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.

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 4 by Xue Shan Fei Hu: review

4/5 stars

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 4 by Xue Shan Fei Hu

The delightful and silly story of a transmigrating fish in a book about ancient China comes to an end in this volume. It doesn’t go out in a bang or with high emotions. It ends with a sweet happily ever after.

The last volume is slightly uneven. The main story about those plotting against the emperor comes to an end already during the first third of the book. There are some surprises in store for the reader and Li Yu both, but thanks to his ingenuity, a coup is thwarted and the emperor survives another day. As a reward, Prince Jing is finally named the crown prince.

It’s what Li Yu had been tasked to do by the fish scamming system, but apparently it isn’t enough. The final tribulation isn’t over. The rest of the book meanders to that goal with small side steps that include people realising Li Yu and the beloved pet fish might be the same.

Mostly, it’s about family stuff. The biggest drama comes from another pregnancy. This time Li Yu accidentally chooses the wrong option and has to go through it in human form. He is not happy, sob, sob. A little girl is born and instantly made a princess by the happy emperor. But it appears she’s not able to turn into a fish like her brothers and fish father.

And then, finally, the last tribulation comes to an end. Li Yu learns that the only reason it hadn’t was because Prince Jing was afraid it would make Li Yu leave. But he promises to stay forever. As a reward, Li Yu is now a human that can turn into a fish, not a fish that can turn into a human. And he’s given an option to return to his life and not remember what took place in the book world. Obviously, he refuses. But he’s given a chance to visit once, and he can take someone with him. It’s a nice side quest, but it could’ve been better.

The book ends with a brief description of the happily ever after for the pair. A prosperous empire and a good rule follow when Prince Jing becomes the emperor instead of the tyranny of the original story. And finally, no family member is left behind when it comes to fishy antics. The end.

This was a delightful ending, but much of it was just fillers to make the required word count. The reader slightly disconnects from the story, and while there are cute moments, they remain a bit distant. There are barely any fishy antics and the children are sidelined from the action. But the love between Prince Jing and Li Yu is wonderful and their happily ever after is well deserved. All in all, a lovely, delightful story.