Azumanga Daioh: The Omnibus by Kiyohiko Azuma

2024: So... Kimura-sensei has not aged well... not that his character was good to begin with, but... yeah. Kimura is gross. Yomi's weight obsession is... a thing. I think it's somewhat normal for high school girls to worry about that kind of thing, but I really wish we lived in a society where it wasn't a thing at all. Don't worry about your weight, ladies, you're still growing. It's fine.

Otherwise, Azumanga Daioh is cute and funny. Nice slice-of life manga. No stakes, no romances, just girls being girls. Relatively quick read, for such a large tome. I still really enjoy it and look forward to revisiting at some point down the line.

2017: Every bit as enjoyable as I was expecting. Nice little strips made for good bedtime reading. Funny, absurd, and just generally goodhearted. Super cute, too.

Legit the funniest page from the whole book.

Read right to left. The pair of strips go up to down.

 

The Bookshop and the Barbarian by Morgan Stang

Indeed, a cozy fantasy novel. Not exactly my speed, but good as a palate cleanser, as it apparently was for the author.

I rather enjoyed the world-building. Enough to give us a taste of the world and piece together the rest in our imaginations. I personally envisioned Leafhaven as a little English village… kind of like the one from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. And yes, I know that’s set in France. It’s what I imagined. The bookshop is largely the same way, which is just delightful.

I really don’t have much else to say about The Bookshop and the Barbarian. It was cute. It was picturesque. The stakes were never very high. All very chill.

In Other News

I finished an OviPets project! Archelomon, modeled after the Digimon of the same name. Archelomon took approximately 11 months. I designed the face and fore flipper tattoos.

Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

This is a reread review. I will attempt to keep it mostly spoiler-free, but there will be at least a couple minor spoilers... can't exactly discuss the vampires and witches without them. You've been warned.

So, Demon in My View has been one of my favorite books since I first read it in high-school. Almost 20 years later, the beginning chapters are a bit of a slog to get through, but the rest of the story flows well, I think. I'm still rather fond of it.

I was struck on this reread by just how straight-up bitchy Jessica is. I have a feeling I brushed all that off as a kid because, hey, I was at an age where bitchiness was a fact of life. Gotta be bitchy to everyone, at least internally, cuz life is a bitch. Now, it's honestly super cringy... as is the Mary-Sue-ness and self-insertion-ness of Jessica. She's super pretty (a big Mary-Sue quality), an already published author who's book is Atwater-Rhodes' first book with a different title, and is able to just breeze into vampire society like it's nothing. Again, I honestly had a hard time, this reread, getting through those first couple chapters, and this is largely why. Hindsight/Adult Sight is great.

But anyway, I still mostly enjoyed the story. I do feel like the magic system here isn't well-defined. What is defined is largely through Aubrey's abilities, but it's still rather up in the air as to which ones apply to all vampires and which are just because Aubrey is "strong." That "strength" thing is talked about a little, but also very ill-defined. Witch magic is barely touched upon and thereby much less defined. I feel like the whole magic system works on vibes and I don't think that's a bad thing. It works here.

I found the story-within-a-story thing revealing Jazlyn effective. I literally won't say anything more about that, as it would be a major spoiler.

Demon in My View also had me thinking about The Twilight Saga parallels, because I know I originally read Twilight around the same time and we could probably talk about Teen Vampire Romance these days without mentioning Twilight but... it was on my mind, so I won't. Aubrey is definitely not Edward Cullen, though they do the same kind of stalking of the main love-interest. I also feel like Jessica has more of a personality than Bella ever did, and Atwater-Rhodes managed to do that in many less pages. Jessica and Bella share the same kind of mind-shielding thingy that makes them that much more enticing to their boys. And finally, I'm pretty sure Aubrey is who I picture in my head every time I read The Twilight Saga instead of Edward... at least physically. I did read Demon in My View first so... yeah.

Twilight out of the way, I did still mostly enjoy Demon in My View and feel like it's a good gateway into both romance and vampire fiction. The romance part, I will admit, is mostly downplayed, which was nice. It also doesn't feel shoe-horned in. I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for Atwater-Rhodes' vampires, so it was kind of a given that wouldn't change.

Favorite Line

"I might die, but which one of us will hurt more tomorrow?" - Jessica Allodola

Gryphon in Light by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon

Gryphon in Light is very much a set-up book. It’s some very good setup, though. The character work is fairly good, which I’ve found is less than a given in the Valdemar gryphon-related books. Kel definitely gets a power-up (pun slightly intended) as far as character work goes. We also get more of Firesong, which was a surprise.

I was definitely not shocked at the village’s treatment of Kel after he was wounded and left in their care. It felt very genuine for humans unused to gryphons to treat Kel as an animal more than an actual sentient being. Gross, but expected. I was very happy when he got himself ingratiated with the Guard “gimps.” That was a fun bit.

The expedition shaped up to be as crazy-pants as the original Valdemar one… more so, given the amount of creatures involved in addition to the humans. Oh geez, and a Firecat! Throw everything at the wall, why don’t we… and yep, we even got rando Companions. This kind of thing makes me tear up, even if it’s not everyone gathering around a character, apparently.

The expedition itself is really a different version of camping, which is fine. I don’t really have a lot to say about it. I like that they somehow still have a few of the original Valdemaran's barges. Reading about that so soon after finishing the prequel series was nice.

Gryphon in Light does kind of drift off for it’s ending. However, I don’t feel like it was badly done, and rather feels like a good setup for the beginning of the next book. It honestly feels like the Kelvren’s Saga is gearing up to be something that could fit well in an omnibus format, where one book flows smoothly into the next. And I’m repeating myself, I think, so… yeah. Gryphon in Light was really good and I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.

Favorite Lines

"Everyone whines, everyone complains, and even if whining doesn't change anything, letting the frustration out doesn't hurt." - Ayshen

"I trust my gut. My gut has never steered me to a bad buffet." - Kelvren

"No learning is ever wasted." - Firesong

"And Firesong, he'll be all right. He survives everything, then gets to explain it for years afterward." - Kelvren

"People mostly stupid like boar or quick to anger like bear." - Rina

     And then -- Kel could scarecely believe his eyes when the Firecat did this -- somehow Serenshey widened his eyes so that they seemed to take up half of his face, dilated his pupils, and made his eyes glisten as if he was about to shed tears. Kel knew that look. Gryphlet-begging.

     I cannot believe you are doing that, he though to the Firecat, knowing that Serenshey would pick it up.

     :Hush.:

The Grimrose Path by Rob Thurman

The Grimrose Path is very twisty. Despite all the twists, I feel like the plotting is actually quite tight. That Trixa is a pretty awesome protagonist definitely helps. The stakes are... interesting. I do feel like actual stating them here would be a spoiler, so I'll just leave that for you to discover.

I liked this interpretation of Cronus. It was different from the few others I've encountered. Definitely a good different. He's honestly pretty terrifying, but less in a creepy way, I think, and more in a "OMG how's anyone, let alone the newly human Trixa, going to be able to stop him?" kind of way. It's nice to follow Trixa's thought-processes to get her to that point. I'm also glad she was able to out-source a certain part of her plan. It was an interesting way to use more Greek mythology.

As usual, Thurman's way of incorporating world-building was fun. I enjoyed Trixa and Leo semi-reminiscing about the Auphe, knowing how terrible those buggers were. I liked the creation of a race that was so weirdly technologically advanced humans would never find out they existed... kind of a deus ex machina thing, but done well enough I didn't have a problem with it. I find Trixa and Ishiah's relationship interesting... I don't know why, exactly, but Ish seems like a different person taken out of the New York context. Probably the lack of Cal making him on-edge.

I'm honestly not sure what else to say about The Grimrose Path. It was fun. It was twisty in the best ways. There are bits and pieces that just make the whole Vegas setting feel authentic and truly part of a working universe. But yeah... definitely one to experience for yourself. I will also say, The Grimrose Path ends on a satisfying enough note to be the end of Trixa's story but also open-ended enough for a continuation... which it doesn't look like we'll be getting so... yeah.

Favorite Lines

"Geese feared and respected no one. No ankle, human or otherwise, was safe. It could be even Titans like Cronus bowed to their pure, feathered evil." - Trixa Iktomi

"About time that slice of the population had the blame dumped on them for some fake crime. I was happy to even the score a bit, although good luck narrowing down 'two pasty white men' in Vegas where the tourists primarily came in two colors -- alabaster and fake-tan orange." - Trixa Iktomi

"He's listened to you for all his life" -- all the one he could remember -- "so now I think it's time you listened to him for a while." I held up a finger. "Except on running over grandmas driving tiny ecofriendly hybrids with your big satanic bus. Listen and lean, but there are limits." - Trixa Iktomi

"If you can save someone, do it. If you can save someone and in turn have them save everyone and everything, do that too." - Trixa Iktomi

Doctor Who: Empire of Death

Doctor Who: Empire of Death

My Thoughts as I watched the episode. THERE ARE SPOILERS.

SERIOUSLY. THIS IS YOUR SPOILER WARNING.

• Fuck me, Kate’s death message. 😭
• No reveal on Mrs. Flood.
• Whuuuutt…
• Colin’s outfit! 😭🥰
• It’s all connected!
• It’s not your fault tho, sir. Definitely did not!
• The Flux 2.0
• 😭 This is not emoji enough
• Rando time jump…
• This is the best use of that horrible TARDIS interior.
• Ruby’s giving Lara Croft vibes.
• Poor Mel
• I still think Sutekh is gonna get bored with everything dead and gone.
• Sutekh, defeated by a leash!
• About as dumb as towing a planet back home, but dang if I’m not in tears.
• Like I said in my “Pyramids of Mars” thoughts on Threads, you gotta kill the baddies sometimes or they’ll just cause more trouble for you.
• So much crying. Omg
• Not a fan of the very end. Not at all. What is Mrs Flood????

Doubletake by Rob Thurman

I am not a fan of Doubletake at all. It could not hold my interest for even the very short bursts I was originally reading it in. Pure, stubborn, completion-ism kept me reading. Worked better reading in a longer chunk of time, but I was definitely skimming for a good chunk of that. I don’t think it’s great when you can skip a whole page and lose absolutely nothing.

Everybody’s got family coming into town this time… except Promise. No one’s family is interesting. Kalakos is just whatever. Grimm is a nasty piece of work, but also just whatever. The pucks… definitely a blip. And we’re really calling Grimm’s offspring “Bae”? Really? This was lamp-shaded/explained by Robin and Cal and it’s still bad.

I’m so not into this book I didn’t even enjoy the black market scene. A scene which was full of entirely too much in the way of random world-building. Normally, I like me some world-building. Normally, I’m not wanting the end to come so much that I’m skimming.

I have not touched on Kalakos and Janus, other than mentioning Kalakos’ “meh” existence. Still is very “meh.” Janus as well. I didn’t actually feel that much of a threat from either. I guess knowing there are more books after this and already having had Cal almost die enough times just takes the interest out of it.

So… yeah. Doubletake. Not great. Meandering basically for page count, it felt like, especially with the reveal at the end. I don’t like Grimm. I’m honestly smacking myself in the head right now for buying the rest of the series because I really don’t feel like finishing it at this point.

Favorite Lines

"We were a Hallmark card dipped in blood and made of unbreakable steel." - Cal Leandros

"You engage in one bonding incident of cannibalism to save your life from a pissed-off pack of native and you never live it down," Robin muttered

"All Greek legends end up insane sooner or later. It must be something in the water." - Robin Goodfellow

"Don't bounce the weapons of mass destruction." - Niko Leandros

The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg

So… I’m not a fan of The Hanging City. I didn’t find Lark an engaging character. I thought the story meandered more than in didn’t. I feel like the whole thing with Lark’s father going to war with the trollis was random and an excuse to have some sort of climactic battle that didn’t feel earned. Aaand the romance was whatever.

If the humans have abandoned the city on the other side of the bridge from Cagmar, why don’t the trollis take that over? Plenty of space, apparently. Or send some of those humans they hate to live there? This felt like a very dropped thing.

The only thing I really liked about The Hanging City was the world-building, at least concerning the trollis side of Cagmar. The rest just felt underdeveloped. Humans are cosigned to the lowest roles and a part of the city Lark barely goes into.

I dunno, The Hanging City just felt like a whatever romance in a fantasy-ish setting. Not my cup of tea. Oh, and it did that thing with the petered off ending that pissed me off with Divergent. So that’s fun. Not. 

In Other News

I finished another OviPets Project! These are my "Winged Wolves," a Chiropy project. They took approximately 10 months to complete.

Blackout by Rob Thurman

Not gonna lie, I did not think I was going to enjoy this one. The first chapter had me skimming, cuz memory-less Cal is still Cal, having the same existential crises he’s been having. But… turns out, little more in-depth than that… eventually. Honestly, the mystery of what actually happened and Cal being a lot happier pulled me through. It is pretty clear from the get-go… well, Robin’s explanation to Cal about his past anyway, that there is something more than a spider bite going on.

I think it’s interesting that Cal goes to other people asking if he was a good person. I guess that’s a good way as any to find out about yourself when you can’t remember. I like that it’s Ishiah and Promise he goes to. Close enough to know, but not close enough to want to lie to him.

I enjoyed the happier, human Cal. He was more fun and less angsty. He’s definitely right that he wasn’t the Cal we all know and love? Not sure I love Cal, exactly, but, ya know.

I think Ammut as a villain was alright. I like the way Thurman visualized her, via the description. Was a neat way to do a chimera-type critter. I’m not sure, and not about to do the research, about how the spiders connect to her. Oh yeah, spiders. If you’re an arachnophobe and tend to visualize while you read, maybe skip this one. Or I guess read the first couple chapters and then skip to the epilogue. The epilogue felt somewhat relevant. I guess we’ll see.

Good for Delilah taking over/creating her own Wolf Pack… or Clan or whatever. She’s been a cool character. Not super sure I want her as an adversary, but apparently that’s where we’re headed. (Not a spoiler since I don’t actually know, it just feels that way.) Her All Wolf thing… I haven’t mentioned it, but I’m not a giant fan of the way werewolves are done in that regard. I’m all for transformations, total and halfway there, but the part-wolf all the time in really odd ways thing… not a fan. So there’s that…

Blackout was ultimately and interesting character study. What Cal would have been like as a human. It was neat. And oh yeah, did you know Niko’s the best human fighter ever? Did you? Did you need reminding a bunch? Did you? -_-

Favorite Lines

"Always cut their head off, and even then it takes a minute or two for them to die," Leandros advised. "Don't bother with their arms or legs. They'll only pick them up and do their best to bludgeon you to death with them." - Niko Leandros

"Cool guys who kick monster ass do not try. Our coolness is inherent, goddamn it." - Cal Leandros

"It interferes with my wickedness and dissolution. Do you think becoming this degenerate comes without practice? I've invested millennia in becoming the magnificence that stands before you. But it takes time and upkeep to maintain these heights. Time not spent in what may well be a putrid pit of spiders and bodies." - Robin Goodfellow

"Adoption is love. I saw that on the side of a bus, so it's gotta be true." - Cal Leandros

Owlknight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon

I feel like Owlknight was a primarily world-building book, which is odd for a third book in a trilogy. We get good doses of Valdemaran, Tayledras, Ghost Cat, and dyheli cultures. Add to that what we end up learning about the northern cultures in addition to how Ghost Cat works… just so, so much world-building.

First half, Valdemaran politics. Second half, road trip, Valdemar style. The Council of k’Valdemar decide Darian needs to have a boost in Valdemaran social status, because apparently Heralds care about that kind of thing… so we get some of what I don’t really think we needed, which is finding out how things like knights fit into Valdemaran society. That section wasn’t bad, exactly, but it was more boring than it wasn’t, to be completely honest.

I’m also not super certain how I feel about Keisha and Darian’s relationship development. It’s clear they’re endgame, but apparently Keisha has doubts, so that gets to be dealt with. I guess it does feel more realistic than just “ah yes, they’re just together now and everything is perfect,” which is ultimately a good thing. Most of that, however, is just shoved aside once Darian’s quest is revealed. I guess that technically answers the question for her, but it did kind of feel abrupt.

The road trip during the second half was more interesting. It was fun finding out how the Northern tribes were actually functioning. The entire North felt like Canada, maybe… especially getting toward the Snow Fox and Raven tribes territories. Their areas seemed very North West US coded to me.

I did quite enjoy Owlknight.

Favorite Lines

"Perhaps that was due to increasing prosperity; well-fed and well-rested people resisted disease and didn't have nearly so many mishaps." - Keisha's Narration

"Short-term unhappiness is much better than long-term misery, and very few liasons are lifebonds." - Silverfox

"The young hertasi came out of the trees carefully carrying a stoppered jug. "Nightwind gave specific instructions. She says that if this does not do the trick, you are to hit him in the head with it, for being too stupid to live," the hertasi told Darian solemnly."

"It is easy to be brave from a safe distance." - Neta

"For those who have not the learning or the wisdom, all good advice sounds like empty croaking." - Raven Chief

 In Other News

I finished another OviPets project today! I present, the Misc Gryphus, my own creation.

Sunstone, Volume 8: Mercy by Stjepan Sejic

I thought that this was the volume I'd be completely new on, but it's not. It is however, really good. Volume 8 contains the stories of breakups and how they got there. It's heartwarming and heart-wrenching. The art, as ever, is gorgeous.

Ally and Alan remain some of my favorite characters. I really feel for Anne, even though I've never really liked Laura. Anne's analogy to papering over cracks was not something I expected to hit me so hard... but that's some personal stuff that doesn't color my enjoyment of the story.

Roadkill by Rob Thurman

I had a lot more fun reading Roadkill than I did with Deathwish. Roadkill is just a much more fun book in general. The stakes are high, but it takes a good long while to get to the point where Cal and the gang can actually deal with the cause. Speaking of, Suyolak was alright as an antagonist. He was creepy enough to keep the boys moving toward ending him, but not super in-your-face about it… even when he was kinda.

Things I remember from my first read: Catcher is involved and has chapters from his POV. I did remember Catcher’s calendars, but that’s the extent of my memories for this one.

This has very little to do with Roadkill, but I feel it’s at least a bit relevant. I never read far enough into the Cal Leandros series to see if the boys eventually encounter angels and demons. I do vaguely remember them cameoing in The Grimrose Path but that memory is vague. Cal detailing that “There were no angels or demons, no Heaven of Hell.” is about as funny to me as Dean from Supernatural saying that angels don’t exist in the first three seasons. Like dude, you sweet, summer child. You have no idea.

So, I knew Niko was insufferable about Cal’s diet, but dude, he’s really insufferable about it. I was extremely annoyed about this. I get that Niko’s the overprotective big brother, but if you’re gonna “let” your little brother grow up, you gotta stop harping on his food choices. That part of Niko feels like a vegan stereotype and I hate it.

I think part of what I really enjoy about these books is knowing the main characters could actually die. Like, maybe not Cal, since there are 5 more books left in the series at this point… but geez the tension even around his potential deaths is awesome… until the end… which really felt like more of a clusterfuck than it probably was. It really felt like Thurman wasn’t sure how to write the Rafferty/Suyolak fight in an interesting manner, so we also got the clusterfuck fight scene. Much meh about that. I was more confused during it than anything else.

Lastly, I looked up the Ördögs aaand… the “real thing” is apparently a faun/satyr-lookin’ demon. Amusing, considering Robin’s origins. Ördög was definitely a Hungarian “critter,” though, so there’s that.

Favorite Lines

"Pick up your clothes, I am not your maid. How do I know this? A maid cannot kill you with a tube sock. I can." Niko Leandros

"But something doesn't have to be forever to be good," - Catcher

"Great for you two," Robin complained. "But what if Niko and I end up 'hunting no more'? Where's our kiss of potential death? Or quickie of potential death? I'm open to all options."

Valdemar Anthologies Batch 7

Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 5 stories from this anthology.

“The Power of Three” by Brenda Cooper: Here we meet Rhiannon and Dionne, twins with different callings but a ridiculously strong bond between them. The story itself was alright, introduced the girls well and showed off some of their power. I’m vaguely more interested in the mage they rescued, but he’s not really the focus here.

“Moving Targets” by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon: Took me a stupidly long time to figure out that this one’s “Scooby Doo.” Like, 20-ish pages. Much shrugging, otherwise.

“A Dream Deferred” by Kristin M. Schwengel: Cute little rescue the kyree story. I enjoyed it.

“Broken Bones” by Stephanie D. Shaver: So, this is the second kind of miniseries where the spelling of characters’ names is off between “installments.” Just thought I’s note it. Interesting little story. 

"I'm too young and precious to die." - Lelia

“Heart, Home, and Hearth” by Sarah A. Hoyt and Kate Paulk: Actually a fairly basic found-family story. It was alright.

 

Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 7 stories from this anthology.

“The Blue Coat” by Fiona Patton: Another story of a few people finding Valdemar and a new life therein. I guess it was alright.

"And life is always a pushy series of inevitable events for the shamans, old or young," Trey added.

“The Feast of the Children” by Nancy Asire: I really liked this one. Pretty sure Sunshine would be the first Fire Cat and, if not, at least the first mentioned in the series.

“Landscape of the Imagination” by Mercedes Lackey: I envisioned Nanca’s training space to be rather like the chessboard of Wonderland fame. It was interesting for a kind of holo-deck or Danger Room style place to exist here. Figures that sorcerers with enough time on their hands would do something like that. I kind of like Nanca and I was definitely amused by Warrl’s reaction to being given flight for a short while. Highly amused by his threat to Tarma afterward.

“War Cry” by Michael Longcor: Dunno why, but people pledging themselves to Valdemar makes me tear up. Might also be knowing Sendar’s fate and seeing him again… This one’s also really brutal.

“Safe and Sound” by Stephanie D. Shaver: Kinda cute and kinda heart-wrenching. I teared up.

“Strength and Honor” by Ben Ohlander: Tregaran has a firecat friend. I’m amused by this.

I’m not overly fond of the big ol’ battle in the middle of this, but either end of the story is alright.

"Folly, served judiciously, could be well employed." - Warmaster Cogern

“Horse of Air” by Rosemary Edghill: Alright, if a bit bittersweet.

“A Change of Heart” by Sarah A. Hoyt and Kate Paulk: Neat little look at a “hobgoblin” in The Empire. I enjoyed it.

 

Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read four stories from this anthology.

“Errold’s Journey” by Catherine S. McMullen: I was not a fan of this one. It all seemed really rushed and Errold was just too… I dunno… blank but overly cheerful for my tastes. Master Thomas seemed like one of those pompous guys you just wanna smack… but hey, there are big green cats around now, I guess.

“Trance Tower Garrison” by Fiona Patton: This one was pretty enjoyable, if somewhat heartbreaking.

“Rebirth” by Judith Tarr: A small look at the Velgrath afterlife. Elysium-like. I enjoyed it.

“Sun in Glory” by Mercedes Lackey: The story of Talia’s investiture as a Priestess of Vkandis made me tear up a tad.