Bleach, Vol. 5: Right Arm of the Giant by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Vol. 5: Right Arm of the Giant by Tite Kubo

Bleach, 190 pages

⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Ichigo Kurosaki thought that Soul Reapers were the only ones hunting Hollows, but he was wrong. Enter Uryū Ishida, a Quincy, and possibly the last member of a powerful clan that died out over 200 years ago. Unlike Soul Reapers who strive to cleanse Hollows of their sins and send them to the Soul Society, Quincies adopt a more direct approach - they kill Hollows without hesitation. To demonstrate the supremacy of the Quincies' ways, Uryū challenges Ichigo to a contest - bait is spread around the city, attracting a large number of unstable Hollows. Whoever defeats the most wins, regardless of the danger.

Also, Orihime and Chad, confronted with a host of Hollows terrorizing their friends, awaken to their own psychic abilities.

Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 1 by Gege Akutami

Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 1 by Gege Akutami (192 Pages)

Summary: In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural! Although Yuji Itadori looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Research Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object. Little do they know the terror they’ll unleash when they break the seal…

Opinion: I was begged by a student to read this manga series as they really wanted to talk to someone about it. I've only read this volume so far, but I am enjoying it. The series seems like a mix of Fullmetal Alchemist's horror with the action and fighting of Sakamoto Days. I'm a fan of the main character, but also expect the side characters to grow on me as they receive more characterization throughout the rest of the volumes. 

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski (496 Pages)

Summary: War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He's finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can't quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people-and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that's what he thinks. But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?

Opinion: I liked this book better than the second, mostly because Arin and Kestrel were finally totally honest with one another. A few side characters such as Roshar, Verex, and Sarsine really grew on me throughout this book as well. Kestrel's final duel with the emperor was also fun to read. Though, I do wish that the book had an epilogue from a few years later as the main story was wrapped up, but a new chapter was beginning. 

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski (Book 2 in the Winner's Trilogy)

 The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski (416 Pages)

Summary: A royal wedding is what most girls dream about. It means one celebration after another: balls, fireworks, and revelry until dawn. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement: that she agreed to marry the crown prince in exchange for Arin's freedom. But can Kestrel trust Arin? Can she even trust herself? For Kestrel is becoming very good at deception. She's working as a spy in the court. If caught, she'll be exposed as a traitor to her country. Yet she can't help searching for a way to change her ruthless world . . . and she is close to uncovering a shocking secret.

Opinion: This book was good, but also frustrating. The plot twist from the end of the first book made more sense to me after learning about the emperor's plans, but both Arin and Kestrel were guilty of major miscommunication tropes multiple times throughout this one book, which really irks me. I felt like Kestrel and Arin knew each other so well from the first book so they wouldn't have actually fallen for each others constant lies. 

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski (Book 1 of the Winner's Trilogy)

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski (368 Pages)

Summary: They were never meant to be together. As a general's daughter, seventeen-year-old Kestrel enjoys an extravagant and privileged life. Arin has nothing but the clothes on his back. Then Kestrel makes an impulsive decision that binds Arin to her. Though they try to fight it, they can't help but fall in love. In order to be together, they must betray their people . . . but to be loyal to their country, they must betray each other.

Opinion: This is a teen romance, fantasy, action type book. The premise is interesting and sometimes uncomfortable as the reader is mainly reading from Kestrel's privileged POV. But I really liked watching her grow slowly throughout this book and the side characters had good characterization as well. I also appreciated seeing Kestrel and Arin grow on each other throughout the book. This made their relationship later more natural and less forced. 

Lightlark by Alex Aster

Lightlark by Alex Aster (416 Pages)

Summary: Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons―a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die. Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling―a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.

Opinion: This is a teen fantasy book that I was hoping would give Throne of Glass vibes. And it kinda did, I liked it in the beginning, but I actually really disliked the book by the end. Specifically, I disliked turning the romance into a love triangle and I hated the way that the author choose to portray the other side female characters as mean girl villains. It's 2026 (2022 when it was published) and I just think both of those tropes are so old and outdated. I won't be continuing with the series. 

The Coffin Worms by Nick Cutter

 

The Coffin Worms by Nick Cutter - 368 pgs

From Nick Cutter—the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Dorians and modern classics The Troop and The Deep , and “ one of the hottest horror authors on the planet” ( Paste )—comes an unforgettable collection of four all-new novellas.

The Coffin Worms : A young woman’s obsession with a enigmatic stranger draws her into a secretive community where something ancient lurks—and where death may be only the beginning…

The Stuck-To: After his wife returns from a stay at a mental-health facility, her husband grows increasingly concerned with the mysterious new woman she's met—a friendship that threatens to tear his family apart.

The White Island : An Arctic expedition uncovers the remnants of a lost civilization and evidence of a primordial evil—a lethal combination that threatens to rob them of their very sanity…

The Appraiser : A real estate agent specializing in properties scarred by tragedy is called to assess a rural house with a particularly gruesome history, only to discover that some places are better off left alone…

Dark, unsettling, and impossible to forget, The Coffin Worms is Nick Cutter at his most imaginative and terrifying—a showcase of four extraordinary novellas from one of modern horror's most celebrated storytellers.

These were pretty good stories, my favorites were "The Stuck-To" and "The Appraiser", definitely different stories