NetGalley Review Grab Bag Volume 14

Hey everyone, thanks for your patience. It's been a long couple of months of recovering from surgery, but I'm back at work and slowly catching up on reviews.

I received free ARCs from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for fair reviews.

Title: Fish and Water

Author/Illustrator: Gengoroh Tagame

Rating: 5/5

Published by Pantheon Books and available June 23, 2026, Fish and Water is the latest manga by influential bara artist Gengoroh Tagame. Bara (lit. "rose" as in the flower) is manga by and for gay men, often featuring characters who are muscular or large in general. Gengoroh-sensei's work, including My Brother's Husband, is the first bara manga to reach a larger audience beyond MLM. Fish and Water caught my eye since I'm the adult manga selector, and because shounen, manga aimed especially at teen boys, is so popular, I've felt like I can't find many books for readers with mortgages. This standalone story follows two men bonding during the COVID-19 pandemic. There's been something of a surge of nostalgia for the pandemic era, and in November 2024 I reviewed Home Office Romance, with the same setting. In a way, I think this nostalgia is us trying to comprehend this very strange period of recent history. Fish and Water does a great job of capturing this weirdness and anxiety. The isolation and loneliness, concern about masking and being performative, the increased economic strain, the sudden tragedy of the death of friends, and the hope of doing things once everything dies down. Akira and Koji are an adorable odd couple, falling in love without realizing it, and they have incredible tension. Like all good couples, they build on each other's strengths-- like Koji's cooking skills and Akira's organization. If your heart isn't warmed by Koji saying "I'd rather eat with you than eat alone. Things taste better with you", I don't know how to help you. The food Koji makes, and teaches Akira to make looks absolutely delicious. It's almost a food manga. This is just an all-around wonderful manga with a sweet romance and queer happiness we all could use today.

---

Title: Emotional Support Animals: Anonymous Fuzzball Comics + Workbook

Author/Illustrator: Nicole Georges

Rating: 5/5

Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing and available April 14, 2026, Emotional Support Animals combines cute animals with affirmations for healing, self-care, and comfort, as well as worksheets for applying these messages. I definitely needed this book-- a seal saying "I'm trying to remember I can look at what could go right instead of what could go wrong" speaks to me. I love how gentle the book is, and these are things I needed to hear long ago. It covers topics from self-worth to grief to handling family gatherings and even facing the horrors of the news. It's a sweet book that will hopefully find its way into the hands (or paws) of whoever needs it.

---

Title: 'Tis Thee, Not Me: A Modern Guide to Bad Dates and Worse Decisions

Author/Illustrator: Clarice Tudor

Rating: 4/5

Published by Clarkson Potter and available May 5, 2026, 'Tis Thee, Not Me is a collection of dating experiences hilariously depicted in the style of medieval manuscript art-- one of my favorite artforms. I confess that as I am not a woman and have never even dated I can't relate to the subject matter, though the writing is too funny not to enjoy. Even if you've never played the dating field, we've all had awkward and uncomfortable experiences-- whether it be a knight's squeaky armor that givest thou The Ick or that one patron who keeps asking weird questions. You know the one. The highlight of the book is clearly Tudor's excellent medieval pastiches. They're all original (rather than taking the easy route of copying existing medieval art) and have great personality. The way people always look bummed in medieval art perfectly translates to how painfully stupid dating can be. This will appeal to anyone who's tried to find The One at the local joust, or just enjoys weird little medieval guys.

---

Title: Cutest Cats of All Time

Author: Mari Bolte

Rating: 3/5

Published by Capstone and available January 1, 2026 (yes I'm aware I'm extremely behind, I've had a lot going on okay), I had to read a book about the cutest cats of all time. This book for children profiles sixteen domestic cat breeds with a page of facts and a photo of an indeed adorable kitty representing their breed. An infobox gives the cat's opinion on the "Cutest Thing About Me" and ratings in three fields: Fluffiness, Aww Factor, and Cuddle-ability, out of five stars. The winner, with a perfect score of 15, is the Ragdoll. The ratings are rather arbitrary, since how do you rate a cat's Aww Factor objectively, but the target audience of kids won't mind. The book has plenty of facts about cats (I didn't know Maine Coons can be as heavy as a small toddler) and cute photos, exactly what you want in a book about cats. It also encourages readers to make their own brackets and ratings for cutest cats. My winners of course are my black domestic shorthairs, Scout and Boo. It will appeal to young kids who love cats, though older readers will want more substance than one page per cat.

---

Title: Godzilla: Here There Be Aliens

Author: Frank Tieri

Illustrators: Art by Angel Hernandez, colors by Heather Breckel

Rating: 4/5

Published by IDW and available April 21, 2026, Here There Be Aliens is the conclusion to the trilogy begun with Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons. The series is a bit like the currently running Monsterverse film series, where kaiju are woven in with real history and culture. This volume picks up in the mid 20th century, with the existence of Godzilla being proved as more than a legend in 1954 (the year of the original Godzilla film's release), and now the distinctly midcentury American fixation with flying saucers is the backdrop. The Xiliens, the alien race from the movies Invasion of Astro-Monster and Final Wars, are the antagonists, and I am a massive dork for knowing that without looking it up. The best way of describing the Here There Be series and this concluding installment is "Benjamin Franklin designed Jet Jaguar." I feel like I'm getting too much into the weeds reviewing this but this series is bonkers. This installment, the trade paperback publication of five issues, follows government agent Bob Jones, who at first appears to be the only person who believes in the existence of kaiju, until he gets drawn into a deeper plot by other agents who are more connected to the invasion of the Xiliens than they appear, and he is taken of course to Area 51. This will be an absolute delight for anyone into midcentury scifi and the search for extraterrestrial life. If you know the significance of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, you will love this. The art, by newcomer Angel Hernandez, with colors by Heather Breckel is really nice and brings the battles to life on the page. Fero Pe does the amazing detailed cover art for each issue as well as the TPB. The only drawback to the series, In my opinion, is that it focuses a little too much on the human/alien plot, with the kaiju often feeling like they're simply in the background. This may be a result of it being very similar to the Showa era films, so it's nothing unusual to Godzilla fans. That being said, it's a fun series both on its own and a good conclusion to the whole Here There Be series.

---

Title: Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits Vol. 1

Author/Illustrator: Oh!great

Rating: 1/5

Published by Kodansha and available January 13, 2026, Kaijin Fugeki is a new shounen series that caught my eye with the publisher blurb "Combining futuristic science fiction with ancient religion and tradition," pinging my love of Atlus's Shin Megami Tensei-- one of my favorite video game series-- and my background in religious studies. Unfortunately I didn't even get very far in this. It feels like a parody of supernatural adventure shounen series like Jujitsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, with an incomprehensible pace, characters that appear with no introduction, and a female character pointing out that she is literally fanservice in this scene. Every page feels like a different scene or even a different series. The art looks great and the action scenes are exciting, but everything else is a mess. Going on Goodreads I found that other people had the reaction I did. It's too incomprehensible, and the art isn't worth the confusion.

---

Title: Bug Ego, Vol. 1

Author: ONE

Illustrator: Kiyoto Shitara

Rating: 4/5

Published by Viz Media and available April 21, 2026, Bug Ego is written by the accomplished ONE, creator of the hits One-Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100. This is just as fantastical as MP100 (about a psychic high schooler). High schoolers Kokudou and Hitsujiya discover "hacks"-- specific actions that alter reality-- from making birds crap in a certain location (useless), getting stray cats to like you instantly (the only power I ever want to have in my life) to turning back time to ace your classes (which wrecks Hitsujiya's life at one point before being reversed). It's just as chaotic and funny as we've come to expect from ONE. There are references to The Smiling Salesman, The NeverEnding Story, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Junji Ito-- but they never feel too much like they're just there to be clever. They make certain parts feel almost like a gag manga, and are genuinely hilarious. While ONE's art is fine as seen in OPM and MP100, going with another illustrator was the right choice-- it allows the lookalike gags to land perfectly. As for the story itself, I'm definitely invested. Hitsujiya and Kokudou both clearly want to be friends, though neither knows how-- and Kokudou worries he's only liked for his knowledge in hacks. I have tried so hard not to make this comparison, but I can't help it-- the hacks come from a mysterious notebook discovered by Kokudou, much like Light Yagami's discovery of his own magically disastrous notebook in Death Note, and that's a compliment. It doesn't feel too derivative though, which is good. I really look forward to more of this series and will consider it for my library's manga collection.

---

Title: Scars, Vol. 1

Author/Illustrator: Brandon Arias

Rating: 5/5

Published by Abrams ComicArts and available December 17, 2024, Scars has been on my NetGalley list for far too long, and since I've been cleaning out my late books I might as well deal with even my most overdue. Scars follows Kyonsosuke, a boy with skin grafts disfiguring his face, and Akira, a trans girl who's been abused by her transphobic family, as they become friends at school-- and discover the truth behind the school bully. It's an intense depiction of abuse, bullying, transphobia, and the cycle of trauma-- but also of hurt people finding and supporting each other. I'm kicking myself for not reading it earlier, because I immediately fell in love with Kyonosuke, Akira, their relationship, and their determination to find a better life for themselves. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and moving and full of compassion and I look forward to finishing the series and adding it to our library collection.

---

Title: Billy Bat, Vol. 1

Authors: Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki

Illustrator: Naoki Urasawa

Rating: 5/5

Published by Abrams ComicArts and available June 2, 2026, Billy Bat is definitely my favorite release of this year. Naoki Urasawa is one of the greatest living mangaka, creator of the modern classic Monster, and this series, co-written with longtime collaborator Takashi Nagasaki, is just as gripping. We follow Kevin Yamagata, a Japanese-American comic book writer and artist in 1949-- the Golden Age of American Comics. His series Billy Bat is a bestseller, and when he discovers he may have unintentionally plagiarized his character from something he saw while stationed in Japan, he goes back to find its original creator. What he discovers is far more weird-- conspiracies, murder he's made to believe he committed, government agents collecting and destroying ancient manuscripts, and people surviving in a war-torn country through worshiping an icon found in the wreckage depicting Kevin's character. I was instantly hooked with the postwar setting, the mystery surrounding the character that might be some kind of dualist god, and the backdrop of both American and Japanese comics. While North American comics were experiencing their Golden Age of Superman and Captain America, Japanese comics were struggling though paper shortages and cheap, poorly made booklets called akahon (red books) that would eventually give way to the higher quality manga of artists like Osamu Tezuka, whose first major work, the art for Shin Takarajima (New Treasure Island) is brought up by an akahon artist who knows his days are numbered. This is an amazing historical setting for a bizarre mystery and I am so excited for the continuation of the English translation. If you're interested in modern art history, postwar Shōwa era Japan, and multifaceted thrillers, this series will grab you like it did me. I immediately put it in my cart for this month's selections.

---

Title: The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Gay

Author: Eliot Glazer

Rating: 1/5

Published by Galley Books and available August 11, 2026, The Terrible, Horrible... appealed to me because, like Glazer, I often feel like I'm doing queerness wrong. And his first essay on his many failed jobs resonated with me-- I had two very short stints running cash registers that I try to banish the memories of deep past my Jungian subconscious. His description of lousy work coupled with untreated depression as "less 'journey of self-discovery' and more 'quiet spiral no one noticed'; less coming-of-age, more character-building-by-fire" is a perfect description of my college career. However, despite his insistence that he's bad at being gay, Glazer certainly has some of the stereotypical gay experiences, like being a theater kid, and far more chances to do gay things, like vacation on Fire Island and live in a Manhattan gayborhood. My first Pride was this year, in St. Louis, I never got the chance to be a theater kid, and I've never had a relationship. I felt quite disappointed that a book about not feeling you perform gayness right doesn't feel particularly relatable, especially at a time where I feel socially adrift and jealous of people who have cooler opportunities than me. I have little time for anything about New York City, stop complaining about living in a big lively liberal city. I live in Northern Indiana, for crying out loud, though I will admit as a gay-ace man I have a very different relationship to Glazer. I feel I'm being a bit too harsh. Everyone experiences their identities and lives differently, and he agrees that we're all our worst critics. I don't find being a theater kid in New York City relatable any more than Glazer would find being a Kung Fu kid in Indiana relatable, and that's okay. 

What isn't okay, however, is how Glazer talks about other peoples' health problems (primarily of the scatological/urinary variety), like the chronically ill wife of a coworker with issues that I won't quote here because I'm a good person. No one needs to know that, and writing about it is cruel, especially since we the audience are expected to find it funny. A lot of the book is funny, but this definitely isn't. While his discussions on anxiety and depression and anxiety actually honest and relatable, the rest of the book isn't for me, and I suspect many of my rural queers will feel just as alienated.

NetGalley Review Grab Bag Volume 13

 I'm still working on finishing off all the ARCs I've requested. Someday I'll be done and I'll be able to write about something other than upcoming books. I'm so sorry.

I received free advance copies from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for fair reviews.

Title: He's the Devil

Author: Tobi Coventry

Rating: 1/5

Published by Abrams and available February 3, 2026, He's the Devil is the last human/demon book I've requested to review, following the absolute garbage fire of Demon With Benefits, the delights of The Devil She Knows and The Demon of Beausoleil and the boredom of As Many Souls as Stars. I was looking forward to this because I always love a good gay human/demon relationship. Unfortunately this book falls into the "not very interesting" category. Simon is a goody-two-shoes guy in a city (not any specific city, though I'm assuming it's in the UK because of the vocabulary) who needs a roommate. I decided to DNF before I got to the demonic roommate because Simon's narration is boring. It says nothing while somehow simultaneously being overly descriptive (but still couldn't bother to tell you where it's set). I just don't have time for books I'm not interested in. It'll probably appeal to readers into trendy queer urban fiction.

---

Title: Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound Vol. 1

Authors: Step on a LEGO (original story), TO WALK(REDICE STUDIO) [adaptation]

Illustrator: S.arang

Rating: 1.5/5

Published by Yen Press and available January 20, 2026, Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound is the first book I've ever read by an author whose name is a threat. Gotta love manhwa author pseudonyms. It's also a really powerful manhwa because it repeatedly crashed Thorium Reader on my computer. The story follows Virki van Baskerville, a bastard son of the elite assassin family the Baskervilles-- though Vikir wasn't good enough and was killed by his father. Now he's been returned to infancy, memories intact-- age regression rather than reincarnation/metempsychosis. There are definite Greek mythology vibes, with Vikir being attacked by snakes like Heracles, and being dipped (via swimming) in the River Styx like Achilles. This should interest fans of Percy Jackson, Hades, and other myth retellings. Like other manhwa I've read, the art is nicely detailed and wonderfully colored. And like all fantasy manhwa I've read, characters have stupid names-- like Vikir's half-brothers Hibro, Midbro, and Lobro Le Baskerville. The comic gets boring for me as we get to the battle school exam, and I started noticing how much Vikir looks like Tanjiro Komada of Demon Slayer. And God I'm tired of video game mechanics in manga/manhwa. The Greek myth parallels made me hopeful for this series, but by chapter 5 I was bored. This doesn't mean that other people won't like it, it's just not my thing. This will appeal to fans of series like Solo Leveling and other fantasy battle manhwa.

---

Title: DnDoggos: Spells Like Trouble

Author/Illustrator: Scout Underhill

Rating: 5/5

Published by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and available February 24, 2026, DnDoggos: Spells Like Trouble is the second installment in Scout Underhill's adorable series about TTRPG-loving canines. Panels alternate between the action in the game and the dogs at the table, with the in-game art being more detailed. I love the art and Liana Sposto's colors are a delight. The dog designs are all unique and look so fluffy you could pet them through the page. Players Tonka, Zoey, and Pickles level up and learn new spells for the first time, and welcome a new player, Toast the cat. If you know a kid who wants to get into TTRPGs, this will be a great introduction for them-- and it'll be enjoyed by adventurers of all ages. If you've played games like Dungeons and Dragons, you'll recognize the excitement of the dice rolls, the funny names players come up with, and the way characters will reflect their players. I love how the character bios at the beginning list the characters' pronouns-- Tonka, for example, uses he/they, and characters use both in the story. It helps kids understand respecting people's pronouns. In all, I'm so thrilled that this second book is as fun as the first, and I'm definitely recommending it to all my RPG friends. Also-- using "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet" as a spell is the greatest thing ever.

---

Title: Armaveni

Author/Illustrator: Nadine Takvorian

Rating: 5/5

Published by Levine Querido and available March 10, 2026, Armaveni caught my eye because of my interest in the Armenian Genocide, which is a result of a class on genocide I took while working on my degree. This graphic novel is one Armenian-American's search quest for answers about her family's experience in the Armenian Genocide-- committed by the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I. It's about oral history and memory, identity as an American whose heritage is tragedy, and facing the people who erase history. When asking her mother about the Genocide, young Nadine says "I want to know, Mom. Why can't you just tell us? It's our history, too. It's going to be lost" underlining the need for oral history-- especially when whole governments try to silence it. The graphic novel focuses on high schooler Nadine and her church trip to Armenia, and then her trip to Turkey to visit family, with interspersed flashbacks to her ancestors' history-- as well as her own experiences in America as her history teacher denies the Genocide-- and September 11th puts Middle Easterners at risk. The grayscale art is detailed and haunting. This is one of the most gut-wrenching and powerful books I've read in a while, and stands with other graphic novel memoirs of genocide like Maus and Fax From Sarajevo. I'm definitely going to request our library gets it.

---

Title: Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood

Author: William J. Mann

Rating: 5/5

Published by Simon & Schuster and available January 27, I cannot stop gushing about Black Dahlia. This book's goal is to be the first definitive history of the last days, murder, and subsequent investigation into the death of Elizabeth Short, known to American pop culture as the Black Dahlia. Mann traces Elizabeth's last year and her life as a drifter and focuses on how misogyny has warped our understanding of her from the very beginning. If she were a man, Elizabeth (or Beth, as she liked to be called) would be a vagabond adventurer, like a Tom Sawyer, but as a woman, she was a tramp and manipulator of men-- maybe even a dangerous, predatory lesbian. This pushback is especially welcome in a time where misogyny and homophobia are makin a comeback. Mann breaks down the myths and misconceptions surrounding the case-- everything from Dr. DeRiver's phony psychoanalysis to misunderstandings based on the autopsy. As a historian obsessed with cultural context I love how the book takes its time laying out the situation in postwar America. Society was strained in multiple ways, many of which were why Beth found herself couch surfing on the West Coast. This is a fantastic book about the case and will appeal to people interested in crime as well as 20th century American history. Rest in peace, Beth. We share a birthday.

An Update

Hey everyone!

I felt really bad about not getting any posts up lately so I wanted to fill you in on the situation. Don’t worry, this blog isn’t going anywhere and nothing is changing, this is just about my current situation.

In April I was unexpectedly hospitalized for a week and a half and I had to have pretty intense surgery on my abdomen. I’m back home in recovery and I feel so much better. I was in near constant pain for over a year and it’s so great not to feel like I’m dying. Thanks so much to the doctors and nurses who took care of me.

Unfortunately I am very behind in reviews. I usually try to get out at least five reviews in the grab bag posts roughly in time for release, but this hasn’t happened. I do have a post in my drafts that I’ll just post today but I haven’t got all the books I should have done. Several of the ARCs I requested are now archived on NetGalley meaning I’ll have to find them through other means. I am going to try to get it all cleared out, I don’t like leaving things undone.

Anyway, just wanted to explain where I’ve been. I’m feeling better every day and should be back to work soon.

NetGalley Review Grab Bag Volume 12

Happy New Year! I'm back for another round of NetGalley ARC reviews because I requested too many books last year. Let's see how many I can knock out. I have been insanely busy with two jobs so I'm just now catching up on my reading.

As always, I received free review copies from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for a fair review.

Title: The Drops of God Vol. 1

Author: Tadashi Agi

Illustrator: Shu Okimoto

Rating: 4/5

Published by Kodansha and available November 18, 2025, The Drops of God is about something I know nothing about -- wine. I drink enough Dr Pepper that I should be made an honorary citizen of Waco, Texas, I am not fancy. But I do enjoy learning about new things. Something I love about manga is how it's such a versatile medium for telling stories-- any topic can be portrayed in manga. Drops of God follows Shizuku, the son of a famous wine critic, and who betrayed the family business by working for a beer company. He has to prove his sommelier skills to inherit the family fortune. This is high-stakes drama for people with stock portfolios. While it's not meant to appeal to me, someone who no joke has a famously poor sense of smell, I actually learned some things about wine and I enjoyed the business/family drama. Like many protagonists before him, Shizuku struggles under the expectations of others and just wants to live his own life. The art is really nice, it's a realistic seinen that will appeal to a more mature audience. This manga will appeal to wine drinkers who like drama about family, expectations, and high-stakes business.

---

Title: The Devil She Knows

Author: Alexandria Bellefleur

Rating: 5/5

Published by Penguin Random House and available October 21, 2025, The Devil She Knows caught my eye for being a romance novel about a Faustian bargain -- and a queer romance at that. The last human/demon romance I reviewed (Demon With Benefits) left me speechless at how bad it was -- bad plot, terrible writing, no worldbuilding, and genuinely the worst lines I have ever read. But this book proves what we all know to be true -- lesbians make everything better. Sam is a chef, somewhat stagnated in life, and upon proposing to her girlfriend, is rejected and dumped. Cue Daphne, a cute, sassy, pink-loving demon who offers Sam six wishes in exchange for her soul. Now this is what I want in a novel about a human and demon! Sam is a very relatable character, passionate about her work but not going anywhere with it, and desperate to win back the person she loves. Daphne is an incredible snarky, suave demon in the vein of Goethe's Mephistopheles. I love the worldbuilding and details -- Bellefleur clearly knows Dante's Divine Comedy, referencing specific circles of Hell in clever ways (like taping a cooking show in Circle III, the Gluttons, judged by Cerberus) and mentioning that Purgatory is a mountain. Proper Dantean cosmology is the way to my heart. Sam's love of cooking and food is also described well -- she authentically sounds like a chef. And I love her character arc, as she discovers the truth behind her situation and fights to stay true to her self and her background, and how Daphne's demonic shenanigans bring that out in her. It's funny and cute and a smart remix of the Faust legend focusing on the theme "be careful what you wish for." I loved this book and kept sending great lines from it to my equally demon-obsessed friend, and I recommend it to anyone who likes queer romance, Dante, ships Faustopheles, or pretends they're on a cooking show when they're in the kitchen.

---

Title: Across the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle

Author: Natan Last

Rating: 4/5

Published by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and available November 25, 2025, Across the Universe is a microhistory of my favorite kind of puzzle-- the crossword. Depending on who you are this is either the most boring or exciting thing ever. I absolutely loved the combination of learning how crossword puzzles have been constructed alongside how their history is entwined with the history of American culture. For example, the crossword became a popular pastime in the interwar period, when leisure time became far more common for the American people. I love learning how culture is molded by historical events (culture is of course a historical factor itself, but you know what I mean). I also didn't know that Simon & Schuster, one of the Big Five American publishing houses, got an early boost from publishing the first crossword puzzle book. The New York Times's iconic crossword, which is profiled throughout the book, was even an early example of the subscription system our entertainment is now locked into today. Thanks a lot. Having to pay for Crunchyroll aside, this book is of course going to appeal to puzzlers, but also to readers who enjoy learning about cultural institutions they may take for granted. My only issue is that I feel it could use more images to demonstrate the different puzzle styles discussed, especially the earliest "word-cross" games.

---

Title: As Many Souls As Stars

Author: Natasha Siegel

Rating: 1/5

Published by William Morrow and available November 25, As Many Souls As Stars first came to my attention on Tumblr, when I saw a user reading the ARC and saying "Finally, a queer version of the Faust legend." This was hilarious, considering that most versions of the Faust legend, including Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus and Goethe's Faust, are already very queer. Then I found out that this was written by the author of Solomon's Crown, a romance novel notorious for woobifying and de-problematizing the original toxic gay couple, Richard I of England and Philip of France. From there I knew I had to see how this book would turn out. Surprisingly, it's decent. It follows demon Miriam Richter as she tries to take the soul of Cybil Harding, a witch from Elizabethan England, through her later reincarnations. I really appreciated the worldbuilding and how the author understands that the the people accused of being witches were generally on the margins of society, not actually powerful girlbosses like portrayed by a lot of fiction. I also loved the direct references to Faust and Mephistopheles, especially since the first part of the story is roughly contemporary with the codification of the Faust legend in the Faustbuch and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, and it implies Faust exists in this universe. Now for my issues. My main problem with this book is that it's slow. Reincarnation is meant to be a major aspect according to the summary, but that doesn't begin until almost halfway in. Second, reviewers on Goodreads (not the most trustworthy sources, I know) gushed about the toxic lesbians angle, but while it is gay, I wasn't really getting the toxic vibes-- Miriam thinks about how much she likes seeing Cybil/her reincarnations scared and suffering, but that's about it. Everything is very exposition-heavy and the narrator insisting they're in love and every time an author has to say something like that rather than showing it, I believe it even less. The more I read the more I decided this will only feel revolutionary if you're not familiar with any other version of Faust. While that's fine and everyone has to start somewhere (my first version of Faust was The Devil and Daniel Webster), there are much better versions of the legends out there.

---

Title: Godzilla: Heist

Author: Van Jensen

Illustrator: Kelsey Ramsey

Rating: 4/5

Published by IDW and available January 13, 2026, Godzilla: Heist is another in the publisher's series of "put Godzilla in silly scenarios" and as always it's a lot of fun. This time, master criminal Jai finds he can use Godzilla as a distraction for his heists, and, flanked by a team of mercenaries, he's on a mission to find the scientific research done by his mother that was confiscated by the British government. If you watched Ocean's Eleven and thought "Pretty good, but needs more kaiju," this series was written for you. Jai is a cool protagonist, and I like the Indian representation-- especially since much of the story takes place in the UK. I love his changing morals over his situation-- from his anger toward Britain for stealing his mother's work and being willing to unleash a monster on the country, to realizing he wants to get the mission over to prevent more carnage. The narration is a little overly self-aware and leans on the fourth wall a lot, but I can't really complain because the IDW series tend to be pretty goofy. I love the cover art done by the legendary Bob Eggleton, especially since I grew up with his covers for the Random House Godzilla books, and I'm happy to see he still does work for Godzilla. My mostly unrelated complaint (which does not factor into my review) is that the ARC provided by IDW is terrible-- the text is so blurry I couldn't read it on any device. Fortunately, Hoopla has the individual issues. I have no idea how IDW gave NetGalley such a low quality file, but I hope it doesn't happen again.

---

Title: Godzilla Legends--Mothra: Queen of the Monsters

Author: Sophie Campbell

Illustrator: Matt Frank

Rating: 5/5

Published by IDW and available January 27, 2026, Mothra: Queen of the Monsters might as well be titled Fyo Stop Reviewing Godzilla Comics, They Aren't Even In Your Selection Area, because I need to stop requesting every Godzilla ARC I see. I can't help it, I love Godzilla so fricking much, okay? And there has literally never been such a good time to be a Godzilla fan. This entry in the IDW catalog follows two sisters, Mira and Emi, as they set out to help Mothra be reborn to save the Earth -- the publisher's summary namedrops the Heisei-era trilogy Rebirth of Mothra. The sisters are clearly a new generation of Shobijin priestesses, and I love that. The sisters travel back in time to the Jurassic Period to find Mothra's egg and protect it from Megaguirus so it can hatch in the future. It feels a lot like a Heisei era plot. The main conflict is really the trouble the sisters have as trainee priestesses, thanks to their disharmony. Emi fully embraces her connection to Mothra, having been rescued and trained by the Shobijin after the kaiju battle that destroyed her home and family. Mira on the other hand blames Mothra for losing the fight and letting the tragedy occur. The art, colored traditionally by Matt Frank, is absolutely gorgeous and colorful, perfect for the already colorful Mothra. I love the design for caterpillar Mothra, she's so cute and round and yellow. Unfortunately, the ARC provided to NetGalley is low quality again, this time with the art being blurry. Fix your files, IDW! Over all this is a really fun addition to the Toho IDW comics, and it's great to see Mothra getting her own individual story. It'll be a treat for Mothra fans out there, especially all the references to Rebirth of Mothra-- and thank you to this comic for helping confirm that Desghidorah wasn't a false memory from a fever dream I had twenty years ago.

---

Title: The Demon of Beausoleil

Author/Illustrator: Mari Costa

Rating: 4/5

Published by Oni Press and available January 27, 2026, The Demon of Beausoleil immediately appealed to me for being about queer demons, one of my favorite things. Oni Press never fails to deliver unique comics (it's the publisher of Scott Pilgrim, for example), so that was a plus too. Here we have Helianthes (Hell) Beausoleil, a cambion -- half human, half demon -- who works as an exorcist in between getting in trouble for things like seducing his soon-to-be brother-in-law. He's accompanied by his stoic bodyguard Elias-- and of course they have tension so think you could cut it with a knife. The publisher's summary says "a world of half demons and the boys who love them await" (shouldn't that be "awaits"?) and, they're right. I, a certified demon-loving boy, was instantly charmed by the bratty, sexy Helianthes. As we learn more about Hell, I loved him even more -- not at home among humans or demons, and rejected for his nature in unexpected ways. I especially appreciated his discomfort, to say the least, with being different and "cursed" and his reaction to the birth of another cambion -- "Another freak in the family line!" When he describes this new child as "A half breed!... A deformity! A sin! An abomination!", you can feel all the internalized hate and anger he has. Anyone who's been "born wrong" -- disabled, queer, or disadvantaged in any way -- will recognize this feeling. I like that it doesn't shy away from these negative emotions, or the result of being told "I'm the only one who could ever love you." Elias is a wonderful often-annoyed but steadfast bodyguard in the tradition of Dr. Watson, and who doesn't love a loyal hunk? The one issue with this graphic novel is that, while the art and designs are nice, especially the demons, the brown and red color scheme is boring and makes it a little less fun to look at than it could have been with more color. However, overall it's a great story about sexy demons, curses, and unconditional love, and it will appeal to adult readers who like a bit of drama with their monster boys.

---

Title: Princess Mononoke Film Comic: All-In-One Edition

Author/Illustrator: Hayao Miyazaki

Rating: 1/5

Published by Viz Media and available January 27, 2026, Princess Mononoke Film Comic (which appears to have been named by someone who thought Borat was a serious film) is exactly what it says on the tin -- a comic made from the Studio Ghibli movie Princess Mononoke. I really find myself struggling to say much about it because it simply uses stills from the movie as comic panels, with added dialog bubbles. Princess Mononoke is a great movie about giant wolves, uncanny-faced deer gods, and the conflict between nature and industrial civilization and it's one of my favorite Ghibli films. Like all films made by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, it looks fantastic. If you've seen the movie (and you should), there is literally no reason to read this. There's no unique art, no extras like interviews or concept art, and literally has four pages of stills of the Japanese credits. Viz couldn't even bother to translate the katakana onomatopoeia in the panels, instead opting for a mind-numbing sound effect glossary at the end of the book. And Viz has the gall to charge $35.00 USD for this lazy movie storybook? If I could rate it zero out of five I would. You're at the library, just check out the movie, you'll enjoy it far more.

---

Title: Spirited Away Film Comic: All-In-One Edition

Author/Illustrator: Hayao Miyazaki

Rating: 1/5

Look at my review above this. This is literally the same situation. Film stills with speech bubbles and lazy sound effect translation only in a glossary at the end. How is Viz expecting to get away with passing off this lazy photo book of a beloved film as a manga? Again, they want $35.00 USD for it. Save the money and go get a pizza and get the movie from the library.

---

Title: Flip Flip Slowly

Author/Illustrator: Mame Ohtako

Rating: 2/5

Published by Kodansha and available December 16, 2025, Flip Flip Slowly is a BL (boy's love, manga focusing on male romance usually written by and for women) that involves a librarian. Sign me up, we need more manga about librarians and librarians falling in love. Hagiwara is our librarian and he becomes fascinated with his patron Yabumi, an anthropology professor older than him who has a methodical approach to reading. Both are gay-- Yabumi was outed, Hagiwara is still closeted-- and they slowly fall in love over a series of drives. It's a slow-burn romance, and sometimes it feels like the romance isn't building. The dialogue feels very brief-- which I know is a result of how Japanese is formatted into speech bubbles, but it still felt like not much was being said or I was only hearing snippets of the conversations. The art is nice, though Yabumi doesn't look any older than Hagiwara. I do really like how it captures the complex emotions that come with being gay, like Yabumi struggling with the dissonance of being hurt by his father's homophobic rejection, but also grieving his death-- being queer is complicated. Over all, it's a decent, if slow, BL. 

---

Title: Money Proud: The Queer Guide to Generate Wealth, Slay Debt, and Build Good Habits to Secure Your Future

Author: Nick Wolny

Rating: 5/5

Published by William Morrow and available December 30, 2025, I had to know what was up with a book on personal finance aimed at a queer audience. As a queer person who is working on my finances (and running a business alongside my librarian job), this was a timely find. Nick's introduction points out an issue all too common-- thinking as a young person you can "figure out the financial stuff later." He also acknowledges that queer life can feel "temporary, transient," something I unfortunately recognize. Many queer people simply don't see much future, especially as the political climate gets worse. Nick lays out the many societal reasons why, but his goal is to help us live joyous queer lives, and he strikes a jovial, conversational tone to guide the reader. But don't let his breezy writing style and Cardi B references fool you-- he comes armed with solid information and citations, and serious psychological understanding of what keeps people in financial trouble and how to change our thinking. All of it relates back to the unique challenges and perspectives of the LGBTQ+ community. This will be a good way to introduce these concepts to readers who might be reluctant otherwise to engage with financial topics. A lot of queer people I see online are self-proclaimed leftists who view business, finance, and money with an annoying level of naïve disgust. Hopefully a queer perspective will convince more people to focus on their finances, and feel more empowered. 

Omega Megaera Vol. 1 - A Review

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I was initially going to include this in my most recent review grab bag, but I had more to say about it than I expected. My work is getting delayed thanks to a hand injury so this is about all I can get out at the moment.

Title: Omega Megaera, Vol. 1

Author/Illustrator:  Maki Marukido

Publisher: Kodansha

Street Date: November 25, 2025

Rating: 5/5

Okay, stay with me on this one. Omega Megaera is an omegaverse manga. This means it takes place in a world where human sex is divided into categories beyond male and female-- alpha, beta, and omega, which dictate their biological and social roles. This trope arose from fanfiction and in recent years has been making its way into traditional publishing. It's not for everyone, but it does bring up interesting themes we'll get to.

In this series' world, omegas are only good for one thing -- bearing children for alphas -- and those who can't, megaeras, are shunned. The story follows Saimon, a megaera tasked with tracking down an illegitimate son of his father in law. The son, Mamiya, turns out to be an omega -- so Saimon plans to pass him off as the alpha his father had hoped for. The first volume introduces the complex Hanabusa family and the structure of this three-tiered society, especially the restrictions placed on omegas. Omegas are for producing (hopefully alpha) children and nothing else, regardless of any personal skill or intelligence. When Saimon and Mamiya discuss how it's to the alpha's benefit to not suppress omegas' heats, Mamiya observes "Keep us barefoot and pregnant, huh?" -- imagery often applied to the "tradwife" archetype promoted by American conservative groups in real life. These actual groups have a very similar worldview -- that women should stay home and have children, and that is their highest purpose. The late provocateur Charlie Kirk was in particular a proponent of this ideology. I mentioned in my review of Before You Go Extinct the pro-natalist movements in Japan and the US that promote high birthrates (even if the material and social conditions are poor for raising children). These movements invariably place massive emphasis on women (or people they perceive as women) focusing only on childbirth and rearing -- instead of pursuits like education and careers. 

Works like Omega Magaera allow us to examine these issues through a fantasy lens, letting us step back and enjoy drama we don't actually want to be involved in, and keep real-world issues in the back of our minds. If you think the idea of omegas not being allowed to hold high-ranking positions in society because all they're good for is childbirth is ridiculous and bigoted, hopefully you'll see the same problems in real-world rhetoric. 

Saimon is a really likeable character, a scientist trying to make sense of the restrictive world he lives in, even as he feels his husband Seijuro really is his soulmate-- even if he failed to give Seijuro children. He has just enough selfish motivation in passing Mamiya off as an alpha to be believable. Mamiya is also shaping up to be an interesting character, forced to hide his actual sex for family politics. The art is quite nice too, and I wish we had more of it in color. 

This will appeal to fans of omegaverse fiction, but also I think to readers interested in examining social structures like gender/sex and the pressure many people feel to have children. In the afterward comic, Marukido says she likes depicting human psychology and hopes to focus on it in this series. I think the series does, as it poses questions about what happens when a society imposes limitations on people based on their birth characteristics. It's really no wonder omegaverse fiction is so popular with female and queer readers, as it examines issues that many of us face. I really look forward to the future volumes of this series.

I Was On a Podcast! - I Love This Thing So Fricking Much!

Hey everyone! I have an exciting announcement! 

I was recently a guest on the podcast I Love This Thing So Fricking Much, where I talk about my passion for Godzilla. I Love This Thing... is hosted by author Sophie A. Katz and is a forum for anyone to share the things they love wholeheartedly. Guests have three minutes to talk about what they love and then have a discussion with the host. 

It was great getting to talk about something I've been passionate about for so long in a serious way, and I like that we focused a lot on the transformation of Godzilla from horror to hero. 

If you want to hear more of this show, check out the blog here. You can also submit your own request to be on an episode! You don't have to be an expert, just love something.

Be good to yourself and be kind to each other!

Take a listen here:

   

NetGalley Review Grab Bag, Vol. 11

The seemingly never-ending list of books to review continues. I made a huge mistake in requesting so many from NetGalley, at this point my blog is all reviews and nothing else. In truth, I'm actually working on a few large projects for work, and I'll talk about those as soon as I get the okay from my employers. For now, let's see how many reviews I can knock out in one go.

Title: Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre

Author/Illustrator: Tom Scioli

Rating: 5/5

Published by IDW and available July 22, 2025, Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre is another entry in IDW's mission of "Let's see how many crazy situations we can put Godzilla in before someone calls the cops on us" and I am all for it. I actually got one of the individual issues at a local comic store earlier this year so I'm excited to see the full collection released. The first thing you notice is the art-- it's reminiscent of Golden Age comics and it really fits the subject of Godzilla interacting with classic literary characters. Even my dad commented on how it looks like an old comic. Then we get to the story. Jay Gatsby's party is interrupted by a Godzilla attack. Sherlock Holmes, now retired, and Jules Verne (who's a cyborg, naturally), join Gatsby and his G-Force in fighting the monster. And then Dracula appears, the Mummy, werewolves, Frankenstein... I sound crazy trying to explain it in a review but just believe me it's a fun monster mash that takes the premise seriously. It'll appeal to fans of the classic literature portrayed, as well as goofy reworkings of familiar stories.

---

Title: How To Be a Saint

Author: Kate Sidley

Rating: 5/5

Bruce Springsteen once said "It's hard to be a saint in the city". Kate Sedley's new book, published by Sourcebooks and available August 19, 2025, demonstrates how hard it is to be a saint anywhere else. I was immediately laughing out loud at this book, which was specifically written for me-- alongside my years of religious studies training and specialty in Christianity (including my bachelor's thesis on medieval heresy), I love humorous nonfiction. This book is both a delight to read (it calls 2 Maccabees "Attack of the Clones" and spends a whole chapter on good ways to die to achieve sainthood, as just two examples) and a solid introduction to the doctrines of canonization and Christian hagiography. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the topic. However, it doesn't mention that St. Christopher had the head of a dog, so unfortunately it's worthless. Just kidding.

---

Title: Demon With Benefits

Author: Aurora Ascher

Rating: 1/5

Published by Kensington Books and available July 29, 2025, I requested this book solely because the demon character's name is Meph (short for Mephistopheles, the demon from the Faust legend. There are only a few references to Faust and Meph doesn't at all act like his mythological counterpart) and I wanted to see how bad it would be. It's a bog-standard straight bad boy romance with a lot of informed character traits (the author clearly has never heard of "show, don't tell") and some truly dire lines. The story and romance are boring but the writing in places got so unhinged I kept reading just to see what insane descriptors the characters would use next -- Meph, our bad boy demon, in the middle of sex thinks about The Lion King. This book isn't particularly good as a paranormal romance since the demons and witches rarely act like they have any powers. At one point the heroine is tied up by the villain, a powerful demon, with literal rope. Why doesn't he use magic? The worldbuilding is almost nonexistent and the main relationship isn't engaging. I can't think of anyone I'd recommend this to. It's not objectionable, just incredibly boring and weirdly written.

---

Title: The Girl, The Priest, and The Devil

Author: Theo Prasidis

Illustrator: Staša Gacpar

Rating: 4/5

Published by Dead Sky Publishing and available September 23, 2025, this graphic novel caught my attention because of my interest in folktales and the Devil, and for its unique setting -- Ottoman Greece. The titular girl, Daphne, is ostracized by her village and called a witch thanks to the corrupt local priest, and she receives no support from her father. The priest is a tyrannical presence who gladly collaborates with his Ottoman overlords, even as his parish struggles under the harsher taxes imposed on non-Muslim subjects. The plot is a little hard to summarize without spoiling it, so I'll just leave it at this -- the Devil isn't the character you expect it to be. The art is dark and gorgeous and I love the caprine devil design. It's also really gruesome in places, so content warning for a brutal execution and the killing of an animal -- but the violence never feels gratuitous, it works with the story. I really enjoyed this comic, though I have a couple issues. First, it's rather short, at just 112 pages, and I felt there were things that could be expanded upon -- the altar boy Angelos, for example, could use a background, and we never see any explanation for Daphne's ability to talk to animals, which would be really fascinating to expand upon. Second, I would have liked a glossary of the Greek and Turkish words used, but that's because I'm a word nerd. Overall, this is a great horror comic that combines the historical and the supernatural.

---

Title: History Matters

Author: David McCullough

Rating: 5/5

Published by Simon & Schuster and available September 16, 2025, History Matters is a collection of essays, speeches, and interviews by the beloved late American historian David McCullough (the voice behind Ken Burns' The Civil War). I think you can see why I would have to pick this one up, and I'm glad I did. As the title suggests, it answers the questions people have about why they need to know about history -- remembering all those dates and names is hard, and it was so long ago, anyway. McCullough sums it up in a commencement speech he delivered in 2018: "history is human." History matters because it's the story of people, from which we learn everything. In an interview, he says "...I'm interested in the creative drive, the continuity of a civilization, the connection between one generation and the next." Reading this, all I could think was YES. This is what I love about history and why I want to talk about it. This book is such a great read for anyone interested in history, whether you have a degree in it like I do or you're just an enthusiast. You get a deeper look into McCullough's career, his writing process, and his philosophies for both history and America.

---

Title: All- Negro Comics: America's First Black Comic Book

Authors/Ilustrators: Various

Rating: 5/5

Published by Image Comics and available November 4, 2025, All-Negro Comics is an anniversary reprint of the first comic anthology by all Black creators, first published in 1947. I knew I was going to love editor Chris Robinson's approach to the material from his introduction, where he lays out his tenants for the book: "Tell, Teach, Tribute," encouraging the readers to pass along what we learn to others-- tell others about it, leave a review, or make our own comics starring the characters. I'm happy to do just that. This comic book celebrates Black heroism, culture, humor, and pride in African heritage. We've got a hard-boiled police detective, cute fairy-like beings for kids, adventure stories, and even an attempt to reclaim, in the words of the original editor Orrin Cromwell Evans, the "almost lost humor of the lovable wandering Negro minstrel of the past." Sometimes it's jarring to modern readers, which is good -- the past was the worst and no one was perfect. The comics overall are fun, and it's sad knowing this was the only issue published. The essays included in this edition give the reader more context, and the bonus modern comics are a fun addition that reimagine the original works. I really want to suggest this to our library's Western graphic novel selector.

---

Title: The 1960s: Maps For Curious Minds

Author: Gordon Kerr

Illustrator: Claire Rollet

Rating: 5/5

Published by The Experiment and available October 28, 2025, I had to read The 1960s: Maps for Curious Minds. The 1960s is my favorite modern decade, and I love maps. This is a colorful atlas of politics, culture, people, significant events, and science, and it's exactly the kind of book I would have poured over for hours in high school. Even though I'm familiar with the 1960s (even teaching about it in college), I learned a lot, especially about scientific advancements (something I don't know as much about as I do about the era's culture and politics)-- like did you know the first silicon breast implant was done in Michigan in 1962? I mention this not to brag about my experience, but to say I'm glad to see a book that doesn't just cover well-known facts that you can read anywhere, and this book is more than just "did you know about the Hippie movement?" This is a great resource for learning about the era, and I'm definitely going to recommend it to anyone even mildly interested. In fact, I'm going to recommend it to my dad, who lived through the '60s.

---

Title: Before You Go Extinct

Author: Takashi Ushiroyato

Illustrator: Kanato Abiko

Rating: 4/5

Published by Kodansha and available October 7, 2025, Before You Go Extinct is the first manga I've reviewed in what feels like forever. This standalone volume is a meditation on life, death, and the pressures of being productive, and to reproduce. It's dark-- beginning with a penguin on a mission to kill other penguins before they go extinct in other ways. The duo that appears throughout the story are the same two souls, trying to come to terms with finality and annihilation through metempsychosis. The contrast of cute animals and the heartbreaking themes is... a lot. I do really appreciate how it tackles reproductive futurism, the belief that no matter what, having children is a good thing-- a message heavily promoted in Japan and increasingly in America, which is at odds with the material and social conditions our world faces today. I'm docking it a star just because I don't know who to recommend it to. Usually I can say who something would appeal to, but I'm not sure who that would be for this. 

--- 

Title: I Wanna Be Your Girl Vol. 2

Author/Illustrator: Umi Takase

Rating: 5/5

Published by Random House Children's Books and available November 4, 2025, this is the second volume of a series I gushed about in another review collection. I continue to be obsessed with this seinen series about a trans girl and her best friend, a cis girl. Akira and Hime are both adorable and Akira's story continues to hit me right in the feels, as we used to say, despite not being transfem myself. I really hope this series gains traction because it's an excellent story for kids to learn about the trans experience-- and it's also just a great high school story in general, about the ups and downs everyone faces at that age. In volume 2 we learn about what made Yukka quit track-- a girl she liked rejected her and made her feel like an outcast-- and we get more from Akira's perspective, including her father's only partial support. I definitely look forward to the final two volumes (it's a four-volume series) and want more people to read it. 

---

Title: The Art of Rumiko Takahashi: Colors 1978-2024

Author/Illustrator: Rumiko Takahashi

Rating: 5/5

Published by Viz Media and available September 30, 2025, Colors is a celebration of the work of one of manga's most beloved creators, Rumiko Takahashi. If you're an otaku, you've probably read or seen one of her series-- a remake of Ranma 1/2 is currently airing on Netflix, and InuYasha was a staple on Adult Swim back in the day. This artbook, comprised of pages from her manga, individual art pieces, sketches and storyboards is enhanced with Rumiko-sensei's commentary, giving the reader insight into her process in developing beloved series like Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Mao, Maison Ikkoku, and InuYasha. It really feels like a friend showing you their sketchbook and I love it. Her art is so warm and cute but stylish, and she clearly loves her job and sees it as bringing joy to her readers. Even when it's a lot of work-- in the included interview, we learn that she draws eighteen six-panel pages every week. She's right when she says a manga artist needs to be strong. This book will be a welcome addition to any manga fan's collection, and I'm going to request my library gets it for the nonfiction section.

---

Title: Nana 25th Anniversary Edition, Vol. 1

Author/Illustrator: Ai Yazawa

Rating: 3/5

Published by Viz Media and available October 21, 2025, the popular shoujo manga Nana is now being reprinted in omnibus form. This series follows two young women moving to Tokyo, both named Nana. The art is incredibly stylish-- the mangaka, Ai Yazawa, studied fashion design before becoming a manga author, and she crams so much detail and realism into her characters in every panel. I WISH I could draw clothes that look half as good as hers do. Story-wise, it's definitely a product of its time (late 90s-early 2000s), especially with Nana Komatsu's early attempts to date older men, and it's very straight. As someone who is literally the opposite of a straight college girl, I couldn't really relate myself to Nana Komatsu, though I liked the punk Nana Osaki more. The story may not appeal to me as much as it will to others, but I can tell it's well-written, and as I said the art is absolutely killer. Definitely read this if you're into fashion and complex emotional entanglements. I hope Ai-sensei, who put the series on hiatus back in 2009 due to her poor health, is doing better. 

---

Title: The Macabre

Author: Kosoko Jackson

Rating: 1/5

Published by Avon and Harper Voyager and available September 9, 2025 (yes I am aware I am very behind in my review writing, cut me some slack), The Macabre is a fantasy novel that caught my eye-- centered on art and with the British Museum as a major setting, I really expected to love it. Unfortunately it doesn't deliver and I ended up DNFing (did not finish) it six chapters in. While it's ostensibly set in the British Museum, somehow it never bothers to describe the place, or even mention any of its famous exhibits (the Rosetta Stone? Louis Chessmen? Elgin Marbles? What are those?) Even London gets described, laughably, as "[looking] like any city back home in the States" which makes me feel like the author doesn't know what London looks like. I've been to both many US cities AND London, and London does not look like Detroit or Chicago. For the topic of the book, magic artifacts, I was really expecting something like The Magnus Archives or even the SCP Foundation, but even the magic is pretty boring. It just reminds me of a problem I have with so many books-- the author can't be bothered to describe the world, and I can't be bothered to care.