an even bigger curveball than I could have seen coming.

I still absolutely love the writing style in this series. I love the characters—Juliette and Warner and Kenji are my favorites, and I'm quite intrigued by Nazeera and Haider.

There are so many bombs dropped in this book, though. Juliette is told more about herself than she wanted to know, I think. And then that ending. That ending was awful, and leaves so many questions and so many things left open. I have a hard time processing it, and I am not okay. I am not okay with it.

I'm kind of glad I waited to read this, because it's not too long till the next book is out, thankfully. Because I need to know what happens next. As soon as possible.

Manga Review: Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Volume 14, by Fumi Yoshinaga

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2018

Volumes: 16+

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 13. 15.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In Eisner-nominated Fumi Yoshinaga’s alternative history of Edo-era Japan, the men of Japan are dying out, and the women have taken up the reigns of power—including the shogun’s seat!

In Edo period Japan, a strange new disease called the Redface Pox has begun to prey on the country's men. Within eighty years of the first outbreak, the male population has fallen by seventy-five percent. Women have taken on all the roles traditionally granted to men, even that of the shogun. The men, precious providers of life, are carefully protected. And the most beautiful of the men are sent to serve in the shogun's Inner Chamber...

With the death of her monstrous father, Iesada is finally assured that she can have a consort who will survive life in the Inner Chambers. And she is delighted that the new spouse chosen for her is intelligent, kind and considerate of her past trauma. But the consort Taneatsu comes to the court with a past of his own—and an assignment from his liege lord that could pit him against his beloved shogun.

Review:

Iesada takes a new husband in this volume, makes it official. She's become so used to not letting men close, though, that she tries to keep him at a distance. This works for a while, but he shows he's committed to her, and wants to do right by her. It's a process, but he grows closer.

At the same time, Abe Masahiro grows ill. She's made a lot of progress, and yet her time is coming much quicker than any of them expected. It's a sad couple of scenes with her, and for Iesada, who had grown very close to her.

I'm not much of a history person, or a historical reader, but I don't mind this series. There's a lot of nuances and politics, but it's still interesting. They're smart about what they do, and I like seeing the women taking charge when they're able. 

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

Novel Review: Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Release Date: January 2018

Spoilers?: No.

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

Teaser Tuesday.

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.

The Cover:

I really like this cover. I don't remember the Ferris wheel being important to the story, and perhaps the story itself could be portrayed better, but it's still a very pretty cover. I like the simplistic beauty of it, the colors are so pretty, and the font and title and image would definitely catch my eye in the store.

Review:

Elle has grown up with a politician father, and she's learned to put on a good face, to be a good daughter in front of cameras. She hasn't realized quite what all of it has done to her, or what all her parents are doing.

Drix was framed for a crime he didn't commit, and did the juvenile time for it. Now he's out, because of a special program made by Elle's father, and chosen as the face of it. He was in a bad situation, and he got out of it, and now he's trying to balance his old life with his new self and his new commitments.

This book took a little while to get going for me, but I did like the dynamic between Elle and Drix from the beginning. They meet without knowing each other at first, and they keep bumping into each other while trying not to, and then they form a friendship during it.

I really like how Elle's struggle is done. She believes that she's only doing what she is supposed to, to support her father, and what she's agreed to. She doesn't want to see what her father is really doing, and what they're actually doing to her. It bothered me how they were using her, and it only made the way she finally stands up for herself more worth it. And I really appreciated the way she stayed firm in her decision. After everything, she doesn't just let them apologize and ignore it; they have to show her. It made me really happy for her, how she dealt with it.

I had a guess for what was behind Drix's issue, but there were still some surprises thrown in there. The conclusion to that was both good and very sad. But overall I really liked how the book ended.

This one took a little while to get me, but I really enjoyed it by the end.

Novel Review: And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1) by Kiersten White

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Genre: YA Historical, Romance

Publisher: Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House)

Release Date: 2016

Spoilers?: No.

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

Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

The Cover:

I love these covers. I will admit that it gives me a somewhat different impression of the book than the contents felt--Lada does not feel nearly as fierce as this cover makes me feel; it also wasn't as intense and focused more on the potential romance than the cover makes me think it will. But it's still a gorgeous cover.

Review:

I have loved all of Kiersten White's books, and I've always admired how she can change her style of writing so perfectly. I'm a little disappointed to say that I didn't really enjoy this book, at times.

I will admit that I'm not typically a historical fan. I didn't think it would matter much here, but it's still true. Long stories of history are not of my interest, and stories that combine that with political dealings are apparently especially so.

We meet Lada and Bogdan and her brother Radu as the book starts. They start as children, and slowly grow older until they're teens during this book. Lada is the daughter of Vlad, and at first she tries hard to impress him and prove herself. Radu is her weaker brother. Bogdan is her bodyguard/servant boy who she actually orders around.

This book was very slow going. It took a long time for them to grow older, and at several points in this book I wondered where it was going, and when it was going to get there.

I liked Lada at first, and I thought she was going to be fierce from the beginning. She is fierce, but then I think she loses herself about halfway through the book. Romance shows up, and she seems to lose herself and her ambitions with it. I realized at some point in the book that I didn't particularly care for Lada all that much.

Radu, on the other hand. Radu is at first her weak little brother. But while he doesn't have physical strength or much of a mean streak at all in him, he has smarts instead. He learns how to listen, and how to play nice and make conversation and get a person on his side very easily. It's a struggle when Lada realizes he has this and she does not, and really it's more of a point on his side than hers.

I really liked Radu, quite a lot. I think my least favorite character turned out to be Mehmed. When we first meet him, I thought I liked him. But after a while, I realized that I really didn't like the effect he had on Radu or Lada. He kind of ends up ruining them, I think.

Radu becomes so focused on his love for Mehmed, that I think it brings him down. He could be doing a lot more, and he could be seeing the other people around him better, if Mehmed weren't there. It's the same with Lada. She loses sight of what's most important to herself, because of her affection for Mehmed. And it frustrates me so much because it's not requited to the extent that either of them need. It's helping Mehmed, when he doesn't deserve it, and it's bad for both Radu and Lada.

I really hope that this book was setting up for something bigger. It definitely seems like Lada is off to start something big, and I hope that it gets more intense from here. This book was very long and tedious, and usually I like character development like that, but it didn't hold my interest enough in this context. It was frustrating at times.

But the concept is still so interesting to me, and Kiersten White is one of my favorite authors, so I'll be reading at least one more book.