historical fiction

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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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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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