There is Always Hope: 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' Review

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magical Girl Madoka Magica)

Studio: Shaft
Producer: Aniplex, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Movic, Nitroplus,Madoka Partners, Houbunsha
Genre: Drama, Magic, Psychological, Thriller
Episodes: 12
Episode Length: 24 minutes per episode

Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are regular middle school girls with regular lives, but all that changes when they encounter Kyuubey, a cat-like magical familiar, and Homura Akemi, the new transfer student.

Kyuubey offers them a proposition: he will grant one of their wishes and in exchange, they will each become a magical girl, gaining enough power to fulfill their dreams. However Homura, a magical girl herself, urges them not to accept the offer since everything is not what it seems.

A story of hope, despair, and friendship, Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica deals with the difficulties of being a magical girl and the price one has to pay to make a dream come true.

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Magical girls are typically seen as moe characters who flounce around and say things like 'Bippity boppity boo'. 

That's what I expected when I started this anime, but I was completely wrong.

This anime is decidedly dark. There is no hiding it. I was stunned by  how dark it was. From the figures and the hints I had seen, this was a cute show. Here's the truth: it's not. 

Sayaka hates her human body after becoming a magical girl. Mami is lost and alone. Kyoko is greedy. They suffer from pain and loss. When I first saw hints of that darkness, I was shocked. These girls suffer more than most. Additionally, they take on others' suffering. All because they're magical girls.
Despair and hope are common ideas in this anime. Without despair, there is no hope. And vice versa. It's a sad fact of life. When one gains, another loses. It's different to see this played out in an anime. Even more so since this is a 'cute' anime. This yin-yang conflict is played out well, though. You root for their hope and feel defeated when they despair.

Hope and despair clash in the battles against the witches. The barriers the girls and witches fight in are of a completely different art style. 

Think scrapbooking (Cutouts against backgrounds) and you'll be sorta-near what the barriers look like. The witches themselves look garish. They move jerkily. Everything seems so surreal when inside a barrier. It gives you the feeling of wrongness and juxtaposition. It made my skin crawl when we first entered a barrier. I thought we had accidentally entered a person on acid's mind. It's jarring.
But the jarring effect of the barriers works. It shows the magical girls are beacons of hope (And reasonable art designs) in a world of despair (And sketchy-looking characters.) The art style of the barriers conflicts with the conventional idea of 'anime art' and makes for a truly unique experience.

All these girls have hidden depths. They aren't two-dimensional. Madoka even more so. She's one of the most real characters in anime. She didn't immediately say yes to Kyubey. Much like Naho in Orange (Another character I praise for her realism), Madoka is scared. She's downright frightened. And I can't judge her for that. I probably wouldn't say yes. I'd be too scared to lose my life. And that's what makes her and the other magical girls strong. They do risk their lives to protect others. And her decision in the end...it was powerful. She chose to do something that no one else would, that other people might be afraid of. Madoka is strong. Unbelievably so. And I enjoyed watching her actions the entire show. Even if she was a bit weepy.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica surprised me. In every way possible. It's dark but intriguing. The art style is pretty amazing, but it gets better in the barriers. Madoka and Sayaka and Mami and all the girls are real. I'd love to be Madoka's friend.

'Spells and Sorcery' Didn't Cast a Spell on Me

Spells and Sorcery

Author: S Usher Evans

Goodreads / Amazon

You have magic.

One sentence, three words, four syllables. Enough to change my life forever. And I'm not talking about the whole spells and sorcery thing.

Lexie Carrigan thought the weirdest thing about her was she preferred watching documentaries and reading the newspaper to reality TV and Twitter. But on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, her aunt and sisters drop a bomb--she's magical.

Now the girl who never made waves is blowing up her nightstand and trying to keep from wreaking havoc on her school. When a kind stranger shows up with all the answers, Lexie hopes he'll be able to help her control her newfound powers. But Gavon may not be as kind as he seems, and soon Lexie finds out that being magical is the least weird thing about her.

Spells and Sorcery is the first YA fantasy from S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series, the Madion War Trilogy and Empath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I actually haven't read anything by this author before. I had heard a lot about her books, though. So I was excited to read this.

I got this as an eARC from the publisher. 

This was an interesting story. I didn't know a whole lot about the plot at first. And the plot wasn't that interesting, but things DID get very interesting towards the end. 

Likes:

• Typically, you don't get a lot of history on the magic. The only fiction I can think of that has details on magical history is the Harry Potter series. And Harry Potter is the exception to the rule in almost every way. There is a lot of magical history in this book. I really liked it. Books about magic seem to gloss over the origins and history of magic. But these things exist. It's as if you write a dystopian novel with no clue how the dystopia formed. That sort of thing. I'm happy this book does have a magical history. But it's kinda ironic that it came in the form of a book. Book within a book, you know?
• The ending is pretty interesting. We have an interesting clan v clan thing going on. I'm not exactly sure of the details. (I read the ending as I was beginning to doze off...) But I did kinda guess the plot twist. I am interested in seeing what happens next. Will he come for her? Or no? Hm...

Dislikes:

• Lexie made me mad. She was so whiny. I got tired of her fast. She kept pushing Gavon. If I was Gavon, I'd drop it like it's hot. She was such a brat. She kept complaining and forcing people to do things. I have no clue how any of her family put up with her. Plus, she seemed fine at first. What changed?
• The plot wasn't extravagant. That could be on purpose. But with magic books, I expect a lot of pew pew WHOOSH EXPLOSIONS sort of thing. I didn't mind the little sparring, but it didn't feel like enough. I know Harry Potter (Which is also about a person finding out 'yer a wizard) isn't all fight scenes AT FIRST. But the training exercises get boring unless you ramp up the stakes. Which this book didn't have a lot of.

Verdict:

Magical history is a plus, but, otherwise, it's okay

Why 'Magi: Labyrinth of Magic' Works

Magi: Labyrinth of Magic 

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Producer: Aniplex, Dentsu,Shogakukan Productions, Mainichi Broadcasting, Movic
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen
Episodes: 25
Episode Length: 24 minutes per episode

Dispersed around the world, there are several bizarre labyrinths hiding incredible treasures within them. These mysterious places, known as "Dungeons," are said to be the work of Magi, a class of rare magicians, who also help people build their empires by guiding them to a dungeon. Djinns, supernatural beings that rule over the labyrinths, grant successful conquerors access to their immense power and choose them as potential king candidates to rule the world.

Having spent life in isolation, Aladdin, a kind and young magician, is eager to explore the world upon finally leaving his home behind. He begins his journey only accompanied by his mentor Ugo—a djinn that Aladdin can summon with his flute. However, Aladdin soon becomes friends with the courageous Alibaba Saluja after causing the destruction of a local merchant's supply cart. In order to pay for the damages, Alibaba suggests that they attempt to conquer the nearest dungeon, taking the first step in an epic adventure that will decide the fate of the world itself.

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I recently finished the amazing anime that is 'Magi: Labyrinth of Magic'. This anime is really popular. (I mean...there are Aladdin and Alibaba plushies out there!) I've heard about it before (Many times over.) But I never really got into it. (I went through a 'No mainstream ANYTHING' phase. Yeah, that was not fun...)
So, basically, this summer is 'Wren catches up with popular animes'. Derp. ~(._.)~
But, gosh, this is an amazing anime. It's so amazing. I can't stop gushing about it. (Well...I'll stop as soon as I start 'Your Lie in April'. Then ALL my Tweets will be GIFs of me crying. Can't wait for that, am I right?)
Even though I wasn't a huge fan at first. (Truth.)

This anime blew me away. (Which is another way to say 'I LOVE MAGI' subtly. Subtle.) You're probably wondering why. I mean, that's what this review is for! And you're obviously reading this review. Sooo. You know.

1) I actually felt something. 

In my cold, stone heart, I felt something. This anime seems like a lighthearted shounen until it slams you in the gut and screams "NO" really loudly. And flips the table. And steals your drink. (This anime is very cruel at times.)

I had so many feels while watching this. Okay...I'll admit the first half or so with the 'Morgiana and Alibaba and Aladdin are separated. Oh no!' stuff, I got bored. Very so. But I persevered! That's when I hit the jackpot. 

This anime turns into a ball of deadly kill-your-feels scenes with a little dash of tears. Okay...more like a lot of tears. 

(I'm going to direct you to my analysis of episode 17. Ehem. Episode 17 Crying and laughing at the same time is a sign of madness...I meant an amazing anime. Hahahaha...ha.)
My emotions were constantly on a rollercoaster once this anime started to pick up. This really happened with the Balbadd episodes. And, man, was that a good arc... 
But really. The emotions behind Alibaba's decisions and his rough past were really moving. And then the whole light and dark thing in the Zagan/the Organization arc? WOW. That was gorgeous. 

There were also many scenes that made you root for the underdogs. All the fight scenes for example. You cheered for Alibaba and Aladdin and Morgiana. I might have actually shouted loudly...once...or twice...or thrice... Yeah, this anime got me really riled up. (Not to mention all the times I yelled 'Democracy!')

So, yes, this anime will make you cry. And scream. And cheer. But it's great because of it.

2) The power of light is tainted with lies and deceit but ultimately gets through it all.

Yes, this is a typical shounen with the light versus dark theme. But this anime does it better than I've seen before. The rukh symbolizes the light and dark (As does the Sindria arc's growing purple-ish bruise-ish thing.) 

The fight between light and dark is fantastic, and it starts when Judal is introduced really. (Which is really early on.) The Sindria arc focuses more on the dark and light, but the Balbadd arc touches upon it (With Kassim. You can hear my wailing now.)

I want to talk about the Organization instead. I talked about Kassim in my episode analysis. (Another shameless plug.) 
This is a group of bad guys. As typical of a shounen anime. But they infuse themselves with 'depravity'. In case you need to know the definition, I've pasted it below:

"Depravity: noun

moral corruption; wickedness."

Thanks, Google.
This is really interesting. The Organization has good intentions. (They want to avoid something...that seems unavoidable. Yup, no spoilers!) And they just chose the wrong way to do it. Then they try to bring everyone else to the dark side (Which I am a member of. I have fun here. We have cookies. And Darth Vader. And Victor Vale. WOOT WOOT.) 
But while the Organization is very stereotypical, the approach is different. This is focused on depravity and infecting people with darkness. Which is very interesting. Most 'organizations' just want to destroy everything. But this one doesn't. Hm. Interesting, no?

3) Alibaba isn't your stereotypical hero. 

He debates between light and dark. He falters. 
I would say a spoiler here...but I won't. You're welcome. But I'll SHOW a spoiler instead! -evil laughter-

Constantly, he's teased by the dark side. But he has friendship and hope. And this brings out the best in him. He doesn't succumb to darkness (Or depravity as in this anime.) He fights through it. And that's amazing. He's not this insane hero of the light. He's a hero of the gray. 
And that makes him real. Not every real life hero has the most amazing scruples. They might fall. Maybe a little smoke or a little drink. Or, in Alibaba's case, a little DESTRUCTION OF AN ENTIRE KINGDOM. You know, small stuff. But they bounce back. And so did Alibaba. 

I admire him. That's for sure.

4) Aladdin and Alibaba are FRIENDSHIP GOALS.

The two of them are so close. They barely know each other in the beginning, but, by the end, they're best friends forever and ever and ever. They go through so much together. And they grow a connection because of it.

And, the thing is, Aladdin is Alibaba's light. He saves Alibaba many times. Sure, this gets a bit awkward if Aladdin was, say, Alibaba's love interesting, but this anime pulls the friendship card. And this works really well. 
You get invested in their friendship. And you just want them to be together. Forever. 

And last, but not least, the best reason of all.

5) Cute boys.

Yes, this is petty, I know. But still! These boys were very attractive. And that's a nice touch for a viewer. And I will now rate them on their level of attractiveness. The results are surprising.

Numbah One: Ugo

He's blue and cute. And really helpful. The first glimpse of him is deceiving, but his face is extremely attractive.

Numbah Two: Hakuryuu

I mean...brooding, distant prince is attractive. Plus, that scar, though. It reminds me of Zuko from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'.

Numbah Three: Alibaba

Alibaba is awesome. He's cool even without his childish, chubby face. But the face tops things off.

Numbah Four: Sinbad

You're probably wondering why he isn't higher on this list. It's because UGO IS LIFE. Sinbad isn't that bad. He's really ripped, though. But you know...I like Romano and all. So.

So have you seen this anime? What did you think?And how cute is Ugo? SUPER DUPER RIGHT?

Four Reasons Why I Couldn't Get Into 'Fate/Stay Night'

Fate/Stay Night

Studio: Studio Deen
Producer: Geneon Universal Entertainment, Frontier Works, TBS,The Klock Worx, Notes
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Supernatural
Episodes: 24
Episode Length: 24 min per episode

After a mysterious inferno kills his family, Shirou is saved and adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya, who teaches him the ways of magic and justice.

One night, years after Kiritsugu's death, Shirou is cleaning at school, when he finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly encounter between two superhumans known as Servants. During his attempt to escape, the boy is caught by one of the Servants and receives a life-threatening injury. Miraculously, he survives, but the same Servant returns to finish what he started. In desperation, Shirou summons a Servant of his own, a knight named Saber. The two must now participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War, a battle royale of seven Servants and the mages who summoned them, with the grand prize being none other than the omnipotent Holy Grail itself.

Fate/stay night follows Shirou as he struggles to find the fine line between a hero and a killer, his ideals clashing with the harsh reality around him. Will the boy become a hero like his foster father, or die trying?

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Many have hailed 'Fate/zero' as this amazing anime, and Saber one of the most amazing waifus to ever walk this earth. I decided to hop on the bandwagon with this series, and I started my delightful journey with 'Fate/stay night'. 
And, man, do I disagree.

This anime is, simply, mediocre. The art is meh. The characters meh. Nothing really stands out about this show. Yet people seem to like the series (the whole Fate series. Not this show specifically. People actually seem to dislike this one.) 

Normally, mediocre shows have at least one interesting thing. This typically ends up being an interesting premise or some cool action sequence. 
But some things really made me dislike this anime. And I couldn't find any redeeming qualities.

So here are the four main things that I disliked about 'Fate/stay night'.

The Otome Game-esque Animation

I put the animation first on this list because it's one of the main factors that goes into my decision to watch an anime or not. An older style of anime (For example, 'Fate/stay night') is not as appealing to me compared to a new, brightly colored style of anime (For example, 'Hyouka'.) I thought that the characters looked like they jumped out of an otome game. (And as you know, or may not know, I kinda hate otome turned anime adaptations. They just don't sit well in my stomach.) 
Seriously, they strike poses that mimic otome character poses, and it really made me want to cry.
This funny (NOT) because the show is based off a light novel, not an otome game. Oh well. 2006 animation, right?

See? Otome game!

Lack of Interesting Plot

Sure, there's some semblance of a plot. There are fights and story arcs, but they're not well-done. We have the main characters (Emiya and Saber) who fight different people. For example, they fight Rider and her Master. This is one of the main 'arcs'. It's not much, and the fight scene isn't even good. Rider barely even uses her Rider-ness to fight. (One horse scene. ONE.) 

Rider barely uses her horse, and she fights with chains. That's it. (Well...Archer doesn't fight with a bow normally. So.)

The show basically implies a large Servant v Servant battle (Reminiscent of 'Future Diary'.) But we all we get are smaller arcs which aren't very interesting. The fight scenes were boring, and I just want the story to continue on. The last 'major' battle wasn't anything special, and I kept staring at my screen in complete confusion. Just what was happening?

As I sit at my desk and write this little list, I still have no clue how to sum up the plot.
And that shows you just how awful the plot was. 

Boring, 2-D Characters

Let's go down the list of main characters. And analyze them one by one.

Just look at his derpy face...

Emiya Shirou

He's this 'powerful' Magus (You know this because Archer helps him out with the visualization thing, and it actually works. Also, Toosaka mentions this 'special snowflake' quality of his a few times.) Honestly, he makes me mad. There was nothing special about him. If you have a character with a strong moral code, you can work with that. But Emiya was just so stubborn. I felt so annoyed listening to him talk. Even the people with the strongest morals would have backed down at times. He's supposed to be the good guy in it all, but I honestly didn't care if he won or lost a battle. I just wanted to get to the next scene, preferably without him. He was ignorant and completely childish at times. There was no character development whatsoever. 

Saber

Saber's Emiya's wonderful Servant. Who is of the Saber class. She's this strong heroine...who seems to always need Emiya. She has this really cool Noble Phantasm but passes out after using it and...you guessed it NEEDS EMIYA. The fact that show subtly adds some lovely sexist tones with Saber's character made me want to roll under my desk and hide for a million years. No, you can't say 'But that was 2006! It's 2016 now!' I'm still going to hide. Has our culture changed that much in ten years? Nope. I don't think so, but that is a topic for another time. Back to Saber. 
Not only is she a 'strong heroine', she is also as interesting as a piece of wet cardboard. Her character barely gets any interesting lines, and she has no characterization at all. I know she might get better with 'Fate/zero', but, so far, my opinion of her isn't very good.

Toosaka Rin

Toosaka might be the only interesting character in this show. She is sassy and quick to retort. But the fact of the matter is, she is really just an ally for Emiya. I know that she isn't the main main character, but she could get some characterization too. We have a hint of backstory, but it's never explored enough for me to care. I felt like she was just the more experienced Magus for Emiya to learn from. She could have been a great mentor...if she wasn't basically another girl in the Emiya Harem. (She's the smart...but sexy one. Mysterious and pushes you away. What will happen next?) Plus, in the last few episodes, she's completely ignored for the bull romance. Thanks? And it's not like I'll watch 'Unlimited Blade Works' and see her side of things. So she's forever this empty sort of harem girl in my mind.

Archer

I can't even start talking about him without cringing. For one of the main characters, Archer gets no action. He's seen maybe...three times total in the whole show. Really. And he's supposed to be one of the main characters? Uh...no. And he also gives advice to Emiya (whom he hates.) I deny your argument. I can't care about him if he is given no role in this show. So bye-bye. 

The Bull Romance

Oh, look. The lovely couple. How cute... -rolls eyes-

The second Emiya whipped out the 'I care for her' card, I wanted to slam my fist against the wall. (Which I may or may not have done.) Romance can be done right, but, normally, that's not the case. And with 'Fate/stay night', the romance was unnecessary. You can build up a great romance between friends, and that would have been fine. 
What's even worse is that you can't believe the romance. There's no indication of a crush, and the things we do get can be labeled as 'Virgin Dude Unexposed to Sex Appeal'. (Namely, the scenes where Saber stands naked in front of Emiya.) 
The romance is too forced, and it lacks the spark a normal romance does. So no. Just no.

Do You Believe in Magic? 'The Crown's Game' Review

The Crown's Game

Author: Evelyn Skye

Goodreads / Amazon

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Do you believe in magic? Not many people do in 'The Crown's Game'. Magic is limited to four people: two enchanters and two mentors. Because two enchanters exist, they must fight in the Crown's Game.

Likes:

• Surprise surprise! I liked the romance. Okay....I didn't love it. But I felt something. It might be because of a recent love triangle post from a blogger (whose name I can't remember...nor can I remember the post. Sorry.) But I felt like I was seeing a different love rectangle. The romance seemed real. To a certain point. I could believe that Pasha fell for Vika, this dangerous beauty. I thought that was real.
• Wow. The ending felt like such a surprise. I thought there would be a cop-out escape. Both of them living, you know? But it wasn't like that. I might have been coddled by anime and happy endings. So this was a major shock to me. Nice taste of reality.

Dislikes:

• We had three main characters: crown prince Pasha, Enchanter One Nikolai, and Enchanter Two Vika. All of the characters felt very meh to me. They weren't really expanded. I think it's because there were three main characters. You couldn't focus on one for too long to get their emotions and perspective. I wanted more about them, but they didn't get enough time to provide their story.
• The Enchanters, especially Nikolai, overused magic. They used it for everything from cooking to cleaning. I think that they wouldn't survive in reality, without magic. This is one thing. Another is the seemingly godmodded version of magic. There is no end! They can do anything. With limitless resources. I hated that. There was no explanation for the overnight island or the dream benches. Please explain how these happened. OVERNIGHT. No? You can't? See my point?

Magical Sailing Ship? Yes Please!: 'The Girl From Everywhere'

The Girl From Everywhere

Author: Heidi Heilig

Goodreads / Amazon

Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father’s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination. As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix.
But the end to it all looms closer every day.
Her father is obsessed with obtaining the one map, 1868 Honolulu, that could take him back to his lost love, Nix’s mother. Even though getting it—and going there—could erase Nix’s very existence.
For the first time, Nix is entering unknown waters.
She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love.
Or she could disappear.

This book was one of the most anticipated 2016 debuts. Not just for me but for a lot of people. I'd seen the rave reviews. But when I first started this, I was in a slump. A very bad one, I might add. While this didn't pull me out of said slump, I did quite enjoy this book.

Likes:

• Kashmir was the bomb dot com. He was sassy and brash and loud. I adored his character. (Not that I'd date Kash. I'm spoken for. Twice over.) He was somebody I'd like to be friends with, though. He'd be a good support system. He really did care for Nix. I could rely on a person like Kash. Honestly, if this book was in his perspective, I'd love it a lot more. (Because I don't love Nix. More on that later.)
• Blake had his moments too. He was shy but sweet. His ideals, though, were a bit of a sour point for me. If I had to choose between Kash and Blake, I'd choose Kash as my best friend but Blake as my boyfriend. Why? Blake was steady. A rock. Kash would fly free, but you could fall back to Blake. Always.
• I love fantasy. The dragons and monsters. Ah, just thinking about it makes me happy. And a time traveling pirate ship? Score! While I loved the idea, the actuality was less than lacking. There wasn't a lot of time traveling. Which stinks. I was looking for an adventure. Not a we'll-stay-here-for-the-rest-of-the-book. I don't even know what that is. But I'll still give the idea brownie points for creativity.

Dislikes:

• The plot was kinda dull. I wanted something with more action. I mean...a time traveling pirate ship and no trouble? Impossible. I wanted swashbucklers on swashbucklers. Not boring heists. (And they were very boring. Nix doesn't get to do anything fun.) I wanted more time travel. Where was the time travel? Moreeee please!
• Nix was smart. I'll give her that. And very resourceful. But other than that...not very amazing. I didn't love her relationship with Slate. She didn't understand. He loved Lin. And he wanted nothing more than to return to her. What would you do as Slate? Have a broken heart forever? How about no? So I sorta agreed with Slate. (But he wasn't a saint either. He did do some bad things.) I found Nix was too whiny for my tastes. She was just a mopey, teenage girl. Not my favorite type of protagonist. But Kash would be fantastic as a protagonist. Just switch their roles and life would be better.

I Won't Hide The Truth About My Feelings For 'Truthwitch'

Truthwitch

Author: Susan Dennard

Goodreads / Amazon

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

LIKED:

• Safi's character was pretty interesting, but I wanted more. There was a part that showed her true emotions. Her insecurities. I loved that. I wanted more of that. I am always interested in characters that are unsure of their place in the world and have to figure that out. Safi's brashness was a bit of a turn-off for me, because she was acting so rude. And she has motivations to do that. But we didn't learn a lot about her thoughts and motivations.
• The world was exciting. There was magic and trade agreements and war. I was extremely excited about the war actually. What happened? How did it start? Why twenty years of peace? Sadly, I didn't get answers to these questions. But the world has potential to be expanded upon. There were many kingdoms where many things could happen. Of course, the key word is could. The potential is good enough for now.
• The friendships pulled me right in. I always love friendship stories. And this book's friendship was no exception. Safi and Iseult would do anything for each other. I want a friendship like that. Who am I kidding? I have a friendship like that. I would do anything for my best friend Jenna. She's my Threadsister. We'd do anything for each other. That's how close we are. This friendship in the book reminded me of my friendship. Made me feel a little homesick. But in the good way.

Disliked:

• The romance was unbelievable. They barely knew each other. And why did you like each other? Angriness? (Also. I didn't like how almost all the characters introduced had 'rage in their hearts'. I'm an angry person, but I highly doubt everyone wants to rip things apart to the point of death. Because anger issues? Haha. No.) These two fought. A lot. I don't care what you say about opposites attracting or that thing the people do when they like each other. They would seriously rip each other apart. And we didn't find much deeper meaning to either of them. Merik at least had motivation. Safi was just cruising along. Seriously, why was she going along with this plot? No one told her to. Geez.
• Lack of info kept me struggling. I felt like I was missing something, maybe a first book. The world wasn't built that well. I had questions about the world. Mostly questions based on the war. Why? Who? When? What? Basic questions I had but weren't answered.
• There were so many types of witches and so many types of magic. I needed a map or a chart to keep track of everything. It was too much to swallow. I needed something simple. Maybe the elemental magics would be together and then aether and void together. We didn't get any information about what aether and void are. I wanted to know, but I didn't get any answers.

Keep Calm and 'Carry On', Simon Snow

Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Goodreads / Amazon

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

City of Magical Peoples

A town with gay Harry Potters. (It's the truth. Don't deny it.) Of magic and Chosen Ones. Of handsome and sneering vampires and scatterbrained magicians with unimaginable amounts of power. A town with old families trying to overthrow the man on top who just wants a world for magics and mages.

"Okay. Simon was chill. I liked that. He was the worst Chosen One. But he was snarky and funny. He reminds me of Yuui from Owari no Seraph. Just a little. He was so perfectly imperfect. He wasn't this extremely handsome guy. He wasn't extremely smart. He wasn't great at magic. In fact, he was terrible at magic. It was great to have this main character who wasn't made in the image of perfection. It was something new.

"And Lucy's chapters. I just adored those. It was great to learn the past through her story. The Davy thing was so cool. It was interesting to see Davy in a different light. Lucy adored him. Maybe she was really in love with him. Her last chapter revealed so much. It was a little saddening as well. She was dead and just wanted to talk to her beloved son. Why wasn't she allowed to do that?

"The way they summoned magic was different, but I thought it was cool. If I was in this world, I'd be the worst Mage ever. I'm not very good at finding my words, so I'd be trying out a new spell and not find the right word and just say 'thing' instead and screw things up. I loved seeing all the phrases used to summon magic. Some old and some new. I'd just make up a whole new batch of spells from my unique phrasing and diction. (I say odd things. For example, I use pizzacake as a curse word. And I say "You're being summoned.") And they'd all be horrible and metaphorical. I'm so weird. And that's the gospel truth.

"I was conflicted on the plot. It was very anticlimactic, but it was interesting in the beginning and middle. The end was too rushed, though. Why wasn't there a cool battle scene? I'd like that. Mage versus Simon versus Humdrum. Or is it the other way around? I wasn't quite sure. Can you fight incorporeal beings? How do you fights ghosts anyways? Hope for the best? Ugh. That's just messing with my head. But the beginning was great. The murder mystery drew me in. Who killed Baz's mom? Why? And why was he kidnapped? I actually figured things out before the characters did, and when they realized the truth, I was thinking, 'Took you long enough.'

"I hated that I felt like I was missing something. There were other Humdrum attacks. Simon destroyed things. Baz tried to kill him. It's like reading Harry Potter from the last book to the first. (Which I sorta did. I read the last book after the first. I never actually finished the series, though. Haha. Don't hurt me.) It felt like that. So much had happened outside the book. I wanted to know what happened, but these things were barely touched upon. We really need a series about just Simon's younger years. What was he like as a little thing? Hm, I wonder...

"And the multiple PoVs was distracting. I couldn't focus on the plot itself. So much was happening. I was trying to rein in my thoughts, but then I'd get hit with some information from Baz or Penny, and I'd be sent back to square one. It was a mind trick to try and keep track of things. I sorta gave up in the end. I just read. Carry on, am I right?

"Overall, it wasn't a bad book. I didn't have high expectations or anything. My expectations were met. But I wasn't completely in love. I know people will cry diversity, but the romance was lacking. I won't touch upon that, though. I always complain about that anyways. So not the best but not the worst. A Penny sort of book. Haha."

The Roses Will Rise

The Rose Society

Author: Marie Lu

Goodreads/ Amazon

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

City of Roses

1) A devastatingly gorgeous town of magic and murder and mayhem and mischief. With a girl descending into madness. She strives to gain revenge and creates a small band of warriors that are loyal to her prospect of money to help her gain her crown.

"I'm stunned. Completely and utterly stunned. Adelina's descent into madness continues, but she's found new allies and new enemies. I loved her returning illusions and their ultimate effect on her. She really goes through a lot during this book. I would react like her. (Or so.) Her reaction is drastic but mildly understandable. The different powers revealed were quite amazing. Magiano and Sergio. I really liked the two of them. Very interesting people and both motivated by money. I wanted to know their backstories. Why did they become who they were? I wanted to know.

"The one thing that stunned me the most was the ending. It was amazing. Emotional and dramatic. It was really intriguing. It showed how far Adelina had fallen."