Fantasy and SciFi

Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Reviews

Review of Noragami 8 by Adachitoka

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Synopsis:
FORGET ME NOT

Yato’s free time has ended and now he’s grounded in Takama-ga-hara, forced to do his father’s bidding. Usually, he would play along until he’s set free again, but this time, he must get back as soon as possible, or Hiyori, his one and only follower, could forget all about him.

Review:
Where is Yato?! So many people were left on the hook, and I was so worried that Yukine would return to being a delinquent. I was so pleased to see how he chose to spend his time instead! Hiyori started to have such a different life, and it almost made you wish that perhaps she could have a normal life…

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Noragami 7 by Adachitoka

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Synopsis:
THE TIES THAT BIND

The fight with Bishamon is over and it’s time for Yato to tie up some loose ends—or cut ties with Hiyori, as he promised Tenjin. But a nameless god like Yato can’t survive unless he remains in someone’s memory. How will he manage once he is removed from Hiyori’s life?

Review:
Yato is stuck with an impossible quest; in saving Hiyori, he’d be dooming himself. There was so much angst in this book, but the ending had me! Couldn’t wait to pick up the next book!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Noragami 6 by Adachitoka

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Synopsis:
THE BATTLE CONTINUES

As Bishamon overpowers Yato, Kugaha’s plan to destroy her seems doomed to failure…until her medicine wears off, and Bishamon—as well as any shinki she touches—is covered in blight. Meanwhile, Kazuma tries desperately to free himself and Hiyori before she loses her chance to return to the land of the living.

Review:
There was so much tension and worry and fear in this book! Was Yato going to be able to face Bishamon? Why didn’t he tell her the truth about the last time he fought her shinki? And Kazuma was both excommunicated and locked away, so how could he possibly save Bishamon, or Hiyori? I couldn’t put this book down!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Noragami 5 by Adachitoka

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Synopsis:
TROUBLE IN PARADISE

While Kugaha continues to plot Bishamon’s downfall, Yukiné wonders what happened to his new friend Suzuha. He sees Kazuma leaving flowers at Suzuha’s cherry tree and follows him back to the heavens—right into the enemy stronghold. But when Bishamon attacks, Kazuma is forced to choose whose side he is really on.

Review:
Suzuha!!! While it was really nice to see Yukine have a friend, it was devastating for him to understand what happened. Kazuma is always trying to look out for his mistress, and sometimes, that might mean going against what they think is right.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Noragami 4 by Adachitoka

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Synopsis:
Though a powerful warrior goddess, Bishamonten suffers from taking on so many shinki. Among Bishamon’s many shinki, a terrible plan is formed by one of her most trusted aides. This shinki has dangerous ideas and gets involved with the mysterious Stray. Kazuma has a sense that something is wrong, but can he figure out what exactly is going on? Meanwhile, Hiyori desperately wants Yato to fix her, but he is presented with a solution that is hard to accept. Will Yato fix Hiyori, even if it means he’d have to cut all ties with her?

Review:
This book throws a lot of feelings at the reader, and obviously even more at the characters within. Kazuma tries so hard to be a good guide to Bishamonten but she refuses to listen to him. Because she’s surrounded herself with too many people, how can she really know any of them, or that she’s trusting the right ones? Yato may not want to face his feelings towards Hiyori, but in the end, how can he hold on to her when he has the ability to fix her ailment? I definitely grabbed the next book once this one was over.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Noragami 3 by Adachitoka

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Synopsis:
FIGHTING THE BLIGHT After the near disaster with Bishamon, Yato takes Yukine and retreats. Hiyori finds Yato in bad shape as his blight reaches a critical level. Yukine continues to torture his master with his bad behavior, causing the blight to worsen and even threaten the god’s life. Hiyori tries to desperately find someone to help Yato. Can any of Yato’s few friends save him? Does the stray god even have friends?

Review:
This is where we begin to see how even though Yato claims not to care about people, he desperately is trying to save those he can. He understands how Yukine likely is feeling, even though he hasn’t communicated it, and instead takes endless blight until he no longer can function. It was very interesting seeing Hiyori do her best to try to convince people to save Yato. In many ways, Hiyori feeling bad for Yukine is part of why Yukine was allowed to behave in such a way for so long; she both humanized him but didn’t take into account the bad parts of humanity that teens often slip into.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Noragami 2 by Adachitoka

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Synopsis:
FORTUNE BE WITH YOU A run-in with Yato the stray god has turned Hiyori Iki, an ordinary, pro-wrestling-loving middle school girl, into an existence that is neither human nor ayakashi! It’s up to Yato’s “divine intervention” to turn Hiyori back to normal, but can Hiyori rely on the spontaneous and wayward Yato to do his job properly? What’s more, the almighty warrior god Bishamonten has sworn revenge on Yato!

Review:
Hiyori is an awesome character and you cannot help but love her! While she’s stuck in a precarious state, Yato does agree to help her. We begin to see (what was clearly already apparently) many ways in which Yato has made himself unmarketable. The ayakashi become more apparent as a problem for both Yato and Hiyori in this book, because she must protect herself/her tail! Bishamon is intimidating, in part because of what she wears–though I do not think that gives license for Yato to call her names.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Noragami 1 by Adachitoka

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Synopsis:
DIVINE INTERVENTION FOR SALE Yato is a homeless god. He doesn’t even have a shrine, not to mention worshippers! So to achieve his ambitious goals, he’s set up a service to help those in need (for a small fee), hoping he’ll eventually raise enough money to build himself the lavish temple of his dreams. Of course, he can’t afford to be picky, so Yato accepts all kinds of jobs, from finding lost kittens to helping a student overcome bullies at school. 

Review:
It’s a great start to a great series, getting to know Yato and see the type of person he is. He wants a temple, but he is willing to do anything to help people. While he tries to maintain a tough exterior, it’s clear he actually wants to help people and have people appreciate and remember him. While he may appear in inconvenient places, he is endearing.

Most Mangas are quick, easy reads. I honestly forgot how much fun reading comic/picture stories like this could be before I read the Clash book from the review before this. I had been considering reading this series for awhile, and once I started, I couldn’t stop. Once I finished all the books we had already purchased (after my husband and I watched the first season on Netflix around the time of our wedding, we had bought several of these) my husband had been kind enough to order almost all the rest for me! I have finished up to the 9th book, and the rest are in omnibus form.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Books of Clash Vol. 1 by Gene Luen Yang, Les McClaine, Alison Acton

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Synopsis:
Based on Clash of Clans and Clash Royale and penned by superstar graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, this first volume of this action-packed eight-volume series brings the characters from everyone’s favorite mobile gaming sensation to life!

SEE! The illustrated exploits of one young Hog Rider and his trusted companion in an unpredictable tale of fantasy and adventure!

READ! Their journey from no-good warriors on the battlefield to true heroes of the Royal Arena!

BATTLE! When danger strikes the village of JazzyPickles and its colorful cast of characters in this heartwarming and hilarious graphic novel based on two of the world’s most popular video games.

In this epic new series set in the world of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, experience a laugh-out-loud tale of friendship and fun!

Review:
This is a silly, goofy book my husband got me when I had mentioned Clash Royale being a game I have played continuously for (now 9) years and yet doubted there was merch for. I thought it was just going to be a silly book with tips and tricks, but it actually has a full on story about hog riders. Not all Hog Riders are the same, and sometimes people don’t have the same ideals. While you can love someone or a group, sometimes you flourish best somewhere that you can just be you. The artwork was really well done, and I really liked the story, which while aimed for a younger audience, can resonate with all.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

** This is the first graphic novel I have ever written a review for! **

Review of Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

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Synopsis:
Halla has unexpectedly inherited the estate of the wealthy distant uncle she’s been caring for for the past decade. Unfortunately, she is also saddled with money-hungry relatives full of devious plans for how to wrest the inheritance away from her.

While hiding in her bedroom to escape her family, Halla inspects the ancient sword that’s been collecting dust on the wall since before she moved in. On a whim, she pulls it down and unsheaths it—and suddenly a man appears in her bedroom. His name is Sarkis, he tells her, and he is an immortal warrior trapped in a prison of enchanted steel.

Sarkis is sworn to protect whoever wields the sword, and for Halla—a most unusual wielder—he finds himself not fending off grand armies and deadly assassins but instead everything from kindly-seeming bandits to roving inquisitors to her own in-laws. But as Halla and Sarkis become closer, they overlook the biggest threat of all—the sword itself.

Review:
I absolutely loved this book and it was impossible to put down. Sarkis is dark, mysterious, sarcastic, and the type of protect-her-or-die asshole we all wish we had. I really enjoyed getting to know Halla, who is not only a very capable woman, but one who isn’t aware of just how precious she is. It was enjoyable having an older protagonist who knows she isn’t seen as the town’s version of beauty, but is still very strong and nice and capable. One thing that Kingfisher has been doing consistently is making sure that body types don’t determine capability–something true in life as well. I came to care far more for a priest than I thought I would in such a novel.

The ending of this book was so perfect when there were so many times that it seemed that not everyone could possibly have a happy ending. I cannot wait to continue reading about everyone’s adventures in future books to come.

I highly recommend this book to those that love strong women, magic, and those who have worked hard getting what they actually deserve (and were willed).

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯