Book Review of Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

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Wicked Fox

Author: Kat Cho

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

 

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Back cover:

An addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret–she’s a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead–her gumiho soul–in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl–he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to men. He’s drawn to her anyway. When he finds her fox bead, he does not realize he holds her life in his hands.

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous and reignite a generations-old feud . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s.

This book caught my eye at the book store, as I do love foxes and folklore. At first I thought it was the Japanese Kitsune, but I found out it was the Korean gumiho! I haven’t done much research in Korean folklore and looked forward to learning more and reading a fantasy book about it!

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The characters in the this book are well rounded, made sense, and evolved throughout the story. There are a lot of Korean terms, which I think is awesome for bringing you into a culture as language is essential. Luckily there is a glossary in the back to help you figure out the terms, but most made sense by context, and a lot of dishes are now on my to-cook list.

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I also loved the story of the gumiho that was weaved in, and how you were slowly given the folklore of this creature. I also loved learning about the different powers, magic, and religion in the area and how it was never info dumped, but gradually introduced.

A definite recommendation from me! Check it out!

~Dani

Book Review of Captivated by J.R. Thorn

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Captivated

Author: J.R. Thorn

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 3/5

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Back cover:

Four sexy vampires. One mortal-born witch. An ancient secret that will test them all.

I’m not a very good witch. It’s not my fault. Being born a mortal sucks and my black cat familiar follows me around like a security blanket. All the other coven brats make fun of me.

My vampires don’t seem to mind. They pose as my mentors and get Aunt Sandra off my back. My initiation into the Royal Covens is only three days away. They’re supposed to teach me how to hide what I really am: a reincarnation of some ancient and powerful witch. I think they’re just telling me that to get in my pants.

What my vampires don’t hide is their hunger for me, both for my blood and my body. That dangerous kind of thrill is going to get me into serious trouble.

Captivated: Royal Covens Book 1 is a medium-burn reverse harem romance and part of a 3-book series.

This book has a great idea but I feel it wasn’t executed very well. There were a lot of characters who weren’t consistent and a lot of stuff wasn’t well research. Although magic in fiction can be whatever you want, there wasn’t enough put in to catch my interest. There were only three or four flowers/herbs mentioned when plants were supposed to be big in getting energy, and the blood magic was inconsistent in that everyone used blood but then someone was considered a rare blood witch. Then she used runes, which is cool, but never named a rune, and never described a rune, and didn’t explain what the runes were. This made me lose interest as there didn’t seem to be much research or world-building. Also slicing large sections is getting old in fiction in general, even if you can heal fast. It is unnecessary for blood magic and would be very, very messy.

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I did like the vampires and the idea that they are her guardians was pretty cool. I just wished I could find out more about them, and wished they weren’t quite as resistant in helping her when they are supposed to be her guardians. The grammar and writing was done well and it was easy to read. Recommend for people wanting a different take on the vampire x witch genre.

(Also, this is not for young adults as there were many sex scenes)

~Dani

Book Review of Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir! by Inumajin

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Title: The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life

Author: Usata Nonohara

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

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Back cover:

After being worked quite literally to death, corporate slave Routa Okami’s dying wish is to be reborn as the well-loved pet of a rich family. When a compassionate goddess actually grants his wish, Routa commits himself to the lazy, carefree, all-you-can-nap lifestyle of a pampered pup-complete with a beautiful owner and all the delicious food he can eat! But as Routa grows…and grows…and grows…he realizes something is terribly wrong. With his enormous body, razor-sharp teeth, and fierce visage, it’s painfully obvious that he was reincarnated not as a dog but as a giant wolf. And not just any wolf-the legendary wolf king Fenrir!

This is a cute story about a wolf who wants to be a pampered house pet… that was once a human man. It sounds crazy, and weird, but it is really fun, full of adventure and mystery, and you are wondering what could possibly happen next. He thinks he is a puppy reborn, but soon finds out he is a scary wolf.

But let’s be honest here, who doesn’t want a pet wolf?

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All in all, this story is really fascinating, the world is well built, and the characters all make sense. It is only 170 pages long, so it is a nice short read, perfect for busy lives.

~Dani

Book Review of The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life by Usata Nonohara

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Title: The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life

Author: Usata Nonohara

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

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Back cover:

A girl out of time, a fish out of water
Alchemists used to be a dime a dozen in the Kingdom of Endalsia, so Mariela was never particularly special. But her skills were put to the test one fateful day when a horde of monsters came stampeding from the nearby forest. In a desperate attempt to escape the horror, the young alchemist put herself in a state of suspended animation that lasted just a little longer than she’d planned-an entire two hundred years! Needless to say, there have been some big changes, and biggest of all: Mariela is now the sole alchemist in the entire kingdom. Her one wish in this strange new environment is to get back her quiet, leisurely, low-key lifestyle!

This is a great story about an alchemist who wakes up from a spell and 200 years have gone by. She is trying to figure out how the world works and not let anything know what happened to her. This story does a great job in showing how the spell affected her, and the reasons she is trying to have a calm life.

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The world building and magic in this series is quite interesting and I think the author did a great job in weaving it together, and it all made sense. The second book is already out and I am excited to read it!

Definitely check it out if you like Japanese-style fantasy! Or fantasy in general!

~Dani

Book Review of Birth of the Bacchae by Stephanie Mirro

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Title: Birth of the Bacchae

Author: Stephanie Mirro

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 4/5

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Back cover:

When the Roman god of wine and frenzies claims you as his own, things get chaotic. Fast.

Ever since archaeology student Serafina Finch found an ancient Roman amulet on a dig in Italy, she’s been having dreams. Strange dreams that leave her with an eerie sense of foreboding. But between a busy college schedule and a boyfriend she’s hoping to marry, she doesn’t have time for strange.

When a mysterious cult takes an obsessive interest in the artifact, Serafina finds her life in chaos. She’s thrown into a supernatural world, where Immortals and witches alike claim ownership of the amulet. Her amulet.

As her connection to the amulet grows, she discovers a dark secret about her past. Serafina realizes she must protect the powerful relic at all costs–even if it means losing one of the people she loves most.

If you didn’t know, I am trash for a good vampire story. I read the description of this story and found the idea of vampires being connected to the god Bacchus to be a cool take on it. I dowloaded the book and was not disappointed.

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I liked the connection of the vampire element with different mythologies. In this story, it was mainly based on the Roman mythology, with Bacchus being the main focus. Our main character, Sera, his an anthropologist, which I loved since I have a degree in anthropology. Man, I would have loved stumbling on some cool vampire artifact, but I digress. Her and her friend are pretty badass, but I didn’t like how much was kept from the main character. A lot could have been avoided if people just told her the truth.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and am in the middle of the second. I will be sure to review the second book as well.

~Dani

Book Review of Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

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Title: Echo North

Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

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Back cover:

he dreamed of the wood and the wolf who was trapped there…

Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: if she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.

In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books- turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up—otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.

This is probably one of my favorite YA fantasy books I have come across. It is well thought out, full of adventure and romance, and weaves in different folklore that I love. I love the idea of the beast being a wolf as in many cultures, wolves are seen as monstrous beings when really they are a beautiful creature that is often misunderstood. There were also elements of the Tam Lin story, which is also one of my favorites because of SJ Tucker’s song about him (listen to it here).

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Much of the story mirrors Beauty and the Beast, which was my favorite Disney story growing up. I probably have seen it a hundred times, of which my mother was glad it was a movie she liked. I loved how the house of the Wolf was mystical in its own way and was every changing and need to be weaved together. It is hard to explain without reading the book, but I found it a great spin. I also LOVED the idea of the book mirrors where you could travel into the stories and interact with them. I NEED THIS! VR is getting close, as some Japanese anime have made episodes where you can watch and move around in the scene, but it isn’t quite as interactive. Soon!

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All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who likes tales inspired by folklore, Beauty and the Beast, wolves, or all of the above!

~Dani

Book Review of Heartless by Tom Leveen

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Title: Heartless

Author: Tom Leveen

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

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Back cover:

Bram Stoker Award nominee Tom Leveen (Sick; Shackled) asks: What price will you pay for immortality?

Urban legends of a murderous figure called Springheel Jack date back to the 19th century. What Baylee is about to learn is that “he” is most certainly for real…and not alone. When her only living relative—her older brother—becomes one of the bloodthirsty creatures, Baylee’s sole chance to turn him back rests with the only people inclined to believe her story: her brother’s nerdy RPG gamer friends.

This story had me hooked! I read it all in one sitting while I was getting over a cold, and just couldn’t put it down! I love myth and legend horror (especially vampire and the *occasional* werewolf) and have found Springheel Jack stories to be quite interesting (such as Stephen King’s short story). This story was suspenseful, entertaining, and scary just like any horror story should be.

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All the characters were unique and interesting. My favorite was Timothy. I wanted to know more about him. Some of the story was left open in case there is a sequel, which I hope there is (won’t explain because of spoilers) but it came to a good close as well.

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All in all, I highly recommend for anyone who likes horror and wants to be scared, especially if they live in the desert (damn it, Tom Leveen!).

~Dani

Anime Review of Kamisama Kiss

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Series: Kamisama Kiss

English Producing Company: Funimation

Stream on: Funimation/Hulu

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Fantasy

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

Description:

Nanami is a poor homeless high school girl until she accepts an offer to live at an old shrine – making her the new local god! After an awkward introduction, the handsome and hard-shelled fox spirit Tomoe reluctantly vows to protect her as her familiar. As Nanami learns the ins and outs of godhood, she meets more spirits along the way—including a cute snake god and a sexy crow demon!

This is one of my favorite anime and manga series. Although I love the manga series a lot more, as it goes in much more detail and actually comes to an end, I do love them both. The love story behind it is very well plotted out and intertwined. Nanami falls in love with her familiar, but her love is not returned. She is fine with this, and the two of them bicker a lot (like most animes) but the development of Tomoe and why he doesn’t like humans and why he can’t remember is really good. It is both warming and heart-breakening. A lot of stories I think make either one or the other, but this one does a good job spinning both of the feelings together.

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My favorite character is Tomoe, as he is one of my top five husbandos. His backstory and past are very interesting, even though I don’t think he really changed like some say he did. I like most kitsune though, and vampires. My friends say I have a type and I don’t know why they say that…

Anyway… I really hate Mizuki. He has a good story and reasoning for the way he is, but I really really dislike him. I’m with Tomoe on my feelings for him.

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All in all, I hope you check it out. Also, there were OTP episodes that I cannot find in the US so if you have a source for those (legally) please let me know. I need more…

~Dani

Anime Review of Maid Sama

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Series: Maid Sama

English Producing Company: Sentai

Stream on: Hulu/Netflix

Genre: Comedy/Romance

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

Description:

Misaki Ayuzawa is the first female student council president at a once all-boys school turned co-ed. She rules the school with strict discipline demeanor. But she has a secret—she works at a maid cafe due to her families circumstances. One day the popular A-student and notorious heart breaker Takumi Usui finds out her secret and makes a deal with her to keep it hush from the school in exchange for spending some time with him.

This is one of my favorites that I like to have playing in the background while I am studying. It is cute, fun, and everyone loves a good tsundere love story. Misaki is a complete tsundere as she had a hard childhood with her father leaving her and her mother and sister to pick up his debt. She had had to help provide while going to school and becoming the school’s president. She is strong, awesome, but doesn’t want to fall in love. That is, until Usui finds out she works as a maid at a cosplay cafe and is intrigued by her personality and life. They grow closer, which Misaki isn’t very fond of. He causes a lot of trouble for her, which is fun to watch.

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There is a lot of comedy with this series, and it is light-hearted and adorable. It is based on a manga and only got one season, but it is worth a watch even if you have read the manga. There are some parts of the plot that are out of order, which just made it come to a close a little for the season which I enjoyed. There isn’t a mandatory Alice in Wonderland episode, but there is an episode based on the Peach Boy which I enjoy every time I watch it. The ending to that episode is so funny!

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All in all, if you want something cute and funny, this series is definitely for you! Let me know what you think of it in the comments!

~Dani

Manga Review of Cells at Work!

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Series: Cells at Work

US Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Mangaka: Akane Shimizu

Genre: Comedy/Science/Slice of Life/Action

Rating: 5/5

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Description:

Strep throat! Hay fever! Influenza! The world is a dangerous place for a red blood cell just trying to get her deliveries finished. Fortunately, she’s not alone … She’s got a whole human body’s worth of cells ready to help out! The mysterious white blood cell, the buff and brash killer T cell, the nerdy neuron, even the cute little platelets—everyone’s got to come together if they want to keep you healthy!

To be honest, this manga saved me in Disease Processes class last year. Each week I would look up the sections we were supposed to read of the textbook, then read the manga chapter that related, and it all made so much more sense. From what I know, a lot of biology and anatomy professors are loving this series as it is another way students can learn about the body. I told my anatomy professor about this series, although I’m not sure if she ever watched it. She was interested though and from the couple of minutes I sent her, she said it was pretty accurate.

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In looking at just the manga and not the anime, which follows pretty closely, the characters are funny, adorable, and they really explain how cells grow up in your body and what jobs they each have. I really like white blood cell as he is trying to learn more about the body, although it isn’t his job.

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I am pretty excited about the spin offs that they have. I didn’t realize they had been translated and are available as e-books. I definitely will be downloading them and helping support the medical knowledge I gained in the past couple of years.

To conclude, if you want a cute series that will definitely help you in anatomy, disease processes, or just want to learn more about how your body works, I recommend this. Even if you don’t care for science, it is a great series. Check it out and let me know what you think!

~Dani