Lenni Reviews: "The Mystery of Nevermore" by C. S. Poe

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*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is intended for 18+

Ever walk into work and find a pig heart under a dislodged floorboard? Me neither but Sebastian Snow has. Now he's caught up in a mystery involving the works of Edgar Allen Poe and falling for the lead detective on the case - Calvin Winter - despite being in a rocky relationship with another cop, Neil Millett. More important than his now complicated relationships, Sebastian can't resist being nosy and may very well end up the next victim.

First off, it was interesting having the main character; Sebastian, have achromatopsia. I didn't know that was a thing and learning about it through our main character didn't slow down the pacing of the book.

As for the rest, the mystery itself was compelling and I'm not a fan of mysteries. To be fair, it's likely because I'm a literature geek and it was based around Poe's work. Sadly, I have to take a point off for (er, spoilers, kinda?) damaging a rare book. I'm a bibliophile and a librarian. You just don't hurt books.

But seriously, this book was a fast, fun, and naughty read. Sebastian and Calvin are characters you can empathize with and have a decent amount of chemistry. The mystery itself I can't really comment on as I don't have much experience in this genre but I found it interesting. I would consider reading more in this series in the future. 4 out of 5.

FINAL FANTASY Trading Card Game Coming to North America

Following a six-year run in Japan with 15 expansions, 3.5 million booster packs sold and over 2,000 different cards to date, Square Enix®, Inc., today announced that the FINAL FANTASY® Trading Card Game will be available in North America on October 28^th.

The FINAL FANTASY Trading Card Game ("FFTCG") is the result of a close collaboration between Hobby Japan and Square Enix. Designed by former trading card game champion Taro Kageyama, the game received high praise for its blend of strategy, luck and fast-paced gameplay making it very versatile and appealing to all kinds of audiences.

The first set, entitled "Opus 1", will feature 216 cards with iconic designs from highly acclaimed artists including Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshitaka Amano and Akihiko Yoshida, covering nearly 30 years of FINAL FANTASY. New cards themed after FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE™, DISSIDIA®, and WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY™ will also make their debut in Opus 1.Each card in Opus 1 will also have  a premium “foil” version, making this set a must have for all the collectors out there.

Opus 1, the first set from the FINAL FANTASY TRADING CARD GAME, will be available in major hobby stores on October 28, 2016. More information on the cards is available athttps://www.fftradingcardgame.com/

High School Dxd Born: Season Three (Review)

Issei and his harem of hotties are back to take on their biggest, boldest, bounciest adventure yet as they fight to prevent Ragnarok (aka the end of the underworld)! 

With summer vacation just around the corner, Issei’s got one thing on his mind—spending sunny days with bikini-clad babes. Unfortunately, the Chaos Brigade is planning something big, and with heavy-hitters like the Norse God Loki in their corner, the House of Gremory is going to have to survive Rias’ underworld boot camp if they hope to stand a chance.  While they prepare, dark forces gather strength behind the scenes, Koneko’s family reunion turns into a real catfight, and Asia must survive an indecent proposal from a high-ranking demon. With plenty of balls-to-the-wall battles and bare-it-all beauties, fans of High School DxD should start making room on the shelf—their perfect pair is about to become a ménage à trois.

Lenni Reviews: “Ten Count” volume 2 by Rihito Takarai

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*This volume was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is intended for 18+.

Even after agreeing to keep his distance, Kurose still has feelings for Shirotani. Shirotani however, has virtually shut down after Kurose insisted on not seeing him anymore. With the help of his co-worker, Mikami, Shirotani finally agrees to meet up with Kurose; who confesses he wanted to stay away because it was not appropriate for a counselor to be in love with his patient. Not only that but Kurose wants to touch Shirotani; whose condition makes him sick at the thought of being contaminated. Shirotani finds that while his germaphobia still affects him, Kurose's touch also makes him excited.

And WHOA does it ever make him excited! Remember in the last review when I said there was no smut but a good build with the characters? This volume earns its M rating. Kurose and Shirotani go from tentative interaction to touching naughty bits. But as sensual as they get, there is still something traumatic in Shirotani's past that's only being hinted at in quick flashbacks. Shirotani "endures" very intimate touches but something simple like Kurose ruffling his hair sets him off. We'll have to wait to find out what happened but I give this volume a 4 out of 5.

This volume will be released November 8th, 2016.

For more of Lenni's writing and reviews, head over to Haunting Hypatia.

Laughing Under the Clouds: The Complete Series Review

Under the cloudy skies of turn-of-the-century Japan, three brothers shine brightly. Orphaned at a young age, the responsibility of providing for the Kumo family fell to the eldest brother, Tenka. A skilled swordfighter and proud guardian of his rambunctious younger siblings, Soramaru and Chutaro, Tenka Kumo walks through life with unfailing optimism and devotion to his family. But heavy clouds are beginning to settle over their secluded shrine—a growing gloom that signals the return of a deadly serpent known as the Orochi. As the Japanese military’s Yamainu Squad searches for the serpent’s human vessel, the unrest caused by the strict laws of the Meiji era spreads rebellion across the countryside. As the Kumo family’s ancient connection to the Orochi comes to light, old rivalries will be reignited, and the brothers’ carefree life will give way to the darkness of an ancient prophecy. As long as they stick together, what’s the worst that could happen?

Laughing Under The Clouds is a series that I admit I didn't get right into the first couple of episodes. At times I felt the pacing to be a little slow during the first two episodes. However once the establishment of characters and rules of the world were in place I really did enjoy myself. One thing that really grabbed me later on in the episodes were the relationships between the brothers Tenka, Soramaru and Chutaro. Each three of the brothers have different personalities that all play a role. Tenka is the oldest brother and definitely the more mature and responsible of the three. Soramru is full of energy and Chutaro is down right immature but also the youngest of the three so that is to be expected. However the series main focus is on Soramru who is going through what some might call middle child syndrome. Soramru is entrusted with the family swords which he practices with everyday. This pressure to live up to Tenka or to be good as him with the blade was interesting to watch. Tenka is the most mysterious of the characters. We don't really know too much about his motives and duties until later in the story. Each brother has their own sub plot and issues that they must face and it's great to see the show after a few episodes find their footing and really balance out the characters out. 

Animation and voice acting is good and very enjoyable to watch. This is a supernatural fantasy anime so there are a lot of things that you can work with and see that for the most part is original. The action was good but nothing that will knock your socks out. The voice cast was very enjoyable to watch. Dave Trosko, Terri Doty and Robert McCollum all did solid jobs as the three brothers. Each performance sounded great made me connect with the characters and had a lot of energy. Overall Laughing Under The Clouds is a good anime to check out. It has some good characters, likable chemistry and some fairly decent action. It might take a while to get started but once you do you will see it till the end.

Final Rating 3.5/5 Stars

Doamygar: The Complete Series Review

Take food fights to the next level in this bite-sized homage to mecha anime of the past. In modern day Kyoto, young Daijiro Kyogoku has finally taken over his family's traditional Japanese sweets shop. One day at the shop, Daijiro comes across a mysterious giant candy-making robot named Doamygar-D hidden in the shop's basement. This robot is a master of treats, and along with Daijiro, they make the perfect dessert crafting pair. When evil monster-like robots take over begin attacking the city, Daijiro must man his newfound candy-making mecha to feed the insatiable hunger of these foes and turn them back into harmless humans. There has to be someone behind all these transforming treat-loving terrors, and that someone might be closer to Daijiro than he ever thought possible.

Doamygar is best describe as a pure nostalgic trip for fans of the old school anime of the mecha genre. Everythiing from the over the top acting, facial expression of the characters and the animation itself screams old school. The entire series can be watched in one complete sitting of 33 minutes. Each episode is divided into three minute shorts that has our young hero Daijiro battling evil monsters. The characters as likable and very enjoyable to watch. Not much characterization to really make you connect with the characters. However the way the story is presented each episode feels more like a one off without a bit of connective tissue between them. This doesn't hurt the story narrative of the anime instead it makes you wish to have more. Doamygar knows what type of anime it is and doesn't try to be anything but that. The solid voice performances hits out of the park for those who miss that over the top, face pace style of voice acting in anime. The details to design and background  will send old school fans smiling with joy. The anime is fun and has a lot of lighthearted moments that the whole family can enjoy. My only gripe is the length of each show only being 3 minutes long. I wish this was a full series of 20 minutes. 

Final Grade 4 out of 5 Stars.