BOOK REVIEW: The Aftermyth

THE AFTERMYTH
by Tracy Wolff
Available February 3

Penelope and her twin brother Paris are about to start a new life at the prestigious Anaximander's Academy, whose attendees study the great Greek myths and train in the fields most important to the gods of Olympus. Thus, each attendee is chosen by one of the deities: Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Aphrodite, or Hades. Penelope has dreamed of being another Athena, like everyone in her family before her, and her commitment to study and perfect seem to be pointing her in that direction... until everything starts falling apart.

After an impossibly imperfect entry, Penelope finds herself sorted in with the other devotees of Aphrodite: a house dedicate to the exact sort of glittery, beautiful chaos she can't stand. But after being forcibly befriended by fellow Aphrodites Fifi and Arjun, she starts to feel at home, even as she considers how she might undo the "mistake" of not being chosen as an Athena. As the year progresses, every new step seems fraught with impossible perils, and Penelope begins to see things others can't. Why does the very school itself seem to have it out for her? Who is the mysterious woman she sees in her visions? And why does lightning always strike when she questions the old myths?

The Aftermyth absolutely has the trappings of "magic school" stories, right down to supernatural sorting by personality. But in spite of everything it has in common with these stories and with mythologically-inspired stories, there's a key bit of worldbuilding that grabbed my attention. I won't say what it is, because it is the big secret of this first book. But a shrewd classics enjoyer should be able to see that something is amiss in this world that alleges to live by the gods. It's a great first entry in a promising new series, encouraging readers to challenge preconceptions even — and especially — when discouraged. I can't wait to see where Ellie, Fifi, and the rest go next.

This is definitely a middle grade book, meaning that some mysteries will jump out relatively quickly for older and more astute readers. Fortunately, Penelope never feels foolish for not getting there immediately. It's paced well for middle-grade readers, especially those just getting their feet wet in the world of Greek mythology.

Also, the limited first edition of this book is gorgeous. I'm not a big "sprayed edges" fiend (I can take them or leave them), but the snake patterning is really lovely on these. It's always nice to read a book that's also just lovely to look at.

TEA PAIRING: Magical Library Butterbrew
From Penelope's love of books to a certain scene later in the novel, this butterscotch blend inspired by mystical tomes feels like a perfect fit. It's one of my favorite mainstays in the Chapters catalogue. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

BOOK REVIEW: Murder at the Duomo

MURDER AT THE DUOMO
by T.A. Williams
Available February 2

Dan Armstrong and his trusty lab Oscar are back to solve more mysteries in sunny Florence. And as Murder at the Duomo begins, the main mystery on Armstrong's mind is how he's going to juggle planning (and paying for) two weddings — his own and his daughter's. But a new problem emerges when a body is found in the confessional at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (colloquially known as the Duomo). Someone was shot dead, and the "someone" is a major player in the world of arms dealing.

Finding someone who'd want to kill Tristan Angel is the easy part: his villa is packed with associates, each seeming to have a pretty strong motive. But in the midst of picking through the roster, the killer strikes again. With two weddings on the horizon and the potential for an international incident looming, Armstrong and Oscar will be hard pressed to solve every problem on their plates.

I've read a few of these Armstrong and Oscar cozy mysteries, though I came in somewhere around the middle. The lives of the core cast of characters — the title sleuths, Armstrong's fiancée Anna, Commissario Virgilio, and others — move forward constantly, but it's always relatively easy to join them where they are. It's also very pleasing to see Williams's writing strengthen with each new volume. The mystery this time is far more intricate, with a Knives Out-sized cast and political intrigue woven in. Without giving anything away, the answer to "whodunit" isn't all that simple... just not for the reasons you might expect.

Cozy mysteries are a mixed bag, and I've discovered that much of what sets the strong ones apart is how the "coziness" is expressed. Food and dogs are two big constants in these books, and a lot of times both of those aspects come across as twee and Hallmark-ish. But here, they work. Stops for food are a master class in Tuscan cuisine and, rather than being constant, come at believable breaks in the story. As for Oscar... he acts like a dog. There's never any real pretense that he knows what's going on beyond living his best life, but he just happens to be extremely helpful while doing so. And funnily enough, the fact that Oscar is just a good boy doing good boy things makes him more lovable, and believable, than a lot of dogs in cozy mysteries.

T.A. Williams started good, but each book gets better. It's gratifying to follow this duo through each new mystery.

TEA PAIRING: Beach Reads
It's cold as all get-out here right now, but sunny Florence demands something summery. This blend of hibiscus, raspberry, and lemon makes a great iced tea. And while I can't vouch for how it would go with Tuscan fare, I imagine it would fit right in. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

COMIC REVIEW: Before We Sail

BEFORE WE SAIL
by Carlos Yacolca, illustrated by Michelle Lino
Available now

Digital publishing will always be a double-edged sword; but, more than anything, it's a promising tool to help new voices get their work out there. V for Vendetta co-creator David Lloyd uses this to good advantage in his digital magazine Aces Weekly, presenting serialized fiction and comics for a low weekly price. Among the recent stories to appear in its metaphorical pages is Before We Sail, the inaugural work of writer Carlos Yacolca. And this apocalyptic one-shot packs a punch.

The comic follows Jonathan and Kath, two survivors of a globe-spanning apocalypse. Their best hope for survival is to escape Lima and take to the seas. Together, the pair brave pirates, monsters, and (chiefly) their own trauma. Because even if they do make it to safety, is there really a point to it all when the world is falling apart? The story takes place alongside Jonathan's own letters as he ponders this exact question.

As someone who began my tenure as Sci Fi Magazine's book reviewer right in the thick of lockdown, I have read a lot of "COVID Narratives." So I come from a time professionally when zombie and plague metaphors were thick on the ground and, by and large, got very samey. But Before We Sail dodges this in two important ways. First, it's a localized story: while our heroes may be escaping Peru, it's still rooted there - in a place where, frankly, I haven't seen a lot of stories told in English.

Secondly, and most importantly, Before We Sail is timeless. There will always be something happening in the world, and nowadays it feels more than ever like the world is falling apart. But Jonathan and Kath's story never feels like a "period piece" that echoes one tragedy too much. Rather, it looks inward to the effects of those tragedies. Sadly, depression and hopelessness will always be with us. And no matter what we face down, we will always wonder if there's a point to going on. Before We Sail examines those feelings unflinchingly, but it also comes away with an answer of sorts.

Stories like these are why amplifying indie art is so important. Before We Sail will reach you no matter what you're afraid of or what you're going through.

TEA PAIRING: A Dream Within a Dream
There's really not a tea that goes with the end of the world, but this sleepytime blend is very helpful when you need to calm down at the end of a difficult day. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

MANGA REVIEW: Sayuri

SAYURI
by Rensuke Oshikiri
Available now

Back in 2024, I covered a news story about a live-action film adaptation of Rensuke Oshikiri's manga Sayuri. I knew nothing about the original manga, but I was intrigued by the description of it as an antidote for audiences tired of people fighting losing battles against the paranormal. So when I heard the original manga was getting an English-language release, I figured it was time to see what all the fuss was about.

And, okay. I get it.

Sayuri was originally published in two volumes, each very tonally different from the other. This release compiles both volumes into one, but the divide is very clear. In the first half of the story, Norio Kamiki's happy family is terrorized by something haunting their new home. The first half is unapologetically dark, gory, and depressing. But even if you're not into that style of horror, hang in there. The second half makes it worthwhile.

Young Norio gets tough love and support from an unexpected source. And when it seems the Kamiki family (or what's left of it) has nothing left to lose, it's time to fight back. Why is Sayuri so angry? How did she die? And how can she be stopped?

Sayuri is grim and gritty, but also strangely cathartic. Koji Shiraishi, who directs the film adaptation and also directed 2016's Sadako vs. Kayako, said he believes the film will "shake up the stagnant J-horror genre." And while it's true that Japan is doing horror better than just about anyone in the world right now, it also has a tendency to sink into certain tropes. Sayuri challenges those and asks the big question at the center of any encounter with The Horrors: "What are you going to do about it?"

TEA PAIRING: Poet's Study
A grim story deserves a dark and broody blend. Poet's Study is pretty much my favorite Earl Grey, and I highly recommend it. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

COMIC REVIEW: Godzilla Legends - Mothra: Queen of the Monsters

GODZILLA LEGENDS - MOTHRA: QUEEN OF THE MONSTERS
by Sophie Campbell and Matt Frank
Available now

You may have noticed the sheer number of new Godzilla comics hitting the shelves, in part because I've been reviewing (and will continue to review) quite a few of them. But as much as I love the King of the Monsters, my heart will always belong to the Queen. And fortunately for myself and fellow fans, Mothra has her own new comic that's as exciting to read as it is beautiful to look at.

First things first, this comic has a dream team in charge. Sophie Campbell, whose comic credits include writing and art for Jem and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is in the writer's chair for this one. Penning the art is Matt Frank, whose name should be extremely well known to kaiju fans. (I discovered him through his recent Gojiham collab artwork and have loved everything else I've seen him do.) The result is a story that treads new ground while still being evocative of classic Mothra stories.

The story takes place after the fall of Mothra in a battle against Antra, a fearsome new foe. As humanity struggles to survive, Mira discovers that there may be hope when her twin sister Emi, whom she believed to be dead, returns with news. Together, the two may have the power to bring Mothra back. But they'll have to work together, which isn't easy considering the literal and personal distance that has grown between the two.

Mothra: Queen of the Monsters is a beautiful story of the bonds of family, but also a good old-fashioned epic kaiju fight. If the names attached to this title have gotten your hopes up, good: they both deliver. This is an absolutely gorgeous comic, and a worthy story for the Queen of the Monsters.

TEA PAIRING: Radiate Positivity
Training to resurrect Mothra and save the human race takes a lot of energy. This wellness blend, featuring yerba mate and ginseng, might just help you get on track to conquer your own monsters. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other blends from Chapters Tea & Co.!

MANGA REVIEW: Scavengers Another Sky

 

SCAVENGERS ANOTHER SKY
by Ryo Furube
Available January 27

Toto may look tiny and adorable, but she has a serious job. She's a Scavenger: a girl trained since early childhood to go on dangerous interdimensional missions to gather salvage and fight off strange monsters. The result is a mix of quantum mechanics, military action, and unexpected moments of cuteness.

Volume 1 of Scavengers Another Sky throws readers right into the action as Toto and her partner Hana dive into a BP, or Black Parade: an alternate dimension that, at least on these early occasions, bear a striking resemblance to Earth locations of the past. However, BPs can look surreal and even defy the laws of physics. It all depends on the entity at its center, who's dead set on ensuring that its treasures aren't scavenged. But with Toto angling to rack up a cool million, the fight is on.

An afterword points out that the team behind Scavengers Another Sky is made up of military otaku, and it shows. But you don't have to love military action to find this series fascinating. The worldbuilding, shown through action and divulged in between-chapter notes, is on a level with the alternate-universe science of Gunbuster. Scavengers use quantum superposition to travel to their alternate dimensions: entering a closed-off space like Schrödinger's hypothetical cat, then being brought back by the home team opening the "box" and observing their presence. Fail to get back to your starting point by Observation, and you could be stranded for minutes in our dimension, but days in the BP.

Scavengers Another Sky dips into so many specialized fields to build its world, but never leaves readers feeling overwhelmed. Everything comes together surprisingly smoothly, and this first volume hints at a deeper, darker world yet to be explored. I really hope this series gets much more attention in the West.

TEA PAIRING: Wonderland Tea Party

Somewhere between the topsy-turvy nature of the BP and Hana's comment that Toto smells like marmalade, this Alice in Wonderland-themed blend felt like a perfect fit. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other tea blends from Chapters Tea & Co.!