#MangaMonday Review – Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol 1 by Soraho Ina

Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol. 1
By: Soraho Ina
Illustrator: Soraho Ina (illustrator); Alexandra Gunawan (lettering and retouching)
Translator: Molly Rabbitt (translator); Cae Hawksmoor (adaptation)
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Publisher: Seven Seas
Series: Fairy Tale Battle Royal
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol. 1 by Soraho Ina is a fun new series featuring another world and fairy tale characters who seem to want our protagonist dead. The story takes place in two worlds, contemporary Japan and a fantasy world where the location of one fairy tale blends into the next.

Review – Before She Sleeps by Binah Shah

Before She Sleeps
By: Binah Shah
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Publisher: Delphinium
Rating:


Before She Sleeps by Binah Shah is a book is a dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic society where decreased fertility and disease have led to the human race declining, women being forced into marriages with multiple husbands. The story follows several women who resist this society and its rules. They do this in a very direct way – they are all part of an underground resistance – but also in their own smaller, personal ways. This is very much a story of autonomy and regaining autonomy.

Review – Occultic;Nine Vol. 1 by Chiyomaru Shikura

Occultic;Nine Vol. 1
By: Chiyomaru Shikura
Illustrator: pako
Translator: Adam Lensenmayer
Release Date: December 3, 2016 (ebook J-Novel Club edition); July 3, 2017 (printed Seven Seas edition); August 22, 2014 (original edition)
Publisher: J-Novel Club; Seven Seas
Series: Occultic;Nine
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


The light novel Occultic;Nine Vol. 1 by Chiyomaru Shikura is a story about the occult, urban legends, and belief versus science and cold facts. Half a dozen very different people’s lives begin to intertwine in different, unexpected ways. All the while, there is a question that begs to be answered – is the occult real, and can science prove its existence?

Review – Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection by Go Nagai

Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection
By: Go Nagai
Illustrator: Go Nagai (Illustrator); Bambi Eloriaga-Amago & Roland Amago (Lettering and Retouch)
Translator: Zack Davisson
Release Date: August 28, 2018 (English)
Publisher: Seven Seas
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


I have long loved classic manga and anime. When a new edition of an older manga comes out you can bet that I am first in line for a copy. Obviously, I jumped on the chance to read Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection by Go Nagai. Cutie Honey is a lot of things. In one sense it’s a magical girl manga. In another it’s a sci-fi manga. It’s a mystery story. There’s violence, nudity, and sexual themes. And I loved every second of it.

Review – The Oyster Thief by Sonia Faruqi

The Oyster Thief
By: Sonia Faruqi
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


The first thing I noticed was the cover, a beautiful dark blue background with a golden tailfin. I was immediately intrigued. The Oyster Thief is the amazing debut novel of Sonia Faruqi. With gorgeous prose and extraordinarily real characters, this is a book you will easily fall in love with.

Review – The Arrival of Missives by Aliya Whiteley

The Arrival of Missives
By: Aliya Whiteley
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Publisher: Titan Books
Award: John W. Campbell Memorial Award Nominee for Best Science Fiction Novel (2017), James Tiptree Jr. Award Nominee for Longlist (2016), Saboteur Award Nominee for Best Novella (2017)
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Aliya Whiteley’s The Arrival of Missives is a historical fantasy novella that is absolutely not to be missed. The prose has lyrical beauty that sweeps the reader along and weaves a truly unforgettable story.

May Day Patterns: Writing The Arrival of Missives by Aliya Whiteley

By Aliya Whiteley

I can remember, when I was young, being taught a simple dance. All of my schoolmates were taught it too. We stood in a circle, each raising one arm in the air, then skipped around each other in a pattern: in and out, round and round. It made no sense to me until May Day came around and we were marched out of class to a Maypole that had been erected in the playground. Each given a colourful ribbon to hold in those outstretched hands, we did our dance as directed, and found we had woven a pattern that spread out from the pole until there was no space left to dance.

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3 Non-Fiction November Books for Fantasy and Sci-Fi Fans!

It might not be apparent from the blog’s theme, but I’m actually a fan of non-fiction. However, science fiction or fantasy themed nonfiction isn’t always something that’s easy to find, and so not very many of these books make it onto this blog. So, in honor of Nonfiction November, here is a list of nonfiction books with science fiction and fantasy themes.

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#MangaMonday – The Manga Cookbook Vol. 3: Fusion Food With Character!

The Manga Cookbook Vol 3: Fusion Food With Character
By: The Manga University Culinary Institute; Ryo KATAGIRI
Release Date: September 7, 2018
Publisher: Japanime Co. Ltd.
Series: The Manga Cookbook
Rating:


This is a bit of a different review than most Mondays, though it is still manga related. I had my eye on this series of books for quite some time, but I hadn’t stumbled across any in my bookshop travels. Well, one of my friends came across a copy of The Manga Cookbook Vol 3: Fusion Food With Character! at Comic-Con and got me a copy!

Looking Glass Reads Turns 2!

Happy Birthday to us! Looking Glass is now officially two years old! Time has really flown by. I’ve read a ton of books, I’ve learned a lot more XML and HTML. And I’ve gotten to edit some amazing work in my freelancing life. Now, lets look forward to next year. And, more importantly, next week!

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