The Isolator Vol 3
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
Minoru has decided to join the fight against the Ruby Eyes that threaten humanity across the world. Soon after, reports come in about a violent Ruby Eye who has a history with Yumiko. This dangerous man's name is--Incinerator.
Things are certainly starting to get interesting this volume, as we head to the SFD base where we meet Isa the Deputy Chief and we get to learn a lot of the science behind the third eyes and the powers and so on, plus we get to explore Minoru's power a bit more and the theories behind it. Minoru is finally given his own code name, and he's now part of the team and it's going to be interesting to see him fitting in with all of them, especially considering the deal he's made.
Isa isn't the only new character we get to meet this volume, we get to meet Olivier too, he's deceptively nice but in actuality he's kind of an a-hole. I get his point but still, I'm not sure I'm going to like him.
Meanwhile someone's after Yumiko and something's ogg with Minowa causing Ogu to go to Minoru for help. There's a couple of heart wrenching moments in this volume, particularly the glimpse in to Yumiko and her past which explains quite a bit about her character actually. There's an intense chase that has you on edge, and an ominous moment or two as something bigger is alluded to when it comes to the bad guys. I also...dare I say it...feel like Minoru and Yumiko are bonding and maybe even....friends?
This volume really felt like an episode of Criminal Minds to be honest, we have a team of people trying to track down a killer, this one just happens to have powers!
A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School Vol 2
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
Haruaki Abe is the kind of guy who wouldn't say boo to a goose. But when he starts his teaching career at a high school full of creatures that go bump in the night, he soon discovers that his students have no such qualms, and they'll have him screaming "eeeeeeek"!
This volume takes us on quite the journey with the characters, as we start off with the youkai enduring "Physical Fitness Day", which is kind of hilarious with the eyesight tests and the animal youkai having to get shots and poor old Haruaki having to help out. Then the class get to go on a field trip to the real world for a spooking lesson which as you can imagine...is all kinds of hilarious and it was fun to see the youkai using their different powers!
Haruaki takes the opportunity to head off home and the kids lecturing him about what not to do was funny AF. What was even funnier was them following him and mistaking his brother for him, and his brother acting all cool and they're like "Don't you dare sully our Seimei-kun's name" or at least, Maizuka was, and he was hilarious.
Sano and Haruaki are trying to hide his families origins from the others, and his mother is in on the plan too. His brother is not happy with the situation in general and is very protective of Haruaki. Which is why he has an issue with the students getting roped in to helping out with the festival. Hijita, Maizuka, Sano and Zashiki all end up at Haruaki's home and get to meet his family but his brother tries to throw them out and make Haruaki quit....hinting at something dark to do with Haruaki's power in the process.
We get some insight in to Haruaki and why he has no friends...I'm looking at you Ame. Ame also provides us with some interesting information on Haruaki's power and how strong it is and where it came from. I was hoping there would actually be some weight to his power, and it might have a part to play in the plot rather than being a throwaway mention in one volume, and it would seem like my hopes are coming true. Which I'm excited to see! There's humour, but it seems like there's going to be some serious substance to the plot other than just humorous antics, which I don't have a problem with, but I'm intrigued to see what could happen when his power is brought in to pay.
Sano, in his own way, was quite heart warming this volume, offering to look out for Haruaki, he's a big softy really! There was so very nearly a heart warming moment towards the end, before it got turned in to a gag, which kind of made it funnier to be honest!
Volume 2 is another hilarious volume, with hints at an interesting heritage for Haruaki, not to mention his powers! We also get a look at his family and the dynamics between them all that have shaped him in to the character he is, plus the students are a bit more soft than they appear at first glance!
To Kill A Kingdom
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?
To Kill a Kingdom drew me in right from the start, and I finished this in two sittings, it was so hard to put it down! I'd have read it in one if I wasn't reading it on set! The descriptions and writing style where beautiful and fit the story and characters so well, like how Christo describes Lira's lips as the colour of sailors blood and so on! I loved the imagery so much!
The first chapter itself actually gives you quite a bit of information on the world of the book and how things work all woven concisely in to the plot. The book then expands and adds in details throughout the book as the story progresses, something that I enjoyed as it kept me on my toes! I particularly liked the difference between the mermaids and the sirens, it was an original and intriguing one and helped this book stand out from any other.
As for the characters, I loved Lira a hell of a lot! Her attitude and her narrative voice where brilliant, as where her quick comebacks. In the world of the sirens, awfulness is valued over friendship and that having been drilled in to Lira, along with various other things by her mother, made for an interesting MC, especially as living as a human changes Lira. I really enjoyed seeing her character develop and change over the course of the book but still maintain her attitude right up until the end! She's basically you know...kind of a villain but I loved her and rooted for her completely! Christo wasn't afraid to embrace the darkness for Lira's character.
Elian is our other narrator and I loved him from the first sentence, "Technically, I'm a murderer, but I like to think that's one of my better qualities". I really empathised with him and how he felt when he was at home and so on. I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to him, and I liked that he was actually quite similar to Lira. They had some brilliant banter, and I loved the entire romance and relationship between the two of them. It could quite easily have been cheesy and fairy tale worthy to match The Little Mermaid, but it wasn't and their relationship really fit them. The author didn't try to make them something they weren't to make the romance work. Their sarcasm and piratey-ness was just so brilliant and I just really freaking loved them okay! They where morally grey and I loved how they where written together and separately!
Along with our main two characters, we have Kye and Madrid who where also completely brilliant and I kinda wish we'd gotten to see more of them! They where hilariously sweet together. I actually loved all of Elian's entire crew to be honest, and their bantering with each other had me smiling.
To Kill a Kindgom is brilliantly paced, with a vivid and imaginative world that sucks you in. There's action, and the final part of the book has you on the edge of your seat. Elian and Lira have their cute moments but they're morally grey characters, and Christo hasn't been afraid to embrace the darkness when it comes to them, they're equals and so similar, and so suited to each other and you can't help but end up loving them and rooting for them and shipping them so hard! I'd been super excited for this book since last year, and it didn't disappoint at all!
Your Name Vol 3
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
To save Mitsuha and all of Itomori from the comet Tiamat, Taki joins up with Saya-chin and Tesshi to evacuate the town. But Mitsuha's father is stubborn and refuses to listen...
Okay guys, this is the final volume and I don't want to spoil anything for anyone so I'm gonna keep things as vague as I can! I have to say, this has sucked me in more and more and the twists have truly surprised me throughout!
The comet is imminent and Taki and co are springing their plan in to action to get the town evacuated because as is typical, no-one believes the teenagers. Meanwhile Mitsuha has gone to Tokyo in search of Taki....but he doesn't recognise her!?
This volume is so tense as we wait to see if things will change and the town will be saved and if Mitsuha and Taki will finally be together. I have to say, the volume did give me pause towards the very end, but...I'm not going to lie, this story is wrapped up beautifully and it hit me right in the feels! Now I have to go watch the anime of it!
This story has been so beautifully drawn and paced and told and I enjoyed it way more than I was anticipating when I started it and wasn't too sure what the story was all about or where it was going! The surprises keep on coming right up until the end and the story has really kept me on my toes!
Bungo Stray Dogs Vol 6
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
As Ryuunousuke Akutagawa and Nathaniel Hawthorne engage in a life-or-death battle, Chuuya Nakahara has information about The Guild's plot to destroy the Armed Detective Agency. H.P. Lovecraft and John Steinbeck also reveal their powerful abilities!
There's action from the start in this volume as Akutagawa goes up against the ever creepy Hawthorne. The Agency are in a bit of trouble too when an enemy shows up and of course the Mafia wants to pit its two enemies against each other to do the work for them. Standard really.
I have to say, Lovecraft really cracked me up this volume, "Even breathing makes my skin crawl", not to mention the awkward moment when Steinbeck is creepier than Lovecraft.
Volume 6 is an action packed volume as the war gets going, and the sides attempt to get one up on each other. The Agency might win this particular battle but we're left on an ominous cliffhanger when it comes to the girls and Dazai is made an interesting offer and I'm intrigued to see how he'll handle it all. The action and speed of the plot are certainly picking up and the intrigue is getting bigger. We're getting to meet more and more characters and see which powers who has, and it's a lot of fun!
There's an interesting short story at the end of this volume that also sheds some light on Akutagawa and his past as well as how he met Dazai which I feel is going to be important in the upcoming volumes.
The Despicable Deadpool
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
To be honest I don't think I'll ever nor find Deadpool completely freaking hilarious. He's such a snarky asshole an he always has a comeback and half the time he's just so damn right. This volume is action packed and time travel-ly with some dinosaurs and vampires thrown in and it leaves on quite the interesting note.
To be honest with you guys, I don't think I'll ever not find Deadpool completely freaking hilarious. He's such a snarky a-hole and he always has a comeback and half the time he's just so damn right with his snarky little comments. I found myself laughing out loud or at least chuckling so many times while I was reading this volume. "Oh Deadpool" is pretty much my catchphrase when I was reading this!
This volume is action packed and time travelly with some dinosaurs and vampires thrown in and it leaves off on quite the interesting note. As for the art, it was brilliantly drawn, and I enjoyed the colour palette and how it changed depending on the setting!
