Tag: SF/F

Review – Paladin’s Strength

Posted October 13, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review – Paladin’s Strength

Paladin's Strength

by T. Kingfisher

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Pages: 426
Series: The Saint of Steel #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

From two-time Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Paladin's Strength, the perfect blend of cosy fantasy romance and classic fantasy adventure featuring an order of secretive nuns, a swashbuckling paladin and a strange hive of rabbits.

He's a paladin of a dead god, tracking a supernatural killer across a continent. She's a nun from a secretive order on the trail of the raiders who burned her convent and kidnapped her sisters.

When their paths cross at the point of a sword, Istvhan and Clara will be pitched headlong into each other's quests, facing off against enemies both living and dead. But Clara has a secret that could jeopardise the growing trust between them, a secret that will lead them to the gladiatorial pits of a corrupt city, and beyond...

I really enjoyed T. Kingfisher’s Paladin’s Strength, even though at times I think it could’ve used being a bit shorter — a few pages less here and there. I think I had the same thought about The Wonder Engine, so I suspect it’s partly a matter of style, and I do enjoy T. Kingfisher’s writing quite a bit. She has a thing about paladins, and Istvhan is a fun example of the breed: a little less absolutely subsumed by being a paladin than Stephen, a bit less haunted than Galen, but still profoundly bound by requiring himself to be decent.

So decent that he can’t see that Clara’s a perfectly capable, willing women who would like to go to bed with him. The will they/won’t they is pretty frustrating given we see both sides of the potential relationship and thus know that they’re just totally failing to communicate, and I think it’s here that some pages could’ve been cut profitably. It all feels like it drags out a bit too long, though on the other hand, they’re both so stubborn that I guess it’s not super surprising that they have to be dragged slowly to a conclusion.

The discovery of the origins of the smooth men is fascinating — and definitely surprised me, since I figured it was going to be a bigger plot running through all four books, and it seems kinda… wrapped up? And it was fascinating to explore more of the world too, learning about St Ursa, the Aral, Morstone…

Looking forward to the next book, which looks quite short compared to this one!

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Tags: , , , , ,

Divider

Review – The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (manga), vol 4

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

Review – The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (manga), vol 4

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter

Pages: 178
Series: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter (manga) #4
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

So it’s been a bit, but an accountant guy somehow went down a portalhole and into a fantasy world. Once he got there, the first thing he asked for was a job. That’s how Kondou’s career in the Romany Kingdom’s Accounting Department began and part of the reason a stunning knight captain stumbled upon a bean counter in distress. Venturing to the depths of a dangerous forest on a quest to clear the miasma is the exact opposite of what Kondou’s knight in shining armor wants him to do. However, our intrepid bean counter is a man with a plan, so venture forth he does—much to the captain’s dismay. But turnabout is fair play, which is why Captain Aresh makes his own declaration on their way back


I’m enjoying The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter in many ways, especially as in this volume we’re getting to see more of the world (and the Holy Maiden realises her situation a bit better, and thankfully seems to be a bit less of a brat/less inclined to angle for Aresh). Seiichirou is ridiculously competent, but that’s always fun — I can’t help but compare him a bit to Lizel, of A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation.

That said… this series has some problems, and they eclipse the good stuff so much I need to talk about them at more length right now.

I am still giving it three stars, but I want to heavily caveat that: there’s a lot of dubious consent and potential coercion here. I think we’re perhaps supposed to understand that Seiichirou has powerful allies and could get out of the situation if he really wanted to, and that in a way he’s using Aresh — but this isn’t always explicit enough. It seems like Aresh is perhaps taking advantage of Seiichirou’s need for protection to be intimate with him, and that’s a bit of a red flag, even if Aresh wasn’t being so controlling “for Seiichirou’s own good”.

I’m wondering if this is better or worse in the light novel, and will be finding out since I’ve ordered all three! But it’s worth knowing going in about the coercive control (however well-intentioned) and dubious consent, which is not really examined. There’s an extent to which I can roll with that (The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System is calling) but I think one still has to look at it and admit that it’s problematic.

N.B. Since writing this review I read the light novels, and actually ended up posting those reviews first! You can read those reviews here. Tl;dr summary: I preferred the light novels and felt that the relationship was more explicitly mutual there.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

Tags: , , , , ,

Divider

Review – The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association

Posted October 2, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 6 Comments

Review – The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association

by Caitlin Rozakis

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 365
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Two parents and their recently-bitten-werewolf daughter try to fit into a privileged New England society of magic aristocracy. But deadly terrors await them – ancient prophecies, remorseless magical trials, hidden conspiracies and the PTA bake sale.

When Vivian’s kindergartner, Aria, gets bitten by a werewolf, she is rapidly inducted into the hidden community of magical schools. Reeling from their sudden move, Vivian finds herself having to pick the right sacrificial dagger for Aria, keep stocked up on chew toys and play PTA politics with sirens and chthonic nymphs and people who literally can set her hair on fire.

As Vivian careens from hellhounds in the school corridors and demons at the talent show, she races to keep up with all the arcane secrets of her new society – shops only accessible by magic portal, the brutal Trials to enter high school, and the eternal inferno that is the parents’ WhatsApp group.

And looming over everything is a prophecy of doom that sounds suspiciously like it’s about Aria. Vivian might be facing the end of days, just as soon as she can get her daughter dressed and out of the door


Caitlin Rozakis’ The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association is a pretty fun book about parenting a werewolf kid, learning to fit into a whole new community, and the fact that there’s always the mean clique, wherever you go.

I’ve seen it touted as cosy, so I would point out that the main character has childhood trauma (which isn’t discussed in great detail, but is obvious from the way she blames herself for every single thing) and adulthood trauma from seeing her child’s throat bitten out by a werewolf right in front of her. There’s a lot of drama, and though there’s fun worldbuilding and amusing references and all of that, there’s also a lot of emotional stuff going on.

Speaking of which, Vivian honestly gets a bit frustrating at times because of this: she tries to blame everything on herself, she shuts her husband out (though he’s not blameless either, to be clear), she sees things in black and white, and is quite prepared to repeat her parents’ mistakes. There’s some ambiguity about some of the people she’s choosing to suck up to, but Cecily is an obvious awful snob the entire time, and Vivian herself blindly ignores all the warning bells because this will be “best for Aria” (when it clearly isn’t). She is trying very hard, buuut at times her behaviour and wilful ignorance is annoying.

For those wary of anything mentioning Harry Potter, this book doesn’t mention it by name, but references it a couple of times (not super positively). So that’s worth knowing, and it’s definitely unavoidably influenced by it (though personally I’d have skipped mentioning it at all). It’s not just Hogwarts with the serial numbers filed off, to be clear: it deals with younger children, and feels very American.

It did get to a point near the end where I kinda went, c’mon, we’ve figured it out already, let’s wrap this up, and certain aspects of it were pretty predictable… but mostly I enjoyed the wrap-up, even if I could’ve done with a bit less of Vivian kicking herself first. Overall, worked pretty well, and I had fun.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Tags: , , ,

Divider

Review – Mooncop

Posted October 1, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 6 Comments

Review – Mooncop

Mooncop

by Tom Gauld

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction
Pages: 96
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

"Living on the moon . . . Whatever were we thinking? . . . It seems so silly now."

The lunar colony is slowly winding down, like a small town circumvented by a new super highway. As our hero, the Mooncop, makes his daily rounds, his beat grows ever smaller, the population dwindles. A young girl runs away, a dog breaks off his leash, an automaton wanders off from the Museum of the Moon.

Mooncop is equal parts funny and melancholy. capturing essential truths about humanity and making this a story of the past, present, and future, all in one. Like his Guardian and New Scientist strips, as well as his previous graphic novel, Goliath, Mooncop is told with Tom Gauld's distinctive, matter-of-fact storytelling and dry humor -- an approach that has earned him fans around the world.

If you like Tom Gauld’s art, Mooncop isn’t exactly a great departure for him in style. It’s pretty much exactly the style he uses in his strips for New Scientist and the Guardian, but this time it’s a continuous story. Not a very plotty story, it must be admitted, but nonetheless there’s a narrative here.

It’s a surprisingly melancholy one, and that feeling comes through perfectly despite an art style that I’d more usually associate with funny science or reading-based humour. There are very few characters, and quite a bit of repetition, showing us the life of the “Mooncop” as people leave the moon and head back to Earth.

It ends on an open note, preserving the melancholy feel. Will Mooncop stay on the moon much longer? Will the last other remaining person go back to Earth, too? That’s left for you to imagine.

I rather enjoyed it — it’s simple, but effective.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Tags: , , , , ,

Divider

Review – The Wonder Engine

Posted September 28, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Wonder Engine

The Wonder Engine

by T. Kingfisher

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 366
Series: Clocktaur War #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

In the sequel to Clockwork Boys, Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City, the source of the mysterious Clockwork Boys. They even managed to build some trust in each other's skills. That trust is built on quicksand as the risks continue to escalate. But the secrets they're keeping could well destroy them, before the city even gets the chance...
Old foes and consequences of past decisions lurk in the shadows. Every team member's skills are required to succeed--even more so if they hope to survive.

I found T. Kingfisher’s The Wonder Engine a touch less well-paced then Clockwork Boys: it’s a bit chunkier, and it’s not entirely clear to me that all of it is needed. I don’t mean any major events should be cut, I think, but some of the will-they-won’t-they could’ve been condensed, at least, and maybe some of the events around the reason why Slate didn’t want to return to Anuket City. (I’m trying to avoid spoilers here.)

All of which is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, because I did, it’s just that Clockwork Boys felt a bit more streamlined, and I began to lose patience with Caliban and Slate’s inability to communicate properly. Grimehug is right, of course, they can’t smell each other, but a gnole could wish humans would manage to speak with words, allegedly their strong point!

I enjoy this world and seeing a bit more of it, and I enjoyed the characters for the most part — even Learned Edmund, to my surprise, now that he’s understood a bit more of the real world. There was a “twist” that shouldn’t have surprised me but sort of did (I’d been expecting something to happen, but not that specifically), and the way everything wrapped up definitely had punch, with room for healing and a happy ending for some of the characters.

I’ll definitely grab the UK edition when it comes out, to match Clockwork Boys; it’s a series I want to keep around, and I was surprised by how quickly I wanted to go on and read The Wonder Engine right away, because normally I space out a series by at least an unrelated book or two.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Tags: , , ,

Divider

Review – Solo Leveling, vol. 5

Posted September 27, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Solo Leveling, vol. 5

Solo Leveling

by Dubu, Chugong

Genres: Fantasy, Manga
Pages: 314
Series: Solo Leveling #5
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Jinwoo knows it won't be long before his true power fully comes to light and the guilds and Hunter's Association of Korea descend, seeking his allegiance. Since his training has thus far been a solo endeavor, Jinwoo decides he ought to at least see what an A-rank raid is really like. Joining the Hunters' excavation team is the perfect opportunity to assess a high-level guild in action, even if his role is limited to hauling and mining. That is, until a particularly nasty dungeon boss requires the luggage carrier to step up to carry the team as well!!

Volume five of Solo Leveling feels a bit… like filler? Jinwoo hitches himself a ride with a guild on the “excavation” team, and we get to see a bit more about how the guilds make money by totally stripping out the dungeons, so it’s not bad for worldbuilding, but it felt like the bit about the re-evaluation was kinda stretched out.

Still, we meet Cha Hae-In, who seems pretty cool, and it was kinda nice to tone down the darkness a touch and have Jinwoo spend some time reminding himself what it used to be like when he went on raids with other people. Despite thinking he’s not going to rely on other people etc etc, Jinwoo’s still actually protecting the innocent, which is good to see.

He is getting super overpowered though, like me overlevelling in the first dungeon of a game. I’m thinking the ants are gonna be a good opponent for him; it’d be pretty disappointing if that doesn’t even challenge him either.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

Tags: , , , , ,

Divider

Review – Reignclowd Palace

Posted September 23, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Reignclowd Palace

Reignclowd Palace

by Philippa Rice

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 400
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Evnie Treedle makes magical things and for the last few years she has been selling them in magical knickknacks shop, the Magpie Nest.

But everything changes when one day Evnie's crafting abilities catch the attention of the nearby Reignclowd Palace. She is asked to become their resident spellsmith... the original spellsmith suddenly ill under mysterious circumstances.

Evnie is soon put to work making and mending magical objects. Yet, problems start to appear when she realises there's much more at stake than friendship or romance; a dragon looms over the kingdom looking for a soul to devour, and it's eyes are set on their princess.

I picked up Philippa Rice’s Reignclowd Palace on an absolute whim — more accurately, I spotted it in a bookshop, was curious about the colourful cover, and ended up putting it on my wishlist. I hadn’t seen anyone else talk about it or review it, which is pretty unusual for me at this point: a lot of my reading decisions are based on seeing other people’s thoughts about the books first.

Aaand I really enjoyed it: it kinda had Howl’s Moving Castle vibes to me in many ways (which is not to say it was a rip-off of Howl’s Moving Castle, just that something about the world and relationships felt adjacent). Evnie is a pretty good protagonist, new to the palace and thus open-eyed to its wonders and quirks, giving us a good chance to explore alongside her but making it make sense that she doesn’t know what’s going on all the time or figure out the intricacies of it.

I feel like there were maybe one or two inconsistencies that I’d have to flick through the book to check back on (why would Fantacci go and get Evnie if the Oracle is so blind to her and what she’s going to do?), and there were a couple of notes that felt off (what happens to the youngest prince in the end makes sense, but felt abrupt) or things that were just a tad weird but never came to anything much (Ren’s crush on Hadriana really seemed a bit creepy/obsessive).

I loved the way dragons work in this world, though, and the chaos of the palace, the nature of Evnie’s magic, the way that it slowly becomes clear what dragons are and what happened to Evnie’s village… And I liked that it works as a standalone: I’ve no idea if there’s other stuff planned in this world, there would certainly be space for it, but there doesn’t need to be.

Overall, a gamble that paid off. It was a nice semi-cosy book for my mood — by which I mean there’s a cosiness to the fact that Evnie’s spellwork happens through knitting and sewing at times, in the friendships growing up around the palace, the light romance, etc, but there is also peril and trauma. There’s a warmth to it that I appreciated a lot.

Rating; 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Tags: , , ,

Divider

Review – Clockwork Boys

Posted September 21, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 6 Comments

Review – Clockwork Boys

Clockwork Boys

by T. Kingfisher

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 282
Series: Clocktaur War #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

In the first book of this touching and darkly comic duology, a paladin, a forger, an assassin and a scholar ride out of town on an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. When forger Slate is convicted of treason, she faces a death sentence. But her unique gift for sniffing out magic (literally) earns her a reprieve-of sorts. Along with a paladin, Caliban, possessed by a demon, her murderous ex-lover, and an irritating misogynist scholar, Slate sets off on a mission to learn about the Clockwork Boys, deadly mechanical soldiers from a neighbouring kingdom who have been terrorising their lands. If they succeed, rewards and pardons await, but they must survive a long journey through enemy territory to reach Anuket City. And Slate has her own reasons to dread returning to her former home. Slate and her crew aren't the first to be sent on this mission. None of their predecessors have returned, and Slate can't help but feel they've exchanged one death sentence for another. Her increasing closeness to Caliban isn't helping matters: for the first time in a long time, Slate might actually care about surviving.

T. Kingfisher’s Clockwork Boys has been issued in a new UK print edition, which finally spurred me to get round to reading it — and now I’m glad that I have the sequel in ebook already, because the UK print edition isn’t out, but the duology is really the same story just split between two books. It doesn’t end in this volume by any means.

I found it all very enjoyable: quintessentially Kingfisher-ish, of course, from her physically nondescript female lead to her magic system to her paladin character and his particular hangups. It’s your classic fantasy journey to solve a problem, a biiiig ol’ problem, with a mismatched group consisting of one volunteer and three felons being compelled by a tattoo that’ll eat them if they betray the mission (fascinating concept). It all has her usual humour and warmth, along with truly terrifying ideas (see also: the tattoo that can eat you).

Of course I’ve read Paladin’s Grace, in the same world but (IIRC) written later, so I had some prior grounding on the world, which means I was also trying to slot it into what I know of that book.

It’s very fun and goes by pretty quickly, even if occasionally I want to whack Caliban upside the head, and I’m eager for the next book.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Tags: , , ,

Divider

Review – R.U.R.

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

Review – R.U.R.

R.U.R.

by Karel Čapek

Genres: Classics, Plays, Science Fiction
Pages: 73
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

R.U.R. - written in 1920, premiered in Prague in 1921, and first performed in New York in 1922 - garnered worldwide acclaim for its author and popularized the word 'robot'. Mass-produced as efficient laborers to serve man, Capek's Robots are an android product-they remember everything but think of nothing new. But the Utopian life they provide ultimately lacks meaning, and the humans they serve stop reproducing. When the Robots revolt, killing all but one of their masters, they must strain to learn the secret of self-duplication. It is not until two Robots fall in love and are christened "Adam" and "Eve" by the last surviving human that Nature emerges triumphant.

It’s always difficult (for me, anyway!) to review a classic like Karel Čapek’s R.U.R., because I usually rate on enjoyment of the story or quality of the book, but classics tempt me to rate based on significance as well. When I first read R.U.R. — which I’d actually forgotten that I had even read it before — I clearly didn’t really like it or get it, which is interesting.

This time… well, it’s still incredibly weird that all the main characters are in love with Helena, but other stuff stuck with me more, like this quotation:

“And that‘s not what your R. U. R. shareholders dream of either. They dream of dividends, and their dividends are the ruin of mankind.”

Oof. Just, oof.

In a way, it’s very predictable to the reader now, but also… unfortunately recognisable. That wasn’t the only bit that made me wince with recognition, for sure.

It’s also, of course, important for being the first use of the word “robots”, and there’s a line running through from R.U.R. to The Murderbot Diaries, even if it’s a long lineage. I’m glad I reread it and gave it some time again.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

Tags: , , , , ,

Divider

Review – The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (manga), vol 3

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

Review – The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (manga), vol 3

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter (manga)

by Kazuki Irodori, Yatsuki Wakutsu

Genres: Fantasy, Manga, Romance
Pages: 178
Series: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter (manga) #3
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Just the other day, an office worker was dragged through a portal to a fantasy world in a different dimension. He requests only one thing — a job. So began Kondou’s career as an accountant for the Romany Kingdom. However, when Aresh finds said bean counter in dire straits, the dashing knight captain takes it upon himself to care for Kondou. Soon after, Kondou catches the attention of the prime minister, resulting in his promotion to a middle management position. With his new title, Kondou finds his workload increasing along with the dangers associated with him. As a consequence, Aresh faces an entirely new obstacle — how to protect his bean counter from not only himself but the outside world as well


NB: this review is actually from before I read the light novels, since I try to space out my reviews and provide some diversity! So now I know how the plot all turns out… but I didn’t bother editing this review, and it remains my first impressions.

The third volume of The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter certainly goes places! I found it a bit less light-hearted than the other volumes, since Seiichirou is violently beaten and left for dead, and then dragged into very certain danger for political reasons.

Aresh’s devotion to him continues to be somewhat sweet, though still rather controlling. And yeah, it’s to save his life — and yeah, Seiichirou is annoyingly careless and in fact actively endangering himself to no real purpose — but there has to be a place where it stops, and I’m not certain I believe Aresh knows that (and sometimes he crosses the line). It’s really clear that they need to have a conversation about Aresh’s feelings, though Seiichirou is pretty unreadable on that front, only seeming to think about what he owes Aresh.

I find it disappointing that the Holy Maiden is kind of oblivious. I wonder if she’ll become more of an ally to Seiichirou now, or whether there’s something deliberate and malicious under the girlishness. Her interest in Aresh is pretty annoying, but I find it uncomfortable that I’m annoyed about it — it seems like she’s set up to be hated for being interested in one of the (gay) male leads, a pattern I always hated in fic as a teen and actively avoid now.

Overall, curious where the plot is going, and where Aresh and Seiichirou’s relationship will end up, but I definitely need them to communicate and examine their own feelings (preferably in the reverse of that order).

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

Tags: , , , , , ,

Divider