Judicator Jane 7: A LitRPG Adventure by Brian Rouleau
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is almost a pitch-perfect example of a concept taken much farther than it ought to have been taken.

I was sucked right in, tho. Indeed, I couldn't put it down for the life of me. I needed to have the full breakdown, the full conclusion, the total blast-out of Legendary classes. There was nothing in this or any LitRPG world that could have prevented me from sitting it out.

But this? I simultaneously want to think it's an utterly RIGHT ending for Pogg and I also want to think it's a total cop-out.

Fair enough. Considering all that has come before. The humor IS there. So is the serious aspect. It's perfectly in line with the premise. Blind justice and all. Without leading with actual blindness, mind you. That would be a step too far.

But honestly? The whole luck and justice thing MAY have gotten too muddled at this point. Each weakens the other unless the whole concept we need to rely on is the System itself. And if that's the case, then it's all suspect. Times ten.

I'll continue with #8 because it answers THAT particular question, but this one, for all I was actually glued to it, kinda left a bad taste in my mouth.


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ソードアート・オンライン 20: ムーン・クレイドル [Sōdo āto onrain 20: Mūn Kureidoru] by Reki Kawahara
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This one reads as one huge side-story, honestly. One that gives Tiese and Ronie a lot more page time, but a weirdly one-note one when it comes to Kirito. I think their comments about his language could have gone over fine once or twice, but it feels like it was constantly happening here. And there really wasn't any kind of growth. For anyone.

That being said, we get to see more of the Underworld and that was fine as far as it goes.

The plot, tho? Well, it feels rather skipable. It was probably my least favorite story in all of the light novels. Alas.

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Flybot by Dennis E. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If any of ya'll are looking for a Bobby ver 2, then don't.

There IS some fun dialogue sequences that absolutely go nerdy in a very fun way, but it is NOT the primary mode of this novel.

IF, on the other hand, you're looking for a snappy and interesting modern-day technothriller featuring people in over their heads with AGI, with a pretty balanced look at what AGI might actually mean or act like in a glorious blow-out of practical jokes leading up to mass tragedies, then you're absolutely looking in the right place.

And interestingly enough? The paperclip problem has been DEBUNKED. Wooo! Finally. No more paperclips. ;)

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BORUTO―ボルト― 7 ―TWO BLUE VORTEX― by Masashi Kishimoto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm excited as hell again. So many people are again willing to help Boruto, be it half-willingly or not. But they ARE helping. Enemy of my enemy, and all.

But that isn't even the best part. The action sequences and the mini-reveals are brilliant. Both for Himi and Boruto this time. I'm really enjoying the hell out of this.

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BORUTO―ボルト― 6 ―TWO BLUE VORTEX― by Masashi Kishimoto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All Right!

That turned out awesome. Sarada is really stepping it up, and Boruto himself is crazy cool again.

The amount of reversals in this manga is pretty insane. Fortunately, it IS damn thrilling.


Wow, Sarada. Wow.

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BORUTO―ボルト― 5 ―TWO BLUE VORTEX― by Masashi Kishimoto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Catching up with the manga. I stand behind it. It's much more advanced in story, consequences, and scale to the rest of the earlier Boruto and Narutos.

It DOES have its faults, but really, it's all a matter of perspective. It's building something big and it still needs to pull off one hell of a hat trick... and at this point, it's a matter of faith for the reader.

That's not to say it won't happen. But if it does? I'm going to be pretty amazed. For now, patience. The Divine Tree needs to grow.



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God's Junk Drawer by Peter Clines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are just a few things I can say about this without spoiling it, so I'll just mention it reminds me a lot of Riverworld with a splash of a (by now) common SF subgenre I see all the time now that (without spoiling) is a clear favorite for Big Reveal SF these days.

Old example: Dark City. New example: Halcyon Years.

Only, in this case, we're doing Lost World and Arthur Conan Doyle and trauma therapy.

Not bad, mind you. But I think I appreciate it much more AFTER the big reveals.

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