historical fiction

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 10, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Tokiyuki and his allies face the Kanto Hisashiban, each enemy presenting a unique and challenging ability.

Yeah, the horse guy sucks. Poor horses…

I think what keeps this series from entertaining for me as much as it could is the main character. I don’t need my main characters to always be like Mizu from Blue Eyed Samurai; extremely flawed and powerful but the original fire for Tokiyuki to get his title back in the beginning of the series is down to sparking embers. It’s all barely holding my interest. There are bits that hold my interest and keep me turning the pages at the spectacle of it all but deep down, I don’t feel as invested. 3 out of 5

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Lenni Reviews: “Steel of the Celestial Shadows” Vol. 1, by Daruma Matsuura

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

Ryundo Konosuke is destitute, homeless, and cursed to repel any metal he is near so he can’t wield a sword. As his mother wished for him to become a warrior, his dreams seem impossible and he decides to take his own life. However, he is saved by a mysterious woman who offers to marry him.

As the volume unfolds, I managed to get attached to Konosuke and wanted him to be happy. It’s a cute story so far; his new wife is genuine and they get alone well. The art is expressive and the fantasy elements leave just enough unsolved to make you keep reading and find out more. It’s intriguing. 3.5 out of 5.

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“Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 9, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Hojo Tokiyuki has revealed himself as the last heir to the decimated Hojo clan, putting him in an exhalted position among his comrades but also in the crosshairs of his enemies.

There’s something about this series that feels haphazard. A setup is made that feels bombastic and then it’s all just stuff. It’s very unorganized and all over the place. I mean, yay for the good guys but it’s hard to get invested in whatever is going on. 2.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 8, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Tokiyuki Hojo and his allies prepare to make a move against their enemies but Hojo must earn the respect of Yorishige’s forces by facing Shokan.

The battle was cool and seeing Tokiyuki use the skills he’s learned so far but something is missing. It feels kinda dry despite all the action going on. I wasn’t able to connect with this one like the others even though I did keep turning the pages to find out what happened next. Maybe the next one will have more of a punch. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Boy Named Rose” by Gaëlle Geniller

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

Set in 1920’s Paris, twenty year old Rose has always dreamed of dancing on stage at Le Jardin; a cabaret his mother manages. When he gets the chance, Rose acquires an ardent fan, Aime, who attends all his shows and is persistent in seeing Rose one on one.

This graphic novel is beautiful and actually calming. It’s not overly dramatic, light hearted, and takes it’s time as Rose explores his identity and enjoys expressing him or herself by doing what s/he loves with the people s/he loves. It’s romantic and character driven, very worth checking out. I kept waiting for something awful to happen but, nope! It’s just so sweet. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Elusive Samurai” Vol. 7, by Yūsei Matsui

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

Spies are all over Shinano so Tokiyuki hides out in Kyo. However, a chance to kill Takaugi presents a dangerous temptation as it’s a chance to finally get revenge for the deaths of his family.

The big final battle is finally getting started and I’m relieved to finally see how this all shakes out. What I’m looking forward to most is seeing Tokiyuki and his retainers use the skills we’ve watched them collect all these volumes. It feels like it’s been a slog to get here and I am really hoping the pay off is worth it in the end. 3 out of 5.

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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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