Book Review: Blood Stain (Volume Four) by Linda Sejic

Blood Stain, Volume 4 by Linda Šejić
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elliot ‘Elly’ Torres has been hired officially as Vlad Stein’s assistant, she finally has a steady job but now both she and Vlad need to figure out how to communicate and work together. Blood Stain Volume Four begins the second arc in Linda Sejic’s webcomic series as Elly and Vlad not only figure out how to work together but also figure out how to get their own lives figured out as well.

The book focuses on the next stage of Elly and Vlad working relationship—something Serge stresses needs to be done before leaving with his girlfriend—which basically means communicating each other’s insecurities with the other. Sejic moves away from the comedic misunderstandings phase into grown-ups working together phase very well and allows the story to branch out, namely how Elly’s job is affecting her relationship with her boyfriend and family while we begin to see what Vlad’s professional life is like and keeping his primary job becomes the focus so Elly can keep being his assistant. As always Sejic’s art is amazing and while the focus of the humor shifts, there are still nice little gags like the Vlad-dragon that appear but in a new frame of reference.

Blood Stain Volume Four basically sees Linda Sejic showing the fallout from the previous story arc and shifting to the new one doing so very well.

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Book Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Two individuals must deal with the spirits in two different ways as one must be creative to get their attention to ask for help while the other must search for them before they attack the residents of his city, but what if they switched places? Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is a standalone Cosmere novel by Brandon Sanderson that sees the action take place in a never-before-seen corner of his universe.

It all begins with a spirit asking for help from Yumi and teams her up with Painter, the problem they’re in each other’s bodies—well sort of—and must learn each other’s skills when dealing with spirits as well as figure out why the spirit needs help. Hoid narrates this standalone novel but does take part in the action until the book’s denouement, and because of this the prose was engaging and as always Sanderson’s climax is a highlight. However, there was something that just did not hook me as there were days I didn’t pick up the book because I didn’t feel the urge to keep reading until the last third of the book when it was hard to put down. Honestly, I can’t really figure out why as both titular characters were great and the worldbuilding was spot on, so it was either the romance subplot or maybe one of the characters must endure a monotonous routine every time they go to the other’s place. Whatever the issue I had influenced this review and thus relates only to myself.

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter has two very well written characters, Sanderson quality worldbuilding, and a fantastic climax. Yet for whatever reason there was something in this standalone novel that just did not click with me.

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