Reviews Week 8

Reviews Week 8

February 21st- 27th

Book 22: Groo Meets Tarzan

by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragonés (Illustrations), Thomas Yeates (Illustrations)

Read February 24th 

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A good volume following the moronic Groo as he meets Tarzan. 

This sadly was not as good as the other volume of Groo that I have read before (Groo: Play of the Gods). There was not enough of Groo and Tarzan interacting. I really did like the parts with the writers and their plot at the Comic-con. Those scenes especially with Sergio had me laughing out loud at times. Loved reading about him trying to survive in the zoo.

Groo only has one thing on his mind and that is how he is going to get more food for himself and his dog, Rufferto. It's funny that he doesn't even realize how much he is messing up everything for everyone else around him. Those poor villagers. Also, his dog is much smarter than he is and that adds to the humor of it all.

I really love the art style of the Groo comics and this was just as good as the others I have read. It was enjoyable to see the style of Groo mix with the different style of the Tarzan comics. Especially when Groo and Tarzan meet in the comic. The styles actually look good together.

I was really looking forward to reading this comic to see what would happen with Groo when he met Tarzan. It did not have enough of that for me and even though I did enjoy the different parts of this whole volume, I do wish that there was more of Tarzan and Groo interacting. I think that the goofy character of Groo playing off of the more serious character of Tarzan is an interesting idea. The Tarzan parts were not as good before their interactions with each other. Overall, I did like this volume but I did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked to. I do want to pick up some more of Groo's comics soon. It took me too long to pick up another one after reading Play of the Gods.

* Thank you to Edelweiss for my ARC of the comic. All opinions are my own.* 

Book 23: Norse Mythology, Vol. 2

by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author), P. Craig Russell, Matt Horak (Illustrator), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator), Gabriel Walta (Illustrator)

Read February 24th 

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Loved reading these Norse Myths in this collection and I cannot wait to read the others and Neil's full collection of Norse Mythology. 

This was an enjoyable collection of myths reenvisioned by Neil Gaiman. I am a big fan of mythology and am getting into Norse Mythology more and more. Also, I love Neil Gaiman's works but I have yet to read his full book. I have been reading his graphic novel versions of his books more recently and was excited when I saw that this book was up for review on Edelweiss.

Out of the collection of four myths here, I only knew one of them and that was "Thor's Journey to the Land of Giants", which was definitely my favorite from this volume as a whole. I enjoyed the story and how the giant was able to trick both Thor and Loki. The whole beginning of the story with Thor's goats was a part that stood out to me.

Another one of the myths that I enjoyed from the whole was "The Apples of Immortality". This was another dealing with Loki, who is trying to figure out how to rescue a woman who holds the source of the Gods' immortality. Loki is good at messing up things for those around him and he sure does in this myth. But he also shows his resourcefulness and cunningness in this volume. He is known for being the God of Trickery and this story was a good example of that.

The other two myths in this volume "The Mead of Poets" and "The Story of Gerd and Frey" did not stand out to me as much as the other two. I have heard the line at the end of "The Mead of Poets" about where bad poetry comes from and also the overall idea of where great poetry comes from. Though I did not know the myth behind the idea. So that was interesting. "The Story of Gerd and Frey" just was Frey trying to fill his life with happiness by marrying a Giant. As a story, it was okay but along with the other stories in this volume, it was probably the least interesting to me.

I also wanted to touch on the artwork in this volume. The art style in this volume grew on me as I was reading it. Each comic has a different style to them but still feels connected enough to go along with each other.

This volume as a whole stood out to me a lot and makes me want to pick up Neil's full Norse Mythology book even more. I really enjoyed most of the stories in this volume and would like to see the others in the full book. Also, I plan on picking up the first volume in this graphic novel series of the myths. I wanted to before reviewing this but did not yet. I will be sometime this year hopefully. But if you have not read the first volume you definitely do not have to. This volume holds up on its own because each of the myths can be read without reading the ones before them. It's a short story collection.

*I was given an ARC of the graphic novel from Edelweiss. All opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss. *

Book 24: Dreams Lie Beneath 

by Rebecca Ross 

Read February 25th-27th

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Definitely, my favorite book of the year so far! Absolutely beautiful in every way! 

I have fallen in love with Rebecca Ross's writing style in this book and also in Sisters of Sword and Song. This book was absolutely incredible. I love the feeling when I start reading a book and by page 20 you know that it is going to be a new five-star favorite book of all time. This was one of those gems that I became obsessed with so quickly.

Clem was a character that I could not help but root for. She is seeking revenge for what she has lost but as the story continues her story becomes so much more than the revenge that she wants. Her partnership with Phelan and just the journey they go on was so intriguing. I loved how they had to fight the dreams that came alive before their eyes. I love a good dream-filled book and this was everything I wanted it to be and more.

“Dreams often revealed one’s greatest vulnerability; dreams were doors that led into hearts and minds and souls and secrets.”

The realm of Azenor was so cool and I loved the whole plot with the curse. The whole idea of the wardens that were protecting the citizens from the waking nightmares was so neat. This was such an awesome idea for the magic in this world and the whole reason behind it brought even more to the story. There were many different surprises throughout that I didn't even expect, so that was refreshing too.

I want to also say that I really liked the focus on family throughout the book.

This had everything I love in a fantasy story: magic, worldbuilding that makes you feel like you are in the world when you are reading, stunning writing, and a beautiful romance (a sort of hate-to-lovers romance, they will always be a favorite).

“Sometimes things must break before they can be made whole again, so that they can be forged into something stronger.”

Rebecca Ross became an auto-buy author for me when I read Sisters of Sword and Storm and this has just solidified that for me. I adore her writing style so much.

Reviews Week 7

  Reviews Week 7

February 14th- 20th

Book 21: Real Hero Shit 

by Kendra Wells

Read February 18th 

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A beautifully illustrated graphic novel with a pretty good story that I wanted more of. 

A good story with great illustrations to go along with it. I really liked the adventure that our crew went on in this but it was just too short. Also, I could not stop myself from comparing this to The Adventure Zone series, especially since they have similar character archetypes. Which I know is because they are both based on the RPG genre/D&D. I've got to admit that I enjoyed the books in that series quite a bit more, especially the characters. They seemed to be a bit more fleshed out and the story just pulled me a bit more than this one did. 

I wish that there was more to the backgrounds of each of the characters and that we got to know them. Truthfully, I wish there was just more to the story as a whole. They were such likable characters, especially Hocus. I just really to know more about each of them. 

Love the diversity in the story and also how the group joins together at the beginning. It was quite entertaining. Also, their dynamic was great and so funny. I just wanted so much more. I would definitely pick up another graphic novel from this author and also if there were more graphic novels after this one. Overall, I enjoyed reading this graphic novel, especially the beautiful and vibrant illustrations. 

This does have some adult content if there is anyone younger wanting to read it. 

Review Week 6

  Reviews Week 6

February 7th- 13th 

Book 20: Hooky

by Míriam Bonastre Tur

Read February 13th

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(I wanted to show the full back and front of this book because it is stunning.)

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel with great characters and an interesting plot. 

This was a great graphic novel that I really enjoyed a lot. I loved the art style and the coloring. It has such a quirky style and there were so many great full-page spreads that I just loved to look at. One of my favorites was when the twins went into Pendragon's house for the first time and go to find their rooms. I loved the illustration of his house. 

 Also, the story of the twins Dani and Dorian was a great one. I loved following along with them and the friends that they met along the way in the story. Each is dealing with a lot as they try to learn how to use their magic better. The magic was so interesting and I loved seeing them grow throughout the story. 

I cannot wait to see where the story is going to go from here. Especially, after that ending. 

Reviews Week 5

 Reviews Week 5

January 31st- February 6th

Book 16: The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy

 by Leonard S. Marcus (Editor), Lloyd Alexander (Contributor), Franny Billingsley (Contributor), Susan Cooper (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Nancy Farmer (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Brian Jacques (Contributor), Diana Wynne Jones (Contributor), Madeleine L'Engle (Contributor),  and Ursula K. Le Guin (Contributor)

Read February 1st

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Interviews from greats of Fantasy. 

This was a great little book with interviews from some of the best fantasy writers of all time. Including Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones, some of my favorites. I liked reading about their pasts and what got them into writing. This also has me interested in picking up some of the other authors that I have never picked up before. Definitely, glad that I picked this one up.

Book 17: The Book of Three

by Lloyd Alexander

Read February 3rd

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Loved listening to the audiobook narration of this book. I definitely, recommend listening to it if you are going to read this book. 

This is my second read of this book and I have got to say that I did enjoy it a lot better this second time around. It might be because of the audiobook's narration, which brought more life into each of the characters.

The world that Lloyd Alexander created is quite interesting. It is based on Welsh tales and definitely draws heavily on The Lord of the Rings. There are many similarities. Gurgi reminded me a bit of Gollum except he was not evil. He especially reminded me of Gollum when he speaks in the third person and is only thinking about food. He does prove to be loyal and help his friends in times of need. The character that I liked the most was Fflewddur Fflam, the bard that has a harp that breaks every time he lies. I wanted to know more about him.

I am looking forward to finally finishing the series this year.

Book 18: Thief of Time

by Terry Pratchett

Read February 3rd- 4th

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This is now in my top three favorite Discworld novels along with Hogfather and Witches Abroad. Not that I'm surprised in the slightest, I love Death and Susan. They are some of my favorite characters in all of literature. I am sad though that this is the last Death book in the series.

In Thief of Time, we follow Susan as she is trying to yet again save all of humanity after her grandfather (Death) tells her what is going on. He obviously cannot help because he has a job to do in the apocalypse, as one of the four horsemen. Susan is just trying to be normal, this time around as a teacher. Some of the best scenes in the Death subseries to date and in the Discworld series. I loved the scenes with Miss Susan in the school teaching her class of seven-year-olds. She's a strict teacher in some aspects but uses her powers in ways that make her class one of the most interesting ever. Her class is so popular that parents are fighting to get their kids in it. I would have loved to have just a book of her teaching. It made me think of the Magic School Bus also when she took the kids on their "fields trips." This had such a great Discworld twist to it that I absolutely adored.

We also follow the History monks Lu Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd as they try to save time. I really liked the dynamic between "The Sweeper" and his young companion. Lu Tze is known as one of the most powerful monks in all existence but lets everyone see him as just a sweeper. He is told to take on his apprentice Lobsang who is causing problems for the other monks because he has unexplained powers. The duo play so well off of each other throughout the story and I loved reading the scenes between them. I also really enjoyed seeing Lu Tze again after his part in Small Gods.

Our other main character in the story is Jeremy who is tasked to create a perfect glass clock. Along with the help of an Igor, he creates the clock which ultimately is meant to destroy the world. Even though Jeremy does not know it. This is all a plan of the Auditors who want human unpredictability to end. I loved the scenes with the Auditors here more than I have ever in a Discworld novel. I will not spoil it but they were great. This also had some of the best scenes with an Igor in the series, especially with his inner thoughts. It was very entertaining.

Finally, I want to talk about Death's part in the novel a little. Death lets Susan deal with trying to save the world because he is not supposed to meddle with the universe. His scenes were great as he tried to gather in the other horsemen of the apocalypse. Loved his scenes so much throughout the novel.

Overall, this was another great addition to the Discworld series and the Death subseries. I loved following some of my favorite characters again like Susan and Death and also Quoth the Raven and the Death of Rats.

Here are some of the quotes that I loved from the book. Some of the best from the series:

“Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying 'End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH', the paint wouldn't even have time to dry.”

“Sometimes I really think people ought to have to pass a proper exam before they're allowed to be parents. Not just the practical, I mean.”

"He tried to read Grim Fairy Tales. They had titles like 'How the Wicked Queen Dance in Red Hot Shoes!' and 'The Old Lady in the Oven.'"

Book 19: The Last Hero

by Terry Pratchett 

Read February 4th- 5th 

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A great shorter Discworld book with beautiful illustrations and a very funny story. 

This was definitely my favorite book dealing with Rincewind so far also with Cohen. I loved the whole plot with Cohen and the Silver Horde trying to return fire to the gods and what they actually mean by that. It was so funny. All the scenes with the Horde and the minstrel were great. Also, I really liked the dynamic between Carrot and Rincewind. They actually played off of each other very well. I wasn't expecting them to work so well as a duo but they did along with Leonard of Quirm.

My favorite scenes were the ones once the Horde finally make it to Cori Celesti with the gods. These scenes were very funny. I loved how Terry played with the character of the dark lord and the trope that goes along with that. His books are so clever.

The Last Hero was a shorter book by Terry but it was very good. Loved the illustrations also by Paul Kidby. He is one of the best illustrators I have ever seen and his Discworld ones are absolute perfection. 

Reviews Week 4

 Reviews Week 4

January 24th- 30th 

Book 12: Punderworld 

by Linda Šejić

Read January 23rd-25th

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Now, this is the Hades and Persphone retelling that I wanted. 

This was a great retelling of Hades and Persephone with beautiful artwork. I really enjoyed the characterization of Hades in this one and of Persephone and am very interested to see where it goes from here. Also, I enjoyed seeing a little bit of Demeter's perspective than what is usual with these stories. I'd like to see even more of the characters get time. Charon's little part was a good addition to the story too. 

Book 13: Rocket Raccoon & Groot: Tall Tails

by Skottie Young, Nick Kocher, Filipe Andrade, 

Michael Walsh, Aaron Conley, Jay Fosgitt, Brett Bean 

Read January 25th-26th 

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Loved Skottie Young's art style but Rocket and Groot are better with the other Guardians.

This was a pretty good set of comics focusing on Rocket and Groot. I definitely like the characters better when they are working off of the other Guardians of the Galaxy but this had some gems in it. I really like Skottie's style having read his I Hate Fairyland series years ago so it was fun to see it again with characters that I really enjoy.

Book 14: All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: 

Communication Breakdown

by: Gerry Duggan, Aaron Kuder 

Read January 26th 

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An interesting new adventure for the Guardians

Over the past month or so, I have gotten into Marvel movies for the first time. I decided that I also wanted to get into the comics. And I figured that the Guardians would be a good spot because I have enjoyed watching the two movies. This was a good story and I am interested to see where it will go from here. I enjoyed being with these characters again and want to know what is going to happen with them in the next volume.

Book 15: All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: 

Riders in the Sky

by: Gerry Duggan, Aaron Kuder 

Read January 26th 

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The second volume to the Guardians' new adventure

Now, this was a great addition to the story. I really enjoyed this one quite a bit. I am interested in seeing where this story arc goes in the next volume. I will be picking up more of the Marvel comics throughout the year. Especially, Doctor Strange. He's my favorite main MCU character so far. Won's my actual favorite of all of the MCU.