historical fiction

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 6, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Despite the loss against Kokushi’s forces, Tokiyuki gained valuable knowledge which will aid him as he heads for Kyo, the capital city of his enemy; Takauji.

From the synopsis, you’d think some major shit was gonna go down but this volume feels like a bunch of setup. We get a new character, Tokiyuki is still a good character, but I didn’t feel like much happened. It’s not bad but it is a bunch of filler that isn’t very satisfying. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 5, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Governor Sadamune is determined to prove Tokiyuki is a survivor from the Hojo clan and interrogates the boy to find even the smallest slip up. As he tries to keep is identity a secret, Tokiyuki also has to help defend his allies on the battlefield.

This volume is heavy on the battle strategy and to be honest, I didn’t find it all that interesting. The battle scenes are well drawn; I can tell what’s going on and the way the art conveys emotions can be really creative as well as really creepy but this one isn’t as fun as the others. I bet it’s a step towards something bigger in the coming volumes. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Witches of World War II” by Paul Cornell & Valeria Burzo

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

Inspired by a true story, this graphic novel follows Doreen Valentine who joins a group of other witches to use magic to kill Hitler’s second in command. Rudolf Hess.

Of course as a practicing witch myself I had to check this out. For a premise of witches fighting Nazis with magic, I couldn’t get into it. It felt somehow both over the top and underwhelming at the same time. The art style is perfect for a period piece, but this is a meh from me. I ended up flipping through it, struggling to find something to latch on to. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 4, by Yūsei Matsui

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

The governor of Shinano, Kiyohara, is determined to finally destroy any further resistance but a member of the Suwa, Hoshina Yasaburo, rises up in rebellion. Hojo and his warriors find themselves on the battle field with him.

This volume has some great battle scenes, a few funny moments, and some really horrific people/creatures to go with an interesting story playing out. Hojo is learning more about becoming a leader and I find the Elusive Warriors around him to be entertaining. I want to see more of them in the future. I would also like to see more movement in the plot concerning the penultimate goal of reclaiming his title but I suppose we’re getting all the players set up for the final battle. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 3, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Hojo and his group are alerted to a group of bandits attacking villages near by. They are moving fast and brutal in their actions and quickly on their way to another isolated village so Hojo makes plans to stop them.

This volume expands the characters of Hojo’s retainers and teaches him a new skill as the kinds of enemies he faces increase in lethality. It still somehow manages to be cure and terrifying at the same time, with the character designs of the main group contracting so much with the designs of the villains. I like this series but so far, it seems a little formulaic. New baddie, Hojo must learn new thingie, rinse and repeat. But the characters are interesting enough to keep me reading. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 2, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Tokiyuki is hiding out in Suwa under Yorishige’s protection at a shrine. But when the shrine is hosting a dog shooting competition where one of Takauji’s vassals shows up to compete while searching for anyone from the Hojo clan that may be hiding at the shrine.

While I like the art style when people are fighting or talking, there are parts of this where the characters are super-deformed and I find them unintentionally terrifying. Other than that, this series is interesting. There’s some tonal whiplash between the silly parts where everyone is laughing and putting severed heads on display. We’ve got our colorful cast of characters with all these bombastic personalities that keeps it entertaining if not completely engrossing. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 1, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Hojo Tokiyuki is the last survivor of his family, the Kamakura shogunate, after they were betrayed and slaughtered. Along with other survivors or the massacre, Hojo goes on a journey to train and become strong enough to reclaim the throne.

Don’t let the cutesy art fool you. This is bloody and the art can make the characters look distorted and scary when it needs to. That being said, this is one hello of a start for a series. Hojo is young but strong and you get the sense of how strong he will become.

It feels a little rushed and the priest character is teetering closer to annoying than quirky. I wouldn’t complain if he was reigned it. A LOT.

This is focused more on action so we haven’t gotten attached to anyone more than initial interest so far but I do want to continue to the next volume. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Radium Girls” by Cy.

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

This graphic novel tells the story of The Radium Girls; a group of women who worked in one of many factories painting parts of glow in the dark watch faces. They used their tongues to keep the point of the brushes sharp and were assured they were safe only to be slowly poisoned over time.

I love the art style. I think it’s effective at allowing the reader to focus on the stories of these women and what they went through. It looks simple but it’s very effective. This provides a great primer to encourage people to learn about what is sadly a little-known part of history. This is very short but it tells enough of the story about this tragic group of women. I hope more people learn about stories like this. 3.8 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Day the Klan Came to Town” by Bill Campbell & Bizhan Khodabandeh

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

In Carnegie, PA, 1932, the Ku Klux Klan is at the height of its power and they decided to celebrate themselves and show who they as a threat – including Catholics and Jews – how much power they have to keep them in their place. In this fictionalized retelling, there is a riot when the locals, lead by Sicilian immigrant, Primo Salerno, refuse to back down.

While I respect the research and detail in this, I would have appreciated translations of the non-English text. Just to keep the flow of reading without having to whip out my phone to use the dubiously successful Google Translate. Also, like a lot of historical graphic novels I read, this feels rushed. It is a great way to get the word out for further research but I felt it wasn’t complete. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Revews: “The Slave Yards” by Najwa Bin Shatwan, Nancy Roberts (Translation)

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

Set in 19th century Benghasi, this novel tells the story of Atiqui, who knows she’s mixed race but otherwise doesn’t know much about her parents. One day her cousin Ali shows up with the full story of how her parents met, why she never knew them, and the lineage that entitles her to an inheritance.

While the overt racism can get frustrating, this is a beautifully written historical novel. Aside for my modern abhorrence to racism, sexism, and slavery, this is a sprawling story of forbidden love, solidarity, and survival. This presents an unflinching depiction of life in that time. I found myself riveted, wanting to know what happens next. If you like historical fiction, this is a great entry. 4.7 out of 5

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