young adult fantasy

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 5, by Miyu Morishita

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

In an attempt to be more involved, Yutaka is considering clubs to join, and Tsumiki decides to do the same. Meanwhile, a succubus named Ako sets her sights on Yutaka.

This volume is just Tsumiki and Yutaka being adorable. The introduction of Axo may seem like there’d be all this drama and angst, but we’re still in jovial slice of life territory. Tsumiki is her usual supportive, quirky bestie to Yutaka, who is trying his best. I’m enjoying the introductions of new types of mythical beings and, as these are teenagers, I’m relieved at the way Ako was handled. She’s not hyper sexualized, she just craves to be wanted and basks in the attention. It’s a cute volume. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 4, by Miyu Morishita

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

It’s time for the Cultural Festival, and their class decides to do a cosplay cafe.

This volume has more of Tsumiki’s family, where we learn that while she’s upbeat and positive now, she hasn’t always had the easiest time of it. This is still a fun read; nothing is really dark. There’s some humor mixed in, some nice character moments with Mokuri, all in all, some very cozy slice of life antics that leave you with a smile and a curitosity to know more about all the different types of creatures. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 3, by Miyu Morishita

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

After the Sports Festival, it’s time for midterms, and Tsumiki needs to buckle down and study. Yutaka offers to help her, but after the exams are over, he sees less of her and the rest of his friends. He fears they will forget him if they can’t hang out.

Most of this is the kids enjoying their summer, and it’s a genuinely fun slice of life read. The background details of the other students and their unique traits – the invisible boy has some great scenes – are used to create some fun visual gags and touching moments. I’m glad it didn’t linger too long on Yutaka’s dilemma because it fits Tsumiki’s character to intervene, so he can’t brood about this. She solves shit like that ASAP. Similar to Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible or Komi Can’t Communicate, it’s nice to see the male lead come out of his shell. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite” Vol. 5, by Julietta Suzuki

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

After the attack in the vampire bar, Amanatsu has been having nightmares, and Hina wants to cheer him up by taking him out for animal therapy. They run into Rinya, the voice actor for Hina’s favorite character, who is also long-lived and doesn’t understand why Hina is so enthusiastic after so much time.

This volume balances the silly and serious better and advances the relationship between our two main romantic leads. There are some new characters, and it was interesting for a second to see Hina wanting to protect Amanatsu, some actual lasting effects of the risks he’s taken, but still, it’s resolved too quickly for me. It seems like there should be more attention on that than the romantic drama. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Red and the Wolves: A Graphic Novel” by Cherry Zong

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

Red is a talented hunter tasked with protecting her Grandmother and helping to exorcize the Nawa in the dying forest around them. On a hunt, she meets Sil, a wolf girl who got caught in a trap. They become friends, but the threat of the rot spreading through the land still looms, and Red is plunged into a more serious threat than she could have imagined.

Far be it from me to turn town a witch fantasy comic. This one is beautiful and fun with some exciting moments, but as an avid reader, the twist wasn’t as shocking to me as it would be to someone less experienced in the genre. The lore and characters are so well done, and I am SO happy this was towards 400 pages. The story had plenty of time to breathe and is so well paced. The art style handles action, sprawling fantasy settings, and quiet moments with ease, and I highly recommend it. 4.8 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Colette Decides to Die” Vol. 4, by Alto Yukimura

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

As Colette’s journey to her hometown continues, she encounters Hercules and spends time with her siblings. We learn more about all of them and their journey as healers.

Kotume is an adorable addition, and screw Posidon for being cruel to that precious little bean.

How can you be mean to that little face!!??

Other than that, this volume is mostly about Colette and Hades getting closer. There was the chance of a typical ‘beach episode,’ but she is such a hard worker that we skip that trope, and she spends the time learning unique skills from the healers near the sea. She adds these to her skill set before heading back to the underworld. This is the volume with the most negativity as some apprentices are nasty to Marie (Colette’s older sister) and the harsh treatment of Kotsume (an otter). It was a downer in the series for sure. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Colette Decides to Die” Vol. 3, by Alto Yukimura

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

Dionysus makes an appearance as he’s one of many afflicted with a cold that’s going around. As thanks for treatment, he invites Hades and Colette to a banquet to get closer.

In addition to the banquet, we see more of Colette being an amazing apocathary and how deep her connection to the vilage goes. Again, this is one of those series where the romance and fantasy are great but Colette’s pure hearted and earnest dedication drives this story and is a pleasure to read. Seriously, the budding romance between Hades and Colette is such an afterthought in my mind. I could have the whole series just be about her and be totally fine with it. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Colette Decides to Die” Vol. 2, by Alto Yukimura

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

When Apollo decides to go on vacation, Colette volunteers to fill in as healer to the gods in his absence.

In this volume, we also get Charon’s backstory, which is so sad. For all its whimsy, this series gets dark sometimes. I have to admit, I’m totally about the hardworking, sweet characters that are super genuine and are actually rewarded for their efforts. I’m not even into the possible romance. I can watch Colette just do her thing: healing people and expanding her apothecary skills. It’s also a way to learn about the world they live in and the unique take on the Greek Gods, even if some of them just kinda drop in and vanish within a few pages. I feel like if we’re going to include them, just go for it and give them some real “screen” time. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Lumine” Vol. 3, by Emma Krogell

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After the failed kidnapping attempt, Lumine and Kody are recovering from their injuries. But they are still being hunted and Lumine’s secret of being a werewolf, thought to be an extinct species, may be exposed.

This volume has plenty of sweet moments and some bloody fights. Somehow, this manages to handle the cute and the gory equally well. It’s nice to see Kody grow closer to Lumine. He still has that same aloof demeanor he developed clearly as a defense mechanism. I am so glad that the Calla and the bullies plot is wrapped up because it makes more space for the bigger mystery behind the werewolves and Lumine’s parents not being around. Not to mention whatever is going on with Kody’s magic. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 1, by Miyu Morishita

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

Mythical creatures are now mainstream and integrated with human society. Yutaka Shinso wants to get to know more of them so, he transfers to a more mixed school where he meets Tsumiki Ogami, a werewolf who inspires him to become as confident as she is.

This is a fun little high school fantasy. We don’t go into many different creatures as the main focus is on Tsumiki and her friendship with Yutaka. It’s still just the first volume so, it’s very slice of life but it’s very sweet. A light read with some comedy and heartfelt moments that made me smile. 3.7 out of 5 for the good start.

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