Sandy
You know it took me awhile to give this manga a try despite hearing about it several times before and all good things. I kept reading the premise and it didn't appeal to me all that much but I was looking for a shounen fix and thought why not just give it a try?
Set in an alternate 19th century England Black Butler begins with Sebastian (the butler) bringing Ciel Phantomhive a fancy breakfast in bed, or should I say two fancy breakfast's because an Earl should have choices.
The scene quickly moves from Sebastian telling Ciel his schedule for the day to a scene where Sebastian is fighting someone in the mansion's garden and kicking their um butt rather quickly and without messing up his uniform or breaking a sweat. Turns out Ciel went to go find a martial art's expert in China to beat Sebastian so he wouldn't have to do any school work. Unfortunately he lost and this doesn't look to be like the first time him and his butler has made this sort of deal.
Its shown very early that Sebastian can do no wrong and the other staff at the Phantomhive mansion are in great awe of him and seem to be his little cheer leading squad because I can't think of any other reason for them to be in the mansion because despite being a maid, gardener, and chef none of them can clean, nurture or cook worth a damn. They actually make things a lot worst forcing Sebastian to come to the rescue. Its quite impressive how he can turn a torched garden into an exotic landscape or a completely inedible meal into a delicious dish. And what's even more peculiar is when someone comments on how amazing he is he explains it away by saying he's a butler. Its obvious that Sebastian and Ciel are hiding something because the young master is the only person unfazed by Sebastian's great talents.
A good set up to series we get hints to Ciel and Sebastian's back story without really being told anything really which of course has me curious. I'm also wondering about the other staff in the household wondering how they all became associated with such a mysterious pair of fellows and how Sebastian who is most definitely not human came to work for Ciel.
I also love the art work, it reminds me of the detailed Gothic like style of Matsuri Hino (Vampire Knight) and Jun Mochizuki (Pandora Hearts) which just has me loving the fashion and detail of the drawings.
A nice refreshing read I will most definitely be picking up volume 2 of this series and am sorry it took me so long to give it a try.
Its a clear bright day and our main character Soah is dressed beautifully from head to toe for her wedding day. However, this day isn't what it should be, there are whispers among the villagers, Soah's mother is filled with sadness and the day feels like a funeral because Soah has been chosen to marry the Water God aka sacrificed.
Instead of killing her however the Water God spares her life and brings her to his otherworldly home filled with other gods and goddesses, dangerous creatures and jaw dropping scenery. That isn't the only thing that takes Soah by surprise though, its turns out that the Water God appears to be a little boy or is the truth more impossible to believe?
A little different from what I usually read but a pleasant surprise The Bride of the Water God is filled with stunning art work that I could just stare at it all day. Almost all the characters are achingly gorgeous from just the features of their faces to the ornate detail of their outfits.
A story that feels like it falls between the lightness of shojo and the more realistic emotions of josei Bride of the Water God is filled with fantastical Korean mythology and is written with an elegant otherworldly feel that is sprinkled with occasional humour that keeps the story from getting too serious.
It took me two tries to get into it so if you don't think its your thing the first time around then make sure to give it another go :).
I bought this book for my brother because I am on a mission to get that boy to like reading and I am perfectly content if all he likes to read is graphic novels because half the time that's what I read. I discovered Amulet in the bookstore read the very sad prologue, made a note to put it on my TBR list and when I came back to the bookstore bought it. I didn't buy it for me but I of course got to read it first while my little brother was at flag football practice.
In the prologue Emily and her parents are in the car on their way to pick up her brother Navin who is at a friend's house, it's dark and has been snowing and unfortunately the truck approaching them has its high beams on. Emily's dad can't see a thing which almost causes him to crash into a car parked on the side of the road, quickly swerving to avoid it the family drive off the road and down a hill to the edge of a cliff. In the end Emily and her mom were able to get out but her dad who was trapped went over the edge with the car. Didn't I say the prologue was sad? But still that's what got me to continue reading because within the first few pages of the story such strong emotions were pulled out of me for characters I had just met. It's interesting though, my friend had said this to me one day when we were watching a movie, why do they always start with a car accident? I supposed it's because car accidents are such a common occurrence that happen everyday so it's not far-fetched to have one happen in a story, its also not hard to orchestrate one, anything can cause an accident really.
We immediately move to two years later, another car but mom is driving and Emily is older and we see her younger brother Navin for the first time. The mood is mostly solemn and we find out that the family is moving to a small town far away and Emily isn't too excited about the move or with going to school (who uses algebra in the real world anyway?). Their new home screams horror movie with boarded up windows, no lighting, and dust covered floors but that doesn't deter the new residents because they attack the new home with cleaning gusto.
Of course the strange house has a strange room which belonged to Emily and Navin's great grandfather Silas who disappeared years ago. There is also something else in that room that only we the readers get to see that have its dark creepy eyes on our protagonist which I'm sure has something to do with the stone amulet Emily discovered.
That same night the story propels itself forward the moment everyone hears a noise in the basement and the mother is swallowed whole by a giant creature. Now no longer in their old world Emily and Navin have to save their mom and lucky for them the Amulet talks and is quite helpful.
This first volume was a fast paced adventure that was just dark enough in all the right places. Still, there is obviously a lot more to find out because this book also felt like the setup for the series. A lot of new characters were introduced both good and bad and the longer Emily wears the Amulet the deeper she pulls herself and her family into things as her brother would say and that doesn't look like a good thing.
When I first read the synopsis for ZOMBIE-LOAN I thought Michiru would be a character I could relate too because she has a hard time saying what's on her mind which I had a problem with when I went to school but she's also a character who has an apathetic attitude towards life. She keeps her true feelings to herself and allows herself to be used daily by her “friends” and it really is a sad existence when what all she seems to be doing is existing. I suppose it doesn't help when she takes her glasses off she can tell when someone is about to die either.
Then in comes Boy A and Boy B or more specifically Shito and Chika two boys who miraculously survived a car accident six months ago but look like they are going to die very soon because they both have rings around their neck.
I'm not sure what made me not really like ZOMBIE-LOAN, the thing I had found the most distracting were the various translation notes. You know how sound effects are left in the original language and then somewhere on the page you get the translation in little tiny font well there was the translation in how it would translate to in Japanese (without the kanji symbols) and then how it would sound in English. It really slowed down the pace for me while I was reading especially when everything in Kanjii was translated in almost the same fashion, not just sound effects but hand written notes, and building signs, and snack labels. I really didn't need to know what EVERYTHING said.
The art style was all a bit difficult to follow at times, lots of dark shading and tones that made it hard at times for me to really know what I was looking at but the major thing for me were probably the characters. For me to really love the story I have to love the characters and that wasn't the case here. I only really liked Chika because he was funny at times and hot headed, he says what's on his mind and doesn't try to sugar coat things or be nice just for the sake of being nice like some other characters in the story. But he also had a mind that was almost always focused on money, going so far as to nickname Michiru 500 yen because that's what she “owes” him.
Will I give volume 2 a try? Maybe I will but not anytime soon.
Anthologies and I don't have a great track record but I have to say after reading Kiss Me Deadly my faith has been restored. The trick people is to get an anthology with more than one faovurite author's story in it...hehe.
Now I am not going to talk about every story in the book because I did love a majority of the ones I read. There were eight in fact that I liked a lot but the one's that stood out to me the most were The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Steifvater, The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Reese Brennan and Many Happy Returns by Daniel Marks. All three of these stories were unique, filled with great characters and were developed perfectly.
The Hounds of Ulster was a faery story that hadn't read like any other faery story I had come across and written from the point of view of a character that wasn't enraptured by the paranormal aspect of the story but appropriately regarded it with suspicion. A story with heart and about the bond of two friends who could have been great. Each line in The Hounds of Ulster was chosen very carefully and used to create a very solid tale. I thought it was much better than Maggie's full length faery novel Lament in fact so if you liked that one than you'll love this one.
The Spy Who Never Grew Up is about a very familiar boy name Peter who learns that Wendy's great, great, great (not sure how many greats) granddaughter does not appreciate being pulled out of her bed in the middle night. This was such a fun read and my first time reading anything by Sarah Reese Brennan even though The Demon Lexicon had been on my TBR list already. The story was not only witty but a smart, wonderful twist on an old classic.
And then there was Many Happy Returns, the last story in the anthology that had me giving a deep sigh after I had finished reading it because it was such a sad yet hopeful story. Many Happy Returns is set in the Generation Dead world, a series of novels by Daniel Marks that I have yet to read but will now do so even if the covers do not fit the writing. Told from multiple POVs Many Happy Returns really pulled me into the story and had me connecting with the characters despite only getting to know them in a few pages. And although there were times I felt confused because I wasn't familiar with the world of Generation Dead the writing completely made up for it.
Kiss Me Deadly was a great collection of YA paranormal that had, in my opinion, something for everyone. There were light funny stories, somber heart aching stories, creepy don't-read-before-going-to-bed stories and the suspenseful action stories where the protagonist or antagonist could die any minute. A good amount of stories were set in already established worlds from author's other books while others were new stand-alones but whether new or old they were for the most part great reads.
Don't ask me why it took me so long to finally give this series a try. For years I've been putting it off despite hearing many good things from friends but still it waited for me on my TBR list. In fact, it wasn't until a few of my other friends and I decided to do a book club this year that I finally bought it. Vampire Academy was our January pick and it was really a challenge to only read a specific amount of chapters per week because once I started this book I didn't want to put it down.
From the very first chapter I was hooked, Rose and her best friend Lissa are on the run and hiding, they have been for two years, but they've been found by the guardians and are immediately brought back to St. Vladimir Academy.
It isn't revealed right away why Rose and Lissa ran away from school because that secret is between the girls and no matter how much times the adults of the school accuse Rose of being reckless by putting Lissa in danger the reason they left was because Lissa wasn't safe at the school.
Its revealed through flashbacks and breadcrumbs of info from Rose's POV why her and Lissa decided she wasn't safe at the school and I have to say I loved how the author strategically incorporated each reveal into the story perfectly. Every time new information was revealed I was that much more glued to the story.
I also enjoyed the world of Vampire Academy, a little similar to the Underworld movies the vampire world is lead by a vampire queen and a group of 12 royal families. There are also three very distinct groups of vampires found in VA, the moroi who are divided into royals and nonroyals, the dhampir who are usually divided into guardians (who protect moroi) or blood whores and the strigoi who fit the usual definition of a vampire. Soulless, dead creatures who kill and drink blood to stay alive. The strigoi's main targets are moroi which is why Rose is punished harshly for taking Lissa outside the protection of the school grounds.
Besides the plot I really enjoyed the characters Rose was sassy, filled with attitude and a big flirt but she was also very protective and kind. Lissa could be too kind for her own good sometimes but she's also very smart and a good balance to Rose. The guys were also very interesting. Christian is my favourite probably cause he's got a lot of mystery going on and Dimitri is pretty badass. I didn't really like Dimitri for the most part of this book but when the end came around he had grown on me.
All in all I've read the third book in this series this month and am itching to pick up the fourth so don't hesitate to give these books a try if you haven't already.
Now this was a story that had me glued to the pages. Thank-you to my friend Reeshe for giving this and its sequel (The Exiled Queen) to me for Christmas because as soon as I had picked up the first and read it I had moved on to the second.
This book excelled in my two loves - great characters and great word-building. Cinda Williams Chima has a boundless imagination and she knows how to use it to make a fantastical adventure story.
The Demon King is told from two very different POVS that of Hans Alister reformed thief lord and that of Raisa ana'Marianna princess heir to the Queendom. Both Han and Raisa are obviously two characters raised in very different settings but they were both characters that I had grown to like very quickly. Han is a charming former criminal trying his best to make an honest living while taking care of his sister and mother while Raisa is quickly approaching her sixteenth birthday where she will be required to choose a husband. What I liked about Raisa though was that she wasn't moping around at the prospect of having to get married. She sees it as a duty and she considers each option not with her heart but with who would be best suited to help her rule her kingdom and make it prosper, it also doesn't stop her from flirting with the occasional guy and having a bit of fun because she knows that it will have to end when she turns sixteen.
Both characters are brave and smart and by position and circumstance their lives are pulled into great danger and towards each other.
There are wizards, royalty, street gangs, and clansmen all swirling around in the world of The Seven Realms and although there were certain parts of the plot that were entirely predictable the way the story was written made me not care in the slightest.
Yep, I finally gave this series a try. I was skeptical for a long time, it didn't sound like something I would like but it was so popular so I decided why not?
Its a good story, very well told and pretty interesting but I have to be honest and say its not for me. I think it has to do with the main character, I don't like him very much and its not because of his actions if I was that against what he was doing I wouldn't have picked up the book but its why he's doing it. He think its his job, his mission to kill all of the evil people in the world because he is the only one who has the guts to do it. He's basically proclaimed himself the savior of the world wanting to turn it into a utopia where he will rule. A bit self-righteous don't you think? Frankly I think he's a bit full of himself too, which genius characters tend to be because they are smarter then everyone for example House but when a character starts thinking they should be ruler all mighty because they are better than everyone else and not just smarter well that's just pushing it.
I really like the character L, we don't get his face or his name because if we did Light would have killed him already but we know L is an ace detective who has solved every case he's taken. He doesn't work for one agency and he's just as smart if not more than Light. If I continued reading Death Note it would be to find out what next step L will take to catch Light but sadly that's not what I am going to do.
There are LOTS of people who love this series so don't let my opinion alone be the deciding factor for you, pick up a volume and see for yourself.
I've struggled to figure out how I should write this review because all I really want to say is that this book is great and that if you like time travel, Victorian London and well thought out characters then you'll love Sojourn, but that's not really a review is it?
Sojourn begins in Pompeii on, as Doctor Who calls it, Volcano Day. The top has blown, smoke is billowing, people are screaming and the lava is flowing, and flowing rather too quickly for Jacynda Lassiter's taste because she isn't running away in terror trying to escape the catastrophe she's waiting impatiently for a “tourist” who's excitedly trying to jot down as much of his observations as he can. Not caring that he's soon about to become part of his observations. Luckily however after some coercing Jacynda does escape the lava with the tourist in tow and is back at her work place in the year 2057 where time traveling isn't much of a phenomenon as it is a vacation option. Jacynda's has had enough with time travel however, it may be fun for the tourist but the constant trips have side effects and she is in desperate need of some R&R among another thing that involves a bed. She doesn't get that however because there is an overdue tourist in 1888 Victorian London and she's been assigned to go retrieve him.
What I really loved about Sojourn was despite it being a sci-fi, time traveling story with high tech gadgets and styles a lot of it took place in the year 1888 during the time of the White Chapel murders or more commonly known as the time of Jack the Ripper. There was so much detail that it was obvious that Ms. Oliver had done her research and she did a great job of intertwining her story in such a real point in history that I had really felt like I had traveled back in time with Jacynda.
The story is filled with mystery as Jacynda desperately tries to locate the overdue tourist while battling through Victorian customs, time traveling induced hallucinations and a city cloaked in fear by the grisly murders of a serial killer, not to mention shape-shifters, did I mention the shape-shifters?
They were the most surprising thing in this story, a nice unique addition that made trusting people such a difficult task and kept me on my toes as I constantly wondered if one of the main characters was indeed Jack the Ripper. It was also nice to see that the future wasn't the only part of the story that had the science fiction aspect and it was a great way to weave the past and future together.
If you are still hesitant on reading this story then don't the characters are really worth haveing their story read.
4 stars
Would have been five but there were some slow parts in the beginning that had me putting the book down.
When I read Ash by Malinda Lo that felt like a fairytale and when I read Reckless it also felt like a fairytale. It wasn't a retelling like Ash but the world Jacob Reckless escapes to looks to be the world where all the fairytales exist and not the happy Disney versions I enjoyed growing up but dark tales of child eaters, deadly unicorns, and unrequited love. Reckless is a dark tale but a dark magical tale and I loved it. Read more.
This story was just as cute as its cover and represented by it very well. It reminded me of a Sarah Dessen novel and when I read a Sarah Dessen novel it invokes the feeling of summer – fun, friendship, warm lazy days, and teen moments that I wish I had. Shug did all that for me but with a younger protagonist. A protagonist who was intelligent, funny, and very likable but someone who also (as every twelve year old should) makes mistakes by saying things she shouldn't say and at times doing things she would regret later on. Read More
Maybe it's because I was never a fan of things that seemed too dark or heavy or maybe it's because the majority of my reading leans towards the paranormal and fantasy but I've never read a book on this subject matter. Was I nervous going in? Yes, I was weary, maybe I was getting into something that would be too heavy for me to handle that maybe I'll think it's good but I won't be rereading it any time soon if ever. Thankfully I was wrong. The Tension of Opposites was a great book because I think the way Kristina McBride handled this subject was perfect. Read more
What I loved about Hush, Hush was that the romance wasn't the main focus of the book. Yes, the romance is a major aspect of the story but there is also the mystery of who is after Nora. The mystery, the suspense, the constant mind games Nora was being thrown was what made me enjoy the book. I found the characters to be entertaining and fun to read and Nora didn't annoy me as many female characters seem to do in paranormal YA. When I finished Hush, Hush I couldn't wait to read Crescendo.
Its unfortunate that I did not enjoy Crescendo nearly as much as I did its predecessor. read more
Ash was a story I found to be as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. From the gorgeous cover (that really does represent the book) to the beautifully typography at the beginning of each chapter to the actual story itself, Ash really was a package deal (bravo to both author and publisher). Read more
Definitely a book I was hoping to re-read before posting my review because there was certainly a lot to take in as there always is with alternate universes but I didn't have enough time this weekend. Still, despite having to encounter new words for new devices and such I enjoyed this first volume and am sure as with many books things will become clearer once I get my hand on the second volume. Arata (the both of them) are two distinctly different characters with their own set of problems and unusually (in stories) things don't instantly get better once they venture off to the other side of the fence. For one boy's case his life just gets strange as he faces technologies he's never seen before and for another boy his life just gets worse as he tries to stay alive.
I didn't completely love it as I did with Watase's older works, it reminded me of Fushigi Yugi a lot, but the art is still as beautiful and the humour still present ^_^.
As someone who went to school as a business major who had no idea what I wanted to do but knew I had no interest in business I can relate to Nicole. She's taking business classes to make her mother happy and although my mother never asked me or told me to be a business person I knew being a business major would guarantee me to help out my family back home, still, it didn't make me happy and it certainly does not make Nicole happy. The only thing that makes her happy is her writing and it along with her dreams that fuel her writing are the only things that hold her interest.
You can't blame Nicole for this because although its not wise to lose touch with reality its never good to lose site of your dreams and her dreams are something to hold on to, you just have to love her imagination. This is unfortunate for Josh because although he may be a flirt most of the time who sees each woman as a challenge the guy actually does have feelings for Nicole but Nicole, knowing of his ways, isn't making it easy for him.
This story is sweet and funny and I loved the art. Amy Kim Ganter does a great job with toning and detail and her style is very soft and romantic. Volume 1 left me with a cliffhanger and because I want to see a happy ending I will be reading volume 2.
You'd think it'd be difficulty reading about a character that was once two people but is now one person and retain both minds, but it was actually not confusing at all. I don't even know if I can explain it properly, but I'll try, its not that Mirie has two voices speaking in her head but that she retains both women memories and histories.
Miryo and Mirage at the end of Doppelganger had successfully found a way to become one person again, immediately becoming the only witch who could achieve void magic and although in the end it seemed everything turned out OK Warrior and Witch shows the consequences of both females' actions. As the synopsis says not everyone agrees that Mirie should live or that the tradition of killing doppelganger children should be discontinued and this results in the division of The Primes which almost instantly results in a war. Read more
If you like high fantasy and heroines that are both strong and intelligent. As well as male counterparts who aren't there just to be the one to rescue the heroine every second or be her love interest, but an actual companion and friend to fight along with then I am positive you will enjoy Doppelganger. Read More.
I don't read much short stories and I've never read erotica before but I have to say that this was an excellently written story and I completely enjoyed it. The author's writing style is beautiful and the story, from a very eye opening beginning, had me glued to the pages until the very end. Jocelyn, the main character, can't seem to stop loving (lusting?) Max no matter how hard she tries because every time she leaves she keeps coming back and although I could perfectly see why she kept coming back (the man has talent ;)) I also wanted to know the mystery behind her and Max's relationship and more importantly Max himself. Knowing this was a paranormal even before I won this ebook from Aine's Realm I was curious to find out what the paranormal was because I could definitely see traces of it but never figured it out until it was revealed and I loved that because too many times I have read stories where I completely figured out they mystery before the main character and then its just frustrating to wait for the MC to catch up. Maybe the short story had a hand on me not catching on sooner, or maybe the author is really just that great at not laying all the cards out on the table, or maybe its both but I will say that I will be keeping an eye out for more of Seleste deLaney's work and hope that maybe there is a full-length novel in the future for me to read.
When I first saw the cover for Wither I had high hopes that the story would be just as captivating, that it would be hard for me to pull my eyes away, and it was. This story was a beautifully written dystopian novel that really showed the inner struggles of a girl who seemed to have everything a young girl should want - a grand lavish mansion, beautiful dresses, a personal attendant, and the devotion of a man who loves her but without true freedom. Like the cover depicts, Rhine is a bird trapped in a beautiful cage, an illusion.
Yet, despite what has happened to her I have to admit Rhine's life before being captured by the Gatherers was awful. She's an orphan and was living with her twin brother in the basement of her family home because it was the safest place to hide from beggars, thieves, and men who steal young girls off the streets and from their homes. Both her and her twin had to work to keep from starving and they each had to take turns at night keeping watch for intruders. Given the circumstances of Rhine's life I could easily have pictured this story going a completely different route if Rhine's situation was just a little different and if her character was just a little different.
I, like Rhine, had to constantly work at not forgetting how she had gotten to the lavish lifestyle that she is living, to not forget that she was stolen away, her freedom taken, and her brother left alone miles away in a factory strewn Manhattan because it is very easy to forget when her old life is completely hidden away. She doesn't forget though, no matter how many times people tell her to not run away, that it's dangerous, that the life she is living isn't so bad, and that if she just behaves she can have “anything” she wants. Rhine doesn't give in no matter how tempting the words are because she knows that this world she is in cannot give her her brother, and her freedom.
Wither is a story that shows the beauty and darkness of the human heart, it was really a story about the characters, not just Rhine herself but her sister wives, her husband Linden, her ambitious father-in-law, and many other characters that weren't just there to fill the space or carry the story along but who truly added to the tale. Unlike a few other dystopians Wither isn't about the action and the external forces but about the will and strength of the people.
Maybe I should stop reading children's books with less than 50 pages because I am clearly not the target reader here. I couldn't help it though when I was scanning my bookshelf and saw the thin paperback sticking out. Given to my brother once upon a time from his school I read the back and thought hey this could be a quick read I might enjoy.
I did enjoy it slightly. Swimming with Sharks was cheesy and amusing because it was cheesy. Adam Sharp is an elementary school kid who is constantly donning a tuxedo and from the very first page appears to be able to do anything perfectly. He's a spy so that's hardly surprising, these clandestine agencies only take the best right?
Pulled out of a soccer game to take on an urgent mission the story is set - shipping containers from all major regions of the globe are being sunk and their cargo stolen. Chopsticks from China, snow shoes from Russia, and boomerangs from Australia oh and lets not forget the bubblegum from the USA (this cracked me up). Its up to Adam to figure out what's going on.
Certainly not a series I'll be continuing but will admit children under 10 might enjoy. Adam Sharp certainly someone I can't see many kids relating to but he is someone they wouldn't mind becoming, stepping into his shoes and donning a tuxedo. He can play sports, ace tests, and outsmart the bad guy while looking very smug and well dressed.
I love this book. No, really I LOVE this book and I have to restrain myself while writing this review because if I don't all you are going to be reading is declarations of my love for The Hunger Games and really who wants to read six paragraphs of that? I can't even think of any good negatives to list to even things out because really I can't find any substantial bad thing to say about this book and the only part that sticks out would be a spoiler and honestly it's not a big deal and I completely understand it and it doesn't bother me. Read more.