Blue Lock: Episode Nagi Volume 1

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ブルーロック-EPISODE 凪- 1 [Blue Lock: Episode Nagi 1] by Kota Sannomiya

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was not much of a fan but rated it a bit higher to offset the fact I could care less about soccer manga (I'm reading this for a reading challenge prompt) so maybe it's better than I think. It's hard to argue with the success of Blue Lock that this is spun off of. That said both boys were highly irritating to me.

Both are h.s. students. Reo is a wealthy student who doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps. He wants to be a soccer star and has decided that Nagi is a prodigy and drags him along for the sake of his own dream. How he's decided this I have no idea. Nagi's only goals are to nap and play video games. He thinks even eating is too much of a chore. He's goal less and doesn't seem to be the brightest of bulbs.

Reo is, of course, right about Nagi's abilities (how? It's anyone's guess). Reo's father aims to squash his son's dreams and sets up a team of bruisers for Reo's newly formed soccer club to face and you can imagine how this goes. Reo and Nagi are unstoppable.

They're recruited for the Blue Lock program and you get to suffer through tedious speeches about them becoming the best striker in all of Japan (the one hint we have that Nagi knows what's going on, he correctly assesses it as he and Reo will eventually have to turn on each other). The Blue Lock program puts them through a weird challenge that Nagi wants to fail out of (so you do have to feel a little sorry for him. He's being forced into this) but Reo won't let him.

Obviously I'm in the minority of not enjoying this much and if you liked the original series you'll probably like this. At least the art is very nice.



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The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

[cornerofmadness]

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As much as I like Garth Nix I missed this and came to it via a reading challenge I'm doing and boy am I glad I did. It hits the ground running from the get go. Susan was raised by her hippie mom who might actually not even remember who Susan's father is due to all the LSD she dropped (though she claims she didn't do any). Before starting art college, Susan tries to track down her father in London, leading her to Uncle Frank who was far more criminal and far less human than Susan knew.

Merlin, one of the left handed (which are more of the battle ready side of the booksellers while the right handed are the magical researchers side), has deal with Frank for breaking the supernatural laws they have to follow. Susan finds herself swept up with the handsome, gender fluid Merlin and his/her sister Vivian (who is right handed). Someone is after Susan, maybe to kill her or at least to kidnap her for nefarious reasons.

The book sellers are trying to determine why and just who Susan's father might be. If they're right about her parentage Susan could even be in trouble from their own organization. The book is steeped in British folk lore and is non stop action. Susan and Merlin especially are good characters, strong and intelligent. Doing foolish things is not a mechanism for plot advancement as we so often see. their choices are at least planned briefly.

There is plenty of danger and action and a hint of romance. I loved this book. I wish I had found it a couple months sooner when I was on sabbatical so I could have sat down and read this cover to cover in one sitting. I don't often get book hangovers but this one gave me one in all the best ways. I can't wait to read the next book.



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