Serenity

This was an ok start to the story. Kinda boring, but the premise and interactions between the protagonists are charming enough to capture my attention. Basically, if you are still a virgin by the time you're thirty you received the magical ability to read people's thoughts when you touch. Adaichi finds out a coworker likes him and is awkward, unsure how to respond to the guy. After some self-reflection, Adaichi realizes he doesn't want to take advantage of the guy, but at the same time, he's drawn to Kuro. He's like a skittish animal, so Kuro has his work cut out for him.

Personally, I think virgins get this ability so they can finds partners easier. We shall see how they fare in the next one :)

I wanted to give this book five stars, but it's a shame I can't. Before explaining why, I want to say that I love this story. The beginning is strong and intriguing, and although I've heard someone say it gets boring midway, I couldn't disagree more. It will only be boring if you don't like the characters, and I loved them all.

Linus is a “fluffy” caseworker that has to go to an “orphanage” (it's more of a home) to investigate if this home should stay open or be closed. Arthur runs the home and cares for six magical children. Linus must stay for a month and give a professional recommendation regarding whether it's a suitable place for the children to live.

All of them are delightful, wonderful kids. By the end of his stay, Linus comes to realize his unintentional prejudice against magical creatures and starts to realize that “how things are” shouldn't in fact be that way. The whole story is about changing your perception of people you do not understand. The gist of the story is that we demonize beings who we do not understand, which brings me to why I could only rate this 3.5 stars.

One child in particular is six year old Lucifer, or “Lucy”, who is supposedly the “antichrist”. I will say this straight out: I do NOT believe that Lucy is the son of the devil. From the beginning, I always imagined that this was a name given to him because the people around him were frightened of him and demonized him. They saw a child that was so powerful that they had to name him after the antichrist out of fear and prejudice. It makes complete sense in my mind. Yet, even Arthur believes that he is the antichrist (page 121 and 392). I could never believe it though, and was disappointed that Arthur believed he was. Like, how?? Did Satan sign his parental rights away?! It's completely illogical that Arthur believes that. I can believe in gnomes and magical creatures, but I just couldn't accept that Lucy was the antichrist. It makes more sense that Lucy is merely misunderstood.

We saw this misunderstanding with another child, Chauncy. He's a magical creature that resembles a watery jellyfish. Before going to live with Arthur, people told Chauncy that he was “the monster under the bed”. Now, he's internalized this perception of himself from others and hides under beds. I feel that Lucy is the same way.

It wasn't until I read TJ Klune's notes that I accepted that Lucy was the antichrist. Klune said he purposefully made Lucy the antichrist because he wanted to explore “nature vs nurture”, but I just couldn't believe it as I read it. I was literally waiting for someone to defend Lucy and declare that he wasn't the antichrist, but it never came. Furthermore, the antichrist is not a “magical creature”, unless it was his intention to hint at that. I don't know. I'm just extremely disappointed that Klune kept the joke running. Lucy is no demon and no devil. He's an innocent little boy that's been traumatized and is scared about who and what he is. He needs therapy and love. And like Linus said, Arthur IS HIS FATHER (page 359), and later, so is Linus. That's how I wish it would have been- Linus and Arthur vehemently denying that Lucy is the antichrist and insisting that others are judging him based on appearance- but TJ Klune sticks to the joke. He could have still used the “he's the antichrist” joke, but the fact it was “real” in the story is extremely disappointing.

Despite my disagreement with the author on how he handled Lucy, I still feel that this is a lovely, wholesome story about two beautiful men falling in love, and adopting six hilarious children. It's become a favorite of mine, and I'll be re-reading it again in the future.

Edit: forgot to mention that I was disappointed that the book had a handful of instances that were distinctly anti-Christian and none showing the opposite. I fully acknowledge that there are aspects of Christianity that are wrong (because human beings are sinful), but I wish that Klune had included at least one moment demonstrating the goodness that exists in Christianity too. It's ironic that a book about prejudice seems to be prejudice itself against a religion. It would have been nice for at least one character to represent how a Christian should be. One particular character, Helen, could have worn a cross like her nephew to show that there are good people in the faith too. It was definitely a missed opportunity I would have appreciated. Maybe it was done on purpose, which is a shame.

Edit 2: I also forgot to mention that I didn't like the ending reunion. It confused me. I don't understand why all the children was so angry at Linus for leaving when they literally had a party for him because he was leaving. Linus had to do so much groveling when he begged them to forgive him for leaving to do his job, and I thought it was so unnecessary after he fought so hard for them to keep their home.

I'd rate this book 3.5 if I could since I enjoyed it slightly more than the first novel. The only reason I didn't rate it higher is because this book was filled with too much drama! The worse being Fireheart and Graystripe arguing over a she-cat. My boys took the entire book to reconcile!

Fireheart is right to be concerned over Graystripe's romance, but he has no right to question his friend's loyalty to Thunderclan. It's pretty ironic that he does so when you consider how the clan (especially Tigerclaw) is always questioning FH's loyalty. He should know first-paw that it doesn't feel nice. That and he's meeting with his sister so.....

I can forgive FH for being immature and clueless about romance though. In time, maybe he will learn that the heart is a complicated matter. I still love this character dearly; he's so good and brave.

I'd have to say that the beginning of the book was my favorite. The mission to bring Windclan home was wonderful, and we got to see just how special FH is.

The ending was better this time around. The pacing was great and the major problem (i.e., the boy's fighting) was resolved. Definitely a better book. Looking forward to the next one!

This is the best book in the series so far. I actually cried when Yellowfang died. Although we haven't seen much of her lately, her final moments with Fireheart were extremely touching. I wish we had seen more “motherly” bonding between her and Fireheart, but I've noticed that these books don't really emphasize familial bonds (minus those of mothers and kits). Maybe it's just a cat thing, or maybe it would just make the books too long, but Fireheart seems to be the most obsessed on familial ties. He's always lamenting about not having kin, but I don't even know who Graystripe's mother is, and whoever she is - she doesn't seem to lament that he left.

As for Graystripe, I do like that we see more of his old self here, meaning book 1 Graystripe. It was nice to see that he misses the clan and wants to go back, but Bluestar is too paranoid to accept him. Maybe when Fireheart is leader we can see the two friends reunited.

As for Bluestar, she seemed to have snapped out of her funk at the end, but it was sooo much worse. She now hates Starclan and has abandoned all her core beliefs due to all the misery that's befallen her Clan and her. She abandoned her kits for this hell? I understand her anger, but she shouldn't only respect Starclan when things are going well.

As for Fireheart, I'm so proud of him for stepping up. He's holding up well as deputy considering being so young and having no experience, even Longtail is respectful! I worry about Darkstripe though. The ending with Tigerstar didn't surprise me. It was only a matter of time until he got what he wanted, and Shadowclan seems to always be the one with the most problems of all four clans. The next book should be very interesting.

Overall, this read like mediocre fanfiction, but it had its moments.

Basically, Li Shang gets injured by Shang Yu on the mountain. As a result, he almost dies from his injuries. Shang's father appears as a ghost and Mulan promises to bring Shang's soul back from Diyu, the Underworld. He sends ShiShi, the Li family guardian, a lion, to help her. Together, they travel to Diyu and rescue Shang. Mulan strikes a deal with King Yama to save Shang's soul before sunrise, otherwise she's stuck there forever.

The beginning is boring. Mushu and Crickey are basically backdrops. Their plot potential is completely wasted in this story as they are left behind. When they are there, they don't do much. It's pretty lousy honestly.

We are introduced to Shishi, who is an arrogant lion and prideful. He's ok. There is a part in the story where Mulan mourns him when he stays behind to fight demons so she and Shang could get away, but the scene fell flat with me as I knew he wouldn't die. He's a guardian! Plus, he's not a character you come to love, he's quite forgettable unfortunately. More wasted potential.

Where this story shines is the interaction between Mulan and Shang. Shang was very much in character. He was stubborn, and his reaction to finding out that Mulan was a woman was perfect. Once he accepts the truth, the relationship really blossoms. One scene in particular, which was my favorite, was when he asked Mulan if his guardian was a man, and if he slept in her tent, to which she replied, yes, he's a dragon, and he sleeps in my tent, lol. (Ch22)

I really like Shang's father too. He made the story interesting in the beginning. He also accepts Mulan fairly quickly.

In terms of what I would change, I wish we could have seen more interesting obstacles in Diyu. They were kind of boring. It also would have been nice to see Mushu and Shishi interacting in Diyu. Speaking of interactions, I would have liked for Shang and his guardian to have hit it off. Honestly, Shang‘s reaction when he met Shishi was lukewarm at best, which is surprising since this is his father‘s guardian, and Shang worships the ground his father walks on. When Shishi “died“, mulan was more upset about it than Shang! It was sad because Shishi was very excited to meet Shang.

The ending was cute though. The author also incorporated lines from the movie in cute ways. One was at the end between Mulan and Shang. When Shang asked Mulan if Her parents would mind him passing by the house, she replies “would they mind? They won't let you leave!“ This was a clever use of incorporating her grandmother‘s reaction in the movie when she tells Shang “would you like to stay forever?“

So yeah, a lot of wasted potential, but the story was interesting enough for me to finish as it had some gems sprinkled here and there. Honestly, though, someone on AO3 could have done a better job writing this story.

If you're a fan of Star Trek, Star Wars, & Mass Effect, this book may be the book you never knew you needed. It's cemented my love for the space opera genre, and it's catered to my love of space-related stories. The book is about a tunneling crew and basically focuses on their lives during a long-haul tunneling job to a hostile race's section of the galaxy. It is not very plot driven until the very end. Each character narrates their point of view somewhere along the way. It's a diverse crew of different species of aliens and humans. You learn about their cultures, their customs, and their history. You also hear the alien's perspectives on humans and it's HILARIOUS. The world building was very well done and reminds me of Mass Effect in that respect.

Pros:
- Diversity: lots of aliens and humans. It also shows how the races coexist and how they view each other.
- Funny: Kizzy is hilarious!!! The first half of the book made me laugh so much. The banter between the crew is amusing, scandalous at times, and light-hearted.
- Lovable Characters: if you don't like the characters, you won't enjoy the book because it just focuses on them.
- Family elements: the crew considers each other family. You see moments of love, friendship, hate, anger, bickering, and forgiveness. This is a big element of the story and Chambers portrays it beautifully. Not everyone gets along, but they always look out for each other. Crew is family here.
- Different sexualities, genders, pronouns, etc.
- Beautiful family ending that left me feeling tingly and giddy with happiness.

Cons:
- Quick fixes: although bad things happen on the journey, they're resolved a little too quickly for my liking. I would have enjoyed prolonging my suffering a little more (funny enough).
- I can't find other stories like it!!

Currently, there is a sequel but it focuses on two minor characters. A third installment will be released in July but is centered around new folks. I only wish Chambers would write a sequel to hear what happens to the crew of the Wayferer because there is so much she can expand upon!!! I want more!!! So beware, this is a great story of a space family and truly one of a kind.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. What I enjoyed most though was the narrator. She was brilliant! She really brought the character of Jo Kwon to life with her southern accent and charm. I would rate a 3.5 if I could.

In terms of the story, I found it to be simultaneously realistic and unrealistic.

It was realistic in the sense that it was an ordinary story lacking tension and drama. Don't get me wrong, I love the concept of an Asian American girl growing up in the south, but the story was still quite simple. Nothing out of the ordinary happens that I wasn't expecting. I wouldn't go so far as to call it boring, but if it wasn't for the narrator, it would've taken me far longer to finish this book.

I did love the concept of her being Miss Sweetie, and I also love Nathan and his family (especially Bear the doggo).

In terms of it being unrealistic: conflict seem to resolve itself are too quickly. For example, she is fired for her job and immediately finds a job the next day, Caroline is being cruel to her but Jo conveniently gets blackmail on her soon after, her grandfather is beaten to a pulp/ her home is discovered yet the owners don't get mad, etc. these examples don't particularly bother me as I was not looking for a dark story full of death and misery. The one thing that did stick out as being far too convenient to be believable was in regards to Billy. Spoiler- Noemi is his sister and is able to help Jo out of the debt. That was just far too convenient. Instead, I would have liked to have seen Jo and Nathan resolve the issue with Billy and the debt together. And her winning the horse race is another one! No way I believe that as she has no experience with professional horse riding.

I would've liked to have seen many things, including more romance between her and Nathan, and even her opening up to him about her issues to him. We get none of that, only a tease into their future. Lastly, I would have liked for Jo to speak to her mother about her father so learn more about him.

Regardless, I enjoyed it overall and appreciated its light tone and simple story.

The first half of the book was better in my opinion before the plot is revealed. The suspense is great and the build-up was enjoyable, but I was underwhelmed. Still a very fun read for fans of the School for Good and Evil. Prepare yourself because it's all a HUGE MESS.

The new characters are great, and I enjoyed seeing the story from Hort's perspective as he's a favorite of mine.

I have mixed feelings on this book. There were moments where I was tempted to DNF it, but I'm glad I didn't because certain elements made up for it. To start, I'll give a summary of what the story is about before going through a pros and cons list. I heard the audiobook, so names will be misspelled.

To summarize, this story is about a squad of six noobs (freshly graduated from the academy) and a “time traveler” (Aurora O'Mally) who form a squad to try to figure out why Aurora has telekinetic powers. The squad is composed of misfits who were chosen last for the draft and became a team by default. Tyler (the captain) finds Auri floating in space. Auri is from 200 yrs in the past and has basically been frozen in cryosleep. She has telekinetic powers and the GIA (a human government entity) is after her. Tyler (the captain) has to decide if they should help her or turn her in to the authorities. They help her and discover a dark secret about warring alien species (the Rahal vs. the Asfereth?). The Rahal are basically the Borg from Star Trek, who are a hive of plant people which have returned and are planning to take over the universe. Auri is the key to a weapon to stop them given by the now extinct race called the Asfereth. In the end of the novel, the group take Auri to search for the weapon to defeat the Rahal.

Cons:
- Questionable squad qualifications: why in the hell would any military government think it's fine to send teams of noobs on spacefaring missions that could lead to war?? Seriously? It's a YA novel, so it explains why, but I can't take the story seriously when I'm reading about these green cadets doing this. Probably because I love Star Trek and the Vulcan in me finds the concept completely illogical.
- The Draft: the first chapter speaks endlessly about Tyler missing “the draft”. Basically, “alphas”, essentially Captains, are the top of their class and given the privilege to hand pick their squad. Again, are teenagers choosing their friends for a group project qualified to make such important decisions? No, they're not. The academy should have a say on teams based on their qualifications and merits rather than leave it all to a “draft”.
- Immaturity of the characters: each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the squad members. Overall, they're immature (imagine that!). The only exception to this would be Kal, my favorite character from the book. I found Kat and Scarlett's to be annoying and dreaded the chapters from their perspective. Kat is crazy about dating Tyler, and her chapters were the worst to get through.
- The constant disrespect and violence towards Tyler (even for comedy). I actually really liked Tyler's character, so the constant disrespect and beatings he received became annoying and tiresome. Funny enough, most of the abuse came from his own twin sister (Scarlette) and his childhood friend who has a crush on him (Kat). To start, his twin sister disrespects him by calling him ‘Beebro' in front of his new squad, rather than giving him the respect he deserves as a new Alpha. And Kat calls him “goldenboy” for being so perfect, which Finian starts using as well. Scarlette fantasizes about kicking her own brother in the balls, and Kat looks back fondly on how she hurt him as a 5 yr old boy by throwing a chair at his face, leaving him with a scar. How fucked up is that? Despite this, Tyler takes the constant teasing on the chin, figuratively and literally. Tyler then gets beats up by Kal, and then even Kat at some point. The poor guy is a punching back, yet, he just brushes it off and thinks the constant abuse from his sister and Kat are normal and affectionate. Seriously, the guy needs therapy. I've never fantasized about hitting my siblings in the balls. This was all used for comedic relief, but for me, it came off nasty.
- Aurora's beef with Kal: I started off liking Aurora, but when it came to Kal, she kept getting mad at him and pissed off at him for absolutely no reason. She was upset when he called her something, but it was sincerely just a cultural misunderstanding. She kept calling him a jackass and poor Kal had no clue she was upset at him when in reality, he was protecting her. She's so immature, Kal can do better than her! I don't get why she was so pissed at him, especially when he voted to not hand her over to the GIA. She conveniently forgot that when she was calling him a jackass - no sweetie, YOU are the jackass, not Kal.

Pros:
- Audiobook is fantastic! The only reason I was able to get through this was because there was sound effects and different narrators for each character. It sounded like I was listening to one of those old radio dramas back in the 40s before televisions were invented. My favorite part was at the end when Kat was taken over by the hive and they were narrating it from the hive perspective with multiple voices. That part was so chilling and fun to listen to. The audiobook narrators and editors did a fantastic job. They get a 5 star rating alone!
- Kal is amazing! Kal is Sildrafi(?), a race that resemble the elves from Tolkien. Aurora refers to him as both Elrond and Legolas a couple of times. His culture is super interesting. They are fighting a civil war and have lost their planet, so his people are scattered. The instigators were the people from his own caste system (the warrior class), so he is hated by others of his race when they see the mark on his forehead. He's not only handsome, but a skilled fighter and the most mature one in the squad. He feels what his people call “the pull” for Auri. They mate for life with one person, and he's in love with her. He's so loyal and devoted to her, and when he confesses to Auri, she says nothing and walks away. I get they were called to the bridge, but that's heart shattering.
- Great ending: the villain reveal was really cool and well done. I love Star Trek, so it didn't bother me when they used the concept of a Borg-like race that was defeated by a now extinct alien species. The fact that her family and the colony was taken over by the Rahal gave a nice dose of angst.
- Funny moments: there were hilarious bits throughout. One favorite is when Tyler and Kal kiss in a restricted area to avoid getting apprehended. Finian also provided great comedy relief sometimes, I enjoyed listening to the gearhead (aka engineer) being sassy. He reminds me of Baird from Gears of War.

So yeah, overall, I liked this book, but I don't think I'll be continuing the series. I've been informed that the Tyler bashing only gets worse in the second book. I thought with Kat gone for now, it would lessen up, but apparently not. I also heard that Aurora breaks up with Kal because he kept a big secret from him (I'll withhold the reason for it from this review). Sweetie, you really don't deserve Kal. Breaking up with your soulmate is a no no. With both my favorites hurting, I think I'll skip the next one and just read spoilers.

I really enjoyed this book. If you've seen the movie first like I have, you'll be in for a few surprises. For example, Aunt Spiker and Sponge are really cruel, but you can't help laughing at them. The insects are also very funny, especially the Earthworm. Reading the book also answers some questions from the movie, like the events surrounding the rhino or metal shark. It seemed to drag a bit towards the last part of the book; however, the ending made up for it. Give it a try.

I finished this book super fast. Easily the best book in the series.

This book lacked the anticipated BS from the previous books with surprising twists, thank Starclan!

Fireheart didn't have issues with Bramblepaw as anticipated. Their heart-to-heart near two-leg place was super sweet and I actually re-read it like 3 times before continuing. I anticipate that FH will be his father figure now.

Fireheart faced less opposition this book from his clan compared to the previous installments. Not that he didn't face any hardship, but it was believable and flowed nicely. Darkstripe's betrayal and trying to kill a kitten was disgusting, and his ending at Fireheart's claws was well-deserved.

Tigerstar's ending though? Pure shock. He bit off more than he could chew, that's for sure. But after what I saw him do to Stonefur, I can't say that I will miss him. This book took a surprisingly dark turn during those chapters with Tigerstar leading Tigerclan alongside Riverclan. Mindlessly killing prey and stacking their bones into a pile?... creepy!

Fireheart is an excellent leader. I am so proud of how far he has come! I was heartbroken to see Whitestorm die, but I anticipated that. And Graystripe, who I was pissed off at due to his betrayal of Thunderclan, has become the cat I always expected him to be.

Biggest disappointment in the series.... Leopardstar. I had high expectations for the Riverclan leader, and watching her do nothing as Stonefur was killed.... Disgusting. She should be ashamed of herself. Asking Mistyfoot to be her deputy was bold, but I have a feeling that Mistyfoot will be Mistystar in the future.

All the pieces have come together. Bluestar is redeemed, Graystripe is back with Fireheart, Fireheart has Sandstorm and a new, promising apprentice in Bramblepaw. The future looks bright for all five of the forest clans!

Thank you Starclan!

This ending was the best so far! Somewhat what I was expecting, but not quite. Bittersweet, but full of hope for Fireheart and Thunderclan. The beginning was sooo slow though, and I disliked (nearly hated) Graystripe so much for always being absent from the clan and Fireheart. Apparently, Fireheart's worry about Graystripe's loyalty to the clan proved to be justified as Graystripe clearly didn't care about Thunderclan by the end, so I'm glad he leaves. It made the ending more tolerable, but my heart ached for Fireheart.

It was also nice to finally see Fireheart vindicated in this novel and the mystery of Tigerclaw's loyalty finally being resolved. Honestly, I thought the ending would have been much worse with more death, but in a way, it was since something died inside Bluestar, Fireheart, Tigerclaw, and the Clan. Putting it that way, Tigerclaw's betrayal took much more than lives away.

Overall, it was a good story, but I feel like the ending was somewhat anticlimactic. The “problem” at the end of the book (with Shadowclan) was simultaneously resolved too quickly and not at all. The fact that Firepaw never warned Bluestar about Tigerclaw was also very frustrating, although understandable. I can see that the authors were basically setting it up to continue the story into the second one. It feels like book one is almost just half the story, you just want more.

Regardless of the somewhat unsatisfying ending “confrontation”, the rest of the story was wonderful. The world-building and culture surrounding the clans is rich and interesting. The custom regarding names, sharing tongues, the warrior code - all of it was exciting to learn alongside Firepaw.

Firepaw- where do I start with him? I usually don't like the main protagonist, but him I loved! He's ignorant and slightly offensive at the beginning, but makes up with it with maturity, personal reflection, curiosity, intelligence, and perseverance. He truly earned his new name at the end of the book.

This book gets four stars from me for the sole reason that I absolutely adored the last half of the book. The LOTR trilogy FINALLY met my expectations.

It's funny, in the movies, I skip past the parts with Frodo, Sam, and Gollum because I find those scenes boring. However, to my complete shock, I found the parts with Aragorn and Co. the boring parts in the novel instead!!!!! It's completely backwards!

As a whole, the LOTR reads much differently from The Hobbit. I absolutely adore The Hobbit (maybe I just prefer “Bilbo's” penmanship over “Frodo's”), so I've been struggling to enjoy the LOTR. However, I did sense that magical feeling that I got from reading The Hobbit return as I read the chapter when Merry and Pippin encountered Treebeard. It was a breath of fresh air for me, but it unfortunately didn't last long.

I think the problem is that Tolkien (for the first half) was “telling” me what's going on mostly, and there were some scenes I found “unnecessary”. Like the part where The hobbits reunite with Aragorn and Co. and they're going back and forth about telling each other's tales (because they don't want to discuss it and instead find every excuse not to by eating and smoking). Perhaps I'm just impatient, but the first book of the trilogy and the first half of this book I found very boring (not including the parts with Boromir and the Ents).

Before I began reading the second half with Frodo and Co., I was filled with dread, but I quickly got into the story for the first time, much to my excitement! Faramir didn't disappoint! I absolutely love his character, and Sam too! Frodo was a badass as well when he confronted Shelob in her lair and spoke Elvish through Galadriel! That chapter was certainly exciting! The imagery it invoked prevented me from putting the book down and I stayed awake most of the night to read it.

For the first time, I'm truly enjoying the LOTR. I'm looking forward to the final book and crossing my fingers that the excitement from this book carries to the next!

Please excuse any misspelling since I listened to the audio version of the book.

Steel World is about James McGill, a 22 year old who is forced to join the Legion when his family can no longer afford to send him to college. Overall, I don't mind James that much. He's a headstrong guy that does what he wants if he thinks it's the right thing to do. He's definitely a womanizer, but that doesn't bother me. He appears to have high morals and cares for his fellow recruits, going so far as to risk his own life to save them.

However, there were a few things that did bother me which prevented me from giving this book a higher rating. But first- the pros.

Pros of the Book:
1. Plot was interesting. The story kept me entertained and wanting to listen to more. The battles and action were written well and at a good pace overall. I finished the book in a little over a week (for me that's fast) so it was definitely a fun story.

2. Universe- the majority of the story takes place on an alien planet, and you get a feel of how the universe works with the Galactic Empire in the center of it controlling it's vast empire. There is world-building, but it's not as rich as say Mass Effect or The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. You don't go too in depth with the aliens or their culture. They come off as vastly superior beings that look down upon humanity. They see humans as barbarians. They basically control us so it makes sense.

3. Weaponeers: these dudes were badass. They get the job done and they're funny. I enjoyed the parts with Sargon and the other weaponeer at the end. They were interesting characters.

4. The concept of living in a world where you can be killed and revived and sent back to battle is intriguing. You can get killed permanently (permed), but as long as they have your data you should be revived. However, I found that the tension decreased because death is no longer really a threat during war. Yeah, the characters don't like dying, but I know they'll be revived later. Still interesting but the tension of war lessens knowing you'll see the characters again.

Cons:
1. Female characters: my biggest complaint of the book is the author's portrayal of women and how he writes them. Yes- women serve and hold high positions in the military, but they mostly stand out for all the wrong reasons. You see a lot of negative qualities portrayed among the women: jealousy, murderous, and vindictive to name a few. The only redeeming character is Specialist Grant (thank goodness). On the other hand, the male officers are cool-headed, collected, and aren't so freakin' vindictive. Yeah- Harris at first was angry with McGill but they get over it. In the end, Grant seemed to be the only female character that stood out the most in a positive way when she helped McGill and overcame her initial misgivings with him. I'm not saying that women aren't flawed- BUT DAMN- it would have been nice to have a stand out female character with high morals at McGills side. Natasha could have potentially filled that role, but instead, she was mostly used to fulfill McGill's sexual desires. I feel that the author missed a good opportunity to use her for more than just sex.

2. Weak supporting characters- Other than McGill, and Natasha I guess, you don't learn the backstories of the other characters at all. We should have at least learned more about Carlos since he was McGill's closest friend, but other than his “gift” to annoy people we don't know anything about him either. It's ALL about McGill and how he miraculously isn't kicked out of Legion Varis for breaking so many Galactic laws.

So yeah, Steel World was a fun, entertaining read but had many flaws to it. Not a favorite of mine, but I don't regret the ride. It was a straight-forward military story of a male hero who defies the odds to save the day and solely focuses on him for the most part.

Great story and art. Maxi is the daughter of a Duke and married to a knight named Riftan. Her new husband immediately sets off to war the day after they consummate their marriage, and she is left waiting for him for about three years I think. When he comes back, he finds her still living at her fathers estate and then drags her to his castle. There is a lot of miscommunication, and it doesn't help that Maxi has been abused by her father for all of her life and has a very bad stutter and speech impediment. However, her relationship with Ruth, the mage of Anatol, helps her come out of her shell. I really like the art and the story is very interesting and well done. It really feels like you are there and sucks you in to the world. this comic ends at the part where Anatol is being attacked while Riftan is away.

Rating this four stars because (1) Kurosawa and Adachi were cute, (2) we get a spicy scene that was great, and (3) Tsuge and Minato were adorable too.

So, most of this book focuses on Kurosawa not being able to rely on others. Adachi tries to help and it's really sweet, especially at the end when we see a spicy romance scene that we usually don't get with Adachi taking the initiative.

Also, Tsuge and Minato don't appear to be very popular with some readers, but I really like them and their story. In this volume, Tsuge actually tells Minato the truth about his mind reading abilities, but Minato doesn't believe him and leaves. It's an awful cliffhanger!! It really shows the stark differences between both couples in this series. Kurosawa believed Adachi, but Tsuge was not so lucky. I think part of the issue is Minato‘s age and lack of maturity. I just hope that it gets resolved in the next volume.

Yesssss! Yessss! FINALLY! Emotional depth! I was soooooo thirsty for some emotional connection to the characters and it finally came in this volume.

I think a major problem I have with this series is that the author (most of the times) makes things uninteresting and boring. I even found the wedding boring in the previous volume. I'm not necessarily asking for drama, cute things work even better!

For example, in this volume, Adachi and Kurosawa make a meal together. Adorable and simple!

Plus, we finally get some interesting interactions. Adachi and Kurosawa go on a double date with Tsuge and Minato. It was waaaaay overdue! It was so fun watching the four of them together and interacting. There were multiple emotional moments with everyone; it was truly a breath of fresh air.

It was wonderful seeing Tsuge opening up to Minato, and I loved the shopping scene with Kuro helping Tsuge choose clothes for their date. Loved it all! I'm rooting for Tsuge and Minato. Some readers find them uninteresting, but I don't.

Adachi and Kuro also had a romantic honeymoon. Lovely.

It really is a hit or miss with this series. This book was a hit, and hopefully the next one will be too.