Review – Space Opera by Catherynne M Valente

Space Opera
By: Catherynne M. Valente
Release Date: April 10, 2018
Publisher: Saga Press
Rating:


Okay. So. Space Opera. Wonderful, glorious Space Opera. It has been a long time since I loved a book this much or devoured it quite so quickly. I originally listened to the audiobook on hoopla. When the hardcover copy came in the mail a few weeks later I immediately read the whole thing cover to cover. Is Space Opera by Catherynne Valente that good? Well, yeah. It is.

Review – The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan

The Dead House
By: Billy O'Callaghan
Release Date: May 1, 2018
Publisher: Arcade/Skyhorse Publishing
Rating:


There is nothing quite like a good ghost story. I always seem to stumble upon these, and I am very happy to say that this book was quite the happy accident. This was a last minute pick up at the library, a book that caught my eye on the way to check out a small pile of books. The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan is a beautifully written ghost story that will stay with you long after reading.

Review – My Hero Academia Volume 13 by Kohei Horikoshi

My Hero Academia Volume 13
By: Kohei Horikoshi
Illustrator: Kohei Horikoshi
Translator: Caleb Cook
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Series: My Hero Academia
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


I’ve been reading My Hero Academia every Monday in Shonen Jump for quite some time now. Yet this volume snuck up on me nonetheless. There’s a lot in here, and I don’t think I picked up on all of the subtleties the first time. My Hero Academia Vol 13 by Kohei Horikoshi is another wonderful volume filled with commentary on hero society, character development, and the conclusion to the licencing exam.

Where Dystopian Fiction and Contemporary Fiction Meet – The Eerie Effects of Bandai’s The Accusation

I first discovered The Accusation by Bandai from a BookTube channel, thought I cannot recall which one exactly. There was something intriguing about this collection of short stories beyond the obvious – I always enjoy a good short story, and I actively seek out books in translation. This was a collection of stories from a place where we do not get stories, where literature and film and everyday life is somewhat of an unknown. It is a story the author went to great lengths to hide and smuggle out of North Korea to China. It is a story which, by all rights, I should have heard about soon due to nothing less than the sheer importance that it was published.

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Review – Lingua Cosmica: Science Fiction from Around the World

Lingua Cosmica: Science Fiction from Around the World
By: Dale Knickerbocker (editor)
Release Date: June 4, 2018
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Lingua Cosmica: Science Fiction from Around the World is an academic book. This isn’t a novel or even a generic non-fiction title. This is a book by academics about science fiction writers from countries other than the United States. These authors are giants of the genre, the sort of authors whose works change science fiction in that region.

Review – The Morose Mononokean Vol 2 by Kiri Wazawa

The Morose Mononokean Vol 2
By: Kiri Wazawa
Translator: Mikka Stifler
Release Date: September 22, 2014
Publisher: Square Enix
Series: The Morose Mononokean
Rating:


I have a penchant for reading manga and watching anime about humans that get involved with the affairs of the supernatural, straying into worlds that they don’t really belong. The Morose Mononokean fits into this theme pretty perfectly, and I have been thoroughly enjoying this series which is currently available to read on Crunchyroll. This week I read The Morose Mononokean Vol 2 by Kiri Wazawa.

Throwback Thursday Review – Radio Freefall by Matthew Jarpe

Radio Freefall
By: Matthew Jarpe
Release Date: August 7, 2007
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating:


I stumbled upon Radio Freefall by Matthew Jarpe at the library recently. It isn’t a new release, I hadn’t been familiar with the author, and I can’t recall ever hearing about the novel. So, naturally, I checked it out immediately, knowing nothing but what the flap copy said – this this was a cyberpunk story with rock and roll, AIs, and technology. And you know what? It was a lot of fun.

Review – Dollface, Vol 1 by Dan Mendoza & Bryan Seaton

Dollface Vol 1
By: Dan Mendoza; Bryan Seaton
Illustrator: Dan Mendoza; Bryan Seaton
Release Date: June 20, 2017
Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment
Series: Dollface
Rating:


My husband and I both read Zombie Tramp, a graphic novel by Dan Mendoza. So it was only natural that we pick up Dollface Vol 1 by Dan Mendoza and Bryan Seaton.

Dollface is a new series featuring Lila, a 3-D printed doll which houses the soul of a 17th century witch hunter. Lila is a doll, a soul that occupies a plastic body. She is the result of an experiment done by two MIT students, Emily and Ivan. Now with a second chance at life she can continue the witch hunting work she started so long ago. And, more importantly, find the witch who massacred her family.

Review – The Bride Was a Boy by Chii

The Bride Was a Boy Vol 1
By: Chii; Shanti Whitesides (Adaptation)
Illustrator: Chii; Karis Page (Letterer & Retouch)
Translator: Beni Axia Conrad
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Publisher: Seven Seas
Series: The Bride Was a Boy
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


The Bride Was a Boy is a diary styled manga by Chii. This manga tells the story of Chii’s transition from male to female, falling in love, and getting married. It is a beautiful, heartwarming tale that everyone should read.

Review – From Unseen Fire by Cass Morris

From Unseen Fire
By: Cass Morris
Illustrator: Tran Nguyen (Jacket Art)
Release Date: April 17, 2018
Publisher: Daw Books
Series: Aven Cycle #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


You may not know this, but my family is just chock full of history buffs. My father’s a history professor, my brother works at a museum, my sister gives talks at conferences about historical monuments, and I was an art history student once upon a time. So my excitement wasn’t very surprising when I first heard a book being described as ‘ancient Rome plus magic’. And that was exactly what we received in From Unseen Fire by Cass Morris.