• manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Hitori de Yoru wa Koe Rarenai

    Hitori de Yoru wa Koe Rarenai – Matsumoto Yoh

    1950s Japan. Ex-soldier, Seishirou, is working as a waiter in a cabaret near an American military base, passing his days in a stagnant cycle. One day, he is approached by Jim, an American soldier who speaks fluent Japanese. Seishirou is moved by Jim’s soft smile, and Jim soon confesses his interest in him. Seishirou sees this as a chance to change his life.

    I Can’t Stand Another Night Alone is a historical enemies to lovers romance set in post-war Japan.

    Seishirou, a.k.a. Sei, is an ex-soldier working as a cabaret waiter. Because of his PTSD, he has trouble sleeping alone at night and has to resort to staying over his friends’ places. An American soldier, Jim, befriended him, and soon they started hanging out.

    Jim loves Japanese culture and is fluent in the language. It’s quickly apparent that he has more than friendly interest towards Sei. Seeing it as a chance for a better life, Sei went along for the ride and started seducing the American.

    So it wasn’t much of a romance at the start, with Sei and his ulterior motives. On the other hand, Jim was obviously quite smitten and even invited Sei to live in his house, especially learning about Sei’s insomnia.

    The two looked good together AND were good together, but it was hard to root for them. It wasn’t until the drama at the later part that the feels kicked in. It was almost too late as it was heading towards tragedy.

    But do not let this discourage you because it does not end in tears. It was a rather bittersweet ending but still a happy one, so it’s a win.

    I liked this manga but don’t feel that passionate about it. Something about the storytelling needed to be tweaked slightly though I can’t put my finger where exactly. It’s emotional and poignant enough, but lacks that oomph to make it great.


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  • book,  Uncategorized

    SERIES REVIEW: Necromancer Rising Books 1 & 2 by Richard Amos

    Necromancer Rising: Death Eternal – Richard Amos

    Death is supposed to be the end.
    Not in my world.

    The dead never move on, not since Death walked off the job and disappeared. As a necromancer, it’s my job to police the spirits while they remain stuck and, well, problematic a lot of the time.

    Death really needs to take his head out of his backside and get back to work, wherever he might be.

    After a horrible incident in the tunnels of the London Underground, my life takes a sharp turn. It’s all my fault and I’m sent off to a small town, a move to keep me out of sight and mind for the time being. Shamed, reputation dragged through the dirt.

    I’m not getting that promotion anytime soon.

    On my first day in the town, I get caught up in a strange murder case, and Death saves my life.
    Yes, the Death. The delectable, mysterious Death.

    Goodness, he is hotness personified. But what happened to make him walk away from his responsibilities? And why is he so deliciously tempting, my desire a raging inferno every time he looks at me with those incredible eyes?
    I shouldn’t be thinking of an immortal being like this, but with every passing hour I can’t stop myself from falling deeper into infatuation.

    I want him.

    Resistance is… impossible.

    Death Eternal is the first book in an M/M Paranormal Urban Fantasy Romance series packed with mystery, danger, a knitting necromancer, a delectable immortal being, plenty of sizzle, and rather disgusting liquid mushrooms.


    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Cosmic
    Artist: Benjamin Carter
    Album: Self_Portrait: Vol. 1


    Necromancer Rising: Death Enraptured – Richard Amos

    Follow my heart and make a mess…
    That’s putting it mildly.

    My life has really taken a complicated turn here in Oakthorne. I keep hoping some fairy godmother will show up and offer me a nice bit of time reversal. Not too much, just enough to ease this pain.

    Yeah. Right.

    Anyway, as much as there’s hurt, there’s also Death. He is the complication, but a beautiful one I can’t resist when I really, really should. He consumes my every waking moment, submerges me in raging desire I never want to break free of.

    Damn.

    On top of that messiness, there’s a mystery to solve, a bad guy to defeat, and other new developments within myself to deal with.

    So much to do.
    So much danger to face.

    Where the hell is that fairy godmother?

    Death Enraptured is the second book in an M/M Paranormal Urban Fantasy Romance series packed with mystery, danger, a knitting necromancer, a delectable immortal being, plenty of sizzle, and rather disgusting liquid mushrooms.


    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Enter The Mirror
    Artist: Everything Everything
    Album: Mountainhead


    In the graphic novel Sandman, Lucifer quit his job and handed the keys to Hell to Morpheus. Then, he went on to have fun. The world went on spinning.

    Necromancer Rising, an urban fantasy by Richard Amos, sets a world where Death quit. Which begs the question, WHY?

    Death hanging up his scythe means ghosts. Lots and lots of ghosts and people acquiring necromantic powers to handle them.

    Necromancers are easily identified by their silver hair. They have five threads of magic that can be used to bind or release ghosts to sanctuaries, a place made specially for them since without Death, they cannot move on to the afterlife.

    Marcel August is a London-based necromancer suddenly transferred to Oakthorne after a mission gone awry that left his bestfriend, Jenn, severely injured. On his way to the town, he encountered a ghost that led him to the famous caves, where there were some trouble. He got injured and was rescued by a mysterious man.

    Later, Marcel met his new boss, the High Warden, a friendly man named Nicholas West and his taciturn husband, Leon. Nick was a stark contrast to the stone cold High Warden of London, Emma. Marcel has the worst luck in bosses as it later turned out.

    Marcel is tasked to look for a missing ghost. Then the mysterious man who rescued him turned up his door bearing gifts.

    This is where things get dicey and hell of a lot swoonier.

    The overarching plot is to stop the lich from taking over the world. As an urban fantasy, this is a twisty-turn-y, action-packed necromancer procedural, a.k.a. murder mystery, with plenty of magic spells thrown about. I loved how the events of Death Eternal and Death Enraptured go from grim to complete clusterfuck to freakin’ catastrophic. No rest for our weary boy, Marcel.

    Marcel goes from dreaming of a promotion to pretty much exiled to a small town to being lulled into a false sense of security to being lich fodder, only to evolved into something more. Add to that his forbidden romance with Death that has apocalyptic consequences, this series has all the mellow drama and the epic awesomeness!

    So, Death. Hmm, I don’t know. The immortal is conflicting mix of drool-worthy and cringe. That he’s gorgeous is pretty much a given. But the fashion sense, ew!

    The lich is right in criticizing his lame style. Tight leather pants, satin shirt open at the chest with multiple piercings? That screams sleazy rather than sizzling. I’d rather he go the John Wick route in tailored suits or a 70s punk in plaid bondage pants with distressed sweater.

    But as a love interest, the immortal is a master of seduction and muffins. Death could be a cheesy mofo but mostly, he says the most romantic things.

    At first doing the hot/cold dance, then later a steadier presence in Marcel’s life, Death fights a secret battle against the forces that kept him and Marcel apart. Been doing so for centuries, he and Marcel are cursed to repeat the cycle of love and destruction.

    In Death Eternal, it took a while for the book to get to the meat of things, taking its time to establish the world and have Marcel interact with the secondary characters. Death lacked depth as a character since he was presented as a mysterious entity.

    In Death Enraptured, the lovers work to circumvent the curse. They make questionable decisions, suffer betrayals, and just plain suffer. High Warden Emma is the worst character here, absolutely heartless.

    The books in the series end in cliffhangers so they must be read in order.

    Necromancer Rising is an entertaining series I’ll be reading till the end. The romance is one for the ages, heartbreaking but so fun to root for. The characters are a mix of intriguing and abysmal. The fight scenes pulled no punches. Overall, a bit all over the place, but worth hanging up the death scythe.


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  • song,  Uncategorized

    SOUNDTRACK: Cosmic by Benjamin Carter & Enter the Mirror by Everything Everything

    Soundtrack to Necromancer Rising: Death Eternal by Richard Amos

    Cosmic by Benjamin Carter for a book about an immortal, a human, and the cruel cycle of love and destruction.

    i swear if i lost this
    i swear that i’ll keep on running back to you

    and i can’t take the world burning up cause you’re not here
    and i can’t take sky shifting in your atmosphere
    i’m only lonely when alone without you

    Soundtrack to Necromancer Rising: Death Enraptured by Richard Amos

    Enter the Mirror by Everything Everything for a book about doomed lovers, a rebellion against fate, and a stolen pocket of happiness.

    You and me, you are my blood
    Walking in the red light, talking ’bout the dreams we had
    Making fire, making fire spread
    Scar across the landscape, this is how we change the world

    I love you ’cause you’re smashing into everything
    That’s why I’m in
    All of us are smashing into everything

  • quote,  Uncategorized

    cosmic satisfaction always bringing new mystery
    constant hesitation leaves me gripping new misery
    and i swear
    my fear is losing you to someone else

    i swear that you’re cosmic
    i swear that i won’t swear no more
    i swear if i lost this
    i swear that i’ll keep on running back to you
    i swear that you’re cosmic
    i swear that i won’t swear no more
    i swear if i lost this
    i swear that i’ll keep on running back to you

    dreams take concentration
    so sometimes i might drift too far
    your grip is motivation to come back when i’m seeing stars
    and i swear, i swear (swear)
    you’re cosmic so i slip away
    but you swear, you swear
    prayers are heard night or day (hey, hey)

    i swear that you’re cosmic
    i swear that i won’t swear no more
    i swear if i lost this
    i swear that i’ll keep on running back to you
    i swear that you’re cosmic
    i swear that i won’t swear no more
    i swear if i lost this
    i swear that i’ll keep on running back to you

    and i can’t take the world burning up cause you’re not here
    and i can’t take sky shifting in your atmosphere
    i’m only lonely when alone without you

    i swear that you’re cosmic
    i swear that i won’t swear no more
    i swear if i lost this
    i swear that i’ll keep on running back to you

    You and me, you are my blood
    Walking in the red light, talking ’bout the dreams we had
    Making fire, making fire spread
    Scar across the landscape, this is how we change the world

    I love you ’cause you’re smashing into everything
    That’s why I’m in
    All of us are smashing into everything

    Look at me now
    Two men enter the mirror
    Look at me now
    Two men enter the mirro
    r

    Party on, party all night
    Party’s never over if the party’s in your head
    (Not yet)
    In the car, abattoir stars
    Watching as the flames grow dimmer as the night goes on
    (Not) and we talk about

    First kiss, to the abyss
    Hope they need a DJ somewhere in the afterlife

    (Not yet)
    You and me, you are my blood
    Burning in the backwood, this is how we change the world
    (Not, it’s not over yet)

    I love you ’cause you’re smashing into everything
    That’s why I’m in
    All of us are smashing into everything
    (Not) it’s not over yet

    (Two men enter the mirror)
    (Not yet)
    (Two men enter the mirror)

    Look at me now
    Two men enter the mirror
    (Not) ooh, you’re breaking my heart
    Two men enter the mirror
    (Not) it’s not over yet

    Two men enter the mirror
    (Not) it’s not over yet
    Two men enter the mirror
    (Not) it’s not over yet