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.

Manga Review: Anonymous Noise, Volume 12, by Ryoko Fukuyama

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2019

Volumes: 18.

Spoilers?: Some.

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

Volume: 1. 11. 13.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Music and longing collide in this ballad of unrequited love!

Nino Arisugawa, a girl who loves to sing, experiences her first heart-wrenching goodbye when her beloved childhood friend, Momo, moves away. And after Nino befriends Yuzu, a music composer, she experiences another sad parting! Luckily, Nino reunites with Momo and Yuzu in high school, but things haven’t played out the way anyone expected…

The new school year brings major changes—namely, Nino is in a relationship with Momo, and she hasn’t seen Yuzu in months. Where has Yuzu gone off to? And can the remaining members of the Pop Music Club keep it together without him?

Review:

Now that Nino and Momo are official, Yuzu has disappeared. School is back in session, and the music club has a new member, a girl who throws Kuro off his guard. Near the end of the volume, Momo has a confrontation with Miou. They have an odd relationship, since they were pretty much thrown into this band together, and Miou had already been feeling like less than because of Nino when she found out their connection. It needed to happen, as Momo had already decided how much Black Kitty meant to him, and that it was separate from Nino. Miou needed to know that.

Now that Nino and Momo are together, I'm conflicted. I'm really not sure which boy I prefer for her, especially since neither feels right any more. Now she's with Momo, and I worry about Yuzu and I feel bad, and none of it feels okay. But if she were with Yuzu, I might feel bad for Momo. I don't know if there's a win here, but I don't think this is it. I think Nino and Momo are good together, though, and they're rather intense in their affection and their feelings in general.

Everything in this series is so intense, and so pointed and emotional. It's raw and also so perfectly articulated and timed. I'm not sure what's going to happen next, but I'm in for it.

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

Manga Review: Hatsu*Haru, Volume 4, by Shizuki Fujisawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 13.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Add on Goodreads 

RightStuf Synopsis:

School can't teach you everything, especially when it comes to love! No matter how much a guy studies, it still won't be enough to turn around his terrible luck with romance! Just as an apple can never return to the tree it fell from, is unrequited love destined to never be reciprocated...?

Review:

While it would have been nice for Riko to see what Kai was saying, that would have been too easy. Of course she takes it as merely meant to cheer her up. Though there are hints that she just won't let herself think that he likes her that way, which is somewhat of a good sign.

We get quite a lot of Misaki in this volume. There's still the developing of a relationship between him and Ayumi, and it's obvious they're forming some kind of understanding type of relationship, even if they don't quite see it yet. But then we get a curveball as Kai thinks Misaki and Riko are starting to hit it off. This shows a really mature side of Kai, as he believes he can't compete with Misaki, and we get some insight into their friendship because of this. They've known each other for a long time, and Misaki has always been there for Kai, even if he didn't realize it at the time. They've formed a really close friendship over the years, a caring and respect for each other. It's sweet.

Aside from that, it's nice to see the rest of the guys trying to root for Kai, and trying to push him and Riko together. Also Kai's family. I love how big and close they are, and enjoy seeing them all together, and him taking care of the kids. It's so sweet.

The romance is going to take a bit longer, I suspect. But it's fun to see it grow, and I like the side characters a lot, as well. I'm enjoying getting to know them better, and would actually like more of that at times.

Manga Review: Sweet Blue Flowers, Volume 2, by Takako Shimura

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2017

Volumes: 4 (Omnibus).

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A genre-defining saga of love and friendship between girls.

Akira Okudaira is starting high school and is ready for exciting new experiences. And on the first day of school, she runs into her best friend from kindergarten at the train station! Now Akira and Fumi have the chance to rekindle their friendship, but life has gotten a lot more complicated since they were kids…

Kyoko’s fiancé invites a group of her friends to join them at his family’s summer home. But the trip ends up including more than just ghost stories and horseback riding—Fumi can now confirm that she has feelings for Akira. And Akira learns more than she wants to about Kyoko’s private life with some accidental eavesdropping. After this, how can the girls just return to school like nothing’s happened?

Review:

The first half of this volume seemed rather slow-paced. We get to know the characters a bit more, including two of the boys, but also the group of girls and their friendships. They're on a trip, so they play some games and stay up late talking, before school starts again.

We get some hints regarding Kyoko and her family, which could turn into drama later. We also see Sugimoto for a brief period; there's some drama there, some hard feelings, but mostly it seems like a farewell.

In the second half of the volume, a new school year has started, and a new school play has been chosen and so has the cast. There are new members now in both schools; there's quiet, library club member Ueda, who's sweet and shy. Then there's Ono, a younger, tiny girl, who's blunt and honest and straightforward in her wants.

Ono has me intrigued, and I think she's a character that both Akira and Fumi need to meet, to give them some perspective. At the same time, there are some confessions. Fumi is honest with Akira, but possibly more than she meant to be, or more than Akira knows how to take. It's made things a little awkward, though this could be good or bad for them.

I like how sweet and subtle this series is. It's rather realistic in how it handles its issues, without being dramatic or exaggerated. The girls discuss these topics sometimes, and they have to consider how to respond to these situations, but also how to talk about them.

This is a rather short series, and I'm looking forward to reading more and following it to the end.

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

Manga Review: Hunter x Hunter, Volume 34, by Yoshihiro Togashi

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump Advanced (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2018

Volumes: 36 (Hiatus)

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 33. 35.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Plucky Gon’s quest to find his dad leads him into a whole world of crazy adventure.

Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other people. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.

All aboard the Black Whale, because the journey to the Dark Continent is beginning! And this will be anything but a pleasure cruise, because the King of Kakin has ordered his princes to fight to the death to succeed him—on the ship! But this won’t be an ordinary battle. They’ll be using hired guards with fantastic powers to fight! Including Kurapika and some of the Zodiac members!

Review:

I haven't read or watched any of this series. Jumping into this volume... This is a very weird series, weird characters in an odd setting.

We're in a tournament-style fight, where Chrollo and Hisoka are against each other, possibly to the death. After that, there's a titanic-like spaceship that's taking some special people off to a new planet. It's clear that bad things are planned for this, though it's unclear who is planning and who is on which side; who knows and who doesn't. Kurapika is on the case.

There are some weird-a characters in this series. It's a weird concept behind the whole thing, as far as I can tell. The whole battle in itself was crazy, too. Violent and weird, and then they got the audience involved. It was bad.

This is definitely a shonen series I don't follow, and it's not something I would look for. If you like these kinds of stories, then I can see the appeal, though. Sometimes crazy weird is fun.

 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 16, by Kohei Horikoshi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 22+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 15. 17.

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?

The Hassaikai crime gang, led by the young boss Chisaki, has been working on a plan to distribute a Quirk-destroying drug. The key to this evil scheme is the young girl Eri, held prisoner in Chisaki’s hideout. Nighteye asks other heroes to form a team to launch a rescue attempt—and the students of Class 1-A are going into the lion’s den with them! But Nighteye, who can see the future, refuses to look at the fates of anyone going on the mission…

Review:

They're preparing for the sting, and then it's time. Only, there's more people on the Hassaikai team than they thought, and they seem pretty prepared for the heroes. They split up to take care of different groups of villains, and to try to catch up with Chisaki and save Emi.

I'm still surprised by how much time Kirishima is given. I've never thought too much of him, but he's working hard to compete with these villains, and he's doing pretty good. The team he's on, too, work together well. We get some extra backstory on them here, which I suppose helps.

We don't see much of Deku in this volume, but I hope we'll get more in the next one. He's trying to catch up with Chisaki, and he's determined to save Emi. Of course, he's getting stalled by Toga, yet again. I don't like this girl, at all.

This is shaping up to be a pretty big fight, strewn about and with a lot of very different powers. I'm intrigued, but I also really want to get to the main fight.

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

Manga Review: Saikano: The Last Love Song on This Little Planet, Volume 7, by Shin Takahashi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Editor's Choice (VIZ Media)

Release Date: 2006.

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1.

Goodreads Synopsis:

With the war finally winding down, Chise begins to realize that her last chance for happiness is slipping away forever. Desperately trying to reclaim the humanity that she lost, the shy teenager makes one last bid for true love. But is it too late? Has Chise lost the opportunity to experience the most basic of all human emotions? Despite her awesome arsenal of military might, Chise has never been able to take control of her own personal life. One way or another, that's about to change.

Review:

I mostly just don’t know what to think about this series. I wasn’t in love with it, that’s for sure.

I didn’t really connect with the characters until near the end, and even then I wasn’t in love with any of them. I liked seeing the two as a real couple, when they were living together. This seemed like a very sedated, quiet series, where things happened slowly, almost in a boring way, but also quite depressing.

There was never much of an explanation, in a sci-fi sense, for why she was the way she was, or how all that worked. Mostly, the whole world and reasons could have been explained a lot more.

The characters could have been developed a lot more.

And the ending just… just why? I don’t understand the point of it all, with that ending. (Although, maybe that's the point?) It’s depressing, and I just… Maybe I just don’t get it? I mean, I guess it kind of makes sense, it was kind of leading up to this, and yeah the title makes more sense now. Maybe it's just that I don't like the kind of stories that end like this. It's disappointing, it seems like too much, and just doesn't always seem necessary?

I didn’t really care for a lot of this series, and I didn’t really get the ending. But also, I am definitely not the intended audience for this series.

Manga Review: The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Volume 12, by Aya Shouoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2018

Volumes: 14+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 11. 13.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Himari Momochi inherits a mysterious house that comes with its own gorgeous demon guardian.

On her sixteenth birthday, orphan Himari Momochi inherits her ancestral estate that she’s never seen. Momochi House exists on the barrier between the human and spiritual realms, and Himari is meant to act as guardian between the two worlds. But on the day she moves in, she finds three handsome squatters already living in the house, and one seems to have already taken over her role!

Himari Momochi inherits Momochi House, an estate which exists on the barrier between the human and spiritual realms. Out of his attachment to Amane, the previous nue, the shikigami Kagura created a false version of Momochi House’s guardian. But now that Amane has returned, what will happen to the current residents of Momochi House?

Review:

After how underwhelming the previous volume was, I'm not feeling all that strongly about this one, either. It just isn't hitting me like it's trying to, I think, when I have a hard time believing it. The only thing I think has actual sinister possibilities is how Aoi can't leave, and his relationship with the Nue, but most of that is being ignored for now.

After the mess with the haunting, we get an odd couple chapters where Aoi shares a recurring dream with Hayato. It's a little unsettling, but mostly just sad. Because we know it's not going to last, that Aoi is the only one who will remember it.

After that, Aoi and Himari get into a little spell where they're stuck together. The cliffhanger is actually surprising to me, but I'm still wary, doubtful. While it might still be interesting, it's likely not going anywhere actually serious.

Manga Review: Awkward Silence, Volume 6, by Hinako Takanaga

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February 2018

Volumes: 6.

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A shy boy gets a chance at love.

Final Volume!

Satoru Tono is too shy to speak to classmate Keigo Tamiya. Instead he fills his sketchbook with drawings of the boy he likes. But perhaps Keigo has noticed him too...?

It is time for college entrance exams and Satoru takes on the challenge. Will he get accepted to the most competitive art school in the country and become a college student alongside Keigo?! And what will happen to their plans of living together after graduation...?

Review:

Now that they're graduating, they have exciting things to consider. Exams for university to take, and Tamiya is moving out on his own. This brings up the topic of living together, and while Satoru hadn't considered this before, he's instantly excited.

Seeing them overcome some issues along the way, and how it resolves rather well for them, is very sweet. They get to live together, Satoru's parents give them some rules, and they get to be adults in college and living on their own.

At the end of the volume are some chapters in the future, and it's nice to see the couple ten years in the future, and still very cute and loving. It's also nice to see Satoru's parents still happy together and doting on their kids. They're all very cute.

This was a really good series, a favorite yaoi series of mine. The conclusion is really sweet, without being too cheesy, with some hot scenes thrown in. It's a happy conclusion to such a cute series.

Manga Review: Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Volume 5, by Aka Akasaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2018

Volumes: 13+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two high school geniuses scheme to get the other to confess their love first.

Two geniuses. Two brains. Two hearts. One battle. Who will confess their love first…?!

Will Kaguya and Miyuki find a way to see each other sooner rather than later over summer vacation? And is tweeting really an effective way to communicate with your crush?

Then, Kaguya’s overprotective staff try to prevent her from going to the fireworks festival with the rest of the student council, Miyuki and Kaguya both try to find a way to enroll in the same elective class and someone tries to celebrate someone else’s birthday with style!

Some people believe the stars determine your compatibility.

Review:

It's summer vacation. And while Kaguya and Miyuki have shared their phone numbers, and potentially made plans, they both still refuse to be the first to make contact. They're essentially in the same position: miserable because the other person won't text them.

We get a surprising amount of vulnerability in this volume. All Kaguya wants to do is see the fireworks with her friends, and yet her family turns out to be very strict regarding her whereabouts. Miyuki does something spur-of-the-moment for the first time, in an attempt to make her wish come true. It's very sweet, and should be a momentous occasion as they're actually honest about something with each other—but, of course, instead they end up worrying and regretting everything.

After summer vacation, a new school year starts. They get new electives, and get to catch up with their classmates. Poor Chika gets tortured again, as Miyuki needs her help overcoming a weakness of his—and he admits that Chika is the only one he can show his weaknesses to. Though probably not in the way that Chika takes that statement.

It looks like Miyuki's birthday is coming upon us, and it should be interesting how Kaguya decides to show affection while pretending she's superior.

This is really a great series. I'm rather hooked now, and hope that they figure themselves out at some point. In the mean time, though, I enjoy discovering more out about Chika, and seeing how Yu gets scarred and insulted even more.

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