Skip to content
Skip to SEARCH-2
Skip to PAGES-3
Skip to CATEGORIES-2
Skip to ARCHIVES-2
Skip to META-2
Skip to TEXT-3
Various thoughts on a variety of topics.

Various Thoughts

Various thoughts on a variety of topics.

← Older postsNewer posts→
  • Tag Archives Urban Fantasy
  • Hollow Regalia & The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #7

    Posted on March 24, 2023 8:13 am by Offkorn Comment

    The Utsuro naru Regalia series is apparently written by the same author as Strike the Blood. You wouldn’t know it from reading the first book (Corpse Reviver) though, as it bears no resemblance to that series… what it reminds me of instead with the military focus, post-apocalyptic setting, and dragon powers is God Eater.

    A solid enough start all things considered.

    The seventh Kuitsume Youhei novel meanwhile switches things up a little from the previous ones in the resolution department. The general outline is much the same however (which to me at least is a good thing), so don’t expect any surprises.

    Related posts:

    1. Hollow Regalia #2 & Let This Grieving Soul Retire! #1-2 Looks like I’ll be dropping Utsuro naru Regalia with this...
    2. The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #1-6 Based on the cover of the first Kuitsume Youhei no...
    3. ARIFURETA #13 & Arifureta After I-V The last of the main Arifureta novels starts out much...
    4. The Hero Laughs While Walking the Path of Vengeance a Second Time #1-5 & The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary #8 Nidome no Yuusha wa Fukushuu no Michi o Warai Ayumu...
    5. The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #9 & HOW I BECAME KING BY EATING MONSTERS After the disappointment of Kuitsume Youhei no Gensou Kitan’s eighth...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Fantasy Gakuto Mikumo Kuitsume Youhei no Gensou Kitan Mine Paranormal Romance Urban Fantasy Utsuro naru Regalia Young Adult Novel
  • Solo Leveling #7 & Banished from the HERO’s PARTY #8

    Posted on March 22, 2023 2:24 pm by Offkorn Comment

    There’s a great deal going on in the seventh Solo Leveling novel.

    We get the (apparently) full backstory on the war between the Rulers and Monarchs, why it’s happening on Earth, why the Shadow Monarch’s position has been so ambiguous, and why Jinwoo was chosen. The conclusion of his father’s arc is also included along with a small bit of romantic development. Most notable however is that this book features the dissolution of the titular leveling system… an ambitious thing to do considering there’s still five left to go.

    As for Shin no Nakama‘s eighth entry, it’s basically reinforced all my earlier misgivings about the series. There’s just something particularly unnatural about the event development that makes it a bit of a chore to read. So yeah, I’ll be dropping the series here.

    Related posts:

    1. Banished from the HERO’s PARTY #6 & That Time I Got Reincarnated as a SLIME #14 The sixth Shin no Nakama novel continues from where the...
    2. Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court #1-2 & Banished from the Hero’s Party #7 The Futsutsuka na Akujo dewa Gozaimasu ga series (subtitle: Suuguu...
    3. Isekai Tensei: RECRUITED TO ANOTHER WORLD #1-2 & Oversummoned, Overpowered, AND OVER IT! #1-2 Although filled to the brim with tropes of all sorts,...
    4. Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start With Magical Tools #1-5 Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai turned out to be a fairly...
    5. Banished from the HERO’S PARTY #5 & THE WORLD’S FINEST Assassin #4 The 5th Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Chugong Fantasy Romance Shin no Nakama Solo Leveling Urban Fantasy Young Adult Novel ZAPPON
  • My INSTANT DEATH ABILITY IS SO OVERPOWERED, NO ONE IN THIS OTHER WORLD STANDS A CHANCE AGAINST ME! #1-13

    Posted on March 16, 2023 5:07 am by Offkorn Comment

    This is a series that resembles Hatarakitakunai Dungeon Master in both its dark comedy aspects and having a main character whose ‘weakness’ is often wanting to sleep. Key differences would be a far lesser amount of fanservice (with no weird or creepy fetish focus) and much more haphazard/arbitrary event developments.

    What’s somewhat interesting about it is that the protagonist does not gain his powers from being summoned, but rather he’s the very concept of entropy in human form who just so happens to get caught up in a mass summoning event. So while structurally an isekai, it’s more about how all these ridiculously powerful beings in this fantasy world (who have all let their power corrupt them into malicious assholes) just get instantly deleted when they offhandedly try to kill him.

    You can’t really get much variety from that setup though, so the author compensates by spending a great deal of time focusing on the actions of those soon-to-be-dead enemies and side characters. As such you’ll get the story of so-and-so which builds up to them encountering the protagonist and summarily dropping dead (sometimes however it focuses on completely unrelated characters; the hero that fails to kill Lain toward the beginning stands out in particular for never showing up again). Which works for the most part.

    The main issue is the previously mentioned haphazard nature of the event development, to the point where the author even inserted a New Game+ type of ‘it was all a dream’ reset in the eleventh volume. Apparently this was done because he was told to stretch the story out longer… which does not do it any favors, especially if the upcoming fourteenth novel truly does end up being the series’ conclusion. I just don’t see how all the random subplots introduced by that reset can be resolved with only book left.

    Related posts:

    1. My INSTANT DEATH ability is so OVERPOWERED: After Story & Sword Saint Adel’s Second Chance #3 Sokushi Cheat ga Saikyou sugite‘s Atoshimatsu-hen installment, oddly, starts off...
    2. PRISON LIFE is EASY for a Villainess & Grimgar #3 The two-book series Konyaku Haki kara Hajimaru Akuyaku Reijou no...
    3. In the Land of Leadale #7 & Reborn to Master the Blade #7 I can no longer chalk up the consistently disjointed character...
    4. I’m not the final Boss’s Lover #1-4 & Heroine on Strike The most notable thing about Choejong Boss’eui Aein’irani Ohaeibnida is...
    5. The World’s Fastest Level Up #1-2 & The Magician Who Rose From Failure #5 The only way I can describe Sekai Saisoku no Level...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Fantasy Sokushi Cheat ga Saikyou sugite Tsuyoshi Fujitaka Urban Fantasy Young Adult Novel
  • Green Gryphon & Obsidian Queen #4-5

    Posted on March 13, 2023 1:52 pm by Offkorn Comment

    The first book in JS Kennedy‘s Mackenzie Green series shares some remarkable similarities with Ilona Andrews‘ first Kate Daniels novel. A key difference which prevents me from wanting to follow it any further though is that (what appears to be) the main love interest is arrogant in all the worst ways.

    Shari L. Tapscott‘s last two Obsidian Queen novels (Creatures of Midnight & Queen of Aparia) manage to both resolve the love triangle, albeit in a rather overly convenient manner, and pretty much wrap up every loose end from earlier… also in a rather overly convenient manner. Not sure what I was expecting really, but to have basically everyone instantly accept the new status quo doesn’t feel quite right. Kind of anticlimactic with a somewhat rushed epilogue.

    Related posts:

    1. More Caitlín R. Kiernan This next set of Kiernan‘s books is somewhat different from...
    2. GATE OF MYTH AND POWER #1-2 & Obsidian Queen #1-3 The King’s Captive and The King’s Shadow are the first...
    3. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a SLIME #6-11 Despite there being an Anime adaptation of this franchise currently...
    4. The IDEAL SPONGER LIFE #9-12 My earlier misgivings turned out to be unfounded as very...
    5. Frost Burned, Touch of the Demon, & The Infernal Devices Frost Burned is the seventh novel in Patricia Briggs’ Mercy...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged JS Kennedy Mackenzie Green Obsidian Queen Paranormal Romance Shari L. Tapscott Urban Fantasy
  • GATE OF MYTH AND POWER #1-2 & Obsidian Queen #1-3

    Posted on February 24, 2023 4:37 am by Offkorn Comment

    The King’s Captive and The King’s Shadow are the first two books in K. M. Shea‘s Gate of Myth and Power trilogy, a part of her larger Magiford Supernatural City universe. They remind me of a cross between the Hollows series and Fukushuu o Chikatta Shironeko wa Ryuuou no Hiza no Ue de Damin o Musaboru.

    Fortunately, even not having read any of her previous books in the setting, these are easy to follow despite including quite a number of references to those earlier works. The characters are fun, the developments are entertaining enough, and the romance surprisingly does not come across as forced. Definitely interested in seeing how the trilogy concludes… but I’m not sure I’ll bother with any of the related trilogies.

    Shari L. Tapscott‘s first three Obsidian Queen novels (Guild of Secrets, Princess of Shadows, & Knights of Obsidian) are interesting primarily due to the protagonist’s personality.

    Generally in urban fantasy and/or paranormal romance the lead is either a scrappy underdog or ‘boringly’ average; these books however feature a high society heiress-type. The romantic (and other) developments are what you’d expect for the genre though, so if the novelty of a non-standard protagonist doesn’t grab you there won’t be much point in reading past the first entry.

    Related posts:

    1. The Mythical Hero’s Otherworld Chronicles #2-3 & Mushoku Tensei #7-22 Despite my earlier misgivings I decided to roll the dice...
    2. The Hero Laughs While Walking the Path of Vengeance a Second Time #1-5 & The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary #8 Nidome no Yuusha wa Fukushuu no Michi o Warai Ayumu...
    3. Frost Burned, Touch of the Demon, & The Infernal Devices Frost Burned is the seventh novel in Patricia Briggs’ Mercy...
    4. Green Gryphon & Obsidian Queen #4-5 The first book in JS Kennedy‘s Mackenzie Green series shares...
    5. The KING’S QUEEN & The Elves of Lessa The conclusion to K. M. Shea‘s Gate of Myth and...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged K. M. Shea Magiford Supernatural City Obsidian Queen Paranormal Romance Shari L. Tapscott Urban Fantasy
  • CAST IN ETERNITY & Solo Leveling #6

    Posted on December 14, 2022 12:28 am by Offkorn Comment

    Michelle Sagara‘s follow-up to Cast in Conflict decides to greatly expand the backstory on a previously minor side character. While initially this seems like a baffling decision, it eventually pays off with the introduction of several new ancient entities. As a plus, the level of metaphysical technobabble manages to stay on the restrained side of things.

    The sixth Solo Leveling novel picks up right from where the last left off and centers itself around combat. Both with magical beasts and even some hunters. Basically, this book appears to mark the turning point between focusing on dungeons and focusing on particularly strong individual enemies.

    Related posts:

    1. Recent Books Normally I do these three at a time… but, well…...
    2. Cast In Oblivion & Guild Hunter #6-11 The fourteenth entry in Michelle Sagara‘s Elantra series resolves the...
    3. Cast In Wisdom & A Killing Frost Back in Cast In Oblivion you may remember that the...
    4. Solo Leveling #7 & Banished from the HERO’s PARTY #8 There’s a great deal going on in the seventh Solo...
    5. Chronicles of Elantra #10-13 Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra series is a bit different...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Chronicles of Elantra Chugong Fantasy Michelle Sagara Solo Leveling Urban Fantasy
  • The World’s Fastest Level Up #1-2 & The Magician Who Rose From Failure #5

    Posted on December 5, 2022 10:52 am by Offkorn Comment

    The only way I can describe Sekai Saisoku no Level Up is: A knockoff Solo Leveling. Just about every aspect of these first two books is done better in that series. The only exceptions being that this has more fanservice and they both have equally ill-defined power levels.

    Seriously, just go read (or re-read) that instead.

    In other news, the fifth Shikkaku kara Hajimeru Nariagari Madoushidou! novel is something of an intermission. It mostly concerns itself with cleaning up the aftermath of Book 4‘s insurrection and positioning the protagonist to receive far more notoriety than he may be able to handle from various other countries which may or may not get explored in more detail down the line.

    So it basically stays the course.

    Related posts:

    1. Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start With Magical Tools #1-5 Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai turned out to be a fairly...
    2. I Surrendered My Sword for a New Life as a Mage #2 & The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! #1-7 The second Moto Saikyou no Kenshi wa Isekai Mahou ni...
    3. Miss Savage Fang #2 & My Magical Career at Court #4 The second Savage Fang Ojousama novel is 90% school life...
    4. Death’s DAUGHTER and the Ebony BLADE & The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady #1-2 The only bad thing I can say about Shinigami ni...
    5. A Bunch of LNs The Watashi wa Teki ni Narimasen! series ends up a...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Fantasy Gamei Hitsuji NAGATO YAMATA Romance Sekai Saisoku no Level Up Shikkaku kara Hajimeru Nariagari Madoushidou! Urban Fantasy Young Adult Novel
  • Drink Deep & The Broken Lands

    Posted on October 20, 2022 9:50 am by Offkorn Comment

    Whatever it was I liked about Chloe Neill‘s Chicagoland Vampires series enough to read through the first four books, it does not appear to be present in the fifth. This book is infuriating practically from beginning to end with pretty much nothing to recommended it. Character interactions, plot developments, setting… it’s all bad.

    T.A. White‘s Broken Lands series meanwhile is, perhaps unsurprisingly, much like the Firebird Chronicles in many ways. The general setup and character personalities are quite familiar while the setting is completely different; post-apocalyptic fantasy rather than sci-fi.

    The first three novels (Pathfinder’s Way, Mist’s Edge, and Wayfarer’s Keep) are something of a trilogy, with The Wind’s Call (and presumably its follow-up) featuring a different protagonist. That said, the new protagonist and her love interest are much like the previous ones… who still happen to be present. The end result being far too many characters with the same personality crowding about one another. So choosing whether or not to follow this series beyond the third book will heavily depend on your tolerance for repetition.

    Related posts:

    1. Blood Heir & So I’m a Spider, So What? #12 I actually read Ilona Andrews‘ Blood Heir way back at...
    2. Recent Books Normally I do these three at a time… but, well…...
    3. The Eminence in Shadow #4 & Sword Saint Adel’s Second Chance #2 Against my better judgement, I went and picked up the...
    4. Hidden Legacy: Books 1-5 When I first saw this series announced, I pretty much...
    5. ~A JOURNEY OF~ BLACK and RED & The Calamitous ~Bob~ Despite the ‘this was originally a web serial’ warnings in...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Chicagoland Vampires Chloe Neill Fantasy Paranormal Romance T.A. White The Broken Lands Urban Fantasy
  • Solo Leveling #1-5

    Posted on September 18, 2022 11:36 am by Offkorn Comment

    Another series I picked up on Amazon’s recommendation, Chugong’s Solo Leveling turned out to be an amazingly top-tier power fantasy.

    That’s not to say it’s without issue though, as there are a few notable ones. Well, only one serious one; the protagonist is occasionally extraordinarily dumb. This is more of an issue in the first book before he comes into his power, but even later on he’ll occasionally slip into a caricature of a teenage gambling fanatic.

    Lesser issues, the first of which I perhaps should have expected considering the title, are the Progress Quest-levels of obsession regarding ‘making number go up’, haphazard method of introducing (and discarding) potential love interests, and visual similarity between some of the key characters’ names.

    So far at least it has both lived up to its title while steadily expanding a background mythology that brings to mind Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari‘s. So I’m definitely interested in seeing how events develop in its second half despite being a bit worried about how totally the power level structure has collapsed.

    Related posts:

    1. Hunted & Solo Leveling #8 It came as something of a surprise that Hunted was...
    2. Solo Leveling #7 & Banished from the HERO’s PARTY #8 There’s a great deal going on in the seventh Solo...
    3. Isekai Tensei: RECRUITED TO ANOTHER WORLD #1-2 & Oversummoned, Overpowered, AND OVER IT! #1-2 Although filled to the brim with tropes of all sorts,...
    4. CAST IN ETERNITY & Solo Leveling #6 Michelle Sagara‘s follow-up to Cast in Conflict decides to greatly...
    5. Legend of the Arch Magus & Dragon Missing Michael Sisa‘s Legend of the Arch Magus novels are an...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Chugong Solo Leveling Urban Fantasy
  • BE the SERPENT & Ruby Fever

    Posted on September 4, 2022 6:04 am by Offkorn Comment

    After the previous October Daye entry, things were looking up for the protagonist. So I suppose it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that McGuire’s follow-up is particularly brutal. There is definitely more lost than gained here, and ending on a cliffhanger (which I don’t recall any of the previous novels doing) does it absolutely no favors. Even the short story at the end is pretty downbeat, covering as it does exactly how the sea witch ended up bound.

    The sixth Hidden Legacy novel meanwhile continues the trend of the previous in no longer feeling like Kate Daniels fanfiction. It’s legitimately come into its own at this point… albeit as a fairly standard (if perhaps a bit action-heavy) paranormal romance series. This one marks the end of Catalina’s stint as protagonist, and if the hints at the end are any indication the youngest sister will be the focus of the next book.

    Related posts:

    1. Magic Triumphs, The Brightest Fell, & Night and Silence The long-running plotline regarding Kate’s father is brought to something...
    2. The Unkindest Tide & Archangel’s War Seanan McQuire’s 13th October Daye novel is meant to conclude...
    3. The Witch With No Name, The Great Ordeal, & The Unholy Consult The concluding novel in Kim Harrison‘s Hollows series makes it...
    4. Books; Before and After First the before, which was three books read back in...
    5. WHEN SORROWS COME & That Time I Got Reincarnated as a SLIME #12 Seanan McGuire‘s fifteenth October Daye novel is completely centered on...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Hidden Legacy Ilona Andrews October Daye Paranormal Romance Seanan McGuire Urban Fantasy

Posts pagination

Previous 1 … 6 7 8 … 35 Next

  • Tag Groups

    Genre

    Action Action RPG Adventure Battle Shounen Board Game Card Game Comedy Comic Relief Coming of Age Cyberpunk Dating Sim Drama Dramatic Support Dystopia Ecchi Educational Exploration Fantasy FPS Harem History Hobby Horror Idol Magical Girl MMORPG Music Mystery Paranormal Romance Parody Puzzle Game Roguelike Romance RPG School Life Science Fiction Simulation Slice of Life Sports Steampunk Strategy Tactical RPG Thriller Urban Fantasy Virtual World Western Workplace

    Meta

    Alternative Version Amazon Prime Anime Original Comic Adaptation Crunchyroll Daisuki Dropped Finished First Person Perspective Funimation Game Adaptation HiDive Hulu Incomplete Source Literary Adaptation Live Action Adaptation LN Adaptation Mixed Media Project Movie Netflix Novel Adaptation Novella OVA Partial Adaptation Series Short Anime Televised Third Person Perspective VN Adaptation Web Novel Young Adult Novel
  • Pages

    • Anime Overviews
      • Disliked Anime
      • Preferred Anime
      • Skipped Anime
      • Miku Hatsune Concerts
    • Final Fantasy XIV
      • FFXIV Combat Macros
    • Game Guides
    • Game Mods
      • Subtitle Mods
    • MP3 Player Playlist
    • MTGO Draft & Event Decks
    • VtM oWoD Vampiric NPC Listing
  • Categories

    • Anime Related
      • 1981 – Autumn
      • 1982 – Spring
      • 1982 – Winter
      • 1983 – Winter
      • 1984 – Spring
      • 1984 – Summer
      • 1985 – Autumn
      • 1985 – Summer
      • 1986 – Summer
      • 1987 – Autumn
      • 1987 – Spring
      • 1987 – Summer
      • 1987 – Winter
      • 1988 – Autumn
      • 1988 – Spring
      • 1988 – Summer
      • 1988 – Winter
      • 1989 – Autumn
      • 1989 – Spring
      • 1989 – Summer
      • 1990 – Autumn
      • 1990 – Spring
      • 1990 – Summer
      • 1990 – Winter
      • 1991 – Autumn
      • 1991 – Winter
      • 1992 – Autumn
      • 1992 – Spring
      • 1992 – Summer
      • 1992 – Winter
      • 1993 – Autumn
      • 1993 – Spring
      • 1993 – Summer
      • 1993 – Winter
      • 1994 – Autumn
      • 1994 – Spring
      • 1994 – Summer
      • 1994 – Winter
      • 1995 – Autumn
      • 1995 – Spring
      • 1995 – Summer
      • 1995 – Winter
      • 1996 – Autumn
      • 1996 – Spring
      • 1996 – Summer
      • 1996 – Winter
      • 1997 – Spring
      • 1997 – Summer
      • 1997 – Winter
      • 1998 – Autumn
      • 1998 – Winter
      • 1999 – Autumn
      • 1999 – Spring
      • 1999 – Summer
      • 1999 – Winter
      • 2000 – Spring
      • 2001 – Autumn
      • 2001 – Spring
      • 2001 – Summer
      • 2002 – Autumn
      • 2002 – Spring
      • 2002 – Summer
      • 2002 – Winter
      • 2003 – Autumn
      • 2003 – Spring
      • 2003 – Summer
      • 2003 – Winter
      • 2004 – Autumn
      • 2004 – Spring
      • 2004 – Summer
      • 2004 – Winter
      • 2005 – Autumn
      • 2005 – Spring
      • 2005 – Summer
      • 2005 – Winter
      • 2006 – Spring
      • 2006 – Winter
      • 2007 – Autumn
      • 2007 – Spring
      • 2007 – Summer
      • 2007 – Winter
      • 2008 – Autumn
      • 2008 – Spring
      • 2008 – Summer
      • 2008 – Winter
      • 2009 – Autumn
      • 2009 – Spring
      • 2009 – Summer
      • 2009 – Winter
      • 2010 – Autumn
      • 2010 – Spring
      • 2010 – Summer
      • 2010 – Winter
      • 2011 – Autumn
      • 2011 – Spring
      • 2011 – Summer
      • 2011 – Winter
      • 2012 – Autumn
      • 2012 – Spring
      • 2012 – Summer
      • 2012 – Winter
      • 2013 – Autumn
      • 2013 – Spring
      • 2013 – Summer
      • 2013 – Winter
      • 2014 – Autumn
      • 2014 – Spring
      • 2014 – Summer
      • 2014 – Winter
      • 2015 – Autumn
      • 2015 – Spring
      • 2015 – Summer
      • 2015 – Winter
      • 2016 – Autumn
      • 2016 – Spring
      • 2016 – Summer
      • 2016 – Winter
      • 2017 – Autumn
      • 2017 – Spring
      • 2017 – Summer
      • 2017 – Winter
      • 2018 – Autumn
      • 2018 – Spring
      • 2018 – Summer
      • 2018 – Winter
      • 2019 – Autumn
      • 2019 – Spring
      • 2019 – Summer
      • 2019 – Winter
      • 2020 – Autumn
      • 2020 – Spring
      • 2020 – Summer
      • 2020 – Winter
      • 2021 – Spring
      • 2021 – Summer
      • 2021 – Winter
      • 2023 – Winter
    • Book Related
    • Internet Related
    • Movie & TV Related
    • Music Related
    • Uncategorized
    • Video Game Related
      • DLC
      • Gamecube
      • GBA
      • Guides
      • Nintendo DS
      • Nintendo Switch
      • PC
        • Emulation
        • Modding
      • PS2
      • PS3
      • SNES
      • Wii
  • Archives

  • Meta

    • Register
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

©2025 raindrops Entries RSS and Comments RSS Raindrops Theme