Queen Demon by Martha Wells is the second book in the Rising World series. We follow Witch King Kai and his companions in the aftermath of the first book Witch King.
Once again the story is split between the past and present. In the past we follow Kai as he is fighting against the Hierarch’s and the growing relationships between the companions. While in the present the story focuses on the aftermath of Kai disappearing and the current politics. The main focus of Queen Demon is on Dahin who believes that he knows the location of the Hierarch’s well of power but he is hiding information from Kai. If the Well has been found then a new Hierarch could rise and they might not be able to stop them.
While I loved this continuation I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. I feel like this book is providing a lot of information and more focused on the politics that will be important later in the series but much of the action is at the end. I also think I would enjoy this series more if the past events were told to us all at once followed by the present day story.
A third book has not yet been announced (at this time) because of how this book ends I would bet that we are getting a third book.
In August I only finished one TV show and one movie so I decided to combine the August and September Wrap Ups. In September I read five books, watched two movies, and played the demo for a new video game.
Books:
The Unwanted Guest by Tamsyn Muir is a short story in the Locked Tomb series. Palamades Sextus and Ianthe Tridentarius match wits on a dreamlike battlefield. Mostly a discussion between these two characters which I don’t feel like I understood but I liked it. Honestly, most Locked Tomb things leave me confused.
The Cautious Traveler’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks is a historical fantasy where the Trans-Siberian Express train travels the wastelands to connect Russia and China. We follow different passengers on the train and learn how the wastelands are changing and how that impacts the passengers.
Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright is a dark fantasy set in a world where society is divided by between those who are blood workers and those who are not. Blood workers use blood to do different magic and is vampiric in nature. We follow Shan who is trying to protect her brother and Samuel who has a terrible gift as they have been tasked to find out who has been committing murders in the city. I liked the story overall and was not expecting how it ended. I look forward to continuing this series.
Manga Classics: Dracula is a manga retelling of Dracula by Bram Stoker and I have a full review posted. While it is a retelling based on changing the medium the story is told in it is using the original text of the novel and is fairly accurate to the novel. I enjoyed this take on Dracula and would recommend this as a way to get in to the story if you didn’t enjoy the reading experience of the original novel.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass is the first book in this romantasy series inspired by Beauty and the Beast. We follow Feyre who kills a wolf in the woods to use the pelt for money to feed her family. However, it turns out that the wolf was a fae and now Feyre must go to the fae realm and live there for the rest of her days. This is a reread for me as I intend to continue on with the series but I didn’t remember much from the first time I read it. While I understand that not everyone will like Mass’s world and stories I enjoyed it and would recommend it as an intro to romantasy.
TV:
The only TV show I finished was season one of The Terror. The Terror is a drama/supernatural anthology series where each season is a contained and unconnected story, the first season is based on a book by the same name. Season one follows the events of the Franklin expedition to find the North West Passage through the Arctic Ocean and was supposed to be a sea lane connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The expedition gets stuck in the ice and after an encounter with some of the natives a something starts terrorizing them. This is an interesting take on a historical event and while I enjoyed it, it’s a very slow start. I do intend to watch the next season which is set during World War II at a Japanese internment camp.
Movies:
The first movie I watched was A Quite Place Day One. Which heads up the cat survives because I did look that up before watching. This is the third A Quite Place movie but is a prequel to the other two as it follows the events of what happened when everything fell apart and the aliens appear. We are in New York City following Sam, a hospice patient, and Eric, a law student, who end up helping each other.
Next I watched Annabelle Creation which is the second Annabell movie and part of the Conjuring Universe. I’m slowly making my way through the Conjuring movies and trying to watch them in release order. Annabelle Creation focuses on how the Annabelle doll became possessed and what happened before the Warrens obtain it. While I’ve enjoyed all of the Conjuring movies so far I didn’t like this one as much and didn’t really care about most of the characters.
Last I watched The Nun. This is the first Nun movie in the Conjuring Universe and tells us some of the story about the Nun demon Valak before the Warrens become involved. We follow Sister Victoria and Father Burke as they investigate the suicide of a Nun at a remote monastery in Romania. I enjoyed this Conjuring Universe movie and expect that some of the characters will return from how the movie ends.
Game:
The only game I played was the demo for Draculesti which is a romantic horror visual novel where you play a Tans Renfield who is working for Dracula and might find romance along the way. Currently a Demo on Steam and has had a successful Kickstarter to finish the game. I enjoyed the demo and can’t wait to play the full game when it’s released. While not accurate to the original Dracula story I would recommend it to fans of vampires and visual novels.
Manga Classics: Dracula is a manga retelling of Dracula by Bram Stoker. While it is a retelling due to changing the medium of the story it is using the original text of Dracula, though some has been left out to help condense the story, and is accurate to the novel.
I would recommend this as a way of getting in to Dracula if you have tried the novel and didn’t enjoy the experience. Much like other ways of reading Dracula, such as Dracula Daily, you get to understand the horror of Dracula and how different adaptations have changed the story over time.
For instance, in the original novel Mina is not Dracula’s reincarnated wife and Dracula while probably inspired by Vlad the Impaler he is not that historical figure. Unlike movies and other adaptations Dracula is a horror story and is not a love story at least not for Dracula.
In this manga adaptation the visuals are amazing and they take the time to give each character a slightly different writing style to help tell the story. I love Dracula and I love different adaptations so I figured I would enjoy this manga.
The first book I read in July was Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson. This is a nonfiction book that tells the story of witchcraft and the witch trials in thirteen different trials/events. While interesting take on how to tell the story of witchcraft and a different way to study it I found that I wanted more information than this book gave. I also personally didn’t enjoy the more modern tales as I feel like it became more about the author’s opinion then what happened.
Next I read Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup which I have a full review also posted. Just Stab Me Now is a fantasy comedy story similar to the Princes Bride. We follow Caroline an author who is trying to write a fantasy romance with many popular tropes but the character’s won’t listen to her and take the story in a different direction.
Blood of Elves by Andrezj Saplowski is the first full novel in the Witcher series. We follow Geralt as he helps raise the prophesied child Ceri but evil forces are out to get her. I wanted to love this but I found myself not caring about what was happening and feel like I only got part of a story without a stratifying ending. While I’ve like the games and TV show I don’t know if I will continue with the books.
The last book I read was And Then You Die of Dysentery: Lessons in Adulting from The Oregon Trail by Lauren Reeves. This is a humor book with different takes on things that one can learn by playing The Oregon Trail and how it can apply to adult life. A combination of art and writing that I think those who love the Oregon Trial would get a kick out of.
Movies:
The only movie I watched this month was Alien Romulus. The most recent Alien movie and one that I liked but didn’t love. Set between the events of Alien and Aliens we follow a small group trying to steal cryostasis equipment from a Weyland-Yutani station which had picked up a cocoon from the wreak of the Nostromo. I enjoyed this Alien movie and I wouldn’t mind a sequel to it. I loved the combination of practical and CGI effects.
Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup is a fantasy/comedy story with similarities to the Princess Bride. We follow Caroline an author trying to write a fantasy romance book but her characters just won’t listen and take the story is an unexpected direction. For the Fantasy parts we follow Lady Rosamund a thirty-six year old widow who with the help of Captain Collins must stop a war and who has no time for fantasy tropes.
The book is inspired by the Fantasy Heroine YouTube Shorts where Jill plays all of the characters including the author and all the different characters in “her” book. The shorts and the book play up a lot of the tropes of Fantasy and Fantasy Romance. Specifically, Caroline is trying for enemies to lovers but the characters are not in that headspace and end up changing the plans.
I would love more and the book and shorts while wrapped up could continue but Jill Bearup has stated that she is not really an author and it was the fans who more or less bullied her into writing this and doesn’t plan to continue it. The book itself is very meta and is probably not for everyone but I loved it. I would recommend checking of the YouTube shorts first because if you enjoy those or not will tell you if this book is for you.
In June I read five books. All of them which I enjoyed.
Books:
The first book I finished was The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski which is a collection of short stories set in the world of The Witcher and is chronologically set before the first novel. This is where many people recommend to start the Witcher series as we met Geralt and many others before the events of the novels and can better understand the character relationships. I liked the short stories but some I found too long and I didn’t personally like the ones that put so much focus on Dandelion.
Next I read John Green’s new book Everything is Tuberculosis. This is a nonfiction about Tuberculosis how it has shaped the world and Green’s personal obsession with it. While interesting and thought provoking at times it doesn’t seem like it goes far enough but I can see this as a small step stone towards change.
Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski is another collection of short stories following Geralt of Rivia set in the world of The Witcher. While some of the stories are hit and miss the last one goes directly into the events of the first novel. I do feel like if you are just starting the Witcher series you should start with the short stories collections.
From the Wizarding World Archive: Curated Writing from the World of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling is a collection of articles and anecdotes about the world of Harry Potter. Though it does contain interesting information I didn’t feel like there was a lot of new information or stuff. I personally would only recommend this to fans who like to read everything.
The last book I read in June was Queen B by Juno Dawson. Queen B is a prequel novella in the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series. This follows Anne Boleyn who really is a witch and her coven in the aftermath of her beheading. I loved this historical fantasy and look forward to reading more in the series.
In May I read four books and I enjoyed all of them.
Books:
Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray is a Star Wars novel set when Leia is sixteen and is starting to learn the truth about the empire and her parents’ role in this world. I really enjoyed seeing a younger Leia who is just starting to learn about the rebellion and who she is going to become.
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor is a historical fantasy novel. We follow Madeleine Maxwell who joins St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research where they use time travel to figure out historical mysteries and there is another group using time travel to make chaos. While I liked the premise I didn’t love the characters and could have done without the sexual assault, the pregnancy and miscarriage.
The Kaiju Perseveration Society by John Scalzi is a science fiction novel set during the Covid pandemic. During Covid Jamie is a delivery driver but ends up joining the Kaiju Preservation Society. This is a group that travels to an alternate world where Kaiju (like Godzilla) exist. The job is to study and make sure they don’t come to our world. I liked the premise but I wish it was longer and that the villain wasn’t the evil tech billionaire.
The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim is a new Korean inspired fantasy romance. We follow Hani, known as the Scarlet Fox and Seokga a trickster god who end up working together to stop a demon. However, Seokga is also trying to catch the Scarlet Fox while Hani is trying to keep her secret but they are staring to fall in love. I loved this urban fantasy and the romance between Hani and Seokga. I wasn’t expecting how it would end and I look forward to reading the sequel.
In April I read four books, all of them fantasy and science fiction. I should have posted this sooner as I feel like I write better reviews closer to the time I finish a book but I will post what I have from some hand written reviews.
Books:
The first book I read was The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson the last book in Mistborn Era one. We follow from the events of the Well of Ascension where Ruin has escaped and Vin and the crew must try to stop it. While not my favorite of the Mistborn books I did love all the answers to lingering questions and what to Lord Ruler did and why. Also I wasn’t expecting who the Hero of Ages ended up being. I look forward to reading other books in the Cosmere.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers is the second book in the Monk and Robot series. Dex and Mosscap travel to different cities and learn from each other along the way. This focuses on the idea that if you have enough and are comfortable in your life do you really need or want more. I love the relationship between Dex and Mosscap and how they learn from each other.
Saiyuki Reload volume seven by Kazuya Mirekura continues from the cliffhanger at the end of volume six. This volume starts to show where the series is going to go as Goku is injured and Sanzo wanting more answers ends up leaving the group. While I love this series I do find that I have trouble explain it to those who haven’t read or watched it before.
The last book I read this month was Rogue Protocol by Marth Wells which is the third book in the Murderbot series. In this one we follow Murderbot who has noticed that the case against GrayCris (the evil corporation from the first book) is slowly falling apart. He decides to travel to different locations posing as a security officer to try to find more information about GrayCris that could help the case. I love that in the end he decides to he needs to meet back up with the group from the first book.
In March I read three books and watched a movie. All the books I read this month also have full reviews already posted.
Books:
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells is the second book in the Murderbot Diaries. We follow Murderbot after he has left the group from book one to try and find out why and how he was involved in a massacre at a mining facility before the start of the series. I loved seeing how Murderbot is trying to blend in and the relationship with the ship ART.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers is the first book in the Monk and Robot series. We follow Dex a tea monk that travels and helps people by listing to problems kind of like a therapist. While stuck in a rut Dex decides to travel into the wilderness and ends up meeting the robot Mosscap. Mosscap has been sent on a journey by other robots to try and find out what humans need. They end up helping and learning from each other on their travels.
The last book I read this month was Overgrowth by Mira Grant. We follow Stasia who has always said that she is an alien disguised as a human and that the alien armada is coming. When a alien signal is broadcast people start realizing that maybe she wasn’t lying and it may be too late to change anything. This is a creepy and thought provoking read.
Movies:
The only movie I watched this month was the 2022 Hellraiser movie. This horror movie I felt was okay but I don’t think it compares to the original Hellraiser movie. However, if you are looking for a movie to watch with friends I think you would have a good time.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built follows Dex, a tea monk that travels and helps people by bring there and listing. He has started to feel like that they are stuck and decides to travel into the wilderness to try and find purpose again. While there he meets the Robot named Mosscap. Mosscap has been sent on a journey from the other robots to find out what do humans need since humans and robots haven’t been around each other for centuries. They travel together and this allows them to help each other out and Dex is starting to understand what he wants to do in the future.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is set immediately after the events of A Psalm for the Wild-Built. We follow Dex and Mosscap as they travel to different cities so that Mosscap can learn about humanity and what humans need. This story focuses on the idea that if you have enough or are content do you really need or want more. I love Dex and Mosscap’s relationship and how they are learning from each other. Becky Chambers writes very hopeful books and while I can see where this series could go it also works by ending here.
Night Owl Reviews 