I finished this book the same day that I bought it. It’s short, but well written, and it’s creepy with psychological terror. I also found myself staring at the cover art even though it is frightening to look at because its depiction of both the title and the monster described within its pages is a perfect fit. I had to tell myself to stop looking at it for too long because it felt as if I kept staring that it would come to life before me. I didn’t expect the story to take place in Japan or for there to be so many Japanese mythical creatures mentioned, but it was a welcome surprise. This book was not what I expected, but I liked it. I am interested in seeing what else this author has to offer.
Category: Fiction
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
The next three fiction books I read are probably going to be the last three books in the Throne of Glass series, because I am incredibly excited and impatient to see how the rest of this story goes. The book was well named, as the majority of the story follows Aelin working towards her goals through missions and business transactions in the grimy underground and alleyways of Rifthold both on her own and with the rebels.
I finally became slightly interested in the Thirteen of the Blackbeak clan after a few moments between Manon and her second, Asterin. I usually grudgingly read through all the chapters in her perspective because I found their emotions, those usually being limited to anger and violence, to be so boring. They start to show some individuality finally as they question authority. I am kind of interested to see what path their story takes.
There are a lot of huge story changing events that occur in this book, one being that a major character dies. I certainly did not expect this individual to die until the final book, which leaves me to wonder what kinds of challenges the protagonists are going to have to face in order to destroy the true face behind the evil. It seems like a lot of them have already been through almost too much, it makes you wonder how much more of a beating in both the physical and emotional sense can some of them take. It’s going to be hard to keep up my practice of trying to alternate nonfiction reads with fiction ones if the next book, Empire of Storms, is as thrilling as this book was.
The Betrayal Knows My Name, Volume 8 by Hotaru Odagiri
I knew it! The series ends, but it feels unfinished. The author states in the final volume that she didn’t want to end it, and that maybe she will be able to bring back these characters in the future, but that she ended it when she had to in what she thought was the best way to do so. I feel bad that the author felt pressured to illustrate and write the story in order to try to get it out in a decent amount of time while struggling with health issues. But, I am disappointed that we are left with so many unanswered questions while only being given a small glimmer of hope that they might be answered one day. And I do feel like the ending was a little bit rushed, she seemed to try to fit as much as she could into the final pages in order to try to give the readers a small portion of what they might have been hoping for.
Even though I know how the series ends, I am going to watch the animated series to see how it compares to the books. Maybe the story goes further in the show than the author was able to go with her illustrations, that would be a really pleasant bonus.
For anyone who hasn’t been enjoying my passage into manga, I have finally been feeling well enough to have the mental focus to read books that don’t have pictures. So next week will be back to the regular program, with an autobiographical account of someone who worked for the man that once owned a well known New Jersey attraction.
The Betrayal Knows My Name, Volume 7 by Hotaru Odagiri
I’m starting to think that volume eight is not the last volume of The Betrayal Knows My Name, just the last volume translated into English. If this is the case, I will be disappointed, but I have the anime to look forward to. So, if I am left hanging I can at least see the resolution in live action rather than in 2D.
The events of volume seven just make me feel as though there aren’t enough pages in volume eight for everything to be resolved. I might be wrong but I don’t think we have even seen Reiga since volume four, and if we have it is just a brief depiction of him talking to one of his associates. The zweilt are still searching for the kid with the grimoire. I still don’t know what went on in the past to cause such tension between Sairi and Luka, but I bet it’s really intense. Takashiro is still locked in a room with only two people knowing exactly where he is and why. The last volume is only slightly thicker and all of this is going to get answered? I’m not convinced, and I’m slightly skeptical about my curiosity being satisfied. I hope I am not left disappointed, as the series has been really good! I’ll have my final thoughts for you on Friday.
The Betrayal Knows My Name, Volume 6 by Hotaru Odagiri
My favorite pair is still alive! Everyone is still alive actually. I do have a feeling that at least one of the main characters is going to die because of something that was mentioned in the previous volume. I don’t think this series will have a completely happy ending. I’m going to go ahead and predict that Luka will die, either by his own hand or someone else’s, Takashiro might die either from his demon or he might kill himself to end his suffering, or maybe Sairi, I just get a kind of suspicious feeling about him.
I’m starting to feel really bad for Yuki. We’ve known from the beginning that he has been an orphan since he was a newborn, and we thought we knew the circumstances, but it turns out that he has been lied to. It seems like he will learn the real truth in the next volume considering a few members of the zweilt told him a little bit of the real story. There are only two very thin volumes left and I am wondering how they are going to wrap everything up, it seems like there aren’t enough pages left to complete the story. I hope it isn’t rushed, I really dislike it when a great story gets pushed along too quickly.
Nonfiction and Nonsense 