Reviews and Comments

It’s nice to be reminded that fantasy stories don’t have to have world-ending stakes to be just as engaging. Despite being exactly what it says on its cover - a low stakes novel about a former adventurer opening a coffee shop - I could not anticipate how appealing it would be. I blew through this novel in two days despite its simplicity thanks to continuing to say to myself ‘one more chapter couldn’t hurt.’ I loved the slowly building romance in the subplot, and the dual themes in the story of the power of change and finding people who see you for who you really are tugged on my heartstrings.

I do have a few complaints - some of the early problems set up in the story just kind of vanish thanks to the power of baked goods, and I was a bit sad that the stone ended up being …

“I mourn the people we could have been if a different world had shaped us.”

A fantastic sequel, as well as a masterclass in how to continue raising the stakes in the middle of a series while not taking anything away from what drew people to it in the first place. While Iron Widow was a clear reimagining of the anime Darling in the Franxx, Heavenly Tyrant shows that the worldbuilding established in the first volume leaves more than enough room for the series to stand on its own terms as a fantasy sci-fi space opera in its own right.

This volume also addressed the only real complaint I had for the last book. To pull a line from that review - 'The book is already hundreds of pages - some extra space to properly flesh out scenes wouldn't be that much more to ask, would it?' That wish came …

There are times when a predictable plot line is exactly what I want. There can be something comforting in turning to a story and knowing how each beat will play out, a balm to the nerves during tough times or just when trying to wind down after a long day. But even when that’s the kind of story I crave, I still want at least a little variety. Shake up the details just a little bit. Add some unexpected conflict for zest. For me, part of the fun in following a story where you already know the ending is in seeing the characters overcome the obstacles put in the way of that predetermined fate.

But seven volumes deep into My Next Life as a Villainess, I have to admit that even a change in circumstances is not enough to keep the boredom from creeping in. Katerina only knowing the bare-bones …

“It’s like a whole great pyramid. But upside down, you understand? All that history, all those ancestors, all the people, all funnelling down to me. Right at the bottom.”

I didn’t realize until poking around at other reviews that this was the first standalone Discworld novel - not in the sense that the other books aren’t standalone, I’ve read enough of them now that I can see how people fell into this series sideways, but it’s interesting to read a Discworld plot that doesn’t reference back to other characters and other adventures. That hasn’t happened since I started this series.

That said, I’ll admit that I might’ve enjoyed it more if I hadn’t spent about the first half of the book half expecting the narrative to turn into a “the ancient cultures of the world are backwards and stupid - modern day Western civilization is where it’s really at” kind …

After the high points of the last volume, it’s pretty funny to have Will and Meneldor open this volume like they’re on a clip show episode of an 80’s sitcom. “Remember when you did that thing?” “Oh boy, do I. Roll the clip!” Inherent silliness aside, despite this series’ multi-year ‘hiatus,’ this volume feels like it’s just tying up a couple loose ends before truly saying goodbye. The story came full circle last time, and I appreciate a series that knows when it’s time to pack it in as opposed to serializing itself into oblivion. While the previous volume is definitely “the end,” I’m glad that I got to see a bit of the aftermath and some smaller adventures with these characters one last time. This remains one of my favorite fantasy isekai series for how well it used the ‘second chance’ part of its theming, and if the author …

The reviews were not kidding about this story going off the rails at the halfway point. The first half is the story as we're generally familiar with it - especially if you've ever read the more readily available abridged version. I liked the extra details about the Beast (he has scales? And an elephant tusk?) as well as the increased thematic focus of judging by actions, not by appearances. The dream sections are a bit of a mixed bag - we don’t really hear why Beauty has fallen for this dream boy, just that he compliments her a lot and that they spent a lot of time in the dreamscape - but I did like how it wrapped back around to the story’s theme through her choice. Was she going to continue living in a fantasy that may or may not be true, or was she going to commit to …

I loved the anime, so I had to get into the books! It's really fascinating to see how the original story has more of a classic mystery novel feel, kind of brushing past the setup of the rear palace and Maomao's place in it to get into Jinishi asking for her help to solve these seemingly unconnected problems. The slow buildup into showing how everything is connected is a strength of the volume, but it also puts it in contrast to the anime adaptation. The show does an excellent job in presenting the source material, don't get me wrong, but it also benefits from the hindsight of knowing what actually ends up as important to the story. As a result, there's a lot more detail and foreshadowing put into some areas that just does not exist in this book. While I love how everything came together, most of the volume …

 Nowadays I'm hesitant to start series that aren't already finished, but this one has come up often enough with enough praise that I decided to just go for it. And I only wish I'd done that sooner. As an anime fan who was wildly disappointed that Darling in the Franxx did not live up to its promise, I went through each chapter of this book with ever-increasing glee. All of my thanks go to the author for writing the kind of story that I'd wanted to see from that show.

I didn't read this book so much as devour it - from the second the main character chooses revenge over love, you're there in the whirlwind of events that follow. I could not put this book down. I needed to know just how far Zetian would go to tear down the society that was trying so hard to grind her …

 Muse Reads Discworld in Release Order, Part 6

"Words," said Granny, half to herself. "That's all that's left. Words."

I loved Granny Weatherwax in Equal Rites, so I was thrilled to not only see her here, but to find out that she now has two equally fun witches to bounce off of. I adore Magrat and the ways she’s trying to navigate what she thinks a witch ought to be like versus the reality of the witch that she is, and I find Nanny hilarious in the ‘old lady who has lived so long and seen so much that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her and her family anymore’ kind of way. 

The witches completely steal the show, which in many ways is the opposite of a problem, but it does make for a bit of an unfocused read. There’s Shakespearean parody and clearly some commentary on the …

At this point in the series, I think it’s fair to say that it’s hitting a pattern. Katerina finds herself in A Scenario, she meets a New Person because of The Scenario, they underestimate her or take advantage of her, but then her personality causes the New Person to change their opinion of her. They get out of The Scenario, and then there’s a flashback about how much they now respect Katerina/want to be her friend/have spontaneously fallen in love with her. 

Even with the start of a new arc with the twist being that Katerina doesn’t know where the bad ends are coming from this time, that pattern has yet to shift. I also continue to be a bit annoyed that the step-sibling romance is given more consideration than the possibility of Katerina being in a non-straight romance, but it is what it is. I have other books in …

I’m coming into this series from the Netflix show, so I can’t help but compare and contrast. While there’s undeniable differences between the book and the show adaptation, I still had a lot of fun seeing where everything started. 

While I missed watching the other plots run simultaneously in the background (Netflix was really playing the long game), I enjoyed the exclusive focus on the first couple. I also have to say that I like Daphne here more than I did in the show—to not have her be a younger, sought-after Diamond but instead slightly older and somewhat resigned to being a wallflower made her deal with the duke all the more believable. And on the leading man’s side, the story opens with all of his tragic backstory trauma, so instead of wondering why he behaves like he does, as the reader we have full context and are just waiting …

Every now and again, I find a book that reminds me why I love reading. The kind of book that feels like it was tailor-made just for this specific moment in my life. A book where I fall completely into its story, and its characters and setting are not just words on paper, but playing out in my mind's eyes like a movie. Books like these don't come around often, and when they do, I try to cherish the feeling, because I know I'll be chasing it again. 

Thank you to this book for reminding me that life is a choice that we keep making every single day. I'll come back here when I need to be reminded of that again.