Teaser Tuesday[240]: Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1) by Jay Kristoff

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!

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Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1) by Jay Kristoff

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press)

Release Date: August 2016

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

The first in a new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author.

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

Excerpt:

“Mia put a restraining hand on his arm, but Tric was off, diving toward Floodcaller's throat.” (Hardcover, pg. 114)

Manga Review: Liselotte & Witch's Forest, Volume 1, by Natsuki Takaya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: July 2016

Volumes: 5 (Hiatus)

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Despite being completely hopeless at endeavors like farming and cooking, Liselotte, a young lady of noble birth and guardian to twins Alto and Anna, picks up and moves to a remote land. At the easternmost reaches of her new home lies a forest where it's said witches roam. When Lise one day finds herself at the receiving end of an attack by one such witch, she's saved by the sudden appearance of a young man named Engetsu. Though they're strangers, Engetsu is remarkably similar to someone she already knows...?

Review:

This is a very intriguing start to a series.

Liselotte has been shipped out of her rich family's home, and now lives in a forest, with two kids as her caretakers. She's optimistically doing all she can to learn how to farm and scavenge, even when she's not particularly good at any of these things.

And then she learns of the witch myths regarding the forest they live in. And suddenly, there's a man named Engetsu there to help her, and Liselotte believes she knows him from before everything happened. It's clear, though, that he's up to something, and that he knows more than he's letting on.

We get a few hints, but this is definitely setting up for something more. Not giving any answers, but it's a good start. I love the artwork, and I'm happy to be reading a new Takaya book.

I'm looking forward to the next one.

Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss, Volume 23, by Julietta Suzuki

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February 2017

Volumes: 25.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 22. 24.

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Nanami inherits a shrine, it comes with divine powers and a hot fox spirit!

Nanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she’s just saved from a dog offers to let her stay at his place while he’s away, she jumps at the opportunity. But it turns out that his home is a shrine and Nanami has unwittingly taken over his job as a local deity!

Review:

We're getting close to the end of the series, and you can tell. There's only so long that they can prolong Tomoe's staying in fox form.

The group is still in the land of the dead, and they meet a little girl who's searching for something. Tomoe and Nanami and the others go after Akura-oh, with plans to stop him from reaching his body and saving Kirihito, the body he's in now. Akura-oh finally realizes what his minion has been up to all along, and Akura-oh finally realizes that he's changed along the way. There is a surprising twist here, an ending that I didn't quite expect for the character. The cliffhanger that it leads to is also rather unsettling and problematic. We'll see where that goes next.

This is a rather good series. I'm sad for one plot, but glad that Nanami is doing better. Tomoe's plot also took a good step forward, and I really do love him. Looking forward to the next one, as always.

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

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 5, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2016

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A blood-pounding tale of an unorthodox alliance between a vampire and an exorcist!

“Bloody” Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited “The Blood of Maria” and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary’s dismay, Maria doesn’t know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria’s bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

Maria and Mary go to England to meet the mentor who taught Shinobu how to fight vampires, hoping that he might hold the answers that Maria seeks. But he’s already gone by the time they arrive, and they are met, instead, by a blonde beauty in a lab coat. Meanwhile, the familiar scenery stirs up long-repressed memories Mary had once forgotten.

Review:

We meet a new character in this volume: Lily. She's a scientist, the apprentice of the old man the group meant to meet up with. She's an interesting character, not too crazy. From her, we find out a new fact about Mary, and vampires like him.

We got quite a bit more development about Mary in this volume. About his past, who this other “Mary” is, and how he might have ended up where he is now. It's interesting to see, especially that his immortality might be unique to him, but his red hair isn't. His possible connection with Hydra should lead to something interesting, as well.

I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy this series. It's easy to forget, but then you jump right back in. And the development of everything is quite interesting and easy to get hooked in to.

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

Manga Review: Black Clover, Volume 5, by Yuki Tabata

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February 2017

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a world of magic, Asta, a boy with anti-magic powers, will do whatever it takes to become the Wizard King!

Asta is a young boy who dreams of becoming the greatest mage in the kingdom. Only one problem—he can’t use any magic! Luckily for Asta, he receives the incredibly rare five-leaf clover grimoire that gives him the power of anti-magic. Can someone who can’t use magic really become the Wizard King? One thing’s for sure—Asta will never give up!

With Asta captured and Fuegoleon defeated, the Clover Kingdom tries to recover from the attack by the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Meanwhile, the greatest mage in the kingdom launches his own counterattack. Can the Wizard King take these terrorists out before they do any more harm?

Review:

We get to see some of the aftermath from the big battle in the previous volume. Asta is in a better state now, and there are a few new enemies moving around, including this crazy scientist lady. We get to know Gauche more, and see his blind devotion to his sister, which is just unhealthy. He's pretty much an uncaring jerk to everyone else. The volume ends with another mid-battle cliffhanger.

This series seems to be using the theme of obsession, or maybe devotion?, a lot. Everyone is obsessed with becoming the wizard king and the rivalries. There's also a lot of one-sided love obsessions as well. Asta is convinced he will win over the nun. Gauche is obsessed with his sister. And now we see that Noelle is pretty much obsessed with Asta. The way that we see her following him around, very obviously hiding and watching him and getting jealous when he talks to other women, is outright stalking. She does it at least twice in this volume. It's rather unsettling, honestly.

I don't mind this series, but I don't particularly like it. It seems very clearly underdeveloped in comparison to several other shonen series in this line alone. It's okay.

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

Teaser Tuesday[239]: A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire, #1) by Jessica Cluess

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!

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

A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire, #1) by Jessica Cluess

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: September 2016

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Henrietta can burst into flames.

Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she’s shocked when instead of being executed, she’s named the first female sorcerer in hundreds of years and invited to train as one of Her Majesty’s royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the prophesied one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta is not the chosen one.

As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Excerpt:

“As I rose, Dee said, 'You really should name your stave, you know. Names give one a bit more control over something.“ (ARC, pg. 82)

What are you reading?

Manga Review: Forget Me Not, Volume 4, by Mag Hsu and Nao Emoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: September 2016

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

LAST CHANCES, SECOND CHANCES
Serizawa started a relationship with Yamaguchi even though he was interested in Tsukushi. But after living in a confusing and vague love triangle, he can no longer suppress his feelings for his friend. Serizawa must now make a painful choice in order to truly face Tsukushi. Will he be able to start fresh, or will he lose both people he cares about?
As a young adult, Serizawa also struggles with memories of his childhood. And in a dark time, he meets someone from his past that he never thought he'd see again...

Review:

Finally, his messed up relationships with Yamaguchi and Tsukushi. He ends one and goes into the relationship he thought he wanted, only to find out it's not quite what he expected. He messes that up, too.

My favorite part of this volume, by far, was the strength that Yamaguchi showed when she yelled at him. That was a really strong scene, and I was impressed by it.

We get to see what Serizawa's parents were like in this volume, and what kind of influence that had on him. Seeing his mom devoted to a man who was never around, and eventually cheated. Some things make sense, after that.

In the last chapter, Serizawa is a mess. He's falling apart, and it's very obvious. We'll see what happens with that cliffhanger.

I'm really hooked on this series. It's very smart and realistic, the characters feel real and it's easy to grow attached even when you know things are going to end up bad. I'm interested to see where it goes next.

Manga Review: Princess Ai by Misaho Kujiradou, Courtney Love, and DJ Milky

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Tokyopop

Release Date: 2004

Volumes: 3 (plus spin-offs)

Spoilers?: No.

Buy Vol. 1 here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository (box set, in stock).

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ai is the only royal princess of Ai-Land, a magical kingdom caught in the midst of a horrific revolution. When Princess Ai makes a hasty escape from her war-torn land, she finds herself in modern-day Tokyo. Confused and in shock, Ai wanders the streets in this strange new land to unravel the secrets that could tear her and her kingdom apart ... The first volume of Princess Ai is a journey to the heights of fame and fortune found in this world and beyond!

Review:

I was really hoping to love this series, but was oddly not too impressed.

Ai is a princess from another world, and she shows up on Earth with no memory, and slowly starts gaining it back by the end of the series, when she has to go back to her own world to save it. The ending was a bit cheesy, and a little open-ended, but it was okay. The character development was just okay—I did like the main romance, but otherwise we didn’t get enough complexity.

I do think the artwork is very pretty.

I also am interested in the character of Ai. As a person, she’s kind of annoying. Very stubborn and a bit of a spoiled brat, with no care for anyone but herself and a select few. Even after she signs a contract to be an idol, she doesn’t give a shit about all the agreements she’s made or the shows she’s agreed to do, and hates when they want her to do her job. She’s a pain in the ass.

But on the other hand, she’s a strong female character. She doesn’t stand for people bullying her or trying to take advantage of her, she can fight anyone if she wants to. I particularly like that with all the revealing clothes she wears, she wears them because she likes them, and doesn’t stand for it when people try to act like she’s easy because of the way she looks. I was impressed with that.

Overall, it was an okay series. Not amazing, not horrible. It didn’t keep me glued to the pages, but I might pick up the spin-off.

Manga Review: D-Frag!, Volume 1, by Tomoya Haruno

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: 2014

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

NOW A HIT ANIME!

Kazama Kenji thinks he's a delinquent. He's got the look, the style and the ‘tude to match—he even has a second-rate entourage. Deep down, however, Kazama is a good-hearted kid who finds himself and his loyal gang in over their heads when they stumble upon the Game Development Club. The club's formidable members are four girls who he might actually be attracted to if they weren't so freakin' weird. The girls claim to have otherworldly powers which they use to defeat Kazama's gang and force him to join their offbeat club. Can Kazama resist the girls' bizarre charms and return to some semblance of a normal, everyday life…or is it "game over" for our hapless hero?

Review:

I clearly had no idea what I was getting into with this series, because this volume was crazy.

I guess I thought I was going to get a relatively normal high school comedy harem. Instead, I got a high school based story featuring a crazy group of girls and the punk boy who interrupts their club without a clue what he was getting into.

The girls are in a game development club, but they don’t know anything about developing games. During club time, they fool around, pretending they have elemental powers and threatening anyone who gets in their way. They’re insane.

We’re immediately thrown into the craziness, but I do think by the end of the volume we were starting to see some real character development. I think that Roka is adorable, and I think that her and Kazama could be sweet together.

The craziness took me a bit, but it was actually rather entertaining. I might pick up another volume when I get a chance.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 7, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: October 2016

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's me, Kae! After resolving my differences with Shima-chan, the gang is all together again for a special trip to visit the shrine of a beloved anime character...I mean, historical figure! Things get steamy at a hot springs inn-communal baths, pillow fights--seeing these gorgeous guys together is just too much!!

But it's not all fun and fantasies when Igarashi buckles down to win me over. Are these feelings I get around him something more than friendship? Mustumi-senpai has also stayed close after his confession, and a strange turn of events o our vacation gives him the chance for more alone time with me.

Back at home, the other boys' progress has Nanashima feeling left out in the cold, without some otaku common ground, he doesn't know how to get closer, but his little sister's anime obsession might be the answer he needs! He's really working hard now, and after all that effort, he makes a shocking move to declare his feelings.

Review:

The yaoi teasing moments in this series makes me interested to read her actual yaoi series. I bet they're good.

The group takes a trip at the beginning of the volume, in which there are some sticky situations, a life or death moment, and a ghost curse. There is one weird moment that I would feel more worried about, if Mutsumi had any bad intentions at all toward Kae, though it is still questionable. Then Nana tries upping his standing with Kae, only to pass out because of working too much at a part time job.

I like the way that Igarashi is trying to get Kae's attention, to be honest. He's slowly working her toward being comfortable around him, and I like it. Mutsumi is also great, because he genuinely cares and is honest about it; he has no underhanded thoughts ever.

That cliffhanger should lead to something fun, I'm sure. This series is always fun to read more of.