A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennet: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennet

This is the second book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. It’s set in a wonderfully unique secondary world where the centuries old emperor, the last remnant of the original people, rule over a population modified with blood from humongous sea creatures who once a year make to the land, destroying everything. The entire empire is harnessed to either fight the leviathans or to make use of them.

This time, we follow the investigative duo, Dinios Kol, the narrator, and his superior officer in the law department, Ana Dolabra, outside the empire to Yarrowdale, a small seaside kingdom that the empire has rented for a century for its practical geography. The dead leviathans are floated there to The Shroud, a secret facility where everything useful is extracted of them. It’s dangerous work, as the leviathan blood mutates everything around it instantly, but necessary. Now the century is up and the empire is trying to negotiate a new contract with the king.

One of the negotiators has been killed in a bizarre fashion and the body disappeared from inside a locked, upper-floor room. Ana and Din have arrived to investigate. Well, Din investigates and Ana stays in her room to avoid overpowering herself with too much stimulus like always. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take her long to figure out how it was done. That turns out to be the easiest part of the case.

A conspiracy against the empire seems to be afoot, and the perpetrator is not only capable of changing their appearances, but highly intelligent too, thanks to illegal modifications. Poor Din has his hands full as he hunts the killer through swamps to king’s court and even to The Shroud itself, all the while risking his life to instant mutation by leviathan blood stolen by the killer who has made it into a weapon.

Even Ana seems stumped, her behaviour turning more bizarre by the day. But nothing escapes her, and in the end, the truth turns out to be fairly simple and, as she says, banal. She’s very disappointed. Reader is less so. I sort of guessed where the case was headed to, but allowed myself to be distracted by the false leads. And even if the killer’s motivations were fairly simple in the end, the case was entertaining.

Murder wasn’t the only crime committed. Ana learns that the officers working for the empire at the Shroud have misused their power and illegally modified the workers. All in the name of greater good. In the end, the only arrest she’s able to make are these people. But it’s a lesson for Din as well, about the importance of the work they’re doing for the empire and the meaning of justice. 

The greatness of the series is in the characters. Din, the engraver with perfect memory, thanks to his mods, has personal troubles. His father’s debts are his to pay, and the bank is doubling the payments, now that he’s working in such a high-risk area. He has difficulty sleeping, so he finds willing bed-fellows, men and women, where ever he goes to avoid his own bed. He dreams of joining the legion to fight the leviathans, and returning to the man he left behind, but he knows that the bank will never allow that.

With the amount of sleep he got in this book, it’s a wonder he’s able to function through it, let alone have several sword fights. But he’s ever curious and able to detect the smallest details, thanks to his modifications. And in the end, after several talks with Ana, he’s even able to make up his mind about the legion.

There was maybe a character discrepancy with the previous book though. I don’t remember well, but I seem to recall Din had trouble reading, which was only once referenced to in this book when letters danced in his eyes. Yet he seemed to be able to read well throughout the book. Maybe I misremember, but it caught my eye.

Din was joined in his investigation by a new side-kick, Malo. She’s a warden, a local working for the empire with a modified sense of smell and sight. Her job is to track and fight smugglers in the swamps. She’s a fun, rough character and not a love-interest or bed-fellow, which I found refreshing. The end saw her needing to change her life, and maybe we’ll see her in later books too.

The most interesting character is, like before, Ana. She starts as her usual cantankerous, highly intelligent, and easily distracted self. But as the case progresses, she morphs into something else, and some of it is clearly deliberate. Din doesn’t know what to make of it, and she won’t talk. It could even be that she can’t talk about what kinds of modifications she has. She can hint though, and what Din learns through his investigation is so mind-boggling he refuses to believe it.

This was another great book. It retained the cozy feel despite the gruesome mutations and sword fights, the world remained intriguing, even if this one didn’t have mushroom houses, and the case, despite the banal ending, was good. I’m very eager to read more of Din and Ana’s investigations.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What I read in March

Here’s another recap of a busy reading month. I read and reviewed 35 items in March, 31 of which were mangas. Almost half of that was The Apothecary Diaries by Nekokurage and Natsu Hyuuga, 13 volumes so far. Well, 14, but the last one isn't out yet officially. I’ve been reading it on Manga Up!, the publisher’s official site, chapter at a time, and even though I’ve tried to pace myself, I ended up reading it all. Now I have to wait for the next chapters to be published at the end of this month.

If you haven’t read it, it’s a wonderful story set in maybe 19th century China, based on references to western cultures. It follows Maomao, an apothecary who is abducted and sold as a servant to the inner court of the imperial palace. She saves the life of an infant princess and gets to work as a food taster for the concubine, her dream job. The stories consist of mysteries she solves, tasked by the head eunuch with secrets of his own. Maomao is a delightful character with penchant for poisons and Sir Jinshi makes for a great romantic lead—even if after 14 volumes there’s still no romance. There’s also anime series on Crunchyroll and coming to Netflix soon.

I reviewed eleven mangas for NetGalley and Edelweiss. Gunsmith Cats Omnibus Volume 1 by Sonoda Kenichi is a reissue from the 90s and follows two bounty hunter women. It’s action-packed and fun. Dead Rock 1 by Hiro Mashima is a fun story about a school for demons. Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo is a collection of Endo’s older stories. They weren’t good. 23:45 by Ohana is a lovely story of a young college student who lets a ghost of a young man to move in with him.

Soul Taker by Jeannine Acheson and Thomas E. Sniegoski is a contemporary horror/fantasy of a woman who has lived for centuries hunted by the Church. Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts Heir: White Rabbit and the Prince of Beasts, Vol. 1 by Yu Tomofuji is a spinoff of the original Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts Heir series, a cute story of a little prince needing to find his magic and courage. Veil vol 1 by Kotteri is a rather odd, artistic comic of a woman who can’t see and a police officer helping her. Not much of a story, but very beautiful art.

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride vol 1 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru starts a romantic fantasy series, good but not entirely memorable. I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class Vol. 1 by Amano Seiju is a start for a fun high school romance. Also as an anime on Crunchyroll. The Failure at God School, Vol. 1 is by the same author as The Apothecary Diaries, Natsu Hyuuga, with artist Modomu Akagawara, but set in contemporary Japan and aimed at MG readers. And finally, I read vol. 3 of Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite by Julietta Suzuki. It’s been a fun series so far.

I read two novels I had ARCs for, both books that I would’ve read anyway. The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison, book 3 in the Cemeteries of Amalo series, was as wonderful as the other books. It has a feel of the last volume and a start of a new arc. The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal is book 4 in the Lady Astronaut series. It was good, but not as interesting as the earlier books.

For my own pleasure, I read The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Vol. 3 (light novel) by Yatsuki Wakatsu. The series came to an end to my utter disappointment, but otherwise it was a good book. The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish Vol. 4 also ended, but that I knew already and it didn’t come as a surprise. A slightly less interesting ending, but a fun read nonetheless.

Three of the manhwas I reviewed I’d actually read earlier, but they were officially published last month so I added them on Goodreads as read. Technically I could leave them out of the count, but since I haven’t counted them in the month that I read them, here they are.

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint vol 6 by singNsong. The story is in early stages yet here, as this volume reaches about episode 60 of 250 or so. I’ve been reading this one on Webtoons and am almost finished. Solo Leveling Vol. 11 by Chugong and Dubu I’d read earlier too, on Tappytoons. I’ve now finished the series there, but I’ll review them on GR when they come out in print, which will take a while yet. And lastly, the first volume of Shutline, a very graphic BL I’m reading on Lezhin where it’s ongoing, about a car mechanic and a gangster. It was recently added on GR when the Korean edition was published in print, so I added it too. No English version in print yet.

I read three very different BL mangas/manhwas. Semantic Error Vol. 2 by Angy continues the odd hate/hate relationship of two Korean college students. How to Deal When Your Intimidating Neighbor is Actually an Omega by Nikuya Inui is a sweet stand-alone omegaverse manga with a slightly different take on the dynamics. Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! vol 3 by Nmura continues the romance between two gamers and coworkers, but the story doesn’t really go anywhere.

And then, finally, my favourite comfort read: Mr. Villain's Day Off vol. 6 by Yuu Morikawa. The evil (or not so evil) general enjoying pandas and ice cream is such a delight. And it’s an anime too! On Crunchyroll. I’ve only watched one episode so far (I’m watching The Apothecary Diaries first), but it’s equally delightful, with the added delight of being in colour.

So, there it is, my insane reading month. On top of this, I started a couple of books in my favourite series, but had to put aside to make room for other reading. I’ll finish those later. And I prepared my own book for publication and read it a couple of times, but that’s work and doesn’t count.

The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal: review

3/5 stars on Goodreads

The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal

In the fourth book, it’s 1970 and Elma York, The Lady Astronaut, finally lands on Mars with her husband Nathaniel with the second wave of settlers. Earth hasn’t had a clear sky since the asteroid hit it and the mere chance of seeing stars at night is lifting their spirits.

But from the start, Elma feels something’s off. Accidents have clearly taken place during the first wave of settlers that no one has reported back to earth and hateful messages have been painted on the wall. No one is willing to tell her anything when she tries to ask about it, even though she’s the second in command.

Small accidents keep happening too. They’re fairly harmless at first—until they aren’t. It’s clear that they’re deliberate sabotage. But is it someone on the planet with them behind it, or is the mastermind back on earth?

Despite the intriguing premise, this was surprisingly boring book. Focus was on technical details and religious rituals, and even the who dunnit was solved elsewhere behind the scenes. Most of the cast was new, the familiar characters like Stetson Parker only appeared through radio transmissions, and even Elma and Nathaniel spent large part of the book apart. The new characters were none of them interesting, nor were they given any backstories that would’ve made them more than talking heads, useful for each scene only.

Character relations were antagonist. Instead of building the inclusivity through open conversation, nothing happened until after a confrontation, however small. It made the whole process feel angry and negative instead of a hopeful chance to build a better world mentioned in the book’s description. It made for a heavy read and I didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped I would.

In the end, everything was solved as well as it could be. Elma and Nathaniel settled down to their forever home, and they seemed content with where they are now. If this was the last book, it leaves them in a good place. But there’s a lot to explore in space left.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Vol. 3 (light novel) by Yatsuki Wakatsu: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter vol. 3 by Yatsuki Wakatsu

First up, beware: this is the last volume. I didn’t know it going in and wasn’t adequately prepared emotionally for it to end. It left me slightly upset despite the ending being good. But now you know and can read it accordingly.

Volume 3 of the light novel has a subtitle Magic Research Exchange Plan and that’s what the story is about with no side plots. An envoy arrives from a distant country to study Romany’s summoning magic. Seiichirou is roped in to guide the visitors, as the whole project is his idea. It’s about sending him and Yua, the Holy Maiden, back to their own world.

Leading the visitors is the country’s third prince, Lars, who shows great interest in Seiichirou. Not romantically though; he’s impressed by his efficiency and considers recruiting him to work for his country. Despite Seiichirou’s skills, the visit is a bit chaotic, as the group includes mages who are very excitable and have no patience for anything but magic. Seiichirou is kept busy and he doesn’t have enough time for his partner, Aresh.

Aresh has anticipated this though. For the welcoming party, he arranges a suitable attire for Seiichirou, complete with a brooch that declares he and Seiichirou are engaged. He just doesn’t think to inform Seiichirou about it. Seiichirou doesn’t take it well that Aresh does such a huge thing behind his back, as if he isn’t part of the relationship. A fight ensues and the pair doesn’t speak in days.

It doesn’t help that Aresh is summoned home by his parents. Lars is trying to arrange a marriage between his youngest sister and the youngest son of Idolark family. That’s Aresh. Seiichirou learns about this from other people and it adds to his upset. When he finally has a chance to ask Aresh about it, the other man goes into another huff. And then leaves to escort the envoy back to their country.

A weaker man might despair. Seiichirou isn’t one of those. He goes after his man. Matters are cleared between the two, including the biggest cause of upset for Aresh: Seiichirou returning to his own world.

This was a good book, but it read like another middle book and it came as a surprise that it ended. After all the hardships, the series deserved a stronger ending. The great magical feat of sending Seiichirou and Yua back was solved rather fast with a time jump. It left the reader to wish that at least some of it had been made into another volume, maybe about the days leading up to the reverse summoning. There could’ve been lot of drama about it, and we could’ve finally witnessed Seiichirou and Aresh settle into a happy life together. Seiichirou opened about his feelings only in the last chapter and I would’ve loved to read more about that. Even the epilogue was more about general story than the two of them.

After the epilogue there were two extras, one from Norbert’s point of view as he reports to the king, and another from Aresh’s, which explains his point of view about the spat. In the afterword, the author admits that some storylines were left open, but didn’t promise more stories. I don’t really need those; only the bit that was missing from this one. But it was a sweet story as it was, with some spice, and I’m happy with where the men ended up.

The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison

The Tomb of Dragons is the third book in The Cemeteries of Amalo series (fifth overall), and after two fairly gloomy books, Thara Celehar is finally showing signs of recovering from the tragedy of his past of sending his lover to death with his witnessing. The beginning isn’t auspicious though. Having lost his ability to speak with the death, he’s at loss for what he’s supposed to do now.

The purpose comes from his unique sponsor, the Archprelate, who tasks him with sorting out a cemetery that hasn’t been functioning for fifty years. What seems like an administrative task turns out to be an uncontrollable mess that has begun decades ago. But Thara Celehar is good at cleaning up messes.

His mentee Velhiro Tomasaran also keeps him busy. She’s now given the full status of the Witness for the Dead, but she’s never investigated on behalf of a murdered person before, and constantly relies on Thara for advice. It’s an odd murder, with seemingly no suspects, as the victim didn’t have time to notice they were being killed. Only one memory guiding Tomasaran, she slowly unravels a conspiracy.

Thara’s main story begins when he’s kidnapped and forcefully transported into a mine where the miners say a ghoul of a dragon remains, killing the workers. But the joke’s on them, because he can’t speak with the dead anymore and can’t banish ghouls, so he’s left for dead. But he’s not alone; his god, Ulis, seems to have a purpose for him and so he’s saved. What he learns is that 192 dragons were brutally killed in the mines, with one of them remaining as a guardian. She wants him to witness for them, and he accepts.

But the mining company is powerful, its tentacles reaching everywhere in the society. Thara has only one option: pleading with the emperor. Good thing he knows him personally. But it brings the ire of the company on him. After an attempt on his life, he agrees with his friends that he needs a guard.

Enter Captain Hanu Olgarezh. He’s caught Thara’s eye early in the book, but as Thara isn’t used to being interested in anyone except his dead lover, he doesn’t really pay attention. But now that they spend a long winter together, the pain inside him begins to ease and he starts to hope that the captain might be interested in him too.

He opens with his other friends too. Instead of pushing everyone away so he wouldn’t be a nuisance, he accepts their help and interest in him. That especially applies to Iäna Pel-Thenhior, the opera director who I thought would be the long-term romantic interest (not that I entirely agreed). But the two have an open conversation and it turns out Iäna isn’t even interested in men, nor is Thara interested in him. You could’ve fooled me.

The emperor gives his ruling on the Tomb of Dragons and the matter should be settled. But the mining company isn’t about to give up on having their revenge on Thara. He can’t stay in Amalo, a fate he and his friends had discussed of so they know he’s not abandoning them.

And he’s not alone in his exile. Captain Olgarezh is with him and eager for adventures. He’s an old soldier with his own troubled past and perfect for Thara. The book ends with the two on the run, and I very much hope there will be many books of them sorting out troubles for the Archprelate all over the empire.

This was a great book. It wasn’t as heart-wrenching or scary as the earlier books, but I loved the healing arc Thara was on here. The world is as brilliantly rich and complicated as ever, with only a surface showing to the readers. The reader has no idea what people are talking about half the time, but it’s always very interesting. With a world like this and a character as wonderful as Thara, there’s material for exploring for many books to come.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.