2018 Reviews Week 8

2018 Reviews Week 8

February 19th- 25th, 2018

Book 24: Runebinder (The Runebinder Chronicles # 1)  
by Alex R. Kahler
Read by Zach Villa

Listened to February 18th- 19th, 2018
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Part Avatar: the Last Airbender; Part fantasy world with mages, witches, wizards, and demons; and Part dystopian, apocalyptic world 

Elemental magic is used in a world that is now falling because of a greed for power. Once- human monsters called Howls are prowling the streets, hungry and guided by the necromancers and the all-powerful Kin. Hunters try to fight back and save the world using the magic that started the fight. But they are losing.

We follow the story of Tenn, one of the hunters who is trying to fight for the ones he loves and cares about. Memories of Tenn's past and many others, flood the narration as Tenn finds out he is being singled out. He is becoming a pawn in a bigger game than he ever realized. His magic is also becoming hazardous to himself and the ones he loves as he begins to not be able to control it.

This world that Alex has created in this story was intriguing and entertaining to listen to with this audiobook. I could not get enough of the magic especially the elemental aspects of it. I really enjoyed learning how the element that each person was inclined to went along with their temperament and way of thinking. I loved the control that they had over their magic but also seeing how it could take over them. Especially with Tenn.

Tenn, who is more inclined to the element of water, is much more emotional and affected by his past then others around him seem to be. He also is able to see what has happened to others around him after they die. His romance was also one of my favorite aspects of this story. I am glad that it is not the only thing that drives him on though. There was a great mixture of both.

Alex has created a voice for each character, specifically, the main character that will build this part dystopian, part fantasy world into a tale unlike any other. I am going to say right now, that this is probably my favorite dystopian world that I have ever read about. The mixture between the dystopian aspects of our world mixed with magic was one of the best parts. The magic comes alive in this masterful performance and tale. I cannot recommend it enough.

*I was given a copy of this audiobook for free for an honest review* 

Book 25: Once Upon a Time Machine #1 

Edited by Andrew Carl

Read February 20th, 2018

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After reading Once Upon a Time Machine #2, I was really looking forward to going back and reading the first volume of these reimagined stories. I will say that I enjoyed some of these fairy tale twists but most of them were not as good as the ones in the second volume. There were twenty-five retold tales in this volume. Out of those, I would say that I enjoyed five. The rest were okay but not as good as I was hoping. I would pick this up if you are interested but you should really pick up the second volume when that comes out. It's so much better. 

Book 26: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Read February 22nd -23rd, 2018

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“The three rules of the Librarians of Time and Space are: 1) Silence; 2) Books must be returned no later than the last date shown; and 3) Do not interfere with the nature of causality.”
― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Synopsis 
This is the eighth novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and the first book in the City Watch subseries. 

Carrot has been raised by the dwarfs since he was a baby. His father, the king of the dwarfs decides to finally tell him that he was not actually a dwarf but a human that they had found. He sends Carrot to the city of Ankh-Morprk, to be part of the City Watch. Hilarity ensues. 

The City Watch is run by Captain Sam Vimes, a drunkard man who does not seem to want his job too much. Carrot starts to cause problems when he begins to arrest people around Ankh-Morprk who are committing crimes. Captain Vimes is informed that one of his workers has arrested the head of the Thieves Guild for stealing stuff. Carrot does not realize how things work in Ankh- Morpk. You can't go arresting people for committing crimes. 

When wizards summon a dragon into existence, it is made the first king of Ankh- Morpk in a long time. He is a noble dragon. Also, he has a nasty habit of burning everything around him when he gets angry. The City Watch and many brave citizens risk everything to try and dethrone the beast. 

“A book has been taken. A book has been taken? You summoned the Watch," Carrot drew himself up proudly, "because someone's taken a book? You think that's worse than murder?"
The Librarian gave him the kind of look other people would reserve for people who said things like "What's so bad about genocide?”
― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Overall Thoughts
This series just keeps getting better and better as it goes on. Terry Pratchett wrote some of the best characters and scenes in literature, let alone fantasy. The citizens of Ankh-Morpk are insane in the best way possible. This book really has a lot of the humor of the series come out through the interactions of the characters. I loved the new characters in this book, especially the City Watch and also the return of old favorites such as Death and the Librarian. 

In blue, I have put some of my favorite quotes from the book. There are too many to put into this post but these are some of the best. Below, I have the dedication from the beginning of the book. 

As a fan of the series, I just keep getting more impressed by everything in this series. If you would like to see my other reviews click on Terry Pratchett's Discworld link above or here. 

I recommend this series to everyone. It's one of a kind and is becoming my favorite series of all time. 

“They may be called the Palace Guard, the City Guard, or the Patrol. Whatever the name, their purpose in any work of heroic fantasy is identical: it is, round about Chapter Three (or ten minutes into the film) to rush into the room, attack the hero one at a time, and be slaughtered. No one ever asks them if they want to.

This book is dedicated to those fine men.”

― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Book 27: Don't Look At Me 
by J. P. Grider

Read February 24th, 2018
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This is one of the best contemporary retellings of a fairy tale that I have read, ever. It is a modern-day Beauty and the Beast tale that is twisted and reversed. The story follows our two protagonists. The first being Haven, a young woman who is working as a broadcast journalist until she is attacked one night. The man that attacks her cuts up her face, leaving it heavily scared with gashes and a large hole. Her confidence is destroyed that night and she believes that her life will never go back to normal. Fearing that the world outside will judge her for being "ugly", she hides away in her house.

The second being Quest, a young man who was discharged from the army for trying to fix a wrong. He is now plagued by nightmares of what he has done. His whole perspective of himself has been warped and he feels that he is no longer good enough. Both Haven and Quest meet under circumstances that neither expect and grow a friendship with each other.

I loved the time that was spent building Quest and Haven's relationship. Each perspective felt distinct and each of their voices was genuine. This story had me feeling for both of the characters and each had my heart the entire time. I'm glad that this was as great as I thought that it sounded. Also, it takes place in a bookstore for a good portion, which is almost always a plus. 

This was a great example of a story taking elements from a fairy tale but using them in the best ways. 
I cannot recommend this enough. 

*I was given a copy of this book for free from the author, for an honest review* 

Book 28: Taxes and Tardis by N. R. Walker
Read February 25th, 2018
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A cute love story that I have come to expect from N. R. Walker. I loved the story as a whole especially the whole "geek" loving the athletic man. Not a perfect story but it sure made me smile a lot. 

The ending was perfection.

Rapid fire Book Tag

📚 Rapid Fire Book Tag 📚

Tag Tuesday- February 13th, 2018

This tag was created by GirlReading on Booktube. Here is a link to her video if you would like to watch it- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-46EzDWdSY&feature=youtu.be

~ E-Book or Physical Book?
    - Physical

~ Paperback or Hardback?
   - Hardback

~ Online or In-Store Book Shopping?
   - In-store, though I buy a good amount online.

~ Trilogies or Series?
   - Series

~ Heroes or Villains?
   - Depends, if the character is developed I would like either.

~ A book you want everyone to read?
   - Here are a few: the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett (because it is one of the best fantasy series ever), the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (also, I'm going to assume any Rick Riordan book but I haven't read any more yet.), The Odyssey by Homer (because I feel that it is the best classic ever, but that is just my opinion.), and basically any other book that I have ever recommended on here before.

        

~ Recommend an underrated book?
   - Insanity by Cameron Jace- This and its series were self-published and I just wish that more people knew about it.

~ The last book you finished?
    -Runebinder by Alex R. Kahler- It was really great and I will be doing a review of it at the end of the week.

~ The Last Book You Bought?
    - I just bought a bunch of books at a book sale. I'll just name the one I'm most excited about, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson. It's the first of a four book series. It looks great.

~ Weirdest Thing You've Used as a Bookmark?
    - A pencil, I really don't use weird things for bookmarks. I always make sure I have one with me.

~ Used Books: Yes or No?
   - Yes, I get a lot of books at book sales that actually look brand new.

~ Top Three Favourite Genres?
    - Retellings, Fantasy, Mystery/Adventure stories

~ Borrow or Buy?
   - Buy

~ Characters or Plot?
    - Depends on the book.

~ Long or Short Books?
   - Long

~ Long or Short Chapters?
   - Depends on the book, I really have like both.

~ Name The First Three Books You Think Of...
   - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

   - The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien- I really need to read these soon.

I love this cover!

   - The Odyssey by Homer

~ Books That Makes You Laugh or Cry?
   - Both, probably the books that make me laugh. I do really love a tear-jerker.

~ Our World or Fictional Worlds?
   - Fictional

~ Audiobooks: Yes or No?
   - Yes

~ Do You Ever Judge a Book by its Cover?
   - Yes, sometimes. I will not buy a book just on its cover though. If it doesn't sound interesting I'm not going to pick it up. Also, if a book doesn't have a nice cover that does not mean I'm not going to pick it up. Some of my favorites have not always had beautiful covers.

~ Book to Movie or Book to TV Adaptations?
   - Book to Movie

~ A Movie or TV-Show You Preferred to its Book?
   - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky, I adore this book but I felt like the movie was just better.

~ Series or Standalones?
   - Series

2018 Reviews Week 7

💖 2018 Reviews Week 7 💖

February 12th- 18th

Book 21: Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by 

Becky Albertalli 
Read February 13th
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This is the third time that I have read this novel and I cannot get enough of it. Becky does an amazing job creating an authentic voice and character for Simon. Simon is funny, sweet, and loveable. It's a joy getting to experience his story and getting to experience his love story with Blue. I really love how the narrative goes back and forth between the emails between Simon and Blue and then to the prose. This was a great way to enjoy the story. It's a sweet one that everyone should read. I can't wait for the movie.

This is one of my all-time favorites and also my favorite young-adult contemporary.

Book 22: Once upon a Time Machine

Edited by Andrew Carl and Chris Stevens
Read February 15th
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New retellings and twistings of the classic Greek myths such as the twelve trials of Hercules, the kidnapping of Persephone, the Minotaur, and so many more. Each is set in the future, some the distant future and some more contemporary.

This was everything for my Greek Mythology loving heart. I loved how much these short comics felt like the original myths but also the changes to them. This was a great fresh take on each of the tales used and is one of a kind. Also, the different styles made each tale stand out on their own. I recommend this to anyone who loves great comics and/or Greek Mythology.

My favorites were "Icarus", "Away Mission (Actaeon)", "Pygmalion", and "Zeus at Large"

This will be released in April.

*I received this graphic novel for free for an honest review*

Book 23: Glass Town by Steven Savile 
Read by Steve West
Listened to February 15th-17th
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~ Introduction ~
I don't really ever read thrillers because they are not my thing. I do like mysteries but there's just something I really can't get into with thrillers. This book is classified as a thriller. The synopsis of this book was what interested me in it, to begin with. I wanted to know what was going to happen. I thought that the magic system would be interesting. Sadly, once I got into this book I realized that it was not what I wanted.

I will say that the beginning was interesting. The letter from Josh's great-grandfather to his grandfather was a really great way to start. I wanted to know more about his "love" for Eleanor. As the novel went on we never got any more of his perspective. It would have been great to get more of it. This book has a great idea behind it. I just do not believe that it was executed in a good way at all. I'll discuss those reasons below.

~ Pacing ~

This is meant to be a thriller but was slow in the scenes that should have been thrilling. There are only a couple of scenes that even felt "thrilling." The actions scenes needed to be quickened a bit.

~ Characters ~
Most of the characters were two dimensional and were not that interesting. The only character that was developed was Josh, but he even wasn't developed enough. He was just as bland a character as all of the others. His motivations are unclear and quite frankly didn't seem real. It only seemed like he was even trying to figure out the mystery because of the plot. He was even asked by multiple characters about why he was even doing everything and he never really had an answer.

The villain in this story was evil just to be evil. We never got any of his motivations to act in the way he did. For instance, why is he obsessed with Eleanor? I don't know probably because she's pretty. Not that he even says it himself.

Don't even get me started on Eleanor. She's basically an object for the men of the Lockwood family to obsess about like a brand new shiny toy.

~ Scenes ~

There are some pretty messed up scenes in this book that make it a very adult read. Two of them are sexual scenes that are gory and quite horrifying to listen to. This is one of the only ways horror is actually brought into the novel and it's pretty awful to listen to. I was not expecting for these graphic scenes when I went into this book and it was not a style that I enjoyed in the slightest. I know I would have never listened to this book if I went in knowing about these scenes. They were just disgusting. Also, the language is vulgar. This is definitely not for children.

~ Magic System ~

This was one of the aspects of the book that I had been looking forward to. I really wanted to know what was going on with the Glass Town. The idea of having it work with the old silent movies was a fantastic idea but it was not really explained too well. Also, the use of the missing Alfred Hitchcock movie Thirteen was really cool. We just ever got enough of it at all.

It really is interesting to set part of the novel in 1920s England and the others in 1990s. I wanted to see more of the 1920s because it would have helped flesh out the plot a lot more. This has one of the most interesting premises that I have heard in quite some time for a thriller but it just didn't work.

~ Narration ~

The best part of this audiobook was the narration. Steve West's narration creates a chilling atmosphere that matches the Glass Town and its inhabitants perfectly. He helps create the eerie setting of this novel. I'm glad that I listened to it instead of just reading it because it's the only reason I didn't outright hate it. I'm only giving it two stars because of the narration.

I don't recommend this book.

*I received this book for free for an honest review*

Valentine's Day Book Tag

💕 Valentine's Day Book Tag 💖

Wednesday, February 14th, 2018

I don't know who actually created this tag. I saw it on Bookables Booktube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e4_2Meka5w

1.)  Favorite basic romance plot (tropes, things you like)
      💖 Hate- Love Romances

      💖 Friends- Lovers Romance

2.)  Favorite classic romance
      💕 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 

3.)  Favorite feel-good romance
      💖 Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

      💖 Finders Keepers by N. R. Walker

      💖 Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

      💖Stardust by Neil Gaiman

4.)  Favorite sad romance
      💕 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

      💕 The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

5.)  Favorite genre to add romance to
      💖 Fantasy

6.)  Least favorite romance of all time
      💕 Four and Tris, probably. They are from the Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth. I'm not really a fan of this series.

7.) Favorite literary couple of all time:
     💖 This one is hard for me because I have so many favorites.
            Probably, Cath and Levi because they are just so cute. I also adore Levi. They're from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

8.) If you could have one literary significant other who would it be?
     💕 An older Percy Jackson. He is just so darn funny or maybe Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

9.) Do you have a special someone this Valentine's Day?
     💖 Nope

10.) Favorite Valentine's Day candy
      💕 Reese's

11.) Will you wear red, pink, or white for Valentine's Day?
      💖 I'm wearing pink

12.) Favorite romance movies
      💕 You've Got Mail

      💕 Love, Rosie

      💕 Dirty Dancing

      💕 Ten Things I Hate About You

      💕 Moulin Rouge

13.) Favorite love songs:

Here's ten of mine (the list probably could go on forever):

      💖 "Everlasting Love"- the Carl Carlton, U2, and Michael Ball versions

      💖 "Burning Love" - Elvis Presley- so good

      💖 "Can't Help Falling In Love" - Elvis Presley

      💖 "You're Still The One" - Shania Twain

      💖 "Give Me One Reason" - Tracy Chapman

      💖 "Somebody Loves You"- Betty Who

      💖 "Come What May" - from Moulin Rouge

      💖 "I Try" - Macy Gray

     💖 "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" - Celine Dion

      💖 "Can't Stop Loving You"- Phil Collins

14.) Favorite thing about Valentine's Day
      💕 Watching great movies, eating some great candy, the hearts.

15.) Least favorite thing about Valentine's Day
     💖 The way people always look down on it.

16.) What are you doing this Valentine's Day
     💕Writing and I'm probably going to watch a movie.

A Writer's Life For Me- Writing Tag

A Writer's Life For Me- Writing Tag

Tag Tuesday- February 13th, 2018

Below is a link to the video where I first saw this tag. I don't actually know who created it originally. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMk1x2z0jOI&t=1s

I have been writing a lot recently and really wanted to do another writing tag. This is a pretty good one. 

1. What kind of writer are you?
     Young adult fantasy
     Young adult and adult contemporary

2. When did you start writing and what made you want to try it?
     Majorly in tenth grade, I have always really loved the idea of creating worlds that people can experience. Worlds that become real to people just as much as our own. It's an incredible feeling.

3. What inspires your stories?
    The books I have read. Classics, retellings, fantasy, humor, romances.
    Also, life in general. Really, anything could be an inspiration to me.

4. What themes do you explore in your writing?
     There are multiple examples of themes throughout the books I'm writing now. There's a bit of ambition, coming of age, courage, deception, discovery, and I could continue on from there.

    For an overall theme, I'd say coming of age. Max and Evianna are both growing up and learning how to live in the world around them.

5. Are you a plotter, pantser, planters?
    Definitely, a plotter. I like having a somewhat clear idea of where I'm going in a story. I like having a full working outline, though it does change as I'm writing.

6. Where are you in your writing journey?
     I have written one novel and have a heck of a lot of ideas.

7. Have you entered any writing contests? Did you win any?
    I entered into a poetry contest five years ago. I didn't win but I was published in an anthology. That was an incredible achievement.

8. Who are your writing heroes?
     Terry Pratchett, J. K. Rowling, Chris Colfer, Neil Gaiman, Leigh Bardugo, Laini Taylor, and I could go on and on.

9. Have you been to a writing conference?
     Yes, I went the Virginia Woolf Conference a couple of years ago for a paper that I wrote on Mina Loy.  It was a great experience.

10. What are your top 3 writing tips?
      1. Don't be afraid of writing something you weren't planning to originally into a story. You never know where it may go.

      2. Write what you know and what you love.

      3. Believe that you can finish what you are working on. Don't doubt yourself.

2018 Reviews Week 6

💖 2018 Reviews Week 6 💖

February 5th- 11th

Book 19: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

Read February 9th

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I have been wanting to read a Jane Austen book for years but never have picked one up. The book that I figured would be the perfect one to start with was this one because of its reputation. I am very happy to say that this not only held up to what I figured but was so much better. This is one of my favorite romances ever. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth feel so right together and the build-up to their relationship was perfect. I loved watching them fall in love and knowing it far before, at least she ever does. I believe Mr. Darcy knew for a good portion of the book. Their hate-love relationship is one of the best that I have ever read and I'm glad I can finally say that I did. 

Also, I really loved Elizabeth's father, Mr. Bennet. I really enjoyed his scenes especially when he is messing with his wife. He is a loving father that cares for each of his daughters, but Elizabeth is obviously his favorite. It's great to see his relationship with the family and just the relationship between each of the family members.

This is a novel that I believe fully deserves the amount of praise that it has always received. It's now over two hundred years old and still is considered one of the best classics. It's obvious why and it has become one of my absolute favorites. 

Book 20: The Beauty and the Beast 

by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

Read February 10th

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There will be spoilers in this review. If you have not read or watched any form of Beauty and the Beast and are interested in doing so don't read this review before you do. 

This book was not what I expected. I have known and loved the story of Beauty and the Beast since I was very young. Not only the Disney version but also the original. Well, at least what I believed was the original. This is actually the original novel of the fairy tale. What I have read before was actually the abridged version by  Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. I can see why it was shortened. 

One of the aspects that really sticks out in this is the actual overarching story. Most know the story, Beauty takes her father's place in the Beast's castle. They spend time together and eventually they learn that appearances are not important. It is what is inside that counts. Beauty and the Beast (who is really a prince) fall in love and she breaks the curse set upon him. That story is here but there's much more too. 

This book stretches the story out more than it really needs to be. It could have worked if the characters were not bland and were actually interesting. They really aren't though so it doesn't.

The major part of this story that I have come to know is the Beast's arc. In the novel that arc doesn't exist. The Beast/ Prince doesn't change in this story and he never really has to. He was not even an arrogant person or anything before his transformation.

This is a big spoiler for this book so if you don't want to know don't read the red text.

A fairy basically has raised the Prince for his mother because she has been fighting in battles. Eventually, the fairy wants to get married to the Prince. He does not want to marry her because she has basically raised him and is like a mother to him. Also, she is quite old. She takes this as the fact that he thinks she is ugly so she curses him. I am glad that this has been changed in later adaptations of this story because it really makes this story better. Without his arc, this story just becomes a very unbelievable love story that I just could not get into. 

I am going to be doing a Perspective book to movie adaptation review on this and the Disney version (probably both of the movies together). I will be going into much more details there about the actual plot.

For a book that I have been excited to read for a long time, this really disappointed me. I love the story of Beauty and the Beast but not this version. I think that the changes that were made afterward make it so much more compelling of a story. 

InLoveAThon TBR

💖 My InLoveAThon TBR 💖

The InLoveAThon is a Valentine's Day themed read-a-thon that was created by 

Cristina from Cristina's Journey on Booktube. There are ten challenges to choose from, though you only have to do 7 of them. Below you will see the challenges and the books that I plan to read for each of them. I am doing all of them but the first. 

It goes from February 9th at 12 am to February 15th at 11:59 p.m your time.

Challenges

▸ Read a book from your favorite romance author.

     💝 I'm not doing this one

▸ Read a book that has your favorite romantic trope.  

     💝 Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - friend to lover

▸ Read a book with a prince/princess.

     💝 Beauty and the Beast, while Beauty is not technically a princess at the beginning, she is one by the end. So I am going to count it.

▸ Read an original fairytale and watch the Disney movie or a film adaptation.

    💝 Beauty and the Beast- this will also be my Perspective adaptation for the month. 

▸ Read a book while eating some Valentine treats. 

    💝 I'll be eating some Dove chocolates while reading one of these gems. 

▸ Read a book that takes place in a location where you would love to spend Valentine’s Day.

    💝 Beauty and the Beast- It takes place in castle which would be really cool. 

▸ Read a book with pink or red on the cover.

     💝 Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 

▸ Read an LGBTQ+ love story.

     💝 Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 

▸ Read a classic love story.

     💝 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin is a classic love story so that fits perfectly

▸ Read one of the hosts favorite Contemporary/Historical Romance books. 

    💝 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin- this was picked by Paper Faerie
      I have been wanting to read this for quite sometime so I guess it's finally time. 

InLoveAThon's Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/inloveathon
Cohosts and the books they chose for the final challenge:  
Cristina's Journey // Losing It

The Bookish Babbler // Song of Achilles

Paper Faerie // Pride and Prejudice

Tiny Book Dragon // Fill in Boyfriend

jordyn, discombobulated // Hunted

HardbackHoarder // To All the Boys I've Loved Before or The Hating Game

2018 Reviews Week 5

2018 Reviews Week 5

January 29nd- February 4th, 2018

Book 15: Alice's Adventures Under Ground
by Lewis Carroll
Read January 31st, 2018
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of my favorite books of all time. This is a reproduction of the original manuscript that Lewis Carroll first wrote, in his own handwriting and with his own illustrations. It is an early form of the story that does not yet have some of the most popular scenes such as the Mad Hatter's tea party and the Chesire Cat scene. I really enjoyed reading this early edition and getting to see how the story has changed over time. It's a great addition to anyone's Alice in Wonderland collection. I completely recommend reading it.

Book 16: Kill the Minotaur
story by Chris Pasetto, Christian Cantamessa, 
art by Lukas Ketner, and Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Read February 2nd, 2018
Will be published February 6th, 2018
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I have been a big fan of Greek Mythology since I was a kid. One of my favorites of the myths is the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and I have read countless takes on it. I was very excited going into this graphic novel. This take on the myth is different but was an interesting way of twisting it. Athens lost a long war against Crete and now are forced to a pay a large tribute to King Minos. Every year, King Minos has the Athenians choose their best citizens to sacrifice to the labyrinth. It is rumored that the labyrinth holds a beast that the gods have sent to earth, the minotaur. The young prince of Athens, Theseus is thought to be the only person who can save Athens from these sacrifices.

The overall story was definitely different than I was expecting. I was originally figuring on this being a close retelling of the original myth but was surprised to see that a lot of it was different. For instance, Minos worships the Minotaur in this instead of thinking of him as an abomination. This is just one of the many changes to the plot. Some were quite interesting to see and made it a different read but then there were others that just didn't make sense to the story. The major focus of this is on Theseus who desperately wants to be considered a hero. Even if people die for him to get this fame. This plot point becomes heavy-handed throughout because it keeps getting repeated over and over. There was also somewhat a science-fiction vibe to this that stood out.

The illustrations and coloring in this were the best part. It was at times stunning to look at and other times gruesome and gory. My favorites were of the labyrinth at the beginning and throughout the entire volume. It really did a great job of showing the scale of it and was beautiful. I felt that the illustrations fit perfectly with this story and were great to look at the entire time. There were some that I did not fully enjoy but that was sort of the point.

Overall, this was a volume that I did enjoy reading to see what would happen next. I was not a fan of Theseus's attitude towards the want of fame. That is probably because of the repetition of it throughout the volume. I loved the illustrations and felt that they were the best part of the entire story. The changes were interesting to experience and did keep me intrigued by the story. 

* I received this for free for an honest review *

Book 17: Finders Keepers by N. R. Walker
Read February 2nd, 2018 
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This cover is everything. :)

"But then Jimmy Neutron turned up and licked my face." Finders Keepers by N. R. Walker- This quote is so funny in context and out of context. It's just one example of the gems in this book.
This is the first book in quite some time that I read late into the night. Griffin and Dane's love story was perfect for what I was looking for. N. R. Walker always does a great job writing a feel-good romance that just makes you happy and this is no exception. There was spot on humor (I laughed out loud quite a bit), wonderful characters, and also a great writing style. It was great being able to read the story from both Griffin and Dane's perspectives as they fell in love throughout the book. They were very cute. Speaking of cute, Wicket the dog is so adorable and I wanted him myself the entire time. Also, Bernice, Griffin's landlady was a riot and one of the best parts of this book. She is one cool older woman. Overall, this is the perfect book if you want a mature feel-good romance with standout characters. There was not one character that I didn't love. This story is just so heartwarming. Can't wait to read it again. 

Book 18: I Hate Fairyland #15 
by Skottie Young
Read February 4th, 2018
Will be published Feb. 7th
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Spoilers, if you have not read the first three volumes. Don't read this if you are interested in reading them and have not yet. 


Gert has had a lot of challenges in Fairyland but nothing comes close to what she will experience when she is in Hell. At the end of the last issue, Gert died and ends up with her mortal enemies who she has killed previously. Hilarity ensues when Gert keeps foiling "the devil". 

The real question in this issue is: what is going to happen now with Gert? Is she ever going to get home? I really love how Skottie took it this time around and loved this beginning to arc four. It will be fun to see where it goes from here, especially with that ending. Damn. 

The style of the illustrations and art is perfect like always. The cartoony like feel plays well off of the gore and it adds to the overall humor in this issue. All of the colors pop on the page and stand out. Also, the style of the lettering looks great along with them. 

I really enjoy Skottie Young's style in all of these comics and this one still holds true to that. Gert is a horrible human being but is also so likable. I just adore her and her antics. The reference to Michael Jackson's "Black or White" music video was so funny. This was a great issue and I could not get enough of it. 

* I received this for free for an honest review *