I enjoy finding books that are similiar to what I enjoy writing. I discovered shoujo manga long ago and used to visit a now out of business comic book/sports shop because he carried Ribon and other anime books for the girls. (It was named Doug’s Dugout.) Anyway, I saw my name in one of the Ribons, so I had to get it.
When I started writing, I had folks tell me that Asian fantasy doesn’t sell. I don’t think they would tell me that now. In fact, there’s soo many good looking books coming out. And, books from overseas are being translated and brought over! Guys, this is soo exciting.
I recently discoved Japanese light novels. The cover caught my attention and since royalties had just dropped, I splurged and got a physical copy. (The cover is even better in person. The feathers shine!) I’ve spend the last two days devouring this and ordered he second one.
I’m giving this book 5 stars. If you read reviews on GoodReads, a few folks mentioned typos. So lets get this out of the way: Yes, there are a few typos. But, in this day and age of AI writting books, typos like these show that humans worked on it. And then there is this: no one is perfect, so no book is perfect; but inside imperfection we find beauty.
I also find some solace in finding little mistakes in books, because I know how hard it is to avoid them.
If you haven’t read this one, you should check it out. (Here’s the amazon link.)
Another recent book was Heart of the Sun Warrior.
I did enjoy this one. I liked how it felt like I was reading a Chinese fantasy drama. I’m not sure I liked this one as much as Daughter of the Moon Goddess though. I had some mixed feelings on the ending and with who she eventually chooses. Although, his love for her was quite obvious, I wasn’t sure on hers for him. Perhaps that was because she didn’t know herself until the end. But, it’s definately worth reading. It’s a really good conclusion.
As I’m open about, I enjoy a good Korean or Chinese drama. (Or even an anime. I’ve been having a blast this summer taking my kids to see Studio Ghibli films.) One that stands out recently is Love You Seven Times. I highly recommend it. I loved how everything is connected. And I found something about the ending (hint: his expression) especially sweet. You can stream it on iQIYI.
