Manga Review: A Witch's Printing Office, Volume 2, by Mochinchi and Yasuhiro Miyama

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 2020

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: Very light.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

 

 Mika never imagined her "Magic Market" would be so successful! However, as the massively popular book-buying event continues to expand after each iteration, some things are bound to get out of hand!!

 

Review:

 

We meet a couple of new characters in this volume. A princess who wants to run away from home, only to discover she's a fujoshi and has this in common with her mother. Also an evil demon who wants to have a booth at Magiket. Along the way, Mika also finds a new paper cutter, and forms an agreement with a dragon for his shed skin to make books with.

I don't really understand what the timeline of these books are. There appears to be two Magikets each book, which I think most conventions are once a year, so that seems like time is very fast here. Maybe that's mirroring video game sense of time?

It doesn't appear that Mika is getting very much closer to getting back home, but it also doesn't seem like the plot is focusing too much on that part. At least up until that ending, which might bring up some new progress next time.

I'm not a high-fantasy reader, but I don't mind this series. It has some good, funny moments, and I think it's getting better.

 

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

Manga Review: Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, Volume 11, by Yasuo Ohtagaki, Hajime Yatate, and Yoshiyuki Tomino

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 14+

Spoilers?: Yes.

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

Volume: 1. 8. 12.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An epic story of war and survival set in the legendary Gundam universe!

In the Universal Century year 0079, the space colony known as Side 3 proclaims independence as the Principality of Zeon and declares war on the Earth Federation. One year later, they are locked in a fierce battle for the Thunderbolt Sector, an area of space scarred by the wreckage of destroyed colonies.

Abandoning their allegiance to Zeon, Daryl Lorenz and Dr. Karla Mitchum join Federation defector Claudia Peer and head for the Nanyang Alliance's Taal volcano base to dedicate themselves to the cause of Sojo Levan Fu. Once there, they learn the full extent of the Nanyang operation to mass-produce the Psycho Zaku and the Reuse P. Device, and Sojo Levan Fu’s ultimate plan to end humanity’s fall toward inevitable destruction! Daryl and Karla are the keys to this plan, but unlocking their shattered memories has unexpected dangers.

Review:

All is apparently revealed in this volume, as Daryl shows what side he's really on and betrays the team he was originally on. Daryl and Karla join the Levan Fu side, as Daryl wants Karla to get her memory and self back. This could be great or terrible for them, though.

Everything Daryl does here is kind of hard to take, and yet his and Karla's relationship is important to him, as much as his stance on fighting. Their romance seems sweet, but also with an underlying tragedy, it seems.

Then there's the Sojo Levan Fu cause. This just feels like a terribly misleading, brainwashing cult. It felt very off reading that entire arc, as Daryl and Karla arrive and are introduced fully to it.

I'm not following this series, as I'm not a mecha reader. But this was an interesting volume.

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: Starflight (Starflight, #1) by Melissa Landers

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: YA Sci-fi Romance, Space

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: 2016

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Solara Brooks needs a fresh start, someplace where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. The outer realm may be lawless, but it's not like the law has ever been on her side.

Still, off-world travel doesn't come cheap; Solara is left with no choice but to indenture herself in exchange for passage to the outer realm. She just wishes it could have been to anyone besides Doran Spaulding, the rich, pretty-boy quarterback who made her life miserable in school.

The tables suddenly turn when Doran is framed for conspiracy on Earth, and Solara cons him into playing the role of her servant on board the Banshee, a ship manned by an eccentric crew with their own secrets. Given the price on both Doran and Solara's heads, it may just be the safest place in the universe.

It's been a long time since Solara has believed in anyone, and Doran is the last person she expected to trust. But when the Banshee's dangerous enemies catch up with them, Solara and Doran must come together to protect the ship that has become their home-and the eccentric crew that feels like family.

The Cover:

I really like this cover. It definitely caught my attention, as it's simple but eye-catching, and the colors are very pretty. The gold stands out really nice. I think it gives the right idea of what the book is about, too; to expect the sci-fi, spaceship travel aspect.

Review:

I've been wanting to try out Landers' stories since she debuted years ago, even though I'm not typically a sci-fi reader, and just never got around to it. Her stories just sound light and fluffy, with some space travel included, and I was intrigued.

I'm hesitant to compare this to Firefly, just because that's the only sci-fi series I've actually watched, and I'm sure there are other similar shows and movies. But, it did remind me a lot of Firefly, in a very good way. This is set mostly on a spaceship, traveling from planet to planet and dealing with pirates a few times and running from the government. It's also much more action-based than romance-focused, though.

The romance is rather sweet. Solara and Doran start out hating each other; they competed in school, and Doran has always bullied Solara. Solara is an orphan but a good student and a very good mechanic, but she's always been looked down on and gotten scraps. Doran is the son of a billionaire, the man who discovered and sells fuel. They're forced together when, at first, Solara needs Doran's help to leave Earth, and then Doran gets framed for conspiracy and has to hide from the government with her help.

They've got chemistry, and they form an understanding that grows to accepted attraction, and then a real relationship. It's sweet, but it's not all that intense. And, mostly, I mean that it's not given too much attention, it falls more in the background. I would have enjoyed more romance, but I actually didn't mind, since it made it less dramatic. This story focused more on the action. They join a crew of misfits, and they all get into quite a bit of trouble, several times during this book.

I really liked the crew they join. There's Renny, who pickpockets without realizing; their tiny sugarglider mascot; then Kane and Cassia, who constantly banter but actually seem closer than they let on. Then the older, part metal, captain, who sees more than he lets on and has been through a lot in his years.

This was a really fun book. The romance was subtle, but the action was exciting. I'm really looking forward to reading the next one and seeing what happens with Cassia.

Manga Review: Astra Lost in Space, Volume 5, by Kenta Shinohara

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 5.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can eight teenagers find their way home from 5,000 light-years away?

It’s the year 2063, and interstellar space travel has become the norm. Eight students from Caird High School and one child set out on a routine planet camp excursion. While there, the students are mysteriously transported 5,000 light-years away to the middle of nowhere! Will they ever make it back home?!

Conspiracies begin to unravel as the truth behind the Astra crew members’ circumstances start to come to light. And when the crew reaches their last pit stop, Galem, the saboteur is revealed! Don’t miss the shocking conclusion in this final volume!

Review:

In the first half of this volume, we discover what happened with Earth and what planet the kids are from. Then we discover who is behind the murder attempts, and why. It's honestly a pretty interesting back story regarding Charce and Aries. And in the second half of the book, we get back to their home and confront their attempted murderers.

I enjoyed what I read of this series. The ending is a bit much, but I didn't really expect any different. I liked the twists it threw in, the whole conspiracies and idea behind Earth and the clones. I liked a few of the characters, though I didn't grow quite close enough to any of them by the end. But still, this was a fun sci-fi series.

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

Comic Review: Wires and Nerve: Volume 2 - Gone Rogue (The Lunar Chronicles series) by Marissa Meyer and Stephen Gilpin

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: January 2018

Volumes: 2.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Book 1.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Iko – an audacious android and best friend to the Lunar Queen Cinder – has been tasked with hunting down Alpha Lysander Steele, the leader of a rogue band of bioengineered wolf-soldiers who threaten to undo the tenuous peace agreement between Earth and Luna. Unless Cinder can reverse the mutations that were forced on them years before, Steele and his soldiers plan to satisfy their monstrous appetites with a massacre of the innocent people of Earth.

And to show he’s serious, Steele is taking hostages.

Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, and Winter and Jacin all feature in this epic new battle. But it is Iko who must face her deepest fears when she uncovers the truth about her own unusual programming.

Review:

I didn't realize that this series was only two volumes long, or I would have read it faster.

I didn't mind the plot line in this series. We get to see Iko adventure out on her own, hunting down the beasts, and trying to stop Alpha Steele from his nefarious plans. Of course, she gets to meet up with the rest of the group at different intervals, as they are always there for each other and ready to help when it's needed. I did like getting to see Iko grow into her own, explore her humanity and what makes her who she is when she's a robot, and her relationship with Kinney grow.

While I might not have loved the actual plot of this particular spin-off—any more time that I get with this group of characters is the best. Getting to see Cress and Thorne, Scarlet and Wolf, and Cinder and Thorne together again is always my favorite.

I really think this series would make an amazing TV show. It would have to be a long one, and it would be amazing.

Manga Review: Dimension W, Volume 2, by Yuji Iwahara

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: 2016

Volumes: 15+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

True to his warning, Loser--the infamous phantom thief-makes an explosive entrance at the art museum to steal the Angels of Black and White Wings statue! "Collector" Kyouma Mabuchi, now teamed up with the android Mira to recover illegal Coils, faces off with the masked thief in the midst of the museum's heavy security. But it just so happens that Loser recognizes Kyouma--and what's more, he seems to know all about the Collector's dark past...What other secrets may lie hidden within the statue he seeks?

Review:

After the first volume, I wasn't really interested at all. But after this volume, I think I've changed my mind.

I thought this was going in the direction of episodic cases where they find coils and steal, maybe save some stuff. But instead, the art thief turns out to have a potentially deeper connection to Mabuchi, though that's left open-ended for the moment. It turns out good for Mira, though, who helps out and finds some coils.

After that, we meet the kids who show up to bother Mabuchi, though he's never done anything but complain at them. This leads to an explanation of the point system, which is something that people start with at birth and lose when they do bad things—it appears that they're unable to earn points back, and if they get down to a certain point, they'll be forced to go to lowers schools, it could ruin their reputation, it affects them as adults. It's an awful system, honestly; reading about it made me uneasy.

I'm not sure where the cliffhanger is going, though I'm intrigued. I didn't much care for the first volume, but this one has me much more interested. I liked Mabuchi more in this volume, and I liked getting to know Mira a lot more. I'm intrigued by the world this is set in, as well. I might actually pick up the next volume when I get the chance.

Manga Review: Dimension W, Volume 1, by Yuji Iwahara

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: 2016.

Volumes: 15+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

2072 AD. With the invention of cross-dimensional electromagnetic inductors known as "coils," the world's energy crisis has long been solved. Kyouma Mabuchi is a "Collector" who makes his living by recovering illegal coils for the powers that be. When his latest gig brings him upon a mysterious girl named Mira, little does he know that their meeting will bring them both closer to the secrets behind "Dimension W"-the fourth dimension, beyond X, Y, and Z, that powers the world...So begins this progressive sci-fi tale where the future of science and humanity itself may very well hang in the balance!

Review:

I was intrigued by the cover of this series. When there's a robot girl, I'm always a little curious. I didn't expect this to be so technical of a series, though.

In this world, coils are all that really matter. Just about everything is run by them, so of course the government has a lot of rules governing them. There's legal ones, and illegal ones, and scientists constantly working on them. Kyouma appears to hate technology, but he's a collector, who gets paid for collecting illegal coils. He stumbles into Mira, a robot girl created by a brilliant scientist family, who've been missing for years. Only a few people know what happened to them, and she's one of them.

As is expected, they end up teaming up together. Kyouma is reluctant, and Mira is excited to finally be out in the world and seeing things with her eyes for the first time.

This volume was a bit more in-depth with the science/fantasy than I expected, and probably more than I would prefer in general. They're on their first mission as the volume ends, and I am a little curious what will happen with it.

Manga Review: Astra Lost in Space, Volume 4, by Kenta Shinohara

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2018

Volumes: 5.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can eight teenagers find their way home from 5,000 light-years away?

It’s the year 2063, and interstellar space travel has become the norm. Eight students from Caird High School and one child set out on a routine planet camp excursion. While there, the students are mysteriously transported 5,000 light-years away to the middle of nowhere! Will they ever make it back home?!

After crashing on planet Icriss, all seems lost for the crew of the Astra. That is, until they discover another Astra hidden on the planet—and there’s a woman in cryogenic sleep inside! Will this new Astra be the ark that saves group B-5 from their despair?

Review

I haven't read the previous volumes of this series, so I'm not sure what led up to this point for the characters. But they definitely get a revelation in this one.

The group of characters end up on a new planet, with their ship wrecked, not knowing where they are or how to get back on their way home. On this new planet, they discover another ship exactly like theirs, with another human frozen, and decide to bring her along. It's a discovery for them, and it leads them to test two of their own members, and leads to a revolutionary discovery about their own origins.

And then we get an even bigger surprise for the Earthling on board.

Given that I don't know all the backstory here, these revelations probably weren't as big for me as other readers, but even then they seemed quite big. They're crazy concepts.

I enjoyed a few of the characters in this volume. I liked the sweet moments between Quitterie and Zack, and I appreciated the diversity thrown in by Luca. I probably would like this series if I followed it all the way. Even for a non-science reader like me, it was a good read.

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

Manga Review: Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Volume 1, by Ark Performance

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: 2014

Volumes: 13+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

HUMANITY’S LAST HOPE

It’s been seventeen long years since the Fleet of Fog—a mysterious, unmanned fleet of powerful vessels that appeared out of nowhere—took control of the oceans, barring humanity from traveling between continents or islands. During those years, people the world over have dreamed of a revolt that would let them take back the seas, but there’s been no hope—until now.

A weapon powerful enough to damage the Fog’s vessels has finally been invented, and there’s just one way of getting the critical information and prototypes from Japan to America, where the weapon can produced! The submarine I-401, with its humanoid avatar—a “mental model” named Iona, who’s taken the shape of a young girl—was once part of the Fleet of Fog, but has chosen to side with humanity.

Now captained by Chihaya Gunzo and his crew, the I-401 is the only ship under human control that can move freely through the seas. But she answers only to her captain, and he answers to no one.

Review:

I was intrigued by this series, but after reading it, I just feel meh.

I think maybe the sci-fi series, particularly when there are some kind of mechanics involved, just aren’t for me. It’s not to my interest.

We get introduced to an odd group of characters. They’re in a different world, and the group is living in a submarine, running from the government. There’s fighting, we meet a girl who’s a robot and they’re not sure how much she really knows and has access to.

Mostly, I was bored. I don’t care for all the tech talk or mechanics. I don’t think I’ll be reading more.

Manga Review: Knights of Sidonia, Volume 1, by Tsutomo Nihei

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5-3

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: 2013

Volumes: 15.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

“CORE EXPOSED”

Outer space, the far future.

A lone seed ship, the Sidonia, plies the void, ten centuries since the obliteration of the solar system. The massive, nearly indestructible, yet barely sentient alien life forms that destroyed humanity’s home world continue to pose an existential threat.

Nagate Tanikaze has only known life in the vessel’s bowels deep below the sparkling strata where humans have achieved photosynthesis and new genders. Not long after he emerges from the Underground, however, the youth is bequeathed a treasured legacy by the spaceship’s coolheaded female captain.

Meticulously drawn, peppered with clipped humor, but also unusually attentive to plot and structure for the international cult favorite, Knights of Sidonia may be Tsutomu Nihei’s most accessible work to date even as it hits notes of tragic grandeur as a hopeless struggle for survival unfolds.

Review:

I think maybe this is a slow starting series. It must be, given how much people like this series. Because this volume was slow and did not pull me in. Maybe I’m just not a sci-fi person, though.

We’re thrown into the story, a weird space-based world, where there are aliens to fight. Nagate has been living separated from everyone else, though, and doesn’t even realize that there are other humans around that could help him. He’s one of the few humans left who eat real food, and he has no real training with space-fighting and the machines, but he’s been using one in secret.

It’s odd to me how he’s been hiding without realizing there are other humans so close by, and yet he stumbled upon them all of a sudden now that he’s alone. Either way, though, he’s living in an odd world and pushed into helping fight. It gets bad, bloody and deadly, and doesn’t end well for them, either.

Maybe it is that I’m just not a sci-fi person, because I’m not really interested in picking up the next one. This one was slow and odd, and didn’t pull me into the story, world, or characters.

Manga Review: Ultraman, Volume 4, by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 17, 2016

Volumes: 7+

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

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…

Earth’s alien enemies are brutal and unforgiving, but Shinjiro is having a tough time coming to terms with the way Dan Moroboshi kills them without hesitation. Perhaps just as disturbing is the new Ultraman suit Moroboshi is wearing. While Shinjiro deals with this, a secret plan to awaken Shinjiro’s Ultraman Factor is set in motion, and singer Rena Sayama’s life is in danger…

Review:

Since I haven’t read the previous volumes, I was very lost with this volume. But intrigued.

Shinjiro is having a hard time agreeing to be Ultraman, and we see him struggle and finally come to a decision about it. Meanwhile, the aliens are invading and planning an attack in the background, and they make it on popstar Rena at our cliffhanger.

If I was a bigger fan of sci-fi, I would enjoy this series a lot more. Because I can tell there’s quite a bit of work put into the world and the creatures and the ultraman suit. This was a very fast volume, and I didn’t mind it at all, though. 

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