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medievalfantasyqueen's reviews
128 reviews
Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile by Kazushige Nojima
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To begin with, if I could give this book 6 out of 5 stars, I would have. For starters, as you move on from chapter to chapter, you have an approach I feel is similar to Remake and Rebirth, where you play chapters and then get back to the same scenes or moments from a different perspective, or through the eyes of a different character with a different motive. I think one of the main things that the FF7 compilation does well in is the fleshing out of the characters coming from all branches of the world with their equally important motivations - from Cloud and his AVALANCHE friends, Nanaki and his nature-related concerns, Yuffie and Wutai, Barret and Corel, and of course, Shinra and well, the shadows of Shinra. The title reflects itself pretty well, as the characters are living in the quiet aftermath of all the great big things with Meteor and the Lifestream's Weapons, and are suffering with the quickening of the spread of geostigma as we now traverse a decaying world rather than the shiny world of Midgar, and the other cities, while slowly moving themselves towards a smile. Me being me, I particularly enjoyed the final chapter - Shinra - where I feel I received one of the most rewarding redemption arcs I have experienced in a while. It felt good to see Rufus and the Turks come so far and actively do their part to clean up past messes while also ensuring that repetitions do not occur and that something better actually comes to the planet. I truly applaud that, and it makes me happy as a Shinra simp.
All that being said, I highly recommend that you approach this novel (and TKAA) after finishing at least FF7R and FF7 Rebirth - or the OG game - and with some knowledge of Before Crisis and Crisis Core, for the most rewarding of experiences.
All that being said, I highly recommend that you approach this novel (and TKAA) after finishing at least FF7R and FF7 Rebirth - or the OG game - and with some knowledge of Before Crisis and Crisis Core, for the most rewarding of experiences.
Final Fantasy VII: The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story by Kazushige Nojima
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Turks and Rufus are my favourite side characters from the FF7 franchise so naturally, this was going to be an eventual must-read. I enjoyed Evan and Kyrie as characters, and I particularly enjoyed seeing Rufus and the Turks from Evan's perspective, including the softer, more emotionally withdrawn side of Rufus after his geostigma, and the odd protectiveness the Turks - particularly Reno - show towards Evan and Kyrie. It is overall, a great read and a nice interlude into the lives of characters we meet in Remake (and later Rebirth), and I do sincerely hope we get to see Evan somewhere later on in the third game. A must read for any FF7 fan!
Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers by Wayne Rée, Benjamin Chee
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As a vampire fan, I liked the inclusion of vampires being simultaneously powerful and victims - particularly to do with drugged vampires used in colonial battles. Particularly with Arthie's revelation and her parallels to Arthurian legend, and the introduction of half-vampires, I hope we get to see more vampires coming up in the coming sequel and Arthie/Matteo, hopefully!
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I liked how other than Arthie and Jin, I was shoving my suspicions around about the other characters throughout and in the end, when *that scene* happened, I felt satisfied. I wonder if there could have been more foreshadowing done in the initial parts of the books but I understand why the holding back happened. Nevertheless, coming at this as a vampire fan - I adored the vampire lore primed into this story, where they are simultaneously powerful and also victims of their circumstances, particularly the use of drugged vampires in colonial wars. I hope that in the next book, we get introduced to more vampires and perhaps a bit of room for Arthie/Matteo? :)
We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An excellent end to the duology, with loose ends tied up, and I was especially happy with the inclusion of Altair as a POV character. I adored seeing the development of the inter-character relationships, and Altair's on-the-feet thinking come to light. Particularly stark to me was the brutal slaughter of the safin, especially after you are told that they only isolated themselves for their own safety due to their personal inability to produce more of their kind, rather than just a selfish reason . I also wondered if perhaps more could have been revealed about the apparent link Nasir shared with Altair.
Fangs by Sarah Andersen
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
A charming little love story between a vampire and a werewolf, with some cute pop culture references tossed in, and funny stereotypes challenged. More like a vignette slice of life type of book.
The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I adored the lightness of the book - the illustrations, the character dialogue and the overall plot - all of which resemble a moth’s wing in its delicacy and softness. I’m not sure if that’s what the author intended, but nevertheless, that light, gentle warmth that accompanies a cup of fenugreek tea accompanies you as you follow sweet Anya, who grows into her responsibility of being her village’s Moth Keeper. I love how you essentially learn about ecology here - where species and life are intricately interconnected and interdependent, and how in the end, Anya grows into her role - like a metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a moth. An excellent read!