Contemporary Fantasy

Feb 13, 2020

From Our TBR Pile

Blogtour Review: Rise of Gaia by Kristin Ward

The Rise of Gaia
By: Kristin Ward
Release Date: August 24, 2019
Publisher: Kristin Ward
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

Today, I’m thrilled to be a part of the blog tour for Rise of Gaia by Kristin Ward, winner of the 2018 Winner of the Best Indie Book Award for her previous novel, After the Green Withered. This novel is set in a small American town, and follows Terra, a high school girl. On her seventeenth birthday, she has a vision, one that shows her horrifying scenes of destruction.

Jan 06, 2020

From Our TBR Pile Manga & Light Novels

#MangaMonday Review – Ghostly Things, Vol. 1 by Ushio Shirotori

Ghostly Things, Vol. 1
By: Ushio Shirotori
Illustrator: Ushio Shirotori (Illustrator); Rina Mapa (Lettering)
Translator: Nova Skipper (Translator); Clint Bickham (Adaptation)
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Seven Seas
Series: Ghostly Things #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

The start of a new series, Ghostly Things, Vol. 1 by Ushio Shirotori is a paranormal fantasy manga featuring a teenager in a new (and probably haunted) house.

Oct 18, 2019

From Our TBR Pile

#UltimateBlogTour – Sapphire Smythe by R.J. Furness

Sapphire Smythe
By: R.J. Furness
Release Date: March 16, 2019
Publisher: Orgo Press
Series: Sapphire Smyth and the Shadow of Four
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

Shadows by R.J. Furness is the first serialized novel set within the Sapphire Smyth and the Shadow of Five series, which is named after the main character. This is a YA fantasy novel set in the modern day.

Oct 16, 2019

Graphic Novels

Review – Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu front cover

Mooncakes
By: Suzanne Walker
Illustrator: Wendy Xu (Illustrations); Joamette Gil (lettering)
Release Date: October 15, 2019
Publisher: Lion Forge
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

Family, love, acceptance, and trust are core themes of this graphic novel about a family of witches and a werewolf living in a small town. Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil is equal parts and exciting tale of witchcraft and adventure and heartwarming story of love and family that is sure to melt the iciest of hearts.

Aug 26, 2019

Manga & Light Novels

#MangaMonday Review – Go with the Clouds, North by Northwest, Vol. 1 by Aki Irie.

Book cover of Go with the Clouds, North by Northwest by Aki Irie.

Go with the Clouds, North by Northwest, Vol. 1
By: Aki Irie
Illustrator: Aki Irie
Translator: David Musto
Release Date: April 16, 2019
Publisher: Vertical Comics
Series: Go with the Clouds, North by Northwest #1
Rating:

Combining mystery with magical realism, Go with the Clouds, North by Northwest, Vol. 1 is the latest manga by Aki Irie whose other works include manga series Ran and the Gray World and Ultramarine Schooldays. This series follows a seventeen-year-old main character Kei Miyama, a half-Japanese boy living with his French grandfather in Iceland.

Feb 22, 2019

From Our TBR Pile Manga & Light Novels

Review – Occultic;Nine Vol 2 by Chiyomaru Shikura

Occultic;Nine Vol 2
By: Chiyomaru Shikura
Illustrator: pako
Translator: Adam Lensenmayer
Release Date: Feb 25, 2017
Publisher: J-Novel Club; Seven Seas
Series: Occultic;Nine #2
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

It has been quite a while since I’ve binged a series like I am with this one. Occultic;Nine, Vol. 2 by Chiyomaru Shikura is a truly great second volume in this series by the creator of Steins;Gate.

Feb 13, 2019

Graphic Novels New & Upcoming Releases

Review – Submerged by Vita Ayala and Lisa Sterle

Submerged
By: Vita Ayala
Illustrator: Lisa Sterle (artist); Stelladia (colorist); Rachel Deering (letterer)
Release Date: February 12, 2019
Publisher: Vault Comics
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

A graphic novel of true beauty, both artistically and literarily, Submerged Volume 1 by Vita Ayala and Lisa Sterle is a brand new release not to be missed. This is a story of many things. It is a story of family, a story of coming to terms and letting go, it’s about relationships. It is a story many can relate to, on one level or another, and one that is so very worth reading.

Dec 10, 2018

Manga & Light Novels

#MangaMonday Review – Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol 1 by Soraho Ina

Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol. 1
By: Soraho Ina
Illustrator: Soraho Ina (illustrator); Alexandra Gunawan (lettering and retouching)
Translator: Molly Rabbitt (translator); Cae Hawksmoor (adaptation)
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Publisher: Seven Seas
Series: Fairy Tale Battle Royal
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol. 1 by Soraho Ina is a fun new series featuring another world and fairy tale characters who seem to want our protagonist dead. The story takes place in two worlds, contemporary Japan and a fantasy world where the location of one fairy tale blends into the next.

Dec 05, 2018

From Our TBR Pile Manga & Light Novels

Review – Occultic;Nine Vol. 1 by Chiyomaru Shikura

Occultic;Nine Vol. 1
By: Chiyomaru Shikura
Illustrator: pako
Translator: Adam Lensenmayer
Release Date: December 3, 2016 (ebook J-Novel Club edition); July 3, 2017 (printed Seven Seas edition); August 22, 2014 (original edition)
Publisher: J-Novel Club; Seven Seas
Series: Occultic;Nine
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

The light novel Occultic;Nine Vol. 1 by Chiyomaru Shikura is a story about the occult, urban legends, and belief versus science and cold facts. Half a dozen very different people’s lives begin to intertwine in different, unexpected ways. All the while, there is a question that begs to be answered – is the occult real, and can science prove its existence?

Nov 23, 2018

New & Upcoming Releases

Review – The Oyster Thief by Sonia Faruqi

The Oyster Thief
By: Sonia Faruqi
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:

The first thing I noticed was the cover, a beautiful dark blue background with a golden tailfin. I was immediately intrigued. The Oyster Thief is the amazing debut novel of Sonia Faruqi. With gorgeous prose and extraordinarily real characters, this is a book you will easily fall in love with.