Book Review – Page 47 – The Constellation of Moon

The Witch Boy Review

Posted on October 9, 2018

The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

In thirteen-year-old Aster’s family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn’t shifted . . . and he’s still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden it might be.

When a mysterious danger threatens the other boys, Aster knows he can help — as a witch. It will take the encouragement of a new friend, the non-magical and non-conforming Charlie, to convince Aster to try practicing his skills. And it will require even more courage to save his family . . . and be truly himself.

Rating:

Yes, there’s more graphic novels being reviewed here and that’s just because I have been able to find more fo the kind I like to read for prices I can afford to pay recently, so I am loving it.

This story intrigued me, but it turned to be very relevant to the times, as it tackles sewgregation. The magical family of Aster has very defined roles in magic, women become witches. Men become shapeshipters that fight and “protect”.

Aster can’t seem to find a spirit to shapeshift into, and instead has a good knack at witchery. But he keeps getting chased away. He makes a friend from the non maical side of town and starts sharing some of his troubles, and she encourages to do what he thinks is best and not let the predefined roles limit him.

Then, his talents turn out to solve the issue of the disappearing boys. Mostly because Aster has been listening and paying attention to both sides of magic, so he gets a better panorama plus he can do witchery. But it was also a part of “children can still teach things to adults”.

I am really looking forward to the next one!

Moon recommends

Read The Witch Boy, or check out Nimona, or if you prefer non graphic novels, then try The Apprentice Witch.

Book Review

Monstress Volume 3 Review

Posted on October 5, 2018

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Monstress Volume 3 Haven by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda

Maika has spent most of her life learning how to fight, but how will she fare when the only way to save her life…is to make friends?

Collects issues 13-18 of the Hugo Award and British Fantasy Award series.

Rating:

I had been waiting eagerly for this and it hasn’t disappointed. The artwork keeps me in awe as the other two volumes have, and the dynamics of the different societies are quite intriguing.

In this volume you get to understand more about the “monster” that is joined to Maika. There is also more information on why the cat sticks to them (and it wasn’t for the reason I initially thought, which was good and also it didn’t leave me feeling cheated, rather more curious, a good thing).

We also learn more about the past of both Maika, the sleeping God/monster, the Beloved, and just the world in general and what appears to have brought it forward.

War, tends to also be a big topic here, but now i is about how to survive it and make allies rather than to destroy everyone. It feels almost like it is giving Maika time for a bigger thing to come, but I am still unsure of what it will be.

Moon recommends

Reading all the volumes of Monstress, however, if this is your first graphic novel definitely don’t do it. Why? Because it will confuse you. Give manga, or other graphic novels (like Fables, like Nimona, etc) a go before attempting Monstress.

Book Review

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart Review

Posted on October 3, 2018

The Dragon With the Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis

Aventurine is the fiercest, bravest dragon there is. And she’s ready to prove it to her family by leaving the safety of their mountain cave and capturing the most dangerous prey of all: a human. But when the human she finds tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, Aventurine is transformed into a puny human girl with tiny blunt teeth, no fire, and not one single claw.

But she’s still the fiercest creature in the mountains — and now she’s found her true passion: chocolate! All she has to do is get herself an apprenticeship (whatever that is) in a chocolate house (which sounds delicious), and she’ll be conquering new territory in no time…won’t she?

Rating:

Please excuse me, for some reason I emptied this when I added the picture and somehow can’t recover my delightful review. So this time it will be a short review, because sometimes one doesn’t need more.

This book redefines some concepts on dragons, or rather, makes them more fun. Introduces the concept of a food mage (I am a food mage for sure, if I can’t be a dragon).

Also, there is a chocolate house (that isn’t made of chocolate, sadly) and lots of hot chocolate with chilli (which makes my Mexican heart ver so happy).

There is aloso Silke and Marina and Horst, and I just wanted to grab everyone and hug them and go have some chocolate in their chocolate house because it is like a dream come true.

Book Review, Books

Jinxed Review

Posted on September 27, 2018

Jinxed by Amy McCulloch

Lacey Chu has big dreams of becoming a companioneer for MONCHA, the largest tech firm in North America and the company behind the “baku” – a customisable smart pet that functions as a phone but makes the perfect companion too. When Lacey finds out she hasn’t been accepted into Profectus – the elite academy for cutting edge tech – it seems her dreams are over. Worst of all, rather than getting to choose one of the advanced bakus, she’s stuck with a rubbish insect one.

Then, one night, Lacey comes across the remains of an advanced baku. Once it might’ve been in the shape of a cat but it’s now mangled and broken, no sign of electronic life behind its eyes. Days of work later and the baku opens its eyes. Lacey calls him Jinx – and Jinx opens up a world for her that she never even knew existed, including entry to the hallowed halls of Profecus. Slowly but surely, Jinx becomes more than just a baku to Lacey – he becomes her perfect companion. But what is Jinx, really? His abilities far surpass anything written into his code or built into his motherboard. He seems to be more than just a robotic pet. He seems … real.

Rating:

The first chapter after the prologue had me complete head over heels with it. My engineer’s heart adored reading about a teenager soldering (because I did it too, and worked with circuits, bread boards, etc).

I loved seeing a girl being the one behind the electronics with a female “hero”, role model, and also having at heart the fact that she wants to make things better for her mother who has done a lot for her.

The concept of the baku was also delightful, though I admit a few parts of it puzzled me (like the leash, they pierce your ear but is the leashing wireless, wired, or how does it work? also, piercings take a long time to heal the nasty things, so it’d be quite intriguing that it works so immediately), but all in all I am liking the concept. I can see pros and cons for it and that makes me happy because I work in technology so this was definitely the book for me.

I wasn’t too keen on the romance, but I can see why Lacey would feel the way she did. Also, Jinx is a fun character and seeing him grow too alongside Lacey was wonderful. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Moon recommends

So if you are (or used to be) a teenager that is into technology or is intrigued by it, definitely recommend this cute book. You can also check Amy’s other books, Potion Diaries.

Book Review, Books

Nimona Review

Posted on September 25, 2018

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism!

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Rating:

Back in my teenage years when I used to read a lot of webcomics, Nimona was one of those I stumbled upon and would eagerly await the next page (some webcomics updated/update once a week, others twice, if you’re lucky, a lot have hiatus where they have guest comics coming in).

When I saw it in Waterstones it was like stepping back to the past and reminding myself how much I loved webcomics. (Nowadays I only follow a couple) SO of course I got a copy of it. And I read through it in bed before sleeping. It made me smile, and it made me remeber how much I liked it.

The art work is nice and cute, the story is original and fun. Worth a read, specially if you like Lumberjanes and Moonstruck.

Book Review

The Gilded King Review

Posted on September 21, 2018

The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey

In the Blue, the world’s last city, all is not well.

Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, a boy who believes in fairytales that Julia’s world can’t accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she’d escape into the trees if she didn’t know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.

But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.

Beyond the city’s boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.

One way or another, the walls of the Blue are coming down. The only question is what side you’ll be on when they do.

Rating:

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book really pulled some punches on me. Starting with the fact at first I just couldn’t get into Cam’s chapters as much and part of me wanted to get through with them to go back to Julia’s.

And then all of a sudden I felt completely the opposite and I wanted more Cam chapters than Julia’s.

Not that either was bad, but more that at times one was more intriguing to me than the other. The concept of The Silvers/Nobles/Izcacus/etc is neat and I like that even a little bit of Lestat was into this book. They don’t glitter (yes!, thousand times yes!) and they are in a much more futuristic setting rather than going to the past or the present/contemporary.

Instead you have an intriguing dystopia that keeps you asking questions and trying to figure out which side is right, why are they doing what they are doing, and who exactly is right and wrong in their assumptions. I breezed through it and really loved. Then I realised that the next one isn’t out yet (why are you doing this to me world?!).

Moon Recommends

So, I guess my advice this time is to buy this one, preorder A Bargain in Silver and go curl up into a ball until it comes out and you can read more about Emmy.

Book Review

Orgo Runners: The First Collection Review

Posted on September 19, 2018

Orgo Runners: The First Collection by R.J. Furness (Illustrations by Amy Leslie)

R.J. Furness, author of the “dissent” books, brings you Orgo Runners…

This the first of many AMAZING adventures, featuring the orgo!!

In a future ice-age…

Living in Port Harmony, Fayth and her friends are among the greatest at riding orgo! But when they are forced to become Food Runners, they embark on a dangerous journey to deliver supplies to Scorr Tanta.

Will their skill at riding orgo help them succeed in their mission?

Rating:

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start this by saying I love my little orgo and if you follow me on Twitter you may have seen Trey going on adventures under the tags #iwantanorgo and #orgoadventures. The latest one was visiting Paddington Bear.

So now unto the actual review of the book.

The first few pages I read were very confusing and it took me a little bit to actually get into the story (I just felt like I was thrown into it and couldn’t grasp well what was going on). But afterwards, it started on a good foot and stayed there. I love the creatures, do not like the way people are treated.

Without spoiling much, I can say that the subplots in each adventure (and in all adventures over all because some carry over) keep you wanting to go on reading just to figure out if your guess is right, or if they’ll make it, or what new thing Ink will manage to produce and use.

It is also lovely they are a rag tag bunch of teenagers trying to make the most of their lives and managing as best as they can (and the fact that they don’t have everything in control, or all the answers at any given moment was refreshing to read, and to see them fail sometimes and just wipe off the dust and keep trying a different way).

The little search game had me looking for them in every illustration until I figured it out (the illustrations are very cute too and made it a bit easier to imagine things) which was a lovely bonus to the book (and I found them all! woohoo).

Moon recommends

Try out Orgo Runners. I would also recommend checking out The Apprentice Witch.

Book Review

It Ends With You Review

Posted on September 17, 2018

It Ends With You by S. K. Wright

‘If I’d told the truth, it would have been fiction’

Everyone loves Eva. Beautiful, bright, fun, generous – she’s perfect.

So when her dead body is found in a ditch in the local woods the only thing anyone wants to know is: Who could have done this?

It has to be Luke, her boyfriend. He has the motive, the means, the opportunity and he’s no stranger to the police.

Even though the picture is incomplete, the pieces fit. But as time passes, stories change.

Told from six narrative strands, this cleverly woven and utterly compulsive novel challenges preconceptions; makes you second, third and fourth guess yourself; and holds an uncomfortable mirror up to the way societies and systems treat those they perceive to be on the outside

Rating:

The best way to describe this book is to say that it started not too creepy and then it kept throwing plot twists at you that were surprising.

I loved finding out all of Eva’s “dirty” secrets and seeing how even then everyone was still sure Luke had done (despite the evidence that was shown). It was also sad to see how people react when someone comes from a less privileged background or are just different and that was quite interesting to read too.

The many relationships between families, between friends, between couples, and teachers, students, figures of authority and in general society were quite interesting to see.

The format made it fun to read (I do wonder if it will “age” well, as who knows how long some of the things used will stay). And even though I usually do not like having too many POV, this book makes the most of it and does it well.

Moon recommends

Read It Ends With You, I read it really fast and didn’t want to put it down. You may also enjoy One of Us is Lying or A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (coming out next year). They’re all along the same vibe and lines and all good to read.

Book Review

Shallow magic and straight on abuse

Posted on September 13, 2018

The Lost Witch by Melvin Burgess

Thirteen year old Beas’ life goes through a rapid change when she suddenly starts to see and hear things that others can not. Confused and a pretty scared, she seeks comfort from her parents, that, convinced that she’s mentally ill, wants to take her to the hospital. At the same time, Bea is being approached by a group of witches that says that her visions is a sign of her special powers. They also state that she’s now in danger, because of the evil Hunt, wanting to destroy everything good and bright in the world with their dark magic. Conflicted and scared, torn between the (maybe not so safe) safety of her family, and her want to help out the other witches, Bea is soon (literary) dragged into a dark story of conflicting magic and straight on abuse.

Rating 🐖

I don’t often write a straight forward bad review, but folks, this is it. Even if I dislike a book, there’s often something to the story or the writing style that I appreciate. In The Lost Witch however, this is not the case.

The story balances somewhere between MG and YA, which I think adds to the odd writing style. Almost all of the story is explained and spelled straight out rather than figuratively told, which adds up to no feelings being felt during the reading. The magic and the way this whole fantasy world is working seems random, and I just don’t get it. There’s also a ridiculous amount of exclamation marks.

The biggest problem is though (surprisingly) not the writing style or the construction of the fiction universe. It’s the events of the story itself. The story where thirteen year old Bea, alone and scared, gets kidnapped, physically and psychologically abused, and then put on trial and blamed for it all. Without any form of hint from the moral in the story, the authors way of depicting it, or the after word that this is the wrong way to go about it. It’s not just conflicting, its distasteful, at the very least.

Dr. Bea does NOT approve

If you wanna read something about magic and witches, but without pedophile sex scenes and victim blaming, I recommend The Magisterium-series instead.

Book Review

Lovely, Dark, and Deep Review

Posted on September 7, 2018

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Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen

What would you do if the sun became your enemy?

That’s exactly what happens to Viola Li after she returns from a trip abroad and develops a sudden and extreme case of photosensitivity — an inexplicable allergy to sunlight. Thanks to her crisis-manager parents, she doesn’t just have to wear layers of clothes and a hat the size of a spaceship. She has to stay away from all hint of light. Say goodbye to windows and running outdoors. Even her phone becomes a threat when its screen burns her.

Viola is determined to maintain a normal life, particularly after she meets Josh. He’s a funny, talented Thor look-alike who carries his own mysterious grief. But the intensity of their romance makes her take more and more risks, and when a rebellion against her parents backfires dangerously, she must find her way to a life — and love — as deep and lovely as her dreams.

Rating:

You know how they tell you to write the book you’d like to read and haven’t found? For me this is the book I wanted to read but hadn’t found. However, I did not write, instead Justina did.

We follow Viola’s story through this book, she is a browncoat, which in geekspeak means a fan of Firefly, and is also crazy about doing bake sales for charity (that is something I am not that familiar with except as a concept but all the food she cooks throughout the book made me hungry and I wish we had some recipes to go with it). Then as she is having a normal day, she collapses and voila, turns out she is allergic to the sun (and light).

Now, in case you didn’t know, I am photosensitive myself (I was born like this) and I have written a little about it on a reality check post. And I really want to highlight that this book does a wonderful job at representation of photosensitivity. It is well researched, it is good at explaining how it affects and changes your life (it was very intersting for me, since I have adapted to it as I grow, rather than having to do so in one go, and I kept nodding at the things they would try and going “yeah, done that”) and it is also a good story. It follows her journey to coping with her new life, and how her family relationships change, but it also has a romance subplot which I enjoyed (even if at times it was quite sweet) that in itself deals with loss and grief.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a very uplifting book, it keeps reassuring you that you’ve got this regardless of how many lemons (or killer sunrays) life throws at you.

Moon recommends

That if you know me, or are curious about photosensitivity, you go and buy this book and read it. It genuinely is the book I didn’t know I needed. And if you’d like a younger and more sweet book, try The Ice Garden.