I go by many names, but around here, you can just call me Ghost.
I’m a thirty-something spectral entity, former cat mom (but forever a cat enthusiast), and avid enjoyer of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime, and witchcraft. When I’m not lurking in the shadows (or under a cozy blanket), I dabble in photography, art, writing, gaming, or losing myself in a good book (or, let’s be honest, devouring fanfics).
I also have a habit of spiraling down research rabbit holes—whether it's ancient myths, obscure folklore, bushcraft skills, or the best way to survive a hypothetical apocalypse. And, of course, no deep dive is complete without a soundtrack of hard rock and metal playing in the background.
Other than that, my About | FAQs page holds all the answers (or at least the ones I’m willing to part with). And if curiosity still gnaws at you, my Ask Box is always open.
📌 Current Fixation: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series by Matt Dinniman (audiobook), various isekai anime.
Mysterious tech, a devious AI and a couple of scientists in over their heads collide in the latest sci-fi adventure from the number one best-selling author of the Bobiverse series.
Physicist Philip Moray is having a good day. He’s chipping away at his big work project. The lunch in the cafeteria is at least edible. And he’s looking forward to his end-of-the-day drink and a soak in the hot tub.
Then, a strange device turns up in his office. A piece of technology he has never seen before–and shouldn’t even exist.
Suddenly, corpses start turning up, eco-activists go on the attack, random people suffer bizarre symptoms. And every time the authorities get a lead, it traces right back to Philip and his colleague, Celia Hunt.
Then, a mysterious caller contacts Philip–and, suddenly, staying out of jail is the very least of his problems.
Apparently, that hot tub’s going to have to wait.
3 stars: ⭐⭐⭐
It was nice to listen to for a couple of hours, and Ray Porter, as always, does an excellent job with the narration, but it never pulled me in the way the Bobiverse series did. The premise was decent, but I think the characters and part of the plot were what held it back for me.
Book Review - Beware of Chicken 5 (Beware of Chicken #5) by CasualFarmer
A laugh-out-loud, slice-of-life martial-arts fantasy about . . . farming????
Jin Rou wanted to be a cultivator. A man powerful enough to defy the heavens. A master of martial arts. A lord of spiritual power. Unfortunately for him, he died, and now I’m stuck in his body.
But I think he’d like how things are turning out.
So much happened last year! The battle at the Dueling Peaks, the revelation at the Azure Hills, and the calamity that damaged them. But most important? I became a father. It’s hard and stressful at times, but I’ve got an entire family for support. And yes, some of its members have feathers or fur. (Big D is very good at lullabies.)
Anyway, spring awaits, and I find myself optimistic. I wish for a long, peaceful year for everyone. Even Gramps, the cultivator who took Rou in after his parents died. He cared enough to write me a letter so I hope my return message finds him well.
Though I’m probably never going to see him again. After all, Rou was just a random kid he picked up on a whim. He can’t be that interested in me . . . Right?
3.5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I caught up with the series when this book was about two weeks away from release. I was looking forward to it, but life got in the way and it ended up fading into the background. I finally got around to reading it, and it was nice to be back in this world again, though I finished it much more quickly than I expected.
I remember taking more time to finish the previous books, but this one felt noticeably shorter, especially when the focus shifted to the side characters. I didn't mind it since I enjoyed learning a bit more about some of those characters, but I can see how it might bother other readers.
I will admit that the multiple side-story epilogues left me a little confused. I had a hard time keeping track of who was who at times, but then again, I was falling asleep while reading, so that may have played a part in it.
Book Review - Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.
And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.
3 stars: ⭐⭐⭐
I sat staring at my keyboard for five minutes, wondering what to say about this book. It was a nice, decent, and quick read, but it never really sparked any strong emotions in me. By the end, my main takeaway was simply, "That was nice," and not much more.
There were a few amusing moments, and I liked the overall premise, but nothing truly stood out or had me eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened next. I wish that I liked it more, but it just didn't leave me with that immediate urge to pick up the next book in the series.
That said, I wouldn't completely rule out continuing. If a friend asked me to read the rest of the series with them, or if it came up as a book club selection, I'd be open to giving it another chance.
Do you have any advice on how to write a world which is a mix of medieval/ancient times and modern times? Like in movies like Shrek, Onward, and Nimona and series like Ever After High.
It's a bit hard to picture a life with lack of tech and modern-time comforts (like electricity and working toilets) and fixed on old fashioned views (some even a bit oppressive) and the challenges of defying them.
So this idea came to me when learning of the Taisho era, and the eras after that one which is not only an example of the clash of two cultures (Western and Japanese) but also clash of tradition and modernization.
I should probably wait until I'm feeling better before responding, but I wanted to give this a try anyway. Please forgive me if this isn't quite what you're looking for.
It's been ages since I've watched those specific examples, but I think I understand the general idea. Lately, I've been reading a lot of fantasy and isekai stories, and one thing I've noticed is that in fantasy settings based on a medieval time period (or another historical era, such as the Victorian era) but has more modern elements to it, you don't necessarily have to follow real-world technological development. Instead, modern conveniences can be replaced with magic, special abilities, magical creatures, or alternative forms of technology.
So things like electricity, communication, transportation, and sanitation can still exist, just in different forms depending on how the world works. For example, some worlds use magical crystals or monster cores instead of electricity or batteries. Others use enchanted mirrors for long-distance communication, similar to phones or video calls, though usually only the rich or nobility have access to them. In some settings, creatures like slimes are used to clean waste and keep cities sanitary. In others, people's special abilities are so common and useful that they effectively replace certain technologies altogether. You can also combine these ideas with magic-powered tools, elemental spirits, or enchanted devices that serve the same functions as modern appliances or infrastructure.
The main thing to figure out is what level of "technology" your world has and what replaces it. Once you know that, you can decide whether everyday life runs on magic, special abilities, magical creatures, alternative technologies, or some combination of them.
And just as importantly, not everyone may have equal access to these advancements. Wealthy nobles and merchants might enjoy magical conveniences that commoners cannot afford. Large cities may embrace new ideas and technologies, while rural villages and remote regions remain much more traditional. This can create tension between different social classes, generations, and regions, much like the conflicts that often appear during periods of modernization in real history.
I think the most important question to ask yourself is what level of technological and social change you want your world to have. Once you know that, you can decide how much of the old world remains, how much of the new world is emerging, and what conflicts arise between the two.
The Princess Posse extends a required invitation to Princess Donut’s Torch Sale. You will take a torch, and you will leave with a torch. Do not resist.
Book Review - A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl #8) by Matt Dinniman
It’s off to the races in the explosive eighth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they’re forced to compete in a surprisingly normal set of tasks. Well, normal for the dungeon.
Races. Get from point A to point B, and don’t come in last. After each race, they pick an upgrade for their vehicle and the track gets more challenging. It all seems a little too normal, a little too simple.
Ignore those strange glitches that are occurring with increasing frequency. Don’t listen to those whispers about what’s happening on the mysterious eleventh floor, something the system AI calls A Parade of Horribles. Nobody, not even the showrunners, knows what that means. Just that the AI has ominously dubbed it “a coming-out party for the ages.”
Everything is fine, Crawler. I repeat, everything is fine.
Carl hates that it’s business as usual. The rules of this floor have taken away his agency. That just will not do.
So Carl is planning a party of his own. It’s a plan so dangerous, so insane, he can’t even consult his friends lest the AI put a stop to it. Because if it goes wrong, it’s not just the end of Carl and Donut. No. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.
3 stars: ⭐⭐⭐
It's nice to finally be caught up with the latest book in the series. This one was shorter, and while I enjoyed it, I didn't feel the same level of excitement that I usually do when listening to these books. It wasn't bad by any means, but it felt a bit weaker and more rushed than previous entries.
I'm not entirely sure why I felt that way. It could be that I listened to the entire series within two weeks and ended up experiencing a bit of fatigue. There was also less focus on fan-favorite characters like Samantha, Mongo, Mordecai, and others, which may have affected my enjoyment. On the other hand, maybe my mood played a role as well, since I wasn't feeling great while listening. Whatever the reason, this book just didn't resonate with me as strongly as the others.
Book Review - This Inevitable Ruin (Dungeon Crawler Carl #7) by Matt Dinniman
They call it Faction Wars.
The ninth floor.
Nine armies, each led by rich and powerful aliens from across the galaxy. Each team has one objective: to capture and hold the castle at the very center of the battlefield. Strategy, alliances, pitched battles, and, of course, betrayal... It all makes for great fun and even greater television.
After all, none of these powerful aliens really die when they’re playing war.
Except this time. This time, winner takes all. Those who fall, stay in the ground.
As the AI continues its rapid decline, Carl and company take advantage of the chaos. For the first time ever, the crawlers are fighting back. They are now one of the nine teams. And this season, there’s a tenth army on the playing field. The NPCs, who are normally used as nothing but cannon fodder, have become fully self-aware and formed a team of their own.
For Donut and Katia, the stakes are even higher. Only one of them will be allowed to leave this level.
If they all want to survive, they’re going to need a little help from a veteran or two.
This is it.
This is what they’ve been fighting toward.
This is war.
This inevitable ruin.
3.5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was a bit more chaotic than I would have preferred, though that's not really the story's fault. The dungeon's ninth floor revolves around faction warfare with a bit of tower defense and king-of-the-hill gameplay mixed in, so a large portion of the story is devoted to preparation, planning, and adapting when things inevitably go off the rails.
I also didn't realize until I finished the book that the next one had only been released this month. I'm so close to catching up with the series, which is both exciting and a little sad since, as far as I know, the story won't be ending anytime soon and the wait for future books is going to be long. I'm also curious to see where the story goes from here, because there's only so much you can do to keep raising the stakes before things start to lose their impact.
