LIST: August's Rants & Raves

     Welcome to August's Rants & Raves. This month's LIST is a unique one, a lot of people who normally deliver hits for me kind of disappointed me and some people surprised me. Who? Well read on and we shall see together. Lets get started.

18. The Dunwitch Horror by H.P Lovecraft: 7 - OKAY.

    So this short story has the unfortunate honor of making me feel like I am good with Lovecraft for a whole month. After reading 3 of his most popular stories (The Color out of Space, Herbert West: Re-animator and this) and only being mildly entertained after each one I realized I like H.P ideas and the worlds he created but I am good on the writer himself. I have read some good work by him but as a whole, his writing has really resounded with me like I thought it would.

    This very popular short story especially did not do much for me and when I finished reading it I was like... OKAY. Hence its score and rank. It is truly strange that I am a big fan of all the people who have been inspired by and their works but Lovecraft, himself, I feel a disconnect with his writing. I normally dedicate a month to short story writers, I am currently reading Poe in September and I plan to read Barker during October (aka the spooky season) but half-way through August and Lovecraft, I just gave up and I do not feel bad about it at all.

17. Flight & Glory # 2 Eyes Turned Skyward by Rebecca Yarros: 7.5 - OKAY

    I love me some Rebecca Yarros. The Empyrean ranks very highly on my favorite romantasy series and I enjoy her standalone romances too. So it is too my surprise that the second book in her Flight & Glory series landed so flat for me. I enjoyed the first book, it was good not great but compared to this one? It was amazing. Heck, the only time I really enjoyed myself during this book was when we checked in on our couple from the first series because the main couple in this book, the people we are supposed to be cheering for did nothing for me.

    We were told they had sizzling chemistry and I did not feel any of it. I can not even really verbalize why I did not care much for them as character and as a couple. Maybe it is because *SPOILER* the female main character already had a boyfriend but the minute our male main character walks in, she starts catching feelings for him to the point they cheated on him? So them eventually getting together just felt icky *END SPOILERS*. Maybe I did not like the obvious twists? The fact that both were very plain characters with bare minimum characterization (which is shocking cause hello its RY)? I do not know, I just know when I completed this book I was happy to be done with it. I fully intend on reading the rest of the F&G pentalogy but I think I might take a break from it after this one.

16. The Dark Artifices # 2: Lord of Shadow by Cassandra Clare: 7.5 - OKAY

    I hate to say it but I do not think I have ever been this dis-interested in a Shadowhunter book as I was in this one. I think it is a combination of a massive main cast which I really don't care about and have not connected with, a main couple who separate are good characters but together drive me insane with their 'forced' chemistry (for me at least) and a very slow pace that keeping slouching along until its final chapter. Yes, this book did not become good to me until that final chapter and without it, this book easily could have got a 7 and probably wouldn't have been at the back of this LIST.

    Speaking of the final chapter, I am also sadden that it was spoiled because I read the Ghosts of the Shadow Market recently and a certain chapter in that book spoiled a big event in this one. I feel they should have been a warning in 'Ghosts' to not read that chapter until you read this series. As it stands, I know I need to finish this series and I will probably get to it before going back to F&G but I think after that I might take another extended break from the Shadowhunter universe which is a shame because I literally just got interested in it again.

15. Wicked For Good: 8 - Rave

    As my previous LIST mentioned, I think I have finally come around to musicals. One of the films that helped make me make that discovery was Wicked. So when the chance came up to finish the story, I was excited. However, there was something about this film that just didn't hit the highs the first one did. The acting was still good, Elphaba and Galinda are still perfect as foils and friends and it was filmed well but the songs in this film were just good and some were very mid. Which is a shame because it had a lot of them. Combine that with a surprisingly darker plot (not surprise because Elphaba was being hunted most of the film) but it also took the whimsical-ness out of the film which was also one first films biggest strengths.

    I did enjoy how the movie merged the plot with the Wizard of Oz and it was nice to see new interpretations of the cowardly Lion, Tin-man and Scarecrow but in a movie about magic and bringing it back to a dead land, this film surprisingly lacked it. I am happy it ended well at least but yeah, a surprisingly disappointment especially after the first surprised me in the best way.

14. The Dark Tower # 5 Wolves of the Calla: 8 - Rave

    While this book gets an 8 and a Rave, I won't lie this book was a bit of a struggle for me. This book pulls a lot from the film specifically the Magnificent Seven and its inspiration, The Seven Samurai so the plot is not anything new. This book feels like a side-quest when we readers just want to get to the dang Tower. Continuing the analogy, our main heroes, the ka-tet use this side-quest to pick up a new character and herein lies my biggest problem.

    The story within a story to pick up this new character went on too long for me. I feel we did not need to go as in depth as we needed for his backstory but Sir King decided we were going to get it. Maybe if I have read the book from which this side-character was pulled from it would mean more to me but I doubt it. This book also suffers from what Lord of Shadows did and it took too long to hook me, thankfully this book did not wait to the final chapter and when I was hooked I was enjoying myself again, hence a higher mark compared to LoS. The final twists are noteworthy as well and even tho I know what it leads too, it was interesting even on a re-read. My trip back to the Tower will continue.

13. Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben: 8.5 - Rave

    As a Coben fan, I knew sooner or later I would start reading his Myron Bolitar series. It is his most enduring series of books having wrote 19 (!) of them and a Netflix series coming soon. At first this book was a bit of a struggle for me, it was never bad, it just did not catch my attention like most Coben book do. I also don't care about sports in general and Myron being a sports agent and sports playing a big role in this book didn't appeal to me either.

    Thankfully the actual mystery behind the sports was compelling and I grew to not only like Myron (who is a wiseass like a lot of Harlan's protags) I even like his supporting cast too, especially his best friend Win, whom is a unique character in himself. This book was a strong 8 until the Coben's final twist happened and it upped it by .5. I don't know how he does it but he just does. I will also say, at the beginning I was unsure if I will read all of Myron's books but I think I will keep going for now.

12. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1: 8.5 - Rave

     As fans of the Percy Jackson films that was created with 20 Century Fox, I was surprised to later learn the author had actually distanced himself from them. Now after watching the TV series that was made with his cooperation (him and his wife are executive producers) I see why he did. The TV series is a completely different minotaur and I can see soo much more time invested in the building the mythology of the world which the movies kind of skimmed over. Mind you, the movies only have 2 hrs plus hours to adapt a novel but the movies definitely focus on spectacle over lore.

    The actual show is very well made, with a good sized budget and the actors deliver some good performances, I am surprised how deep some of them were able to get despite their ages so kudos to them. Also speaking of casting, casting Lance Reddick as Zeus was masterful and its a shame he is no longer with us. He really brought the gravitas and threat a character like Zeus deserved. Overall, a good show and worth watching if you enjoy YA fantasy.

11. Michael: 8.5 - Rave

    Yes, I know I am late with this review but hey I had to wait till it was available on streaming! I enjoyed this bio-pic a lot and the Jafar who played older Michael and Juliano were very inspired casting with Jafar nailing Michael's voice and mannerisms. The music was amazing but that was too no-ones surprise. I feel my only biggest gripe and why its score and rank is not higher is that this movie just felt safe. I am pretty positive that they needed to play it safe because they wanted the family to sign off on it but still, it was missing something special that I just can not place my finger on it. It might have been because I felt the movie was too sanitized and playing it safe by not exploring the obvious elephant in the room but after my research I found out the movie could not discuss it due to a clause in the legal settlement of said case.

    Still it was very enjoyable and when songs were hitting, they hit and it was also nice to see the big role Michael's bodyguard/ only friend Billy Bray played in his life and the reveal that Michael brought the infamous Blood and Crip gangs together (or was this movie magic?) for a video shoot, pretty cool. Also Bubbles was soooo cute!

10. X-Men '97 Season 2: 8.5 - Rave

    This is rough. I was not doing my LISTs when season one of X-Men '97 came out and if I was to rate it today, it would easily get a 9.5 and one of my favorite things in the year it came out. So with much anticipation I was ready for season two, especially with them teasing their version of the Age of Apocalypse. We did not get that, however what we did get was still great and the first couple episodes really set a tone and I was getting deja vu we were going to get another banger of a season.

    However with every episode after the initial few, I was constantly left with wanting more. I realized I was liking the episodes but I was not loving it. For example, I love the show bringing in Polaris, she has always been one of my favorite characters and to pair her off with Bishop was a pleasant surprise. I love the focus on Nightcrawler and giving him more backstory and the one episode were he gave a beatdown to everyone with no sweat was one of the best scenes in the season however comparing this seasons build up to the finale compared to season one was night and day. The finale of season one left me awestruck, the finale of season two left me underwhelmed. Also *SPOILERS* I do not like the cheapening of Gambit's epic sacrifice. I really thought they were going to keep him gone until they really needed him to comeback and they waited less then one season. So now I wondered if we should be worried by this season's sacrifice at all, knowing they might just undo that one as well. Also undoing the consequences of Wolverine losing his adamantium to just one episode also felt forced. * END SPOILERS*.

    I like this season a lot but its perfectly rated and ranked in this LIST. I wanted more but at the same time I wanted them to really explore these characters and make consequences that stuck. I guess I can blame Disney for only giving them 9 episodes a season because they trying to do too much and the show's quality is suffering as a result. This season was good but it had the potential to be great.

9. Vicious by V.E Schwab: 8.5 - Rave

    While this was not the smash hit I thought it would be (V.E and Superheroes Hello!), I still really enjoyed this book. I think my biggest problem was I really could not relate to either of the leads. Both of the main characters Eli and Victor were so toxic and self absorbed I could not care what happened to them let alone their eternal grudge with each other.

    The supporting cast is what saved this book for me because if we only followed our leads I would not have enjoyed this. Also, I just love V.E writing style and say what you want about our leads, V.E writes them well. I enjoyed the ending too and am intrigued where we go from here so I'll continue with the series and see if it really captures my interest.

8. Dragonlance Destines # 3 Dragons of Eternity: 8.5 - Rave

 

      Speaking of endings and picking up momentum, the last book in the Dragonlance Destines had me so hooked I pretty much jumped back in for the conclusion. This book delivers in spades what I was hoping for in a Dragonlance book. We once again get to revisit some of our favorite characters and this time get to spend more time with Flint, Tanis and even Kitiara. The book does not do the cardinal sin of undoing any established canon as well thanks to all the time travel.

    I also enjoyed how our new MC Destina actually became a likeable character over the course of the trilogy compared to the brat she was and I am sad her story has come to an end. Overall, this was an enjoyable series, Weis and Hickman still have the magic to write good Dragonlance stories, the Companions are still some coolest characters a reader can ask for and I enjoy spending time in a world I love when I was kid. Is it nostalgia that made me rank this so high? Yeah, I think it is but I am not ashamed.

7. Chainsaw Man Vol. 3: 9 - RAVE

    Our first 9 of the month and of course it is Chainsaw Man. Fujimoto continues to deliver with every volume I read of this manga (my first I have mentioned before). This book is just nuts and it does not disappoint. The action is still insane, the characters (new and old) continue to evolve and the story is getting much more compelling. The art is still top notch with some incredible pencils that just blow my mind every time I see it. I do not see myself dropping this series anytime soon. It is just so dang good.

6. Rook Exodus Vol 1: 9 - RAVE

    Now this was a pleasant surprise. I heard there was a new upstart group of comic book creators getting together to create their own universe ala Image. I heard they recruit some of the biggest names (a lot from DC which is surprising because the last time this happened it was Marvel who got hit the hardest) and Ghost Machine is the result. I read into it more and out of all their properties, Rook Exodus written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Jason Fabok was the one that appealed to me the most and after reading Volume 1... Hell yes.

    On a doomed world, a group of wardens of respective animals and species is clashing with one of their own who wants to hunt them down for their masks and the animals they control. This is the set-up for Rook Exodus and boy does it never let up. After a couple issues I was invested and when they revealed the bigger stakes, I really liked where its going. The writing and art is on point and everything about this world just screams 'awesome'. Sometimes stuff just comes out of the blue and surprises you, this was definitely one of those better surprises. Take a chance on Rook Exodus if you like comics, you will NOT be disappointed.

5. Perfect Crown (Kdrama): 9 - RAVE

        IU and Byeon Woo-seok are perfectly paired in a very enjoyable drama. Set in alternative universe where the monarchy still exists in Korea, Perfect Crown asks if a monarchy is truly necessary when the world is already divided enough. The always amazing IU plays Seong Hee-joo a woman who knows what she wants and she sits her sights on a prince however she did not expect to fall in love as part of this bargain but falls she does. Woo-seok has the title, the lavish lifestyle and the looks but no-one to share it with, however when his is wrapped up in Hee-joo's hurricane, what can he do but taken for a ride. And what a ride it is.

    Filled with court intrigue, assassination attempts and having to deal with the in-laws, our couples have to fight for their fake romance to the point where it becomes real. This drama hit the spot with the main couples chemistry, the sets and the spectacle (the car chase scene... phew). I have nothing bad to say about this drama, the pacing was on point, the supporting casts did great (especially Gong Seung-yeon's Queen Dowager who stole the scenes she was in) and we got a happy ending. The Perfect Crown understood the assignment.

4. Ultimate Spider-man Vol. 4: 9 - RAVE

     One of my favorite things is Jonathan Hickman and endings. When the man is allowed to cook, he crafts some of the most memorable endgames I have ever read. So when I first learned that Ultimate Spider-man was ending pre-maturely on one hand I was upset but on the other hand I knew Hickman had a plan and he was going to see it through.

    And what an ending it was. Hickman masterfully makes it a more personal ending instead of the big epic blockbusters he normally does. Even though he kick started this latest incarnation of the Ultimate universe he decided to let Deniz Camp write the ending for it since he was already handling the book with the biggest stakes, The Ultimates. Instead Hickman is able to work on his creation, a book which he has wrote 24 consistent issues on. Each volume has had its ups and downs but in this final volume, all his threads come together and what a web he weaved. I really like this version of Peter, he is much older, happily married with kids (both which are real handfuls) and he has a strong friend group and dangerous rogues gallery. Speaking of twists of fate, Hickman does the impossible and actually made me care about J. Jonah Jamison, Spidey's eternal nemesis. Will wonders ever cease. So while I am sad it is ending, I am happy Hickman was able to craft a beginning, a middle and a amazing end. Now, when is the collected omnibus coming out so I can buy it cause I'll love to read it from beginning to end like it is intended.

3. Elevator Pitch by Evelyn Leigh: 9 - RAVE

    Maybe it is because I can relate to the main couple (a Asian man and Black woman pairing) but Elevator Pitch came at a perfect time. After being disappointed with a couple of my favorite authors this month, Elevator Pitch was a breath of fresh air. It had everything I wanted in a romance. Like-able, relatable leads, chemistry between them, a compelling story that unfolds at a good pace and some spice. Wait, I take that back, this book surprised me with how spicy it got so consider yourself forewarned.

    I really enjoy how Evelyn Leigh wrote this book, it reminded me a bit of A.N Boyd and LaQuette, two romance authors who have also impressed me a lot recently. I like how these ladies write their realistic leading woman and their non toxic boyfriends. This book had a great ending that was earned and some surprises along the way. A easy, breezy read and highly recommended if you like the genre.

2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2: 9 - RAVE

    Percy Jackson starred the sophomore slump in the face and said, Nah. If anything this season really caught me and my wife's attention. This season upped the stakes so high and everything kicked ass. Sure, our main characters aged up considerably between seasons but the good thing is with an older cast, they can portray more complex emotions. Annabeth's actress Leah Sava Jeffries is a stand-out but Percy's actor Walker Scobell has some hero moments too and is able to shine.

    Sure, some of the night scenes made it hard to see the action but it was doable. Speaking of action, the set pieces in this season was wild. From the destruction of their boat in a crazy storm, to Circe island and the devilish sirens it delivered thrills but it also surprisingly had a lot of heart and some characters really came into their own this season. Where-in season one had legs, season 2 runs and doesn't look back.

1. Spider-man Brand New Day: 9.5 - RAVE

    You would think after a very successful trilogy (commercial and critical) Sony/ Marvel Spider-man franchise would run out of gas. However with the inclusion of Destin Daniel Cretton (of Shang Chi fame) Spider-man really experiences a brand new day. Never has his web spinning looked so realistic, the characters feel more alive and complex. Never blew me away as much as this one did.

    *SPOILERS* I was also surprised with the inclusion of mutants and Sadie Sink as Jean Grey was amazing. As one of my favorite X-men it was nice to see a brand new take on her and Sadie provides the emotional and charisma to bring her to life. Needless to say, if Marvel is building a mutant franchise around her? They are off to a good start. *END SPOILERS*

    The other big stars also delivered with Jon Bernthal's Punisher bringing unexpected comedy and grit and the always reliable Mark Ruffalo bringing another shade (literally) and complexity to Bruce/ The Hulk. Florence Pugh even steals the show with a quick Yelena cameo doing what she does best, giving people grief and making us laugh at the same time. However this film truly belongs to Tom's much older, borderline depressed Peter and Zendaya's MJ and the complexity of their new dynamic. This film had it all and more. I stated at the beginning of the this entry, I was surprised Sony/ Marvel still had gas in the tank, BND shows they not only have gas, they are just getting started and its going to be explosive. Easily my Golden Rave for this month.

    Well, this was an interesting month. On one hand, we had a couple disappointments with normally really good writers delivering duds for me. Even some of my new favorites delivered good books but not up the standard I am used to from them. However the month is saved by some new blood in the form of Rook Exodus, Elevator Pitch and Percy Jackson that it wasn't a complete bust and to top it off with one of the best comic book movies in recent memory, it was a good month in the end.

AV 

LIST: July's Rants & Raves

 

    Welcome to July's Rants & Raves! I decided that I won't do a mid-year LIST and just save it for an end of the year LIST. Depending on how much content I get through the LIST might be expanded to a top 25 but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

    In regards to this month's LIST, lets get to it.

22. Piranesi by Susanne Clarke: 7 - Okay

    Okay, hot take. Despite a lot of critical acclaim from a lot of booktok/ youtubers  whom I watch and enjoy their content I personally feel that Piranesi was very mid. I was dangerously close to DNFing this book a couple times and I only stuck it out because I heard it would get better. After the big reveal, it did but this book never got to the heights it was promoted to me.

    This book gave me, 'House of Leaves' feelings where I was reading the book but at the same time I was just reading it to get through it not because it was particular compelling. The twist was pretty obvious, the characters were paper thin in their motivations and the ending just did not hit for me. This book also has a very slow start and I like details as much as the next person but sometimes you can go overboard. At the end, I finished it and did not hate it hence the 'Okay' mark but I definitely did not see what all the hype was about.

21. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe: 8 - Rave

    Like a lot of young people my age, I had a lot of English teachers growing up who wanted us to expand our worlds and read books outside of our comfort zone. I recall reading Things Fall Apart for the first time when I was in eight or ninth grade and it stuck with me but I did not recall everything that happened in it. So when I was doing my classics' re-reads, it came to mind and I wanted to re-read as a adult.

    Things Fall Apart is Chinua Achebe's magnus opus, his most popular work and I can tell why. It is well written, filled with observations of the African people, customs and culture through the eyes of a person who has lived that life. He vividly paints with prose these complex people and gives us a story about how modern religion/ colonization is introduce to this tribe of indigenous people and the explosive collision that occurs. I low-key feel this book might have been on my mind when I picked anthropology as my major in University.

    During my re-read I picked up so much more nuances and I have lot more feelings about the portrayal of religion now I have been saved. Things Fall Apart has without a doubt, one of the most un-likable protagonist I have read in modern history. Our protag, Okonkwo hates all weakness because of the way he was raised so he over-corrects and is a sexist, cruel and very arrogant MC that makes it hard to root for as we follow his story. My biggest gripe with this book is that is just feels like its going through the motions until the inciting incidents and the aftermaths. Other than those events, the book moves at very slow pace and I wish we just got more story instead of my day-to-day descriptions. Combining this slow pace with a very un-likeable protagonist meant that this re-read was just OKAY and I hoped I would have gotten more from it because it was memorable once upon a time.

20. Wastelands: The New Apocalypse by Various: 8 - Rave

    Wastelands: The New Apocalypse has me re-thinking how I should rate short stories collections with various authors. As the rating above points out, I do overall think it is an 8 but during early days of this rather big collection, its score would have been a 8.5 or 9. The stories by the authors I knew really hit the mark with Ken Liu of course delivering and Veronica Roth (of Divergent fame) providing a good read. I also found some new authors that I enjoy their stories too, which is always the aim of these collections.

    However as time went on, I found a lot more meh stories and a couple of basic stories which lowered the overall score. Near the end, for every good story, I found two or three stories which left no impact on me at all. This is why I am thinking of just rating the short stories and not the overall collection.

    One thing I do like about this collection compared to last month's short story collection 'A Phoenix Must Burn...' is how much better the writers embrace the core concept of dystopia fiction but explored it from different perspectives and gave me a lot more meat on the bones compared to the same story re-told multiple times. Definitely a tick in its favor.

19. Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy: 8 - Rave

    A non-fiction book I was recommend to read during my entrepreneurship classes, Who Not How reads very well. The first couple of chapters really hit the mark and inspired me to get up and find my 'Whos', a concept that is, no man is an island and to truly succeed in this world we need to link up with the right people with the right mindsets.

    It ends up with an 8 and the back of this LIST mainly because why is a good read it does overstay its welcome. This book is too long for the concept it promotes. I feel near the end, it got a bit repetitive and I think an good editor could of trimmed some of the fat. I would still recommend it for people with entrepreneurship goals but just be aware that this book does have diminishing returns.

18. Death of the Silver Surfer: 8 - Rave

    

    For a book that smacks of marketing synergy (we have a new female Silver Surfer thanks to the MCU, we need a new female Silver Surfer in comics) this book still had a good impact on me. I think it comes down to Greg Pak's characterization of the Silver Surfer and making a character that is normally portrayed as lofty and aloof to having a deep empathy with every living thing and a soul. The art is also good and serviceable but nothing mind blowing, at least to me.

    My only critique of this book is main villain felt very hokey (basically a Donald Trump/ Elon Musk pastiche rolled into one with all the cliques attached to it) and our new Surfer being a bit predictable. Greg Pak loves to create new Asian characters and put them into big positions (Amadeus Cho for example, who I actually like) but at the same time, they come off a bit Mary Sue-ish sometimes (aka a self-insert character that is a bit too good to be true and written for the story to revolve around them). I felt we could have explore more avenues of empowering existing characters to becoming the new Silver Surfer instead of creating another original character just to fill a diversity gap. Overall though, this was a good read and I guess we shall see how long Marvel lets the original Silver Surfer stay dead and keep this new status quo.

17. Clive Barker's First Tales: 8 - Rave

    A very unique project, commissioned by Clive Barker himself, is this re-print of some of the story stories he wrote when he was a teenager, I believe he was 17 at the time? This young Clive shows all the hallmarks of the modern literary magician he will one day becomes with deep world building, strong character work and a touch of the macabre that is in all his works, even his more light-hearted fair.

    Both stories are good, the longer novella, 'The Candle in the Cloud' reads like his take on Narnia stories (aka a group of young children are recruited to save a magical land with the help of broad cast of characters). It was an enjoyable tale, a bit predictable but filled with heart. I enjoyed this and I would have like to see it expanded. Reading this however really makes me wish Clive would get back to his modern updated version of this story, his 'Abarat' quartet which is still unfinished.

16. Sacrament by Clive Barker: 8 - Rave

    I remember reading Sacrament in my mid twenties when I first discovered Clive and was reading everything he published. I felt I was long due for a re-read and after it I am very conflicted. This book had endlessly potential but in the end I felt a bit disappointed. The premise was unique, we had a layered protagonist and antagonist but overall this book did not have the 'oomph' that I normally get from Clive's writing.

    Clive just meandered through this and I felt it just needed a greater sense of urgency. Also when we got to the conclusion, I was like that's it? I think when I do my bigger LIST of my favorite Clive Barker books, this book will be close to the end of it. Also knowing what I know about Clive now, especially after reading his biography, I feel this book also feels semi-autographical and personal especially with its gay protagonist, his rough upbringing with a strict father and living through the AIDS epidemic but seeing his friends and lovers die. It feels bittersweet that I didn't enjoy it more. A rare disappointment from Clive because I walked into this re-read with high hopes.

15. Descendants: Wicked Wonderland: 8 - Rave

 

     Yes, I have long realized around my fifth of sixth musical I no longer hate them and I can actually watch one and not cringe anymore. Full disclaimer, I watched this with no back history with this franchise. I know of it concept (the descendants of Disney's greatest heroes and villains getting their own stories) and I have seen plenty of promotion about it but I never sat down to watch one until this one and to my surprise and enjoyment, I actually liked it.

    This film knew its target audience and did not disappoint, the songs are good and catchy, the cast is likeable (definitely keep an eye on new character Pink whom I feel is being positioned to be a lead very soon) and the storyline was compelling enough so you don't get bored. I like some of the story points too, seeing a particular character break bad and all the chaos that ensued. I also appreciated seeing very under-rated character actor Leonardo Nam show up as the big bad as well and hamming it up like I knew he could. Overall, this was a fun movie, nothing ground-breaking but definitely not boring or pedestrian. I actually might go back and watch the other movies in this series now. Shocker.

14. XO Kitty Season 2: 8.5 - Rave

 

    A good follow-up to a strong season one (see my previous LIST for that review). Season 2 of XO Kitty started on shaky ground with a lot going on but no real movement with the main stories. Kitty is still confused about her feelings for Yuri, Q has a new rival/ love interest in Jin and we have a mysterious new character called Stella who seems to be too good to be true. Julianna, Yuri's girlfriend is in the mix too and she is unsure where she fits in as well. It is a lot and its a bit chaotic.

    As the season continues the storylines start getting less messy and we get a return to form. We have some good scenes with Kitty rediscovering her roots (her visiting her grandma's sister and the aftermath is a highlight), a true villain emerges that everyone has to come together to take down and some real forward movement with our OTP couple. The final couple episodes of this season really saved a weak start. The show is still a great mix of Korean and Western dramas with some good humor and a strong, likable cast.

13. Dragonlance Destinies # 2: Dragons of Fate by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman: 8.5 - Rave

    While I enjoyed the previous entry in Dragonlance Destinies; the second volume is where everything picks up for me. As a big fan historical legends Huma, Magius and Gwyneth, it is so cool to see them interact with the cast of this book. Destina continues to be a likeable lead and she is nowhere near as 'single minded' to the point of a fault in this book but I did enjoy this book focusing a bit on Rasitlin and his budding friendship and finding a mentor in Magius. We get to see a side of Raist we rarely see and I'm happy it his original creators who give us a glimpse into this.

    The story moves at a brisk pace which I also like too and the conclusion is what really sold this book for me. Like where are we going from here? I am actually excited to finish out this trilogy. While it can not hold a candle to the classic trilogies by the Weis/ Hickman I still feel this series is still a worthy addition to the canon so far, depending on the ending of course.

12. Anyone But You by A.N Boyden: 8.5 - Rave

    On a recommendation from my wife because of my enjoyment of LaQuette's novels, I decided to give Anyone But You a try and boy did I have fun. This book is hilarious and the stuff that our main couple goes through is no joke. It is the classic enemies to lovers trope but it was done with a lot of sass and spice, their back and forth verbal sparring made it very enjoyable to read with some laugh out loud moments. Our FMC is filled with one liners and is super relatable if you know any black women and our MMC has 'just' enough ego and boldness to make him likeable.

    This was a very breezy read and I had a good time. A.N Boyden writes like she is hanging out with her friends and telling a story and I was here for it. I also got to give a shout-out to the voice actors (I did this as a audio book) who really brought the story to life as well. If you like your romances with a bit of bite and fun, I, like my wife, highly recommend this to you.

11. Chainsaw Man Vol. 1 by Tatsuki Fujimoto: 8.5 - Rave

    On the strength of a recommendation from Youtuber Super Eyepatch Wolf, I decided to sit down and read my first manga. Yes, all the reading I do, all the comics I read, I have never really read a manga. Sure I watch anime occasionally but the written form I've never dedicated much time too. So I hoped for my first foray into the medium was a good one and boy did I pick right.

    Chainsaw Man is insane, filled with kinetic action that just bleeds off the page. Fujimoto really delivers on all fonts and my only real gripe with this volume is that it ends just as it was getting good. The story is still pretty bare bones too but I have a feeling it'll pick up. This story about a poor (literally) young man and his best friend (who is a devil) possessing him and giving him powers has just started and I am here for it. Also I know I can fix Makima lol.

10. Chainsaw Man Vol. 2 by Tatsuki Fujimoto: 9 - RAVE

    So, on the strength of that first volume, I immediately jumped into Vol. 2. I think Vol. 2 is when the story starts picking up and I am enjoying the larger cast of characters too, all of them seem to have their own motivations to do what they do and some of these motivations actually get a bit deeper then the infamous 'touch some boobs' that our MC has.

    The art for Vol. 2 continues to hit all the marks with Fujimoto masterfully mixing the mundane with the fantastical. The energy he puts into these pencils is amazing and it is worth the price of admission just to see his art but I am happy the story is getting stronger as well. Needless to say, I will be continuing my journey with Chainsaw Man.

9. Warm Up by V.E Schwab: 9 - RAVE

    Warm Up is the prologue to the Villains series by V.E Schwab. As regular readers of this blog know, I am on a V.E reading binge so the Villains series was the next logical step. I mean, super heroes/ villains and V.E at the helm? Sign me up. I really enjoy Warm Up setting the scene really well and it has the now trademark worldbuilding and descriptive characters I have grown to appreciate from V.E.

    The story moved at a brisk pace and kept me entrapped. This was a perfect entrée for the full course that is the Villains and as I am reading Vicious right now because I enjoyed this short story so much. This short story scores so highly because in one short story, V.E nailed everything I wanted in a book.

8. Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning: 9 - RAVE

    After the very satisfying MI: Dead Reckoning (see my previous LIST), me and my wife was looking forward to finishing out the Mission Impossible series. This movie continues the momentum of the previous one and it was cool that Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt was able to recruit even more people to his cause including people who were previously against him. It truly showed how high the stakes are. Also the opening credits was filled with easter eggs galore for fans of the franchise which was a nice touch.

    This film had a bit of everything, crazy action, personal cost and a compelling plot. The scene where Ethan goes deep diving in a sub at the bottom of the sea almost tops the previous films train scene as one of the craziest things put to a film. The pacing was a bit slower compared to the previous film and you do feel the length of this very long film but the final showdown was worth it and the ending hit. If this truly is the last film in Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible franchise, it went out with a bang.

7. XO Kitty Season 3: 9 - RAVE

    Season 3 of XO Kitty pays off the potential season 1 and season 2 had. This season has a more stronger focus especially compared to season 2 and we fans of the main couple finally get a pay-off and more. It was so cute seeing our OTP be together, sad when they broke up, and elated when they finally got back together. It was structured like a k-drama and it had the pay off like a good k-drama.

    All the other over-reaching storylines are brought together as well as couples we want to come back together get their happy endings too. As it stands, we fans are unsure if this is the last season of XO but if they do choose to end it here I won't be too sad because this is would be a great place to end it.

    I only have a few very small critiques, the first is, the soundtrack of previous seasons is definitely pulling away from the popular k-pop groups previous seasons used and they are using more indie artists, while this is not a bad thing and one of the best songs of the season is an indie artist, I do miss hearing some of the popular artists. The second is very minor but I do feel if we do have another season, we don't need every character to have an over-reaching arc. I just feel more new characters means less time for more established characters. However, this is the best season of XO Kitty easily.

6. Predator Kills the Marvel Universe: 9 - RAVE

    As I moved through the Predator Versus series, I am happy the plan was always to culminate it with a big event like this one. I was hoping with a title that says 'Kills the Marvel Universe' they would not hold back and hold back they did not. In the first issue alone we saw the death of some major MCU darlings and it kept escalating from there. I was legit shocked by how much writer Benjamin Percy was able to get away with but it makes sense that this is a 'alternative' universe setting so he was allowed to really go in. It was nice to tie this story into the previous books as well, with Wolverine and Spider-man (and to a lesser extent Black Panther) playing big roles because they have fought the predators before.

    The art in this book was much better than the previous volumes too, the gore and carnage was definitely not held back either which was appropriate for this type of story. All in all, this was a fun ride and a epic conclusion, at least for me. I do see Marvel is planning on continuing it with Predator Vs Punisher but I think this series will be my stop. I do not want too much of a good thing.

5.  The Liveship Traders # 3: Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb: 9 - RAVE

    Where do I begin with this series. Being my first Robin Hobb series I was not prepared for her detailed character work, compelling settings, vivid imagery... and very long chapters. However with each book in this trilogy I started to really come around to what Ms. Hobb was selling. In just two books she made characters I could not stand become characters worth cheering for. She made talking boats legit and believable to the point I want a talking boat (kinda), Hell, she even made sea serpents something to care about especially after some early chapters in book one where I could not understand why we needed them. Each book in this series truly made me appreciate this series as a whole.

    So why is it just a 9 and not higher? Why am I second guessing if I should continue with her another series of hers or just call it here. Well, to examine that, we must talk about how Ship of Destiny ended. Up until a certain part of the book (readers know which part) I was all in but then it happened and the aftermath of this heinous event and how certain people recovered from it just left a weird feeling in me. Certain characters got a un-necessary redemption arc which I did not feel they deserved, certain important characters in previous conflicts became after-thoughts during the final conflict and certain characters did not get the justice I feel they deserved. The ending also just lands very flat for me and regular readers of this blog know, I need a good ending to really love a series.

    I can't not deny this was a grand book, filled with amazing moments, a story that kept me hooked, a amazing crescendo and some of the best, complex characters I have read outside of the Dandelion Dynasty (which is my benchmark for complex characters) and one of the more charismatic, evil but at times you can't help but cheer for villains in the form of Kennit. So it deserves the 9, but if it was not for 'that' scene and subsequent chapters, this could have been a 10 and even higher on this LIST.

4. Thor by Jason Aaron: 9 - RAVE

    For 7 years, Jason Aaron and a lot of artists told the story of Thor Odinson, in a complex tale that created so much new lore for Thor that is still felt 7 years after he did it. He add complex nemesis' such as Gorr, the God Butcher, made Thor unworthy, introduce Jane Foster as his replacement and made Malekith (who was once a throw-away MCU villain) to one of the most menacing, ongoing threats that push Thor and his allies to their limits. Aaron's Thor run should go up their with the greats and also comparable to historic runs like Ewing's Immortal Hulk, Miller's Daredevil and Bendis Ultimate Spider-man. Character defining runs which other poor writers have to follow in the giant footsteps of.

    The art is also something I need to talk about as well because from the beginning, Esad Ribic and Russell Dauterman really brought their A games and made this one of the prettiest books on the stands. Ribic with his realistic look, a dark but clean style started us off with a bang with some of the most iconic covers, Dauterman followed with his more animated style, strong pencils, amazing layouts and ability to bring other worlds to life. His version of Jane Foster's Thor is a sight to behold as well. Sadly this is where this series also loses half a point. Following Ribic and Dauterman, we had Mike Del Mundo and for me, I really could not get with his vision for Thor. His art was always confusing, layouts a bit too experimental and the color choices didn't help. The story arc where he took over was also the least strongest for me story wise as well so it was a double whammy. Coming off the super clean style of Dauterman, it gave me a bit of whiplash and I was very happy when Ribic came back at the end to finish this run on a bang and Dauterman's art was used for the massive Thor crossover event War of the Realms. This run also loses half a point because while it was an amazing run, their was definitely some filler arcs and some non memorable moments (it did last 7 years after all) but overall that can not take that when I think of Thor these days, Jason Aaron's run is the first thing that comes to mind and it is still a hard act to follow.

3. I Will Find You (Netflix): 9 - RAVE

    For Harlan's first American production of one his books, he went with a banger with I Will Find You. I already knew the source material was good and I have reviewed it previously so they just need to get the casting right and to nail the presentation. Well, the good news is as you can see not only from its score and its placement, that it nailed it.

    Sam Worthington is a great lead and has believable chemistry with Britt Lower, our female lead. Milo Ventimiglia chips in as well in a role that will surprise his long time fans and the story moves at a break neck pace suitable for a Harlan book. The sets look great and thankfully non of the source material was changed too much that it'll effect a person who prefers books to adaptations (something the Run Away TV series could have taken a lesson from).

    I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and even though I knew the twists and turns I was still on the edge of my seat. If this is a indicator of what the American studios can do with Harlan properties it seems we are in good hands.

2. His & Hers: 9.5 - RAVE

    It looks like Netflix continues to score with adaptations of novels for me and my family this month because the second best piece of content for this month is His & Hers. This thriller brings in two big stars in Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal and a strong supporting cast and kept me and my family on our toes. This well paced 6 episode series hit all the marks with giving us complex, borderline unlikeable leads, a killer mystery and enough tension you can cut with a knife. When I say the final couple episodes of this drama had us in a chokehold I am not lying. Kicking off with a great scene between the two leads which really broke down why they fell apart to reveals and twist after twist.

    Also no spoilers but the final twist was so well though-out that I was had to say bravo and give it the second highest score of this month. This show was very hyped when it first came out and I am happy to say it was well worth it. However despite it hitting all the marks, it is not my favorite piece of content for the month. That honor belongs too...

1. The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke: 9.5 - RAVE

    

    As previously mentioned, I am kind in a V.E binge mood right now so when I learned she co-wrote a book with one of her good friends, Cat Clarke and it was completely different than what she normally writes, I was intrigued. Man, was I happy I took the bait. This book was nutty.

    V.E and Cat's premise to put tons of different type of writers on an island to write the ending for a Harry Potter-esque (with the appropriate fan-base) series after the main author prematurely dies is amazing and the characters are as memorable as they can come. All of them still stick in my mind. Also I could see so much of Cat's expertise in dealing with publishing houses and YA authors in this book as much as see V.E influence in some of the unique characters and their unique quirks. (Team Kenzo!) Filled with twists galore and a killer final reveal and even more twists after that, this book feels like the board game Clue come to life. 

    V.E has steadily become one of my new favorite authors since I have re-started my reading journey and each one of her books have gotten so close to getting the grand prize in one of my LISTs. The Invisible Life... for example would have been a shoe-in if not for Ms. Douglass showing out with her final trilogy she ever wrote. So to give her first golden RAVE to a collaboration and a book outside of her normal MO is impressive as it is earned. The Ending was amazing and I happily award it the highest honor for this month.

    Well that is another LIST done and dusted. Some big wins and some big disappointments. This month taught me some recommendations can be completely up my alley (Chainsaw Man) and some, not so much (Piranesi). It taught me that sometimes even your favorites can't always hit it out the park. It showed me adaptions can be done well with the right people behind the wheel (I Will Find You) and nostalgia can be tricky (Things Fall Apart). Ship of Destiny showed I can like a book a lot but some things I can not compromise on and happy endings can be earned and are possible (XO Kitty, Mission Impossible and Thor) and sometimes, the best endings are the ones that stick with you so much, they become golden.

AV

Shelf Tour 2.0

 

With it being the middle of the month in the middle of the year, I thought it was time for a shelf update pic. Really though, I just want to show off my updated shelves and it seems my last one went down well so here we go again. Starting from the far left to right then down.

1. A couple of my favorites; particular proud of my MASSIVE Wicked + Divine Compendium, this shelf also has Hickman's roll-over from...

2. My Jonathan Hickman Marvel shelf; House of X/ Powers of Ten, his whole Fantastic Four run, S.H.I.E.L.D (one of his more under-rated series) and Infinity.

3. My now completed Dandelion Dynasty set. Last time I did this I was missing Grace of Kings and Wall of Storms and now I have both. The Paper Menagerie and other Stories also belongs on this shelf. I tried to fit All that We see or Seem but it was too tight of a squeeze so it makes it to the overflow shelf below it.

4. My only shelf that has never changed and probably will stay that way (I have moved every other shelf at least 3-5 times now). This is my Fromsoft/ Future Press shelf.

5. Movies I like/love. My Spartacus collection (which I hope to add House of Ashur too) and some random Xbox/Xbox 360 games I own.

6. My Jonathan Hickman Image shelf. Proud of everything on this shelf, we have the whole East of West Vol. 1 to 10, The Manhattan Projects 1-6, Secret (hella under-rated) and my 10th anniversary version of The Nightly News aka the book that got me into Hickman in the first place. I think I now own all of Hickman's Image work even stuff that is not collected in trade like his Dying and the Dead which I own in floppies (its right next to Decorum).

7. Ken Liu overflow as mention, one of my new favorite authors V.E Schwab and Harlan Coben. Dracula in the middle just because its a classic and its a nice edition.

8. Finally some Sara Douglass (something I wanted to add in my previous pic), LaQuette's breakout hit for me Vanessa Jared's Got a Man and my two big classic horror author collections featuring H.P Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Now I think about it, I think Dracula should be moved to this shelf to be with the other classic authors.

9. Xbox360 overflow and my PS4 games. Mostly Fromsoft games.

10. Hickman's floppies, a mixture of Marvel and Image behind a showcase for Elevation. A Hickman one off featuring Wolverine. I don't know if this book has been collected in other editions of his X-men work so I decided to show it off.

11. My Clive Barker shelf, newly updated with Everville, the second book of the Art. I really want the Great and Secret Show (the first book of the Art) but I am going to have to make some adjustments to fit that.

12. Stephen King, Ursula Le. Guin and their writing guides and David Eddings, I have spoken before about how David Eddings (and Dragonlance) helped me fall in love with the fantasy genre and its been a love affair since then.

13. Random DVDs I have bought over the years, nothing really fancy, hence the hidden corner.

14-15. CDs me and my wife have collected over the years. Me and my wife were very big on buying CDs and were one of the last hold out before fully converting to digital. One of our biggest bonds is through music so it make sense CDs played a big role in our lives. The dusty black thing in the corner is also filled with, you guessed it... CDs.

16. Cassandra Clare and her Shadowhunter series which me and my wife felled in love with and are both doing separate reads before the finale series comes out. Also is some new series I am interested in that'll I will eventually get around to reading.

And that is the shelf tour! I hope to do another one maybe at the end of the year just to showcase any changes/ updates. Last time around I use the closing to talk about books I wanted to add and I've actually added some of them which is nice.

AV

LIST: June's Rants and Raves

 No cool meme this time around. I am however contemplating a mid year 'Best of' LIST since it is July.

I'll make a decision come July LISTs.

This month we see a new Golden RAVE owner (other than the obvious) crowned and I am happy to give them their flowers. Without more to say.

21. A Phoenix First Must Burn by Various: 7 - OKAY

       I so badly wanted to like this anthology of stories. It had a lot of elements I like, black culture, mixture of genres and a very cool cover. Unfortunately this book is the definition of a mixed bag it swayed more towards meh then good. Sure, I found some new authors I would like to look into and I was surprised to see R'n'B singer Amerie is also a good writer as well as a singer. Some other stories did hit but as stated above, most of them were misses.

    I feel some of the authors took the subtitle of  'black girl magic, resistance and hope' and had some good ideas but in the end, a lot of the stories became very samey with little variation. In this tale a girl is in love with vampires, now a girl is a mermaid, now a girl wants to be the sun (no lie, that one was cool). I understand embracing the theme but I did wish for some better execution and some surprises. As it stands, it was good enough to read the whole collection but I can't recommend it.

20. Predator Vs Black Panther: 7.5 - OKAY

    After a promising start with Predator vs Wolverine, writer Benjamin Percy is back with another versus. This book takes a great concept (two of the universes biggest hunters of their respective universes colliding) and makes it... boring. Granted I read this book at the beginning of the month but I can not recall anything really memorable happening in this book. Maybe one or two scenes but nothing worth the price of admission. It is disappointing because as I said, Percy did great previously but that book also embraced the concept that Wolverine is also age-less so their war was able to be drawn out. This book embraced a tired, aliens invade Wakanda and BP is able to send them on their way. This story was done so much better, in Jason Aaron's Black Panther 'Secret Invasion' tie-in.

    Also a personal gripe is the artwork really did not work for me at all. The predators looked okay but all the Wakandan scenes looked very basic and deserved better. The artwork is actually what brought this books final score down a full point.

19. Run on Red by Noelle W. Ihli: 8 - Rave

    After killing it with Ask for Andrea (see my April's LIST), I decided to dive back into the dark world of Noelle W. Ihli. However this book didn't resonate as well as Ask for Andrea did for me. It is titled a thriller and it definitely was but weirdly I actually wished that the pace was always so fast and insane ALL the time. 50 chapters of non-stop action was a bit much and I wished this books pacing gave some scenes more time then it got.

    The main characters were like-able enough to be worth cheering for, the plot was good and the execution was there if a bit by the numbers. It also had a surprisingly good ending despite all the insanity to get to that point. I enjoyed this book and I'll keep reading Noelle's work but I did wish this book gave me the same highs Ask for Andrea did.

18.  Spring Fever (Kdrama): 8.5 - Rave

After the intensity of Bloodhounds season one and two, me and wife need a chaser from all that craziness. We found it in the form of Spring Fever. This was a very cute k-drama filled with some funny moments. Ah Bo Hyun and Lee Joo Bin have a warm chemistry that makes them worth cheering for. The secondary couple which in this show was a young couple also had some ups and down and fun to follow. Also the main couple early adoption of a cute dog called Bom-Shik and Bom-Shik becoming a reoccurring character sold me as well. He was so dang cute.

My only gripes was when the drama focused on some boring side characters and what I felt was the main conflict got resolved a bit quicker then I wanted. Also Bom's father being a non-character was a bit disappointing too when he could have been much more and help his 'beloved' daughter. However the show was still worth watching and it had a very good conclusion with a cute happy ending.

17. Water, Mirror, Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America by Jeff Chang: 8.5 - Rave

    Picking up this book I was expecting a nice Bruce Lee biography mixed with some social commentary about being Asian American. What I was not expecting was it was more than just a little. It ended up being 70% Bruce's story, 30%  commentary and as I got deeper and deeper into the book I realized what I really wanted from this book was a Bruce biography and the asides became less exciting to read and lessened my enjoyment of the book. Now I know, the title plainly states it not just a Bruce Lee biography but still I just wished I went in knowing it'll have so many non-sequiturs with loose connections to Mr. Lee. This book was also very large (400 pages plus) and I felt it was a bit bloated because of afore-mentioned constant additions.

The book itself was written well and well researched, I enjoyed the insights and it was filled with a lot of BTS personal pictures (from the BL family archive). I especially enjoyed learning more about Bruce's struggles in Hollywood and his drive to become the first major Asian movie star and how despite the walls put up in front of him, he was able to rise above.

16. Shadow Force: 8.5 - Rave

    

    It is funny, as mentioned in the previous entry, Bom-Shik stole the show for me in Spring Fever and in Shadow Force, it was the son of the main couple. Not saying Omar Sy and Kerry Washington were not draws, they also did a great job. I appreciate the movie allowing Omar to occasionally go back and forth into his natural French language, it made it more realistic.

This movie was fun, action packed (tho some of the fight scenes relied too heavily on editing and weird angles) and filled with the right amount of genre tropes but enough to keep watchers on their toes. It was cool seeing the role reversed with who was looking after the kid versus who was hunting the bad guys. A good popcorn flick worthy of your time if you want a fun spy flick.

15. A Pslam of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown: 8.5 - Rave

       Concluding Roseanne A. Brown's duology, A Pslam of Storms and Silence was just as compelling as the first book, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. I still enjoyed the setting, magic systems and the characters. The characters especially are the biggest draw because they are so real and relatable, flaws and all.

    I have a few gripes with this book tho. I did not like the need to add more worldbuilding when this was the last book in the series, adding more characters just to have more bodies didn't seem necessary when I felt it should have just focus on finishing strong and the finish is why Pslam is at 15 and not higher despite my earlier praise. The ending for this book was just okay. Ms. Brown decided to go with a 'the story is not over' and I understand it plays into the theme that is a story that is being re-told and most stories like that seldom have neatly tied up endings but I won't lie, I wanted more. Neverless I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in a African inspired fantasy epic.

14. Mr. Church: 8.5 - Rave

I remember seeing this trailer ages ago and I was always interested in it. This was around the time where Eddie Murphy had semi-retired from the industry and his first comeback film after 4 years away. He also decided to take a serious role and definitely not his normal type of role. This film was good y'all. Eddie kills it as Mr. Church, perfectly playing the role like it was written for him (which surprisingly it was not). His co-lead Britt Robertson also brought her A game and combined with Mckenna Grace, who already shows a lot of promise even at such a young age, made the entire cast have an easy chemistry which was enjoyable to watch.

The story was a bit clique but it had a good heart and I did tear up at one point. I wish we got a bit more understanding about who Mr. Church was but I understand it was part of his mystery. Learning that the film is based on the film writer's real history was also heart-warming and you could tell this film was made with love.

13. The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass by Stephen King: 8.5 - Rave

 Continuing my path towards the Dark Tower (audio books this time) has been an interesting one. I recall reading Wizard & Glass when I was much younger and it is interesting to re-read it again. One of King's more divisive books, this book really resonates with you if you wanted more information on Roland because the main ka-tet (his destined companions) takes a big break during this book.

Me personally, after reading the whole series, to go back now and learn more about Roland felt different this time around. I enjoy getting more insight into what made the gunslinger as harden as he is. I also enjoyed how the original ka-tet truly became a real unit this book and really getting 'The Stand' references this time around was a treat as well.

12. Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer: 8.5 - Rave

 After a first book that caught me interest and a second one that really pulled me in, the third book in the Assistant series was more of what I liked. It still has the quirky humor, the characters as well as the unique setting. I have also enjoyed that over time, more POVs have been added and the story is getting much more intriguing.

However, I won't lie, this book was good but I lost my interest a couple times and only really picked up for me near the end and that's when I was all-in again. This book suffers a bit from the sagging middle book syndrome for me and it felt long just to be long. I still enjoyed it and I am very invested how the story concludes.

11. Predator Versus Spider-man: 8.5 - Rave

Compared to Predator vs BP this was a much better showing. A much more clearer conflict, feeling like it was pulled straight out of a Predator movie, shady government types included. There was one additional character, a police officer who's story never really went anywhere but on the other hand, I appreciate the inclusion of Kraven and his arc. The action was also pretty nuts and I surprised how much blood and gore Marvel/ Fox was able to get away with.

The art was hit and miss for me, some good scenes, the violence was suitable over the top and the predators look much better again compared to Predator vs BP. However some of the main character models, Peter and MJ for example left a bit to be desired. On an end note I am now actually looking forward to finishing out this quartet of Predator versus series by Benjamin Percy which I can say I was not after Predator Vs BP.

10. Run Away (Netflix): 9 - RAVE

After loving the book by Harlan, (see my January's LIST for my review) me and wife was very excited to see the TV adaption of Run Away. This film had all the hallmarks of a Harlan show but somehow it still pushed the enveloped much better than some of the recent adaptations we have seen. The source material helps but the actors were also on point, especially James Nesbitt  who showed a father's desperation and rage with such nuance you had to feel for him.

My only real gripe with this show was the need to add extra elements originally not in the book (Elena's side story which painted her in a much less sympatric light and was added for no real reason because the book already had enough twists and turns). However the show was still able to handle the deep subject matter and that twist was still amazing even though we knew it was coming.

9. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning: 9 - RAVE

Wow. Now I have been a fan of the MI movies for awhile and every since the 4th one me and my

wife have watched them pretty faithfully if we have the chance to watch them. However I do not recall a MI movie being as action packed, plot driven but with as much heart as this one.

This film was long but I did not want the ride to end. The train sequence alone is worth the price of admission. Maybe it was because they were writing with an endgame in mind but they pulled out all the spots for this one and I loved it. I am actually looking forward to how they will wrap this up and hopefully they don't drop the ball.

8. The Uncanny X-Men/ Marvel Masterworks Vol. 1: 9 - RAVE

As a big fan of the X-Men, I can honestly say I have never explored the classics. Now when I say the

classics I mean the Claremont/ Cockrum era, one of the most influential X-Men eras ever. Like I know the stories but I have never read them. Thanks to the Masterworks series. I have now experience them first hand and man, it truly was a different time but what a time. Seeing the next generation of X-Men, the ones I grew up loving getting their sea legs and coming together as a team is a sight to see. Claremont really understands these characters as he has proven over many years.

Speaking of characters, Cockrum's costumes established in this era were also amazing and their is good reason why they have stuck around for so long (Nightcrawler for example has not changed much from his initial design because it is that dang good). The art is also clean and storytelling was perfect. Seeing this art compared to some of the artwork I previously bemoaned in the Predator Versus series is a breath of fresh air. I have the second volume of this era ready to go and I won't lie, I am excited to read it.

7. XO Kitty Season 1: 9 - RAVE

A surprise for sure is how high XO Kitty places on this LIST. After hearing about this show for ages we 

decided to give it a try. A classic story, girl falls in love, travels to be with him and all the chaos that ensues however it is not formulaic at all and XO Kitty nails the Western influence but Korean setting that so many shows are trying to obtain (and normally not doing as well).

XO Kitty feels like a kdrama but at the same time, it is its own thing and I like that about it. The cast is like-able, the story and the twists and turns it took was interesting and it had the right amount of sweet without it being too much. The soundtrack is amazing, especially as Kpop fans with lots of popular artist contributing to it. Sure, the show did the original main couple Kitty and Dae dirty and Kitty doesn't did as many entanglements as they put on her in this ONE season but it was still an enjoyable show which we will keep watching.

6. The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros: 9 - RAVE

    This book was amazing and Rebecca continues to grow as one of my favorite romance authors but man can the woman write heartache. In fear of spoiling it I won't say much but when I say this book will pull and tear out your heart I am not lying.

    I pre-write some of my thoughts before putting them on this LIST and no lie, The Last Letter's pre-write has been blank up until now because I still can not process the insanity Ms. Yarros put us readers through. Just be prepared to cry, yell but also at the same time, feel the healing power of love. That is all I am going to say.

5. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson: 9 - RAVE

    Okay, the endless armies of Sanderson's fan were right. This book is amazing and worth the hype. Everything about this book hit for me, understandable detailed magic systems? Yep. A dark but also very lively setting. Got it. Amazing, deep characters who make you cheer for their wins. Yessir. I really enjoyed this book and what added to the enjoyment is how this book can be read as a standalone and you'll still get a completed story which is a rare feat in fantasy.

    Needless to say, I am all in for Cosmere universe now and I will definitely keep exploring his worlds. I am legit excited to what other stories are in it.

4. Darkglass Mountain # 3: The Infinity Gate by Sara Douglass: 9.5 - RAVE

I love Sara but man I wished she stuck the landing better with this one. I am happy we got a conclusion but this stings because of the lost potential. Our main characters finally get their Happy Ever After and we got to see an epic showdown and a lot of threads finally paid off. However it is sad that we are introduced to a lot of characters who are important for a while and then just become background characters, Salome and Zeobrath come to mind. Also SPOILERS: What was the point behind Hereward and her eventual death? Also after hating the big bad's sidekick Elannon and all the evil he has done, we don't get a scene where his nemesis Axis gets his revenge? I wanted much more pay-offs and I went away a bit disappointed. END SPOILERS

However, I did enjoy this book immensely and I consumed it in record time and loved being back in the world of Tencendor. It is sad but I am stuck with a 'what if'. I think Sara wrote the ending this way to create future trilogies/ stories but she never got the chance which is a real shame.

3. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab: 9.5 - RAVE

    

    As I mentioned above, I sometimes pre-write my thoughts for these LISTs so I am not overwhelmed when it comes to writing it all up, I also want to make sure I do not forget any great moments as well. I, however have not been able to perfectly verbalize how much I enjoyed this book until now and I can recall so many moments without needing to write it down, it was that memorable. Knowing its booktok history and its importance to V.E, I went in with high expectations and if anything this book was able to exceed them in the best way.

    This book is not just a book, it is an experience. V.E takes an amazing concept and delivers with thrills, chills and complex nuance. The main characters feel like real people, with real problems and how V.E effortlessly destroys our emotions and rebuild us needs to be studied. Her prose is poetic and at the same time hypnotic and that ending? That ending is so satisfying. I had no idea how she would write herself out of the hole she put us in but the way she did it? Chef kiss. This book is highly recommend even if you don't like fantastical realism books. I love her Shades of Magic series but so far, this is V.E best book for me.

2. Darkglass Mountain # 1: The Serpent Bride by Sara Douglass: 9.5 - RAVE

I was so ready to start this trilogy and I am so happy I did. After doing my homework and reading the

prequels previously (Threshold and Beyond the Hanging Wall respectively) I was ready to dive back into Sara's Wayfarer Redemption setting (one of my favorite fantasy settings growing up) again. For her to effortlessly combine all her universes and even introduce new pieces to the tapestry was amazing. I was always a bit bummed that both Threshold and Beyond... just 'ended' and it was nice to see the direct continuation of their stories.

When I say this book had me hooked, it had me hooked. I consumed this massive book within days and this trilogy is the only trilogy where I wanted to read the whole story within one month (hence all the reviews in this LIST). Outside of Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty I have never wanted to be consumed by a book as much as this one and to believe, she even upped the ante even more with its sequel. This book is a masterclass in the fantasy I love.

1. Darkglass Mountain # 2: The Twisted Citadel by Sara Douglass: 10 - RAVE

    Man am I happy I can finally give this honor to one of my favorite authors and my favorite Australian

author of all time. The Twisted Citadel was a rollercoaster ride and I love every moment of it. I consumed this big book (500 + words) within days and I regret nothing. Everything I enjoyed about The Serpent Bride is enhanced in this book. The battles are more epic, the betrayals more heart-rendering, the victories more sweeter because we know the characters and their motivations now. This book's description of the raising of Elcho Falling castle still exists in my mind as one of the best 'Wow' moments I have read in recent memory and our main characters Isabel's revenge against the people who betrayed her husband and the aftermath? Those scenes was amazing and lives rent-free in my mind.

I always knew when I started re-reading Sara that she would get a moment like this. I felt a bit of it in Threshold and Beyond the Hanging Wall had potential but this... this was epic in all the right ways. So many fantasy epics experience the sagging middle syndrome but not Darkglass Mountain. This book effortlessly has risen to the same level I viewed Wall of Storms by Ken Liu in how an author takes something amazing and just takes up even more notches.

In a month where the 9's started in the Top 10. Where Brandon Sanderson planted his claim as a new fave, Rebecca broke my heart and V.E delivers what might be her best book yet, to claim the number one spot is a lofty height but Ms. Sara Douglass, the queen of Australian fantasy, deserves it. Cheers to you.

    What a month eh? So next up we have July and a possible middle of the year round up? I guess we shall see. Till then.

AV