Genre: Fantasy

Review – Spirits Abroad

Posted August 15, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Spirits Abroad

Spirits Abroad

by Zen Cho

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories
Pages: 352
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

"If you live near the jungle, you will realize that what is real and what is not real is not always clear. In the forest there is not a big gap between the two."

A Datin recalls her romance with an orang bunian. A teenage pontianak struggles to balance homework, bossy aunties, first love, and eating people. An earth spirit gets entangled in protracted negotiations with an annoying landlord, and Chang E spins off into outer space, the ultimate metaphor for the Chinese diaspora.

Straddling the worlds of the mundane and the magical, Spirits Abroad collects science fiction and fantasy stories with a distinctively Malaysian sensibility.

Zen Cho’s Spirits Abroad is a fun collection, with a lot of Malaysian background to the stories. She doesn’t waste time on explaining the Malay words she uses, but it’s usually perfectly clear from context, or easy to look up.

I don’t quite know why it didn’t work for me: there was nothing I could pinpoint as disliking in any of the stories, but something about the collection as a whole kind of dragged for me. I know I’ve liked some of the short stories in isolation, too, because I know I’d read a couple of them before — so I’m under the impression it just wasn’t the right time for me with this book.

All the same, I’m glad I finished it. I vaguely remembered ‘The Terracotta Bride’, but it surprised me all over again, and I really liked the imugi trying to become a dragon, as well. Maybe it wasn’t the right moment for me, but there was still a lot to enjoy, reading it piecemeal the way I did.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – Solo Leveling, vol 3

Posted August 14, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Solo Leveling, vol 3

Solo Leveling

by Dubu, Chugong

Genres: Fantasy, Manga
Pages: 313
Series: Solo Leveling #3
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Thus far, Jinwoo has managed to keep his rapid evolution hidden from his fellow hunters. When he arrives at his latest assignment, though, he is greeted by a group of familiar faces-Joohee, Mr. Song, and the other survivors of the double dungeon are gathered for the raid, and his comrades can’t help but notice Jinwoo’s drastic change in stature! Jinwoo intends to act the weakling he was before, but when their party is joined by a group of criminals and their association minder, Jinwoo may have no choice but to push his newly acquired skills to the limit if he and his friends want to get out alive!

It feels like each successive volume of the Solo Leveling manhwa gets a bit darker. In volume three, Jinwoo ends up reuniting with the other survivors of the incident during which he reawakened, ends up in another situation where the system makes him kill, and gets… a job change quest! I continue to enjoy the use of common gaming mechanics, though I was surprised by the job that Jinwoo eventually gets offered…

About which I won’t spoiler, though plenty of reviews do! It’s an interesting turn, in any case, and I’m curious how it’ll go. I’m also curious if Jinwoo is right that the System needs him for something, and what that will entail if so.

I’m interested to see whether Jinwoo keeps losing emotions as the system shapes him, too. He’s definitely becoming colder and more pragmatic, and it’s not clear whether that’s really good for him. I’d like to see more of his sister and his life outside hunting, to be honest.

It’s wild how much Jinwoo has changed in style, though. We see a bit of a flashback to the old Jinwoo in this volume, and it really highlights the differences.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Paladin’s Grace

Posted August 11, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 6 Comments

Review – Paladin’s Grace

Paladin's Grace

by T. Kingfisher

Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 360
Series: The Saint of Steel #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

While foraging for startleflower, perfumer Grace finds herself pursued by ruffians and rescued by a handsome paladin in shining armour. Only, to outwit her hunters, they must pretend to be doing something very unrespectable in an alleyway.

Stephen, a broken paladin, spends his time knitting socks and working as a bodyguard, living only for the chance to be useful. But that all changes when he saves Grace and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now, Stephen and Grace must navigate a web of treachery and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind.

I’ve been meaning to give T. Kingfisher’s Saint of Steel series a try for a while, and the lovely new UK editions spurred me on. Paladin’s Grace is the first, and sets the scene well: Stephen is a berserker paladin whose god has died, struggling against their remaining uncontrolled berserker tendency and the legacy of violence the paladins left when, as their god died, they went berserk. The remaining living paladins now serve the Rat, who offers help to all who need it — and took in the broken paladins when they most needed it.

He stumbles into a meeting with Grace, a perfumer, who quickly ends up in everything over her head after previously running away from her abusive philandering husband. She doesn’t want protecting, and Stephen doesn’t quite dare have a relationship, but sparks fly and, anyway, sometimes you do need help even when you can stand on your own two feet.

It’s a lovely story of healing, for both of them, and also a bit of a mystery, set against a fascinating world with lots of moving parts, and stories going on of which Stephen and Grace are just parts. I loved Stephen and Grace as individuals and as a pair, and all the glimpses of the other paladins too, but also I’m really looking forward to reading more of the world, in the other Saint of Steel books and in Swordheart (also getting a UK reissue) and Clockwork Boys (already reissued in a nice hardback and on my TBR).

I am pleased that Istvhan and Piper get their own books, as I enjoyed both as characters. I’m less fussed about Shane, but since his book matches him up with Marguerite, that should be fun.

All in all, a lot of fun. For the ultimate endorsement: when I read the last 100 pages of this, I was unwise enough to be sat cross-legged on the floor, a dangerous prospect now I’ve reached the ripe old age of 35. Maybe some 35-year-olds can still do that comfortably, but my ability to do that for any length of time can best be described as limited.

Apparently I could do it just fine for the 40 minutes I spent raptly reading the last 115 pages of this without shifting an inch. I was somewhat less able to creak to my feet again afterwards, though…

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Finn Family Moomintroll

Posted August 7, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review – Finn Family Moomintroll

Finn Family Moomintroll

by Tove Jansson

Genres: Children's, Fantasy
Pages: 176
Series: Moomintrolls #3
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

It is spring in the valley and the Moomins are ready for adventure! Moomintroll and his friends Snufkin and Sniff find the Hobgoblin's top hat, all shiny and new and just waiting to be taken home. They soon realize that his is no ordinary hat; it can turn anything—or anyone—into something else!

Ahh, I remembered Tove Jansson’s Finn Family Moomintroll perfectly: this is one I’m certain I’ve definitely read before, and not just the comic either. It looks kinda like I read the first part quite a few times, and rarely actually fully finished it, because I didn’t remember the chapters after Thingumy and Bob arrive into the story very well — but I very vividly remember the start of the book and all the adventures surrounding the Hobgoblin’s hat.

Once again, I love how matter-of-factly the story introduces new characters and ideas, though I did get a bit startled to remember that this is supposed to be a world in which humans live too with some detail or other, either in this or Comet in Moominland. And of course I love the way Moominmamma calmly handles each new visitor as if they are a valued, long-awaited guest. We should all aspire to be as loving as Moominmamma.

The Moomins are most definitely a lovely palate cleanser, and apparently something I needed to (re)read in this moment of my life.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (LN), vol 2

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

Review – The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (LN), vol 2

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter: Church Management Support Plan

by Yatsuki Wakutsu

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 272
Series: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter (light novel) #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

After getting accidentally summoned to another world, former office worker Seiichiro ends up becoming extremely close with the handsome knight commander Aresh -- although what exactly that means remains ambiguous, even after they begin living together. Just as that's happening, Seiichiro meets a priest who reminds him a bit of Aresh. When Aresh returns from his latest expedition, will he find a rival waiting for him?

The second volume of Yatsuki Wakutsu’s light novel, The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter took me juuust beyond where I’d got up to in the manga (which was volume four, so they’re not quite in sync volume-wise), though there’s one more volume of the manga already out in English that I haven’t read yet. It’s a great step forward, story-wise, forcing Seiichirou to deal with Aresh’s feelings and consider his own, and also furthering Seiichirou’s plans for improving the kingdom and giving a bit more depth to some other characters (Yua, Yurius, Sigma) and world.

I’d say that the thing that bothers me most in the manga (Aresh’s controlling actions) seem… less bad, in the light novel? Maybe because we get a touch more insight into Seiichirou’s reactions, I suppose, and the fact that he doesn’t entirely seem to mind. There’s also a bit more clear intimacy between them that the manga glosses over a lot. It’s still a bit controlling (particularly the move to living together), but it comes across a bit better, and it feels a bit more obvious that Aresh is really young (including in the art).

I won’t say too much spoilery, but I am happy that we don’t have to wait until the end for clear feelings to be discussed between the main characters. I loved the inclusion of Seiichirou’s (unsent) letters to Aresh, because it’s an adorable insight into what he’s thinking, and Norbert’s extras are cute too.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – The All-Nighter, vol 3

Posted August 5, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – The All-Nighter, vol 3

The All-Nighter

by Chip Zdarsky, Jason Loo, Paris Alleyne, Frank Cvetkovic, Allison O'Toole

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels
Pages: 114
Series: The All-Nighter #3
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

In this final arc, the staff at The All-Nighter are trying to piece their lives back together in the wake of Alex’s disappearance. They know that Alex would stop at nothing to get any of them back, so they have no choice: it's time to bring this fight to The Takers.

With unexpected new allies, the crew will have to live up to Alex’s dreams of super heroes. If they want to rescue their friend and uncover the mystery of The Takers, they’ll have to do it as a team—or as a family.

The third volume of Chip Zdarsky’s The All-Nighter certainly goes places. Alex’s been kidnapped by the Takers, and everyone else is trying to figure out what the new rules are. The found family splinters for a bit, each trying to figure out a way forward, and God shows up.

Yeah, God. Or at least, the (Christian) God humans tell stories about, in the same way they tell stories about vampires, werewolves, etc. It’s a reasonable development from what we know about how stories work in this world, giving birth to monsters and heroes, but I’m going to guess it’ll make some readers profoundly uncomfortable. However, it doesn’t preclude God really existing, if you read carefully. The “God” we meet as a character is a made creature, but that doesn’t mean there’s no real God in the world of The All-Nighter. It’s pretty wild to speculate about, but Zdarsky didn’t go there.

Anyway! It goes kind of predictably from there, because of course Lucifer shows up, amongst other developments like the found family all saving each other (though not without loss).

The idea behind this series isn’t super original (stuff like American Gods leaps to mind, but also — though not set in our world — Michael Scott’s Paedur the Bard books, and quite a few others that I’m just not retrieving from memory in this second), but it’s a fun enough exploration of it, which maybe nudges the idea in a slightly different direction by having superheroes a la Marvel also be part of the mythology that comes to life.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – Cinder House

Posted August 1, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 7 Comments

Review – Cinder House

Cinder House

by Freya Marske

Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 144
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske—a queer Gothic romance perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher.

Ella is a haunting.

Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.

Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.

Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.

You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.

You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.

Rediscover a classic fairy tale in this debut novella from "the queen of romantic fantasy" (Polygon).

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.

I found Freya Marske’s Cinder House a little slower to get started than I’d expected from a novella: it felt like more than half the book was setup (though important things did happen!) and then the ending had to happen at an absolute gallop. A little more time in the second half for a good head of longing to build up would have really helped the ending, though I’m trying not to say too much about that.

The bones of the story are Cinderella, but it’s also much more than that, with quite a bit of worldbuilding woven in. The politics of the world were a bit difficult to grasp from the vantage point we have, which honestly makes sense since, well, Ella’s a house. Kind of. Interestingly, from the buildup I guessed two possible endings, and in the end they were both sort of right (and both sort of wrong).

I did enjoy the world-building, and the way the story works out — the way Ella’s sisters torture her into compliance was very well thought out and described, for instance, it’s all very thoughtful — it just felt like the pacing was a touch off.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, vol 9

Posted July 31, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, vol 9

A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation

by Misaki, Momochi, Sando, Lamp Magonote

Genres: Fantasy, Manga
Pages: 160
Series: A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation #9
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

When Lizel mysteriously finds himself in a city that bears odd similarities to his own but clearly isn't, he quickly comes to terms with the unlikely truth: this is an entirely different world. Even so, laid-back Lizel isn't the type to panic. He immediately sets out to learn more about this strange place, and to help him do so, hires a seasoned adventurer named Gil as his tour guide and protector.

Until he's able to find a way home, Lizel figures this is a perfect opportunity to explore a new way of life adventuring as part of a guild. After all, he's sure he'll go home eventually... might as well enjoy the otherworldly vacation for now!

Volume 9 of A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation felt maybe a tad disjointed, because we’re lacking information about events until a flashback/explanation later, and this happens twice (once about how Lizel plans to defend the people, and then also about the promise he makes Gil make).

That said, it’s a great conclusion to this little arc of the attack on Marcade, and we see a lot of Lizel’s scheming. And it’s to be hoped that in the next volume, Gil and Eleven give him whatfor about it, for goodness’ sake.

There are some really fun moments between the trio, though most of the focus is on Lizel’s cleverness and his efforts to thwart Variant Ruler. The elves kind of come out of nowhere, and I felt kinda like I’d missed something, but they were technically somewhat foreshadowed…

Not my favourite volume in some ways, but I enjoyed it as always.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – The Apothecary Diaries (LN), vol 3

Posted July 26, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Apothecary Diaries (LN), vol 3

The Apothecary Diaries

by Natsu Hyuuga, Touko Shino

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels
Pages: 344
Series: The Apothecary Diaries (LN) #3
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Maomao must help keep Consort Gyokuyou safe during her pregnancy. An imperial consort being with child is supposed to be a matter of the utmost secrecy, but this is the rear palace, where maneuvering and backstabbing are as commonplace as banter and tea parties. Threats seem to lurk around every corner — but it’s not just the rear palace keeping busy. Jinshi finds himself struggling to entertain a most unusual request from a pair of visiting ambassadors. Later, he’s invited to an important gathering in a faraway place — but who knows what dangers might be waiting for him?

I found volume three of Natsu Hyuuga’s The Apothecary Diaries (the light novel version) dragged a little bit, if I’m honest. It felt like there was quite a bit of filler, and it was harder to tell if there was an underlying linkage between the stories, even when they revealed more of the court and characters (and ultimately… with most of these chapters, there wasn’t a strong link to bring it all together).

It’s hard to tell since there are so many volumes, of course; maybe some of the details of these stories will become important later — and it is fun to see a bit more of the court and characters like Xiaolan and Suirei. But for me the potentially plot-forwarding bit didn’t come soon enough to really keep my interest in this volume.

Also, the “frog” scene was excruciating. Come on, Maomao, what good is all that doing?!

So I’m sure I’ll read more of The Apothecary Diaries, probably both the light novel and the manga; I love Maomao and her way of thinking. Buuut… I probably won’t go onto volume four right away this time.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – Castle of the Winds

Posted July 20, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Castle of the Winds

Castle of the Winds

by Christina Baehr

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 212
Series: The Secrets of Ormdale #3
Rating: one-star
Synopsis:

At Midsummer’s Eve, the Red Dragon will choose his bride.

Following this mysterious invitation, Edith sets off on a quest to the Castle of the Winds to find a lost family of dragon keepers in the mountains of Wild Wales.

But all is not as it seems. Edith must guard her own hidden power, or she might not return to her friends in Ormdale—including the man who has come to love her. Will Edith make an alliance with the legendary Red Dragon of her dreams to safeguard her ancestral charge, or will she lose everything she has tried to protect?

Book 3 of The Secrets of Ormdale is a breathtaking adventure that will take Edith to exhilarating new heights…and deeper into peril than ever before.

Oof, it’s difficult to know what to say about Christina Baehr’s Castle of the Winds. I think in writing it and setting it mostly in Wales, she did do some research into Wales at that period: she seemed to know about things like the Welsh Not and the Treachery of the Blue Books (Brad y Llyfrau Gleision), even if she didn’t directly reference the latter: certainly her characters discuss the situation of the Welsh versus the English in the Victorian period.

But… all that research, and she didn’t really think that maybe this wasn’t a story she should be telling, at least not with an Anglican clergyman’s daughter as the heroine? It risks becoming a bit of a “white saviour” sort of story (granted, of other white people, but nonetheless of people she’s viewing as “primitive”). It’s especially problematic since Nonconformist religion was part of what led the Welsh to be viewed as lesser. It’s all a bit messy and interacts weirdly with the fact that the bad guys have set up a socialist, atheist Welsh commune with faux-medieval trappings.

I was basically uncomfortable with the story from the moment someone was announced as “Arthur, Prince of Gwynedd”, and also “Lord Pendragon”, and I didn’t get any happier about it the further I went along. It tiptoes along the edge of being okay, nominally sympathetic to the ordinary Welsh people caught up in it all, but… I don’t know.

It’s probably also pretty weird that despite her Jewish mother, she’s so very Anglican Christian.

I don’t know if I’ll read more of this series to see how things shake out. I enjoyed it quite a lot prior to this book, because when she’s not being positioned as a saviour to the poor ignorant Welsh, Edith and her relationship with Simon are great fun. She’s a little bit in the mould of Emily Wilde and Isabella Trent, and I enjoy that very much. I guess we’ll see how it sits with me given a little time.

Rating: 1/5 (“didn’t like it”)

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