ellelainey's reviews
2521 reviews

Terano-kun to Kumazaki-kun by Yoriko

3.0

I was really looking forward to this one, but I'm sorry to say that it just didn't stack up to my expectations.

I wasn't expecting a story with high school kids to be so explicit. However, I got through Caste Heaven, so I tried to squint and ignore their ages, preferring to think of them as college kids, but it just didn't work. There was A LOT of explicit, on-page sex between the two MC's.

Kumazaki is the school delinquent, but he's really a loner introvert. Terano is asked by a teacher to talk to him about skipping classes, but grows fascinated by him, and they soon begin a relationship. There's some drama from outside sources and jealousy, but it doesn't amount to much of a story, to be honest. It's mostly about them having sex and graduating high school.

I do give this points for being brave enough to start the story with an established couple - it isn't often you find yaoi with an established couple - which then provides flashbacks to show how they met.

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

  ** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

 Copy received through Netgalley 

 ~ 

 The Fox Maidens, by Robin Ha 

★★★★★ 

 314 Pages 

 Content Warning: mentions of off-page, non-explicit rape and murder, generational trauma, violence 

 The Fox Maidens is an intriguing graphic novel based on the legacy of the gumiho and an honest, if heartbreaking look at the generational trauma of women. 

 The Fox Maidens is a feminist retelling of Korean folklore, but it's also a story about how past mistakes or choices that our parents make leave unexpected duties and burdens for their children. It's a dedication to the sacrifices mothers make for their children and the burdens that woman harbour and pass on through the generations. 

 The story is ostensibly about Kai Song; the only daughter of a general who is known as the gumiho slayer, the commander of the Royal Legion. However, while Kai is the central character, it feels to me that the story is really about the legacy that her mother, Meorhu, has left to Kai. 

 Meorhu is the first wife to General Song, and at first their marriage seems surprising; she's a frail woman who hides herself away and allows his second wife to take precedence. Meorhu has a daughter, younger than the two sons the first wife has provided General Song. But things begin to make sense when we're about a third of the way through the book and Meorhu tells Kai the true story of how she and General Song met, fell in love, and became married. But the biggest revelation comes when Meorhu explains how Kai came into the world. 

 Meorhu is the character at the centre of everything that follows. It's her choices, her legacy, her origin story that lays the path for Kai's future. It's Meorhu's resilience, strength and fear that drives the entire plot of the story, and in a way, forces Kai onto a path that leads to death, destruction and eventually love. 

 I don't want to say too much more about the plot because there are a lot of twists and secrets, and saying much more might end up spoiling the story. 

 This is not a romance. 

 This is not an adventure. 

 This is not a fantasy. 

 This is a realistic portrayal of what it means to be a woman in the Joseon period in Korean. 

 This is the story of what it means to be a woman who is suppressed by others because of her gender. 

 This is the story about a young girl whose hope, future and dreams are smothered by generational trauma, and the burdens of her family, laid down long before she was born. 

 The Fox Maidens is heartbreaking, emotive, brutally honest, touching and full of anticipation. Through real, well written characters that could be our mothers, fathers or siblings, even in this modern age, Robin Ha explores what it means to be family, to be a woman, to be a mother and a daughter, and what it means to carry a duty inherited from someone else. 

 In the end, The Fox Maidens asks us what we would do in Kai's place. Would we have done anything differently? Would we have coped or been crushed under the pressure of her legacy? Would we have made the same choices or been trapped by the inevitability of her story? 

 When faced with the choice of living a lonely but immortal life, or giving someone you love immortality to save their life, even if that means sacrificing your own life, what choice would you make? 

The Titan's Bride Vol. 1 by ITKZ

1.5

This was recommended to me a LONG time ago, so I thought I'd finally try it. Since it's hard to get the full volumes unless you go to Amazon or buy the paperbacks, I thought I'd start with the chapter volumes available on Kobo. It's a smaller financial and time investment, but a couple of them should give me an indication of whether I want to read more or not.

~

Chapter 1 : 2*
Sadly, this wasn't at all what I was expecting.
Kouichi is tall, popular and (according to rumour) hung! He's in a basketball team and everything is going great, until he gets home and starts fantasising about a girl who was flirty with him. Right in the middle of *ahem* entertaining himself *ahem* he's transported to another world to become the 'wife' of the first Prince of Tildant, a land of Titans.
This was non-con all the way. For <30 pages, it had ZERO plot or even an attempt at a storyline other than "want wife, must have" and "Where TF am I?"
I'll read Chapters 2 and 3 to give it a fair shot at attempting a story, because they're so short, but I probably won't be investing a lot of time or money into this series.

If you want an isekai book that does great story, world-building, chemistry and spice then try The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, by Yatsuki Wakatsu. And if you want a fantasy isekai with no modern age characters, then try A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, by Misaki, Sando and Momochi. It's got no spice, is 10 volumes so far, and has incredible story, world-building and chemistry, with an aside of great adventures that any D&D enthusiast will love.

Chapter 2 : 3*
The non-con from Volume 1 is actually stopped BEFORE "it" happens. Kouichi complains and says no. For once in a yaoi, Caius actually listens and STOPS! He asks Kouichi to give him 1 month to convince Kouichi to be his 'wife', or he'll send him back to his own world.
This was a nice change, though there was still zero storyline.

Chapter 3 : 3*
Caius' ex-fiancee shows up and they're suddenly happy together! :/ Kouichi tries to be chivalrous though he's jealous and becoming attached to Caius. Which, obviously, only makes Caius fall head over heels for him.

Chapter 3: 3*
There's a bit more plot creeping in, but it's just so slow. Everything is about Caius trying to get Kouichi to have sex - which has happened (with consent!) by now - with no real bond or chemistry between them. I'm stopping here, having given it enough time to lead somewhere. I can see why there needs to be 50+ chapters/episodes, but I won't be continuing.

Wild Roses and Pretenders, Vol. 1 by Kamoburger

5.0

This was a beautiful story, with some nice characterisation and world-building. It begins with a bang - Lord Rupert has a nightmare about being a child and picking flowers for his mother. But when he goes to present them to her, she's standing on the balcony of their home and throws herself to her death. Later, we learn that it's because she was in a loveless marriage and was desperate for her cold, unfeeling husband to love her. Ever since, Rupert has nightmares and insomnia from the memories.

In present day - where Rupert is an adult - he's suffering through a visit from his step-mother, who is trying to matchmake him to a young woman he can't stand. He knows that's only for his step-mother's advantage, and possibly the girl's, and he refuses to play the game.
At the same time, Noah has just arrived on the estate to take up the position of groundskeeper. He's only 19, but he's desperate to earn money, because his mother is sick and he needs to pay for her medicine. On his way to report for duty, a maid begs him to deliver the tea tray to Lord Rupert and his guests, because she's so busy. But when he does, Lord Rupert drops a bomb - he tells his guests that he and Noah are madly in love and that he can't possibly entertain courting anyone else.

What follows is a mash-up of some of my favourite tropes : grumpy/sunshine, marriage of convenience, fake dating, rich/poor and hurt/comfort. Noah is adorable, sweet, naive and innocent, while Lord Rupert is surly, distant and sharp-tongued at first, flirty later. Their chemistry grows nicely over time, ending in a soft affection. Not the intense attraction and sexy times of some other stories of this kind, but slowly and with warmth rather than heat. While they do end up with sexy times, it's all behind doors and off-page, which suits the characters and the storyline, letting the plot take centre stage.

I'm looking forward to Volume 2.

Hey, Mary by Andrew Wheeler

4.0

  ** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

 Copy received through Netgalley 

 ~ 

 Hey, Mary, by Andrew Wheeler 

★★★★☆ 

 128 Pages 

 Hey, Mary is an intriguing graphic novel that explores the challenge of how to be gay and Catholic at the same time. 

 Mark is struggling. His best friend, Luka, has come out as gay at their Catholic school and to his parents, putting a strain on their relationship. Mark is confused about the church's teaching about being gay and that applies to his friend, but also confused about his own feelings – not just towards Luka in general, but the fearful thought that he's also gay! 

 Mark has always prayed and found an affinity for the Virgin Mary, but after a fight with Luka during a school trip to an art gallery, historical figures from the paintings start coming to life to talk to him. All of the historical figures are two things: queer and Catholic! They talk Mark through the teachings of the bible, the expansive queer history of famous Christian figures and even explore real world issues that Mark encounters throughout his days. 

 Mark confides in friends, a priest, and eventually speaks to his family. This way, we see how each part of his life differs from the others; unfailingly supportive friends, a wise and kind priest, well-meaning but conservative parents who don't understand. 

 The story is sweet but hard hitting in places. It could be a great resource for questioning kids or parents of teens who are struggling with coming out, giving them a look at the many connections between gay Christian history and modern living, which often counters the original teachings. 

 However...it could be too dark and depressing for some younger kids. I'd definitely say there are heavy chunks of sadness, fear and anxiety in Mark's story and it can feel a bit oppressing, which could be triggering for some kids. I also feel like it's very heavy handed with the pro-religion aspect, and gets quite preachy at points. There are counter points to nearly every argument, but for someone who is deeply religious it definitely sways towards using historical stories and teachings to overrule or discount modern teachings. I'm not religious at all, but that's definitely how it felt to me, and I wonder if someone who is as devout as Mark would feel differently. 

 Overall, I'd say this is a great resource for religious but questioning queer kids, with some supportive adult guidance, to talk through the stories, teachings and messages contained within. The ending is also very happy and easily resolved, which doesn't feel realistic, so that may also give a rose-tinted view to readers who don't know any better. 

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Vol. 5 by Yatsuki Wakatsu

5.0

Wow! I just love the chemistry between Sei and Aresh. It gets better with every volume. Even though Sei is constantly busy doing other things, every volume has a really good balance between plot and romance, with strong on-page contact and chemistry.

I hate that it ended on a cliffhanger, but that just means I get to binge the entire series all over again whenever Volume 6 releases!

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Vol. 4 by Yatsuki Wakatsu

5.0

I love Aresh and Sei more with every volume. Together, apart, they're just incredible MC's for this storyline. Aresh knows the key to Sei's heart: efficiency!

The beginning of the investigation into a potentially hostile/criminal church is so intriguing and nice twist from the ongoing plot.

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Vol. 3 by Kazuki Irodori, Yatsuki Wakatsu

5.0

Aresh truly is adorable! That cushion is practically a matchmaker!

The story just continues to get cuter and cuter. It's definitely got the Gentle Noble vibes, but the romance and chemistry is just off the charts. I love the giggly, adorable vibe I get whenever Aresh and Sei are on page together. The level of world-building is just incredible and I love all the side characters, especially the ones who keep popping up.

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Vol. 2 by Kazuki Irodori, Yatsuki Wakatsu

5.0

Ooh, this is getting interesting!

Aresh is getting jealous. Sei has mentioned that he's not romantically interested in younger people, to cover for the fact that he's not romantically interested in the Holy Maiden, but that gives Aresh the chills - he's 22 and Sei is 30! He genuinely looks gutted, the poor soul.

Finding out Orjef is Aresh's cousin was fun, and makes sense of a lot.

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Vol. 1 by Kazuki Irodori, Yatsuki Wakatsu

5.0

Seiichiro Kondou is living the life of a hard-working pencil pusher in the modern world. On his way home one day, he hears a scream and finds a young woman being sucked into a portal. In an attempt to help her, he grabs her hand and ends up being transported to the same world with her.

It turns out, they're trapped in a parallel world (with fantasy elements) where it's revealed the woman was summoned by a spell, as the new Holy Maiden - capable of curing a terrible magical plague - while Seiichiro is just surplus. But as he was accidentally pulled in, the world accepts that he's become their responsibility. Except the only compensation Seiichiro wants is to be put to work! He becomes an accountant and quickly rises up the ranks to prove his worth.

Captain Aresh and the prime minister are both intrigued by Seiichiro for different reasons, but when a well-meaning co-worker gives Seiichiro advice about how to cure his aches and fatigue - something he's been plagued with for years - Seiichiro accidentally overdoses on the 'medicine'. Aresh happens to find him when he collapses and uses magic to cure Seiichiro - except it turns out Seiichiro suffers from magic-sickness! To save him from the cure, Aresh has to...have sex with him. ;) Hmm...what an interesting plot point.

lol. All kidding aside, this was a REALLY well written, plotted and characterised story. It strongly resembles A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, however this has ALL the romance and chemistry that I wanted from Gentle Noble (but still haven't gotten, after NINE volumes!) The chemistry between Aresh and Seiichiro is AMAZING! And I really love that the sex scene is implied and behind-doors rather than explicit. That means the story gets to be the main focus, with the secondary plot of romance. I don't mind a good explicit yaoi, but it felt like the choice of non-explicit romance was the best choice here.

I loved everything about it.