lastblossom's reviews
200 reviews

tl;dr
A charming fantasy romance with slow burn and a dash of magic.

Thoughts
This book is like a fairy tale. Usually when I say that, I mean it in the "dark, tragic, unsettling" sort of way, but this time I mean it in the "dreamy, beautiful, hopeful ending" sort of way. You've got your self-sacrificing heroine with a heart a gold and magic in her fingertips, a cranky prince surrounded by a wall of thorns (sometimes literally), and a kingdom in peril. The magic system doesn't get much detail, leaving the reader to have to accept that magic is magic, but the rest of the world building is solid - weighted heavily on real world history, including a frank look at colonization, classism, the fact that LGBT people have existed at every point in history. And yet even with all the weight, it remains a dreamy, sometimes cozy read about a gently blossoming romance between two lonely people.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

tl;dr
Accessible for newcomers and longtime fans of the franchise. An intriguing intro to another adventure in Lodoss featuring a (mostly) new cast.

Thoughts
The original Record of Lodoss War franchise is considered a classic amongst anime fans (the artist of this manga even notes what a huge influence the series was on them). So how does this continuation hold up all these years later? Honestly? Pretty well. Fans of the original will likely be holding their breath to see Deedlit again, but the new characters all look very promising, and the storyline is an interesting one. We've got our usual tabletop-inspired party going on a quest, but the political twists and turns are what hooked me. The incredibly risky play that the siblings are making has me on the edge of my seat. The original story is covered in brief summaries for newcomers to follow along. It all moves pretty quickly, so newcomers have a bit of catching up, but shouldn't be lost overall. Art is attractive, with nicely balanced inks and tones, and some really lovely use of lighting with Deedlit's scenes. This book is clearly for longtime fans, but newcomers looking for a fantasy adventure with some political intrigue will have a good time here too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

tl;dr
Great heist book! Well-plotted, with a lovable cast, and plenty of complications.

Thoughts
I am an incredibly simple person. I see "heist," I click. Sometimes it is a mistake, but today I was richly rewarded. This is a solid heist book, but it also hits all my favorite found family notes, so I am extremely happy. I know Ocean's Eleven is used as a comp for basically every heist book, but I find it apt to use it now because the narrative structure is also similar. A mastermind rolls into town, picks up their favorite partner, and then the two of them recruit a team and go after the big score as a group. There may or may not be a personal angle to all of this. There are definitely complications and twists all along the way. There're also a lot of complex relationship things going on, including family stuff, found family stuff, young love, slightly older love, and even more family stuff. All the characters (sans one, who really seems to have it together) have their own arcs to work through outside of the heist, but the interlocking stories work really well as a foundation, rather than a distraction to the main thread. This book is also a standalone, so it's free of those pesky cliffhangers. If you love a good heist, you want this book in your library stat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

tl;dr
A pleasant and beautifully illustrated food manga with low plot and high food value. Includes recipes!

Thoughts
Even though this is a spinoff, there's negligible plot going on in here, so if you haven't read Witch Hat Atelier, you won't be that confused about what's going on. Hardcore fans hoping for more story might be disappointed, because this is, as it turns out, basically a really well illustrated cookbook. Art is very appealing with a cozy fantasy feel to it and some cool character designs. The food also looks incredibly good, and thankfully we get recipes as well. Of note, the recipes are all fairly simple, but I'd hesitate to call them "easy." Things like fried foods and custards have the potential to go wrong, and beginner cooks might find some of the recipes a challenge. That said, I wouldn't call any of these recipes too complex either, so this set of recipes would work really well for anyone looking to try something a little more ambitious without having to spend more money on extra kitchen tools or pricier ingredients. But if you're not here for the recipes, that's fine too! It's a pleasant book, entirely in line with the usual iyashikei food manga genre, great for anyone looking for a relaxing, low stakes read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for a review copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

tl;dr
A lot of information is packed into the beginning, but the piece shines, largely due to a very likable female protagonist.

Thoughts
Robotics;Notes is based on a visual novel, and that means there's going to be a LOT of stuff packed in, in an attempt to merge enough information from all the different playthroughs of the game. The manga manages this pretty well, although the front end is fairly information-dense, largely by necessity. There's the robotics club. There's the Anemome Incident. There's the online game Kill Ballad. There's Aki's absent sister. There's the mysterious "popular anime" that aired ten years ago (random coincidence: the Robotics;Notes anime aired about ten years ago). There's a strange girl who stands on rooftops. There's a lot to cover. Thankfully Aki's enthusiasm is catching, and it's easy to keep turning pages to cheer for her success. She's the core of this manga, moving the story forward by sheer force of will. Kaito acts as a decent snarky foil, content to spend most of his days playing online games, but willing to rise to an ambitious challenge, given the right motivation. Other characters all look fun, given their brief introductions, and I look forward to getting to know them better in future installments. Art is nice, very closely matching the style of the games, with a couple fun panels and some cool looking robots.

Robotics;Notes is part of the science adventure series alongside Steins;Gate and Chaos;Head, but I'd classify this one as probably less dramatic than the other two. Then again, with an opening scene like that, who knows where we might go?

Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

tl;dr
A fairly faithful adaptation featuring several different artists with appropriately scary artwork. A great way to introduce newer readers to Poe's works.

Thoughts
I've never read the Manga Classics series before, but I always enjoy a good Poe adaptation, so I jumped at the chance to check this out. I'll refrain from reviewing the stories themselves, since it's Poe, and you probably already know if you like his work or not. (But if you don't know, Fall of the House of Usher is always a strong recommend from me.)

This book is a collection of some of his most famous works (Telltale Heart, The Raven, Cask of Amontillado, Masque of Red Death, and Fall of the House of Usher), each illustrated by a different artist. Style varies across the board, although all of the pieces have been adapted very faithfully. Telltale Heart leans into heavy use of blacks, making the nighttime sequences feel very ominous. The Raven is appropriately dreamlike in nature, with some really cool angles in the layout. Cask of Amontillado's characters are highly expressive, especially as the story goes on. Masque of Red Death is probably what most people think of when you say "manga style," with more use of tones and delicate lines that fit right in with the decadent atmosphere of the story. Fall of the House of Usher has some heavy and sometimes messy inks that really nail the gothic feeling of the story, and remind me quite a bit of a lot of the novel->comic books I used to read as a kid. A handful of character design sketches and layout thumbnails are also included, which are always a treat for art fans.

Overall, this book feels like a really great introduction to some of Poe's most famous works, with very accessible and moody art across the board.

Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for a review copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

tl;dr
A fantasy adventure in a whimsical world featuring a colorful cast of characters, and a playful narrative.

Thoughts
The author describes her work as whimsical, and I am inclined to agree. There's a playfulness to the narrative, with several tongue-in-cheek descriptions of this Very Serious World, and plenty of subverted expectations. The guide to plants in particular speaks with a dry humor that I really enjoy. World-building is a little wibbly, but this feels largely on purpose. It's a fun ride, and it's easier not to ask toooo many questions about what's going on with all the magic. From what I can tell, this book was originally written for Kindle Vella, which means chapters were released one at a time. You can feel this a little bit with chapters feeling more like short episodes rather than connected scenes, as it bounces between two separate story threads that eventually come together. Florian's arc feels more adventure-like in nature, and I found myself really liking the motley bunch of characters he fell in with. Growina's story starts more cozy fantasy-like, with a larger cast of slightly less endearing folks as she navigates things like making friends or trying to convince people to try new food. If you're looking for an adventure with bright characters and less baggage than your average fantasy, give this book a look.

Thanks to NetGalley and Naughtobelus Books LLC for the review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

tl;dr
Beautiful artwork, and an intriguing setup for a series about palace drama.

Thoughts
First off - yes the art really is that good throughout. Delicate lines, nice tones, and gorgeous large panels are the order of the day, making this a very pleasing manga to look at. Which is good, because the story can get pretty dark in some places. It's got all the messy political stuff one would expect from a story where a child plucked from the streets suddenly has to pose as royalty. Nina is a great lead, refusing to be a doormat for someone else's politics, but also canny enough to play things smart. Azure is an interesting foil, someone else also trapped by the cards dealt to them, but he keeps his reasons close, and I'm curious to learn more about his motives and plans as the series continues. We have yet to meet the final piece of our lead trio in this volume, but the two leads so far are great to read, and I'm curious to know what happens next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

tl;dr
Fun, fast-paced, and slightly irreverent, this series would be right at home on Toonami.

Thoughts
The publisher's name Saturday AM evokes images of early Saturday morning cartoons, but if I had to place this series, I'd air in on Toonami. It's got punchy (literally) action, a quick-paced storyline, and snappy humor. Dante is adult-aged, which lends a lot of weight to his confidence. So much so that when he says he's going to kill the devil, I genuinely believe he can, despite all the naysayers within the comic itself. He's also got a strong sense of justice that makes him very easy to cheer for. Supporting cast are also likable, with the mentor and/or sidekick character looking like he's also going to be a great foil for Dante. A strong start to the series, and I am looking forward to more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Rockport Publishing for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

tl;dr
With a quick pace and multiple cases, this book feels like watching a television police procedural.

Thoughts
This is my first time reading any James Patterson, but the title did its job thoroughly in catching my attention, so props there. I'm led to believe that the writing style of short chapters and concurrent threads is standard for Patterson, so any fans of his work will be right at home here. I was also zero percent surprised to discover the co-writer Brian Stitts also works in television, since this entire book feels like reading a television show. Prose is straightforward, reading in some places like stage directions on a script, and the pacing felt like a modern police procedural, complete with several ongoing mysteries and a light touch of personal lives from our three leads to keep the engine moving. Even the end of the book feels like a season finale stinger. The mysteries are all interesting, but this isn't a solve-along book, so results reveal themselves in a more Conan Doyle style than a Christie one. A handful of minor details that don't pertain to the mysteries feel a bit jarring (Marple knows not to refer to a Korean woman by her first name because it's culturally insensitive, but does not call her by her job title, which would be most ideal; A haute cuisine dinner menu includes "ferns" instead of "fiddleheads"). I think my only real complaint is that my biggest mystery remains entirely unsolved: Why aren't they Holmes, Marple, and Dupin? And why hasn't anyone inside the book asked that too?

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!