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”)

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Review – Solo Leveling, vol 9

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

Review – Solo Leveling, vol 9

Solo Leveling

by Dubu, Chugong

Genres: Fantasy, Manga
Pages: 312
Series: Solo Leveling #9
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Seeking answers, Jinwoo answers the call of the system and returns to the double dungeon that started it all. Meanwhile, after the loss of their strongest hunters, the Japanese government finds themselves struggling with particularly nasty gate and seeks outside help. Will Jinwoo be able to stop the magic beasts before they lay waste to Japan?

Volume nine of the Solo Leveling manhwa finally sees us given some answers! Kinda. A little bit. Jinwoo ends up returning to the double dungeon where it all began, there to confront — well. No spoilers! But there’s a lot of action in this volume, along with the other hunters coming to his aid, which is pretty cool.

I did love the moments between him and his sister, too, where she doesn’t want him to raid because she’s traumatised by the attack on her school, but all the same eventually they talk about it, and it’s clear how supportive she’s been for him.

I’m very curious how things develop from here, now it seems like Jinwoo’s probably powering up again. I don’t have the next volume on hand right now, but hopefully soon…!

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks

Posted December 8, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review – The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks

The Secret Life of Lego Bricks: The Inside Story of a Design Icon

by Daniel Konstanski

Genres: History, Non-fiction
Pages: 342
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Building the ordinary into the extraordinary – brick by brick.

This first official book for Adult Fans of LEGO takes the reader on a visually stunning journey from the very earliest hollow bricks to the complex shapes and building techniques of today.

LEGO® bricks are design icons and marvels of engineering. Virtually unchanged for over fifty years, the brick is still at the very centre of ethos: each brick connects to every other brick, allowing the construction of almost anything you can imagine. LEGO minifigures may be the friendly faces of the LEGO world, but bricks in all their different shapes and forms are its very foundation.

The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks explores the brick’s rich history in full colour and unparalleled detail. Granted unprecedented access by the LEGO Group, Daniel Konstantski has interviewed design masters, element testers and the so-called ‘rock stars’, the set designers, to reveal for the first time how and why new LEGO bricks are made.

This is the book the fans have always wanted: a truly behind-the-scenes look at the story of the beloved LEGO brick and the company which makes it, with a wealth of exclusive visual material from the LEGO Archive in Billund.

LEGO fans have long wanted to learn the inside story of beloved LEGO bricks from inside the LEGO Group: to have long-standing questions answered and see the veil pulled back on how LEGO elements and products came to market – or didn’t – through the LEGO brick’s 70 year history. Such an authoritative telling of the story has never been possible – until now.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Daniel Konstanski’s The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks digs into a lot of the things that make LEGO tick: the nuts and bolts of how the bricks work (like their “clutch power”) as well as the company, the principles behind it, etc. I had no idea how “controversial” some bricks were within LEGO (like moulded animals rather than built animals), or about some of the partnerships and lines they’ve done.

There’s quite a bit of technical detail, and even though I’m not a huge LEGO fan myself, I found it a fascinating read because of the way it digs into the processes of design and bringing out new bricks and sets, the constraints on them, and the ethos of the company. It’s well-illustrated with lots of examples and sketches, as well. I can definitely think of a nerd who’s going to get this from me for Christmas.

And of course, if you’re a mega fan of LEGO, this is likely to go double for you.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail

Posted December 8, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail

Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail

by Lucy Johnston

Genres: Fashion, History, Non-fiction
Pages: 144
Series: Fashion in Detail
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

From the delicate embroidery on ballgowns to the vibrant synthetic colors of crinolines, the major themes of 19th-century fashion are explored as never before in this exquisite book. Featuring specially commissioned color photographs of garments from the V&A's superb collection and many close-up details, alongside accurate line drawings of each garment's underlying structure, the book's 150 pieces capture the opulence and variety of this fascinating era.

Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail is very much what it says on the tin, discussing the fashions of the nineteenth century through the V&A’s collection, in a series of themed chapters that discuss different trends in fashion.

As usual with this series, the photography is great and there are line sketches of the garments as well to help you envision how they look as a whole — but quite often the whole garment is not pictured, only parts of it, which can be more than a little frustrating (especially to someone who can’t visualise things well).

There are some lovely choices, and I always enjoy when they point out the specifics of the garment in question too (e.g. that you can see traces of unpicking where a gown has been remodelled to suit a new fashion), rather than just discussing generalities.

It’s a nice volume, but again, I just have that little niggle about not showing the full garments!

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – The Wages of Sin

Posted December 7, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Wages of Sin

The Wages of Sin

by Kaite Welsh

Genres: Crime, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 308
Series: Sarah Gilchrist #1
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Sarah Gilchrist has fled from London to Edinburgh in disgrace and is determined to become a doctor, despite the misgivings of her family and society. As part of the University of Edinburgh's first intake of female medical students, Sarah comes up against resistance from lecturers, her male contemporaries, and - perhaps worst of all - her fellow women, who will do anything to avoid being associated with a fallen woman...

When one of Sarah's patients turns up in the university dissecting room as a battered corpse, Sarah finds herself drawn into Edinburgh's dangerous underworld of bribery, brothels and body snatchers - and a confrontation with her own past.

Kaite Welsh’s The Wages of Sin is historical fiction, set in Edinburgh with one of the first groups of women to study for a medical degree there. The main character, Sarah, is in disgrace — the only reason she’s been allowed this opportunity anyway, since otherwise she’d be married and in society — and rather an outcast even from her group of outcasts.

That means she has relatively little help/support when she realises that the body on her slab for dissection is actually a girl she met in the process of her volunteering work at a clinic for very poor people, and that she has been murdered. She then proceeds to poke her nose into everything, often very injudiciously, and makes some terrible assumptions and takes a bunch of stupid risks.

This is not to excuse her professor/potential love interest’s behaviour toward her, but she does literally accuse him of murder, so it’s not too surprising that he lashes out in return, threatening her with exposure.

All in all, I found it a pretty rough read, because Sarah was raped, and blamed for her own rape, and it also slowly becomes clear that she was subjected to medical abuse including forced sterilisation. It gives her a strong drive to help other women, and it all makes sense, but it wasn’t pleasant reading and just isn’t really what I’m into when I read mysteries.

Definitely recommended for those who like something grittier and realistic, though.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – Into the Dark

Posted December 7, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Into the Dark

Into the Dark

by Jordan L. Hawk

Genres: Horror, Romance
Pages: 227
Series: OutFoxing the Paranormal #3
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

OutFoxing the Paranormal’s benefactor, Ms. Montague, has a new assignment for the team: to investigate the haunted asylum Oscar’s grandmother died in. But upon arriving at the site, they find a rival duo of ghost hunters already there.

Between unexpected competitors and the murderous ghost of a former nurse, the pressure is on for Oscar to live up to his family’s heritage and lay the asylum’s ghosts to rest. Can he prove himself by putting an end to the nurse’s reign of terror, or will the asylum claim yet another victim?

Oof, Jordan L. Hawk’s Into the Dark genuinely creeped me out in a way the previous two books didn’t really. It was some of the details, I think, and the fact that the haunting partly manifested via illness. Also, “insane asylums” are genuinely terrifying places, and I can well imagine the horror of them even still, even without a haunting.

I’d have loved to see a bit more of Oscar’s grandmother — we get a glimpse of her in the prologue, but her ghost doesn’t appear. Still, we learn a bit more about Patricia’s deal, see a bit more of Chris’ life in the form of their ex, and even maybe a bit of a romance for Tina. I wonder if the group will see more of Zeek, which could be very fun, though I did feel like Oscar’s worries about his presentation of the show etc kind of petered out as a plot thread, and could rear up again if we do. I wasn’t really a fan of his self-doubt. Too real, ahaha.

I did think a bit ahead of the characters in a few details (e.g. if something stops happening if you get away from the creepy haunted asylum, maybe it has something to do with the haunting?) but the twist was still handled nicely, even if I saw it coming.

I read it almost in one go, ’cause there was no putting it down and going to bed until I knew everything worked out okay, yeeesh. I do wonder if Oscar and Nigel are going to end up paying a serious price given what they keep throwing themselves into…

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Love in the Palm of His Hand, vol 1

Posted December 6, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Love in the Palm of His Hand, vol 1

Love in the Palm of His Hand

by Rinteku

Genres: Manga, Romance
Pages: 256
Series: Love in the Palm of His Hand #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Fujinaga is a university student who dreams of becoming an actor so he can do what he loves best--conveying emotion and story through physical expression. But after failing multiple auditions, his hopes are dashed and his confidence crushed. When he meets Keito, a fellow student with congenital hearing loss, Fujinaga is suddenly introduced to the world of sign language. Although clumsy at first, Fujinaga quickly picks up signing and surprises Keito with his astonishing talent of expressing emotions through action.

Through sign language and acting, two young men seeking their places in the world discover a connection that transcends the spoken word.

Is it that only in a place beyond all verbal limitations can two people, both yearning to be understood, forge a bond they never expected?

"To think that just what I've always wanted to hear would come from someone I just met."

Rinteku’s Love in the Palm of His Hand is a really cute manga focusing on a friendship (and burgeoning romance) between Keito and Fujinaga, a Deaf student and a hearing student who is also an actor. The art spends a lot of time trying to portray Keito’s various ways of communicating: lipreading, speaking aloud (without being able to hear and thus sometimes mispronouncing things), texting, different types of sign, mime… Some panels include the hands in multiple different positions to make it clear how dynamically Keito is signing. It’s all lovely, and the artist seems to speak sign — I know nothing about them, but they mention at the end that they were trying to draw their own signs and realising they were getting everything flipped.

The relationship between Keito and Fujinaga is also really cute, as Keito’s enthusiasm for Fujinaga’s expressiveness makes him realise that even though his “overacting” is criticised, there are contexts in which it’s useful and helps him communicate — and Fujinaga’s enthusiasm for learning sign makes Keito feel wanted and understood.

I thought the art and panelling was really interesting, though I wasn’t 100% a fan of the art style — something about eyes/expressions, maybe? But that didn’t stop me loving it: the next volume is out in translation in October, and I’ll snag it right away (I’m writing this review in September). I’d love to spend more time with Keito and Fujinaga, and see how their relationship develops.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Posted December 6, 2025 by Nicky in General / 19 Comments

Sadly, this week one of my rabbits died (RIP Hulk, aged 12), so I’m not feeling super chipper. I’ll get to replies when I can, but it might not be over the weekend. Sorry folks.

Books acquired this week

My wife swung by the library for my hold for me — I’ve had this on hold since mid-October, for a reading challenge that’s now ended, but ah well. People have been very keen about it, so I’m curious.

Cover of Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Posts from this week

Let’s do a round-up, as usual! I’ve continued working on posting some of my backlogged reviews, so there are a few extra.

As usual, for some of these it’s been weeks/months since I read them, due to the way I try to post a mixture of review genres, and the many, many reviews I have ready to post. For this week’s reading, check below!

What I’m reading

It’s not been the best week for reading — though I’ve finished a bunch of books, they’re mostly manga/graphic novels — but oh well, such are my whims and needs, and I go with them. Here’s a sneak peek of the books I finished this week and plan to review on the blog, as usual.

Cover of A Boy Named Rose by Gaëlle Geniller Cover of The Stranger in the Hoarding House by Joe Aruku Cover of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation vol 4 by MXTX Cover of My Heart in Braille by Joris Chamblain

Cover of Posted in the Past by Helen Baggott Cover of The Great British Bump-Off by John Allison, Max Sarin et al Cover of Walking Practice by Dolki Min Cover of Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 1 by Itaru Kinoshita Cover of Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 2 by Itaru Kinoshita

For the weekend… I’m not sure what I’ll read. I haven’t been much in the mood for it (for obvious reasons), but I started on a new book and was suddenly quite into that, so maybe I’ll finish it: it was a bit of a random choice from my Kobo Plus borrows, Clues to Christabel by Mary Fitt. I’m also partway through another murder mystery, Death in Ambush, so I’d like to finish that. Aaaand some more Dinosaur Sanctuary, probably!

If I can get into a book, that would obviously be great and comforting, but if it doesn’t happen… well. That’s fine too.

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

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Review – One Night in Hartswood

Posted December 5, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – One Night in Hartswood

One Night in Hartswood

by Emma Denny

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance
Pages: 384
Series: The Barden Series #1
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

A love story worth fighting for…

Oxfordshire 1360

When Penn and Raff meet in Hartswood Forest the only truth they know of each other is a brief moonlit kiss they had shared previously. But Penn is escaping a life of cruelty, and an arranged marriage to a woman he has never seen. Raff is tracking the elusive missing groom of his sister to restore his family’s honour. Neither are looking for a travelling companion. Yet both men find themselves drawn to each other in ways neither imagined.

Unaware of their true identities they venture north together through Hartswood Forest. And, as their bond deepens, their fates become irrevocably entwined. But, with one escaping a life of duty and one tracking a fugitive, continued concealment threatens everything they know and trust in each other. So when secrets are finally revealed, and the consequences of their relationship become clear, both must decide what they will risk for the man they love.

Emma Denny’s One Night in Hartswood was sadly just… okay. It’s ostensibly historical fiction, but it could equally have been fantasy; that part is really just set-dressing for a mildly forbidden love (in that Raff’s family are absolutely fine with and encourage).

The plot all goes fairly predictably, along with the miscommunication trope in the middle where they’re both hiding their real identity, and then gets infuriating because Raff comes clean and Penn doesn’t — despite knowing that Raff was totally okay with it all. There’s some heaped-on angst with Penn’s scars and Penn’s father’s absolutely bananapants idea to shoot Raff and then pretend he didn’t, but it’s always so obvious it’s going to work out that it lacked urgency (even with the meta-knowing that it’s going to work out of knowing that romance always does).

I didn’t feel like DNFing it, so there’s that for it, but overall it’s just… kinda meh, sadly. I won’t read more in the series.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)

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Review – Death of a Naturalist

Posted December 5, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Death of a Naturalist

Death of a Naturalist

by Seamus Heaney

Genres: Poetry
Pages: 56
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney is the stunning and revelatory first collection by the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet.

Seamus Heaney’s Death of a Naturalist collection contains some of the poems I know best, including my favourite, ‘Mid-Term Break’, the final line of which is always a perfect punch in the gut:

“A four foot box, a foot for every year.”

There’s something that’s very distinctive about Heaney’s voice as a poet for me, something very solid and direct. It’s not that he doesn’t use imagery, or metaphors, or poetic diction — of course he does at times — but it still feels fundamentally straightforward. Which is part of the art of it, of course.

Definitely one of my favourite volumes of poetry I’ve read lately, if not ever.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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