April 2021 Wrap-up!

It has been a month for mystery/thrillers, with so many of my top reads this month in that genre. I have dropped the ball on reviewing, however, so there's this big backlog that is practically sentient and glaring at me now. Also I got a big gash on my shin at the start of the …

Review: Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 1 by Aya Kanno

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 1 by Aya Kanno My rating: 4 of 5 stars Richard, the ambitious third son of the House of York, believes he is cursed, damned from birth to eternal darkness. But is it truly fate that sets him on the path to personal destruction? Or his own tormented longings? …

ARC Review: Haru’s Curse by Asuka Konishi

Haru's Curse by Asuka Konishi My Rating: 5/5 After Natsumi's younger sister and best friend Haru dies at the age of 19, she begins dating Haru's fiancee Togo - on the condition that he take her only to places he had taken her sister. Their relationship deepens as the seasons pass, but Haru's curse lies …

ARC Review: The Thief on the Winged Horse by Kate Mascarenhas

The Thief on the Winged Horse by Kate Mascarenhas My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Kendrick family have run their world-famous doll-making business in near isolation since the early 1800s. Only family members are permitted to work for the firm, and only the men know the closely guarded secrets of the workshop. Because Kendricks' …

ARC Review: Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg

Spellmaker (Spellbreaker Duology #2) by Charlie N. HolmbergMy Ratings: 4/5 Dead wizards, stolen enchantments, and broken promises force a young spellbreaker out of the shadows in the next thrilling installment of the Spellbreaker series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician. England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus …

Webnovel Review: Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù

天官赐福 [Tiān Guān Cì Fú] by Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù My rating: 4 of 5 stars Eight hundred years ago, Xie Lian was the Crown Prince of the Xian Le kingdom; one who was beloved by his citizens and the darling of the world. Unsurprisingly, he ascended to the Heavens at a very young age. Now, …

Halloween Recommendations

Halloween is such a fun time. I think for me it's my favorite time of the year, where everything dark, mysterious and monstrous becomes the norm and everyone is excited to be freaked out either by watching scary movies, reading grotesque fictional work or listening to their favorite podcast. So me and Ruthie thought, why …

ARC Review: The Wolf and the Water by Josie Jaffery

The Wolf and The Water (Deluge #1) by Josie JaffreyMy Ratings: 4/5 Some secrets are worth killing for The ancient city of Kepos sits in an isolated valley, cut off from the outside world by a towering wall. Behind it, the souls of the dead clamour for release. Or so the priesthood says.Kala has never …

ARC Review: Heaven’s Design Team 1 by Hebi-Zou, Tsuta Suzuki & Tarako

Heaven's Design Team 1 by Hebi-Zou My rating: 5 of 5 stars God created the heavens and the Earth -- but, little-known fact, he outsourced the animals to the office of Heaven's Design Team! This hilarious and educational manga features weird real-life animals and puts even some humdrum critters in a strange new light. THIS …

ARC Review: Shades of Magic Vol. 3: The Rebel Army by V.E. Schwab & Andrea Olimpieri

Shades of Magic Vol. 3: The Rebel Army by V.E. Schwab My rating: 4 of 5 stars Once just a single ship, now the pirate fleet of the Rebel Army numbers in its thousands. Made up of traitors from each of the three empires, the fleet, who once made the open waters of the Blood …

ARC Review: Shades of Magic Vol. 2: Night of Knives by V.E. Schwab, Andrea Olimpieri

Shades of Magic Vol. 2: Night of Knives by V.E. Schwab My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars The young and arrogant prince Maxim Maresh, having faced the terror of the Pirate Queen, now aims to capture the respect of the combative port town of Verose - by taking the impossible challenges of the Night of Knives... …

ARC Review: Venus in the Blind Spot by Junji Ito

Venus in the Blind Spot by Junji Ito My rating: 4 of 5 stars A "best of" collection of creepy tales from Eisner award winner and legendary horror master Junji Ito. This ultimate collection presents the most remarkable short works of Junji Ito’s career, featuring an adaptation of Rampo Edogawa’s classic horror story "Human Chair" …

Manga Review: Ayanashi Vol. 1 by Yukihiro Kajimoto

Ayanashi Vol. 1 by Yukihiro Kajimoto My Ratings: 4/5 In this world, humanity has been driven underground to live like moles, hiding from the fearsome monsters which roam the surface. The monsters are impervious to every sort of weapon known to man. The only ones with the power to defeat them…are the Ayanashi. One day, …

ARC Review: RWBY: The Official Manga, Vol. 1: The Beacon Arc by Bunta Kinami

RWBY: The Official Manga, Vol. 1: The Beacon Arc by Bunta Kinami My rating: 3 of 5 stars Experience the introductory arc of the international smash hit series RWBY in a whole new way—manga! In the world of Remnant, monsters known as Grimm wreak havoc. They’re kept in check by Huntsmen and Huntresses, highly skilled …

ARC Review: A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier & (translated by) Romy Fursland

A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars Way up in the Swiss mountains, there's an old grand hotel steeped in tradition and faded splendor. Once a year, when the famous New Year's Eve Ball takes place and guests from all over the world arrive, excitement returns to the vast …