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This feels like two books stitched into one. The front half of the book has all of the vibes of a gothic romance: a young woman moves into an ancient opulent house, finds her husband-to-be cold and standoffish, and soon sees strange things out of the corner of her eye that everyone else insists aren't real. The deeper she digs, the more sinister things become, until her reality is shattered. And then suddenly we're in the second half of the book: an epic, sweeping, Chinese fable filled with mythical creatures, dragon-riding, war, alchemy, court drama, and a big prophecy. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. I enjoyed both parts on their own. The portion where Ying first visits the mirror world is especially well-written, with a creeping unease and some really unique world building that I loved. There are some big fight pieces and twists in the second half that are also a lot of fun. It's just a strange combination taking the two of them in together. For all that, I still think it's paced out well enough as one book, so I'm glad the author didn't try to stretch it into two. A fast-paced read for anyone who likes their big action mythology paired with just a touch of horror.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

I called the first volume of this manga comfort food, and the second one follows in the same vein. Food illustrations remain a strong point, although I'd also like to call attention to how well the artist draws hands holding chopsticks. The chapters remain short, sweet, and digestible, with a mix of warmth and humor. The chapter about squid has an ending you can see coming from a mile away, and it still winds up being hilarious. But beyond the disconnected vignettes of vol. 1, we also see stories about recurring characters unfold. Characters have lives and dreams, and sometimes those lives intersect with others at a charming (and supernatural) izakaya. The introduction of a new staff member is a great decision - she's charming and determined, and the chapter where she visits "the other side" was especially fun. If you enjoyed the first one at all, this will charm and warm you just as much, if not more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

A lot of heist stories are secretly about grief. This one is, instead, overtly about grief, along with identity and living in the diaspora. It's an absolute panoply of the supernatural: Chinese mythology sits at the center, but we've also got vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, the fae, and... more??? It all clicks in better than one would expect, as the varied supernatural elements mirror the world our leads live in. It's a mix of culture and history, and the characters all struggle to find their place in it. It's probably the most relatable part of the story. The less relatable part for me is all the messy romance drama. I'm aware this is a me problem. I've never done well with high drama romances, but if that's your thing, I think you'll be delighted. We've got hot exes, a love triangle, and secrets galore, all set on a dark academia background. Add in extra plot twists, betrayal, and prophecies for a fast-paced story that covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

I love a middle grade book with a clever lead who relies on their wits. It's such a treat that this one has two. Amir is a manipulative genius with a morally gray worldview, and Shamsa is a capricious trickster with a heart of gold. They fit together perfectly as they work together to overcome a series of increasingly tricky tests. I really love the fact that the nature of the tests is varied - everything from physical prowess to poetic nuance shows up, and it was great to see their creativity as they worked together. Amir's personal journey is also a really strong through-line, as he grows from disaffected teen to being fully invested in being involved in the world and its people. The writing is super clean and flows easily, and the character voices all come across as distinct. Overall and incredibly fun read with some great characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

Do you love a cute story about blushing leads and mutual pining with just a dash of misunderstanding? Miss Miyazen has got you covered! On the surface, Sakura and Sota would appear to have nothing in common. She's "proper," and he's a "troublemaker." But the truth is they're both just a couple of sweet kids trying to get to know each other. It's an incredibly charming and low drama romance. There's little plot to be seen so far, with the story being largely a set of vignettes about their ongoing attempts (and failures) at trying to get closer. Misunderstandings are in the cute range rather than the frustrating one, punctuated with clean and incredibly cute artwork. If you're looking for a cute high school romance that'll make you feel warm inside, give this one a go.

Thanks to NetGalley and Vertical Comics for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

Timothy Badger and Benjamin Watson are back. This time, they've been hired for a simple job - protect a few Egyptian artifacts from going missing during a fancy party. But when one of the hosts turns up dead, it's up to them to discover if the killer is the curse of the mummy, or something closer to home. I was incredibly neutral about the first book, but it showed enough promise that I wanted to give the second one a go. Well, here we are a year later, and sure enough, that promise is fulfilled. This one reads a lot better! My biggest hangup with the first book was that it seemed very little detective work was happening. Our charming heroes were simply lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to overhear all the big reveals. This time around, they are fully in it - collecting clues, following leads, interviewing suspects, and unraveling the mystery by their own wits and deductions. They spend a lot of time discussing the "method," the manner in which Sherlock seems to magically conjure up solutions. It's always been a bit of sleight of hand in the canon: hidden clues, conclusions a reader couldn't possibly hope to obtain, and solutions featuring players hidden from view until the last minute. This book diverges from the Conan Doyle formula for the better, giving us all the same information our heroes get so we can solve along with the boys. The book also diverges from the canon by including a Very Victorian romance, replete with longing gazes, wistful sighs, and the constant reminder that these characters come from different classes. The historical setting is well-researched, with plenty of immersive details and flourishes. Overall it's a very strong historical mystery, and I look forward to the next one with great anticipation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

Damelas isn't a hero - he just plays one onstage. Scratch that, he's a bit player and he can barely even get that part right. But he and the ragtag band of actors he hangs out with are immediately sympathetic, very messy, and if you've ever seen a group of actors together, you'll recognize every player in the text here. Ostensibly a story about one man and his quest to not get skewered by a particularly vengeful duelist, the past layers (literally and figuratively) onto Damelas' world, tying the efforts of his small acting troupe into a much larger power struggle. There's a lot to keep up with, and the first half of the book takes a little bit of time to set up all the pieces before setting everything in motion. The back half moves at a much quicker pace, with some big reveals at the end that set up the rest of the series admirably. I've not read the original Greatcoats series, but this new series introduces the world without any confusion The world building is very strong from the getgo, with a heavy emphasis on the history and politics of the world. And oh, how much of it there is! If you like political machinations and surprise reveals punctuated with some really well-written swordplay, this one's for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Arcadia for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

If you like your heists with a side of ~drama~, this one's for you. We've got messy parental relationships, squabbling extended family, blackmail, and dash of a love triangle to round it all out. Olivia Owens used to live a life of luxury - full of money, and devoid of meaning. This all changes when her mother divorces her cheating father, and she's left hanging in in the void between them. Kicked out of her family home, and with a mother struggling to make end's meet, she decides to get revenge by stealing millions of dollars from her father, all in the middle of his wedding to his third wife. She cobbles together a group of skilled teens (and one out-of-luck teacher) for her crew, puts together a very serviceable plan, and gets to work. The crew members are all fun and well-written with strong personalities and reasons of their own to be in this caper. I always like the actor character, so Tom is my instant fave, but they're all great. So great that Olivia somehow winds up being the one with the least to go on. She describes herself as determined, but all flashbacks portray her as somewhat directionless, with no clear path to how she became who she is. She researches thoroughly, masterminds a plan, and then doesn't include any fallbacks or contingencies for the complications that inevitably arise. Her motivations never fully hit sympathetically relatable, or ruthlessly entertaining, hovering somewhere between the two. She spends a lot of time pretending to be the girl the tabloids expect her to be, and very little being herself. I can't tell who she really is at all. Maybe she can't either. The book ends as a fairly comfortable oneshot. The door's open just enough that a sequel could happen, but the ending is satisfying enough that it doesn't need more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!