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Usagi Yojimbo – Comic Book Recommendation

Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai
Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai
Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo is one of the most complex and sweeping samurai epics of all time. This book has been published since 1984 and it is still going. If you are looking for a great comic book read that is not a superhero comic, Usagi Yojimbo stands tall as one of the best ever made. While it has its legion of fans, the comic is often overlooked by new readers because it looks a bit cartoonish and cutesy. Much like Bone which is cute on the surface but is truly a massive fantasy epic, with Usagi you get far more than it looks like on the cover.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

What is Usagi Yojimbo about?

The word Usagi means rabbit. Yojimbo means bodyguard. That’s a pretty good description of what this is about. But there is so much more to it. This is set at the beginning of the Edo period in Japan when the country was just coming under the rule of the shogunate and people were still feeling battle scars from recent history.

Each story follows Usagi on an adventure where he often protects the innocent or rights some wrong. Reading the books gives the same feeling you get when watching some of the greatest Akira Kurosawa samurai films.

There is an expansive cast of characters, several who come and go, and some who you meet only once and never again. A larger story line exists in the series. But it is possible to pick up any volume of the series and get an entire story.

My only word of caution here is to be careful about giving it to very young kids. There is nothing explicit here but there is some blood. And considering this is a samurai story, characters die. Generally, it’s fine for almost all audiences though.

How do I get started?

There is a long and complicated publishing history to this comic. It’s gone through several publishers. The character has always belonged to the creator, writer and artist Stan Sakai, but he’s moved Usagi to a few different spots for different reasons. Lucky for us, however, the numbering of the series is pretty straightforward. There are over 40 numbered volumes plus some omnibus editions and other volumes and crossovers that pop up here and there.

While I think you can really jump in anywhere, as long as you are reading a collected story, I think the best volume to begin with is Usagi Yojimbo, Book 1: The Ronin. This collects the earliest comics and starts out the proper story. If you start here and read through, you also get to see the progression of Sakai’s art style. It takes him just a bit to land on the tone he wants but once this gets going, it is a jaw dropping body of work.

You can get the first volume on Amazon by clicking the image above or the link here. It’ll cost you $19. If you buy through one of my links it really helps out this blog without any extra cost to you.

If you have a lot of cash to burn and you know you want to get in to Usagi, there is also the Usagi Yojimbo: The Special Edition: 2 Volume Hardcover Box Set. That will set you back at least $116 though. You can get the paperback version for $99. The nice thing about this set is you get the first seven Usagi stories plus some extra artwork and cover gallery. It’s a big price tag though. But if you want it you can grab it right here.

Usagi Yojimbo conclusion

Ready to settle in for a great long read that will transport you back to Edo Japan, full of depth, action, and an unforgettable cast of characters? Usagi Yojimbo is perfect for that. Stan Sakai’s epic is one of the most brilliant comics ever made. Look past the cuteness of the character if that is not your thing. And if it is, then embrace it because there is lots of cuteness too! But either way this is an incredible comic which I simply cannot recommend enough.

Give it a read and let me know what you think!

P.S. want to see some of my superhero comic reviews? Take a look at my series on the Marvel 616 comics here!

Posted on by slickdungeon

Comic Book Recommendation – Peanuts

The Complete Peanuts: Volume 1
Comic Book Recommendation - Peanuts
The Complete Peanuts Volume 1

Because today feels like the kind of day we could all use something wholesome and funny and beloved, I thought I would recommend a comic book. My comic book recommendation – Peanuts needs no advertisement from me. But any time I need to turn to something that is guaranteed to put a smile on my face? I turn to Charles M. Schulz. I’m sure you’ve seen Peanuts cartoons or read some comics in a newspaper or had a volume or two starring Snoopy. But I’m going to talk about my favorite way to read these comics. In complete volumes.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

What is Peanuts about?

Put simply, Peanuts comics are about a group of kids who hang out together. The focus is usually on Charlie Brown who tends to run into a lot of bad luck. The most popular character in the series is his adorable dog, a beagle named Snoopy. We see his escapades as he tries (and often fails) to do normal kid things like fly a kite, win a baseball game, and kick a football.

It sounds simple but because Peanuts comics were around for fifty years in newspapers, there is a ton of material to enjoy. There is actually no need to read them in any particular order at all. And any one strip of Peanuts is almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face. But you probably know all of that already.

What you might be a little less familiar with are some of the older strips. These show the characters a little younger than we’re used to. And they introduce us to future mainstays like Woodstock and Schroeder. Virtually all of the comics are meant to give you a laugh but there are some very sweet and touching moments along the way.

In the earliest volumes the kids are just a bit meaner to each other than they tend to be in later years. But it’s still an amazing read and really fun.

How do I get started?

I’ve read most of the Peanuts comics. I can’t say I’ve definitely read every one because there is just such a big volume to them. But the complete volumes are about as close as you can get to make sure you’ve read the bulk of the work. The physical copy comes in a bit of an oddly shaped version. It’s 8.66 x 1.34 x 6.77 inches. This is like half the height of a normal book and it extends out a good bit. They fit three of the daily strips per page. So it sits a bit awkward on a bookshelf. But it’s a great book to lay on a coffee table or something like that. And I promise, if you leave it out, someone will pick it up and read it.

If you want to get started, I’d recommend starting literally anywhere with these books. Buy any volume from 1-26 and you’ve got a great comic in your hand.

But to make it easy I’ll just link to the first volume here. It’ll cost you around $27 bucks for the hardcover. Cheaper if you get it on Kindle.

If ya wanna be a pal, consider using one of the links in this blog when you get it!

And just to give you a taste, here’s a little sample.

In conclusion

Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Peanuts always provides that. It’s genuinely wholesome and always a fun read. You can read just a single strip or a whole collection any time and you’ll probably feel just a little better inside. It’s the small things sometimes.

Anyway, I hope you check out Peanuts if you haven’t or if it’s been a while. You’ll enjoy it.

P.S. Want another comic book recommendation? Check out The Goon!

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Mistborn

This year the Cosmere role playing game is going to release at the end of the year. I thought now would be a great time for me to dive back in to the Cosmere books and I decided to start by re-reading Mistborn.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

If you want to get your own copy to read this year, it would help my blog out a lot if you purchased through the image above or clicked here.

Synopsis:

Once, a hero arose to save the world. He failed.

Ever since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist controlled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler.

But hope survives. A new uprising is forming, one built around the ultimate caper, the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind, and the determination of an unlikely heroine: a street urchin who must learn to master the power of a Mistborn.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The first book in the Mistborn series introduces us to the main players and sets up the world they operate in. And it establishes the rules of magic for the world. This is a dystopian world where ash falls from the sky and the despotic Lord Ruler has governed for a thousand years. He stays in power by oppressing the Skaa people and making sure the nobility is beholden to his whims.

But in this world there are people with special gifts. They can do a kind of magic called Allomancy. The way this works is they ingest a small amount of metal. Then they use that metal to allow them to do things like enhance their senses an strengthen their bodies. And even, in one case, they can see briefly into possible futures.

Out of this world a few characters come up with a bold plan to overthrow the Lord Ruler. Kelsier, a famous thief recruits Vin, a teenage urchin, to put his plan into action. The story is from Vin’s point of view as she learns about the nobility, the Skaa, the Lord Ruler, and Allomancy.

But there is a reason this Lord Ruler has reigned for so long. He has every resource at his disposal. The bold plan of Kelsier’s may be doomed.

While I don’t think this is the best book of the series, it does a great job of establishing the heroes, villains, and mysteries of the world. As with a lot of Brandon Sanderson books, the magic system is complicated. But it works well and makes for some really memorable scenes. The opening scene of the book alone is one of the most epic in fantasy novels.

If you like fantasy books and you haven’t read Mistborn I highly recommend checking this one out. To take away any confusion, this book is known as Mistborn but you’ll also see it titled Mistborn: The Final Empire. You might even find it as just The Final Empire.

If you like heroic fantasy set against impossible odds, this book is for you.

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The Goon – Comic Book Recommendation

Comic Book Recommendation - The Goon by Eric Powell is a humorous mix of mobsters, zombies, giant squids, weird stories and supernatural phenomena that highly entertains.
The Goon by Eric Powell

I review a lot of super hero comics on this blog. I love those. But there are so many more comics out there and many of them are worth reading. So, I decided I will be giving some recommendations here on comics worth reading that are not super hero comics. The first is my comic book recommendation – The Goon. It’s created by Eric Powell and has recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Yet, I hardly see it talked about.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

What is The Goon about?

The titular Goon is a big tough mob enforcer type who’s just a regular guy. He hangs out with his buddy Franky and knows everyone in town. But there’s a rival gang of zombies who all hate the Goon and want to see him dead.

The stories are full of humor, violence, gore and oddball things like giant squids and fishmen who are also gangsters. There are plenty of gross out moments in the books so if you don’t find that funny or you are too squeamish for some splattery yet cartoonish gore, this won’t be for you.

There are also moments where the series gets some surprisingly touching moments as well. It gets pretty weird too. There are talking chainsaws, people rising from the dead, jokes about inflatable chickens, and just about everything you could imagine in here.

And while the concept is fun and odd and my type of read, what I think really makes it stand out is the utterly incredible artwork. Eric Powell more or less takes his time with this one and for that reason it tends to look amazing. I’ll give you a couple images below so you can see what I am talking about.

Image of a spooky house in The Goon comic

See how evocative and moody the above image is? It fully immerses us in the time period of the 1930s and brings up feelings of dread and impending doom. Now contrast that with the wild image below. It’s full of bright colors, over the top action, and quippy humor. Powell is able to straddle styles and fit moods in appropriate places while maintaining high quality artwork. It’s truly amazing to behold.

Hopefully that sells you on reading this but there’s a 25 year backlog of this comic so you might be thinking…

How do I get started?

The nice thing about this series is it’s not too overwhelming. At present there are around 54 issues of the first series of The Goon. The second series has at least 12 issues. But there are some spinoffs and one shots and things like that as well. And there are multiple ways to get started with it. The stories are generally self contained so you can pick up any trade paperback and be at a pretty good starting point. But there is a larger story so it can be fun to start from the beginning.

Here’s a whole guide put together by  Trevor Van As with some insightful comments on content warning as well. There are some single issues missing from this as Eric Powell is still making new comics for the series.

While I think the so called, Fancy Pants editions are pretty neat, they have to be purchased on eBay so the price tends to run a bit high.

You could also start with the first trade paperback called The Goon Volume 1: Nothin’ But Misery which collects issues 1-4 plus a short story. This will run you $22 for a physical copy.

But that’s not the best deal because the first omnibus called The Goon: Bunch of Old Crap an Omnibus Volume 1 is just a few bucks more at $35. And it collects four of the trade paperbacks The Goon: Rough Stuff, The Goon: Nothing But Misery, The Goon: My Murderous Childhood, and The Goon: Heaps of Ruination. It’s even cheaper if you get it on Kindle for $10.99.

If ya wanna be a pal, consider using one of the links in this blog when you get it!

In Conclusion

I’ll be recommending more comics here, both superhero and non-superhero so if this one doesn’t float your boat, I’ll probably find one you will like later. But if you like funny comics, horror comics, great art, a bit of crude humor and some mob style enforcers in your stories, plus a healthy dose of weirdness, well, The Goon more than has you covered. And did I mention it has won five Eisner awards? In other words, this is a well regarded comic even among other comic creators.

Give it a read and let me know what you think!

P.S. want to see some of my superhero comic reviews? Take a look at my series on the Marvel 616 comics here!

Posted on by slickdungeon

2025 Book Challenge!

person standing on stacks of books
Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.com

2025 Book Challenge!

The 2025 book challenge is simple. Pick an item on the list. Find a book that matches. If you are reading a book and realize it fits an item, check it off! Download the list right here or from the image below to get started!

Slick Dungeon's 2025 Book Challenge!
Slick Dungeon’s 2025 Book Challenge!

Here’s how I plan to meet the challenge!

  1. My favorite book is Lord of the Rings.
  2. For a book assigned in High Schools I will re-read 1984.
  3. For a book with a blue cover – I haven’t decided what book to do here. But one of the ones I read in 2025 is bound to have a blue cover.
  4. I’m in the middle of the Mistborn series. Finding a fantasy book should be easy.
  5. For a non-fiction book I’ll either read a biography (probably about a musician) or something about the comic book industry. I love learning more about both of those.
  6. A book you saw someone reading in a movie – This will be a surprise. I’ll just pick the next book someone reads in a movie I am watching.
  7. For a book of short stories I’m reading You Like it Darker by Stephen King.
  8. For a book with an amazing first line – Technically two lines but The Restaurant at the End of the Universe starts like this – “The story so far: in the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.” How great is that?
  9. Most people know the end of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It ends with the perfect line – ‘He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance.’
  10. For a book that is not on a best seller list, I’ll decide the month I read it. To make sure it’s not on a best seller list. There are plenty to choose!
  11. For a book with only a few characters I will read This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.
  12. I reserve the right to change this one. But I’m planning to read Carrie Fisher’s memoir The Princess Diarist.

Let me know how it goes!

I hope you enjoy the challenge! Don’t forget to let me know if you read along. And how it goes if you do.

Challengingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Schroeder – Book Review

Schroeder by Neal Cassidy
Schroeder by Neal Cassidy

I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Synopsis:

When an ordinary young man wakes up in his quiet neighborhood on a day seemingly like all the others, the city he’s lived in all his life has no idea what’s about to befall it once he sets out on a day-long bike ride carrying a purposefully packed backpack and a definitive plan.

Who is Schroeder, and what motivates his brutal killing spree? As he cycles from one victim’s home to the next, keeping pace with the rhythm of a city that burgeons to life under an increasingly dazzling sun exposing both its beauty and vivacity and its dark, dirty, underbelly, Schroeder lays bare his dreams, disappointments, delights, and dismays, establishing himself as a compelling contemporary antihero. The day rolls ominously towards its climax through hectic city streets, lush suburban gardens, stately mansions, and decrepit housing projects, punctuated by Schroeder’s reflections on a society in shambles and a deeply damaged, if not broken, humanity—but not without revealing life’s boundless wonder and infinite possibilities for joy and redemption through moments that are within—and yet tragically beyond—Schroeder’s grasp. A tell-all denouement brings Schroeder out of the shadows of his actions, the pathos of his questions about the kind of world we live in lingering long after.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Schroeder is a twenty-something year old man living in an unnamed city. He starts out his day with a methodical plan, narrating us through all he does. The reader is so far inside Schroeder’s head, even mundane descriptions begin to feel ominous. Schroeder loads up his backpack with all of the supplies he needs, eats his breakfast, reads his most prized comic book, and heads out for a day of unrelenting violence.

One by one the reader is taken along with Schroeder as he makes stop after stop and unleashes incredibly vivid acts of torture and murder. In between these acts, and sometimes during them, Schroeder has deep philosophical thoughts about life, society, what justice is, and how the world is as he sees it.

The violence is bloody and sudden and unapologetic. This book is not for those who are disturbed by gore and violence. But, more than the violence, the thoughts and events that Schroeder enacts, and the things that explain his murderous rampage are even more unsettling. This is the type of book that remains with the reader long after finishing.

It’s a fascinating take on a character in an extreme situation, taking extreme measures. Neal Cassidy does an incredible job of allowing the reader to both be repulsed by and empathize with Schroeder. And Cassidy shows that those who are most capable of such acts can still see and understand the complexity, beauty and difficulty in life.

If you read the book, there is no forgetting it. If you love dark, psychological thrillers and don’t mind spending time in the head of a killer who you may have more in common with than you think, this book is a fantastic read.

Posted on by slickdungeon

The Assays of Ata – Book Review

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

SYNOPSIS

Bitch.
Bastard.
Orphan.

Ata had become inured to these epithets – her self-directed labels cut much deeper:

Spy.
Liar.
Traitor.

Their accuracy rent to the bone… But all people had their roles to play and hers was one of secrecy and survival-driven destruction. For the greater good.

Follow Ata’s travails through royal intrigues, violent invasions, and hard-forged alliances as she fights alongside friend and foe for the survival of the continent of Áitarbith. She questions old relationships and forges new whilst navigating treacherous courts and brutal battle landscapes, possibly finding love along the way. In the face of an implacably ruthless enemy, as well as uncertainty as to who can be trusted, the final outcome of this struggle is anything but certain.

This is Book 1 of a trilogy titled The Chronicles of Áitarbith.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

REVIEW

Ata is a spy for her kingdom of Pandia. She’s infiltrated the palace of Cinnae as a servant. She remains undiscovered but her mission will either bring the two kingdoms together or tear them apart. Everything changes one night when there is a brutal attack on the palace. Ata will need to use her skills in fighting and magic to keep the world safe. But her actions may cause suspicion and she risks the wrath of both kingdoms. Added to that, Svens, the bastard offspring of the Cinnaen Queen spikes her temper, yet she feels an undeniable attraction to him.

The Assays of Ata is the first in a high fantasy trilogy by author K.I.S. The book is surprising at turns and highly engaging. Ata is a strong willed character full of both kindness and temper. She strives to do the right thing, even if it means defying her own king. But she’s also no pushover when ordered to do something she doesn’t want to.

The world created here feels vast and lived in, with a rich history to it. When a threat thought gone for generations arrives, Ata must jump into action and take charge. These actions cause long ranging consequences that will affect both her and the world of Áitarbith. Most of the characters are well fleshed out and have their own unique voices and visions of the world. And while many of the characters have clear motivations, who is set to gain and lose from Ata’s actions is less clear, making for an intriguing read.

By the end of the book there are definitely threads that have not been tied up but if K.I.S. manages subsequent volumes as well as this one, the reader won’t be disappointed.

If you like high fantasy books with headstrong heroes, political machinations, bloody battles and fantasy creatures, this book is definitely for you. Personally, I am looking forward to reading the next volume.

FURTHER REVIEWS

If you liked this review check out some of my others here!

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Tress of the Emerald Sea – Book Review

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson with Illustrations by Howard Lyon

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Tress of the Emerald Sea – Summary

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson comes a rollicking, riveting tale set in the Cosmere universe―a standalone adventure perfect for fans of The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

Review

To say Brandon Sanderson is a prolific writer would be an understatement. He writes novels the way most of us go to the movies. It’s constant. While COVID-19 had the world locked down, Sanderson took the initiative to write four different novels without telling his publishers or anyone else on his team. He then released them on a kickstarter campaign and broke the record for pledges there.

Tress of the Emerald Sea is the first of these novels. And now, it is widely available. This is one of the cosmere novels. If you are a longtime reader of Sanderson’s you’ll know what that means. But you do not need to have read his other books to enjoy this one. This story can stand alone. Although, you will get more out of it if you have read more of his books.

Tress loves two things. She loves cups of all kinds. And she loves Charlie. Charlie is expected to take a bride from far off, leaving Tress all alone. But when Tress discovers Charlie is in trouble, her life changes. She must take action and save Charlie before it’s too late.

The book is a bit more whimsical than a good portion of Sanderson’s books and reads a bit like The Princess Bride or Good Omens. It’s got some interesting mechanics as far as how the unique sea on this planet works. And it has a familiar character as the narrator here, adding a layer to the story for fans of the cosmere. The artwork is fantastic and worth the price of the book alone, with Howard Lyon evoking the scenes perfectly in the reader’s imagination.

Do I need to Read other Sanderson Books before Tress of the Emerald Sea?

While this does stand on its own, it does feel a bit like things are not fully revealed if you don’t know at least a bit about the cosmere. I certainly don’t know everything about the cosmere. There may be things I missed while reading. But there wasn’t so much that I couldn’t enjoy the book.

There’s a good bit of quirky humor so if that’s not your thing, this book may not be for you. The world building is as effective as ever and Sanderson continues to be a master of it.

This is a good book to start out on but don’t assume all of his writing is like this. There are some of his works much more serious and some less so.

If you do enjoy books like Good Omens, Discworld, or The Princess Bride, this is a great one to read if you want to find a fun, quick read.

In Conclusion

Brandon Sanderson has so much out there, it can be difficult to know where to start. Tress of the Emerald Sea provides a good beginning point if you are new. It also works as a nice distraction to those who are fully entangled in the cosmere already. While I won’t say this is his best book, it is largely enjoyable and a fun read. You may feel yourself left wanting just a little more. But the good news is, Sanderson has metric tons more for you to find.

Already read Tress of the Emerald Sea but want another stand alone book to read? Check out my review of Elantris!

Posted on by slickdungeon

To Save a Thorn (Aerieti Chronicles of the Fall, Book 2) – Book Review

To Save a Thorn by Electra Nanou

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

SYNOPSIS

Why escape death by demon just to die at the hands of heroes?’

Taitu Jathaeri, a sixteen-year-old girl with arcane gifts, is impatient to leave her matriarchal home island to train at Mecanta’s Academy of the Arcane Arts.
But when her guardian, a recluse witch, is murdered, Taitu is tasked to go to the dreaded mainland, find a mage in the ruins of Old Anvadore, and give him the artefact Arjanna has hidden for twenty years.
But Arjanna had many secrets. The young Thorn must learn who to trust and whether the murderers who are now pursuing her could be her salvation or her ruin.
Has she unwittingly chosen the wrong side in a war that will release an ancient corrupting evil into the world of Itania?

To Save a Thorn is the second book of the Aerieti Chronicles of the Fall series. It’s largely self-contained and easy to follow without having to read the first book. That being said, reading them both adds context.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Taitu Jathaeri is a bit unusual in her little island community. She is able to cast magic, unlike most of the women who live on her home island of Ilja. The island is mostly comprised of women who live there in a matriarchal society. Due to her magic, Taitu is given to Arjanna, the only other person capable of casting magic on the island, to raise. Although grateful to Arjanna, Taitu still misses her mother and wishes to go to the mainland to learn more about how to wield her magic. Yet, there seems to be more to Arjanna than Taitu knew when a group of strangers attack and Arjanna taks Taitu with keeping a secret artifact safe and getting it to a mysterious stranger far away.

On her journey, Taitu encounters people who want to recover the artifact but are they trying to harm Taitu or save her?

Like the first book in the series, To Save a Thorn has a charming protagonist who you can’t help but cheer for as she makes her way in the world. The story is full of fun and magic and a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you read the first book in the series, it will be a bit easier to pick up on who is trying to help and who is trying to harm Taitu but either way you can read this volume as a stand alone book. This volume brings along some characters from the first book but introduces us to plenty of new ones.

The book fits in well to the larger story and it will be interesting to see where the series goes from this point on.

If you enjoy fun fantasy adventures with lots of different creatures, magic throughout the world, and charming protagonists, this book is for you.

Posted on by slickdungeon

The Reset (Time Corrector Series Book 3) – Book Review

The Reset by Avi Datta

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

SYNOPSIS

The Reset is a culmination of worlds colliding, timelines interweaving, and relationships that seemed indestructible, reaching dire breaking points.

Vincent gets in the midst of an international political crisis forged by his adversary, Philip Nardin. As he tirelessly works to offset the impact, Philip kidnaps Nozomi, Vincent’s daughter. In an endgame decision, Vincent relinquishes his time-correcting powers to Philip while the world leaders launch a devastating arms race to weaponize Intreton—the purest energy source that can alter reality if mishandled. The two opponents, Vincent and Philip, unite against political and military forces to save reality from crumbling. Their plan reveals a mind-bending past and the identity of a time-twisted villain Philip calls the Lunatic. Such revelation leads to a dramatic conclusion and opens the possibility of a Reset. As someone close to Vincent shows their true self, Vincent discovers that Nozomi’s complex ties to Emika and Akane may hold the key to the Reset in this time-hopping clash of love, egos, and desires.

A story of love that transcends time and reality, and the sacrifices masquerading as selfish acts, the final book of the award-winning Time Corrector series is a whirlwind of unexpected events—many questions will finally be answered.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Dr. Vincent Abajian is a brilliant man who has a team of brilliant people around him. He’s been able to master Intreton, a substance that allows him to travel through time and even across realities. There are moments in his life we keep revisiting as readers but each time more complexities are revealed and we can see more of what each action means. The story is complex and intricate, much like a fine watch or brilliant piece of classical music can be. The third book in The Time Corrector series manages the nearly impossible by not only tying the first two books together perfectly and concluding in a satisfying manner, it still leaves the reader wishing for more.

If you had the power to change time, to change reality, to move the world in a more peaceful direction, what would you be willing to sacrifice? Would you be able to let go of ones you love in order to protect them? Can a selfish act mask one of kindness and love? These are some of the themes in The Reset. The book continues Avi Datta’s tradition of brilliant storytelling, non-linear plot making, and absolutely beautiful character development. Just when the reader thinks they have everything figured out, Datta will impress him or her with the most incredible twists and turns imaginable.

With each volume, this work becomes more and more brilliant. The intricate plot weaving is equal to the character development and as in the first two books, there are moments that completely change the reader’s perspective without feeling like a gimmick.

If there are any flaws in the series it may be that at times Dr. Abajian can occasionally be portrayed as too good and too brilliant but this is forgivable given the intricacies of the people surrounding him.

This is a series you must read from the beginning in order for it to make sense. If you have not already read The Winding and The Movement, do so before picking up the third volume.

If you enjoy expansive, non-linear storytelling, with a masterful plot and beautiful character development, this book is for you. If you just enjoy great books in general, this is a must read series.