Review: The Case Study of Vanitas volume 6 by Jun Mochizuki

Title: The Case Study of Vanitas

Series: The Case Study of Vanitas #6

Author: Jun Mochizuki
Source/Format: Gift; Paperback
More Details: Manga; Fantasy; Alternative History
Publisher/Publication Date: Yen Press; December 24, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

On the trail of the Beast of Gévaudan, Vanitas and Noé are led to the heart of the incident and the noble house of d'Apchier. There, they discover that a brave, heartrending wish to save a daughter from a vampire's fate became the haunting first cry of the Beast itself...

Note: there may be mild spoilers for volumes 1-5

It has been a couple of months since I last picked up a volume of The Case Study of Vanitas. Last time I checked, volume 5 ended with the main cast stuck in an odd time warp like situation while searching for the truth behind the Beast of Gévaudan's sudden reappearance. There was so much going in this volume, and I almost don’t know where to begin.

It was good.

I still feel excited whenever I step back into this story. Mochizuki’s artwork is, as always, gorgeous and expressive. There’s a perfect balance between visual storytelling and information imparted by dialogue.

From the beginning of the series, there have been a number of mysteries woven into the plot alongside major conflicts, and finally some of those long sought answers are appearing. Volume 6 was no less interesting of course. It was still just as action packed and atmospheric as the previous entries in the series. Plus this one moved the story further into this arc.

The Gévaudan storyline is shaping up to be one of my favorites, second only to the vampire masquerade a few volumes back. One note I forgot to mention when I reviewed volume 5 was that I thought the plot was building toward more backstory. I was right. From the way the world is set up, there has been more than enough evidence shown that there was a major conflict between vampires and other people sometime in the past. Volume 6 dipped its toes into that. There was backstory abound here for some of the key characters in the series—like Jeanne, Ruthven, and Chloe—as well as adding more world building. I’m glad so much of it was delivered with minimal interruption, because it afforded a clearer picture of what happened in the past and what it had to do with the current events. Yet despite the answers provided in volume 6, there are still many outstanding mysteries.

Overall, volume 6 was excellent, and I’m looking forward to the next one.

Music Monday (148): Laura Mvula, Bon Jovi, Ava Max & Morcheeba

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Recently, I was listening to Laura Mvula's music again. I came across a more recent release that I missed from February 2020 called Brighter Dawn. I haven't watched the movie, Clemency, so it's no wonder I missed this one. I like Brighter Dawn. It has a nice sound as well as Laura Mvula's amazing vocals. Somehow this song feels way too short.

 

Adri: This week I am listening to The Sea by Morcheeba. Honestly, it feels like I've heard this song before, like a long time ago. But, I don't recall. 

Andrea: Hi all, this music Monday is more of a what am I listening to and thinking. Last Music Monday, Lauren Stoolfire over at Always Me shared the song Kings & Queens. The tune sounded all too familiar to songs by Bon Jovi. Of course, I wanted to know the connection between the song Kings & Queens by Ava Max; and Bon Jovi’s songs You Give Love A Bad Name and Livin’ On A Prayer. What did I discover??? Well, all of the songs are co-written by Desmond Child. Child has also written songs for Aerosmith, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Kiss, Ricky Martin, and many other well-known Artists.

I love the fact that even though the beat sounds familiar each song is written from a different perspective. And remember this is only my opinion. Kings & Queens seems to present the perspective of an independent woman who’s certain that her partner can’t live without her. Whereas You Give Love A Bad Name by Bon Jovi seems to blame one of the partners for all of the problems in the relationship—Like how does a relationship like that work out. Finally, my favorite song by Bon Jovi, Livin’ On A Prayer seems to present a couple who can make it through anything as long as they have each other and work together.

I have a couple of reasons for having a special affinity for Livin’ On A Prayer. First, I have gone to several events in which the crowd warmer had the audience sing this song—I guess you can say it brings back good memories. Also, I’m hooked on Livin’ On A Prayer’s message.

I have posted the YouTube videos for Kings & Queens, You Give Love A Bad Name, and Livin’ On A Prayer below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Have an amazing week & stay safe! -Andrea 

What are you listening to this week? Are there any new songs you discovered recently?

The Friday 56 (194) & Book Beginnings: The Case Study of Vanitas volume 6 by Jun Mochizuki

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

On the trail of the Beast of Gévaudan, Vanitas and Noé are led to the heart of the incident and the noble house of d'Apchier. There, they discover that a brave, heartrending wish to save a daughter from a vampire's fate became the haunting first cry of the Beast itself...

Beginning: "It's morning...?"

56: "I became a curse-bearer of my own accord...."

Comments: I finally got around to reading the sixth volume of The Case Study of Vanitas. I enjoyed this entry in the series, and I'm looking forward to volume 7. What are you reading this week?

Review: We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Title: We Hunt The Flame

Series: Sands of Arawiya #1

Author: Hafsah Faizal
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; May 14, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya--but neither wants to be. War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds--and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

I’ve wanted to read We Hunt The Flame for a while now. It seemed to have all the aspects I look for in a fantasy novel. A story involving the absence of magic and the quest to restore it is one of my favorite types of fantasy tropes, and the story Faizal crafted was just excellent.

We Hunt The Flame is a slow moving fantasy novel that deserves to be savored. The story was engrossing from what was basically the first paragraph. The world is rich with history. The characters are engaging, and they seemed to come alive on the page. The pacing set by the opening chapters really benefited the story later on. There needed to be that time and space to set up the foundation of the world, as well as introduce the characters. So when the characters set off on their adventure, I was already more than invested in them because I knew what their everyday life was like—as well as their connection with the secondary characters. There were many emotional scenes throughout the story, and I felt every one of them because of it.

Zafira was a great, well-rounded protagonist. She lived in a particularly strict part of Arawiya called “the caliphate of Demenhur.” As the Hunter she was skilled, but despite her achievements she was openly plagued by fears. That being said, she was brave, and had a willingness to step into the unknown to go after what she sought—even if her future was uncertain. Another notable aspect was the relationship Zafira had with her sister and best friends, Yasmine and Deen. It was great, and that’s all I can say about it.

On the other hand, there was Nasir. He’s supposed to be this tough guy, but by the end he was coming off as kind of sympathetic. His end of the story surprised me the most. His internal struggle was integral to his perspective, and at every turn there just seemed to be a revelation regarding him.

The other characters in the story came from just as varied backgrounds. They were interesting in their own right.

We Hunt The Flame was fantastic. The ending though, now that was one heck of cliffhanger, and I’m left with way too many questions. Luckily, I already bought a copy of the next book in the duology, and I plan to read it soon.

Music Monday (147): Kylie Minogue , Barbara Tucker, Jordin Sparks

 Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Recently I went on a binge of Kylie Minogue's music, and I started with one of my favorite albums: Aphrodite. It's actually the first album I listened to by Minogue, and I still love it. One of my favorite songs from it is Everything Is Beautiful. 

 

Adri: Have you ever had one very small part of a song stuck in your head but can't find it or remember the rest? Well that's where I'm at right now. Although I  haven't found the song that I want, I have come across way too many new ones. Anyway, this week I am listen to I Get Lifted by Barbara Tucker. My second pick is the X.T.C Mix, which is my favorite.

Andrea: Hi all, this week I’m listening to music by Jordin Sparks. I was excited to find out that she recently released new music, You Still Think of Me. I’m also listening to No Air featuring Chris Brown & One Step at a Time. No Air is one of my absolute favorite songs by Sparks. I can't wait to discover what everyone is listening to. Have an amazing week, and thanks for stopping by!

What are you listening to this week?