The Southern Slam begins and not only is Levius in a tough fight, Natalia is scheduled to battle Balthus Langdon – an event clearly orchestrated by “Dr. Clown” as a way to manipulate and hurt Levius
Read More*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
As Levius prepares for his fight with the current champion, his trainer Zack wonders if Levius could ever be prepared for a fight on this level. Meanwhile, Amethyst returns (from way back in volume one) with an unbeatable new fighter named Balthus; the brother of A.J. who claims she no longer remembers him.
I was wondering if and how Amethyst would make his return and manipulating A.J.’s brother after all she did to protect him was just the type of messed up thing I’d expect from Amethyst. This volume is a real page-turner with some interesting character development and again, the fighting is drawn incredibly well. I am super pumped for the final showdown with Amethyst! 5 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+
In the style of Giallo (Italian crime thrillers), we follow Criselda, a sadistic killer as she rips and tears her way through victim after victim eventually encountering a likeminded woman, Cenci. This book follows them as they sink into a life of blood-soaked, lust-filled tales.
This book reminds me very much of Lucio Fulci movies. Visceral, gory, erotic, highly detailed, and graphic, this book will take you on a ride. The way it's written, it's almost as if you are in Criselda's head, trippy, warped, and a bit confusing at times. And while it doesn't hold back on the gore, there's a poetry to it. It sure isn't for the faint of heart but I enjoyed reading it. 3.9 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is suggested for mature readers.
When Haru is kidnapped and Legoshi is ready to run right into the lair of a dangerous mob boss alone until Gohin knocks some sense into him. They have to come up with a plan before Haru is killed and eaten.
We also learn more about Haru’s childhood but the real focus is on the rescue. And MAN, are they really going dark in this manga. I won’t spoil the outcome but this volume has some awesome fight scenes and completely screwed my mind up with a cliffhanger. This series really is a surprisingly addicting read and really takes advantage of the original premise set forth in volume one. I can’t wait for the next one! 4.9 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
In this volume, we get some back story on Haru and Louis relationship, Jack’s friendship with Legoshi, and Juno – another wolf – trying to get closer to Legoshi. We also delve deeper in to Louis’ dark past.
This volume is my favorite so far. How the darkest parts of this world are revealed to us are really creative and really go into how complicated and tenuous the truce between the herbivores and carnivores is. It’s all well and good for these teens to want to get along but much like in reality, the world at large is much more complicated and dangerous than the safe confines of their school campus. Very intriguing! 5 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is recommended for mature readers.
Set in North Carolina in 1929, Ella works in a textile mill trying desperately to work enough hours to feed her children. Suffering with terrible hours and even worse pay, Ella is curious about the current rise in unions for textile workers but afraid of losing her job or worse.
This is a very poignant and powerful book. Sitting in my privileged 2020 mindset, it still shocks me to know there was a time where you risked your life for even associating with someone thinking about a union. My grandmother was a garment worker union member who frequently attended rallies like in the book; and she was African American working with Jewish colleagues at this time (a man even came to interview her for this book). It’s part of why I was so excited to read this. This book jumps around in time and I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had a more linear narrative. But it’s still amazing regardless. 4.7 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Levius is advancing in the ranks, facing tougher opponents the likes of Natalia; bringing in the notion of these mechanized warriors so dedicated to their battles, they will even fight unconscious. But as Levius nears his dream, another fighter named Kingsley tempts Levius with information about the father who abandoned Levius and his comatose mother.
It’s awesome to read about the mindset of the fighters and what victory means to each of them as they put their lives on the line. And it’s cool to see so much time spent on the fights. They are well-drawn and detailed so your eyes don’t get lost so you can keep track of what’s happening. I’m looking forward to seeing Levius face down someone so powerful who also knew his father. 4.5 out of 5.
After a terrible war, the world has entered the Era of Rebirth; which has brought with it a combat tournament spectacle starring cybernetically altered fighters. One of these fighters, Levius, is determined to rise amongst the ranks and become the greatest fighter of all while discovering secrets about his past along the way.
The art and the world-building are top-notch in this volume. The battle scenes are fantastic as well. You are left wanting Levius to succeed but there is a real present danger to his chosen line of work and as a protagonist, Levius isn’t much of a talker. The mystery about why he fights will be revealed in subsequent volumes. This is very much like a steampunk Battle Angel Alita, and that’s praise coming from me. 4.5 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is recommended for mature readers.
In this sprawling tale, we have Max Amsel and Bastian Fisher who meet as teens in Camp Seigfried then again as adults in the thick of World War II.
First off, I dunno if I was taught this in school and forgot or just wasn't taught this but I was SHOCKED that the Nazi Camp Siegfried was a real place in NY! I honestly didn't realize such camps existed and kudos to this book for teaching me that.
This book is almost perfect. It focuses more on the war itself and how it's affecting everyone, not just our main characters. A great deal of the plot is plucked straight from history. The writing is compelling, the action is well done, and the romance did tug at my heart. If you like historical fiction with a bit of angst, I recommend this despite the ending being a bit of a drop-off. But you can tell a lot of love went into this book. 4.7 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is 18+
Kaoru Fukazawa has just finished his manga series and hit it big. With his fans and publisher begging for his next work, he finds himself unable to create anything. With no ideas and running out of time and money, Fukazawa quickly runs out of anyone who has faith in him, least of all himself.
This is an intensely depressing tale of a man who attained big success and feels that even if he lives up to it, he will still never feel like he loves his work. While well drawn, Fukazawa is not a likable main character. He's a miserable creature who I'm not even sure I want to succeed. You're not so much rooting for him as watching in morbid fascination as the conclusion nears. Not a fun read but an interesting story. 3.9 out of 5.
Sho and his remaining classmates and friends are still desperately trying to get people to stick together to survive. But while internal conflicts about, now disease threatens to wipe them all out.
Read MoreHitohito Tadano has started at an elite high school and just wants to blend in until he can graduate. That's until he ends up seated next to the prettiest girl in the school, Shoko Komi. After a while, he can't help but notice Shoko never speaks and asks her if she has trouble talking to people. While Shoko may appear to be the perfect aloof princess, turns out she gets so terrified to say the wrong thing, she ends up saying nothing. Having opened up to him by writing on the chalkboard, Hitohito decides to help Shoko with her dream: to make 100 friends.
I kinda love this manga. I adore how Shoko doesn't have any sort of disorder or anything, she's just SUPER awkward. Watching the kids around her fumble to figure out what the heck she's doing is funny and it's genuinely sweet that Hitohito wants to help her out. I'm betting there will be some really interesting personalities Shoko will encounter on her quest for 100 friends and the story makes it really easy to root for her. So unless this takes some sort of horrible dark turn, I'm on board with this series and look forward to more! 4 out of 5!
*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.
Committed troublemaker Ciaan Gennet runs afoul of the law one too many times and ends up sentenced to probation at a spaceship port facility. He blonde hair makes her a target for bullies so she hopes to keep her head down and serve her time without incident. But when a captain with obviously suspicious cargo docks his ship, Ciaan gets caught up in a multiplanet conspiracy that puts her life in great danger.
Perhaps a little slow going until Ciaan ends up on the spacecraft but it’s still interesting. Great characters, awesome worldbuilding, and a great spin on some dystopian concepts. We have a smart woman of color as our main lead and I love reading about a motley crew of space rebels. Very cool book. 4.9 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
In this comic, the high school is divided into predators and prey and one student among them is selected to be a 'Beastar' - essentially their version of valedictorian as they exemplify the best of both predator and prey. But when a prey student is found dead, tensions are high and loner wolf, Legoshi - a friend of the murdered student - is struggling with his control with so much fear around him.
As I was reading this very sketchy drawn book, I didn't think I would like it. I was concerned it would be to "on the nose" with the predator/prey aspect only to find it more nuanced than I'd assumed. This is one of the more original manga outings I've read in a long time. While the art style may feel strange at first, the characters draw you in. An impressive first volume and I do hope to continue this series.
And yup, totally got the Bella Legosi reference.
4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+
Tatsuyuki Oyamato may be 4th generation heir to a yakuza family but all he cares about is partying and getting girls. Until he finds himself attracted to a man. After a drunken hookup, he wakes up with someone who proves to be more than just a random dude as he knows Oyamato and his infamous family.
Hooooo boy, this is a dark one. The guy Oyamato sleeps with - mild spoilers - turns out to be Nozomi Koga; the son of a man who once owed money to the yakuza. When Koga was a kid, the yakuza came to collect and found his father had been sexually abusing him. Oyamato was also a child and thought Koga was a girl because of his long hair and the creepy way his dad dressed him.
This book is rife with sexual assault; which is offputting (of course) when it attempts to combine it with the romance forming between Koga and Oyamato. I don't want to spoil too much but yeah, major rape trigger warnings here. It feels almost wrong to say I like it. The art is well done and I adore the main pair. They make the hardest parts of this book worth it for me. 4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Book-ended with the life of June Stein, this novel dives into Las Vegas in the 1950's and a casino called 'The Midnight Room.'
This book feels a lot like the times where I went into a real casino in Vegas and Atlantic City; glitz, glamour, sadness, and desperation. Including June, the lives of four very different women collide together over the course of a lifetime in this book and we follow some hauntingly poetic stories. I'm not really one for historical fiction and this book managed to suck me in and I had trouble putting the book down.
I do have to say some of the point of view changed had me confused but the story managed to sort itself out in a few paragraphs; particularly in the end when it's suddenly all from June's perspective but as it's her life that frames the entire narrative, it's forgivable. An excellent period piece and I recommend. 3.9 out of 5.
By Lenni
It has been an exhausting couple of days covering Book Expo & Book Con 2019. There were so many authors, panels and things to say I couldn’t see it all. One thing I will definitely was looking forward to was the panel of George Takei. George Takei was there to talk about his IDW graphic novel “They Called Us Enemy”. They Called Us Enemy is Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, his mother's hard choices, his father's faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future. Just hearing George Takei talk about the memoir and his experiences was very moving and inspiring. After the panel, I explore the convention.
Book Review of George Takei’s “They Called Us Enemy”
I read this book with tears in my eyes the entire time. I remember learning about these camps in school and back then I couldn’t imagine people being so backward, paranoid, and inhumane.
But that was middle school me. Thirty-eight year old me has seen the news in 2019.
This book is not easy to read because people suck but much like putting myself through Maus and Irena; it does remind me that humans can also be amazing. I had to opportunity to see Mr. Takei speak about his time in the camps and I’m glad I did. I hope people realize one day, history will look back on us just as we look back now on what we did to the Japanese back then. 5 out of 5.
Pics
Overall Book Con/Expo is a must for book lovers and professionals alike. The Javitz center is the perfect place to hold all these vendors. This time I did bring my little rolling suitcase so I admittedly nabbed more than I should have. But I am super excited to read all these books.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
In this answer to the question "What if Jesus and Buddha went on vacation" we have a thoroughly enjoyable and hilarious set of stories about these two powerhouses of the heavens living a normal(ish) life in Japan. If you're not into 'slice of life' stories, this will bore you but I found it endearing and fun! Both religions are treated with respect and the translation notes are exceedingly helpful for some of the side humor. It wanders a little but that comes with slice of life stories. I had a lot of fun reading this volume but it's hard to see where this would keep going for multiple volumes without getting repetitive. 4.8 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review
Living with a goddess inside her, Creeper happens upon some valuable information about a scientist and his powerful but dangerous invention. A streetwise kid like her decides to sell this information to become a crewmember for Captain Ann-Marie of the "Midnight Robber." But the weapon in question could kill thousands and reignite the Civil War.
Other than the casual use of racial epithets typical of the South around the time of the Civil War, this was a cool take on a steampunk-like world set in an alternate universe. It's a shame it's just a novella but enough entertainment is packed into its short length, great characters, and fun action. Not enough books are written about the African Orishas and this is a highly creative and enjoyable take on that mythos. 4.5 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Retz is tasked with bringing some escaped exhibits for Lady Delight, a lamia who runs a menagerie of captured supernatural creatures. Lady Delight is a former acquaintance of Nalem, an entity who shares Retz's body and mind so he agrees to the mission not knowing his Retz's brother, Jarrod, has been hired by the escaped funaribi to protect them from Lady Delight. Retz and Jarrod have been estranged for 10 years and their reunion occurs under the pall of their conflicting missions as well as a horde of homicidal unicorns.
With all the stuff going on, this book is difficult to pin down. I get some Supernatural vibes (I haven't watched more than a couple episodes of that but even I could see the similarities) but it is a superficial connection that didn't take away from the story as a whole.
The characters are lively, well written, and have some great chemistry; particularly Retz and Nalem. The dynamics of having to share a body with some ageless entity of dubious morals is conveyed very well. Jarrod and his boyfriend Ferris have a great relationship and Jarrod is a great character who happens to be transgender instead of being transgender being the entire focus of this existence; as it should be. And with a relentless army of killer unicorns in the mix, this is a cool dark urban fantasy. I really enjoyed it. 3.9 out of 5.
