Green Mage Writings

“Servant of Earth” by Sarah Hawley

November 29th, 2025

“Servant of Earth” by Sarah Hawley was recommended to me by a friend after my reading of “Games that Gods Play” by Abigail Owen. It was pitched to me as a Hunger Games style story but human/fae, similar to that of “Games that Gods Play”. Now, I read the “Hunger Games” series when I was in high school and I loved every traumatising moment of it, I also recently read “Games that Gods Play” and while I was a little unsure at first I did also enjoy that, but I have to say that “Servant of Earth” absolutely knocked out both of them!

First things first, there are potential spoilers so continue at your own risk!

Set in a medieval style world, our protagonist is a young human female named Kenna. She has lived in poverty her entire life, her father abandoned her, her mother died of illness, and she is considered to be a half-feral creature by all of the local human except for one, Anya, who is practically a sister to her. Every few years, the humans gather together on the border of the fae lands and send sacrifices to the fae, four women forced into the boggy swamp in an attempt to appease the fae. Most believe the stories that they will be welcomed by the fae and given amazing lives, whereas some are very sceptical, including Kenna. Anya and three others are chosen to be sent into the bog and accept their fates, but Kenna knew the harsh truth of the bog and wanted to save her friend. So she ventures in after them in an attempt to lead them to safety, instead they all die at the hands of the nasties (dark fae) and Kenna somehow makes it to the fae world.

Kenna is faced with the even harsher reality of the fae world, she is forced to become a maidservant to the heir of Earth House, one of five houses that make up the fae kingdom of Mistei ruled by a tyrant king, Osric. Kenna is forced to assist her princess in completing the six trials that, when successful, allows an adult fae to gain their full magic and immortality. While trying to stay alive, appease her mistress and moving through her grief, Kenna always seems to find herself in precarious positions that lead her being in very close proximity to danger, death and some very sexy fae princes. Kenna’s character is very forthright, she has a very strong backbone, which is something her princess lacks. Kenna helps the princess through all of the trials, technically participating in them herself, which paves the way for the end of the book.

Naturally, Kenna develops a romantic and sexual relationship with a fae prince who seems to be very curious about her and her human emotions. While he comes across as attractive and having good intentions, there is just something about him that is off. Whereas you have the darker fae prince who clearly has an element of darkness about him, there is something about his character that makes you develop a soft spot for him. Sarah Hawley definitely has a talent for writing characters with a crazy level of depth, you can’t help but feel all these emotions for her characters. She also has an amazing ability to make you feel like you are there with the characters, the way she describes the scenes and the actions taking place, is just mind blowing.

Sarah Hawley is also a Queen of twists and turns, she lays the groundwork so beautifully that you know something is going to happen but you are still so amazed by how it happened. For example, Kenna is betrayed and forced to face the fae magic that decides whether or not the fae participating in the trials are worthy of the rewards. Her princess is stripped of her magic, but Kenna is given such a gift that she is able to turn her back on her lying lover, get her revenge on the tyrant king, and save someone she thought was dead. Most of all, she is given her freedom and a home that she had never even dared to dream about.

This book was amazing, and Sarah Hawley is an absolute artist when it comes to telling a story. I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read the already released sequel “Princess of Blood”.
“Why do you like History?”

November 19th, 2025
This is a question that I get asked often, especially being a history and geography teacher. Many students tell me that they find history boring and that it’s irrelevent to them, that it’s not going to help them in their future…but is that actually true?

Throughout all of human history, we have moments of genius, development, suffering and destruction. Not only that, everything that humans have done throughout history has led to where we are now, arguably we cannot understand our present without understanding our past and we truly cannot appreciate human capabilities until we see what humans had to do to achieve what they have. There are so many historical technologies and monuments that are still seen or used today, the existence of some still baffle us.

For me, ancient history was my favourite subject. I was amazed by what humans were capable of before they had even discovered electricity, or the concept of gravity or that the earth was in fact round and not the centre of the universe. The idea that the ancient egyptians had built one of the largest pyramids for Pharoah Khufu around 2530 BCE, which was considered to be the largest building on the planet until the early twentieth century. Constructing this monument of six and a half million tons of stone using only wooden pulleys held together by rope and managed by sheer human strength and ingenuity. The Angkor Wat Temple remaining from the Khmer Empire within the period of 800 – 1194 AD is an amazing example of irrigation used to support the structure of the temple within the geographical area that it was built upon. The temple was built in an area of swamp land that went through regular cycles of wet and dry seasons, as they entered the dry season the swampy are would dry out and compact itself, leaving space for the foundation of the pyramid to crack and collapse in on itself. The engineers at the time devised a form of irrigation that ensured that during the dry season, water from the local reserve would be directed into the swamp, under the foundation of the temple, preventing the land from drying out and keeping the temple foundation supported.

Khufu Pyramid, Giza (https://smarthistory.org/pyramid-of-khufu/)

Ankor Wat Temple, Cambodia (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Angkor-Wat)

Ancient art is also an amazing aspect, what stuck with me most from my studies in school were the minoan frescoes in Crete. These artworks told so many stories about what life may have been like and how they viewed certain aspects of society during their time, there pottery artworks were just as vivid, often presenting aquatic animals and scenes. The stories that come to mind as you look at these artworks are just breathtaking, you can’t help but imagine a flourishing civilisation that idolised athleticism, local flora and the surrounding coastlines.

Bull Leapers Fresco, Crete (https://edu.rsc.org/resources/restoration-of-minoan-paintings-imitation-or-reproduction/1640.article)

As much as I love ancient history and exploring what life was like before the invention of mechanical vehicles and communication devices, modern history is just as important. The modern era is what helps us understand how the world has gotten to where it is now. For example, the employability of married women has change drastically since World War II. In the US, less than 5% of married women were employed in the 1890s, this then increased dramatically to more than 60% by 1990, the most significant increase occuring in the years after 1940. While men were conscripted to the war, women were the ones who ensured that food and ammunition production continued on the homefront, some even becoming mechanics to ensure the continued use of machinery in factories. This especially continued if their husbands or fathers returned with injuries and illnesses that prevented them from working, or they did not survive the war. The economy had to continue and the female population ensured that it happened, this was of course challenged once the war was over but the reality was, women could work just as well as and just as hard as men. The 1960s saw the fight for equal human rights, this is an event that can be traced back to the days of colonisation and colonialism. The idea that the European white man was more important than the indigenous people who’s land they stole, this way of thinking had permeated society for centuries until it was officially challenged in the 1960s across the US and Australia. Groups led by freedom fighters such as Martin Luther King Jr and Charles Perkins, showing a strong stance without the use of violence despite violent means being used against them. Silent fighters such as Rosa Parks who simply wanted to keep her seat on the local bus, all these people fought for the society we have now. Many lost their lives and some people today would argue that freedom is still out of reach for many people, but the first steps were taken in the 1960s, leading into our world today.

Rosa Parks (https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/rosa-parks)

History is so important, and many people forget that, especially our young people. That’s why when I finally get to our history units I get so excited to be in the classroom, because I can open their minds to what the world used to be. Our children can gain an understanding of the amazing things that humans are capable of, but also the horrific things that we can do to eachother if we let ourselves run wild with our need for power, wealth and control. So, while not everyone “likes” history, I do believe that it is an important thing to understand before we can even begin to understand our present and move into our future.

References:
- Arsenault, R. (2006). Freedom riders: 1961 and the struggle for racial justice. Oxford University Press.
- Goldin, C. D. (1991). The role of World War II in the rise of women’s employment. The American Economic Review, 741-756.
- Goodman, J. (2000). Reinterpreting Angkor: the water, environment and engineering Context. 上智アジア学, 18, 131-163.
- Forsdyke, E. J. (1929). Minoan Art. British Academy.
- Shaw, J. (2003). Who Built the Pyramids?. Harvard Magazine, 6, 42-99.
“The Games Gods Play” by Abigail Owen

November 17th, 2025

This was a title that had been sitting on my shelf for a little while, I didn’t feel dedicated to reading it straight away (obviously) but a colleague of mine read it, loved it and was very determined for me to read it as well. By the end of it, I loved it but admittedly it was touch and go for a little bit there.

The start of a book sets the scene for the rest of the story, and I found the beginning to be a little bit confusing. The story is set in modern times, in this case, modern day San Francisco, BUT the Greek gods and goddesses are very much present in the world and like to wreak havoc with a hunger games style competition called the Crucible. The Context makes sense but the description of it in the beginning was a little confusing, that being said, once the story kicked off it was fantastic!

Anyone familiar with Greek mythology is aware of Hercules and the Twelve Labours, the Crucible follows the same set up. Each god and goddess selects their champion, who then fights to win the Crucible therefore crowning their sponsor god/goddess as the new ruler of Olympus for the next five years. All gods and goddesses participate except for Hades, but that was the twist for the story. Hades comes across our protagonist, Lyra, and chooses her as his champion. His motivations for participating is kept hidden throughout the book, but eventually comes to light and honestly, I found it quite respectable even though his way about it frustrated me to no end!

Lyra is forced to participate in the labours, during which she suffers no end of betrayal, pain and grief, which just adds to her already tragic backstory of being sold by her parents and cursed by Zeus from the moment of her birth. She is immediately likeable and her attitude towards all of the gods/goddesses in general is just awesome, even Cerberus and Charon have a soft spot for her! Each of the labours were beautifully put together and matched up with the assigned gods/goddesses wonderfully, the last labour being the absolute best one, especially since it reveals the reason as to why Hades chose Lyra to be his champion. Owen definitely wrapped up the book beautifully and then hooks us with one hell of a cliff hanger!

I cannot wait to read the sequel “Things that Gods Break”, which was released only a few weeks ago. If you enjoy modern day style Greek mythology, I strongly recommend “The Games Gods Play”.
“The Secret of Secrets” by Dan Brown

October 10th, 2025

As a bit of a palate cleanser after my push through read with “Born of Blood and Ash” by Jennifer L. Armentrout, I decided to pick up Dan Brown’s “The Secret of Secrets”. My partner grabbed it for me on a whim, he remembered that I read the “Da Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons”, and that I loved them! He was especially keen to grab it as it’s the first book in eight years that Dan Brown had published, even my mother was keen to her hands on it!

As always, a heads up that there are a few spoilers in this post, you have been warned!

Same as with his previous books, this novel is centred on his protagonist Robert Langdon, a renowned professor on Symbology, and his love interest Katherine Solomon, a noetic scientist. This whole book was focused on the concept of consciousness, similar to his previous book “Origin” (based on what my mother told me, I personally haven’t read it) but unlike his previous books which had a very heavy emphasis on religious concepts. This novel focuses mainly on how Kathrine’s experiments had successfully established a new definition and understanding of what consciousness is and what it looks like compared to the modern world’s current understanding of consciousness. This understanding is explained throughout the book as Langdon has flashbacks during his various near death experiences and attempts to escape his perceived enemies, as flashbacks of his conversations with Katherine about her work before she publishes it for the world to see. Obviously, someone does not want her work published, or there wouldn’t be a book!

The reader gains the POV of Langdon, his publisher Jonas who agrees to publish Katherine’s book (which is why he gets caught up in the mayhem), the US Ambassador in Prague, a man named Finch who seems to be running the mayhem in Prague, Katherine and a character known only as The Golem. It’s very typical of Dan Brown to have these multiple POVs in his book, but each POV provides elements of the story to help the reader work out what the mystery is and what role each character plays within that mystery.

So, this is what we have: someone wants to stop Katherine’s book from being published. She goes missing in Prague, Langdon is trying to find her but in true Dan Brown style he gets dragged into an investigation with a hard headed detective who sees him as a suspect and potential criminal mastermind rather than a naive professor trying to find his missing love. The US embassy appears to be trying to help Langdon but there are some major ulterior motives happening, poor Jonas’ servers get hacked and he gets dragged into this whole mess back in New York, there’s a man named Finch who seems to be running the show BUT not all is what it seems, especially when it comes to a young woman named Sasha who is prone to seizures, and then there’s The Golem who seems to a villain but might actually be more of a anti-hero type character. Oh, and of course there’s a few murders, conspiracies, arrests, threats, political espionage and an explosion.

All-in-all, it was a great read and I loved the mystery and the conspiracy theories that popped up, the only downside was the science speak. Normally I don’t have an issue with it and am mostly engaged with it, but the parts of the book that was explaining the science on occasion was too heavy with the scientific terminology and it went over my head. But, like I said, great read and I really enjoyed it, especially the surprise at the end when everything is explained.
“Born of Blood and Ash” by Jennifer L. Armentrout

September 28th, 2025

I have finally finished the last instalment of the Fire and Flesh series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, “Born of Blood and Ash”. I’m not going to lie, out of all the books in both this series and the Blood and Ash series, this one was the hardest for me to read. I started it in November 2024, and I am sad to say that it did not grab me the same way the other books did and I hit a slump HARD.

First off, if you continue to read this but have not read this book for yourself, there are some spoilers in this post. You have been warned!

What I love about JLA’s books in this series is that the next book pretty much picks up exactly where the last one finishes, with the exception of a couple, but the point is that not much time has passed between each book. So, this one carries on from the last book which ended with Sera being free of Kolis and blasting his so badly that he went into stasis and Ash is saved from his imprisonment. Now, based on the other books, you would expect that they don’t spend too much time celebrating their regained freedom and that Sera is in fact the true Queen of the gods as Ash had ascended her despite the extreme risk of destroying the realms, but go straight into defence and attack modes, preparing for the inevitable battle with Kolis once Sera had awakened from her ascension.

This did not happen. Yes Sera awakens, yes she is viewed (by most) as the true Primal of Life and Queen of the realms, yes she and Ash get it on (a lot) through the book, but there is one singular theme that carries on throughout the whole book that I did not expect. Sera’s trauma from her imprisonment by Kolis.

Now, admittedly it’s been a while since I read the last book and I couldn’t remember all of the finer details of what happened to Sera during her imprisonment, so I couldn’t fully wrap my head around why JLA would focus so much on it rather than the fighting and becoming the true Primal of Life. There have been so many books where the character who had suffered trauma finds a way to move past it and redirect focus back to the main storyline and action, and I suppose that was what I was expecting. I did not expect Sera’s trauma to be the main storyline rather than her fight against Kolis, and so I suppose I got a bit frustrated with it. That being said, I eventually started making some progress and that was when the finer details of her imprisonment were recapped, and then Sera’s trauma response began to make more sense. While I loved SJM’s recovery story for Nesta in A Court of Silver Flames, and how she recovered from her own trauma and making amends for what she did as a response to that trauma, JLA’s storytelling of Sera’s trauma response and recovery not only covered her imprisonment, but her entire life, and it was completely relatable and just so… real.

Anyone who has experienced abuse and/or assault, or knows someone who has, knows that there are many different ways that a person can respond to that trauma. Sera resorted to telling herself that it could have been worse, that others had suffered worse, that so much more could have been taken from her than what had been. She moves through this denial right up until Ash explodes and she suffers a panic attack, twice, which resulted in her turning into her notam (animal form) and she ran. Seeking freedom from the trauma, and to escape from the fact that she had to face it in order for Ash to help her. Anyone who has been in a remotely similar situation knows what it means to seek escape from it, but the truth is that you never really can.

This book not only addressed how Kolis ended up locked away, how Sera was forgotten as the True Primal of Life, how Poppy ended up in the situation she’s in and it even covers Sotoria’s story. It goes through the motions of what it means to be in a situation where you are trapped, helpless and the aftermath of finally escaping that prison, only to be trapped in another within your own mind. JLA highlighted the fear and anxiety that comes from such a trauma, as well as the strength and the courage it takes to try and move your life on from it. It’s not easy, it’s terrifying and suffocating, and doesn’t just go away. It takes never-ending strength and determination to face the reality of it everyday and still try to find the goodness in life, even if some days it seems impossible.

The end of the book is a bitter-sweet one, Sera and Ash find their happiness while knowing that the future still faces the last of prophecy. They prepare the best they can for the future war that is no longer avoidable (we know this), but still continue to find and hold on to the happiness in their lives. While I struggled with this book at first, in the end it really struck a chord with me, and I found myself truly invested in Sera’s healing as a traumatised woman rather than the protagonist of the story.

I sincerely hope that anyone who has experienced something similar to Sera (and all other characters in this series that suffered similar fates), also continues to find that happiness in their lives. If you’re not up to that part yet, please keep fighting to find it, you deserve it because you truly did not deserve the trauma that plagues you.
“Blood and Ash” & “Flesh and Fire” by Jennifer L. Armentrout

September 20th, 2025
I am gearing up to finish the most recent book in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s “Blood and Ash” and “Flesh and Fire” series. The big finale to these series is well on its way, and let me tell you it has been such a ride!

First of all, if you have not read the entire series up to date, do not progress any further! SPOILERS LIE AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

So, let’s start with a bit of context. There are two series, one is the primary and the other is the prequel, if you read them in the recommended order online, it takes you on an amazing journey that spans across hundreds of years, joining the lives of two young women. The series is set in a fantasy world full of gods, monsters, magic, prophecies and lies. Oh, and LOTS of sexual tension that is to die for. Not to mention the romance *swoon*.

Ok, series one: “Blood and Ash”. Seven books published, with two more on the way as the final books for the series. Our main character is Poppy, the Maiden chosen to save the entire kingdom from the monstrous Atlantians that feast on their blood and leave their lifeless corpses behind, unless they arise again as soulless monsters called craven. The Ascended are those blessed by the gods to protect what’s left of humanity until the maiden’s ascension, Poppy has been preparing for this since her birth. However, she has a secret. She has a gift that allows her to take people’s pain away, she is able to sense a person’s emotions which is revealed through particular tastes in her mouth, and her life long guard has been training her in secret so she is able to protect herself, so the tragedy that killed her parents and nearly killed her didn’t happen again. She keeps her secrets, prepares for her ascension and survives the “lessons” of the duke that is meant to shame her. Until, her new guard steps in and turns her life upside down, Hawke. A forbidden attraction grows that threatens her destiny and his mission, of which they both have more than one. Poppy discovers a life she never knew she could have, the depths of her powers grow and her love for those around her knows no bounds. The biggest mystery of this series, is finding out who Poppy truly is and the truth behind the war between the Atlantians and the Ascended.

Series two: Flesh and Fire. This is the prequel series that provides the context for Blood and Ash, revealing across the four books (with no news of any more) what had led to the events of Blood and Ash. The main character is Sera, the first Maiden to be born, the one who sets the events in the first series into motion. She is a killer for the crown, her true identity a secret to everyone, especially since she had failed the realm on her eighteenth birthday and the Queen had never forgiven her. She spends her days and nights exacting the Queen’s revenge on her enemies, sending messages coded in death, blood and mutilation. While all she wants is the love of a family who hates her, a home in a kingdom that doesn’t even know she exists and to forget about the healing power that she held. Sera wanders the night aimlessly until she catches the presence of two gods, before she can decide what to do, a man hides her from them, his disgust in her presence obvious. His name, Ash, and he is the walking representation of seduction, except for his attitude which leaves a lot to be desired. Yet, Sera cannot get enough of him. They run into each other repeatedly, Sera often holding her own in a fight, until one day the King dies and his awful son decides to make an example of her with the help of a whip. Ash shows up, revealing himself as a god and takes her away, the truth of her apparent failure revealed to her and the opportunity to make things right for her people arises. Sera believes she knows what she is supposed to do, but the truth is never that clear. Her destiny had been decided many generations before her, and the gods have been playing with her life for just as long. Sera’s decisions and actions can prevent or start a war of the gods, and the repercussions of this will be felt for centuries afterwards, leading into Blood and Ash.

I strongly suggest reading the books in the following order, as each book in this order informs the context of the next book, slowly revealing pieces that clear up the events and the secrets revealed in that book:
1. From Blood and Ash (B&A)
2. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (B&A)
3. A Crown of Gilded Bones (B&A)
4. A Shadow in the Ember (F&F)
5. The War of Two Queens (B&A)
6. A Light in the Flame (F&F)
7. A Soul of Ash and Blood (B&A)
8. A Fire in the Flesh (F&F)
9. Born of Blood and Ash (F&F)
10. The Primal of Blood and Bone (B&A) >> September 2025
11. Final Instalment (B&A) >> Spring 2026
So… The Primal of Blood and Bone was supposed to be the FINAL book, but JLA stated that the wrap to the series got so big that she had to split it into two parts. There is also a novella called Visions of Flesh and Blood, while it is not necessary to read it for the series (and I haven’t read it myself yet, so I am basing this entirely on what I have read from other readers), it’s my understanding that this book reveals some fun background information about Hawke and his closest people, among other stories told from the POV of the famous Miss Willa Colyns, who is also Poppy’s favourite writer.

Honestly, I rate this universe right up there with Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City. SJM’s universe was a beautiful creation, and I never thought I’d find a series that got close to it. JLA certainly managed to do that, but they are also amazing in their own rights. I can’t wait to continue this story, even though I don’t want it to end, I look forward to finding out the complete truth to Sera’s and Poppy’s stories.
“The Bullet That Missed” by Richard Osman

September 20th, 2025

I had moved on the third book in the Thursday Murder Club series, “The Bullet that Missed” and I was not disappointed!

With every book, you learn more about our mystery solving pensioners, the previous book “The Man Who Died Twice” looked into Elizabeth, Joyce and Ibrahim. This one revealed more about Ron, Joyce (again), their wonderful side characters Chris, Donna and Bogdan, and you also learn a bit more about Stephen (Elizabeth’s husband).

Just a quick heads up, some spoilers ahead!

The gang are looking into the ten year old murder of a young journalist, mainly because Joyce wanted to meet a news presenter that she’s a fan of and he happened to know the poor young lady who was killed. But this is not the only mystery that gets investigated, very early on, Elizabeth and poor Stephen get abducted by a man who was, in a way, connected to the mystery in the previous book. He had done his homework on Elizabeth, and had requested that she kill the man who managed the money laundering for the criminals in the previous book. Elizabeth happens to have a history with the target (from her MI-6 days) and refuses, stating that she has had a wonderful life will happily have it end here, Stephen God bless him agrees with her. Then the real gut wrenching poor of the story happens, the man (whom they refer to as the Viking) states that he will kill Joyce if she doesn’t do it. Poor Joyce!

So, Elizabeth sets a plan in motion to save the man from her spy days and Joyce from being murdered. While this is happening, the rest of the gang including Chris and Donna are working on solving the journalists murder, the biggest challenge being that her body was never found. The chief suspect was already in prison for fraud, which is where Ibrahim comes in. He enlists the help of Connie Johnson, one of our criminals from the previous book, who is also in jail, who agrees to gather information from the suspect if Ibrahim becomes her therapist. Oh, and she plans to kill Ron and Bogdan when she gets out of jail. Something that Ibrahim is trying to dissuade her of in their therapy sessions.

Eventually, things begin to come to a head. Elizabeth fakes the death of the man she’s supposed to kill and hides him in Joyce’s flat at Cooper’s Chase. He also agrees to help them in their investigation and begins contemplating moving into Cooper’s Chase for the company, despite his criminal affiliations. However, the Viking realises that the death was faked and goes after Joyce while she is alone. Dear, sweet little Joyce talks him into putting the gun down, taking a seat and having a tea. He even helps her with her cryptocurrency investment, as he launders money through crypto, just before he passes out from the sleeping pills that Joyce drugged his tea with. We are reminded yet again that Joyce is one dangerous little old lady!

Eventually, the Viking admits that he doesn’t want to kill anyone but is expected to keep up appearances, and refuses to give them his real name. That mystery was solved by our wonderful Stephen, with the assistance of Bogdan, who called in a favour with an old friend who could track antique books anywhere. Stephen eventually managed to recall these unique and expensive editions from his abduction, but mistakenly thought it was an old friend who had them. It’s during this book that we find out just how far Stephen’s dementia has progressed, and I won’t lie, my heart was breaking for him and Elizabeth towards the end of the book. You also find out that the makeup artist Ron is dating has quite a fire to her and would gladly shoot some bullets into the Viking if he ever even thought of killing Ron or his friends ever again. Ron has his hands full with that awesome lady!

In the end, the gang had managed to enlist the help of two money launderers, a news reader, a make up artist, a current prisoner, their friendly detectives, and eventually the Chief of Police and tv presenter. By the end, you find out the killer was someone you totally did not expect it to be, one murder wasn’t even a murder, and another didn’t actually happen! Oh, and Joyce has decided to start writing crime novels, the main character being a detective named after her late husband. This surprises Elizabeth, especially when she finds Joyce quizzing a forensic specialist at a crime scene about decomposing bodies that Joyce has decided would be hacked up by a chainsaw. I think everyone involved should be glad that Joyce had found her calling as a nurse, and not as a serial killer.

So, all-in-all, another wonderful story from Richard Osman about my favourite pensioners. Every book gets better and better, and don’t even get me started on the twists! You don’t see them coming.
“I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-com” by Kimberly Lemming

September 1st, 2025

I have just finished “I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-com” by Kimberley Lemming, and… words escape me. I am actually struggling to string a coherent sentence together for this post, but I will definitely try!

Let’s start with the title, it has comedy written all over it and don’t even get me started on the pink T-Rex on the cover. I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this novel, but it definitely not what I had read. It starts normal enough, our FMC is Dory, a Wildlife Biologist working to achieve her Phd when the unfortunate happens: she’s attacked by a lion while photographing meerkat matricide and trying to work out how to get away from the hotshot Harvard lawyer that her mother had matched her up with.

Queue the alien abduction! Dory wakes up alive after being killed by the lion, surrounded by owl-like creatures, naturally her instinct is to scream and try to escape a space ship in the middle of space. She comes across other women asleep in tubes, but only manages to get herself into an escape pod with the same lion that killed her on planet earth. Oh, and at some point she became able to communicate with all aliens and animals by kissing them, so when the lion licks her face she ended up with a talking animal companion who was as keen to escape as she was. Since neither of them can drive an alien space pod, they crash on a nearby planet that is inhabited by mutated dinosaurs and another alien race that resemble satyrs, oh, and they all happen to be only males. Anyone worked out where this is going yet? Even if you think you have, just bear with me.

After nearly being eaten by a mosasaurus, Dory and her lion, who she named Totto, are saved by a Satyr type creature named Sol who is only able to communicate with them after Dory kisses him for saving them. They survive the night, Dory is weirdly attracted to the alien who has not seen a female since the destruction of his home planet ten years ago, after which they were suddenly dumped on this planet, while Sol is interested but then freaks out about Dory’s feet thinking that she has hoof rot. In the morning, Dory and Totto wander off due to Totto’s need to eat, he tries to teach Dory how to hunt during which she inadvertently gets hung upside down in a trap. Then the second Satyr is revealed, Lok, who instantly falls for Dory and that was before she even kisses him. Sol comes charging in, stating that Lok was from an opposing clan, they fight it out until an owl alien crashes their pod trying to retrieve Dory. All three get shot by a dart, which acts as an aphrodisiac and creates a mating bond between them. It’s at this point the true nature of the planet is revealed, any guesses?

It’s a mating program! The boys planet was crashed into by an owl aliens fuel carrier which poisoned their planet and killed their whole population, the fuel company was tasked with repairing the devastation to the species. So, they grabbed some Satyrs, not realising that they were all males, and landed them on a conservation planet that was designed to vaguely resemble their own. Then, a program was initiated to find a species that, with the appropriate modifications, could reproduce with these creatures, which brings us to the abducted human females. They took only females who had suffered an immediate death, healed and modified their reproductive system, then brought them back to life and dropped them off on the planet to begin breeding. They put animals, plants and houses from planet earth to make them feel more comfortable, unfortunately they got all of their information from museums with dinosaur bones and a romance novel with a one-bed trope.

Dory gives in to her urges as does Lok and Sol, which just gets weird because they have tails with suction capabilities on the end of them as well as ridges on their tongues and manhood. I say again, things get weird, especially with the owl alien observing them for ‘research’. So, Dory decides to march her way to the main research centre and punch the guy in charge in the face, her new mates follow her. Eventually, they all get separated, there’s an ensuing battle that has carried on from the boys previous planet which has resulted in the King wanting to kill Lok, using dirty tactics but there’s no possible way he could win on his own. Oh, and he manages to get a female bonded to him who was definitely not ok with it and tries to shoot him multiple times. Those two are perfect for each other, just saying.

Anyways, things work out, Sol and Lok are saved as is Dory, even Totto finds himself a mate in a female sabre tooth tiger. Dory even manages to punch the boss owl in the face, and has sex with Lok and Sol, again, on the alien’s desk after Totto dragged the unconscious alien out of the room. Meanwhile, the King and his human mate were dragged off to couples counselling which resulted in a whole level of the research centre being blown up.

So much more happens in this book, but I just can’t bring myself to explore all of it here. If you enjoy a good laugh and an extreme version of a rom-com with aliens and a talking lion, go for it!
“Plunderer Vol. 1” by Suu Minazuki, Dayeun Kim & Ko Ransom

August 25th, 2025

Since being introduced to the streaming service, CrunchyRoll, I have come across many anime that have caught my interest, and since I am an avid reader when I come across an anime that looks good I of course go looking for the manga or light novel. “Plunderer” is one such anime that I watched and then went in search of the manga when I discovered that there was going to be no more seasons coming my way, very much to my disappointment.

First, the anime. My boyfriend put it on and compared to “Solo Levelling” and “Attack on Titan”, it’s safe to say I cringed hard for the first few episodes. I always knew that adult anime could be highly sexualised, but I never ventured past the child focused anime such as “Yu Gi Oh” and “Pokemon”, until now and I was so not prepared. Safe to say, my boyfriend got a kick out my reactions. Once I got used to the sexualised content, I started to find those parts of the story the way they are supposed to be, and that was comedic. I laughed and smiled, still cringed a little (because I’m that overly sensitive and innocent person) and came to love the story that was happening, which was why I was so upset to find out that the anime series was in fact five years old and was not likely to see anymore episodes. If you have a tendency to blush at any kind of sexual reference or theme, this is perhaps not the show for you.

Which brings me to the manga series, I found them on amazon and got them on my kindle with the exception of Volume 3 which I cannot for the life of me find anywhere, but I will not give up! Until then, I finished Volume 1 which got us to about Episode 8 of the anime series. If I cringed at the anime, the manga turned me bright red! Still nothing directly sexual, but like I said, I’ tend to blush easily and it’s one thing seeing it as an anime rather than a drawn image. It seems to follow the same story, something I find to be a very common thing with anime and manga, which is what I absolutely love about anime and manga.

“Plunderer” is set in a world where the people are governed by numbers, which is determined by a criteria of their choosing. They achieve their criteria, and their number goes up, if they fail their number goes down. If they reach zero, they are dragged into the abyss by metaphysical hands, after which no one knows what happens. The world seems to be set some time in the past, no advanced technology is visible during the story, but there is a big hidden truth behind this world that is not revealed until much later. Some people’s numbers result in a significant amount of power such as manifesting iron objects out of nothing and moving through time or advanced physical attributes such as speed and strength. Additional numbers can be provided through special objects called ballots, but these have become illegal and can result in death.

Characters! Licht is the broken protagonist with hidden power and strength, but seems to be continuously punishing himself for past deeds that were not entirely his fault. He also comes across as a bit of pervert (hence some of the cringing), but I’m pretty sure that this is just one of the many masks he wears to hide himself from others. He is known as The Ace of Flashing Strikes, a soldier from the Waste War which occurred 300 years previously, and he has one of the highest counts in the story. Hina, is the adorable love interest who is fully dedicated to proving to Licht that he is capable of being loved and does not need to shoulder this past on his own. She spent 5 years looking for the legendary Ace, following instructions from her mother as she was dragged into the Abyss. She carries an illegal ballot, trying to find the Ace she was supposed to give it to, and that’s when she finds Licht. She also develops quite a sexualised persona by the end of the anime series, but only for Licht which seems to freak him out a little despite his love for her.

The supporting characters are just as funny and loveable, Pele and Lin as unorthodox military soldiers who help Licht out, Jail who was supposed to capture Licht but ends up helping him as well, and of course Nana who is Licht’s long time friend and one of the toughest female characters in this series. She certainly gives Jail a run for his money, which I cannot wait to see more of!

I have loved this story so far, and cannot wait to find what happens to these amazing characters next!
“Fifth Wing” by Reid Mockery

August 17th, 2025

I have just recently finished my reading of “Fifth Wing” by Reid Mockery, which is a parody of the popular novel “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros. The first thing I must say is that there will be spoilers in this posting (it is unavoidable when talking about this book) and the second thing is, you cannot truly appreciate the humour of this parody unless you have read the original it is based on.

First of all, “Fifth Wing” is just… wow. There is no other way to put it. Every time I went to read it, I had to put it down to laugh and cover my face, unable to look my partner in the eye after what I had just read, considering he was the one who bought the book for me. It was humorous and definitely challenged some of the more intense parts of the “Fourth Wing” novel. However, if you are someone who is wholly dedicated to the original novel and is not flexible to poked fun about it, this is most definitely NOT the reading for you.

So… summary time! Again, there will be some spoilers to this:

Our protagonist, Vile Soreinbut, is fully determined to become another dragon rider in her family, her siblings being one and her mother being a General. However, she is challenged by her inability to study, concentrate without a constant presence of food in her vicinity and her curvy, full figure. While some readers may not appreciate the references to Vile’s weight and size, I myself being a curvy woman, came to appreciate her determination to still fight for her dream and shake her voluptuous body in the faces of those who put her down. Much like Violet, she employed poisonous tactics to win her battles on the mat, and when that didn’t totally work she sat on them which mostly ensure her victory. That is until, Xadence Marriott challenges her to a surprise fight, starting off with a strip tease down to a thong, and an oiled up burlesque dance. I had to put the book down for the first time. Poor Vile never had a chance, although Xadence did make it up to her with a box of pastries.

Vile makes it to the Gauntlet, which is described as the backwards playground from hell itself involving a teeter totter (see-saw), witches’ hat (no idea what the Australian version of this is), merry-go-round, and jungle gym. Much like Violet, she struggles through getting the Gauntlet right, one miss-step could land her in broken glass or a chasm of death. Pain Assos continues to try to help her, despite Vile injuring him every, single, time. To date, he’s been stabbed in the leg and the shoulder, thrown into the hellish playground equipment and leaving with a broken limb and I’m pretty sure he’s also been hit in the head. To anyone to had hoped Dain Aetos from “Fourth Wing” would get injured during the novel, well Pain definitely cops it in this!

Vile gets a handy hint from Xadence, survives the Gauntlet and ends up with two dragons. One oversized, slightly inebriated, black dragon named Torn son of Tarmac, and a rainbow coloured bundle of joy who won’t stop squawking, Adammit. Torn’s signet allows Vile to jump to the front of any line, which is great for the cafeteria, while Adammit’s allows her to shoot lightning from any and all orifices. It’s after this that we get a bit of a script of what the mated dragons get up to when they’re feeling frisky, Vile and Xadence acting out every thought that the dragons send their way, and Vile experiences Xadence’s signet for the second time, an extreme orgasm. You heard me, Xadence is an orgasmic, he literally kills people with super orgasms. It was at that point, I had to put the book down for the third time. The second time was when Xadence explained and demonstrated his signet for the first time in Vile’s room.

The Fifth Wing win the squad challenge, involving four categories: Gauntlet, sparring, war history and fashion. They got a lovely spring break at Mount Lauderdale, where they all get drunk, Vile and Xadence have an emergency heat session when their dragons get frisky again and Xadence experiences Vile’s second signet for the first time, a bolt of lightning out of her butt while he’s trying to get into her. He is then unconscious for the remainder of the trip. That was the fourth time I had to put the book down.

The rest of the book went on about as expected, Vile and Xadence carry on their physical needs with extra protection, the squad heads off on a mission, they come across the gryphons and Vile finds out the truth. They get attacked by Vermint and Wyvern, Vile saves the day with her nostril lightning, but not before accidentally killing Sailor and his dragon (mentally hitting myself as I read this, and still mourning poor Liam), then she flings herself off Torn’s back and plummets to her death. But, then she wakes up in a cozy bed with Xadence looking at her lovingly and her not-so-dead brother standing at the foot of her bed.

So, again, you can’t really truly appreciate the humour of this book without having read “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros, but if you are also a fully committed “Fourth Wing” fan, this probably isn’t the book for you. I love the “Fourth Wing” series and cannot wait for the next one, “Onyx Storm” just absolutely killed me! I did, however, really enjoy the humour of “Fifth Wing” and will be reading the sequel “Purple Flame”, considering that they were bought together.