Waiting on Wednesday – The Desert Spear, Twilight GN, & Nightschool Vol 3

March 10, 2010 — Julie

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

OK!  Only about a month until I have Peter V. Brett’s The Desert Spear in my greedy little mitts.  I loved the world building of The Warded Man, and after reading Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I am chomping at the bit for this one! Demons are a lot like zombies, in my little universe.  This will be in stores April 13th.

From Amazon:

The sun is setting on humanity. The night now belongs to voracious demons that arise as the sun sets, preying upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind ancient and half-forgotten symbols of power. These wards alone can keep the demons at bay, but legends tell of a Deliverer: a general—some would say prophet—who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. Those times, if they ever existed, are long past. The demons are back, and the return of the Deliverer is just another myth . . . or is it?

On the graphic novel front, I am looking forward to Twilight’s release, more to see if it creates a wave of interest in other manga and GN properties that have some cross-over appeal.  One thing is a given – if the Twilight graphic novel sells like hotcakes, you can expect other YA titles to end up as comics as well.  The stampede starts March 16th.

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret…

Beautifully rendered, this first installment of Twilight: The Graphic Novel is a must-have for any collector’s library.

Oh, look!  Here’s a title with lots of cross-over appeal for those hoards of screaming Twilight fan girls!  I love this series and I love Yen Press for publishing it.  Can you please take some of your gobs of Twilight profits and develop more talent like Sveltana’s?   

Nightschool Vol 3 will be in stores April 20th.

From Amazon:

Alex has to enroll in the Nightschool to get a Nightpass which allows the wearer to walk the grounds without triggering its protective spells. She is suddenly immersed in the otherworldly environment of nighttime schooling, getting a tour of the magical areas of the school, meeting other students, and attending classes. Alex makes a big splash when she proves too powerful for the class into which she’s originally placed and gets transferred into the elite class taught by Mr. Roi. However, Mr. Roi is off with Daemon trying to figure out what was under the broken seal in Marina’s vision…

What are you waiting on??

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[PR] VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS APOCALYPITIC DOROHEDORO MANGA

March 9, 2010 — Julie

VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS DOROHEDORO A BATTLE BETWEEN DIABOLICAL SORCERERS AND THE MONSTERS THEY CREATED

San Francisco, CA, March 9, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will publish manga creator, Q Hayashida’s gritty urban sci-fi/horror series, DOROHEDORO on March 16th. The new series under the company’s VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences and will carry and MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

In a city so dismal it’s known only as "the Hole," an underground group of Sorcerers have been abducting people off the streets to use as guinea pigs for atrocious "experiments" in the black arts. In a dark alley, Nikaido found Caiman, a mutant man with a reptile head and a bad case of amnesia. To undo the spell, Nikaido and Caiman hunt and kill the Sorcerers in the Hole, hoping that eventually they’ll kill the right one. But when En, the head Sorcerer, gets word of a lizard-man slaughtering his people, he sends a crew of "cleaners" into the Hole, igniting a war between two worlds.

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Teaser Tuesday – Gold Dragon Codex & Muhyo & Roji

March 9, 2010 — Julie

Life may have been crazy the past week, but there is always time for Teaser Tuesdays!  For a full description of what it is, check the bottom of this post.

Up first is Gold Dragon Codex by R. D. Henham. Dragons are pretty cool, no matter what your age.  Like unicorns, zombies, and vampires, they are something that appeals to the kid in everyone. 

“Running down the hallway at full speed, the stone walls of the castle flying past him and the echo of ringing bells filling the air, Sandon privately reconsidered the wisdom of his plan.  Tying rocks to the ropes of the fire bells would keep them ringing for some time after he left the area, panicking the guards and causing the village to turn out in a vain attempt to find the location of the fire.” page 149

My manga teaser comes from Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation Volume 15.  This is a bizarre action series with lots of strange and scary monsters.  Yoshiyuki Nishi has an extremely unique art-style, one that took me a bit to get used to.  Now I have to admit that his illustrations, and his creature designs, fit the series to a T.

“And he summoned it here!  With forbidden magic!” page 12

 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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Bride of the Water God Vol 5 by Mi-Kyung Yun Manhwa Review

March 8, 2010 — Julie

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 5

Author: Mi-Kyung Yun

Publisher: Dark Horse

ISBN: 9781595824455

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

With a jealous admirer and a bitter, powerful mother plotting behind his back, Habaek’s controversial decision to return Soah to his magical kingdom has the elemental gods and goddesses in an uproar. Habaek, the moody water god who rescued Soah’s village from famine and drought, is also dealing with a curse that turns him into a child during the day and reverts him to his true adult form at night. While some of the inhabitants of his domain are friendly to his human bride – and some are a bit too friendly – Habaek has kept his curse secret from Soah, who’s become completely confused by all the attention and resentment her presence brings! When night falls, Habaek pretends to be the aloof, handsome god, Mui, whose irresistible charisma and flirtations with Soah have her thinking that she’s about ready to cheat on her immature spouse. It may be about time for Habaek/Mui to come clean! And who’s really responsible for the death of his previous human bride?

Oh my goodness!  This was the first volume of Bride of the Water God that I think I actually understood!  And oh, my!  Soah is trapped in a mystical realm where she doesn’t understand the rules, and there are some very powerful beings using her as their hapless pawn.  Everyone seems to want to use her to get at the water god, Habaek, and even his motives toward her seem questionable.  Does he really love her, as he claims, or is there another, more sinister reason for his interest in her?

Soah keeps making things unintentionally difficult for herself, too.  When the villagers sacrifice another girl to be Habaek’s bride, she begs Mui to save her.  She can’t just stand by and let a helpless girl die.  But when the girl  turns out to be the spitting image of Nakbin, Habaek’s dead lover, Soah begins to question the wisdom of her actions.  Mui seems enchanted by the girl, and she seems to take delight in making Soah miserable.  Could she really be Nakbin, and what does she really want from the water god?

This installment of Bride of the Water God is fantastic.  It is passionate and every encounter with every character resonates with emotion.  And there are so many emotions!  Love, lust, fear, jealousy.  It’s all there, seething in every panel on every page.  The illustrations sizzle with forbidden longings and confused feelings.  I was swept away in the tide of feelings, helpless to remain indifferent.  The story finally becomes a cohesive, coherent partner to the stunningly attractive art, and now I am overcome with longings of my own.  Where, oh where, is volume 6?!

Grade: A

Review copy provided by Dark Horse

Posted in Dark Horse, Drama, Fantasy, Manga Reviews, Romance. No Comments »

[PR] VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES NARUTO SHIPPUDEN COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME SHONEN JUMP CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 8, 2010 — Julie

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME SHONEN JUMP CHAMPIONSHIPS

SJ Championship Tournaments Offer Exciting Experiences For New And Existing Players Beginning April 2010

Cypress, CA – March 5, 2010 – Bandai America Inc. (Bandai) and VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media) are pleased to announce the new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Collectible Card Game (CCG) SHONEN JUMP Championship Tournaments in North America.  There will be multiple tournaments held throughout the United States at select hobby retailers culminating in the National Championships to be held at the Gen Con Indy to take place in Indiana on August 7th and 8th. 

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN CCG, Bandai America’s top selling collectible card game, is a game of strategy where players construct card decks of Ninja that use their powerful Jutsu to complete Missions and protect their villages. The NARUTO SHIPPUDEN CCG, currently has hundreds of tournaments held each week at local hobby retailers throughout the United States. 

SHONEN JUMP Championship Tournaments will be accessible to NARUTO fans, beginners and experienced CCG players.   Experienced players will test their skills against other players in the SHONEN JUMP Championship Tournaments to win special prizes.  New players may redeem special coupons found in SHONEN JUMP magazine and receive a free NARUTO SHIPPUDEN CCG demo kit.  Bandai volunteers will also be on location to teach new players how to play.  NARUTO fans will have the opportunity to receive special SHONEN JUMP promo cards through special promotions and attendance at the tournaments.  Finally, one lucky person will win an autographed promo card signed by Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of NARUTO.

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Video Book Brunch – The Summoning, Freaksville, & The Dead-Tossed Waves

March 8, 2010 — Julie

Here is an older title that just landed on my radar.  It is full of ghosts.  I hope ghosts aren’t quite as scary as loads of zombies.  Maybe I am too chicken for these paranormal novels??

My library network failed to order any copies of the December ‘09 release Freaksville, so I fixed that oversight with an email to the YA librarian at my local branch.  She agreed that the book looks great, and now I’m at the top of the list when it comes in.  Yay!

I just finished reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and let me tell you, it was one heck of a read.  The next book in the zombie infested world comes out tomorrow.  Amazon, send my copy quickly!

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Canterwood Crest: Take the Reins by Jessica Burkhart Novel Review

March 7, 2010 — Julie

 

Title: Canterwood Crest: Taking the Reins

Author: Jessica Burkhart

Publisher: Aladdin MIX

ISBN: 978-1416958406

 

May Contain Spoilers

From the back of the book:

When Sasha Silver and her horse, Charm, arrive on the campus of the elite Canterwood Crest Academy, Sasha knows that she’s in trouble. She’s not exactly welcomed with open arms. One group of girls in particular is used to being the best, the brightest, and the prettiest on the team, and when Sasha shows her skills in the arena, the girls’ claws come out.

Sasha is determined to prove that she belongs at Canterwood. Will she rise to the occasion and make the advanced riding team by the end of her first semester? Or will the pressure send Sasha packing?

This was a quick, unchallenging read.  Sasha begins her academic career at exclusive Canterwood Crest, an elite school where she hopes to realize her dreams of becoming an accomplished equestrian.  The school has a highly competitive riding program, and Sasha is eager to begin working hard to hone her riding skills.  But first she has to prove that she deserves her spot on the team, and with rival Heather and her followers dogging her steps, that’s not going to be easy!

This book piqued my interest because it’s about horses.  Yeah, I am pretty one-dimensional.  I like comics, books, horses, and video games.  Simple.  Sasha gets to live a dream of mine; her parents are willing to foot the bill to send her and her horse to school.  I had to wait until I was old and gray to take riding lessons, and even now I have to scramble to keep my ponies feed.  How lovely it would be to have someone else worry about covering all of the bills for me.  Next life, maybe.

Getting back to Sasha, she and her horse, Charm, are hunter/jumpers.  This was interesting, because I ride saddleseat, and don’t really know all that much about leaping over standing obstacles.  Since my bones are brittle, it just doesn’t sound like a good idea to go barreling over fences.  Sasha and Charm are fairly good at it, and Sasha has dreams of competing on an international level. That would be exciting.  I know that competing at the World Championship show in my discipline is thrilling and I work all summer just to compete in Oklahoma.    Right off the bat I understand Sasha and share her ambitions.

Take the Reins skewed a little young for me, though, and I had some difficulty finding some of predictable plot points intriguing.  Heather and her friends set out to make Sasha’s life miserable by playing pranks on her and setting her up to get in trouble with the riding coach. Which brings up another disappointment; all of the adults are either dumb or clueless or both.  Mind games are part of any competitive sports, and riding is no different.  If you can intimidate your opponents before they even get into the ring, you have created a huge edge for yourself.  Heather loves to play mind games, and Sasha is at first taken aback by these cut-throat tactics.  Mr Conner, the riding coach, would have seen intimidation tactics in action a hundred times in the past, yet he comes across as being oblivious to, and even a little surprised by, all of the team infighting. 

I liked the book enough to place a request for the next volume at the library, but I was still a little disappointed with the cookie cutter plot.  I was hoping for more horsey stuff and less of Sasha studying to keep up in her classes.  I am still enamored with the thought of actually getting to take a horse to boarding school.  I wonder if I can take mine to the nursing home?

Grade: C+

This book was rented from my local library.  Support your library!

Posted in Aladdin Mix, Books, Drama, High School, Horses, Romance. No Comments »

Blood Honey by Sakyou Yozakura BL Manga Review

March 6, 2010 — Julie

 

Title: Blood Honey

Author:  Sakyou Yozakura

Publisher: BLU

ISBN: 9781427818003

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Right Stuff:

Nurse Yuki Akabane is a descendant of a line of vampires. He’s often visited at the hospital he works at by a donor nut named Osamu Mayuzumi, the insatiable cram school teacher. Yuki never really thought twice about Mayuzumi, but when he drinks some of his blood on a whim, it tastes so good to him that he tries to get closer to him to savor more. But what will he do when Mayuzumi suddenly stops coming…?!

Blood Honey is a cute take on vampires.  Akabane is descended from vampires, but he doesn’t really have any of their abilities.  Instead, he just has a thirst for blood. It’s only logical that he would work at a blood clinic, because where else can a modern day not-quite-vampire get a steady supply of blood?  When he drinks the blood of weirdo Mayuzumi, he goes a little nuts.  Mayuzumi has the most delicious blood he’s ever tasted!

After drinking Mayuzumi’s blood, Akabane has to figure out a way to get closer to him so that he can keep indulging in his yummy blood.  What he doesn’t know is that Mayuzumi is hiding secrets of his own.  If Mayuzumi doesn’t give blood regularly, his hot-blooded personality takes over!  At first Akabane just thinks that Mayuzumi is just a donor nut, he quickly learns that the seemingly mild-mannered teacher turns into a raving beast if he doesn’t lose some of his blood.  Perfect scenario for both of them! 

There is a lot of humor in Blood Honey, and it shines through in both the art and the situations the characters find themselves in.  Akabane has to find ways to build up Mayuzumi’s blood so it will enhance the delicious flavor, while Mayuzumi keeps trying to get rid of it.  Mayuzumi’s abrupt personality changes also keep Akabane on his toes, as the two try to define their relationship and what they mean to each other.  Theirs is a confused, muddled relationship that is propelled along  by their unusual need for each other.

My favorite chapter features Akabane’s nephew, Kurosu, an incredibly handsome young man who thinks he is god’s gift to the universe.  It takes a humbling stay at a temple, and the intervention of a no-nonsense monk, for him to find true happiness.  Oh, yeah.

I love the cover, and found that the playful illustration is very representative of the interior art.  There is a sense of fun and silliness throughout, and it doesn’t take itself seriously.  Blood Honey is another great example of brain-candy, and in addition to its sweetness, it looks great, too.

You can check out a preview of the book here.

Grade: B+

Review copy provided by BLU

Posted in Blu, Boys Love, Manga Reviews, Paranormal, Romance. 1 Comment »

My Darling! Miss Bancho Vol 1 by Mayu Fujikata Manga Review

March 5, 2010 — Julie

 

Title: My Darling! Miss Bancho Vol 1

Author: Mayu Fujikata

Publisher: CMX

ISBN: 9781401220556

 

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Souka and her recently divorced mother move to a new place to start over. In looking for a school to enroll in, Souka decides to leave her preppy, private high school behind and transfers into a technical high school. To her surprise, she’s the only girl student in the entire school! The first day of school is nothing like she ever imagined — boys crashing through the window, fighting for all they are worth. One day, the school’s current "Bancho" (a term for a gang leader) ambushes Souka. Determined to protect her, Yu, one of the classmates, comes to her rescue, but Yu ends up in a struggle. Trying to help, Souka swings her book bag and ends up taking down the Bancho herself! What Souka didn’t know was that when someone takes down the class’ leader, you became the leader of that class. This wasn’t a role she was expecting for herself, but will she be able to relinquish it?

I needed this book!  After a stressful day at work, it worked like a soothing balm to rid my agitation.  It is like cotton candy, light and fluffy, and you can’t help but smile as you read it. It has a sugary rush of silly comedy, as well as the awkward bloom of young romance. 

Souka has no idea what she’s gotten herself into.  To help her mom after her parents divorce, she transfers to a technical school, leaving her former preppy school behind.  What she doesn’t know is that her new school is like a war zone, and all of the other girls have transferred out because of all of the fighting and commotion.  She discovers within the first few minutes of class that there is a danger to not doing enough research.  Her school is a nut house, she is the only girl of out 851 students, and now she’s stuck here!

Things get totally out of hand when Souka accidentally KO’s the current bancho when he’s about to clobber one of her classmates.  By the school rules, this admirable feat propels her into the spotlight and she assumes the mantle of the new school leader!  Only she doesn’t want anything to do with it!  All Souka wants to do is study and make her mom proud.   Being the head honcho of an entire school full of delinquents is the furthest thing on her mind.

This is a cute read.  Souka is quiet and kind of shy, and she is immediately intimidated when Katou comes crashing through the window while pummeling one of his rivals.  She’s not a total wimp, though, which is a good thing, considering her current surroundings.  When she gets pushed into a corner, she comes out spitting like a mountain lion.  She is a fun character because you never really know what is going to push her over the edge.

Katou is like a mother hen and he quickly takes her under his wing.  He promises to protect her, so it’s cute when she ends up protecting him.  Everyone has been led to believe that he’s a tough guy, but under his tough exterior, he’s really just a marshmallow.  I liked him a lot, and I love how awkward he and Souka get with each other.  Lots of blushing and stammering ensues in the last half of the book.

Even though the delinquents really aren’t all that delinquent, My Darling! Miss Bancho offers up a goofy high school comedy that zips along with lots of energy.  The illustrations work well with the story, and at times reminded me of Nari Kusakawa’s work. This book doesn’t take itself very seriously, so if you need a little pick me up, this is a good go to title.  It’s even got a fluffy little lamb, which = FTW right there.  

Grade: B

Review copy provided by CMX

Posted in CMX, Comedy, High School, Manga Reviews, Romance. 3 Comments »

[PR] VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS NEW SHOJO MANGA – ARATA: THE LEGEND

March 4, 2010 — Julie

VIZ MEDIA TO RELEASE NEW FANTASY ADVENTURE SERIES ARATA: THE LEGEND FROM RENOWNED MANGA CREATOR YUU WATASE

For Two Boys Called Arata, Switching Places Means an Adventure of a Lifetime!

San Francisco, CA, March 3, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings famed manga creator Yuu Watase’s potent blend of mythical fantasy adventure and lavish artwork for the North American debut of ARATA: THE LEGEND on March 9th. The new series is published under the SHONEN SUNDAY imprint, rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

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