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.

Manga Review: Snow White with the Red Hair, Volume 1, by Sorata Akiduki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 21+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A romantic retelling of a classic fairy tale about a beautiful herbalist and a lovestruck prince.

Shirayuki is an herbalist famous for her naturally bright-red hair, and the prince of Tanbarun wants her all to himself! Unwilling to become the prince’s possession, she seeks shelter in the woods of the neighboring kingdom, where she gains an unlikely ally—the prince of that kingdom! He rescues her from her plight, and thus begins the love story between a lovestruck prince and an unusual herbalist.

Review:

I really, really want to like this series. I've heard a lot of hype for it, and I know people love the anime, but for some reason it hasn't really stood out for me.

Shirayuki has very unusual, bright red hair. So the prince of her kingdom demands her as his concubine. Receiving this offer, she immediately runs away, only to stumble upon a cute boy, who is of course, also a prince. But, not knowing this, she befriends him and he helps her out.

I understand the whole theme with Shirayuki, of letting her be her own person, not making her decisions for her, giving her her freedom. It's pushed a little heavy, though, and hit a little artificial for me. Maybe it was just too heavy.

Zen is cute, and I don't mind their friendship. Their flirtation is actually a bit more obvious than I expected this early, but I don't mind that at all. I appreciate that Shirayuki has a career path in mind, and makes progress toward accomplishing it in this volume. And I don't mind the side characters so far.

This just felt very meh for me. It was an okay read, but I'm not particularly attached. It all felt very surface. I want to be, though, so I hope it gets better.


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

Manga Review: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 1, by Mizuho Kusanagi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2016

Volumes: 21+

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Soo-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when she witnesses her father's murder! Yona reels from the shock of losing her father and having to fight for her life. With Hak's help, she flees the castle and struggles to survive while evading her enemy's forces. But where will this displaced princess go with such an uncertain path before her?

Review:

I have read a few of Kusanagi's previous books, so I was looking forward to this being released. I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed.

Yona, a princess, is in love with her distant cousin. She has been for years, and her bodyguard knows it, but her father will never let anything happen between them. Yona is ready to fight for this, when she's betrayed and her world is thrown out of order in one night, and suddenly she's thrown out, on the run, with only her bodyguard there she can trust.

I wasn't really sure what all this hinting was leading up to, and I can say that I was surprised by the sudden turn of events. It seemed like certain characters were ready to give up their own wants for another person's, and then suddenly everything changed.

I love Hak from the beginning. He's funny, teasing Yona all the time, and yet it's obvious he really does want to protect her. I do hope that Yona gets stronger soon; I like her for the most part, but I want to see her buck up and start fighting back and getting smarter, though it's believable how she's kind of shriveled up given what happened.

The comedy was nicely mixed with the serious moments, and I'm happy about that. Kusanagi has had troubles with that in previous series, and here it's more thoughtfully done. There's teasing to lighten some scenes, and then when it gets serious it does it purposely and well. And when Yona is feeling numb and hurt, it's clear and isn't bothered by humor.

This was a really good starting volume, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Novel Review: The Royal Pain (Alaskan Royal Family, #2) by MaryJanice Davidson

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp. (Brava Books)

Spoilers?: No/Very Minor.

Goodreads Synopsis:

 In a world nearly identical to ours, the North won the Civil War, Ben and JLo got married, and everyone dresses well to attend the Grammys. Oh, and Russia never sold Alaska to the U.S. Instead, Alaska is a rough, beautiful country ruled by a famously eccentric royal family, including oldest daughter, Princess Alexandria, whose acid wit and bad case of insomnia have turned her into a tabloid darling, a palace problem, and overall...

The Royal Pain
PMarine biologist Dr. Shel ("Never Sheldon") Rivers has a problem. Some princess expects him to wait on her, hand and dimpled foot. His boss is taken with the royal redhead -- brunette, whatever, it's not like he keeps track of that stuff -- and nobody realizes that he just wants to be left alone in his lab. All alone. All the time. Weekends, holidays -- it's all good.

Now here's Miss Royalpants, insisting that he escort her around the marine institute, explain what he s doing, kiss her until her toes curl -- no, wait, that was his idea. She's not even apologetic about being born into a royal family! Says it's his problem to overcome, not hers. Which leaves him with one option: to kiss her again. And again. And...

So she's nothing like he expected. In fact, Dr. Rivers can see that this fantastic, exasperating woman has problems no princess should ever have to deal with. And he has an idea to help her get some much-needed sleep. Of course, it involves getting very, very tired beforehand, but if she's up to it, then so is he...

In this delightfully madcap sequel to The Royal Treatment, the Baranov family is back and as unpredictable as ever, and a prickly princess and cranky Ph.D. are about to discover that love conquers attitude every time!

Available on Amazon.

Review:

The third book in this series was my favorite (so far), but this one was still very good. Same Davidson style, different couple, great romance. Pretty much the same things I like about all of the Davidson books I’ve read so far.

The Royal Pain is about Alex, one of the daughters in the royal family, going to the U.S. and meeting a biologist, Dr. Shel Rivers.

This book had a bit more serious emotional stuff than most of Davidson’s books, and I think I would have liked more focus on it. Alex has insomnia, caused by her part in an attack on her family, and she’s not dealing with it very well. And, while there is some focus as well as the resolving of the issue, I would have liked more. There isn’t usually so much depth, or trauma, or anything very serious in Davidson’s books, which is okay, but I would actually kind of like more.

Alex takes the same route as Davidson’s other characters, hiding her feelings behind humor, and I guess my problem in this case, was that it didn’t seem all that honest or believable. I mean, I enjoyed the book, and I liked Alex, and I like humor and understood why and when a person is using it to hide other things, but sometimes there should be actual serious talk, and there wasn’t enough of that in this book. Alex is a bit more cynical and sarcastic, I think, because of what she’s gone through, and I would have liked more focus on that, as opposed to Davidson’s typical humor-focused style.

But, again, I did like this book. It’s fun, funny, easy to get through, I really enjoyed the romance between Alex and Shel. I liked seeing the other characters, and am interested in finding out how her brother met his wife in the first book. One character that I really enjoy all of the interactions with is Edmund, the King’s, um, assistant, secretary, or whatever. He’s very straightfaced, keeps his expression and his words unemotional, even when you can tell that he’s being sarcastic or is annoyed, and he knows just about everything. He was in the last book as well, and I just kind of love him. Also, the youngest brother, Nicholas, I find really interesting, and want to know more about. Well, and the brother Alex. I want to know their stories, as well.

So, while this one was not my favorite, I still really enjoyed it, and look forward to reading Davidson’s other books.

Novel Review: The Royal Mess (Alaskan Royal Family, #3) by MaryJanice Davidson

              Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp. (Brava Books)

Spoilers?: No.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a world nearly identical to ours, the North won the Civil War, flannel is the new bling, and Russia never sold Alaska to the U.S. Instead, Alaska is a beautiful, rough-and-tumble country ruled by a famously eccentric royal family who put the fun back in dysfunctional. And the tabloid darlings are about to get more ink once the King's "royal oats" come back in the form of a surprise princess, landing them all in, well.

THE ROYAL MESS
Jeffrey Rodinov is descended from one of the oldest families in Alaska, and a Rodinov has been protecting a Baranov for generations. It's a job Jeffrey takes VERY seriously. Six feet four inches, 220 fatless lbs., black hair, and blue eyes; weapon of choice: the 9 mm Beretta. In a pinch? His fists. IQ: 157. (Yes, crossword puzzle, in ink, just after taking out the guy behind you. No thanks necessary.) No one ever sees Jeffrey Rodinov coming, and no one-not even a mouthy, illegitimate princess-is going to keep him from playing bodyguard when his king decrees it.
Right. But no Rodinov ever had to protect Princess Nicole Krenski. Her credentials? Hunting guide in the Alaskan wilderness. Smart. Stubborn bordering on exasperating. Five-seven. Blue eyes. Very kissable mouth. Very kissable neck, back, legs, wrists, earlobes. The lady says she doesn't need a bodyguard, but that's where she's wrong. Someone needs to watch her and show her the royal ropes (and cuffs.and scarves.). Someone who can make her feel like a queen-in and out of bed. And that's a job Jeffrey Rodinov takes very seriously as well.
In this deliciously sexy, wickedly funny companion to The Royal Treatment and The Royal Pain, a reluctant princess and a determined royal bodyguard are about to discover that when it comes to powerful love, there are no defenses.

Available on Amazon.

Review:

So, I kind of love MaryJanice Davidson. I have, somewhat slowly, been getting through her books, and while I’m trying not to do it too fast, I just want to read them so badly, and I usually finish them to quickly. I have not read any in a while, and just got a couple more, so we’ll see how fast those go by.

While I have finished her Mermaid series, and have not been able to find the next Vampire Betsy book, I have been pretty much picking up whichever book of hers I can find. And I found this series. Normally, I hate reading anything out of order, but you don’t have to read these books in order, and I couldn’t find the first one. So I ended up reading the series backwards (not on purpose, but still).

This is the final book in the Alaskan Royal Family series, and I rather enjoyed it. This one is about Nicole, a girl who found out she was a princess after her mother died, and ends up falling for Jeffrey, a bodyguard to the royal family she is now a part of.

The writing is just like Davidson’s normal style, random and fun, fast to get through, with a heroine that doesn’t want anything to do with royalty, who’s stubborn and rough on the outside. My only biggest problem with Davidson’s style, as I’ve said before, is that a majority of her heroines are pretty much carbon copies of each other, and the male love interest almost always falls first. This is bothersome, but I can deal with it, at least for the moment.

This story was fun, like her others. I wasn’t expecting much else, and I enjoyed what I got. It’s fun, fast, a little bit steamy (honestly, I would have preferred more explicit sexy stuff, but Davidson doesn’t usually write full on sex scenes, and she didn’t here, just hinted at some kinky stuff). The romance was very nice, and I liked the couple together, as usual. There's some drama, but it's pretty lighthearted, not much suspense or anticipation, and I never had any doubt about how the book would end.

There's also some political stuff in these books, because it's set in Alaska as if we never bought it, and it has a royal family system, but I wasn't very bothered by it. Nor did I pay too much attention to it.

This story did get me interested in the other books in the series, but I hope to read all of the books by her that I can find.

Manga Review: The Story of Saiunkoku, Volume 2, by Kairi Yura and Sai Yukino

Rating (Out of 5): 3

Publisher: VIZ Media

Volumes: 18

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shurei Hong, destitute but of noble birth, has always dreamed of working as a civil servant in the imperial court of Saiunkoku, but women are barred from holding office. The emperor Ryuki, however, refuses to take command, leaving everything to his advisors. Shurei is asked to become a consort to the emperor to persuade the ne’er-do-well ruler to govern.

Review:

For some reason, I'm having a hard time getting into this series. It's just a little too slow, or something. I'm starting to like the characters, but the story moves slowly. But it's also a historical story, and I'm not too big a fan of history, even if it is fiction.

In this volume, Shurei finds out that Ryuki actually know more about what she's been teaching him than she thinks. When she demands to leave, Ryuki locks her up in his room. Even though this is really a terrible thing to do, it's actually quite funny. And Ryuki didn't know that she was a stand-in and was only staying there temporary. It's adorable how much Ryuki likes her.

And then Shurei's poisoned and kidnapped, and Ryuki has to rescue her. Ryuki has to make a deal in order to get the antidote for her. After she wakes up, they talk some, and when Shurei is saying goodbye to everyone, Ryuki kisses her and confesses that he likes men and women, (because Shurei was under the impression that he only slept with men,) to which Shurei is outraged.

And then there's a small side story about Shurei, her father, Seiran, and food. It's about when Shurei and her father first take in Seiran and Shurei's mother has just recently died. It's a cute, sweet little thing.

There were other parts in the volume with the other characters, more serious parts that I'm having a hard time with. I can't seem to remember who's who, or what's going on with all of them, why they're doing what they're doing. And some of them seem interesting, I just don't seem to remember them, and I don't think I've seen enough from several of them. I'm starting to like Shurei a bit more, and Seiran is interesting, but I haven't seen enough of him, gotten enough of his character yet, either. But I do really like Ryuki. He's adorable, and fun, and he likes Shurei and it's cute how they always argue with each other, and he refers to himself (sometimes, not always) as 'we', and he actually knows what he's doing and can fight. I like him most. But all of the other characters, and the history, is making it hard for me to read.

I'm going to continue the series, but I hope that it gets more exciting, and lets up a little on the history and background parts. I just don't enjoy them, and I do want to get into this series. But for now, it's just alright (aside from Ryuki, because I kind of love him).