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March TBR | 2024

i’m gonna keep the list short for this month, i have so many deadlines!! 😭😭😭

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

The Apothecary Diaries (cont. watching the anime)

hopefully, i’ll finish my thesis writing and get my reading groove back! 🥺

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February Wrap-up 🩵 | 2024

books:

Clap When You Land: 4/5 🌟

really liked this one, i will read anything acevedo writes/narrates!!

Renegades: 4.5/5 🌟

there’s something about the way marissa meyer writes her fictional worlds that’s just so immersive and familiar that you fall in love with pretty much everyone right away!

shows & movies:

Saltburn: 7/10 (sincerely, ew!!)

Upgraded: 7/10 (Archie, you have my heart 😩)

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: 6/10 (it was solid!)

The Family Plan: 3/10 (why did i watch this?)

Pride & Prejudice (1980): 5/10 (it was meh…)

Nimona: 9/10 (!!PERFECTION!!)

Demon Slayer (to the Hashira training arc): 8/10

The Apothecary Diaries: (up-to-date)

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AAAAHHH!!!!

Episode 19 was everything i wished for!! the way jinshi looked at maomao! the fact that he carried her out in front of everyone!! i’m so freaking excited for the next episode.

I’ve started reading the light novel, and now i know that while the anime is currently on Vol. 6 on the manga, the manga with its 10 volumes is only at Vol. 3 of the light novel! also being in light novel reader spaces is sooo scary!! everyone keeps talking about how much the author hates jinshi and how she has never wanted him to be the protagonist!! 😭😭😭 and tbh i can’t take another author that hates their main guy! (gege’s hatred of gojo is enough) hopefully, the publishers put their foot down and don’t let her ruin a beautiful romance!! 😭😭😭

The Apothecary Diaries | Gush!! 🩷

heya!! so i’ll prolly be doing more of these gush-y review-esque posts about stories that i’m consuming in multiple media formats!

if you’ve been following along with my wrap-ups, you’d know that i binged the apothecary diaries manga in december (i’m currently waiting on vol. 11 to be released). i’m also watching the anime weekly (i can’t wait for temple rescue coming up!!). i also have the light novel on hold from my library so i can read ahead!! 😅

the story isn’t all that new or innovative if you’re an avid enjoyer of historical chinese (east asian) court dramas. however, it is very compelling and intriguing, and the pacing of reveals is pretty good as well!

the characters are instantly loveable and are the reason for my current -tiny- hyperfixation with the story. i just adore maomao and jinshi!!! 😍😍😍

if you’re in the same camp of being swept by your overwhelming love for these two idiots, please let me know so we can gush together!! 🤭🤍

🖼️ collage by me! 😊

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The Apothecary Diaries | Gush!! 🩷

heya!! so i’ll prolly be doing more of these gush-y review-esque posts about stories that i’m consuming in multiple media formats!

if you’ve been following along with my wrap-ups, you’d know that i binged the apothecary diaries manga in december (i’m currently waiting on vol. 11 to be released). i’m also watching the anime weekly (i can’t wait for temple rescue coming up!!). i also have the light novel on hold from my library so i can read ahead!! 😅

the story isn’t all that new or innovative if you’re an avid enjoyer of historical chinese (east asian) court dramas. however, it is very compelling and intriguing, and the pacing of reveals is pretty good as well!

the characters are instantly loveable and are the reason for my current -tiny- hyperfixation with the story. i just adore maomao and jinshi!!! 😍😍😍

if you’re in the same camp of being swept by your overwhelming love for these two idiots, please let me know so we can gush together!! 🤭🤍

🖼️ collage by me! 😊

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February TBR | 2024

so i’m gonna keep my tbr list for this month short cuz i have loads of work on my plate!

Clap When You Land

A Psalm of Storms and Silence

Get a Life Chloe Brown

Meet Cute Diary

White Tears/Brown Scars

The Apothecary Diaries (cont.)

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January Wrap-up 🩵 | 2024

well, i did end up reading some of the books i posted on my tbr list, and i consider that a success!!

Books:

Daughter of the Moon Goddess: 4.5/5 🌟

this coulda been a perfect five star read, but the flippty-flip-floppity between the boys till the last page was too much for me, so i deducted a half star!! still, this was a great read!

Check & Mate: 3.5/5 🌟

read my review in the post below!!

Komi Can’t Communicate (Vol. 19): 3.5/5 🌟

again, i live, love, laugh komi, rumiko, and tadano!

Fixed on You: 4/5 🌟

this was my first reread of the year, and the first time i reread this book since 2014. i was pleasantly impressed by the fact that it stood the test of time and my vastly different reading taste!

Squire: 3.5/5 🌟

i loved everything about this book: the art style, the story, the characters!! i especially loved the fact that the authors decided to explore a story inspired by ottoman ruled levant as that’s a period we don’t have many stories from!

With the Fire on High: 4/5 🌟

what can i say? i’ll read anything acevedo writes, narrates!!! 😍

Between the Lines: Facial Tattoos and the Chaouia: 4/5 🌟

this didn’t offer me any new information as i am a chaouia and my nan has similar tattoos to the women featured in the article. however, it is a very informative and short read if you’re uneducated on facial tattooing practices by the indigenous people of north africa!

Shows & Movies:

One Piece (Live-Show): 7/10 🌟

you mean yo tell me Taz Skyler (Sanji) is an arab man!!! *swooon*

Marba Al-Ezz: 7/10 🌟

Mahmoud and Seif are hot!! that’s all i got to say!

Habs: Ep 13!

The Apothecary Diaries: Up-to-date

Rain Over Beirut: 7/10 🌟

a Nour/Assi edit made me watch this!!! (i did end up falling in love with nour and assi!!)

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Check & Mate | Book Review

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Genre: YA/NA Romance

Publisher: Sphere

Release Date: 07/11/2023

Rating: 3.5/5 🌟

Synopsis:

Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory's focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious "Kingkiller" Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess. Nolan's loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What's even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory's victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can't help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist.... As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren't only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent...and infuriating...)

Review:

CW/: loss of a parent, parent illness, mental illness. this book has soooo many f words for a YA.

i saw this book on a YA display table in my library and thought to myself “hmm, let’s pick it up and see if ms. hazelwood learned how to describe heights” (she didn’t!!). anyways, this was a fun and cute love story! both the mc and li were loveable and not overly annoying! yeeey!! umm, the one gripe i have with the book is that middle game dragged!! still, i liked it a whole bunch! the epilogue was *chef’s kiss* finding out who won it all!! aaahhh!

Honestly, it spiked my interest in chess, so I may start watching tournaments! ♟️ Definitely recommend!

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The Remnant Chronicles | Series Review

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co

Release Date: 08/07/2014 - 07/07/2015 - 02/08/2016

Rating: 3.75/5 🌟

Synopsis:

The Kiss of Deception: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟 In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met. On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

The Heart of Betrayal: 3/5 🌟🌟🌟 Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape . . . and even less of being together. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komisar that she has a magical gift, and the Komisar's interest in Lia is greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw. Meanwhile, the foundations of Lia's deeply-held beliefs are crumbling beneath her. Nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to her, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom she always believed to be barbarians but whom she now realizes are people who have been terribly brutalized by the kingdoms of Dalbreck and Morrighan. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her very sense of self, Lia will have to make powerful choices that affect her country, her people . . . and her own destiny.

The Beauty of Darkness: 3.75/5 🌟🌟🌟 💫 Lia has survived Venda—but so has a great evil bent on the destruction of Morrighan. And only Lia can stop it. With war on the horizon, Lia has no choice but to assume her role as First Daughter, as soldier—as leader. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself at cross-purposes with Rafe and suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down. In this conclusion to the Remnant Chronicles trilogy, traitors must be rooted out, sacrifices must be made, and impossible odds must be overcome as the future of every kingdom hangs in the balance.

Review:

BOOK ONE:

okay, so yeah, this one actually lives up to the adequate hype it has! honestly, it should have more hype since it’s much better and well plotted than most new releases!

anyways, the first half of the book was a game of who’s who?! and it legit had me pulling my hairs out!!! cuz i sooo wanted her to fall for the prince but these shitty stories always have the princess falling for the rugged broke bitch … ugh!! i was all nerves!!! thankfully, around the 70% mark, we get the truth out !!! anywho, really like this one. i’ll be picking up the next in a couple of days! highly recommend the audiobook too!!

BOOK TWO:

unfortunately, this one suffered from “sequel blues”! it wasn’t bad per se, but it didn’t have the mystery element of the first one that kept me reading! that element could have easily been swapped for who is “the betrayer” the book is named after (ie: **** ******)! the exposition of the events wasn’t as gripping as in the first book either! still the ending offered a good fight scene and a resolution to the current situation so i’m not too mad at the book!

I hope the final book is more like the first than the second!!

BOOK THREE:

this one wasn’t as gripping and thrilling as the first, but it didn’t suffer from sequel blues like the second. the events that transpired in the last 10% weren’t exactly my cup of tea and brought my overall enjoyment down, thus the 3 stars instead of 4 stars! hey at least we got peace and no stupid draconian border treaties!!

📷 Mary E. Pearson on Twitter.

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Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies | Book Review

Author: Misha Popp

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Magical Realism

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: 10/05/2022

Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

Daisy Ellery’s pies have a secret The magical ability to avenge women done wrong by men. But Daisy finds herself on the receiving end in Misha Popp’s cozy series debut, a sweet-as-buttercream treat for fans of Ellery Adams and Mary Maxwell.The first time Daisy Ellery killed a man with a pie, it was an accident. Now, it’s her calling. Daisy bakes sweet vengeance into her pastries, which she and her dog Zoe deliver to the men who’ve done dirty deeds to the town’s women. But if she can’t solve the one crime that’s not of her own baking, she’ll be out of the pie pan and into the oven. Parking her Pies Before Guys mobile bakery van outside the local diner, Daisy is informed by Frank, the crusty diner owner, that someone’s been prowling around the van—and not just to inhale the delectable aroma. Already on thin icing with Frank, she finds a letter on her door, threatening to reveal her unsavory secret sideline of pie a la murder. Blackmail? But who whipped up this half-baked plot to cut a slice out of Daisy’s business? Purple-haired campus do-gooder Melly? Noel, the tender—if flaky—farm boy? Or one of the abusive men who prefer their pie without a deadly scoop of payback? The upcoming statewide pie contest could be Daisy’s big chance to help wronged women everywhere…if she doesn’t meet a sticky end first. Because Daisy knows the blackmailer won’t stop until her business is in crumbles. 

Review:

tw//: murder (duh!)

so in summary, this novel is about Daisy Ellery, a witch, and how her magic manifests itself in her baking. Daisy uses her gift to help women in need stuck in abusive relationships through her “murder pies” venture. however, it seems someone found out about her secret and is threatening to expose her unless she murders three innocent women for them.

this is my first cozy mystery and it won’t be the last!!! i enjoyed every second of reading this!! it was sweet and thrilling and didn’t trigger my anxiety!! AND! i got a couple of pie recipes out of it in the end!! bless!

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Six of Crows | Book Review

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: Six of Crows

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co

Release Date: 29/09/2015

Rating: 4.5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Synopsis:

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . . A convict with a thirst for revenge A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager A runaway with a privileged past A spy known as the Wraith A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Review:

tw//: murder, mental illness, bad coping mechanisms, panic attacks.

so if you don’t already know, this novel is about a heist! Kaz Brekker gets a job worth millions of krugers to break someone outta the ice court. thus, he brings together a group of six misfits (the crows) to carry out this “impossible” mission! chaos ensues!

it’s been a few years since i read this book, yet i love it the same! i was a bit hesitant going in due to the overwhelming hype, cuz i had already read bardugo’s shadow and bone, and while it was good, it wasn’t a literary masterpiece! six of crows isn’t either; however, it lives up to the hype! i was throughly entertained and intrigued all throughout. additionally, i read this for my phd thesis and it provided me with valuable insights and data for conference papers!!

definitely recommend it, as well as the audiobook (it’s a full cast!!)!

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January TBR | 2024

in short, i’m a mood reader and find it really hard to follow a tbr list. however, i’m gonna start posting monthly tbr lists in hopes that i read the books on my shelves and my library loans!! i’m also including tv shows and movies to remind myself of what to watch!

Squire by Sara Al-Fageeh & Nadia Shammas

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Clap when Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Melissa Barrera movie (in theatres)

The Eras Tour movie

Fairy Tail: Final Series

The Apothecary Diaries (continue)

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A Dowry of Blood | Book Review

Author: S.T. Gibson

Genre: Historical Paranormal, Gothic Fantasy, Horror

Publisher: Nyx Publishing

Release Date: 31/01/2021

Rating: 4.25/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

A lyrical and dreamy reimagining of Dracula’s brides, A Dowry of Blood is a story of desire, obsession, and emancipation. Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things. Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband’s dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.

Review:

tw//: murder, abuse (physical/psychological) mental illness.

so let me sum up this book, in a short and wonky way… umm!! it’s a retelling of dracula’s three brides story. the novel is told from constanta’s pov and is divided to three parts, no chapters, and each part about one of the brides! part one is about her life with dracula. part two sees the addition of magdalena to the family, and part three is when alexie joins the foray!!

while reading the book, at first, i was like “hmm, it’s prolly just all the hyped books” then i found myself entranced throughout part two, speeding through part three devouring every word of the page! i honestly had no idea i would actually like it this much! the trio are precious to me!

definitely recommend listening to the audiobook as well!!

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December Wrap-up!

well!! i didn’t achieve any of the 2023 goals i set for myself, sooo… come hail or high water (is that how the saying goes?!) i was gonna meet the reading goal i set up! hence reading 40+ books in one month!!

Books:

Catching Fire: 5/5 🌟

Mockingjay: 4/5

Kill the Boy Band: 3/5

Elixir of the Sun (S3): 4/5

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies: 4/5

My Happy Marriage (Vol.4): 3.5/5

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute: 4.25/5

The Kiss of Deception: 4/5

The Heart of Betrayal: 3/5

The Beauty of Darkness: 3.75/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.1): 3/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.2): 3/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.3): 3.5/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.4): 4/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.5): 2/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.6): 4.75/5 🌟

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.7): 3/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.8): 4/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.9): 3/5

The Apothecary Diaries (Vol.10): 4/5

Spy X Family (Vol.8): 5/5 🌟

Spy X Family (Vol.9): 4.75/5 🌟

Spy X Family (Vol.10): 4.5/5

Spy X Family (Eyes Only): 3/5

Fangirl (Vol.3): 4.5/5

Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party: 3/5

Frizzy: 4/5

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager: 3.75/5

The Tea Dragon Society: 4/5

The Tea Dragon Festival: 4/5 🌟

The Tea Dragon Tapestry: 3/5

Persephone: 2/5

Undercover: 2.5/5

The Rise of the Dragon: 4/5

The Wicked + The Divine (Vol.1): 2/5

Haikyu!! (Vol.33): 3/5

Haikyu!! (Vol.34): 3/5

Haikyu!! (Vol.35): 3/5

Haikyu!! (Vol.36): 4/5

Haikyu!! (Vol.37): 4.5/5

Haikyu!! (Vol.38): 4/5

Monstress (Vol.1): 2.5/5

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon: 4.75/5

Saga (Vol.10): 4/5

Heaven Official’s Blessing (Manhua Vol.7): 4/5

Heaven Official’s Blessing (Manhua Vol.8): 4/5

Stupid Games (Dramione Fanfic): 3/5

A Dowry of Blood: 4.25/5 🌟

Spider-Man (Spider-Verse: Miles Morales): ••

Shows & Movies:

Gen V: 8/10

Spy X Family (S2/C1): 9/10

The Apothecary Diaries: - (Up-to-date!)

My Happy Marriage: 8/10

Jujutsu Kaisen (S2): 8/10

i just wanna say, gege akutami, you ain’t ever seeing the pearly gates for what you did with the shibuya incident!!!

see y’all in the new year, hopefully with more frequent reviews/updates!

bye! 🫰🏼✌🏼

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Bookish Academy Awards 🏆 | 2023

Best Supporting Actor | Best Male Sidekick: Peeta Mellark

Best Supporting Actress | Best Female Sidekick: Rumiko Manbagi

Best Costume Design | Best Book Cover: Zachary Ying & The Dragon Emperor

Best Animated Feature | Best Graphic Novel (Manga/Manhua/Manhwa/Comics): My Happy Marriage

Best Short Film | Best Novella/Short Story: The Six Deaths of the Saint

Best Documentary | Best Non-fiction: The Poetry Toolkit (by default)

Best Visual Effects | Best Action Sequence: Spy X Family Vol. 8

Best Cinematography | Best Plot Twist: The Apothecary Diaries

Best Original Screenplay | Most Unique Plot: Mindf*ck Series

Best Adapted Screenplay | Best Adaptation: Spider-Man ATSV

Best Actor | Best Male Protagonist: Bradley Graeme

Best Actress | Best Female Protagonist: Lana Myers

Best Director | Favourite New Author: Kimberly Lemming

Best Picture | Book of the Year: Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 17

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My Year In Books | 2023

This year I read 110 books in total, 9 of which I DNF-ed midway. That amounts to 29303 pages!

The shortest book I read was: The Six Deaths of the Saint, while the longest was: The Norton Anthology of Poetry.

The most popular book I read this year was: The Hunger Games and the least shelved I read was: The Poetry Toolkit.

(I see both books I read for my poetry course made it to my end of year statistics!)

My rating average for the year is: 3.6/5

Of the 110 books I read, I only rated 10 books 5 stars!

Two books are rereads:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Two books are sequels of series I started in 2022:

Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 17

Spy X Family Vol. 8

And six books are by five new to me authors:

Lisa Kleypas: Dreaming of You.

S.T. Abby: All the Lies, Paint It All Red.

Nekokurage: The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 6.

Joya Goffney: Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl.

Kimberly Lemming: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon.

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Dishonorable Mentions | 2023

aka: the books i either actively hated while reading or was severely disappointed by!

❌ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin

❌ Beauty and the Feast by Satomi U

❌ The Light between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

❌ These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

❌ Teacher’s Pet by R.K. Lilley

❌ Mind Platter by Najwa Zebian

❌ Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

❌ Persephone by Lev Grossman

❌ The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen

❌ It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

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Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor | Book Review

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao

Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy, Chinese Mythology

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: 10/05/2022

Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open. The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers. And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever.

Review:

tw//: bullying.

First off, I loved this book; I seriously loved it! But I gotta admit that it had a significant pacing problem. It threw you into the action all willy-nilly, then did a poor job explaining things with info-dump after info-dump. However, I believe that’s very intentional since this book is inspired by Shonen anime! Anywho, I so loved how visual this book was, how I could just see almost everything Zack and the gang were doing from the vivid descriptions. I love how it pays homage to Yugi-oh!! And I adore how well it explored the different identities that makeup who Zack is. It was a bit too on the nose regarding politics, but then again, with the way most adults lack reading comprehension and critical thinking skills these days, I think it’s good that a middle grade novel is being very straightforward with its message.