MANGA REVIEW: Gizmo Riser Vol. 1

GIZMO RISER Vol. 1
by Roku Souna
Available now

The only world Claw has ever known is underground. He works every day to dig up new stone, and because of the chill, he can't even go outside to look up at the stars at night. His uncle tells him stories of a far-off place and a flame that will allow the lucky person who reaches it to fly. While Claw dreams of rising (literally) above his lot in life, the execution of his uncle leaves him with no other choice. Fortunately, he has his father's Gizmo — a high-tech pair of mechanical gloves — to help him do it.

In the first volume of Gizmo Riser, we get a look at a world built on inequality. Claw and his fellow slaves have no hope of escaping their lot in life as the wealthy of their world live high above them. But it turns out our hero isn't the only one who possesses Gizmos, and Claw will make both friends and enemies as he rises (and in some cases, you're never quite sure which is which)!

Equal parts Gurren Lagann and Gachiakuta, Gizmo Riser is a great read for fans of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. More than anything, what shines out is hope. So much literature of this genre (manga and otherwise) come to a full stop after describing the hopeless future. What makes series like these great is their willingness to imagine something more: people fighting on and helping each other, even if escape seems all but impossible. I look forward to seeing that hopefulness continue through later volumes.

TEA PAIRING: Sunrise Breakfast

Like Claw climbing his way out of the lowest levels of Urunaria, this English breakfast is both strong and bright. Use my referral code for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

COMIC REVIEW: Godzilla vs. America

GODZILLA VS. AMERICA: BOSTON, CHICAGO, KANSAS CITY, LOS ANGELES
by Tim Seeley, Caroline Cash, Gabriel Hardman, Dave Baker and Jesse Lonergan
Available now

There are lots of different Godzilla comics out there, but this latest anthology is built on one very clear, very true point: it's super fun to watch the King of the Monsters wreck your city.

This anthology collects stories from the first four cities in Godzilla's American tour: Chicago, LA, Boston, and Kansas City. The short subjects range from funny to sentimental to action-packed, weaving the essence of each locale into its story.

Kicking off the volume is a short piece starring a Svengoolie-coded fan man with the keys to Mecha-Godzilla. After being accused of ruining a game for the fans, he decides to set up a situation in which he can "save" the crowd from the mechanical beast... but then the real Godzilla shows up. Other stories across the volume (and across cities) include slow-burn romances on the train, guides for how to use public transportation to escape monsters, a tour guide's second chance at movie stardom, a 19th century sailors' legend, and two stories about monsters made of Kansas City barbecue sauce.

Like any anthology, the style and quality vary across each installment. But the volume is united on one important front: these are all personal stories, written by people who know and love their hometowns inside and out. And like all the best kaiju stories, they're human at their core: love, politics, revenge, and the all-important question of whether you can barbecue kaiju meat. It's a great concept realized wonderfully, and fortunately it seems there's more to come.

TEA PAIRING: Spice Chai Mélange
A very spicy, but still caffeine free, rooibos chai that's as fiery as Godzilla's atomic breath (in the good way). Inspired by Dune, this blend fits perfectly with more earthbound giant creatures, too. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other literary-inspired teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

MANGA REVIEW: Honey Bee & Lemon Balm Vol. 1

HONEY BEE & LEMON BALM Vol. 1
by Jil Hashikura
Available April 7

At 22, Kaoru feels his life is already over. He's a former yakuza with nothing to his name. Fortunately, he's taken in by Yu, a beautiful florist who offers him a job and a place to stay. Kaoru is head over heels for Yu immediately — and even when he finds out that "Yu" is short for "Yuichiro" and his savior is a man, those feelings don't change.

What follows is a series of windows into the lives of Kaoru and Yuichiro as they live and work together. Kaoru meets Yuichiro's odd but caring siblings, grows closer to his new friend and employer, and quickly learns that he's not the only one with his eyes on Yuichiro. As the first volume ends, he finds himself caught between maintaining the status quo and telling all.

Honey Bee & Lemon Balm is a brief 12 chapters, with this first volume covering the first six. Besides the central will-they/won't-they of the main couple, Hashikura builds out a growing world of multiple interesting and memorable cast members. Yuichiro's siblings in particular are a fantastic addition and make the world feel lived in. While I'm not an expert on BL titles, many recent shorter series tend to have very interchangeable secondary characters who are there solely to be sounding boards or sources of jealousy. That's not the case here; even the "other man" has a backstory, as brief as it may be so far. And the lovely cover art is a very accurate indicator of the artwork inside.

If you're not a BL enjoyer, this isn't going to be the magic bullet that changes your mind. But it's a romance that isn't heavily trope-reliant and that centers the characters' development with their feelings woven through it. Allowing the central romance to live in an interesting world is what makes this story work.

TEA PAIRING: Sunrise Breakfast
A bold English breakfast blended with marigold petals, this versatile blend matches the blend that is Kaoru's strength and Yuichiro's kindness. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

BOOK REVIEW: Murder at Big Ben

MURDER AT BIG BEN
by Michelle Salter
Available now

It's April 2, 1911: the night of the census. Coral Fairbanks and her fellow suffragettes break into parliament overnight so it will be recorded as their address. After all, it's the only way women can be seen to exist in government. But the demonstration goes awry when an enthusiastic American member of the movement, posted up in Big Ben's iconic clock tower, is found dead the next day. The weapon? Poison. The suspects? The members of two of Mayfair's highest ranking families.

Once again, Coral finds herself alongside the handsome Guy Flynn: artist, detective, and potential paramour. But even though they both care for each other and long for love after being so long without their late spouses, the life of a suffragette is too dangerous for a detective to ignore. As things warm up between the two, the case grows more complicated. The case's most prominent suspects appear to be tied up in a long-standing forgery scheme, not to mention a mysterious disappearance and a tragic death. Cracking the case may well mean digging up a few literal skeletons along the way.

This is the second Fairbanks and Flynn mystery I've read, and it's very true that a reader can jump in anywhere. While Coral and Guy's slow-burn romance is always a treat to follow, it's the deep dives into history and society that make these a treat. Salter brings all angles of Edwardian London to life, highlighting both the hopeful and the frustrating facets of the era. And, as ever, these cases aren't cut-and-dried: catching the killer doesn't always mean justice is done. These continue to be satisfying reads, and will hopefully continue for quite some time.

TEA PAIRING: At the Waterfront
Initially inspired by Little Women, this floral mint tea is both bracing and comforting: perhaps the sort of thing Coral and Guy might have enjoyed together while staked out in parliament overnight? Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other literary-inspired teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

MANGA REVIEW: Fruit of the Underworld Vol. 1

FRUIT OF THE UNDERWORLD Vol. 1
by Aya Kanno
Available March 31

For the last ten years, Seiji has endured one life-threatening accident after another. That could be because of the pomegranate he brought home from the underworld and has kept in a can ever since. In an effort to put an end to death's vendetta against him, he eats the fruit. But that only makes things worse.

Like so many mythical figures before him, the teenager now finds himself traversing the underworld to find the best friend he swore to protect. And as he does, he'll discover the skewed power struggle between Heaven, Hell, and the space between when souls are judged. Fortunately, the fruit he ate gives him a powerful (and kind of gross) ability. But the longer he stays in the underworld, the more of himself he risks losing.

Fruit of the Underworld is a generally fun read and, for better or for worse, it follows the example of a lot of shonen-geared manga before it. The art is great, Seiji as a character is interesting, and fans of mythology from all over the world will enjoy certain name checks. Unless you have a very specific interest in these topics, or in action manga in general, it's not one to move to the top of your reading list immediately. It's fun enough, but future installments will tell whether this title makes good on its promising start.

TEA PAIRING: Porch Stories
For lack of a literal pomegranate tea, this peach and apricot one does the trick. It's a bold, fruit-flavored black tea originally made for summer, and works well both hot and iced. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

New Doctor Who-ish things

 

There are a few things in the works writing-wise (things which I should be working more closely on now that I'm not traveling for a while), but there are at least a couple of things to tide people over until more announcements go live.

First up is the latest Celestial Toyroom... or should that be Sealestial Toyroom? There's a definite focus on The War Between the Land and the Sea for this issue, which sadly I can't yet say much about because it's still in Disney+ jail. However, I did do some reviews as usual: one on 15th Doctor book Spectral Scream and one on the DWAS's own Fifth Doctor-centric annual. Plus, there's a very lovely review of my Mawdryn Undead Black Archive in the mix (which is always a relief when you send something out into the world).

Check out the Celestial Toyroom page to download the new issue as a free PDF or to put in an order for a print copy.

Second, and something I've been wanting to talk about for ages, is the new installment of The Benton Files. I was originally supposed to be in the sixth book with my Altrix collaborator Paul Driscoll, but his story ended up warranting a stand-alone book of its own! So instead I've been paired with the equally lovely James Middleditch.

My story, Wiltshire Drift, takes place during Benton's "retired but still UNIT adjacent" era and takes more than a little inspiration from Initial D. (Because if there isn't at least one anime fingerprint on it, it might not be mine.) An old acquaintance gifts UNIT a very special car, which immediately goes missing. Meanwhile, a mysterious racer is doing the impossible on Wiltshire's roads late at night. Big thanks to my long-time friend Rob Lantz for being my brainstorming partner on this story.

You can pre-order this new installment, or go all in and get the full collection of every Benton Files story!

Thanks as always to everyone interested in my Whoniverse and Who-adjacent work. There will be more coming in future, and I am very much looking forward to talking about it once I can.