Rosy's scrawled manhwa recommendation: Chunchu by Kim Sungjae

Chunchu
Kim Sungjae

Blurb

Cursed from birth, Chunchu is the holder of the demon stone which renders its host invincible. Abandoned by his father and raised by a people not his own, the young man, whose name becomes synonymous with bloody massacres, arouses only fear and hatred wherever he goes. He has however decided to try to understand why such a destiny was reserved for him, but his twin brother is having none of it.

Alternative names
천추
Cheonchu
Chonchu
Chunchu The Genocide Fiend

Status
Ongoing

Manga reader sites (free)
Manga Here, Manga Anime

Rosy's scrawlings on Chunchu
Chunchu is a manhwa of a little boy lost. Not just lost though, but humiliated, rejected, tortured, vilified and terrorised to the point of insanity. But Chunchu is a survivor so despite what's thrown at him or what cuts him he comes through with a will to live. It's an insane drive emphasised by the demon part of him, the results of which are gory battles leading to massive body trails. The number of people he killed when he first completely snapped is enough to make him a terror in anyone's eyes but unfortunately for Chunchu he already is one.
The story so far is simple, revolving around who is really the demon's child and Chunchu's efforts at survival, but it is enthralling in its goriness and for the small glimpses into Chunchu's past that we are afforded. There is a promise of the story becoming more complicated as Chunchu's brother negotiates taking over vast swaths of territory, usually by force, and attempts to hide his own demonic problems. There is a big clash or two to come between the brothers and while they're at it a several clans and countries are likely to fall. Death surrounds them both but only Chunchu bears the brunt of being told all the deaths around him are his fault. So far.
The art, by Kim Hyung-Jin, of Chunchu is one of the most appealing aspects of this manhwa. It is dark and at times splattered. The demonic faces pulled by Chunchu and his brother are striking and the actions scenes are fluid. The style used to portray bloody battle scenes and old world landscapes is brilliant and engrossing. The dark depths of the art make you want to know more about the boy with his head hanging low in the middle of a battle, the demonic marks and just how crazed Chunchu can become.
Also of note is the distinct lack of care when it comes to portraying the physical body realistically. There are many mangas and animes out there with unrealistic body-types and this manhwa follows the same trend, though thankfully not to its extremes. Six packs conceivably become eight packs, shoulders so heavy characters should fall over, but that's all no never mind once you get used to it.

I'd recommend this manhwa to: those interested in gory action, demons and historical fighting methods. I'd say that anyone who likes gory action movies would likely enjoy this manhwa.

Notes on manga reader sites
The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.
I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.
Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.

Rosy's scrawled manga recommendation: C.A.T. (Confidential Assassination Troop) by Fung Chin Pang

C.A.T. (Confidential Assassination Troop)
Fung Chin Pang

Blurb
The third World War is nearing. Each super power country is going through a communications war to prepare for it, a war to obtain the top profiles' information of enemy countries using the Russian's secret weapon BEAR, China's Hao Long, and the United State's Confidential Assassination Troop, a.k.a. CAT.

Alternative names

密殺戰群

C.A.T.

CAT

Confidential Assassination Troop

Status

Ongoing

Manga reader sites (free)

Manga Fox, Manga Here

Rosy's scrawlings on C.A.T. (Confidential Assassination Troop)

Cat is a woman on the run. She's got a traumatic history, as seems obligatory for this dark assassin story, and she's set on gaining revenge. Unbeknownst to her, she's been released on purpose and her revenge plays straight into her creator's designs. A game is afoot and she's a player. Along with several other assassins from Russian and America. There is much more at stake than the simple revenge of one assassin against her abusers.

C.A.T. is a manga that's rather striking from the outset. The art is the first appealing aspect, looking somewhat like charcoal sketches. The rough textured art looks more like what is usually found in art galleries than within the covers of a manga. With this distinctive style all the action scenes gain a dark and rough atmosphere, particularly when blood begins to fly, and the spy master scenes gain a sombre subtlety not usually found in glossier and less stylised works.

There's a little more emphasis on sexuality, usually dark and twisted, when it comes to Cat's characterisation than is really required but this does play true to manga writing. Here though, while she was a victim at one stage simply by being young and overpowered at the time, Cat isn't one to be cowed by sexual threats or to retreat from her own physicality. She does, however, consider herself more monster than human so sex is off the books. This is true to her characterisation and maintains the vengeful assassin storyline.

Justice and righteousness have no place in this story, despite the revenge scenario. One death leads to another and many are fed through the meat grinders on the whim of a few spies and government officials. Freedom and human rights are violated left, right and centre and the only course any of the assassins has is to do whatever needed to survive. In this way they're played and manipulated as war looms, brought about by the terminally ill genius running the CIA. C.A.T is a story where the viciousness of humanity is displayed for your amusement and interest, the morals buried under action for the most part. There's no time for thought unrelated to survival, as it is far too late for any of the characters to escape. At best you can read the story and draw them yourself, hoping all the while you never get stuck in such situations. Thankfully, almost none of you ever will despite some far-too-common crimes being included in C.A.T.

I'd recommend this manga to: anyone interested in stories containing spies, bloody action, impending tech-based war, augmented humans and assassins.

Notes on manga reader sites

The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.

I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.

Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.

Rosy's scrawled book recommendation: The Nightside series by Simon R Green

The Nightside series
Simon R Green

Books 

Something from the Nightside
Agents of Light and Darkness
Nightingale's Lament
Hex and the City
Paths not Taken
Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth
Hell to Pay
The Unnatural Inquirer
Just Another Judgement Day
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny
A Hard Day's Knight
The Bride Wore Black Leather

(Plus some short stories)

Blurb for Something from the Nightside

John Taylor is not a private detective per se, but he has a knack for finding lost things. That's why he's been hired to descend into the Nightside, an otherworldly realm in the center of London where fantasy and reality share renting space and the sun never shines.


Publishers
ACE (US)
Solaris Books (UK)

Rosy's scrawlings on The Nightside series
This is one of my favourite kick back on a Friday night series. Plus any other night, of course, but you get what I mean instantly when I say Friday night. This is B-rated monster heaven for many a reader or even avid movie watcher written with style and kept short and snappy. My saying B-rated might make you think the writing isn't up to par or the subject matter lacks a certain something in morals or life lessons but you'd be wrong, although you could ignore all that if you like and just focus on the monster mayhem. The B-rating is entirely due to the monster movie parallel that pairs it with greats like Evil Dead: one of the ultimate Friday night movies.
In this series you'll find all the best and some new creatures, beings, monsters and gods and their relationships within the under-London/alternate-London/alternate-world or dimension called The Nightside are anything but friendly. Schemes are spun for power on a day-to-day basis, deals are done for survival and everyone is on the run from some other monster, which includes the most powerful of The Nightside. The one who inspires such fear in most, as well as a hefty dose of hatred and disdain amongst other things, is John Taylor. He's an odd pick for a monster of monsters considering he's mostly human, mostly reasonable and on the run himself. Still, he manages to play the role of the monster's monster rather well. His ability is truly fearsome, when he chooses to use it.
Within The Nightside series almost everyone has an ability that sets the apart and few are human anymore, if they ever were. But the general inhabitants of The Nightside aren't those that John Taylor tends to play with. Instead he deals with the god of the razor blade, post-apocalyptic monsters from the far future, the adventuring hero of heroes, the god of skin and other such worrying creatures. Not to mention a rather warped version of Merlin, a son of the devil. John Taylor is mostly unwanted and unwelcome so in order to deal with any at all threats are slung and some followed through on. Blood and gore flows, darkness is held back (just), and the worst mother of all time is sent packing (John hopes).
The Nightside series, as you can probably now tell, is a Friday night B-rated horror comedy movie writ large. And, like Terry Pratchett's light fantasy comedy works, there's much wisdom and insight to be found if you choose to pay attention. Best of all though, this series is fun, quick to read, engaging and well-rounded. The Nightside may be a contained domain but its presence and impact bleed out not just into the world beyond but into your mind as you're reading. It is a dark fairyland for the morbid and playful to enjoy.

I'd recommend this series to: those interested in quick paced dark fantasy, dark comedy and monster stories. Also, anyone who typically watches movies and TV shows rather than reading books will find this a great way to crack into the world of books.

Rosy's scrawled book recommendation: Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia

Monster Hunter International
Larry Correia

Blurb
Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a fourteenth story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer. 
It turns out that monsters are real.  All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows.  Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry.  On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living.  Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business.     
And now Owen is their newest recruit.  It’s actually a pretty sweet gig, except for one little problem.  An ancient entity known as the Cursed One has returned to settle a centuries old vendetta.  Should the Cursed One succeed, it means the end of the world, and MHI is the only thing standing in his way.  With the clock ticking towards Armageddon, Owen finds himself trapped between legions of undead minions, belligerent federal agents, a cryptic ghost who has taken up residence inside his head, and the cursed family of the woman he loves.
Business is good.
Welcome to Monster Hunter International. 

Publisher
Baen

ISBN
9781439132852

Rosy's scrawlings on Monster Hunter International
Just a quick note before I dive into the book raving: I love the cover art by Alan Pollack. I kept going back to look at it while reading.
This book is longer than most printed nowadays, most publishers tending to limit pages as publication is then cheaper, and for a dark fantasy focused on the mass murder of various monsters it is a long story. But by no means is the story tedious because of the length, although you may get a little frustrated at having to wait for some of the answers. Alternatively, you may get a little annoyed and want to slap Owen for being so clueless. That's all just part of the charm of this ultra-violent story though. From one minute to the next you're engaged and hooked on either finding out what's going on or being smug over at least knowing you know more than Owen does. In the meantime, you also get to enjoy the big man Owen getting his arse kicked left, right and centre despite his being more armed than your average soldier.
At one point a particularly powerful and nasty vampire asks "Just how many guns do you have?" (not verbatim, I believe) and there's no more relevant question that can be asked. To be perfectly honest, I lost track myself but then I'm not really into guns, vaguely knowledgeable about guns or even interested in getting much of a clue at this point in life. You point, you stroke the trigger, you watch the kickback, protect your ears if you can and try to hit the side of the barn. That's about it for me. And in Monster Hunter International I found myself bombarded with gun tech talk and geekdom beyond my comprehension. It was impressive to say the least. I have run across one other series that has become increasingly focused on weapons details but even then it wasn't to this degree. From my standpoint of mostly ignorant though, I have to say that reading the details in this book compared to the other series was far more enjoyable as in this book there's a sort of game feel. Funnily enough, or not, there is now a game to match and I wasn't surprised at all to find this out as throughout the book I kept thinking "this would make a really good blast-em-up game like Doom or some such".
At the risk of suddenly sounding like a granny I'll say this: Owen is a lovely man, aside from his gun fetish and touch of ultra-violence. He is, as mentioned above, a little dense at times and a little prone to rushing in like a fool but he's constantly wanting only the best for those he cares for, putting his foot in his mouth or at least mumbling and stuttering shyly, blushing and being uncommonly awkward for a hero when it comes to all things romantic. It is actually quite nice to read about such a character, particularly when he's an otherwise capable action hero who routinely finds himself in particularly nasty situations. Julie, his love, is far more cutting, ruthless and adept when it comes to matters of the heart, let alone shooting, monster eradication and practically everything else. To see the pair balanced this way is quite nice, as it reveals Owen's golden heart which would otherwise be hidden under the brutal violence he deals out and it highlights Julie's bravery and skills in a manner that isn't belittled by circumstances or alternate views. There is no compromise in the writing of either character or in their rounding out and the play between them is both interesting to follow and heartening. All while blood is flying endless.
If that's not enough, there's a mystery to be unravelled, forces of evil to be battled against, an item that can stop or control time that mustn't be used and a ghost rattling about in Owen's head. And that's all after Owen fights a slavering, killer werewolf who happens to be his boss, snaps its neck and throws it out a 14th storey window. Monster Hunter International is addictive and enjoyable throughout and will likely keep you up at night as you try to find some gap in the bloodshed where you could possible shut the book and go to sleep. Yes, you may end up dreaming of killing monsters...

I'd recommend this book to: gun nuts or general gun enthusiasts, dark fantasy lovers and those interested in reading books containing a wide range of new and classic monsters. I'd say it would appeal to men more than women if I didn't know that women also enjoy a hefty dose of violence. They just need to know where to find it. Women will also enjoy Owen's awkwardness when approaching Julie. So I'd say there's something in this book for everyone.

Rosy's scrawled manga recommendation: Blame! by Nihei Tsutomu

Blame!
Nihei Tsutomu

Blurb

Killy is a man of few words. He wanders, seemingly endlessly, through a lonely, gargantuan labyrinth of concrete and steel, fighting off cyborgs and other futuristic nightmares, searching only for something called Net Terminal Genes. And he has a very powerful gun, which he uses without hesitation whenever anything resembling danger rears its ugly head.
Who is this quiet, violent, determined man and what are these Genes he seeks? The small communities he finds tucked into the crevices of this towering, dystopic ruin hardly give him leads on his treasure, driving him to find larger enclaves of civilization where people can reveal more about the world he lives in and the quarry he seeks.

Alternative Names

ブレム！

网络迷宫

Status

Completed

Reading Instructions

Chapters 1-19: Read from left to right
Chapters 20-66: Read from right to left

Sites for reading online (free)

Manga Fox, Manga Anime

Rosy's scrawlings on Blame!

Brilliant. Love it, love it, love it.

Okay, that says about all you need to know but I'll write some more.

Within Blame! you'll find a dystopian nightmare that seems to stretch on endlessly and without reason. The world is its own and seems completely disconnected from ours except by a few similarities and IT based or science based ideas. You will likely need to dust off your physics knowledge as you go but if you don't have much of that to start with then just enjoy the play of hard science-fiction. There's little that will get in your way if you don't understand as most of the time you'll feel a little like you're scrabbling for answers just with the plot. This is actually one of the best aspects about Blame! and, in fact, most stories I've truly loved. That the reader is kept guessing and intrigued by the unexpected is a sign that the story is new and quite unique, as far as unique goes in this world.

What life there is isn't really life as we know it. The beings of the world are constantly being built or constructed, blown to pieces and patched up again, backed up and remade or just rebooted endlessly without explanation. There are even some who heal wounds generally fatal even to their own kind and go on to fight another battle. Characters change forms and even bodies with ease although they don't always like it. Rarely are there those who stay dead without being beheaded and or exploded by a gravitational gun.

The violence is extreme and long lasting although the gore and horror impact is limited so you get the same sort of viewing pleasure with this as you do with zombie stories. The violence has a different meaning due to the different set of rules you need to comprehend it by. All in all, I'd say that there's something hypnotic about the artistically stilled violence that only sometimes flows and blooms.

As to the characters, their base motivations aren't always explained but you do become familiar with them as you read on. Reading Blame! is almost like watching a silent movie in this respect. You have to watch the action and interpret the meaning just as much as pay attention to the odd explanation that comes your way.

The art is very dark and scratched in, mirroring the jagged and stark landscape, characters and events. Light is used sparingly throughout and because of this it is as harsh as the darkness. Add to that, Killy is more often than not dwarfed by the landscape and the creatures he encounters, making the entire text a tad disturbing spatially. The art is truly beautiful but not in the way you'd expect beautiful art to be. It is entrancing and pulls you along, making up for the lack of speech and hidden plot lines until all becomes clear. Why it pulls you along is a need to find out what the next space is, what is to be discovered by the characters and what sort of cyborg, human or silicon life Killy will encounter next.

I'd recommend this manga to: anyone who likes dystopian literature, cyborgs, IT or tech, The Matrix and all things dark and violent. It is very male in style but females will love the story too, as long as they match the above description.

Notes on manga reader sites
The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.
I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.
Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.

Rosy's scrawled book recommendation: Keeping It Real by Justina Robson

Keeping It Real
Justina Robson

Blurb

The Quantum Bomb of 2015 changed everything. The fabric that kept the universe's different dimensions apart was torn and now, six years later, the people of earth exist in uneasy company with the inhabitants of, amongst others, the elfin, elemental, and demonic realms. Magic is real and can be even more dangerous than technology. Elves are exotic, erotic, dangerous, and really bored with the constant "Lord of the Rings" references. Elementals are a law unto themselves and demons are best left well to themselves. Special agent Lila Black used to be pretty, but now she's not so sure. Her body is more than half restless carbon and metal alloy machinery, a machine she's barely in control of. It goes into combat mode, enough weapons for a small army springing from within itself, at the merest provocation. As for her heart, well, ever since being drawn into a game by the elfin rockstar Zal (lead singer of the No Shows), who she's been assigned to protect, she's not even sure she can trust that any more either.

Publisher
Pyr

ISBN
978-1591025399

Rosy's scrawlings on Keeping it Real
You'll have to forgive me if I start slipping into speaking of the series and not just this book. I love the story too much and get a bit carried away at times.
I picked up this book, not having read anything of Justina Robson's before, purely because of the cover and the blurb which highlighted that science fiction and fantasy genre trends were going to be combined. I had high hopes and oh were they met. I was a happy girl within  moments as I read about Lila Black's upgrades and physical problems. What better way to  start a story is there than to delve straight into a cyborg's experiences? What impressed me though, was just how well the science fiction and fantasy elements were combined. And this continued into the next books without a hitch.
Life in Lila Black's world/s is not simple. Relationships aren't straight forward by any means, upgrades aren't without their price, the landscape keeps shifting under Lila's feet and there's always a challenge from unexpected quarters to be met. On top of that, death seems to be just around every corner but Lila seems to have a new knack for survival, one she lacked before her upgrades. But best of all, is the number of weapons Lila has packed into her body. Anyone a fan of cyborgs and robots is likely to read her story with glee. Oh, and I have to let this slip - in the subsequent books she doesn't stay as she is. I'll leave the rest for you to find out but she does become something quite new in the way of cyborgs and robots.
To be perfectly honest, it has come down to this. If you say you're a sci-fi or fantasy nut and I walk into your house and you don't have this series on your shelf then I find it hard to take you seriously. Being a person who likes Star Wars and Star Trek and WOW and all that is one thing. There are plenty of people who fit into that category. But to be a real sci-fi or fantasy nut is, to me, to seek out all the stories that delve into the genres, break new ground and tear up all your expectations as soon as you start reading or watching. Just like if you see Asimov on someone's shelf, this series is a good indicator of sci-fi and fantasy fandom. Don't believe me? Read it and see. It is a flavour all its own so I dare you to say it doesn't have a place on your sci-fi/fantasy shelf.

I'd recommend this book to: anyone who loves fantasy and science fiction, especially when they're combined well. Anyone who loves cyborgs and robots. Those who love trippy scene descriptions and unexpected events that really demand of the imagination.