New Book Review - Uncanny: The Origins of Fear by Junji Ito

Name - Uncanny: The Origins of Fear

Written by - Junji Ito

Translated by - Jocelyne Allen

Published by - Viz Media LLC

First things first, I got this book from Edelweiss as an ARC, so thank you Edelweiss and Viz Media LLC for this opportunity.

It really is a joy to get under the skin of a creative mind, getting to learn how that brain of their works, seeing what influenced to create their masterpieces, and most of learning about their life and knowing that they are as normal an individual as us in many aspects. 'Uncanny: The Origins of Fear' is such a deep dive into the mind of one of the greatest horror manga artists ever, and it is very enjoyable.

The book has a gorgeous layout with many drawings and layouts from the mangaka, as well as some interesting bits of his life, from his early childhood up to his struggles to make a living, then finally turning into a full-time creator of mangas. It is not an easy path being one of the best, especially when you also have to learn enough to make it all matter, and it is also amazing to see how Junji Ito's mind works in deciphering meaning and ideas out of his everyday experiences.

The author divided the whole thing into five carefully thought out chapters. The first two work like an autobiography, with details from his childhood, his initial work as a dental technician, all the whole trying to write and draw mangas, to finally his breakout into the manga world slowly through his sheer determination and creativity. The most interesting part about these first two chapters is the fact how Ito writes about his various influences and how these moulded him; I really loved this because I am not very learned in Japanese manga history. I gained lots of recommendations from this section to enrich my TBR pile.

Sadly for those who hadn't read much work of Junji Ito, the last three chapters delve into spoiler filled territory, as Ito delves deep into his creation process through numerous examples of his works. These three deal with his exploration of how he gets his ideas, to his points of view and inspiration about some iconic characters he created, ending the last chapter by going into a detailed glimpse into his drawing process with some delightful arts on display.

As a non-fiction book, this was quite enjoyable. This should cater especially to the taste of readers who are already his fans. But that doesn't mean there isn't enough to enjoy for casual readers of him or the people just starting to get into his work. The drawings throughout the book are honestly enough for any enthusiast of manga to collect this one.

A resounding 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

New Book Review - A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-young

Name - A Plagued Sea

Written by - Kim Bo-young 

Translated by - Sophie Bowman 

Series - Lovecraft Reanimated 

Published by - Honford Star  

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Honford Star for this opportunity.

This one started so well, had so much potential, the main character was portrayed with such finesse, yet somehow did not achieve what it promised. The Lovecraftian atmosphere was created with perfect nuances, racial angles were explored a bit, and the twists were also utilized quite well. Yet it could have been so much more poignant with a bit more work.

Kim Bo-young is one of the most famous science fiction writers in South Korea, has received various awards in his country, and one of the few writers from Korea to be translated into English. As far as I am aware, she had two collections published in English prior to this; 'A Plagued Sea' is her first novella published by Honford Star.

This novella is part of The Lovecraft Reanimated project by Honford Star, which translates Korean speculative fiction writers reimagining the works of horror master H.P. Lovecraft, giving them their own unique signature updating these stories for modern sensibilities.

The author manages to capture the true atmospheric charisma of the Cthulhu mythos in her attempt at recreating a modern version of 'The Shadow over Innsmouth'. Her interpretation incorporates the truly horrifying existential dread of Lovecraft, with even modern technological forms of communication unable to alleviate the despair of being locked in isolation, abuse, and racism in the form of social media posts and the characters using internet forums to create awareness and propaganda regarding the mysterious incidence of Haewon village.

The character of Moyoung was a fine creation, with her desperation and anguish over not being able to save her niece, her almost illogical yet understandable hatred towards the infected, her inner struggle of not being able to become a member of the villagers nor being able to be a member of normal society, and her manic paranoia in trying to deal with the source of her calamities. But sadly the other characters didn't get as much attention and felt rather like placeholders compared to her.

The author touched on the sense of racism, social stigma, and uncalled for abuse towards the unfortunate infected, but didn't really elaborate on this aspect of the story much, which in my opinion could have elevated this retelling to a whole new level. Rather she focused on the grotesque and monstrous horror angles of the story, which resulted in a fun reading experience nevertheless.

The prose was quite a delightful read; I simply loved the first chapter that introduced us to Muyoung and her niece, and also the chapter which revealed the new species. Sophie Bowman did a brilliant job with the translation, as I never really felt like I wasn't reading the book in its native form.

This was a fun read, made me interested in the Lovecraft Reanimated series as well as other stories from Kim Bo-young, but it also felt like a missed opportunity at creating the perfect Lovecraftian horror for the modern age due to its shortcomings.

3.5 out of 5 stars from me.

New Manga Review - The Marshal King, Vol. 1 by Boichi

Manga Name - The Marshal King (Vol. 1)

Author - Boichi (Story & Art)

Original Serialization: Shounen Jump+

English Publisher : Viz Media LLC

Genres: Action, Western, Shounen

First things first, I got this book from Edelweiss as an ARC, so thank you Edelweiss and Viz Media LLC for this opportunity.

Almost on a whim I decided to request this first volume of the newest manga by Boichi. I had read about him and liked the samples of his artwork that I had seen on the internet, and was meaning to check out what the fuss was about for some time now. This one was enjoyable while it lasted, has some room to evolve in the future, had great art, but wasn't anything out of the ordinary or much memorable upon reflection.

The story follows Jimmu on his quest to become the Marshal King, for which he joins the Marshal Academy in this first volume, acquiring a few friends and fighting some outlaws along the way. This is Boichi's attempt at creating a spaghetti western mixed with Japanese manga style humor and style. But sadly so far it reads like something that has been done before in various settings and nothing makes it stand out as unique.

Characters are quite generic as to be expected, but as this is just the beginning there certainly is some room for improvement in the future in this department.

The art is the strongest point so far; the background is crisply detailed, the action bits are exquisitely drawn, with some stylistic character facial work to create a sense of spectacle that made me return to various panels quite often.

Hopefully, Bochi improves upon the story and characters in the future to create something unique in the following volumes as this definitely has beautiful artwork to keep things interesting.

Overall Score -

                            7 out of 10.

New Book Review - The Hunger by Marsheila Rockwell

Name - The Hunger 

Series - Marvel Zombies 

Written by - Marsheila Rockwell 

Published by - Aconyte Books 

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Aconyte Books for this opportunity.

This certainly had the potential to be a very enjoyable book, with an interesting premise and some promising characters used. But ultimately too much banter and using Deadpool without focusing on his strengths made this one good while yet lasted but almost instantly forgettable upon finishing the reading.

This one deals with the patchwork team of Sanctum Sanctorum librarian, Zelma Stanton, witch Nico Minoru, monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and Deadpool coming up with a convoluted plan and trying their best to stop the zombie menace. The characters on offer were quite a well thought out team representing some lesser known Marvel heroines, and throwing in Deadpool had a certain sort of risk. 

The main issue with the book for me was the handling of Deadpool, making it seem like  he was only included for his popularity and used rather half-heartedly. There is also a bit too much banter for my liking and while the prose was a breeze to read I kept wondering when the action would begin.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read but nothing happens that leaves an impression and seemed like the whole excursion by the characters was rather pointless by the end.

3 out of 5 stars from me.

Hashtags - #Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #Review

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2023 MARVEL

Graphic Novel Review - Titans Volume 1: The Return of Wally West

Name - Titans Volume 1: The Return of Wally West
Published by - DC Comics   
Story by - Dan Abnett   
Art by - Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dalhouse, Carlos M. Mangual, Carrie Strachan
 
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and DC Comics for this opportunity.
The return of Wally West is the catalyst that started of the DC Rebirth era, so you would expect to get more info on the smiley button or at least more about how the Watchmen characters are to be incorporated into the DC universe. Instead, we get a story about Wally West, reuniting with his team and trying to save all the important persons in his life while being, you guessed it, as fast as he can be.

Graphic Novel Review - Suicide Squad Volume 1: The Black Vault

Name - Suicide Squad Volume 1: The Black Vault
Published by - DC Comics   
Story by - Rob Williams 
Art by -  Carlos D'Anda, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Jim Lee, Ivan Reis, Philip Tan, Scott Williams and more...
 
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and DC Comics for this opportunity.
So, I have always had a mind to check out what the hell 'Suicide Squad' was all about (even more after the movie that left a lot to be desired). Fortunately Netgalley was offering the first volume for requesting and I picked it up. So the question is, does the new comics counterpart of the series disappoint like the movie or does it live up to the promise?

Graphic Novel Review - Aquaman Volume 1: The Drowning

Name - Aquaman Volume 1: The Drowning   
Published by - DC Comics   
Story by - Dan Abnett   
Art by - Scot Eaton, Philippe Briones, Oscar Jimenez, Mark Morales, Wayne Faucher
 
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and DC Comics for this opportunity.
Aquaman as a superhero is underestimated in more ways than one. Most general comic book readers think of him as a weak secondary member of the Justice League and according to them talking to fishes is his unique super power. But, he is so much different than what people think of him. And veteran writer Dan Abnett gets the job of introducing him as part of DC rebirth and tries to tell the story of his struggles to establish good relationship between the surface world and Atlantis.

New Book Review - A Debt to be Paid

Book - A Debt to be Paid
Writer - Patrick Lacey 
Published By - Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Samhain Publishing, Ltd. for this opportunity.
What would you do when faced with a horror that no one else can see? How far will you go to save your loved ones? And what if the hallucinations that defined your past turns out to be no hallucinations at all? These are some of the questions that the characters must ask themselves in this book. We get a fast paced ride as the main character tries to escape from an unimaginable horror while confronting some disturbing truth from the past.

New Book Review - We Are All Completely Fine

Book - We Are All Completely Fine
Writer - Daryl Gregory 
Published By - Tachyon Publications

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Tachyon Publications for this opportunity.
So What happens to the people who encounter supernatural elements and suffer a personal tragedy due to it  after the said event? What if there was a psychologist who tried to create a therapy group consisting of these people? Aren't a new tragedy bound to happen? Daryl Gregory does a fine job of telling the story of such a group of people. The result is quite enjoyable with an interesting story that keeps you wondering throughout; a cast of unique and somewhat creepy characters; and a bit of a new kind of approach to tell the story to spice up the encounters. I will try not to spoil anything from the story cause I think this book is much better when going into it on a blindfold.

New Book Review - Peacemaker

Book - Peacemaker
Writer - K.A. Stewart
Series - Arcane West #1 
Published By - Penguin Group
 
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Penguin Group for this opportunity.
This is a prime example of fun and simplistic fantasy done with a well tested setting; mixing up fantasy with the generic tropes of good and bad guys and natives of western setting was a good read. Quite nice were the world building and magic system which really used some inventiveness. Specially interesting is the fact that it really left a nice ground for improvement for future ventures into this world.

New Book Review - Grand Cru Heist

Book - Grand Cru Heist
Writer - Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Blaen, Anne Trager (Translator)
Series - Winemaker Detective #2 
Published By - Le French Book

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Le French Book for this opportunity.
This is not your typical mystery novel. In fact the mystery is quite simplistic and easily deduced; but the real strength of this short novel is the characters and their passion for wines and other things. We get to delve more into the main characters introduced in the first book and how they cope with tragedies in their lives as part of the plot (I would recommend reading the first book in the series as to better understand this one). The writing is also much improved as the authors seem to have come to grip with these characters and their surroundings.

New Book Review + Giveaway - Kaleidoscope

Book - Kaleidoscope
Writer - Kevin Berry
Series - Stim #4 

So what if you are a person who is quite depended on your medication and suddenly some unforeseen disaster throws everything around you in chaos and makes you unable to take your medication? How do you cope with the aftereffects of such an episode? And how does it feel to be different from others and cope with it? 'Kaleidoscope' is the story of a girl facing these problems told quite nicely in her own perspective mixed with humor and emotional bits.

New Novella Review - The Wurms of Blearmouth

Book - The Wurms of Blearmouth
Writer - Steven Erikson
Series - The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #5 
Published By - Tor Books

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Tor Books for this opportunity.
So what do you get when you mix an epic fantasy setting with dark humor? You get something like this novel, which can also be perceived as the authors attempt at poking some fun at the newly famous genre of grimdark. This short work is full of interesting characters and witty humorous dialogue accompanied by a crazy and violent sense of humor which will surely entertain anyone who can stomach the ensuing chaos.

New Book Review - The Reckoning

Book - The Reckoning
Writer - Rennie Airth
Series - John Madden #4 
Published By - Penguin

First things first, I got this book as part of the penguin's 'first to read' program, so thank you Penguin for this opportunity.
The two world wars have always been very fertile ground for many kinds of fictions, but it has become generally difficult to achieve a level of originality and uniqueness in such a overused setting. 'Rennie Airth' really did a fine job of taking a quite different and enjoyable approach to using the setting. The series of John Madden novels are set in and around the two wars where the author combines historical fiction with mystery in a delightful way. Although this is the 4th novel I didn't read the previous three and it did not hamper my enjoyment one bit and that is another plus point for this genre bending journey.

New Book Review - Fiefdom

Book - Fiefdom 
Writer - Dan Abnett & Nick Vincent
Published By - Abaddon/Rebellion

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Abaddon/Rebellion for this opportunity.
It is really a nice feeling when you get much more than you expected from a novel. 'Fiefdom' has been such an enjoyable experience for me. I started to read this expecting mindless fun, but ended up having enjoyed witty humor with some delightful action sequences as well as a nice story with likable characters. The setting of post-apocalyptic Berlin with genetically engineered dog-soldiers fighting alien insects turned out to be much more fun in a very different way than I first thought it would be.

New Book Review - The Leopard

Book - The Leopard  
Writer - K. V. Johansen   
Series - Marakand #1   
Published By - Pyr

First things first, I got this book from the publisher, so thank you Pyr for this opportunity.
Well, you have to merit innovative and imaginative world-building, of which this book has plenty. The richly imagined world was very fun to explore and the author can also write good characters. I quickly found myself fascinated by some of the characters and despite having not much action, found myself thoroughly devouring the pages; and then came the second part. As a two part book, the second part somehow didn't really gel with the first for me and at times felt forcefully detached.

New Book Review - Shield and Crocus

Book - Shield and Crocus
Writer - Michael R. Underwood
Published By - 47North

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and 47North for this opportunity.
Who doesn't love a good mash-up of genres? And that is what 'Shield and Crocus' can be defined as in a simple way, an immensely entertaining mas-up of various genres and innovative world-building which keeps the reader always on their toes. The action scenes are realistic in a weird way and the beautifully imagined city of Audec-Hal is a treat. I really hope this is the start of a new series featuring these characters and this world.

New Book Review - The Blasted Lands

Book - The Blasted Lands
Writer - James A. Moore
Series - Seven Forges #2 
Published By - Angry Robots


First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Angry Robots for this opportunity.
Lets be honest, I love jumping in the middle of a series (as I did with many series' such as GoT, Harry Potter etc.). I like to delve into a story already in flow, and that fact might have influenced me a bit of my liking this book, although the guest post by James A. Moore did help. But the two warring (or soon to be warring) factions were depicted very nicely in this novel through the eyes of many characters varying from the generals and rulers of each sides to very minor foot soldiers and even people relatively outside the conflict. The world building was nice and the revealing of a ancient past slowly while building up for a war was quite interesting.

Graphic Novel Review - Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight Volume 1

Name - Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight Volume 1
Published by - Dark Horse Books
Story by - Alex de Campi
Art by - Chris Peterson, Simon Fraser, Nolan Woodard, Dan Panosian, Francesco Francavilla

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley, Diamond Book Distributors and Dark Horse Books for this opportunity.
This graphic novel is a pretty solid dose of old-school pulp comics with over the top violence, partially/completely nude females & cheesy one liners. While the stories themselves does not have that much to offer in terms of originality there is no shortage of style packed in this relatively short graphic novel.

Retro Book Review - Genesis

Book - Genesis
Writer - Eduardo Galeano   
Series - Memory of Fire #1 
Published By - Open Road Integrated Media

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Open Road Integrated Media for this opportunity.
Very rarely do I come across such awesome works of art that I find myself unworthy of reviewing. 'Genesis' by Eduardo Galeano, which is volume one of his Memory of Fire is definitely one such work of literature. It is a novel of the history of a continent, of a great many people who have been wronged so much, yet sadly they were wronged by some fellow human beings. It is a novel of despair, of greed, of depressing racism, of utterly disgusting use of religion for selfish gains. It is written with such passion and such delicacy, with vivid imagery, through viewpoints of so many people, it is like memory of Latin America. It certainly is those lands' and its peoples' sad memory, their memory of fire.