What I read in February

February turned out to be a good reading month, despite being short, brought about by a week-long vacation that I mostly spent reading. I read eight books and twelve mangas, and liked almost everything. Links are to my reviews on this blog or Goodreads.

My favourite book turned out to be The Orbof Caraido by Katherine Addison, a novella set in her Goblin Emperor world. It was a surprise addition to my reading list, as I hadn’t known it existed. I read it the moment I found it, and now I’m eagerly waiting for her The Tomb of Dragons which comes out later this month.

I read books 2 and 3 in Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde alt-history fantasy trilogy, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. I’d postponed reading the second book, but then I got an ARC of the last book and had to read them back-to-back. It was a good decision, in hindsight, as the last book continues where the previous one left. Both were fun and good.

Other review copy reads included Juliette Cross’s A Rebel Without Claws, which started a spin-off series in her earlier world. I didn’t like it as much as the earlier series, but it was fine. I also read The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton, a fun sci-fi romp that turned out to be one of my favourite reads last month. The reading month ended with a review copy of The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor, a YA fantasy that had potential for more, but a fine enough read.

My Chinese danmei enthusiasm was rewarded with two books, both of which came out last month. Peerless vol. 3 by Meng Xi Shi was a great addition to an interesting series about two secret service bosses in ancient China. Intrigue and heartbreak aplenty. And in Case File Compendium vol. 4 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou the complicated story of two men who hate each other for various reasons saw one of them have a change of heart. Maybe it’ll turn out to be a romance after all.

I read five review copies of mangas, but none of them stood out. There was Love on the Horizon 1 by Machi Yamashita, a cute but small gay romance; Palace of the Omega, Vol. 1 by Fumi Tsuyuhisa that I really didn’t like all that much, mostly because the love interest was a child; Fall In Love, You False Angels 1 by Coco Uzuki was a silly and a bit weak high school romance; My Stepmom's Daughter is my Ex, vol. 1 by Kyosuke Kamishiro and Rei Kusakabe was also a high school romance, but surprisingly bitter; and lastly one more high school romance, A Star Brighter than the Sun, Vol. 1 by Kazune Kawahara, which was cute but really slow.

I had better luck with mangas that I chose for myself. There was vol. 2 of I Ship My Rival x Me by Pepa, a fun, sweet, and cute series of two Chinese idols working on a same movie. I’ve read the entire series online already, but the official second volume came out last month so I re-read it. It was still perfect.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity vol 5 by Saka Mikami continues to be my feel-good high school romance manga, sweet and uncomplicated. I found a new feel-good manga too, A Man and His Cat vol 1 by Umi Sakurai of a man who gets himself a cat after his wife dies, giving a home for a cat no one else has wanted. Funniest high school manga was The Otaku Love Connection 01 by Chu Amairo of a boy who ships his class-mates’ romance.

On action front, I finished two volumes of Solo Leveling by Chugong & Dubu, vols. 9 and 10. I’ve read this online too, on Tappytoons, but I review it volume at a time. The series keeps getting better. In addition, I’ve been reading Omniscient Reader manhwa by SingNSong and Sleepy-C, but I’ll have to wait forever for official publications to catch up before I can review it. I also read Black Butler 1 by Yana Toboso, but for once I encountered a manga that I couldn’t get into at all. My other webtoons have almost all gone to hiatus, so there’s nothing to report there, except Jinx by Mingwa BL manga is getting on gear after a slow start for season 2.

Excellent reading month, if I say so myself, with all kinds of fun books and comics. March is packed full already too. I hope I have time to read it all.