BunBun Reading

Book Blog I'm going to be posting about my current and past reads and reading goals. https://linktr.ee/bunbun63

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The Wife Comes First

Author: Lv Ye Qian He

At the end, Prince Cheng realizes that the only person still by his side is princely consort, Mu Hanzhang, the spouse that he has neglected since the day they wed.  While the Prince sought power and took numerous lovers, Mu Hanzhang was unwaveringly loyal to him. Prince Cheng knows he never deserved such loyalty, so when he reawakens in the past, the morning after his disastrous wedding night, he swears that he will do everything in his power to make Mu Hanzhang happy and his life easy. Giving only him his love and attention. But court politics and schemes persist, will history repeat itself or can this couple outmaneuver the trials thrown at them.

I love this story so far and I knew I would. I read a Meet You at the Blossom AU based on this story on Ao3. I also love regression trope stories. I like the characters and I want to see them team up even more to combat the political schemes. Luckily, I’ve already preordered the next book!

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Legend of Exorcism

Author: Fei Tian Ye Xiang

Hongjun, a half-yao, has grown up away from humans and raised by his uncles. He has never left or had reason to until his uncle, Phoenix Yao and former ruler of the  yao sends him away to complete a dangerous mission and he may not return to the mountain until he has completed what he was sent out to do. On his journey he must hide his nature while joining the ranks of the Department of Demonic Exorcism in Chang’an.

This is another example of there are quite a few significant characters and I haven’t quite gotten them all organized in my head, but I feel like this is a little easier because there aren’t as many POV changes. You hear, mostly, from Hongjun, Li Jinglong and the antagonists plotting. I’m enjoying the series so far. I like the main two as a couple somewhere down the road and I’m interested in the side character’s side quests. I thought the final arch of the first book, about the yao infiltrating the palace, was really well done. I was tense as this was going on, hoping that everything went to plan.

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The Hunter (sequel to The Searcher)

Author: Tana French

Two men come into town, only one of them is going to survive the trip.

So, this Is a sequel to The Searcher also by Tana French. The story follows Cal Hooper,  who in the first book retired from the American police force and settled down in a small village in west Ireland. He befriends a number of people in the town, chief among them a young tomboy named Tray. In The Hunter, Tray’s no-good father comes back to town spouting a line about finding gold in the surrounding hills; he has a backer, but he needs access to the land. In exchange for access to the land they would give the landowner a cut.  Out of concern for Tray, Cal gets involved to protect the people he cares about.

I don’t always like Tana French books, but I like them more often than not. I find this series a little hard to explain, because it is mystery and crime, but it’s not starting out with it. This series is one that I really like. I like the MC and side characters, none of them make me cringe or act in ways that are completely out of the question.

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Astrolabe Rebirth

I heard nothing good about this book before I read it. Everyone said it's really slow, boring, and the ending isn't finished. (This last one kind of confused me) I listened to and read it anyway and I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan and I enjoyed this. In fact, I have like three pages of notes on my thoughts throughout the book. Is it perfect? No, it's not, but it was enjoyable. On the plus side, it's only one volume so I don't need to figure out sci-fi tech lingo for nine books.

The story has almost every post-apocalyptic world trope in it, which is not a bad thing. It feels like a mix of something like bladerunner/1984 mixed in with every robot movie ever made. Toss in a little biblicalish mythology and that combination would probably give you this book.

Is a little slow. Yes, in the beginning it is a little bit too technical and a little bit slow to get to the plot. There were also some really funny parts of the book that weren't necessarily supposed to be funny but they were. The bath scene that kind of ends with the main character, basically telling Heishi oh you are like a dad or a big brother.🥲 Like I'm sorry you're going to eat food from his fingers and kiss him in like two chapters.

I don't know. I enjoyed it. I like their relationship as it grew, I actually understood the plot, It was a fun read and honestly it makes me excited to read more of this authors work. I listened to the audiobook for this as well as read the book and I highly recommend the audiobook, especially to help you get through the first bit and all the sci-fi tech stuff.

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Don't Let The Forest In

Author : CG Drews

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Spoilers Below>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Every time I go to write about Don’t Let the Forest In I sigh and do anything else, not because it wasn’t good, It was very good, but because I have a lot of thoughts about it and it makes me a little tired to think about it.

I really loved a lot of different aspects of the story and there were some things I felt were a bit much. I would like to say that I’m an adult and somethings that I didn’t really like or find realistic were things that someone younger would probably love or wouldn’t even think of. There will be spoilers in the second point.

I will start with the few things I didn’t like or find realistic. Parts of the story were written with very edgy tumblr blog vibes. I get it, I too was (and still am) on Tumblr, and I don’t mind the edginess for the most part, there were a few instances where I was like 'okay deep breaths everybody'.

I didn’t find the Dove situation all that realistic.  Not her being dead the whole-time thing, or Andrew seeing her around campus or even maybe her being a changeling/ forest spirit.  It was that no one really offered condolences to Andrew, even though they hadn’t seen him since she died. Even her roommate, who said that she was going to keep an eye on Andrew, didn’t say that she was sorry for his loss. Everybody sort of dances around the subject, without talking to Andrew.

Things I loved was the way they discussed asexuality and the spectrum that it is. I found this to be a great depiction and explanation. I feel like if this book had been available years ago I would have understood aspects of myself a lot sooner. I understood Andrews frustration about his feelings, loving Thomas, but also not wanting, and even a little repulsed, by the more explicit aspects of a relationship.

Despite some lines feeling very Tumblr edgy the story is truly poetic at times and the scenes are written so vividly that you can see them and feel them (the sandwich scene disturbed me so much)

I’ll finish this up by saying that I get that some people might not be into this, I wasn’t sure at first either, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. If you like psychological horror mixed with fantasy where you constantly question what is real, this book is for you. It’s also got some nice ACE representation.  

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My Younger Knight Takes Care of Me in Another World 

My Younger Knight Takes Care of Me in Another World  NEKONOMORI SHIMA Seven Seas Entertainment 

So there has been a bit of talk surrounding this book due to the… similarities.. between this book and Yen Presses The Other Worlds Books Depend on the Bean Counter. When it was first announced I thought that it sounded similar to the Bean Counter series but thought that it would be different enough. The first couple of pages are almost shot for shot the same and parts of the plot are eerily similar. On the plus side there are some differences.

While the MC,  Mitsuki, is an overworked office worker he worked in pharmaceuticals instead of finance. There is also the beastman aspect, where a number of characters are able to partially or fully turn into animals. There also seems to be some A/B/O, pheromones stuff going on. Mitsuki also seems to be more open to the relationship with Volk, the handsome captain of the royal guard. Surprisingly there are plot aspects that are different and could lead to something different from Bean Counter. I hope it goes in a different direction since it is only two volumes. 

I personally thought that the slight differences were really cool and it almost made it its own thing. I think that the fact Mitsuki can smell pheromones was cool especially with the addition of the beastman/shapeshifter aspect. I also liked the fact that Mitsuki and Volk actually seemed not to be disgusted by their spicy situation. I do think that Volks last name is a little silly, very edgy OC vibes. I still feel weird about how similar they are, but I’ll read the second book.

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Sanctify; Lost Paradise

Sanctify Lost Paradise Author: GODSSTATION Publisher: TokyoPop 18+ really, 18+)

In my previous review of the original trilogy, I said I would read this for the closure it would offer regarding the original story. Spoilers below if you haven't read the original series. 👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾

Well, we didn’t really get that, It was more of a check in with Lance two years after Gilbert's passing. If you went into the story hoping for closure I didn’t really get that. Lance is NOT in a good place. He is self-destructing. Throwing himself into every job that comes his way no matter how dangerous. Lucas receives a case that has similar aspects to the case he worked on with Gilbert and goes to investigate. Gilbert's spirit does appear to help save Lucas and there is a fairly violent and graphic sex scene near the end of this volume where afterwards, Gilbert seems to indicate that he is keeping an eye on Lucas and will be there for him.

👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾 The ending of the book is left very open-ended and so there is always the possibility that there will be a sequel, this is considered a spin-off. At this point I hope that there is a sequel because I would like a conclusion or just more story and I don't feel like we got that in this book. On the other hand it ended in a way that says that they will always be connected and that Lucus does care for Gilbert. So, if this is the setup to more of the story I think it was good, if it wasn't, then I'm a little disappointed.

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Voyage of the Damned

Voyage of the Dammed Author: Francis White Publisher: MIRA Books / HarperCollins First read of June and I genuinely enjoyed it! I was surprised by how much I liked it. If you enjoy locked room mysteries with a fantastical twist and a bit of romance, I would recommend it! Are there a couple of…things..that I felt a bit uh excuse me about, yes, but it was a good book overall. I will have some spoilers at the end, but I will put a note before I get in to them.

In a fantasy world where every generation in each of the 12 provinces a child is gifted a ‘blessing’ (an x-man like power) those 12 will set sail on a journey that they will never forget. Ganymedes, accompanied by a 6-year-old child and an unexpected ally, must solve the mystery of the murdered heir to the throne and discover the secrets of the others on-board before it’s too late, all the while trying to keep his own secret safe.

I really liked Ganymedes. He is someone that I related to on some levels, and I love how he interacts with the youngest blessed, a child of six. He realizes that the others are going to be cruel to her and just says nope, this is my family now. He portrays himself as a shallow man whore, who is actually a very troubled but deeply empathetic and loyal person. He uses sarcasm and flamboyance to distract others from looking too closely in case they see the real him.

The Narrator, Nathan Foad, did an amazing job of drawing me into the story and keeping me there while bringing these characters to life. I think that their voice work played a part in my enjoyment of the book. So, while I have a slight issue with one tiny aspect of the book, I really liked it.

## Spoiler for parts of the book below##########

Ready?

This is mainly about the romance story line. I went in to this slightly spoiled about a specific character.

Ravi is Ganymedes kind of ex. On the Voyage Ganymedes reunites with Ravi after a five year absence. In the five years that they have been apart Ravi has changed from the kind, tender hearted boy that Ganymedes loves to a cruel and cold man. When Ganymedes approaches him, he rebuffs Ganymedes by telling him because of who he is, he is useless to him politically and that it would damage his, Ravis, reputation to be seen with him.

Ravi is supposedly killed early on, but is later revealed to be alive, simply using his ‘blessing’ to transform into another member on board, Wyatt. He uses the form of Wyatt to help Ganymedes investigate the death of the heir and others on board. He also uses it to get closer to Ganymedes. Ganymedes meanwhile is devastated by Ravis’s death not only because he loves him, but he was the one that found the body. He is also hurt by the knowledge that Ravi was engaged to marry one of the other blessed. As he gets to know ‘Wyatt’ he starts to realize that he did love Ravi but that he can move on, he can grow close to people and fall in love again one day. He grows to care deeply for Wyatt. Ganymedes eventually discovers that ‘Wyatt’ was Ravi almost the whole time and is rightfully angry. I would have been fine, even happy with this revel if he hadn’t been an asshole at the start then his excuses for why he was a-okay with mass-murder right up until he saw his ex stand up to the people that Ravi had become a lacky to. When Ganymedes ask why he changed his mind from killing everyone on board he says that seeing you say F*** you to all your betters made me decide I loved you again.

He is manipulative towards Ganymedes when he is explaining to him why he was okay with killing all these people and then why he manipulated Ganymedes while he was Wyatt. He sided with the murders because he needed to fit in with the gentry and move up in society and that everything he did was for Ganymedes, brushing under the rug that Ganymedes was going to be murdered too and Ravi wasn’t that bothered about that. Ravi also tells us that he made sure that Ganymedes was the one who found his fake dead body. When Ganymedes asks Ravi about why it had to be him and didn’t he realize what that would do to him. Ravi is like I needed to body found by someone who wouldn’t hide the body, and I didn’t think you cared that much about me. I’m sorry but what even Ravi! Finding any dead body would be traumatizing, even finding a friend dead would be, but finding the love of your life stabbed to death is going to be devastating. It seems like Ravi is the one that doesn’t care. He kinda Love-Bombs Ganymedes, saying things like ‘ oh I knew you could figure everything out because you are smarter and braver than anyone expects and everyone else and you are my risk.

My main issue was that Ganymedes forgave Ravi very quickly and Ravi didn’t actually suffer any consequences for anything. Abandoning Ganymedes five years before, nothing. Being an ass at the start, nothing. Being okay with actual mass murder, nada. He gets Luke Skywalkered but that’s it. Gets to be happy at Ganymedes side a the end.

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Sanctify

Sanctify 1-3

Author: GODSSTATION

Publisher: TOKYOPOP

TAGS: violence, gore, graphic sexual content, and sexual assault. 18+ only

Lance, private detective and only Exorcist still in London, is hired to investigate a series of bloody and violent murders. Gill, a policeman with a mysterious past, joins Lance in investigation of these twisted, gory deaths.

So…what can I say about Sanctify? I went in to this not realizing quite how violent it was going to be, but if you can process that, the plot itself is very interesting.  It is a wild ride that not everyone is going to want to ride, but it is good. It is a supernatural story with church elements, serial killers, cults, possession and reincarnation.  I think that the set up was pretty good and while some plot points are pretty easy to work out there are some that slowly dawn on you or that you might think but doesn’t get confirmed till the end.

I really enjoyed the plot, it kept me interested, but I felt like the SA aspects felt very forced in the story, especially in the first book, and that if they were taken out or simply implied it wouldn’t have ultimately changed the plot. To be completely honest the scene in the first book, it is at the end, almost made me not read book two.

I will read Sanctify: Lost Paradise, a sequel/ spin-off, because I’m really interested in where the story is going to go after the events of book three.

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Lout of Count’s Family 1&2

Lout of Counts Family 1&2

By Yu Ryeo-Han. 

Kim Roksu unexpectedly isekai'd into the fantasy novel series, Birth of A Hero,  as the lout son of a count, Cale Henituse. Knowing he previously written fate, Cale sets out to not get beaten up and to live a safe and comfortable life.

I’ve only read books 1 and 2 and I love this series so far. This is a great example of a series where there is action, adventure, fantasy and I feel like a character that is somewhat relatable in their actions, without romance being an in your face aspect (or at least not a main aspect in the first two books). I kind of hope that it doesn’t turn romantic because I like Cale/Kim Roksu as this person who thinks that all they want is to be happy and safe and they don’t care about anyone else, but with his actions he is bringing people together. I’m excited to see where this will go. I’m thinking about getting book three and reading it before the audio book comes out because I’m so interested.

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The Last Wish

The Last Wish

By Andrzej Sapkowski The Last Wish introduces us to Geralt and the world of The Witcher. This includes Ciri, Geralt’s ward, Dandelion, Geralt’s friend and a talented bard, Nenneke, a priestess and lastly Yennefer, a powerful sorceress. This is a collection of stories that give you a overview of Geralt, his past and his friends and how it all kind of comes together.

I won’t read anymore of the series. I feel like if a character was more prevalent and in the story I wouldn’t enjoy it. That character is Yennefer. I will be honest with you, Yennefer as a character in the book I really dislike. She has a backstory, and I don’t know, her character rubbed me the wrong way.  There are other characters that I probably would have disliked along the way, but I’m not going to read anymore of this series.

Before reading this, my only experience with The Witcher universe was the first season of the Netflix series. That is also the only season that I have watched. I loved the acting everyone was perfectly cast and I enjoyed season one.

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Call of Cthulhu Manga

Call of Cthulhu Manga

Adaptation and Illustration by Gou Tanabe

In this adaptation Gou Tanbe brings Lovecraft’s most famous horror story to life with horrific and beautifully horrible drawings depicting Francis working to discover the secrets surrounding his grand-uncles death, George -the Grand uncle, Henery Wilcox -a young art student, John Legrasse- police detective who investigated the Cthulhu Cult, Gustaf Johansen- second mate on the Emma, and Cthulhu themself. As well as all the horror they encounter along the way.

I really like Gou Tanabes adaptations, they certainly aren’t for everybody. The art style is pretty scary at times, Shadow Over Innsmouth gave me nightmares, but they are very good.

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Manner of Death 1-2

Manner of Death 1-2

By Sammon 

Art by Yukari Umemoto

Dr. Bunnakit is the coroner for a small town in Thailand and when he goes to investigate the death of woman who supposedly hanged herself. His prime suspect is a man named Tan, who after Bunnakits best friend disappears, offers to help him find not only his friend but also who is behind the woman’s death.

I wanted to like this series so much. I enjoy crime dramas and listening to true crime, but I didn’t like any of the characters, found the story I bit confusing, and found their relationship to be extremely one sided.  Tan seems to love Bunnakit, but not the other way around. I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you like it I’m glad. I know that it got a live action adaptation that was supposedly better than the books in terms of their relationship.    

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Cat Massage Therapy

Cat Massage Therapy  1,3

By Haru Hisakawa

These were very cute. The art style was super cute and the whole premise is cats that run a massage therapy business. They introduce new characters in every volume, and it is a pretty simple story. The manga is full color which I thought was a plus.

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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

By Axie Oh

According to the author, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a retelling of the Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong,” with a feminist perspective.

To save the life of the woman her older brother loves, Mina offers herself as a sacrifice to the Sea God and become his bride, in exchange he will calm the storms that ravage her seaside village. In the Spirit Realm she finds the Sea God in an enchanted sleep. In her quest to awaken the Sea God she meets Shin, a young man with a mysterious past, as well as a host of mythical creatures, lesser gods, and spirits.

 I loved this book. I started it because I love the artist who did the cover, Kuri Huang, but I stayed for the wonderful, engaging story.  It kept me hooked from the very start. If you haven’t read it you should give it a chance.

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Seaside Stranger 1-6

Seaside Stranger 1-6

By Kanna Kii

I know that this series has really mixed review and I get it, I do. Their relationship can be a little frustrating especially in the beginning. The story follows Shun, an openly gay author living on an island off Okinawa and Mio, a young man that Shun spoke to three years previous as Mio was grieving the death of his mother.  Mio leaves the island, promising to keep in touch, but doesn’t, and returns three years later and confesses his love. The following books follow them as Shun realizes that Mio does actually love him and they build their relationship, former crushes and fiancés show up and we meet Shuns family who he ran away from after he came out as gay.

I will admit that reading it feels clunky at times, but I do think that the story is enjoyable if you enjoy seeing characters start to grow into themselves and their relationships. It is known by several different names and that can get a little confusing. If you like it it got an anime adaptation which I have not seen yet.

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Bloodborne Graphic Novel 1-4

Bloodborne Graphic Novel 1-4

BY Aleš Kot

I have not and will never play the game Bloodborne. It is a beautifully designed game with great world building. I have watched numerus playthroughs and know that I would never ever finish it. That being said, I love the game. The many, many interpretations that can be had, the characters and the story telling and world building make this such a good game. This comic series just expands on things that you learn about in the game. You can learn more about the Healing Church, the Hunters, the scourge of the beast and so much more. If you like the world of Bloodborne and the art, architecture or characters in the game you should check these out. I think there are two other graphic novels in the series that my library didn’t have at the time I read these, so I haven’t read them yet.

My deepest thanks to @TBSkyen / @ohnoitstbskyen on youtube for my favorite playthrough of Bloodborne and FromSoftware Inc. for this beautiful game.