Review – The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis

The Guns Above: A Signal Airship Novel
By: Robyn Bennis
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Tor Books
Series: Signal Airship
Rating:


The Guns Above is the story of Josette Dupris, the first female captain of an airship in Garnia’s military. Usually, women in the military don’t make captain and aren’t allowed in battle. But the country is in the middle of a long war, and the death of Josette’s former captain mid-battle forced her hand. Now armed with her own ship, Josette has to navigate her first captain post, test out a brand new type of airship during airtime. Not everyone is happy with this new appointment, though. When a prominent general sends his nephew aboard to report back on Josette’s flaws in order to dismiss her from her new post, what will happen?

Review – Inuyashiki Volume 1 by Hiroya Oku

Inuyashiki Vol 1
By: Hiroya Oku
Translator: Stephen Paul
Release Date: August 25, 2015; (Original) January 1, 2014
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Series: Inuyashiki
Rating:


Sometimes we’re behind the curve. Sometimes we don’t read a certain manga or watch a certain anime when everyone else is talking about it. But sometimes we finally catch up and actually read the series we’ve been aiming to for years! Inuyashiki Vol. 1 by Hiroya Oku is a science fiction story set in the near future.

Review – Outbreak Company: Volume 1 by Ichiro Sakaki

Outbreak Company: Volume 1
By: Ichiro Sakaki
Illustrator: Yugen
Translator: Kevin Steinbach
Release Date: November 17, 2017; (Original) December 2, 2011
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Series: Outbreak Company #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


I am always on the hunt for new isekai (that’s ‘trapped in another world’ for those who don’t know) light novels. Somehow I’d missed the anime Outbreak Company when it first aired, so I jumped at the chance to read the light novel. Outbreak Company Vol. 1 by Ichiro Sakaki, author of Chaika: The Coffin Princess among others, is a light novel that is both fun, but unafraid to delve into the more serious aspects of politics and the issues that arise when transporting pop culture to another world.

Review – Ararat by Christopher Golden

Ararat
By: Christopher Golden
Release Date: April 17, 2017
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Award: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel (2017)
Rating:


Sometimes a book lands on the to read list and sits there. Despite passing by Ararat each time I went to the library I didn’t borrow it. There was always a different book I’d come in for, or my stack was already piled four or five books high. However, this time was different. I finally read Ararat by Christopher Golden.

Why TokyoPop Still Disappoints

When I was young TokyoPop was one of the top publishers of manga in the US. They ate up IPs for manga. They published a huge variety of genres. They even published light novels, something that many other publishers, even those who did publish manga, largely didn’t touch. A great many TokyoPop titles still grace my shelves. My local library still has dozens of TokyoPop releases in their manga section. By all regards TokyoPop was extremely important in getting manga into the hands of my generations.

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Review – Sumo by Thien Pham

Sumo
By: Thien Pham
Release Date: December 11, 2012
Publisher: First Second
Rating:


I was completely unfamiliar with Sumo before stumbling across it when browsing shelves in the library. The cover was bold, with an amazing image of a sumo wrestler seemingly parting water, and I picked it up immediately without bothering to read any sort of synopsis. Sumo by Thien Pham is a quiet, beautiful story about a young sumo wrestler.

Review – The Armored Saint by Myke Cole

The Armored Saint
By: Myke Cole
Website: http://mykecole.com/
Release Date: February 20, 2018
Publisher: Tor Books
Series: The Sacred Throne #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


I’ve never read a Myke Cole novel before, but it is a name that’s somewhat familiar due, I assume, to my mother’s habit of devouring all action/adventure military novels she can get her hands on. The Armored Saint by Myke Cole is a compelling dark fantasy which follows a young woman named Heloise as she stands up for what she believes is right at the expense of her family and communities safety.

Review – Blame! Vol. 1 by Tsutomu Nihei

Blame! Vol 1
By: Tsutomu Nihei
Translator: Melissa Tanaka
Release Date: September 13, 2016
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Series: Blame!
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Recently, I’ve had Blame! recommended to me a few times so when I had the opportunity to read the first volume of the Master Edition, I jumped on it. Blame! Vol. 1 by Tsutomu Nihei is a manga set in a post apocalyptic world which follows a lone man on his search for the Net Terminal Gene.

Review – Gunpowder Moon by David Pedreira

Gunpowder Moon
By: David Pedreira
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


You’d never be able to tell from the theme of this blog, but I really love a good mystery story. When I learned about the murder mystery on the plot of Gunpowder Moon I was instantly intrigued. Gunpowder Moon by David Pedreira is a murder mystery steeped with politics and whose implications that could lead to war.

Review – Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files Welcome to the Jungle

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Welcome to the Jungle
By: Jim Butcher
Illustrator: Ardian Syaf
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Publisher: Del Rey/Dabel Brothers
Series: The Dresden Files Graphic Novels
Award: Hugo Award Nominee for Best Graphic Story (2009)
Rating:


I’ve been a fan of the Dresden Files since the series early days. I have all the novels lovingly sitting right next to my Harry Potter collection. (Look, having all the fantasy books with protagonists named Harry together just makes sense to me). What I don’t have are any of the assorted graphic novels. Recently, I picked up a copy of The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher and Ardian Syaf.