Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 1

Posted December 18, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 1

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

by MĂČ Xiāng TĂłng XiĂč

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 395
Series: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (LN) #1
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Wei Wuxian was once one of the most outstanding men of his generation, a talented and clever young cultivator who harnessed martial arts, knowledge, and spirituality into powerful abilities. But when the horrors of war led him to seek a new power through demonic cultivation, the world’s respect for his skills turned to fear, and his eventual death was celebrated throughout the land.

Years later, he awakens in the body of an aggrieved young man who sacrifices his soul so that Wei Wuxian can exact revenge on his behalf. Though granted a second life, Wei Wuxian is not free from his first, nor the mysteries that appear before him now. Yet this time, he’ll face it all with the righteous and esteemed Lan Wangji at his side, another powerful cultivator whose unwavering dedication and shared memories of their past will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.

The first volume of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation has a lot of fun elements, and I did enjoy the interactions (past and present) between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji — it’s really funny how Wei Wuxian teases him and gets under his skin in the past, and how he turns the tables in the present. I can see a lot of potential in that relationship, especially if I’m reading clues about their past correctly.

That said, this book does the mother of all infodumping, and the transitions between past/present aren’t that well managed. I’m not sure I quite followed all of the infodumps, if I’m honest: I’m kinda letting it wash over me, in hopes it’ll start to come together later (as has often happened to me with danmei, and with other non-English-language works with a large cast or complicated stories in the past). In some chapters there are pages of pure exposition, and it’s a lot.

I am intrigued by some of the other characters, too, and by some of the worldbuilding; I’m curious to know more about why Wei Wuxian became so reviled (and why some people still clearly think he did good things), and what the bigger story is going to look like. So I’ll definitely read more, but with the caveat that volume one (at least) isn’t the most polished.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

Tags: , , , , , ,

Divider

WWW Wednesday

Posted December 17, 2025 by Nicky in General / 2 Comments

Cover of Still Waters by E.C.R. LoracWhat have you recently finished reading?

It was a couple of days ago, but I finished E.C.R. Lorac’s Still Waters. It’s interesting to see Lorac’s books with some repeat characters (the Hoggetts), since the others mostly just have Macdonald and Reeve (the detectives) and not really any other recurring characters. Lorac’s love for the area is clear, and there are some really tense scenes — it’s not really “cosy” in that sense!

Cover of The Palace of Illusions by Rowena MillerWhat are you currently reading?

A few things at once, trying to find something that “sticks”. Mostly, Rowenna Miller’s The Palace of Illusions, since it’s kinda seasonal (as a Nutcracker-inspired fantasy set at Christmas); I was enjoying it, but I’ve just kinda stalled — I think because I’ve been working extra in order to get next week off. Hopefully I’ll find my mojo again soon.

I did also start PJ Ellis’ We Could Be Heroes, but I’ve barely read any of that yet.

Cover of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint vol 1 by singNSongWhat will you read next?

I don’t really know. I might start on Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, since volume one is relatively short, and I’ve been curious about it for a while. Or I might read Spinosaur Tales, because non-fiction might grab my attention a little bit more right now.

Tags: ,

Divider

Top Ten Tuesday: Winter TBR

Posted December 16, 2025 by Nicky in General / 14 Comments

It’s been a minute since I participated in Top Ten Tuesday, again, but I always like the TBR ones! So here’s my winter TBR… which is not really themed, because I don’t go for that much.

Cover of The Palace of Illusions by Rowena Miller Cover of We Could Be Heroes by P.J. Ellis Cover of Strange New World by Vivian Shaw Cover of The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor Cover of After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian

  1. The Palace of Illusions, by Rowenna Miller. This is kinda seasonal, since it’s Nutcracker-inspired, and I’ve got started on it already. I’m not very far into it, but I’m very curious about the magic, and how it all relates to the Nutcracker.
  2. We Could Be Heroes, by PJ Ellis. A romance between a guy playing a superhero who sounds like the equivalent of Superman or Captain America… and a drag queen? Sounds fun, I’m curious! Again, this is on my December TBR and I’ve actually started it already, but I’ve only read two chapters. I think the guy who plays the superhero is about to show up at the drag show, and I presume sparks will shortly fly for some kind of meet-cute.
  3. Strange New World, by Vivian Shaw. This is the latest in a series I love, so I’m keen to jump in, and it’s part of two reading challenges I’m in. I didn’t expect a sequel given that the last book was so apocalyptic, so I’m quite curious where it will go.
  4. The Otherwhere Post, by Emily J. Taylor. I know very little about this one, but picked it up to review for Postcrossing’s blog since it involves magical mail. I did start reading it, and the multiple worlds idea — and the postal workers who are the only ones who can slip between them — is pretty intriguing.
  5. After Hours at Dooryard Books, by Cat Sebastian. I’ve heard a couple of glowing recommendations for this, and someone just bought me a copy, so it’s quite high on my list! I generally love Cat Sebastian’s romances and find them very satisfying anyway, so the praise is just the cherry on the cake there.
  6. Spinosaur Tales: The Biology and Ecology of the Spinosaurs, by David Hone and Mark P. Witton. Yeah, I know, this is an abrupt switch in gear, but y’all know me! I love my non-fiction too, and I really liked David Hone’s The Future of Dinosaurs and The Tyrannosaur Chronicles. His work is very readable, but thorough; I know very little about spinosaurs, so I’m extra interested to get into it, especially since I’ve been reading the Dinosaur Sanctuary manga. Who knows when that might feature some spinosaurs?!
  7. Solo Leveling, by Chugong. I read the manhwa adaptation earlier this year, so I’m curious about the original! I’m told there are some differences in the story, which sounds intriguing, and also I usually find novels a bit easier to follow than visual media. Again, just got gifted a copy of the first volume, so it’s an excellent time.
  8. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, by singNsong. I’ve heard great things about this series, so I want to dig in and give it a go. I got gifted this as well, so I want to dig in ASAP.
  9. The Wife Comes First, by Lv Ye Qian He. The first volume is out as of today, and I’m curious about this one from the summary — it sounds like an interesting idea for a romance, with some fun court politicking, without being a many-volumes long investment like some other danmei I’m interested in. I’m not sure if I’ll get it for Christmas, since it’s not in stock currently in most places and Bookshop.org says a few days for delivery (which often means they don’t actually have copies yet)… but maybe I’ll get it for myself after Christmas if not.
  10. Thrice Married to a Salted Fish, by Bi Ka Bi. Another danmei I’m curious about! I read the preview, and I’m dying to know what’s going on, I must be honest. Again, I don’t have a copy yet, but might get it for myself if Santa doesn’t bring it.

Cover of Solo Leveling vol 1 by Chugong Cover of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint vol 1 by singNSong Cover of The Wife Comes First vol 1 by Lv Ye Qian He Cover of Thrice Married to a Salted Fish vol 1 by Bi Ka Bi

Curious to browse other people’s lists when I get the chance! Hope everyone’s having a good December so far.

Tags: ,

Divider

Review – Glass Town

Posted December 15, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Glass Town

Glass Town

by Isabel Greenberg

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels
Pages: 224
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

Glass Town is an original graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg that encompasses the eccentric childhoods of the four Bront. children--Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The story begins in 1825, with the deaths of Maria and Elizabeth, the eldest siblings. It is in response to this loss that the four remaining Bront. children set pen to paper and created the fictional world that became known as Glass Town. This world and its cast of characters would come to be the Bront s' escape from the realities of their lives. Within Glass Town the siblings experienced love, friendship, war, triumph, and heartbreak. Through a combination of quotes from the stories originally penned by the Bront s, biographical information about them, and Greenberg's vivid comic book illustrations, readers will find themselves enraptured by this fascinating imaginary world.

I’m not a huge fan of Isabel Greenberg’s art, maybe because I’m not a very visual person and thus I sometimes found it hard to parse when it got extra scribbly, and to identify characters, etc. I don’t love the lettering, either. It’s fun to play in the world of the BrontĂ«s and their juvenilia, but it kinda wore out its welcome for me, I guess?

In the end, it didn’t really feel like it told a full, satisfying story about either Charlotte Brontë or Glasstown etc. In part that’s because life is like that, and the BrontĂ«s caught a pretty rough deal, but… I didn’t really feel the transition from fantasy to reality was a great climax, and I’d almost have been more interested to see Charlotte vanish into her fantasy world and find a better ending.

I will say that though I don’t like the art style, it is very expressive and captures body language and expressions really well at times.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)

Tags: , , , ,

Divider

Review – Answering Back

Posted December 14, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Answering Back

Answering Back: Living Poets Reply to the Poetry of the Past

by Carol Ann Duffy (editor)

Genres: Poetry
Pages: 144
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Carol Ann Duffy has asked some of the brightest writers in the poetry world to select a poem that is meaningful—or has meant something—to them, and write a response to it. With up-and-coming poets alongside more established names, and original poems alongside the new works they've inspired, Answering Back promises to be a truly unique and insightful anthology.

Answering Back is a fascinating idea for a poetry collection, edited by Carol Ann Duffy, but shaped by the fact that each poet chosen has selected a poem by another poet to respond to. This gives the collection quite a range, with some of the responses being more like they were inspired by the poem, others being direct refutations, some being answers/echos…

Most of the poems being responded to were ones I knew, but not all, and there’s an interesting range of responding poets. Inevitably, it’s a mixed bag where some speak to me and some don’t, and there are some I didn’t appreciate much at all, but overall it’s an interesting idea with some interesting selections.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

Tags: , , ,

Divider

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Posted December 13, 2025 by Nicky in General / 16 Comments

Hurrah, weekend. Obviously things are still a bit subdued around here (re: the loss of a pet last week), and I’m working over the weekend, but there’s still a bit more reading time and that’s always good.

Books acquired this week

This week it’s just my British Library Crime Classic. Now I have the subscription, I don’t keep good track of what’s coming out — so I was excited that this month’s was an E.C.R. Lorac title!

Cover of Still Waters by E.C.R. Lorac

I might dig into that this weekend.

Posts from this week

I’ve eased back on posting my review backlog for a bit: the major backlog is in comics, but I don’t like to post too many reviews of the same type of thing at a time, so I’m waiting to have finished a couple more books of different genres to create variety. Still, there’s been plenty of reviews without so many extras, so here’s the roundup!

And the usual disclaimer that I didn’t read any of these books in the last week, I have reviews backlogged out anywhere from days to months depending on the genre! Books I read this week are below.

What I’m reading

There was plenty more manga this week, but also I did manage to get back into reading more long-form stuff somewhat and finally finished reading Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. Here’s a sneak peek at the stuff I plan to review!

Cover of Clues to Christabel by Mary Fitt Cover of Death in Ambush by Susan Gilruth Cover of Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 3 by Itaru Kinoshita Cover of Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 4 by Itaru Kinoshita

Cover of Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 5 by Itaru Kinoshita Cover of Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 6 by Itaru Kinoshita Cover of Lady-Bird by Fabrice Sapolsky and Dawn J. Starr Cover of Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 7 by Itaru Kinoshita

Cover of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation vol 5 by MXTX Cover of Cat + Gamer vol 2 by Wataru Nadatani

My plans for the weekend involve reading Feng Ren Zuo Shu’s The Beauty’s Blade and… I’m not sure what else. I made a start on Rowenna Miller’s The Palace of Illusions, which is pretty seasonally appropriate, so perhaps I’ll focus on that. Or maybe I’ll read that new E.C.R. Lorac reprint!

Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, and the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz.

Tags: , ,

Divider

Review – The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club

Posted December 12, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club

The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club

by Christopher de Hamel

Genres: History, Non-fiction
Pages: 616
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

The illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages are among the greatest works of European art and literature. We are dazzled by them and recognize their crucial role in the transmission of knowledge. But we generally think much less about the countless men and women who made, collected and preserved them through the centuries, and to whom they owe their existence.

This entrancing book describes some of the extraordinary people who have spent their lives among illuminated manuscripts over the last thousand years. A monk in Normandy, a prince of France, a Florentine bookseller, an English antiquary, a rabbi from central Europe, a French priest, a Keeper at the British Museum, a Greek forger, a German polymath, a British connoisseur and the woman who created the most spectacular library in America - all of them were participants in what Christopher de Hamel calls the Manuscripts Club.

This exhilarating fraternity, and the fellow enthusiasts who come with it, throw new light on how manuscripts have survived and been used by very different kinds of people in many different circumstances. Christopher de Hamel's unexpected connections and discoveries reveal a passion which crosses the boundaries of time. We understand the manuscripts themselves better by knowing who their keepers and companions have been.

In 1850 (or thereabouts) John Ruskin bought his first manuscript 'at a bookseller's in a back alley'. This was his reaction- 'The new worlds which every leaf of this book opened to me, and the joy I had in counting their letters and unravelling their arabesques as if they had all been of beaten gold - as many of them were - cannot be told.' The members of de Hamel's club share many such wonders, which he brings to us with scholarship, style, and a lifetime's experience.

The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club is quite the chonker. Christopher de Hamel has chosen a number of people whose lives were intimately wrapped up in manuscripts — from those who wrote them to modern curators — and given them a chapter each, delving into how manuscripts were used and regarded in their lifetimes and by them specifically.

It’s quite the undertaking, and sadly lacking in terms of representation of women: it’s hard to believe that only men and Belle da Costa Greene could be considered worthy representatives for this manuscripts club. Christine de Pizan surely warrants more than a glancing mention, for example, and brings a somewhat unique perspective as one of the few women who made a living for herself by writing in her era.

Nonetheless, it’s quite fun to explore these people and how they shared their manuscripts, what they might’ve said if meeting the author (though sometimes I found this bit of each chapter a little bit cringe; felt like self-insert fanfic). He picks not just manuscript writers and collectors, but also a forger, though he’s a little too ready to diagnose a historical figure with a mental illness based on absolutely zero expertise whatsoever. Even a doctor would be reluctant to get too into the weeds on that.

That said, it’s a bit weird to have that conversation with Anselm which is basically self-insert fanfic…

The book is gorgeously illustrated, with full-colour illustrations, sometimes embedded into the text, sometimes a full page spread. It’s a beautiful book.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Tags: , , , ,

Divider

Review – Baking Bad

Posted December 11, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Baking Bad

Baking Bad

by Kim M. Watt

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Mystery
Pages: 290
Series: Beaufort Scales #1
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

A tranquil village.
A poisoned cupcake.
A murdered vicar.

A simple case - or it should be. But all clues point to the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute, and Detective Inspector Adams is about to discover there’s much more to the W.I. than bake sales and jam making.

Alice Martin, RAF Wing Commander (Ret.), and current chair of the W.I., knows the ladies of the Women’s Institute are not guilty. But she has a bigger problem. Toot Hansell has a dragonish secret, and she needs to keep the police well away from it. And she’d really rather not be arrested for murder. Again.

Meanwhile, Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly dragons and survivor of the days of knights and dragon hunts, knows even better than Alice that the modern dragon only survives as long as no one knows they exist. But he also knows friends don’t let friends face murder inquiries alone. Beaufort fully intends to Get Involved.

This investigation is about to take on dragonish proportions. Best put the kettle on.

I really wanted to like Kim M. Watt’s Baking Bad, because the person who got it for me was super-enthusiastic, and that… might actually have been non-ideal on my part. I think if I’d read it in the right moment I’d have liked it more: it’s a bit of a cosy mystery, with a fantasy element (dragons), and it has a bunch of interesting female characters: the cop investigating the murder, the chair of the Women’s Institute who is a former RAF wing commander, and also Miriam, who is the closest with the town’s secret dragon friends.

Oh, and only the Women’s Institute know about the dragons, and most people can’t see them.

I found though that it felt a little bit too cosy, deliberately positioning itself as such, while I was kinda going… “A guy was poisoned, you’re suspected of murder, one of the suspects is in your house right now having secretly entered it despite your police guard! This is not cosy, no matter how cutely your dragon doesn’t understand cloud computing!”

Aaand it didn’t help that the motive was weak, the murderer was obvious but also silly, and some chapters felt a bit like they needed a soundtrack of Yakety Sax.

Partly wrong timing for me, admittedly, but also I wasn’t really sold on the execution, alas. I’ll try more of Watt’s work, though, because I did enjoy the characters of Alice (the chair of the W.I.) and Beaufort (the leader of the dragons) — there is stuff here that I can see myself enjoying with a different plot.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)

Tags: , , , , ,

Divider

WWW Wednesday

Posted December 10, 2025 by Nicky in General / 8 Comments

Cover of Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 2 by Itaru KinoshitaWhat have you recently finished reading?

Several volumes of Itaru Kinoshita’s Dinosaur Sanctuary! And that’s about it. I love it, though; it’s pretty light-hearted and low stakes, but tries to be realistic about dinosaur diets, needs, etc, and how it would be possible to keep and care for dinosaurs in a zoo-like environment. I’m finding it really soothing and enjoyable, and I’m mad there’s only one volume left that’s already out which I haven’t read.

Cover of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation vol 5 by MXTXWhat are you currently reading?

I have a few books technically on the go, but they’re not really speaking to me at the moment. One is volume five of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: I really want to read it, but by the time I get free time in the evening I’m currently only fit for staring at the wall vaguely, or so it feels.

Another one is Lizzie Collingham’s The Hungry Empire, a look at how the expansion of the British Empire was linked with food. I’m finding it more dry than I hoped, though… or maybe I’m just having trouble getting into anything at the moment.

Cover of Still Waters by E.C.R. LoracWhat will you read next?

Volume seven of Dinosaur Sanctuary, for a start. Other than that, I don’t really know; I just got the latest British Library Crime Classic book via my subscription, and I’m tempted to go with that to unstick myself a bit, since it’s an E.C.R. Lorac.

Tags: ,

Divider

Review – The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish, vol 2

Posted December 9, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish, vol 2

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish

by Xue Shan Fei Hu

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 412
Series: The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Li Yu is settling into life in the lap of luxury as Prince Jing’s spoiled pet, especially now that he can turn back into a human once a day. Prince Jing seems infatuated with Li Yu’s human form, and romance begins to swell between the two men. Yet the secret of Li Yu’s identity lurks beneath the surface of their bubbly relationship.

Meanwhile, there are bigger fish to fry in the Imperial Court. It seems like every time Li Yu smacks down one of Prince Jing’s scheming brothers, another one emerges to plot against him! It’s up to Li Yu to make sure his handsome prince gets the happy ending he deserves. But will Li Yu himself be a part of the Prince’s future?

I went onto reading volume two of Xue Shan Fei Hu’s The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish more or less right away — I love Li Yu and Prince Jing, and I badly needed to read more about their adventures. Li Yu isn’t always the brightest, but he means well… and Prince Jing is an entitled and sometimes ruthless prince, but he cares strongly for Li Yu, and I love the combination of them.

I also loved that Prince Jing works so hard to obey the rules Li Yu sets, and to make Li Yu see that he’s serious. The calligraphy put up all over the palace, aahh…! “There are no other lovers. I adore you.” So cringe, but so sincere as well: Prince Jing can’t exactly shout after him, or voice his feelings aloud, so he finds his own way to shout it from the rooftops.

I love as well that Li Yu has a think about whether this has a future, whether he can be with a fictional character, and basically concludes that his feelings are real, and he cares deeply for Prince Jing, so he needs to seize the chance. He rarely stops to angst that “oh, these are just characters in a story”, but he also hasn’t entirely lost sight of it.

I’m always mentally comparing it to that other isekai-with-a-system danmei I’ve read, The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, and thus it’s a relief that the characters communicate about things, that Li Yu isn’t deeply closeted and is quite open to the relationship, and that they actually get down to it and get together before they nearly wreck each other and end the world. I love Shen Qingqiu, but Li Yu is adorable, and though there are some similarities in the setup, this is a very different relationship that I’m enjoying very much.

It’s all ridiculous, you can’t take it too seriously at all… but it’s a lot of fun, and genuinely sweet. I immediately went on to the third volume!

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Tags: , , , , , ,

Divider