TL;DR: Another fun and romantic fantasy from T. Kingfisher. Source: NetGalley, thank you Bramble! Plot: Halla, while attempting to end her life, ends up with a magical guardian from within a sword. Hijinks follow. Characters: As always T. Kingfisher’s characters are easy to love. They’re fun and friendly and it’s hard to go wrong. Setting:... Continue Reading →
A Hunger to Kill by Kim Mager
TL;DR: This was very interesting - a narrative of Kim Mager’s interviews with a serial killer. Source: NetGalley, thank you St. Martin’s Press! Plot: This one is fast paced as it’s almost entirely the interviews between Mrs. Major and the killer. It really pulls you through. Characters: We focused primarily on Mrs. Mager and the... Continue Reading →
A Song For You and I by K. O’Neil
TL;DR: You bet I pre-ordered this as soon as I was done. I adored this. Source: NetGalley and I have pre-ordered my own copy! Plot: Rowan is assigned work with Leone while their winged horse companion heals, and the two couldn’t be more different. Characters: The strength of K. O’Neil to me (besides their art)... Continue Reading →
Ashita No Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow by Tetsuya Chiba & Ikki Kajiwara
TL;DR: You can clearly see how this is such a classic in it’s genre, and while not perfect for me it’s very engaging. Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher! Plot: Joe is a wandering orphan who moves to a new neighborhood. He finds friends, fans, and enemies alike. Characters: Some of these characters I... Continue Reading →
Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee
TL;DR: I think my expectations were too high and this was just… not for me. Source: NetGalley, thank so much to the publisher! Plot: Jun runs away to compete and become the Guardian, a government appointed super warrior. But learns some hard truths on the way. Characters: This might have been one of the breaking... Continue Reading →
Dogs and Punching Bags by Kaori Ozaki
TL;DR: An engaging story about finding your place and community, even in the darkest parts of your life. Source: NetGalley, thank so much to the publisher! Plot: Nichiko returns to her home island, a tiny place, to find herself. There she meets Chimaki and their stories blends. Characters: I really enjoyed these characters, especially Nichiko.... Continue Reading →
Hauntress by Minetaro Mochizuki
TL;DR: Oh my god, this scared the pants off of me. Genuinely, I was vibrating I was so unsettled. Source: Netgalley - Thank you so much to Kodansha! Plot: Hiroshi Mori helps a woman out, against his better judgement, and things go very badly. Characters: No one here is particularly lovable but you still REALLY... Continue Reading →
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
TL;DR: This is one of those books I have to recommend if you love vibes - but also a twisty mystery. Source: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: Lorelei and Sylvia set out on an academic quest which quickly turns into a murder mystery. Characters: I both loved and hated these characters in... Continue Reading →
Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
TL;DR: A completely unpredictable fantasy with a complex and lovely world. Source: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: This one, like the setting, went all over the place. We started out with one task and ended up with another and it was a ride. Characters: At times infuriating, and other times fantastic. The... Continue Reading →
Confession by Kaiji Kawaguchi, Nobuyuki Fukumoto
TL;DR: A dark and twisty story, very atmospheric and dark. Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher! Plot: Two men are stranded together after a mountain climbing accident. One confesses a dark secret to the other, but circumstances change… Characters: You aren’t in this for these characters, both of them are horrible, but a well... Continue Reading →