Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Sumiko Yagawa ILLUSTRATOR: Suekichi Akaba TRANSLATOR: Katherine Paterson GENRE: Japanese Folktale PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 1981 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: An English translation of a beloved Japanese folktale. A good story, as long as you keep in mind that it’s an old folktale and doesn’t necessarily fit into modern standards of propriety. Plot Preview: A poor peasant named Yohei lives in a faraway mountain village. One day, he comes across an injured crane and pulls out the arrow stuck in her wing. That night, a beautiful young woman knocks on his door, asking to be his wife. Yohei is overwhelmed by her beauty and welcomes her. They live a simple but impoverished life. One day, she asks Yohei for a loom, and making him promise not to take a peek, she weaves something behind closed doors. After three days, she comes out very skinny but holding a magnificent piece of cloth that Yohei is able to sell for a good price. This cycle continues two times more, each time result...

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Rashin Kheiriyeh GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: February 24, 2026 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A cute little picture book about the celebration of the Persian New Year in Iran. Lovely folktale-style story, wonderful characters, nice touch of humour, amazing illustrations. Loved the authenticity of the portrayal. Recommended. Plot Preview: Nane Sarma, the grandmother of winter, lives in a small village in Iran. Every year, at the end of the cold season, she awaits her old friend Uncle Nowruz, the harbinger of spring. But somehow, she always seems to miss his arrival. This year, she's determined to be better prepared, so she calls her three grandchildren over and starts making Nowruz preparations well in advance. Do we get to meet Uncle Nowruz? We certainly do, and he's everything Grandma Nane was waiting for. Does she get to meet him? You need to read the book for that! A fun fact first: Several indigenous cultures across the ...

AUTHOR: Charlie Creed GENRE: Fairytale Collection. PUBLICATION DATE: October 23, 2025. RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An illustrated collection of feline fairytales and folktales from all over the world. Great organisation and brilliant introductions to each segment. A fabulous option for cat lovers, as long as they remember that fairytales and folktales haven’t necessarily aged well. Quite a few folktales and fairytales include animals as characters. And one of the most common creatures to be found in these is the cat. This book collects forty such stories from twenty-eight countries/cultures. Almost all regions of the world are represented. The earliest stories in this compilation, taken from traditional oral lore, are thousands of years old. The most recent one is from the nineteenth century. The introductory note, brilliantly penned, highlights the role of cats in fairytales and folklore. It then explains the basis of organisation for this book. The forty stories have been di...

EDITOR: Hanna Alkaf GENRE: Middle-Grade Anthology PUBLICATION DATE: October 21, 2025 RATING: 3.4 stars. In a Nutshell: An OwnVoices short story anthology aimed at middle-graders and highlighting some mythical “beasts” from South-East Asian cultures. Elaborate focus on various legendary cryptids from this region. Great illustrations to supplement the information. However, the plots focus more on the human characters than on the mythical beings, which is somewhat disappointing. Still, it’s a unique collection and deserves an audience. This anthology contains seventeen stories, each focussing on one specific cryptid from South-East Asian mythology. The list of contributors includes some exceptional known names such as Jesse Q. Sutanto and Erin Entrada Kelly. The book begins with an introductory note by Malaysian editor-author Hanna Alkaf, offering information about cryptids and their presence in the mythology of this region. This note is so well-written! Sample this line: "Cryptids, ...

AUTHOR: Unknown GENRE: Folktale PUBLICATION DATE: N.A. RATING: 3.5 stars. A Norwegian folktale with the ‘Animal As Bridegroom’/’The Search for the Lost Husband’ theme. Plot Preview: A white bear asks a poor farmer for his youngest daughter in exchange for wealth. The daughter reluctantly agrees and goes to live with the bear. Things go decently enough except for one issue. After some time, when she feels homesick, the girl asks the bear for permission to visit her parents. He allows the same, but with one condition. You can guess what might have happened immediately after, but how does the title come into play in this story? Read and find out.. One of my upcoming ARCs is loosely inspired by this classic fairytale, so I had to push it in my reading schedule. I have read it a couple of times earlier, but am reviewing it for the first time.  As far as fairy tales go, this story is obviously great, and obviously of its time. Certain elements haven’t stood the test of time. But as sensi...

AUTHOR: Madeline Miller NARRATOR: Perdita Weeks GENRE: Greek Myth Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: April 10, 2018 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A mythological retelling of the life of the Greek goddess Circe. Lyrical writing, episodic narrative, somewhat distanced in its storytelling, interesting characters (credit for this goes to Greek myths) but in limited roles, slow pace. A good-enough read but not sure if it lives up to the hype or if my expectations were too high. Plot Preview: When Helios, the mighty Titan and god of the sun, and Perse, a bewitching ocean nymph, had their first child, they didn’t expect their daughter to be so unlike them. Neither powerful nor beautiful, Circe finds herself ignored by the parents and hence turns to mortals for company. Unexpectedly, she discovers her power of witchcraft, though not the kind that the gods would be happy about. Threatened by her skill, Zeus banishes Circe to an isolated island, where she uses her time to perfect her prowess whil...

AUTHOR: Sona Charaipotra & Samira Ahmed GENRE: YA Anthology PUBLICATION DATE: May 13, 2025. RATING: Leaving this unrated. In a Nutshell: A teen anthology about South Asian diasporic experiences. I had been very excited for this collection, but much of the content wasn’t to my reading preferences. Thus might work better for other readers, hence leaving this without a rating. This collection has sixteen stories written by South Asian writers, giving a voice to teens of South-Asian descent staying in another country (USA). The blurb declares that this book “explores race, class, culture, language, and the very idea of home as both a place and a feeling.” These themes made me hope for a stimulating experience, as the concept of showing diasporic experiences about their progenitors’ cultures is always an interesting one, especially when the culture is as rich and diverse as in the South Asian nations. However, the book didn’t work for me for quite a few reasons. 🚩 For a ‘South Asian’...

AUTHOR: Rosie Hewlett NARRATOR: Kristin Atherton GENRE: Greek Myth Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: September 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A retelling of the story of Medea from Greek mythology. Excellent character development and plot structuring. You don’t need to know the original myth, though you will certainly appreciate the book better if you do. Much recommended to fans of the genre. Plot Preview: Seventeen-year-old Medea, the princess of the island of Colchis, has always been reviled by her family for her natural tendency towards witchery. Her only support is from her younger sister Chalciope and her aunt Circe, but both of these too soon wander away from Medea’s life. So when the dashing hero Jason arrives with his band of argonauts to claim the magical Golden Fleece that is protected on the island, Medea decides to help him in his challenge, in return for his aid in escaping. This decision becomes a life-changing one for our young lead, taking her on a path that s...

AUTHOR:  David Bowles ILLUSTRATOR: Charlene Bowles SERIES: Tales of the Feathered Serpent, #2 GENRE: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: October 29, 2024 RATING:  3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: The second standalone graphic novel in this series focussed on bringing Meso-American legends to middle-graders. Interesting story, but unlike in the first novel, the plot is not complete this time and goes much darker. Might be better suited to slightly older readers.  Plot Preview:  Long back when the gods walked the earth, One Hunahpu and his brother, both fun-loving demigods, wander into Xibalba, the Land of the Dead. When they fail to return to the overworld, their mother raises her firstborn’s twin sons.  Down below, One Hunahpu, in his new form, meets the young Lady Blood, daughter of two of the rulers of Xibalba. Their interactions lead to her pregnancy, and he asks her to move to the overworld where his mother could help her in taking care of h...

AUTHOR: David Bowles ILLUSTRATOR: Charlene Bowles SERIES: Tales of the Feathered Serpent, #1 GENRE: Middle-grade Graphic Novel. PUBLICATION DATE: September 1, 2020 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An OwnVoices middle-grade graphic novel narrating the story of “The Dwarf King of Uxmal”, a Mesoamerican myth. Fun story and interesting characters. Perfect for the age group. Plot Preview: A thousand years ago in the Yacatan Peninsula, the city of Uxmal was ruled by a cruel king named Kinich Kak Ek. So sure was he of his power that he was unfazed by a prophecy announcing the kind of person who would threaten his throne. On the outskirts of the city, Sayam grew up with his grandmother, knowing that he was different from other kids: he was born from an egg, after all! His grandmother, who was a kind witch, taught him the ancient ways of magic. What brings Kinich Kak Ek and Sayam into direct confrontation with each other? How will the prophecy be fulfilled? Read and find out! Most mytholo...

AUTHOR: Aiden Thomas NARRATOR: André Santana SERIES: The Sunbearer Duology, #2 GENRE: YA Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: September 3, 2024 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting continuation and finale to the Sunbearer duology. This works slightly better than the first one in writing, pacing and action, but doesn't have a strong character development, and  is a bit repetitive . YA in approach (which it should be as a YA Fantasy, but I don’t enjoy YA much.) Not a standalone. Note: This review contains minor spoilers from Book One: The Sunbearer Trials . Plot Preview: This book continues immediately after the finale of the first book. Now that the Obsidian gods are free of their prison and intent on taking back what they think was rightfully theirs, there is chaos all over Reino de Sol. Add in the complication that Sol is still not in power, thanks to Teo’s refusal of sacrificing a fellow semidiose during the Sunbearer Trials. As their world is in darkness, Teo, Aurelio, and N...

AUTHORS: Alexis Kossiakoff & Scott Forbes Crawford GENRE: Middle-grade Fantasy-Adventure PUBLICATION DATE: August 20, 2024 RATING: 3.5 stars In a Nutshell: A middle-grade fantasy-adventure combining elements from Chinese and Slavic mythology. As an adult, I’d have preferred some plot points and the characters to be further developed, but a child would mostly enjoy this story. Some scary sequences, so might not be for sensitive or younger tweens. Plot Preview: 1920. Peking (modern-day Beijing), China. Twelve-year-old Lucy has spent the last three years away from her father, who was serving in the Russian army. But now, he is on his way to Peking. When Lucy goes to receive him at the station, she discovers that the train has been attacked and her father kidnapped by a notorious ganglord. The only clue left is a mysterious firebird feather. With the help of her best friend Su and a local Russian club owner, Lucy goes on a quest to rescue her father. Along the way, she learns that re...

AUTHOR: Rachel Smythe SERIES: Lore Olympus, #2 GENRE: Graphic Novel, Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: July 5, 2022 RATING: 1 star. This over-hyped graphic novel series is turning out to be a huge disappointment. This second graphic novel covers episodes 26-49 from the Webtoon series. Total episodes: 285. (280, if you don't include the extra content.) ❀ No consistency in character development right from the start. Persephone is still a befuddling character. Hades has turned into a major red flag, except for his love of dogs. ❀ We get a good glimpse of Cerberus, Hades’ three-headed dog, in this section. The canine motivation helped somewhat. ❀ The plot is replete with toxic relationships. Why the heck are people going gaga over this? ❀ Lots of typos. I ignored a couple of mistakes in the initial set but the frequency is greater now. I don’t know if the graphic novels also have the typos, but to see these many spelling errors and missing words in a published digital edition is annoying. ❀ ...

AUTHOR: Rachel Smythe SERIES: Lore Olympus, #1 GENRE: Graphic Novel, Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 2021 RATING: 2 stars. Yet another Webtoon read. I’ll share a proper review only once done with the final book. Until then, just penning some random thoughts on each graphic novel. ( As is evident below, I can’t be brief even when I am penning random thoughts. ) This first graphic novel covers episodes 1-25 from the Webtoon series. Total episodes: 285. (280, if you don't include the extra content.) ❀ A graphic retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone with a contemporary twist. ❀ Better if you have some basic familiarity with the original characters because introductions aren’t present often. ❀ Balance of seriousness and humour. But the content is as sexist as you would expect from Greek Mythology. ❀ Oddly funny to see the Greek “gods” gallivanting about with smartphones and fancy cars and partying in clubs. ❀ Hades looks promising. As yet, undecided about Persephone. ...