Review: The Beast King: Master of Medicines Vol. 1

The Beast King: Master of Medicines Vol. 1 by Tatsukazu Konda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a cute start to the series!

It's been ages since I tried a new manga series and I grabbed this based on cover alone. So happy that it lived up to my expectations.

It's a fairly simple story - a girl is saved by the king of monsterkin and ends up in debt. His demand? She has to help him save the life of monsters.

There are some cute creatures in this first volume, and the budding relationship between Tina and the Beast King is quite sweet. I'm looking forward to seeing more of their teamwork.

I'm actually really keen for Vol 2, this was too cute. Definitely a good filler for people who want more Delicious in Dungeon kinda vibes.

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Review: Without a Trace

Without a Trace by Mari Hannah
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

God, this was awful.

Towards the end of the book (Chapter 88, I think) there's a summary of everything - honestly just read that instead and save yourself the trouble.

Poor writing, zero plot, characters having the same conversations over and over and over again and actually very little happening. Maybe readers who have known this character for the previous six books will appreciate her more but to me she was horrendous - conceited, dramatic and not even good at her job. The constant show of how 'tough' she is was just ridiculous and bogged the story fown endlessly.

Also it spends the first half of the book talking about luggage??

Absolute rubbish from start to finish.

Will happily never read a book from this series again.

This was book 4 from my Advent 2 Challenge

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Review: Counterattacks at Thirty

Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn Won-Pyung
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly? A bit of a nothing book about being nothing and nobody and trying to rebel against a broken system but failing because the system has all the power.

Hmmm ...

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, to be fair. Nothing really happens, but I think that's kind of the point?

The writing is straightforward, and there are a lot of references to Korean culture and the nuances of language. I think Korean readers will enjoy those details a lot, as it will probably resonate a little more.

I don't know that it's strong enough for me to recommend it, but if you're already considering it, I'd give it a go. It has an interesting way of looking at things that seems particularly relevant in the current climate.

This was Book 2 of my Advent 2 Challenge

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Review: The Ex-Wives Club

The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun little audio that I listened to free thanks to Kindle Unlimited.

It's a short crime story built on interviews with suspects in the death of Ian Curley - essentially a rich jerk that has wronged everyone he's ever met.

There were definitely a lot of names in such a short space of time, so the characterisation wasn't great. I did get the ex-wives and daughters etc a little bit confused - not at all helped by the fact that this was something I listened to while working so was not at 100% focus.

Still an easy way to spend the time and I enjoyed the conclusion, even if it seemed to not quite suit the story I listened to.

I think I might have to keep exploring Sally Hepworth's books, they're a lot of fun!

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Review: The Seven Dials Mystery

The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Mia McKenna-Bruce
Presented by Harper Collins UK Audio

This was actually my first ever Agatha Christie novel and, while I enjoyed it, I don't think it was a great one to start with.

Firstly, let me start with the narration, which I particularly enjoyed. She did a great job of bringing the characters to life, went at a cracking place, and somehow injected a lot of life into the story. I really enjoyed it and would happily listen to her narration again.

The story begins with a mystery of alarm clocks, but sadly the clocks are quickly forgotten and overridden by other mysteries. It seemed a bit scattered to me, and it was hard to trace a solid line of clues or happenings. I sometimes wondered how conclusions were drawn, and often found the reasoning a little bit lacking.

Added to that, the cast of characters, while delightfully diverse in attitude, was rather complex to wrap my head around because there were so many nicknames thrown into the mix. Admittedly, I think I'd have fared better with this if I'd been reading, as opposed to listening.

Still, I did really love Bundle as a character, and her balance of practicality, perseverance and still being a lady.

The adventure itself was easy to listen to and follow along, even if I wasn't keeping up with the clues, so I still enjoyed the listen. I'd happily seek out more Agatha Christie books, now that I've had this taste, and I'd still recommend this one to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Ark

The Ark by Haruo Yuki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy heck this was fantastic! So chilling!

The story follows a group who end up locked inside an abandoned facility, with water slowly rising. The only solution is to have one stay behind to open the last entrance, meaning that person must sacrifice themselves. Then one of them is murdered.

What a great setup! I enjoyed the tension of this, and would happily read a physical copy to help that atmosphere soak in more. There are plenty of characters to suspect, and clues to work through.

There's also some great discourse around the idea of self-sacrifice, and of the ethics of potentially killing a murderer for the good of the rest.

The narrator was clear and read well enough, though I would have liked a little more differentiation between characters, and thoughts vs speaking, as these were sometimes hard to tell apart. The pace was decent though and cadence was easy to listen to.

I'd recommend this for mystery fans, though it does deserve full concentration so if you (like me) prefer audiobooks for the multi-tasking, perhaps get a physical copy of this one.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Mad Mabel

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A simply delightful read!

I'm broadening my reading horizons this year but even before that decision the cover of this one attracted me, so when I saw it on NetGalley I had to give it a shot. Great decision!

This tells the tale of Mad Mabel, an 81 year old lady who was once convicted as Australia's youngest serial killer. But what's the true story behind the murders that left Mabel Waller ostracised, isolated and eyed with suspicion?

From the get-go, it's impossible to dislike Elsie/Mabel. She's instantly recognisable as the little old lady with a lot of fight left in her, and the writing does a brilliant job of showing both her hard exterior and soft centre at the same time.

The supporting characters are well illustrated, and the writing keeps the tone light while still lending a gravity to situations when needed.

We get the Then and Now of Elsie's life - in the present day, she narrates her past for a podcast, so we get alternating chapters to fully round out the story. I enjoyed this approach and followed the change easily, getting sucked in to both timelines.

It's quite a wholesome story that will inspire a range of emotions, and I think there is a lot that people will relate to, whether it's the isolation, the strong bonds of friendship or the trials of being a young soul in an aging body.

I loved this one, and highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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