S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 13

Manga Review: The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady Vol. #1

Isekai has really overtaken the anime/manga scene the last several years. The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady is one such title. Read on for my review of Volume 1.

Back Cover Blurb

“If I could use magic, I would fly in the sky. …” Unable to use magic, Princess Annisphia of the Kingdom of Palettia uses memories of her past life to create the new field of “magicology,” and make her dreams come true. While test-flying her new witch’s broom, she happens across Euphilia, a magical genius having her engagement unjustly and publicly broken off. Seeing the tears in Euphilia’s eyes, Annisphia hatches a plan to kidnap the girl and take her home!

The Review

As you might guess from the lengthy title, this is an isekai involving a modern-day person reborn as a princess in a fantasy world where magic exists. No personal details are given of Princess Anisphia’s past life; we don’t know if she was previously male or female, if she died young or lived a full life. Rather, the memories that flood back to her at age 5 are general knowledge of our modern world, concepts, and culture. And they come in handy when Anisphia, who was born without magic, uses a scientific mindset to develop techniques that allow her to harness the power of magic.

As you might guess, Anisphia is not a prim and proper princess. She’s more of a techie obsessed with exploiting magic in practical ways that often mirror our world’s modern conveniences. She’s not interested in politics or society. She says what she thinks, and left to her own devices, she’d spend all her time in her workshop.

She’s also a bit of a pervert, and the object of her attention is Euphyllia, her brother’s fiancée. Or more accurately, his rejected fiancée. In a scene reminiscent of an otome game, Prince Algard and his three friends publicly accuse Euphyllia of bullying the commoner student who has caught the prince’s eye. The allegations are of course false, but Euphyllia has no recourse and is about to lose all standing when Anisphia literally crashes the party on her prototype flying broomstick. Upon discovering what’s going on, Anisphia “rescues” the girl from humiliation by making Euphyllia her own.

By “her own,” she means making Euphyllia her assistant. Unlike Anisphia, Euphyllia is an unparalleled magic wielder. Moreover, she is skilled in etiquette and the martial arts. From a research standpoint, it’s obvious why Anisphia is interested in recruiting her.

However, she is also interested in Euphyllia because “she’s gorgeous and adorable” and “totally [her] type.” It’s clear from everyone’s reactions that yuri relationships are not a thing in the kingdom of Palettia, and I would guess from Anisphia’s corny pickup lines and handsy behavior that she was once a guy who was less than charming in her previous life. The first night at Anisphia’s villa, Anisphia takes the liberty of forcibly removing Euphyllia’s clothes. (No, there’s no nudity (yet), but yes, there is very provocative fan service.) However, balancing Anisphia’s aggressive advances is a level of sensitivity in understanding Euphyllia’s feelings the way no one else does.

As far as the contents of Volume 1 go, Chapters 1 and 2 focus on the public display that is Euphyllia’s canceled engagement and Anisphia’s solution to “rescue” her. Chapter 3 introduces Euphyllia to her new home at Anisphia’s villa with its magical tools and workshop. Chapter 4 is a full-on lecture about magic and magicology, and Chapter 5 shows the outcome of the pair’s first collaboration.

The plot seems like it’ll be a combination of the advancement of magicology and a romance between the impulsive weirdo of the royal family and the talented-in-every-way-proper-lady. Anisphia’s not a serious person, so the manga’s overall tone isn’t serious, and most of the comedy results from the clash between Anisphia’s outlook and mannerisms with everyone else’s. The chapter on the rules of magic was a bit of a slog, but now that the explanations are out of the way, hopefully, the plot can flow a bit more freely.

Extras includes bonus art on the inside of the cover and the first page printed in color.

In Summary

Isekai where characters bring elements of modern technology into a fantasy world are commonplace. The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady tries to separate itself from the pack by including a twist on a reverse harem trope. Namely, a princess taking in her brother’s disgraced former fiancée. The story is off to a decent start due to the brash proposal of our reckless protagonist, but it remains to be seen whether the combined personalities of the reincarnated princess and the genius young lady can keep the momentum going.

First published at the Fandom Post.

My First (Virtual) Author Visit!

As a student in the San Francisco Unified School District, I’d never heard of author visits. Due to the advent of California’s Prop 13, mine was the generation that had to do with 20-year-old textbooks and do without Band-Aids. And field trips? That was the stuff of TV and movies, not our reality.

It was only after I joined The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators that I learned that schools invited authors to speak at student assemblies or teach workshops. It sounded like the sort of opportunity reserved for traditionally published authors, especially since these arrangements often involve book selling/book signing. So I didn’t think I’d the chance to do something like that until I had an actual book in print.

I was wrong.

Last month, I got an email from my ballroom dance partner back when I was in grad school. Like me, Mark’s an engineering grad who no longer does engineering. Instead, he teaches fourth grade in Minnesota. We hadn’t been in touch for years, but thanks to the power of the Internet, he knew I’d gotten some short stories published and asked if I’d do a virtual author visit at his school.

I said yes.

Now, this was not a Yippee!-Can’t-wait-to-do-this yes. It was more of a Sounds-terrifying-but-this-will-be-good-for-me-as-a-writer yes.

Fortunately, Mark had hosted authors before, in-person and virtually, and gave me guidelines to work with. Based on his suggestions, I put together a 20 minute presentation that included photos of the horses who inspired “Rescue Buddy” and a video of the belt and pulley system at the Charles River Museum. We also arranged to have students read “Impromptu Performance” and “Rescue Buddy” to familiarize them with my writing.

So the visit was last week, and it actually went well!

I was concerned that Google Meets would fail us, but it did its job (though gauging audience reaction was difficult, especially when I was sharing my screen). I got through the presentation portion more or less as rehearsed, and the Q&A portion was surprisingly fun.

And unexpectedly, the Q&A involved anime!

The students asked about my pen name, and I told them I originally wrote fanfiction. After defining fanfiction for those unfamiliar with the term, I explained that I wrote stories about the anime I liked, and my pen name was a combination of favorite character names.

Well, there’s at least one anime fan in the school because the next questions I got were:

Do you like dubs or subtitles better? Do you know the Seven Sins anime? What do you like best about Naruto?

Hahaha…Never thought I’d make a weeb connection during an author visit. But if it helps young readers relate, why not?

So thank you, Mark, for the opportunity! I gained valuable XP, and maybe one of these days I’ll level up with an in-person author visit!

Graphic Novel Review: The Stretcher Bearers

I never had much interest in war narratives until I came across Tanya the Evil. It’s a completely fictional isekai, but its war nerd creator did such a wonderful job dramatizing the varied aspects of military conflict that it completely hooked me. Since then, I’ve checked off titles such as Tom Hanks’ Greyhound and the Ken Burns documentary The War from my viewing list. On the graphic novel front, I recently reviewed The Stretcher Bearers. Read on for the review!

Back Cover Blurb

Maxwell Fox didn’t know what he would witness in France. America had only been in the Great War since April 2, 1917. Nothing could have prepared him for the horrors that awaited him and the rest of the men of the 4th Infantry “Ivy” Division. As the Meuse-Argonne Offensive raged on, Maxwell became assigned to a unit of stretcher bearers, men who were tasked with running into harm’s way to rescue their fallen brethren from the clutches of death. This wouldn’t be an easy job, but with Graham, Frank, and Ralph by his side, Maxwell had to rely on his team and hope to survive. A dark and honest look at the bond of brotherhood during war, The Stretcher Bearers tells the unforgettable tale of a young soldier trying to save the lives of wounded soldiers and keep the men he’d formed a bond with alive. But in the “war to end all wars,” no one was safe.

The Review

In September 1918, the Battle of Meuse-Argonne begins. Among the American forces is 16-year-old stretcher-bearer Maxwell Fox. He and his three compatriots are tasked with bringing aid to the wounded. But although their job is to save lives, they have no guarantee of safety in the chaos of the battlefield.

The Stretcher Bearers is written as a soldier’s memoir. While the story takes place within the final offensive that secured victory for the allies, we get little of the broader tactics and strategy involved in the Battle of Meuse-Argonne. Rather, the story zooms in on the personal experiences of a green soldier on the ground who has no knowledge of the tide of war beyond his orders and the situation immediately before him.

Our main character is Maxwell Fox, a teenage orphan who lies about his age in order to enlist. He’s assigned to a stretcher-bearer unit along with fellow North Carolinians Ralph, Frank, and their unit leader Graham. The four provide us with a spectrum of personalities on the front line. Maxwell’s the fresh recruit receiving his baptism into combat. Ralph’s the soldier whose mind shatters beneath the constant stress while Frank’s the one who turns hard and cynical. And holding the unit together is Graham, a model leader who uses all of his experience to look out for the men under his command.

The four might not be actively engaging the enemy, but they’re definitely exposed to all the enemy’s attacks as they respond to the call of “Stretcher!!” Thus readers follow the characters through the rain of gunfire, heavy shelling, an air attack, and a gas attack. They also take us to the aid station, which operates under less than ideal circumstances. They suffer the misery of being exposed to the elements, the gruesome remains of casualties, and the rats and wolves attracted by the dead.

The Stretcher Bearers is printed as black-lined artwork with gray, which acts as shading, and the drawings have an Archie comics look to it. That means the artwork isn’t nearly as unsettling as full-color illustrations drawn in a more realistic style. Even so, the content is still disturbing, especially when you pause to study the details. And the creators aren’t hesitant to put an image of a soldier getting his brain shot out in the foreground.

In regard to character design, everyone wears similar clothes and gear and has similar builds. For the most part, they wear helmets, so readers only have slight differences in facial details to differentiate the characters. As a result, I had trouble figuring out who the main cast was at the beginning, and I was constantly getting Ralph and Frank mixed up.

In terms of storytelling, the opening is a little confusing. The creators drop us into Maxwell’s first battle with little introduction, and I had to reread the first few pages a couple of times to get oriented. The ending is a bit on the sappy side, but I appreciated the uplifting tone. Everything in between, however, is solid. Maxwell’s narrative is engaging, and the pacing flows well.

There is no age rating, but I would recommend this as a 12 and up the book. If you’re thinking of giving this to someone younger, you might want to make sure that child is mature enough for the content.

In Summary

The Stretcher Bearers is a fictional account of one teenager’s World War I tour of duty. Maxwell Fox is only on the front for a total of two weeks, but he experiences the full breadth of the Western Front’s horrors as he struggles to keep himself and others alive. At the same time, he forges bonds unlike any other with the men of his unit. The narrative glosses over the broader details and significance of the Battle of Meuse-Argonne, but if you want an intimate portrayal of survival in the trenches, this graphic novel delivers.

First published in The Fandom Post.

Souvenirs from Asia: Haikyu!! Nendoroid Figure

Business travel isn’t what it used to be. Because of COVID, my husband is among the many who are no longer jetting all over the globe for work. As such, my stream of Asian souvenirs has dried up. (But the plus side as I get more time with my husband!)

However, for my birthday, my husband surprised me with this:

A Shoyo Hinata Nendoroid figure! Isn’t he cute? This particular version is dressed in the orange Karasuno uniform, and his accessories include a volleyball and a raw egg over rice.

My husband found him while browsing at a local swap meet. Most vendors there had only video games, but one also had figurines she picked up during her last trip to Japan. (So it kind of fits the category of Asian souvenir…) My husband spotted Hinata among her wares, and tada! his birthday gift shopping was done. (Good job!)

We’ve never had a Nendoroid so we’re still getting used to the mechanics of posing and swapping out the different pieces. However, it’s fun and gives us something Haikyu!! related to do while we wait for Season 5 of the anime to come out.

Just Published: Rescue Buddy!

When I was a kid, I loved horses. I was also a reader, so I read every horse book I could get my hands on. So it is with great pleasure I announce the release of “Rescue Buddy” in the April 2022 issue of Cricket Magazine.

Click here for a link to the magazine!

While “Rescue Buddy” is my first published horse story, it is not the first horse story I’ve written. My novel-length manuscript, Cynisca and the Olive Crown, centered around the Spartan princess who twice won the ancient Olympics chariot race. Although that manuscript got trunked, I enjoyed writing and researching it. Among those who helped me fact-check were horse owners Shannon Heidt and Julie Opipari, who for some reason were willing to answer my million and one questions about their equine friends.

When I got the idea for “Rescue Buddy,” I once more reached out to them. Although six years had passed since our last correspondence, both promptly responded to help me get my horse details correct. They checked my dog and cat facts, too! (Yup, they’ve got a lot of critters.)

I am deeply grateful for their generosity with their time and knowledge, and I am thrilled to finally have something to give them for my efforts. Fun fact: the Friesian gelding in “Rescue Buddy” is named after Shannon’s horse Titan.

So even though I don’t have any furry friends of my own (my husband is allergic), “Rescue Buddy” was thoroughly vetted out by two ladies who do, and I hope you check it out!

Graphic Novel Review: The Lions of Leningrad

I never had much interest in war narratives until I came across Tanya the Evil. It’s a completely fictional isekai, but its war nerd creator did such a wonderful job dramatizing the varied aspects of military conflict that it completely hooked me. Since then, I’ve checked off titles such as Tom Hanks’ Greyhound and the Ken Burns documentary The War from my viewing list. On the graphic novel front, I recently reviewed The Lions of Leningrad. Read on for the review!

Back Cover Blurb

On January 27, 1962, a concert at the Maly Theatre in Leningrad is interrupted by a gunshot and an ex-state prisoner is arrested. At the police station, the mysterious gunman recalls the early summer of 1941… When the German army begins its invasion of Soviet Russia, four children are evacuated to the countryside: Maxim, the son of a senior Communist Party official; Pyotr, the son of writers; Anka, the daughter of a concert violinist; and Grigory, the son of a pilot that was executed for insubordination. The farm where they are staying is attacked and the train that is supposed to take them to safety is blown to bits by German planes. The four children must fight through enemy lines to get back to their families in Leningrad. But all that awaits them is the beginning of one of the most prolonged and destructive sieges in history. Two and half desperate years that will push their friendship – and their lives–to the limit.

The Review

In 1941, the Nazis begin their invasion of Soviet Russia. The children of Leningrad evacuate the city, but when German forces attack the countryside, four 15-year-old friends end up behind enemy lines. They fight their way back to their families in Leningrad – only to become trapped in one of the worst sieges in history.

The format of this book is a little different than the other Dead Reckoning World War II graphic novels that I’ve read. Instead of a collection of three parts, The Lions of Leningrad is a two-part story told in retrospective, and instead of one main character, there are four.

In terms of the old Soviet regime, these kids are among the learned and privileged. Maxim’s the son of a communist party official. Pyotr’s the son of a writer. Anka is the daughter of the Leningrad Philharmonic’s concertmaster. Grigory is the son of a fighter pilot. Unfortunately, Stalin’s policies are starting to cast a cloud over their lives. At the onset of the story, Grigory’s father was recently executed for daring to speak about the deplorable condition of their fighter planes, and Pyotr’s father has stopped writing for fear of offending the government.

Unfortunately for them all, things are about to get much worse. In Part 1, we get a very brief glimpse of the kids of Leningrad playing in a potato field right before they’re evacuated to the countryside. But the country proves no safer than the city, and our four main characters must dodge Nazi air and ground forces to flee back to Leningrad. Days later, the Germans surround the city, trapping everyone within. Anka joins the firefighting force to obtain better rations for her and her aged father. Grigory’s widowed mother starts sleeping with Maxim’s communist official father for better rations for her and her son. And Pyotr’s forced to go on the run after his parents are arrested by the NKVD for allegations of spying.

The misery intensifies in Part 2 with the onset of winter. With their food stores destroyed by German bombs, some residents resort to cannibalism. Others starve or freeze to death. With conditions growing desperate, Maxim’s father secures passes for his son and three friends to leave Leningrad via a truck route over frozen Lake Ladoga. But once again, they’re attacked by Germans, and only two of the friends make it safely to Moscow.

The creators do a good job incorporating various aspects of the war and siege. Throughout, it’s clear that the Soviet government is as much a threat to their own people as the Nazis. Leningrad citizens much watch what they say for fear of arrest by the NKVD. Soldiers on the front are forced to fight with antiquated equipment, peasants are forced to dig trenches for the Soviet army, and any officers who order a retreat are shot on the spot. Even in the worst of the siege, with countless people dying from starvation, the NKVD increases misery with their hunt for enemies of the state.

However, the book is short on footnotes. If you don’t know what a gulag or a dourak is, you’ll have to look it up elsewhere. Several scenes of the besieged city feature giant balloons, but their purpose is never explained. No footnotes are provided regarding political or military terminology, but interestingly, it does provide one to clarify the cultural figure Father Frost (the Soviet equivalent of Santa Claus.

Wars are not pretty, and the creators do not shy from throwing casualties on the page. There are corpses and violent deaths throughout, although drawings do not get overly graphic with those details. We see the remains of a butchered pet but are spared watching cannibals devour their victims. By the way, I found it odd that Grigory’s dog lasted longer than Pyotr’s grandmother. I would’ve thought that any pet out in public would’ve been pilfered before the cannibalism started.

The narrative includes plenty of action and dire straits to keep excitement levels high. Character arcs, on the other hand, leave something to be desired. Of the four teenagers, only Anka really stands out. The boys mostly react to situations; Anka actually tries to take initiative. She has more spunk, resilience, and compassion than the three boys combined. She also stands out because she’s the only teenage girl and the only blonde in the cast. The vast majority of characters are male, and aside from their headgear, the boys don’t have much to distinguish them in a crowd.

But even though Anka stands out, she’s not all that relatable as a female character. Much like Anna from Dead Reckoning’s Night Witches, she is part superheroine and part sex object for the guys to leer over. The boys obviously want to be around her because they’re in love/lust with her, but it’s not clear what she gets out of their company (aside from Maxim’s rations). Also, she has zero connection with other females. The end of the narrative states that Anka had a favorite of the three boys, but it’s not apparent at all in their interactions.

The book has no age rating, but I would rate it older teens for violence and gruesome images.

In Summary

If you are looking for a graphic novel that provides an overview of the siege of Leningrad, The Lions of Leningrad fits the bill. In addition to the military assaults dealt by German forces, the narrative incorporates the oppression of the NKVD and the terrible intensity of the Russian winter. The four main characters and their relationships leave much to be desired, but the illustrations and narrative effectively convey numerous aspects of the horror endured by the residents of that city.

First published in The Fandom Post.

Souvenirs from Asia Follow Up: Shimada Mart Pig Plushie Has a New Owner!

Back in 2018, I posted about Haikyu!! character goods my husband brought from Japan, which included a Shimada Mart pig plushie. While it was very unique (how many smiling pre-sliced porkers are out there anyway?), I couldn’t warm up to its slabby figure, so I mentioned it was available for sale.

Four years, a pandemic, and a house move later, Shimada pig was still with me (and unopened), but I’d forgotten about my shout-out for best offers. So I was perplexed when I got an email from an address I didn’t recognize with the subject: The Pig. To be honest, I almost didn’t open it because I thought it might be a weird phishing scheme.

But phishing it was not! Rather, it was artymis from the Lone Star State inquiring if the piggy plush was still available for sale. I was astounded. My blog post had actually connected with an interested buyer!

A few email exchanges and 24 hours later, the plushie was in a box on its way to its forever home. Shipping with it were Haikyu!! Engeki (Haikyu!! Musical Stage Play) DVDs. We’d upgraded to a 4K TV, and my husband also upgraded our three Haikyu!! Engeki DVDs to the Blu-ray versions. Since we didn’t need multiple copies, I offered them to artymis. I figured anyone who was enough of a fan to pursue a Shimada plus pig might take the DVDs–and she did!

Our porker’s journey out of the Golden State took about a week due to winter weather delays. However, it is now safely in its forever home in the Lone Star State, where it goes by the name “Shimada no buta-san,” which roughly translates to Shimada’s Pig. May you enjoy freedom from your packaging and bring piles of joy and hog jokes to your new owner!

Kaori Sakamoto, 2022 Olympic Bronze Medalist and Haikyu!! fan?

Congratulations to Kaori Sakamoto for winning the bronze in Women’s Figure Skating. In an event mired in controversy and general ickiness, she gave a beautiful performance and conducted herself with grace. And something that makes me like her more… Here’s a screenshot from Peacock/USA’s post-competition and pre-podium coverage.

Look closely at her phone… Are those Haikyu!! characters I spy?! Miya Osamu at the bottom corner!

That would be so cool if she loves Haikyu!! too! Does anyone know? Anyway, I wasn’t expecting to find any Easter eggs at the Winter Olympics, but this a really fun find. Thank you high def TV!

Graphic Novel Review: The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers

I never had much interest in war narratives until I came across Tanya the Evil. It’s a completely fictional isekai, but its war nerd creator did such a wonderful job dramatizing the varied aspects of military conflict that it completely hooked me. Since then, I’ve checked off titles such as Tom Hanks’ Greyhound and the Ken Burns documentary The War from my viewing list. On the graphic novel front, I recently reviewed The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers. Read on for the review!

Back Cover Blurb

Adapted from the naval history classic and New York Times bestseller, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors pieces together the action of the Battle off Samar, bringing to life a riveting story of heroism against daunting odds, duty, and sacrifice in a way never seen before.

The Review

In October 1944, US forces return to wrest the Philippines from the Japanese. In response, the Imperial Japanese Navy seeks to get the upper hand by deploying a decoy fleet. The ruse works, drawing Admiral Halsey’s Third Fleet into hot pursuit – and away from the main Japanese force of twenty-three ships, including the Yamato, the biggest battleship ever made. All that stands between the huge guns of the Japanese and the landing beaches of Leyte is Taffy 3, a landing support unit of thirteen ships. Unprepared, outmanned, and outgunned, Taffy 3 plunges into an incredible last stand on October 25, 1944.

This graphic novel is an adaption of the 2004 historical account by James Hornfischer. Generally speaking, I don’t have a problem with such adaptations. In fact, graphic novel versions often provide a clearer picture of events than straight text. Plus the physical quality of this hardcover book is top-notch. However, it feels like Murray bit off more than he could chew with this adaption. The work is 200 pages; the Battle Off Samar begins on page 18, the book closes on page 200 with the last survivors reaching safety. What that means is that there’s not a whole lot of room for background information.

So if you don’t know anything about World War II or its major players, you’ll probably get confused. While I knew the significance of MacArthur’s return, the strategic importance of the Philippines, and the overall progression of the War in the Pacific, I still had trouble figuring out what was going on. I actually had to rely on the information in the back cover blurb to grasp the context of this battle. The creators do include two nice visual aids: a graphic lineup of the opposing fleets and a map detailing their travel paths prior to the battle. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t contain enough of these aids. Characters make several references to straits and other geographical locations, but there aren’t maps to clarify the places they talk about. Even the one fleet route map has no place names on it.

The other thing that makes this narrative difficult to follow is that it doesn’t follow a single person. The original work was based on declassified documents and interviews with veterans. The graphic novel clearly reflects this in how it alternates from the wider scope of the battle to individual POVs, citing each person’s name, rank, and affiliation. So we get the perspectives of Americans and Japanese, sailors and pilots, enlisted men and admirals, all scattered on different points of battle. The quantity of characters isn’t bad in and of itself, but in this case, it’s problematic because Sanders’ character designs are not distinctive. I was constantly pausing to figure out who was who and what their role and location was.

Despite the book’s overall lack of cohesion, the individual anecdotes scattered throughout are gripping. Tales of heroism, desperation, close calls, even humor. My favorite stories were from the pilots–the aviator who had to convince his dispatch that the Japanese battleships FIRING at his squadron weren’t allies; another who pulled a gun on a stubbornly unhelpful Army officer to secure an airfield for his comrades to refuel and reload; and another gutsy pilot who continued harassing Japanese warships despite having no ammo left. The creators did an excellent job conveying the drama and emotion of these vignettes, even if I couldn’t tell one character apart from the next.

As far as the weaponry of war goes, the creators do a decent job laying out the strengths of the different forces (i.e. eighteen-inch Japanese guns versus the American radar rangefinder). Unfortunately, some of the action sequences get confusing. Also, glimpses of radar readout provide snapshots of the battle, but there’s no legend for the initials marking the ships, so I couldn’t tell which belonged to which fleet.

The text is also short on explaining terminology. While brief descriptions are provided for major vessels, none is provided for aircraft, and the Battle Off Samar involves a lot of planes. The dialogue also includes slang like “tin cans” and “fish,” much of which is not defined.

By the way, this is a war story, and it has the casualties to go with it. Sanders is pretty graphic with flying body parts, gruesome injuries, and the like. So if you pick this up, be prepared for disturbing images.

As far as I can tell, there’s no age rating, but I would rate it older teen for violence, disturbing images, and language.

In Summary

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers is a mixed bag. The overarching narrative of this adaption is confusing, but the anecdotes peppered within it are compelling. Character designs have a sameness that makes it difficult to differentiate individuals, and some illustrations don’t communicate action clearly, but the intensity and gruesomeness of combat come across loud and clear. This hardcover, full-color book is beautifully produced and may hold appeal for fans of Hornfischer’s original work, but if you don’t know anything about the War in the Pacific, this is not the place to start.

First published in The Fandom Post.

Novel Review: Small Favors

Fairy tale adaptions are a popular subset of YA novels, but not many are based on Rumpelstiltskin. However, Erin Craig has taken that tale and turned it into a gothic flavored thriller in Small Favors.

Back Cover Blurb

Ellerie Downing is waiting for something to happen. Life in isolated Amity Falls, surrounded by an impenetrable forest, has a predictable sameness. Her days are filled with tending to her family’s beehives, chasing after her sisters, and dreaming of bigger things while her twin, Samuel, is free to roam as he wishes.

Early town settlers fought off monstrous creatures in the woods, and whispers that the creatures still exist keep the Downings and their neighbors from venturing too far. When some townsfolk go missing on a trip to fetch supplies, a heavy unease settles over the Falls.

Strange activities begin to plague the town, and as the seasons change, it’s clear that something is terribly wrong. The creatures are real, and they’re offering to fulfill the residents’ deepest desires, however grand, for just a small favor. These seemingly trifling demands, however, hide sinister intentions. Soon Ellerie finds herself in a race against time to stop Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves from going up in flames.

The Review

Life is peaceful and predictable for Ellerie Downing, a farm girl in Amity Falls, a frontier town surrounded by an impenetrable pine forest. Then one summer, all the members of a supply train get slaughtered in the woods. Shortly thereafter, strange occurrences start happening to the populace, and misshapen animals appear in and around the town. After a fire ravages the Downing farm, Ellerie’s father must take her mother to the city for medical treatment, and it’s up to Ellerie to protect what remains of her family and home against the sinister forces threatening Amity Falls.

I reviewed Craig’s previous work House of Salt and Sorrows. If you enjoy her brand of creepy imagery, you’ll probably like Small Favors. The main difference is that in her previous work, most of the ghoulish stuff was limited to the heroine’s hallucinations and nightmares. In Small Favors, multiple characters are beset by disturbing visions, and monstrosities show up in the flesh to horrify everyone in town.

The exact location of the town and time period are never explicitly stated, but I’m guessing it’s somewhere in the American Midwest during the early 1800s. The residents are descended from Puritan-like settlers, and although they are reliant on periodic supply runs for manufactured goods and other necessities, they live for the most part in isolation. No mail. Very few visitors.

So the community slides into a steady decline when their link to the outside world (the supply train) gets broken amid rumors that the forest monsters that once terrorized the original settlers have returned. Those fears are cemented when abnormalities plague their fields and livestock. Craig does an excellent job of inserting horribly mutated versions of things to shake up her characters, then plunging them into hardships to drive them further on edge.

She’s less effective with the infighting among the Amity Falls folks. We can see the deterioration of Ellerie’s relationships with her best friend and twin brother, but not so much for the others. Mainly because there are too many to keep track of. As in House of Salt and Sorrows, most of the cast are a muddle of names without much to distinguish them. The book opens with a list of the “Important Families of the Gathering,” but even with the list (which doesn’t even include all the townsfolk mentioned by name), I still had trouble remembering which character was which.

In terms of the supernatural forces wreaking this havoc, Craig keeps readers guessing as to their true nature and as to which occurrences are their doing and which stem from the townsfolks’ own intent. However, the reveal of the Brotherhood of Light with their trove of knowledge felt a bit too convenient, as did their assumed identities. I’m a nitpick for details, and the Brotherhood seemed overly informed of the Amity Falls situation given how isolated it is. (The next settlement is several days away by horse.) There is one mention of a messenger bird, but no mention of it carrying news or correspondence. Also bothersome is how the town risks another ill-fated supply run right before winter because they are so desperate for supplies, but once spring comes, no one even talks about a supply run.

Ellerie is also really slow to connect the weirdness in town to the handsome, mysterious stranger who won’t tell her his real name. Or give her a straight answer about anything else. In terms of the romance aspect, it is very similar to that in Salt and Sorrows. There are heart-pounding instances with Ellerie’s building attraction to Whitaker, but he walks into the story besotted with her before she lays eyes on him. Given the breadth of his experience before they meet, I find it difficult to believe that he would fall in love simply by looking at Ellerie, engaging though she is.

By the way, the cast includes two Englishmen, and the narrative mentions a French trapper who once lived near Amity Falls, but there is no mention at all of Native Americans.

In Summary

Small Favors is a Gothic thriller set in an isolated 19th-century American town that chronicles the populace’s descent from harmony and order to chaos and hate. There are creepy scenes and visions aplenty as Ellerie first struggles to navigate the bizarre events plaguing her town and then strives to discover who’s behind them. However, she is slow on the uptake regarding her love interest, who’s a little too perfect and innocent for his background. While the novel is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, the connection to the original work is very subtle, and if you’re looking for happy endings, this ending is mostly not.

First published at The Fandom Post.