Ash

Barthes' Empire of Signs is a difficult read by the fact that it requires a lot of concentration and careful rereading of sentences to fully grasp its meaning as much of it is quite dense. As a French speaker, I found myself going to the original French-language book to compare with the English version for further parsing (which, in retrospect, didn't change much since Richard Howard's translation is flawless and virtually word-for-word).

That being said, Barthes' discussion of signs and signifiers is one I am already acquainted with, but his choice to bring the discussion to an imaginary Japan (though how imaginary is debatable–Barthes clearly references the real Japan throughout his text) is unique and of particular interest for scholarly work.

The haiku has the purity, the sphericality, and the very emptiness of a note of music; perhaps that is why it is spoken twice, in echo; ... the echo merely draws a line under the nullity of meaning.

This play is very frustrating. The fragmentary sentences, unfinished thoughts, and misinterpretations all contribute to making this play painful to read. Is it an anti-feminist play? Is it pro-feminism? Pro-academia? Anti-academia? These themes are so twisted throughout the narrative that it's hard to make out what the playwright is trying to say through this work. Ultimately, it just left me feeling angry with the characters (which, in retrospect, might actually be the point of this whole charade).

One does not simply review or rate The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Yet, it earns its 5 stars without as much as a second thought.Seriously, how does one tackle this monumental tour de force? I could enumerate all the goods things about it, but that would be pointless (because it's all good), so instead, I'm going to focus on the negative things that other reviewers have pointed out and try to convey why, in fact, these elements are necessary.1. The pacing (especially in the first 100 pages)Many reviewers have pointed out the incredibly slow start of the book, up until Frodo actually leaves the Shire and starts on his adventure. The general complaints I've seen are that it is 1)too long, 2)nothing happens, and 3)it's painful to get through. Unlike his uncle Bilbo, who is quick to run out of his front door and start on his adventure in [b:The Hobbit, or There and Back Again 5907 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again J.R.R. Tolkien https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546071216l/5907.SY75.jpg 1540236], it is true that Frodo is incredibly slow to leave his hobbit hole and has to think about leaving for a very long time before he actually moves (as in, it takes him years to leave). Honestly, who can blame him? If you were given two options, one of which would be to stay in your perfect little idyllic village, away from harm, or to throw yourself into the unknown and towards certain death, which would you pick?Jokes aside, the purpose of this slow intro is to drive home the fact that once Frodo leaves Bag End, he will never be able to return to it in the same capacity. War is very near at hand, and even the peaceful little village will be damaged by it sooner or later. What is more, Frodo himself will come back a changed man (or Hobbit), and his childhood home will no longer have the same significance to him as it does in the beginning of the story. Frodo's journey is so transformative, dangerous, and unpredictable, that the first slow, uneventful 100 pages reinforces the pain of losing one's country to an unstoppable war. For the rest of the novel, across all three parts, Frodo and his Hobbit friends will refer to Hobbiton as a place of return and as an anchor in dark times. Tolkien masterfully makes us as readers yearn for the Shire just as much as Frodo and his friends do because of those first pages. Even though it seems uneventful and boring, the time spent in the Shire is immensely important for the rest of the narrative as it allows for feelings of melancholy and hope to bloom in readers as they follow Frodo on his heart-wrenching journey. 2. FrodoMany have complained about Frodo as a character, calling him boring, flat, unremarkable, etc. For a hero, it is true that Frodo doesn't seem to have the appropriate qualities that would make him the focus of the story. However, it is because of his initial unexceptional character that he becomes an interesting choice for the mission. The choice to have Frodo as the ring-bearer comes in two folds: 1) because he is seemingly ordinary and mundane, the Enemy is less likely to notice him and come after him, and 2) the One Ring chose him as its partner. Everyone knows that the Ring has a will of its own and that, once it has decided to follow (or to abandon) someone, there is nothing that anyone can do about it.To counterbalance Frodo's ordinary quality, the Fellowship is sent to accompany him on his mission. Here, the clever composition of characters who make up Frodo's companions gives all the colour and excitement needed for a high fantasy story: Aragorn, the would-be-king, Boromir, the proud warrior, Legolas, the keen-sighted Elf prince, Gimli, the brave and fiercely loyal Dwarf, Merry and Pippin, the comedic best friends, and Sam, the unsung hero of this whole tale. Of course, one cannot forget Gandalf, the fatherly wizard who has known Frodo all his life and who is loved and respected by all. These friends support Frodo in all that he does and serve to help him grow into his own as the story progresses.Initially, Frodo relies heavily on his companions, especially Gandalf and Aragorn; however, as we near the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo clearly takes charge of his mission on his own and decides for himself on his next course of action. Even though he is very much attached to Aragorn, and would follow him anywhere, he is able to put aside his (very much justified) fear of the unknown and to depart for Mordor all on his own. If it hadn't been for Sam's insistence, Frodo would have left alone to tackle Mount Doom (whether he would have survived or not is another question, but he would have bravely persevered until the last). To call Frodo useless, boring, or pathetic is an insult to one of the bravest people in Middle-earth. Frodo is the one who takes on the Ring, willingly, he is the one who volunteers to carry it into Mordor, he decides to leave on his own to protect his friends and keep them from certain doom, and he is, ultimately, the one who must carry the burden of the Ring and the weight of the fate of the world on his shoulders. When Frodo returns from his adventure, he is psychologically scarred for life (undoubtedly a reflection of what happened to the WWI soldiers of Tolkien's life) and yes, he is gloomy and melancholic, but his task is immeasurably difficult compared to what the other characters must do. As much as the Elves, Dwarves, and Men are brave and loyal to one another, none are as determined to see the Ring destroyed as Frodo is, and other, lesser determined characters would have sooner fallen to the Ring's influence than to destroy it (not looking at you Boromir (jk)). 3. AragornFor some reason, many reviewers think that Aragorn is arrogant, haughty, and self-centered. Perhaps this idea is because of his (infrequent) mentions of his lineage and his duty as future king, but in reality, Aragorn is anything but kind, supportive, and loyal to his friends, especially Frodo. Aragorn is a hero in every sense of the word: he fights bravely, stands by his friends when in need, and takes on any foe who dares come his way. When Gandalf wishes to lead the Company through Moria, Aragorn opposes it until it is the last option in fear of what it might do to his oldest friend. Right in his premonition, Aragorn suffers the loss of his friend, but has no time to mourn as he becomes the de facto leader of the Company and must lead Frodo and the others across dangerous lands. Whenever they stop to rest, Aragorn is always by Frodo's side, tending to his wounds or keeping an eye on him and protecting him. Aragorn has issues of his own to worry about, such as his kingship, but he selflessly puts the Company above himself and gives his utmost to the protection of the ring-bearer. Aragorn is known and loved by many across Middle-earth. His name hangs on the lips of those in the highest of seats, like Galadriel, Celeborn, and Elrond, and all who know him love and trust him. Aragorn is always true to his word, and once sworn, his oaths are unbreakable.Surely, Aragorn can be forgiven for his small moments of grandeur, such as beneath the Argonath and on the land of his forefathers. The Númenóreans are an almost extinct race, with Aragorn being one of the last few standing. Naturally, his anxiousness to regain his power is understandable, and yet, he devotes himself wholly to Frodo's cause and this, from the very beginning, long before the Fellowship is even formed. Readers will remember that it is Aragorn who saves Frodo and guides the Hobbits very early on, when they first meet at the Prancing Pony in Bree.Apart for Gandalf and Sam, Aragorn is Frodo's closest and most faithful ally in the fight against Sauron. Despite his own destiny, Aragorn willingly chooses to trek halfway across Middle-earth to help Frodo as much as he can. In this respect, Aragorn is far from being selfish or conceited; on the contrary, he is selfless and kingly in everything that he does. It is no wonder that Aragorn will go on to become a beloved, peaceful king who values his friendships above all else.I could ostensibly continue to write about The Fellowship of the Ring, but I believe that it is difficult to convey just how much this story is important both as a masterpiece of literature and as a piece of collective memory and consciousness. This review is to be continued in The Two Towers...

I hate this book So. Goddamn. Much. It's an abomination. It shouldn't be anywhere near the ‘literary classics' section. What exactly is so brilliant about this book? The incoherent ramblings of an alcoholic? The completely bland and uninteresting white male protagonist? This book should be pushed way to the back of any bookshelf, and forgotten about. Better still, don't even bother picking it up.

So cute! I have never read a fairy tale quite like this one before! The whole thing was delightful. Disney should pick up some cues from this lovely little story.

3.5 ⭐

The first chapter and the last couple of panels of the final chapter made the read worthwhile. It's nice seeing Seiichiro take charge and be more confident at the palace. His plan to stop the miasma is pretty cool, and it comes from a place of wanting to help Yua return home. He's a good guy who's been dealt a bad hand, but he's making the most of it.

The last panels are nice because we finally see Seiichiro admit that he cares about Aresh. It took him 4 whole books, but we're getting there.

Meanwhile, Aresh's aggressive caring is starting to be juuuuust a bit too much. It was cute and quirky in book 1, but now it's starting to feel overbearing. No wonder Sei wants to run away from him half the time

Wilde takes on a critical voice in this short story about Shakespeare's sonnets. It's a well known fact that Wilde was a fan of the Bard for a multitude of reasons, and so this short story feels like a fan letter to his favourite writer. A number of Shakespeare's sonnets are analysed in the short story. The premise is that the sonnets were written for Willie Hughes, a boy-actor from Elizabethan times. The traditional interpretation of the intended recipient of the sonnets is usually the Earl of Pembroke or the Earl of Southampton, so the theory that a boy-actor was in fact the true muse behind the sonnets is enticing although farfetched.

I felt as if I had my hand upon Shakespeare's heart, and was counting each separate throb and pulse of passion.

His true tomb, as Shakespeare saw, was the poet's verse, his true monument the permanence of the drama. So had it been with others whose beauty had given a new creative impulse to their age. The ivory body of the Bithynian slave rots in the green ooze of the Nile, and on the yellow hills of the Cerameicus is strewn the dust of the young Athenian; but Antinous lives in sculpture, and Charmides in philosophy.

Format read: paperbackReading time: 7-8hTags: wuxia, xianxia, military fantasy, translation, trauma, found family, friendship, magic, lgbt (m/m), enemies-to-loversOwn a copy: yesReread likelihood: 10/10Recommended similar reads: ⭐ [b:Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang, Vol. 1 62145799 Stars of Chaos Sha Po Lang, Vol. 1 (Stars of Chaos Sha Po Lang, #1) Priest https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1682111621l/62145799.SX50.jpg 97934661]⭐ [b:Golden Terrace, Vol. 1 62629580 Golden Terrace, Vol. 1 Cang Wu Bin Bai https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663531919l/62629580.SY75.jpg 98392913]⭐ [b:The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1 60583047 The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1 Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1664205970l/60583047.SX50.jpg 196767353]⭐ [b:Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1 58701673 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1 Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1633385186l/58701673.SX50.jpg 92367991]ReviewBook two gave me so many feelings, both good and bad. We start this volume by meeting a new character, Murong Chuyi, the master artificer and aloof relative of Murong Lian and Yue Chenqing. First of all, can we acknowledge how similar Chuyi and Chu Wanning (from ErHa) are? They are obviously not the same person, but the similarities are striking. Even the artwork seems to agree! The first few chapters are dedicated to wrapping up the gruesome case from book 1, complete with a very long flashback of the culprit's past. This is truly Meatbun-esque, as we see a very similar device in ErHa (see the orange tree girl in book 1). In any case, the story is neatly resolved and then makes room for Mo Xi and Gu Mang's relationship to develop.Mo Xi wins the right to keep Gu Mang in his manor rather than at Luomei, but naturally this doesn't mean that Gu Mang is any less a prisoner. In fact, Mo Xi becomes incredibly impatient and even cruel with Gu Mang the more the story progresses. This is an important change of character coming out of book 1 where Mo Xi was pining and assessing his feelings for Gu Mang on every other page. In book 2, Mo Xi shuts down emotionally and becomes irascible; every little thing that Gu Mang does (or doesn't do) irritates and angers him to a point where his emotions become very volatile. One minute he is calm and composed, and the next he is being irrational and demanding for no apparent reason.Meanwhile, Gu Mang still struggles from his loss of memory, and his emotions remain severely underdeveloped. When Mo Xi is moody around him, Gu Mang simply accepts it and doesn't retaliate. Gu Mang understands the world around him like an animal: Mo Xi is his leader, the alpha wolf of the pack who provides him with food, clothes, and shelter, therefore Gu Mang has no issues with following whatever Mo Xi says, or even enduring his bad temper. Gu Mang sees himself as Mo Xi's weaker companion, but Mo Xi does not perceive him as the same thing. To Mo Xi, the current Gu Mang is not the Gu-shixiong of the past whom he adored so completely. Even though they have the same face, voice, and name, this broken Gu Mang can never be what Mo Xi wants him to be.The Gu Mang he wanted, the Gu Mang he hated, the Gu-shixiong he admired–they should all be whole. They should be capable of fighting him, of wielding a blade to meet or to match him. Only within the enmity of betrayal could he draw gasping breath; only there would he have a future to strive for. (p.127)Despite Mo Xi's changing moods, he still treats Gu Mang well, making sure he has enough to eat and that he isn't mistreated by others. Mo Xi promises him that Xihe Manor is not like Luomei, and Gu Mang will no longer have to worry about being beaten or tortured while he is in Mo Xi's care. Even though Mo Xi is unkind in his words, he keeps his promise and even protects Gu Mang from outsiders like Murong Lian. While the emperor may not be a central character, his plotting and machinations directly impact Gu Mang. Mo Xi learns that the emperor plans to execute Gu Mang one day, and that nothing–and no one–will get in the way of this plan. Mo Xi is also ordered to put a slave collar on Gu Mang to further control him, much to Mo Xi's dismay. Though Gu Mang does not remember what the collar is and what it symbolises, he was once incredibly hurt by this device and fought long and hard to be free from his slave status. Mo Xi is forced to reinstate his status, which hurts him more than the oblivious Gu Mang who has forgotten what it means to be some else's property. However, even though Gu Mang recognizes Mo Xi as his master, Mo Xi refuses to take ownership of another human, especially not the love of his life.Mo Xi laughed long and hard, his back pressed to a wooden pillar. As Gu Mang watched him, he slowly pulled his hands away from his ears, and then raised them–this time, to touch Mo Xi's face. [...] “Princess.” Gu Mang murmured, and then said, inexplicably, “Can I have your name on the back of the plaque?” (p.185)Book 2 nears its completion with Gu Mang starting to recover some small pieces of his memory. Mo Xi becomes more and more anxious as to what Gu Mang will remember, but he is also painfully aware that if he remembers all of his past, he will be confronted with terribly dark demons that could tear his mind apart. The emperor wants Gu Mang to remember as many things as possible, with no regard for his well-being, which naturally unnerves Mo Xi.Book 2 lost a star in the rating only because of Mo Xi's behavior. The change in his mood from book 1 to 2 seems sudden and strange, even though we understand why he acts this way and just how much pain he's carrying. Still, it's no reason for him to take out his frustrations on the unwitting Gu Mang who, at this point in the story, is very simple-minded and childlike. Meatbun does it again with the constant stream of pain, and the more I become attached to these characters, the more keenly I feel their suffering. I'm looking forward to seeing where this journey with Yuwu takes me.

Format read: Paperback
Reading time: 4-5h
Tags: mystery, adventure, translation, friendship, found family, lgbt (bi, m/m, ace)
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 1000/10

Summary
As with all the volumes thus far, the book is divided into several cases as follows:

1. ???: After Richard's abrupt disappearance at the end of vol. 3, Seigi is left alone and confused as to what has happened to his boss. Seigi resumes his university life and tries to keep busy, but he is plagued by strange nightmares of Richard that leave him more confused than ever. Seigi decides to go back to l'Étranger and meets Richard's mentor, Saul, who sets him a gemology challenge in exchange for revealing Richard's whereabouts.

2. The Secret of Alexandrite: Seigi now knows where to find Richard; he needs to go to London, but where in London exactly? At the airport, Seigi meets a mysterious foreigner who vaguely resembles Richard, only to find out he's his older cousin, Jeffrey. Trapped on a 20h flight with this man as his companion, Seigi learns about Richard's past and the family curse that haunts him, and his own role in the Claremont family dispute.

3. Follow the Lapis Lazuli: Once in London, Seigi and Jeffrey play tourist all day long, eventually ending up at the British Museum where they go to look at their gem collection. Seigi develops a fever from being dragged around everywhere, and just as he thinks he'll never get to see Richard, clues start appearing in the gallery, which leads him straight to the person he's been chasing all these months.

4. The Gospel of White Sapphire: In order for the inheritance debate to end, and for Richard to be released from his familial duties, a plan is concocted in which Seigi and Richard pretend to be in a civil union so that the pair can inherit Richard's great-grandfather's prized diamond. Seigi, however, has a better idea, and ends up destroying the Claremonts' nefarious plans by putting himself at great risk.

Extra 1 - The Bicolor Tourmaline Tease: Richard is finally back in Tokyo after settling everything with his family in London, and the first thing he does is to present Seigi with a mysterious bicoloured stone meant to represent one's duality.

Extra 2 - Overcast Iolite: Richard explains the ancient use for iolite stones, and how they helped Vikings to navigate their way to England. Seigi decides that Richard is like a compass, too.

Extra 3 - Moonstone's affection: Richard and Seigi have gotten into the habit of going out for dinner after work. On this particular evening, Seigi comments on the moon's beauty, which sends Richard on a tirade about Japanese literature.

Review

How do you translate the phrase “I love you”–words that never existed in the Japanese language in the first place–into Japanese? (...) Souseki Natsume had declared that “I love you” should be translated as “the moon is beautiful.” (p. 310-311)

Nights were the worst because I'd have awful dreams whenever I tried to sleep–for some reason, Richard would be in my apartment, standing next to my bed. I just wanted it to stop already. Seeing someone in your dreams like that was such a bad omen. He'd always have this sparkling jewel-like smile on his face. He'd look like he was trying to tell me something, but it was as if I were watching a video on mute. And for some reason, my body wouldn't move, even when I tried to get up. When I told him I couldn't hear him, Richard would close his eyes and bring his face closer to mine, only to pull away and give me this vaguely cruel smile when I started. And then I'd wake up all alone in my room, drenched in sweat. (p. 9)

“Even though the answer has been staring you in the face all this time, you refuse to see, because it doesn't sit well with you. Are you even aware of it?”
“Aware of... what?”
“That you're in love with Richard.”
I felt like my heart had been torn from my chest with no warning.
No. No, come on. I mean, no. No. Just because I spend every waking moment thinking about him, just because my heart skips a beat every time I lay eyes on him, just because I'm having dreams about him kissing me every night, it doesn't mean I'm in love with him. I couldn't be. I mean. Like–“(p. 21).

Extra Quotations (because there are so many that I can't possibly stop at 2)

always

Format read: paperbackReading time: 7-8hTags: wuxia, xianxia, military fantasy, translation, trauma, found family, friendship, magic, lgbt (m/m), enemies-to-loversOwn a copy: yesReread likelihood: 10/10Recommended similar reads: ⭐ [b:Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang, Vol. 1 62145799 Stars of Chaos Sha Po Lang, Vol. 1 (Stars of Chaos Sha Po Lang, #1) Priest https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1682111621l/62145799.SX50.jpg 97934661]⭐ [b:Golden Terrace, Vol. 1 62629580 Golden Terrace, Vol. 1 Cang Wu Bin Bai https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663531919l/62629580.SY75.jpg 98392913]⭐ [b:The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1 60583047 The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1 Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1664205970l/60583047.SX50.jpg 196767353]Review“Don't...” Gu Mang had once lost the power of speech, and now that he was scared, he spoke slowly and shakily. “Kill me...” Bestial light flashed in those azure eyes. He pleaded so clumsily, so painstakingly. “I...” His lips parted. “I...want to live...”Oh, Meatbun, what have you done. Once again, I am faced with a devastating piece of literature that I suspect will live in my brain rent free for an extremely long time.ErHa is Meatbun's masterpiece, hands down. Yuwu, however, is not any less emotionally impactful. While ErHa goes hard with all the triggers and all the warnings you could ever imagine, Yuwu is relatively tame in comparison. It's richness is really with the characters and how they slowly develop and evolve over the chapters. From the first page, we are introduced to the two leads, Mo Xi and Gu Mang, who were once the Twin Jades of the capital. Inseparable brothers-in-arms and equally powerful generals in their own rights, the pair also shared a secret, that of their intimate relationship. When Gu Mang defected to the enemy country of Liao and betrayed all the ones who loved and respected him, Mo Xi was left behind with a broken heart and a profound hatred for the man he once loved all-consumingly.However, not all is as it seems. Gu Mang was born a slave and expected to remain as such for his entire life. When the old emperor granted him freedom, Gu Mang was allowed to become the greatest general that Chonghua had ever seen. However, when the new emperor took up the throne, Gu Mang and his comrades were betrayed and reinstated as slaves. Gu Mang couldn't handle the fact that his fallen soldiers could not be properly buried because of this decree, and so, he defected to Liao with nothing but black hatred in his heart.Fastforward 10 years, and Gu Mang is slated to return to the capital as a prisoner of war. Mo Xi, who has been part of the border garrison for the last 2 years, has no desire to participate in whatever fate the emperor has in store for the traitor, yet when he finds out that Gu Mang has been sent to a horrible place in the capital, he can't help but feel worried about his old comrade and lover.Why did that make his heart ache so much...? Yes, true, Gu Mang had given him friendship and redemption, but Mo Xi had done everything he could to repay him–had nearly sacrificed his life to pull Gu Mang back from the brink! Did Mo Xi owe him anything else? [...] So many years of obsession, only to receive this emptiness... [...] Mo Xi closed his eyes, agonized. After so many years, he'd thought he had freed himself from this fixation, but in truth, he had been lying to himself. Gu Mang was too important to him. (pp. 110-111)To add even more suffering to his poor heart, Mo Xi quickly finds out that Gu Mang has come back from Liao completely broken: his core has been destroyed, two of his mortal souls have been removed, and he has no memory of the past whatsoever, let alone of Mo Xi.In true Meatbun fashion, the two leads go through inhuman amounts of emotional pain throughout the book. We see everything from Mo Xi's perspective, and since he is the one who is cursed to remember everything, we often have flashbacks of their happier times together and are brutally reminded how everything is different now. Gu Mang is very pitiful, not only because of the loss of his memories, but because of his inability to understand what is happening to him. He doesn't understand that people want him dead, or that he is the capital's most hated man. He doesn't understand why Mo Xi suffers so much when he is by his side, nor why Murong Lian, his old master, is so bent on torturing him into confessing to past sins he has no recollection of. Gu Mang lives his days like an animal, afraid of everyone and focused only on his basic needs of food, rest, and shelter.By the end of book 1, Gu Mang and Mo Xi have endured a world of pain, both physical and emotional, and there is no end in sight for either of them. Mo Xi wants to restore Gu Mang's memories, but doing so will probably destroy the simple-minded Gu Mang and plunge him into a world of hatred once again. However, if things remain as they are, Mo Xi's own hatred and deep sense of betrayal will continue to eat at him and war with his other side that wants to love and protect his shixiong despite the wrongs of the past.All in all, Meatbun weaves a slow and complex tale in Yuwu that takes a lot of time to digest. The events unfold very slowly, and there is little action to move the story forward, but the emotional reveals keep coming page after page, simultaneously building the suspense for the ultimate showdown and filling in the blanks of Gu Man and Mo Xi's pasts.

DNF at 35.7% (page 120)

Why, just why. I was so excited to read this because of Peter Jackson's new movie so I decided to give it a go before watching the movie. Big mistake. Here I am, 6 months after the theatre release and I still haven't watched it because I've been stuck at 35% of the book, not able to read past that point and finish it.

So what happened? This book was directed at a middle-grade audience, which is fine, don't get me wrong, but it was so incredibly juvenile, even for an MG. I read that the author had originally intended to publish his book in the adult fiction but that the publishers didn't want to accept it, so he had to “dumb it down” to have it published in kid's lit instead. That is absolutely heartbreaking because, in all honesty, this book would have been absolutely killer as an adult sci-fi/fantasy novel. The author's concept was very cool and original (all the cities move around on giant tractor wheels, eating each other up? Awesome.) but because it had to be simplified for kids, it was just plain painful, boring, and horrible to read.



On behalf of sci-fi fans, I want to extend a hearty thanks to Reeve's publishers for ruining a book that had great potential with an adult audience

This is a collection of 4 short stories set in the same universe as Pacat's [b:Captive Prince 9305362 Captive Prince (Captive Prince, #1) C.S. Pacat https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356028113l/9305362.SY75.jpg 14188292] series. The stories are as follows:1. Green But For a Season (Jord x Aimeric set in book 2)Story #1 wasn't anything special in my opinion. Perhaps this is because I didn't really care about this pairing during the series. Also, I didn't think this was especially well written.2. the Summer Palace (Damen x Laurent set after the end of book 3)Even though this one is technically the epilogue to the series, again, it fell a bit flat as with story #1. It was nice reading about the aftermath of Laurent's and Damen's successions, but the story itself didn't offer anything new that we didn't already read in the 3rd book.3. The Adventures of Charls, The Veretian Cloth Merchant (epilogue 2.0 set after book 3 and the Summer Palace epilogueThis one was my favourite in the collection. It had an intrigue and an adventure at its heart, and it had some of Pacat's signature humour interspersed in between the action. I liked Charls in the main series, so I guess it makes sense that I liked him here too. Even more so, I loved Laurent and Damen here (much more than in Summer Palace because they reminded me of how they were in book 2 (i.e., disguising themselves and sneaking around on secret missions without anyone else's knowledge). It was nice to see the duo go off on a secret adventure again.4. Pet (Ancel x Berenger, set in book 1)Finally, the last story took me by surprise. I didn't think I'd be interested in a story about Ancel, but it ended up being my second favourite story in this collection. Ancel didn't really grab my attention in book 1 (and Berenger even less so), but here he was given more depth, which made him ultimately interesting and more sympathetic.Overall, I wasn't crazy about this collection, and if hadn't it been for story #3, I would have found it all rather disappointing. I still love the main series though, and I'm glad I got to read the epilogue through these short stories.

Format read: paperback
Reading time: 2-3 hours
Tags: family, friendship, cozy, family drama, emotional trauma, Tokyo, bookish, translation
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 10/10

Summary
Takako finds out one day that her long-term boyfriend is getting married–to another woman. Heartbroken and confused, she eventually leaves her job to avoid seeing the happy couple, and ends up cooped up in her small Tokyo apartment with no prospects. That is, until her estranged uncle Satoru invites her to come live with him for free in exchange for her help in tending the second-hand bookshop he runs in the famed neighbourhood of Jimbocho. Takako reluctantly agrees and together, uncle and niece learn to heal from their past trauma and grow closer as a family.

Review
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a very cozy and quick read. If you are familiar with Japanese literature, you might recognize specific tropes that are proper to it, such as family drama, emotional distress, apathy in the young, etc. However, you will also find a kind of lyrical beauty and calmness from reading a book that is essentially about books. Morisaki Bookshop feels at times like a love letter to Japanese literature as the references to authors and their works are frequent and even quoted in some passages. Instead of feeling heavy, these references flow into the narrative and highlight Takako and Satoru's personalities by showing us what kinds of books these characters enjoy. The same is true for Sabu, Satoru's most faithful customer. His love of Japanese literature is unsurpassed, and we as readers discover many new authors through his passionate speeches.

The family drama that unfolds around this cozy bookstore is twofold: Satoru's missing wife, Momoko, and Takako's two-faced ex. Both of these secondary characters feel heavy and emotionally charged compared to the uncle-niece duo. The first half of the book focuses on Takako's journey and growth following her breakup, whereas the second half features Satoru's healing journey as his wife suddenly reappears in his life. Where Satoru is a warm and comforting character, Momoko is difficult to understand and sympathize with, but the relationship that develops between her and Takako is heartwarming.

I personally didn't like the shift in the second half as much as the story in part 1, but the sudden change of plotline keeps you interested and somehow lengthens a very short book, giving the impression that it is longer than only 160 pages. The end also felt a bit rushed compared to the slow pace of the rest of the book, which is a bit of a shame.

Overall, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a wonderful little book about books, family ties, and love–romantic, platonic, and otherwise. I'm very happy I discovered this little gem by browsing the shelves at my favourite bookshop.

DNF @ 15%Look, I was really into this for the first couple of chapters, but then the POV shifted to the library-dwelling characters, and it was so confusing. The shift lost my interest completely due to a lack of explanation as to what the heck was going on. The library setting itself in interesting, but it's all too [b:Piranesi 50202953 Piranesi Susanna Clarke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609095173l/50202953.SY75.jpg 73586702]-esque for my taste.

Format read: paperback
Reading time: 4h
Tags: slice-of-life, mystery, short story, Japan, lgbt (bi, ace)
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 10/10

Summary
As with my previous reviews, here's a summary of each short story:

1. The Sought-After Topaz: The Tamuras visit the jewellery store in search of a topaz to commemorate their 30th wedding anniversary. Teiichi, the husband, is adamant about buying the best stone of the highest quality, while his wife Hagino would prefer a stone that speaks to her rather than of the highest grade. Teiichi is a mineral collector, and his passion for stones overbears his wife's feelings. Frustrations mount with the couple fighting over a stone that is meant to symbolize their love.

2. Unsettling Turquoise: A fellow student at Seigi's university introduces him to a girl from another college who is searching for her missing boyfriend. Before disappearing, the man gave her a single turquoise earring as a token of their love. Okita pleads with Richard and Seigi for their help, and the two uncover a nefarious underground plot to lure young women into buying false stones. Richard plans to go undercover to dismantle this operation, but Seigi is worried for his safety so he tags along as his bodyguard.

3. The Jade Inheritance: One of Richard's old acquaintances, an antiques dealer in Ginza, approaches him with a proposition to buy a unique piece of jade at an auction sale. The piece is estimated to go for 30 million yen, a staggering amount of money, yet Richard expects that the final price will be much higher. Seigi accompanies his boss to the auction where they meet a shady character from Richard's past who tries to scare Seigi away with warnings about his secretive boss. Richard's true identity is uncovered, but Seigi is more concerned with Richard's well-being than this revelation.

4. Angelic Aquamarine: Tanimoto announces to Seigi that she has been set up for an arranged marriage with none other than Mr. Homura, the man whose fiancé ended up leaving him for her long-term girlfriend (see volume 1). Seigi is devastated and heartbroken, and resolves to support Tanimoto in her decision, but Richard convinces him to come clean with her about his feelings before it's too late. Seigi plans on giving Tanimoto an aquamarine as a symbol of his love, but Tanimoto declares that she does not understand feelings of love and romance in the conventional sense.

Extra: Fluorite by Your Side: Richard is at the airport when he meets a distressed woman whose bracelet broke and scattered all over the airport floor. Richard helps her put it back together and explains that fluorite is a special stone that can glow in the dark. The woman reveals that she is travelling to visit her estranged sister in America, and indirectly helps Richard understand that Seigi is not just an employee to him, but rather a friend.

Review
Ahhh the cliffhanger of the century ಥ⁠⁠ಥ If you watched the anime, you know what happens after Richard's sudden departure, but it still doesn't lessen the blow when you're reading it in the novel. Richard's abrupt departure, and his strained fight with Seigi over Tanimoto just squeezes your heart painfully. Everyone in Seigi's life tells him that there's more than meets the eye with Richard, yet he still remains obstinately blind. Even his estranged mother, who doesn't know Richard and barely knows about Seigi's life, hints at the fact that Richard might have more than friendly feelings for him, but Seigi just dismisses it. The fact that Richard repeatedly pushes Seigi towards Tanimoto because he feels that it's the right thing to do just hits you right in the feels. There were a lot of explosive moments between the two this time. Both Richard and Seigi were incredibly angry with one another at times, without necessarily understanding why.Key moments (spoilers ahead)I couldn't explain it, but for some reason, I felt really on edge. No, that wasn't the right word for it. I was actually pretty angry. Like, on-the-verge-of-losing-it angry. But why? Was the stuff that strange man said getting to me? That didn't make sense. A random stranger being rude to you was like getting unlucky and stumbling on a rock, If I got mad about that sort of thing, I'd be snapping at the gods every time it rained. That was why I thought it had to be something else. Why was I so mad? And at what? ... I was angry because [Richard] wouldn't let me worry about him. (p.120-121)“Thank you for being so considerate. You always were a very sweet person. Almost like a man getting cold feet and pulling back before going in for a kiss.”...“Fine. You wanna know what's pissing me off? I'll tell you. It's not the fact that you hid your identity from me. You think I didn't know that from the start? It's not normal to be with someone this long and not know a single thing about their family. But it's not because I don't care. The opposite, in fact. I just don't want to force you to tell me anything you don't want to.”“I honestly can't tell if you're being motivated by benevolence or cowardice.”“Does it matter?! My point is I'm not the kind of man who gets cold feet and pulls away from a kiss. I just hate the idea of valuing yourself so little that you feel like you have to kiss someone you don't want to. I'm done.”...“What? Why are you making that weird face at me?”“Oh, nothing, I just hadn't realized you felt so strongly about me.” (p.125-126)“I was expecting a deluge of inappropriate compliments from the master.”...He looked so young, all dressed up like that. I almost started laughing.“When you see something impossibly beautiful, it takes your breath away. That's why I didn't say anything. You know, you probably shouldn't just wander around town looking like that–you're liable to cause a multi-car pileup if a driver lays eyes on you.”“You've developed quite the silver tongue.”“You only have yourself to blame for that. I could just say you look incredibly handsome, but you always look incredibly handsome, so I had to get creative. Happy now?” (p.136)Don't you dare insult my boss. He's the best man I know. It doesn't matter if he invites misfortune in his wake or whatever. And I honestly don't care what you call him. I love watching him work, so if you interfere with his business, you're gonna piss me off. (p.145)“Sorry. I didn't mean to make things weird. Just pretend I didn't say anything–““I'm tired of pretending you didn't say things. The next time you're feeling exhausted, you should come see me.” ...When Richard smiled after saying that, I felt like time had stopped. (p.160)“... you could just call her. I'll give you five minutes.”“Call her and then what?”“You figure it out. How stupid are you?”“You're being so mean to me today...“Richard didn't respond. I was so preoccupied with my own problems that I just wanted some distracting small talk, but Richard was being really harsh. Really, it was kind of weird. The normal thing for him to have been doing was telling me to get my act together because I'm at work, but he was following everything I was saying even if he wasn't being very nice about it. (p.175)You're such a bright and charming young man, with a talent for cooking and a mastery of inappropriate compliments, who can be caring to a fault, but I seem to be the only one who knows it. Truly, it's beyond tragic. A great loss for the world as a whole.”Despite what he was saying, it sure didn't feel like a compliment. Richard was, without a doubt, scolding me. He was scolding me while trying to lift my spirits at the same time....“... I am also inclined to believe that those efforts would be best spent on people who truly matter to you. Like, for example, prioritizing the woman you hope to make your girlfriend over your boss at your part-time job.” (p.198)“I know you said you don't want to be my special someone and you don't want to leave your mark on me, but you already are someone special to me, and you've left a mark on me that's never going away.”... I knew he was trying to tell me to go to Tanimoto right now. But I had things I wanted to say, too–to him.“You have told me on countless occasions that you're fond of me, but as I explained earlier, I believe your affection is misplaced.”“You're saying I'm using you as a substitute, right? That's not funny. Why would I? Trust me, I know just how big of a coward I am.” (p.202)Just rereading these sections hurts me right in the feels ಥ⁠⁠ಥ I can't wait to read the next volume once it's out.

Format read: paperbackReading time: 4-5 hoursTags:detective fiction, murder mystery, classic, Victorian, high-pacedOwn a copy: yesReread likelihood: 8/10SummaryIn this Sherlock Holmes novel, our heroes work on a mysterious case about an ancient murder, a family curse, and a supernatural hound. Despite Holmes' steadfast opinion that there is no such thing as the supernatural, all things in this case point towards the opposite. Sir Charles Baskervilles, the owner of a large estate, is found dead one morning under suspicious circumstances. His friend, Dr Mortimer, seeks out Holmes to discuss Sir Charles' death. Here, Dr Mortimer produces an old document about the Baskervilles family that talks about a generational curse brought on by Sir Hugo Baskervilles, Sir Charles' ancestor, and the first victim of the Hound. Since Sir Charles' death, Sir Henry, his only living relative and heir, inherits the family fortune and moves back to England to claim his birthright. As one can expect, Sir Henry's life is in danger as someone–or something–is haunting the Baskervilles.ReviewIn true Holmes fashion, he decides to take on the case, but he doesn't work on it directly, sending Watson instead to Devonshire to investigate the murder. During the better part of the book, Watson is our eyes and hears in this case, and he is the ‘lead detective' because Holmes is completely absent. This is rather unusual for Sherlock Holmes stories in which Holmes is always at the forefront of the narrative. I like the fact that Watson takes charge and investigates several leads about the case. He befriends people in the region, talks to several key witnesses (and suspects), travels to other nearby towns, and keeps Holmes informed at all times via wires, letters, and his personal diary.The use of the epistolary in this novel is also interesting. It reminded me of Bram Stoker's [b:Dracula 17245 Dracula Bram Stoker https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387151694l/17245.SY75.jpg 3165724] and how the bulk of the story is told through letters. Readers of Sherlock Holmes are used to ‘hearing' Watson's voice as he is the narrator for all of Holmes' adventures. However, having his thoughts in the written form, especially in his diary, offers a more intimate view into his mind.This novel plays with a few different genres, chief of which is the gothic. The Hound, the mansion, and even the location are all described in a very gothic fashion. However, there is also an element of the romantic here, especially with Watson's personal musings about the place, its people, and its history. Watson shows us in this novel how clever he is and how sensitive and entuned he is with his environment and the people around him. As always, he serves as a great juxtaposition to Holmes' much more practical and clinical character.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is high-paced and engrossing, which makes it a pleasure to read. It's also always nice to dive back into Holmes and Watson's world. All of their adventures are true comfort reads.

Read my full review here: https://vicsense.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/a-thousand-pieces-of-you-firebird-1/

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THE COVER IS GORGEOUS.

RUSSIAN PAUL IS GORGEOUS.

THE CHIVALRY AND VALOR IS BLINDING.

I”m all about narratives set in Imperial Russia. Lieutenant Markov is the best; too bad he isn't a main character.

Format read: hardcoverReading time: 1hTags: historical fiction, trauma, Greek mythology, retellingOwn a copy: yesReread likelihood: 0/10What a strange read. Like most people, I'm a fan of Miller's work (especially [b:The Song of Achilles 13623848 The Song of Achilles Madeline Miller https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1357177533l/13623848.SY75.jpg 16176791]), but this short story was just weird and off the mark. Miller's story is a contemporary retelling of the Pygmalion myth. In the original myth, Pygmalion, a sculptor, creates the perfect woman out of ivory as a response to his disdain for prostitutes. Aphrodite brings his creation to life, and the two marry and have a child (and live happily ever after).By comparison, this short story is told from the perspective of Galatea (the statue-turned-human) as she is interned in what appears to be a psychiatric hospital. We learn that her husband, Pygmalion, has put her there after she tried to escape from him. Pygmalion is shown to be an abusive, controlling man with a penchant for young girls below the age of 15 (yikes).This story is hailed by many as a feminist take on the myth, but Galatea's brand of feminism is strange at best. She grovels, begs, and apologizes to the male doctor and her husband continuously, which you could argue that she's “playing the game” when she does so, but it comes off as cringeworthy instead. She often returns to her ‘original state' of being a stone statue as a sort of defense mechanism, but this only seems to be contrary to the feminist message she is supposed to embody. As for the ‘twist' at the end, I'm not sure it's as impactful as what it pretends to be. Galatea sacrifices herself for her own freedom, which is ironic. Murder is hardly the feminist response we want to encourage. Though she is portrayed as a loving mother throughout the story, the ending contradicts this as she now leaves her daughter orphaned. All in all, this short story just wasn't it for me in terms of what I've come to expect out of Miller's work.

Format read: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)
Reading time: 7+ unfortunate hours
Tags: fantasy (folklore), lgbtq+, historical (ish), enemies-to-lovers
Own a copy: no
Reread likelihood: 0/10

The curse of the bad KU books strikes again.... how are there so many 4 and 5 star reviews for this story is beyond me.

This book had an interesting premise, but it got lost within the first few chapters as too many unrelated subplots crowded the scene. Was this book about a murdering wolf? Was it about Saffron's desire to remain in fairyland? Was it about Cylvan's wish to protect himself from enchantments? Or maybe it was about the evil High Fey who are bent on torturing Saffron (for some unknown reason). Honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell you since there were so many loose ends and unexplained events.

I'm convinced that this book was written in a spiral notebook while the author sat at the back of a school bus en route for high school. There was nothing remotely interesting about the writing, the characters were flat and had the personalities of cardboard boxes, and the editing was non-existing.

Characters
Saffron is the most offending character and, sadly, he's also the MC. He sounded and acted like a 13 year old girl who giggled constantly and whose only response to anything was to say ohhh. Fascinating. He is such an immense airhead that he is utterly unable to accomplish anything as soon as Cylvan is anywhere near him. With Cylvan, Saffron conveniently forgets about his dead friends, the curse, Cylvan's threats, and all the bad fey because he's in loveinsert googly eyes. Saffron is constantly abused by the fey and his fellow humans, because reasons, and yet, he never actually does anything to fight back or to better his situation. He could have talked to his fey patron, Luvon (although he was borderline creepy if truth be told), or even to his ‘mother hen,' but no, Saffron preferred to wallow in self-pity and let himself be relentlessly bullied for no real reason.

Then there's Cylvan. He's one of the High Fey, but he's a special kind of High Fey (because of course). His mother is a... uh... something other than fey or human, and his dads are the kings of fairyland. Cool. He's so special that in fact, he does a complete 180 and goes from wanting to rip Saffron's tongue out to shoving his own down Saffron's throat with little to no logical reason as to why. Why does Cylvan suddenly trust Saffron, even though Saffron clearly betrayed him in the first few chapters? Because love. Why is he the meanest creature in school EXCEPT with Saffron, who is, for all intents and purposes, a useless simp? You guessed it, love. Does any of this makes sense? Of course not. Cylvan is such a walking caricature, I couldn't take him seriously. You know how in Howl's Moving Castle (the movie), Howl is an absolute baby when his hair gets messed up? That was cute and made sense for his character, but take that reaction and multiply it by 5000 and you get Cylvan. He's supposed to be this fearsome fey who can eviscerate you with one swipe of his claws, yet he flails around dramatically and pouts when Saffron is in the vicinity. Cylvan isn't cute; he's just ridiculous.

As if these characters weren't bad enough, the author felt the need to play Woke Roulette throughout the story with all the others. Every time a new character appeared, it was always referred to as “they” because, you know, we can't offend FICITONAL PEOPLE by misgendering them. Sure, it was relevant in some cases, like with Arrow, who is obviously set up to be nonbinary, but are all characters supposed to be NB? This way of writing was really confusing at times and made me roll my eyes way too many times to count. (N.B.: before anyone picks this section out of my review to accuse me of all sorts of untrue sentiments, I'll have you know that I read almost exclusively LGBTQ+ narratives. It is my preferred literature, especially when combined with SFF and historical fiction. That being said, authors can't just play roulette or gender bingo to satisfy 2022 expectations... the story loses all credibility.)

Anachronisms (buckle up, there are many)
Speaking of which, anachronisms also damage credibility. Being from North America, I learned in school very early on that tobacco grows exclusively in this part of the world. This is why golden age explorers brought back tobacco from the Americas to Europe to introduce it to their lands. Why, then, does Saffron go into the woods, in the middle of Ireland, to collect wild tobacco? This is a mistake that could have been avoided with just 5 seconds of research on Google. The same goes for the presence of wild marijuana in Ireland. No. Just no. Also, why the heck would you need to include pot in a story about fairies? Ridiculous.

Then, there's the issue with the clothing and accessories. Can we just take a second to appreciate the absolute nonsense of having vaguely romantic clothing (1800s) and combining it with what is meant to be a Celtic pagan society of the 5th century? Again, 5 seconds on Google would have told the author that Imbolc and other festivals were actively celebrated PRE-Norman Conquest (1066), and that short capes, frilly blouses, and tight pants just aren't period-accurate in the slightest. My other huge gripe with the clothing is the ridiculousness of Cylvan having pierced nipples. Come. On. No, I refuse to accept this book as anything other than fairy kink/fetish disguised as historical fiction.

Guys, ever heard of Baba Yaga? Yeah, that one, the SLAVIC character most well known through Polish and Russian folklore. WHY in god's name is she in Ireland? There are tons of Celtic folkloric characters that could have been used instead, but no, we have to stick a Slavonic one whose (very Irish) human name is Nora... I'm so offended by her presence in this story, it's not even funny.

Finally, there's the issue of language. There are way too many modern words and slang to befit the period. It's not hard to avoid modern language in order to maintain the illusion of the location and time the story takes place.

Conclusion
In a nutshell, don't let yourself be drawn in by pretty covers and high ratings on GoodReads. I saw that the author commented that this is going to be an eight-book series and I nearly choked on the spot. What kind of plot can be stretched out so thinly over 8 books?? This isn't exactly Game of Thrones-level of complexity. All I can say is that I (obviously) won't be continuing with this series.

Tl;dr: Please, for the love of all that is holy, do some research before including it in your book(s). It's not that hard, and it will increase the book's worth tenfold.

[edit 1]
3rd reread, and it's still as amazing as the first time. Thx Meatbun for all the pain. You're a wizard.

———————–

NEW READERS OF ERHA BEWARE

Format read: paperback
Reading time: 1 day
Tags: wuxia, xianxia, rebirth, translation, trauma, found family, friendship, fantasy, magic, lgbt (bi, m/m)
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 1000/10

TW: I don't usually put TW on books, but I think that here it's really warranted.
Torture, non-con and dubious consent, abuse, major and minor death, suicide

Summary
Mo Ran aka Taxian-jun is the leader of the cultivation world and its self-appointed emperor. After the death of his beloved sect brother and one true love, Shi Mei, Mo Ran rises to power by squashing everyone and everything else in his path, including his once favourite shizun, Chu Wanning. Believing that Chu Wanning is the cause of Shi Mei's death, Mo Ran stops at nothing to torture his shizun in an act of retaliation. When Mo Ran dies after this long battle, his resentment is so strong that he finds himself reborn into his 16-year-old body, a year before Shi Mei is fated to die. Determined to avoid the past from happening again, Mo Ran fights to protect Shi Mei and to stop Chu Wanning from committing the worst sin of killing his disciple.

At this moment, all those things had yet to happen. Irrevocable mistakes had not yet been committed, and that person... still lived. There was no need to walk the same cruel path. He could do it over. –Erha, p.35

Review

Mo Ran (Mo Weiyu, Taxian-jun)

If Shi Mei was the pure white moonlight of his heart, then Chu Wanning was the piece of fish bone stuck in his throat. He would pull it out and crush it, or swallow it and let it be dissolved by his stomach acid. In this reborn life, he could forgive anyone. But he would absolutely never forgive Chu Wanning. –Erha, p.106

No, Mo Ran. Think about it. Let go of your vicious hatred and look back properly. He once trained your cultivation and martial arts, trained you in the art of self-defense. He once taught you how to read and write, taught you poetry and painting. He once learned how to cook just for you, even though he was so clumsy and got cuts all over his hands. He once... He once waited every day for you to come home, all alone by himself, from nightfall... till the break of dawn... –Erha, p.25

Chu Wanning (Shizun, Yuheng Elder, Beidou Immortal)

Chu Wanning was aware of the throbbing deep in his own heart and loathed himself all the more for it. He clenched the soft pouch tightly in his hand and slowly closed his eyes. He couldn't accept these feelings, which he had long held toward Mo Ran. His only wish was that he could dig out his own heart and cut out the despicable thoughts inside–tear, rend, and throw them away. –Erha, p.260

Shi Mei (Shi MingJing)

Shi Mei was kind to him, yet he always seemed to maintain a certain indiscernible distance. Shi Mei was right in front of him, but he was also like the illusion of the moon in a mirror, a flower reflected in water, in sight but unattainable. –Erha, p.268

Xue Meng (Xue Ziming, Darling of the Heavens, Phoenix of Sisheng)

Xue Meng was dumbstruck for a moment before he snarled, furious, “What kind of god even are you? If cultivating into an immortal means ending up like you, I won't deign to so much as touch another sword for the rest of my life!” –Erha, p.470

Final Thoughts

Erha

Erha

**

Format read: paperbackReading time: 4-5 hoursTags: short stories, mystery, romance, slice-of-life, clueless MC, LGBT (bi, wlw), cozy mystery, detective(ish)Own a copy: yesReread likelihood: 10/10SummaryOne evening, on his way home from a nightshift at a local TV station, Nakata Seigi stumbles onto a scene where a beautiful stranger is being harassed by some drunks. After saving him, Seigi learns that the foreigner is Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpian, an Englishman and jeweller newly settled in Tokyo, Japan. Through a series of events, Seigi begins to work for this mysterious man and encounters along the way a host of colourful clients at Bijouterie L'Étranger.ReviewLike most people here, I came across this series first through the anime, then the manga, and now the novels. I started backwards, seeing as how the novels came first, but I think it's actually quite nice to read the novels last as I'm already familiar with the story, but there's so much more detail here that it makes it a pleasure to read.Seigi is, quite possibly, the most unaware and clueless character I've ever read about. This series reminds me a lot of my ultimate favourite Japanese novel/manga series, [b:No.6, Volume 1 11976839 No.6, Volume 1 Atsuko Asano https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1331192827l/11976839.SX50.jpg 16940029] because of how Seigi and Shion are both massive airheads who just blurt out whatever they feel to their counterparts, Richard and Nezumi, respectively. The amount of time Seigi thought or said out loud how beautiful his boss is is staggering. Some of his compliments are so wild, I understand why Richard gets annoyed. At one point, Seigi says that Richard is like “diamond dust or an aurora,” yet he insists he just feels pure admiration for him; his true love is Tanimoto Shoko, a girl at his university... okay. Take this idiotic remark as an example of Seigi's level of unawareness: I lifted my head. Richard was smiling. Ever since I took that trip with him on the Shinkansen, every time I saw his smile, it felt like he has my heart in a vise. His expression was like a precious gem, cut and polished by the world's finest craftsmen. How was he human just like me? Were we sure we couldn't just consider this a natural phenomenon? ‘Today will be partly cloudy with a chance of Richard's smile.'SEIGI. Dude, who says stuff like that? I swear I threw my book across the room when I read it. It's so cheesy, but it's SO Seigi, I can't.Apart for this massive idiot, Richard is not any better, let's be real. He is the definition of tsundere. He's clearly being very disingenuous when he repeatedly brushes off Seigi's words and says he doesn't mind, he's used to it, etc. I love how moody he is and constantly bickers with Seigi in the novels. It shows that he is, in fact, not a marble statue and has feelings like everyone else.The “case files” in the novel can be read as individual short stories, which is a fun format in my opinion. Each one can be read independently, but obviously there's a small linear component to them. If you're familiar with the story already, you could easily read or reread your favourite case without having to read the whole book (kind of like how the Sherlock Holmes stories are constructed). In this first novel, there are 4 main cases and 1 short ‘extra' story at the end. Here's a brief breakdown:1. The Pink Sapphire of Justice: This first story features Seigi and Richard's first meeting, as well as Seigi's personal case about his grandmother's sapphire ring. He asks Richard to appraise the stone, which leads them on an adventure down to Kobe to untangle the mystery.2. The Ruby of Truth: Seigi has started working for Richard when a young woman visits the shop with a magnificent ruby brooch, looking to have it assessed for heat treatment. It turns out the the lady is stuck in a love triangle between her fiancé, a man who works in her office, and her long-term girlfriend, a musician in Shibuya, and the ruby is at the center of this quest for happiness.3. The Amethyst of Protection: the third story is about a nightclub host who desperately wants to recruit Richard as a fellow host. Despite his pushiness and brash exterior, however, the young man is also looking for a gem that can help him protect his girlfriend, a hostess in the same bar where he works.4. The Diamond of Memory: Tanimoto teaches Seigi about diamonds, and encourages him to study them on his own to understand how and why they are so valuable. At the same time, he and Richard receive a new customer who brings them a charred wedding ring belonging to his late wife and asks to have it refashioned into a new piece of jewellery. Extra: To Wish Upon a Rose Quartz: Seigi is looking for a stone that will bring him luck in love, and so he asks Richard to source him some rose quartz. Seigi wants to put all the chances on his side when it comes to winning Tanimoto's affections, but Richard isn't convinced that he's going about it the right way.As you can see, all of the chapters are mini stories that feature a specific gemstone in each one. This is quite nice as you get to learn about many kinds of gems throughout the book. Overall, this is a really fun, feel-good novel that is part cozy mystery and slow-paced slice-of-life too. I'm looking forward to the next novels!

Where to start?

CHARACTERIZATION
The main character lacked depth, explaining about her tortured background does not make her a deep character. IMO Yalek has more depth than Yelena. The side characters such as Ari, Janco and even Rand, were likable and I was happy to read about them whenever they appeared. The Commander's “secret” is a very thinly disguised attempt at incorporating an element of LGBT to the story. That, and the passing remark from the seamstress that Valek was thought to maybe be gay... that is until Yelena appeared of course.

The evil characters, on the other hand, were clearly all trained in the same school of unoriginal hunt/torture/rape plots. It's a wonder Yelena made it alive up until the end of the book. Every other page she's either captured/kidnapped, hit in the face, stabbed at or shackled. That is, of course, until one of the strapping young men amongst her friends list turns up “just in the nick of time” to save her poor defenseless self (Read here: very thick sarcasm). My major annoyance throughout was Yelena's relentless dizzy spells and vomiting whenever it got a bit too stressful. For someone who doesn't eat all that much, she sure does vomit a lot.

PLOT
What plot? This book was supposed to be about poisons, precisely a food taster to the higher up of Ixia (the Commander). The topic of poison was touched upon in the first half of the book (maybe I'm generous here, I think it may have been the first 10 chapters). After that, the storyline changed from a very scientific “poison tasting” plot to a predictable “let's play with magic” one. Before this could happen though, Yelena goes through a third plot change known as the “I'm going to become a pro fighter”. All is well here when Ari, Janco and Marren help her out by having little training sessions in the basements. However, even though our heroine is clearly able to ward off her three friends, whenever the action gets serious outside she suddenly loses her abilities and has to really on gasp Valek! Who just so happens to be EVERY WHERE.

LOVE AND OTHER PLOT HOLES
Ok, of course she has to hook up with someone. From the description of the book, I had gathered that she would develop a thing for the Commander. However, after reading a few reviews I learned that Valek was to be the love interest. I followed his every move in the book to see how this could happen. Well, it kinda happened all in one go. Sure he helps and protects her in dangerous situations, but that doesn't mean anything really. Then Yelena gets drunk one night and sticks her hands in his pants and I'm like “whoa girl, calm yourself. Aren't you a torture/rape victim? Shouldn't you be weary of men, especially sex?”. Then nothing else happens for the rest of the book until at the end we mysteriously have a love declaration from the man himself, whilst being trapped in a dungeon waiting for death... very credible if you ask me.

HOLE #1 I thought there was a no nonsense policy about killing in Ixia? You know, the iron clad rule of “if you kill someone, even if accidental or in self-defense, you must hang”? Weeeeeell, I guess that doesn't apply to Yelena and Valek, seeing as the collectively kill about 10 people in the book. Also the killings themselves are odd. I would expect Valek not to flinch, he's a trained assassin, but Yelena? She killed once before in self-defense, after years of abuse. That is very different from fighting of palace guards and crushing their windpipes/bashing in their heads. She doesn't even blink or feel remorseful. Yelena is a psychopath. Not Valek, definitely Yelena. (Actually, declaring her a psychopath makes my skin crawl, she isn't actually psychopath in the clinical terms but, to use the exact words from the book, I chose this diagnosis. IMO she has an affective disorder, my bet is on depressive with a touch of anxiety)

HOLE #2 Criollo couldn't affect Valek because he is impervious to all things magical, but why would Yelena be spared from its effects? According to Irys, this substance in small quantities is used on students of magic to help them open their minds. If that's the case. Then Yelena should have had a similar reaction to it as the Commander (because she ate just as much as him). Somehow, she is spared. Let's just chalk it off as “she's the main, she can do anything and all the rules ever established don't apply to her”.


All in all, it's a very easy read, (two days for me) and, if you can look past the bad plot and characterization, then you could find it enjoyable in a mind numbing sense. If you want to relax your brain after reading something complicated then, my suggestion is “Poison Study” for a quick, painless read.

Excuse me, what did I just read. I'm shook.

Format read: Ebook (Kindle)
Reading time: 3-4h
Tags: mystery, adventure, translation, friendship, found family, psychological, supernatural
Own a copy: no, but I'm going to change that very soon
Reread likelihood: 10/10

What did the world look like, reflected in those eyes that held the night? (p. 164)

Summary

Review

It's usually the human mind that turns specters into specters and gives birth to monsters. ... We try to define the world through interpretation so that we can put it into terms we can understand. (p.83)

The Neighbor Who Shouldn't Exist

The Girl Who Spits Up Needles

The House to Another World

There was no warping. Naoya heard it with surprising directness. It was like a single ray of white light shining through the muddy, stagnant air. His voice was crystal clear. ... But there was something Naoya couldn't quite put his finger on. Why did the sound of that voice make him feel like he could breathe easier? (p.17-18)

There was no warping in the professor's voice, and Naoya could tell everything he said was sincere. He genuinely wanted to keep Naoya by his side. “I don't want to stop working with you. I want you to continue being my assistant.” Takatsuki's voice was soft, pleasant, and perfectly honest. His smile was like a bright, cloudless sky... Even though the night sky was hidden behind his eyes. Suddenly, the urge to bare everything within Naoya's soul to Takatsuki reared up from the depths of his heart. (p. 94)

Maybe Takatsuki was a fallen angel. Because the invitation to join him was like being tempted by the devil. Telling Naoya, who thought he would be alone forever, that there was someone just like him right there? How could he resist that? (p. 227)

This is such a weird little manga about a workaholic accountant who accidentally ends up in another world. The MC reminds me a lot of Yuri in [b:Kyo Kara MAOH!, Vol. 1 3389200 Kyo Kara MAOH!, Vol. 1 Temari Matsumoto https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1461420043l/3389200.SX50.jpg 3429059], so I like him quite a lot. Even though the isekai genre is so overdone in manga/anime, I still really like the premise of being transported to another world and learning the ropes. Sure, there are tons of manga who do it better than here, like [b:Red River, Vol. 1 357399 Red River, Vol. 1 (Red River, #1) Chie Shinohara https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388431212l/357399.SY75.jpg 2290903], but it's still a fun read, especially because the MC is a stereotypical salaryman. It's very incongruous to have some one like him in the middle of a fantasy setting.

Format read: Paperback
Reading time: 7h
Tags: mystery, adventure, translation, friendship, found family, lgbt (bi, m/m, ace)
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 1000/10

Summary
Vol. 6 features four cases and two short extras:

Extra 1: Sinhalite Beckons, Part 1: A Japanese woman travels alone to Sri Lanka and comes across a jewellery store where a pretty sinhalite shines in the window. A handsome foreigner fluent in English and Sinhala tells her that the stone is counterfeit and invites her to visit his jewellery shop instead. She decides to take a chance and follow this stranger to a different part of the city.

1. The Wandering Conch Pearl: A father-daughter duo shops up at Étranger to have a necklace done with conch pearls specifically. Meanwhile, a dubious character shows up, claiming he works as a government researcher, and tries to get information from Richard about the building owner. It turns out that the owner is a postwar Japanese Dominican farmer who was a victim of the government's scheming.

2. Resplendent Spinel: Seigi gets roped into replacing a university friend at his café job for a few hours. During his shift, Richard stumbles in with a woman in tow, seemingly running from someone or something. The woman, a minor television celebrity, runs in to avoid her fiancé/manager, but the man catches up to them and the pair end up causing a scene at Seigi's temporary workplace.

3. Paraíba Tourmaline Romance: Following Richard's enthusiastic invitation, Tanimoto winds up at Étranger to meet Seigi's famous boss. The two bond over their shared interest in gemology, and their respective relationships to Seigi. Tanimoto admits to Seigi that she never had the intention to date anyone, and that it makes her feel like a failure of a human. Richard consoles her and Seigi understands that his friendship with Tanimoto is more important than a potential romance.

4. The Tanzanite of Rebirth: On his way home from work at Étranger, Seigi is accosted by a ghost of his past, his biological father. The man insists on following Seigi around everywhere, begging him to let him live with him, but Seigi wants nothing to do with the man who hurt him and his mother. Seigi is driven to the edge and considers extreme solutions to his problem, including quitting his job at Étranger and moving apartments, all to avoid his leech of a father. Jeffrey gets wind of these plans and makes Richard aware so that he can jump in and help Seigi at his darkest hour.

Extra 2: Sinhalite Beckons, Part 2: The woman from part 1 is brought to a private home in Sri Lanka where she meets the Japanese man's business partner, a blond, blue-eyed beauty whom she instantly recognizes as Richard from Ginza. She learns that the two run a jewellery business from their home and often travel for work. The woman asks Seigi out, but he gently turns her down before setting her on her way for the airport.

Review

“I want to be by your side from now on, if you'll let me. ... I'm trying to become a person worthy of you”

“When you were preparing tea earlier, she... I'm not sure how to put this... had a very severe look on her face. (...) I will refrain from going into detail about what she said but in a very serious tone, she told me that I didn't know how much I had hurt you last year, and demanded that I never upset someone she cares about like that again. (p.174)

“Why do you treat me like some rock on the side of the road? What do you think I am? A doll that's not good for anything but being on display? (...) you had the audacity to try to abandon me and walk off into the darkness. It's beyond asinine and irrational. English people do not appreciate irrationality. So tell me, why are you treating me this way?” (p. 230)

The moment I realized that he had been watching over me and accepting me for who I was on a much deeper level that I could have imagined, I felt like I had been tossed into the middle of the ocean–it was salty, and I struggled to breathe. I was such a loser, such a thoughtless person, a timid child crying in the dark with his knees held tightly to his chest, and yet it felt like he took it all in and said that it was fine. But it wasn't just a feeling, he believed in me, more than I could ever believe. (pp.247-248)

“At times, I also find it easier to breathe when you're with me.” (p.282)