dystopian fiction

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Lenni Reviews: “Fool Night” Vol. 7, by Kasumi Yasuda

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Toshiro and Hourai face Ivy and learn who Ivy was as a human, challenging Hourai’s firm belief in transfloration.

I am negative shocked that the doctor behind all this is a freakish mad scientist type. I do have to give credit to the creativity in this volume when it comes to the combat with Ivy and how Toshiro is able to see the thoughts of a transflorated person. Even though his life is shortened, he is determined to make a difference, and I do want to see what other things he can do and if these abilities will impact how or if transforation goes forward in the future. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Mujina into the Deep” Vol. 3, by Inio Asano

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is suggested for mature readers.

Mai and Tenko face off, and we learn more about Ubeme. Juno is thinking of becoming a Mujina to escape the 9-5.

It’s sad that people care so little that it takes three months for a Mujina to be located after being killed. Yes, I get that they’re no longer legally people, but sheesh… It looks like there’s a big plot point here that has to deal with Ubeme’s past, as she was trafficked as a minor by a prostitution ring that was broken a long time ago, yet still being investigated. On top of that, it’s implied she’s losing her edge because she’s too attached to other people. That’s a pretty standard trope, but if it means that it wouldn’t take three months to find out if something happened to her, then go for it. She’s an awesome fighter, and seeing her in action is amazing. It’s a shame there wasn’t more of that from her in this volume. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Fist of the North Star” Vol. 18, by Buronson & Tetsuo Hara

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In this volume, Ken faces Emperor Balan, who despises the gods due to his lost love. Then Ken searches for Rin and Bat and after Ken loses his memories, they have to help him.

This really feels like the conflict doesn’t start or actually matter until the main character gets there to fix it. He’s more of a catalyst for the plot to happen rather than feeling like we’re following him on a journey. And Ken is so overpowered, he just punches through or wags his finger at the enemy, and then it’s over. I feel like I know his story, but I don’t know who he is, if that makes any sense. The people around him are more interesting to me as they seem to grow and change, while Ken is pretty much the same. It’s okay I just expected more from such a classic. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Fist of the North Star” Vol. 17, by Buronson

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Ken and Ryu arrive in Sava where 3 brothers squabble for the throne of their dying father, King Asam.

While after the 3 brother’s drama there is another story, the stand out here is King Asam. Unlike a lot of the rulers and/or in this series, he’s powerful, empathetic, and loving instead of comically evil. I wouldn’t mind a side series just about him. I’m a little annoyed that his daughter doesn’t get more regocnition as she’d the one child of his that seems to care about him (at first) and – absolutely spoilers for this volume and the movie – this story suffers from the Four Brothers problem (where I was pissed that one of them died leaving only three brothers). You’d expect the life lesson of them working things out between them but nope. They just fight and kill. It felt like a chance for a good story there. 3 out of 5.

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Patreon Update! “Dewey” Chaper 2

I’ve been hard at work on my writing and the next part of “Dewey” is ready to share! Head on over to my Patreon where it’s only 1$ to join!

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Lenni Reviews: “After God” Vol. 3, by Sumi Eno

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Just as Waka learns what god is inside her (Alura), things change when a mission ends in the deaths of several Institute members. In the chaos, a traitor is revealed.

This is a very twisty volume and by that I mean it has a bunch of twists in it. Not to spoil anything but there’s a lot of “this guy is really working for THIS guy” and “this guy is disguised as THIS guy” or this guy is dead, NOPE he’s not!” It’s not bad; it feels fast-paced and dripping with dramatic intrigue. If you’ve been waiting for a bunch of lore about Waka and Alura, that takes a back seat for a bit but it’s still action-packed. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Fist of the North Star” Vol. 16, by Buronson & Tetsuo Hara 

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Ken and Kaioh face off for the final time and we learn more backstory about how the successor to the Hokuto Shinken was ultimately chosen.

Yeah, we know Ken wins and now he’s the last of the bloodline. He takes in Ryu, Lord Raoh’s son, and the story goes back to defeating shitty bandits that take advantage of desperate people. Now, when I say “shitty” I don’t mean the narrative, I mean the characters themselves as they kill innocents on a whim and enslave children. And it’s always good to see jerks like that get their comeuppance. 3.9 out of 5 for the fantastic fight scenes in this volume.

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Lenni Reviews – Challenge Edition: “Tender Is the Flesh” by Agustina Bazterrica & Sarah Moses (Translator)

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If you’ve been on my blog for awhile, I do movie reviews on occasion and have a side thing of “Challenge Edition” where I watch extreme movies. Now that I know extreme books are a thing you know I have to do that, too.

This book is a dystopian world where a virus has rendered all animal meat inedible. A worldwide campaign is launched to acclimate everyone to accept eating humans instead; classifying them as “head” that as strictly regulated. Marcos runs a slaughterhouse and in addition to his wife leaving him and his elderly father losing his battle with dementia in a nursing home, he struggles with the realities of what he does for a living.

I totally get the allegory; treading a certain class like cattle, the mental gymnastics to justify this, the tole it takes on people to eat people, Marcos desperately trying to hold on to his sanity in a world where humans are just buying time before they end up on a plate, cruelty is normalized, and everything is permeated with an undercurrent of fear. The writing is great and that ending? Woof… But my suspension of disbelief was tested. Because I’m a writer, librarian, and general nerd; I know the little factoid that cannibalism in humans causes diseases and is not a viable replacement for traditional meat. I had to keep pushing that aside and plow on but it was worth it. It’s depressing because, not too spoilery but damnit Marcos:

This book is good, I loved the prose. And the graphic descriptions of the slaughter of humans for consumption will turn your stomach if you’re sensitive. But if you’re in the mood, this is a great book. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Mujina into the Deep” Vol. 1, by Inio Asano

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is suggested for mature readers.

In this dystopian world, there exists a class of people called Mujina, who have given up their human rights, live off the grid, and usually end up as assassins. Terumi Morgan is coasting through life as a middle-aged man who just wants to watch his smut in his spare time. When he ends up with COVID, he sees an off the books doctor where he ends up involved with a Mujina called Ubume.

So… This is wild. Human rights are not a given in this world; they can be abdicated or revoked based on certain criteria and violence is rampant. I so appreciate the creativity but a lot of information was thrown at me and I feel like I need to know more before I decide if the world building is good or now. My main interest is in Ubeme and her story; not so much in Terumi. Terumi seems tangential at this point but we’ll see if he gets more involved later. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel” by Badiucao & Melissa Chan

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

I did NOT intend this to be so damn relatable to the real world right now just… UGH!

In a techno-authoritarian China, three young rebels meet at a protest: Maggie, Andy, and Olivia. As things spiral, Maggie becomes more violent and after a failed attack, the three are separated; Maggie is in prison, Olivia flees to Taiwan, and Andy just tries to get through his life. Fast forward to 2035, society is even more restrictive prompting a series of events that bring the three on a crash course to reuniting.

This is certainly not an uplifting read but I feel a lot of the more mainstream fictional discourse around standing up against oppression is romanticized in a way. Like in Star Wars, The Matrix, or The Hunger Games; there is a sense of glory and heroism to the story but this is dirty, crude, bloody, and just depressing. Fighting the system changes people and not in the best of ways. The 2035 setting is fictional but the real-life events this book references ground the book into grim reality. 5 out of 5.

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