Book Review - Sainted Love Vol. 1: A Time to Fight (Sainted Love, 1) by Steve Orlando + Giveaway

 

 

Sainted Love Vol. 1: A Time to Fight by Steve Orlando is about a gay couple who time travels to fight an evil force that is against their union.  Malcolm “Mac” Irina is one of the greatest inventors of his time. Unfortunately, no one has ever heard of him. His partner, John Wolf, is the toughest bare-knuckle boxer in the city. Mac is almost finished with his greatest invention, the Chronocorridor. He wants to travel to a time where he and John can live and love together freely.  Before he can complete his invention, a detective named Felt raids Mac’s lab, and the couple dives through the power-up portal to escape capture by Detective Felt.  The pair end up in a different timeline but find they are being hunted by an organization that is determined to end gay love. Will Mac and John be able to find a place where they can be themselves?

I didn’t like this graphic novel. I did finish it, but I found that the animation style and story were a bit too graphic for my reading preferences. I didn’t like the artwork and it seemed every few pages, there was an orgy.  I found the story and the characters to be one-dimensional and boring. They just seemed to be bickering about random things that didn’t add anything to the storyline. I don’t think I would continue reading the rest of the series.

  **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

About The Book:

Title: SAINTED LOVE Vol. 1: A Time to Fight

Authors: Steve Orlando & Giopota (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: August 20, 2024

Publisher: Vault Comics

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 144

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/SAINTED-LOVE-Vol-1-A-Time-to-Fight

THE TIME MACHINE meets MIDNIGHTER & APOLLO in SAINTED LOVE Vol. 1: A Time to Fight - a steamy, genre-blending gay, science fiction, era-spanning, adventure-packed graphic novel!

A SEXY, TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE TOO POWERFUL TO BE CONTAINED IN A SINGLE ERA!
New York City, 1907.
Malcolm “Mac” Irina is the greatest inventor the world’s never heard of, and his lover, John Wolf, is the toughest bare-knuckle boxer in the city. Irina’s crowning invention, the Chronocorridor, is nearly complete. He dreams of whisking himself and Wolf away to a time when they can live and love freely. But when crazed Detective Felt raids Irina’s lab, the couple dive into the freshly powered-up portal to escape capture.

Sainted Love is a steamy time-traveling adventure series, equal parts romance and science fiction as two heroes fight for their love while journeying across centuries of history. It’s sexy, it’s exciting, it’s fast-paced. It’s a gay romance that sees queer heroes become legends themselves as they explore and adventure through iconic times in queer history, from the passion of gay saints Sergius and Bacchusto to the Lavender Mafia of the 1970s, and in between. Irina and Wolf first think they need to return home, but they soon realize that their real calling is elsewhere in time, to places where they’re free to love and exists as who they are and eras that desperately need their help.

Steve Orlando (Eisner and GLAAD Award nominated writer of Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man 2099, Wonder Woman) and Giopota (artist+creator of beloved webcomic Mothersea) hurl you across time with Irina and Wolf, as they encounter famous queer people throughout history and fight back against all who would see their names and love erased!

SAINTED LOVE Vol. 1: A Time to Fight collects issues #1-3 of the acclaimed series and successfully-funded Kickstarter!

For fans and readers of: Doctor Who, Black Mirror, Quantum Leap, The Time Machine (H.G. Wells), The Star Rover (Jack London), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (Mark Twain), Check, Please! (Ngozi Ukazu), Paper Girls (Brian K. Vaugh/Cliff Chiang), Moonstruck (Grace Ellis, Kate Leth, Shae Beagle), The Prince & The Dress Maker (Jen Wang), Bingo Love (Tee Franklin, Jenn St. Onge, Joy San, Genevieve FT) Sunstone (Stjepan Sejic), Money Shot (Tim Seeley), Midnighter and Apollo (Steve Orlando)

PRAISE FOR SAINTED LOVE:

"...a giddy mashup of sci-fi adventure and queer romance." -- Publishers Weekly

"This is slick comics storytelling and lots of fun." -- Publishers Weekly

 

INSERT YOUR POST OR REVIEW HERE!

 

About Steve Orlando:

Steve Orlando has written for every major American comic book publisher. He’s received Eisner Award Nominations for OUTLAW TERRITORY (Image Comics) and RAINBOW BRIDGE (AfterShock Comics), as well as participating in the Eisner-Winning LOVE IS LOVE (IDW Publishing). He’s received a Ringo Award Nomination for RAINBOW BRIDGE (AfterShock Comics), and wrote for the Ringo-Winning DC PRIDE (DC Comics). As well, his MIDNIGHTER and MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO were both nominated for GLAAD Media Awards. As a localizer, Orlando contributed to SWEET PAPRIKA, winner of a 2022 Harvey Award.

At DC Comics, he’s written for titles including BATMAN, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, DOOM PATROL: MILK WARS, SUPERGIRL, MARVIN THE MARTIAN/MARTIAN MANHUNTER, WONDER WOMAN, DETECTIVE COMICS, NIGHTWING, BATMAN/THE SHADOW, and MARTIAN MANHUNTER, its first issue named one of Tor’s Best Single Issues of 2018.

At Marvel Comics, he’s written for STAR WARS: LIFE DAY, X-MEN GREEN, MARVEL VOICES: PRIDE, MAGNETO AND THE MUTANT FORCE, MARAUDERS, EXTREME CARNAGE, CURSE OF THE MAN-THING, and SCARLET WITCH.

At Image Comics, he’s written and edited UNDERTOW, VIRGIL, CRUDE, LOADED BIBLE: BLOOD OF MY BLOOD, and COMMANDERS IN CRISIS. In addition for Image, he’s localized the best-selling UNNATURAL, MERCY, and DEEP BEYOND, as well as UN/SACRED for Ablaze Publishing.

At AfterShock, Orlando additionally wrote DEAD KINGS, KILL A MAN, SEARCH FOR HU, PARTY AND PREY, and PROJECT PATRON. Additionally, he wrote THE SHADOW/BATMAN for Dynamite Entertainment, NAMESAKE for BOOM! Studios, THE PULL for TKO Studios, TRANSFORMERS: KING GRIMLOCK for IDW Publishing, as well as STARWARD at Heavy Metal Magazine. Also at Heavy Metal, he wrote and edited for the BOULET BROTHERS HEAVY METAL HALLOWEEN TAKEOVER.

Outside of comics publishing, Orlando has written for and been featured in Epicurious, HELLO MR, as well as NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine. In animation, he worked with Man of Action Studios on the fourth season of BEN 10.

Steve is based in the Boston, MA area

Keep up with Steve Orlando: 

Twitter | Instagram

 

About Giopota:

GIOPOTA is a queer cartoonist of fantasy and body positive comics, known for his original work Mothersea and the Cornucopia self published collection. Sainted Love is his very first comic published for US audiences.

Gio is based in Bologna, Italy.
Keep up with Giopota:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | BlueSky

 

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive finished copies of SAINTED LOVE Vol. 1: A Time to Fight, US Only.

Ends September 3rd, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/19/2024	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
8/19/2024	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt
8/20/2024	Comic Book Yeti	Steve Orlando Interview/IG Post
8/20/2024	Never Hollowed By The Stare	Excerpt
8/21/2024	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
8/21/2024	Edith's Little Free Library	IG Post/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
8/22/2024	Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
8/22/2024	The Momma Spot	Excerpt
8/23/2024	Rajiv's reviews	Review/IG Post
8/23/2024	@dana.loves.books	IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Two:

8/26/2024	@evergirl200	IG Review
8/26/2024	Lifestyle of Me	Review
8/27/2024	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
8/27/2024	@heyashleyyreads	IG Review/TikTok Post
8/28/2024	Nonbinary Knight Reads	Review/IG Post
8/28/2024	@sparks_books	IG Review
8/29/2024	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
8/29/2024	Two Points of Interest	Review
8/30/2024	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
8/30/2024	Ohyouread	IG Review

Book Review - The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Paterson Joseph

 

The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Paterson Joseph is a real historical person's fictionalized life story. In 1746 London, society nor roaming the streets wasn't safe for a young Black man. Charles Ignatius Sancho must wearily navigate the streets after being chased by slave catchers who would send any non-white person to the West Indies to work. He manages to get away and is saved by a kind duke who takes an interest in him.  Charles is indebted to the duke as he opens Charles's world to new experiences and teaches Charles how to read. Charles goes from being a person who is kept for entertainment purposes to meeting the king and becoming the first Black person to vote.

The book is narrated through Charles’s journal entries to his son in the future. The book started out interesting as I didn’t realize that Charles was a real person. However, I found the narration hard to get into. I felt lost and had to re-read the same sentence a few times. I also didn’t like that the author would hint at things but not explain them in more detail. Some of the events that happened during “specific life chapters” seemed that they didn’t happen around the same time as the time that particular chapter was supposed to be about. I didn’t bond with Charles in general and found the story to be very boring and, at times, pretentious. I read more than half of the book before deciding this wasn’t for me and stopped reading.  I would be open to learning more about Charles Ignatius Sancho, but I won’t give this dry book another chance.

 

Book Review - Justice Delivered by Patricia Bradley

 

Justice Delivered by Patricia Bradley is about a woman, Carly Smith, who tries to face her past demons. Carly Smith was a victim of sex trafficking. She was lured by a promise of a modeling gig, and ended up being kidnapped. After escaping, she tried to build a better life for herself. She is trying to move on and she works as a trauma counselor to help people in need.

While working with another patient, the person’s story resonated with Carly. She felt that it was very similar to her own trafficking story. Deciding to take matters in her own hands, she travels back home to see if she can help capture the man who kidnapped her. However, while working on helping her patient, Carly unwittingly led the perpetrators to her niece, Lexi, who gets kidnapped.  Carly will have to overcome her fear and trust issues, if she wants to bring her niece home.

The book is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone. It was a fast paced read and it had a few twists and turns. Some of them were predictable but one did take me by surprise. The book was told from multiple points of views. It was interesting reading the different character views. There was a romance aspect to the novel but I thought it was lackluster. I didn’t find any chemistry between the characters. Overall, I thought it was an interesting read and I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - The Plot #2 by Tim Daniel and Michael Moreci

 

The Plot #2 by Tim Daniel and Michael Moreci is about the creation of the monster that haunts the Blaine family. Chase Blaine is the last surviving patriarch. As he unearths a piece of his family history, he must decide if he is willing to sacrifice everything to keep his family’s secret. As Chase and his niece and nephew come to terms with their family’s past, a coastal storm rages outside and threatens to drown them. Will Chase be able to leave the past behind?

This was the second graphic novel in a series. I found it to be predictable and quite boring. I was expecting a lot more.  The creation of the monster was very much a been-there-and-done-that type of deal. There were a few scenes that I wasn’t sure how they were connected, and they felt out of place. I wish more information was given about the past events and how they influenced or linked to the current state of the Blaine family. The ending and the book felt rushed. I felt like there could have been another volume to go into more detail. I did like the artwork. I thought it was beautiful and well done.

August 2024 Empties!

 

I can't believe August is almost over. However, all I can say is good riddance! I can't wait for the fall weather where I can wear makeup again. Since, it was so hot all I really used was moisturizers and body washes since it was too hot for everything else.

The Elvira Multi Oil Body Wash had a pleasant floral aroma. I was surprised on how good it smelled. It had a good silky lather and it was oil based so it wasn't very drying. I could see myself getting this again.

The Dickinson's 4 in 1 Hydrating Toner and Serum wasn't a good buy. It honestly didn't do a single thing. I didn't notice a difference with it. It absorbed quickly and my skin didn't feel softer or refreshed. I would skip it going forward.

The  Kate Somerville Goat Milk moisturizer was a bit basic. It was lightweight and unscented. It didn't do much and I have a lot of K-Beauty moisturizers that do the same thing for a fraction of the cost. I would get it again if its deeply discounted. It did burn a few times when I first started using the moisturizer. 

The Super Bloom Bright Eye Peptide Cream was a bit disappointing. I was around halfway through the jar before it started hardening. I did stop using it for a month because I was noticing better results with another eye cream. Oh well, no big lost.

Is there anything you finished that you loved this month?

Book Review - The Curse of the Werepenguin by Allan Woodrow

 

The Curse of the Werepenguin by Allan Woodrow is about a young boy, Bolt Wattle, who is adopted by a strange and mysterious baron. Twelve year old Bolt grew up in an orphanage.  All he ever wanted was to find his true family. When a baron from a far away country, Brugaria, sends for Bolt, he wonders if the Baron is connected to his long lost parents or if he would be one step closer to finding them. 

When Bolt meets Baron Chordata for the first time, he is astonished by the sight of him. The Baron looks like a twelve year old boy who wears tuxedos all the time while shouting at his housekeeper. Every time Bolt tries to ask the Baron a question, the Baron forbids Bolt from asking questions. Bolt thought he would just bide his time until one night at midnight, the Baron bites Bolt. When the full moon approaches, it transforms Bolt into a penguin who can control (and communicate with) the other feral penguins nearby. 

Bolt loves being a penguin until he realizes that the Baron has plans for him. The Baron’s plans include taking over the nearby village. Bolt wants to stop the Baron before he can succeed with his plans. With the help of Annika, a girl from the community who is training to be the best bandit, Bolt might have a small chance to save the village from the Baron.

The book was a funny and weird read. It had a few moments that were hilarious and some were “well, that was weird”. While the book was funny, the humor kind of got boring after a while and very repetitive and over the top. I felt that the book could have been shorter and it would have been more enjoyable. The quirky read reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events. I can see young readers enjoying this fun read.

Book Review - The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

 

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri is about a husband and wife, Nuri and Afra, who try to escape the destruction of Syria. Nuri was a beekeeper and Afra was an artist. Nuri used to rise early to hear the call of prayer before traveling to the countryside to visit his hives. He always felt at peace and comfortable when surrounded by his bees. On the weekends, they would travel together to the open air market to sell Afra’s paintings. Her paintings sold well and they were able to make a comfortable living. Nuri and Afra were surrounded by friends and family that they loved and cherished.

When war ravages the beautiful city of Aleppo, the unthinkable happens to Nuri and Afra. Everything and everyone they loved was either destroyed or had left Syria. Nuri knows that they must leave before they lose their chance. However, Afra is hesitant to leave her home behind. After another close call, Nuri had begged Afra to leave. They both know that leaving Syria will be a difficult journey but the difficulty becomes compounded when Afra loses her sight. She would need to depend on Nuri to guide them to Britain.

Both Nuri and Afra are expressing their grief differently. However, the only bright spot of the journey is that Nuri knows his cousin, Mustafa, is waiting for them. Mustafa and his family had left earlier before Nuri and Afra and had started an apiary in Yorkshire and taught other people about beekeeping. As the couple travel to Britain, they have to come to terms with the trauma and pain that they survive and the dangers that surround them.

I thought the novel was an okay read. It was a bit confusing at times when the book would switch from the present to the past. It was hard to tell when we were in the past and when we were in the present. I had a hard time bonding with the characters because of how the story was told. We were told bits and pieces at random times. By the time we got the full story of their trauma, I had lost interest. I felt that Afra was a shell of a character. We barely got to learn her point of view only that she was blind and depending on Nuri to do everything for her. Afra was a complex character that had her own different set of trauma but we never “heard” her voice. She felt like a doll that Nuri would dress and take care of. 

I didn’t like that some chapters would end mid-sentence and would continue as the next chapter title. It was cute in theory but got annoying after a while. I didn’t like the author to hint at things but then she wouldn’t always tell us what she was trying to say. Like the two brothers who followed the musician and were doing stuff. What kind of stuff were they doing? I hate assuming because perhaps they were just stealing and not doing anything sexual. Or it took several painful chapters to find out the trauma Nuri and Afra suffered in the past. Some were easy to guess which made it annoying that it took so long for us to find out. Some readers might enjoy this book but it wasn’t for me.

Book Review - The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi

The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi is about a young girl, Willow, who travels to Hawaii to marry a man she has only seen one picture of.  In 1918, Willow and her family lived in a small rural village in Korea. Willow wants more from life than being a housewife to another farmer. She yearns to go back to school after her mother pulled her out. When her father and brother died while rebelling against the Japanese occupation of Korea, her mother needed Willow at home to help take care of  her younger siblings. 

When a traveling merchant stops by, she has an interesting prospect for Willow. She knows a young man in Hawaii who is looking for a wife. She shows Willow a picture of him and Willow sends a picture of herself to him. Before long a match was made. Willow is nervous to leave her family and the only place she knows as home behind. However, she is excited because her matchmaker told Willow that her husband is a wealthy landowner, food and clothing is plentiful, and Willow will be able to go back to school.

Willow and a few other young women from her village travel to Hawaii together to become a picture bride. After a harrowing and long journey, Willow finally arrives in Hawaii to meet her new husband. However, she shortly learns that the matchmaker has lied to her about her husband’s wealth and her ability to be able to go back to school. Her dreams for a new life is shattered even farther, when she learns that her husband never wanted to marry her in the first place.

Willow tries to make the best of what she was dealt. She tries to increase her family’s wealth and social standing. However, when the Korean independence movements start to spread throughout their Hawaiian community, Willow sees it dividing her family and friends from each other as each person has differing views. Willow tries to forge ahead and create new dreams and work tirelessly for her family.

I thought the book was an interesting but slow moving read. There were chapters where nothing happened to progress the story. At times, there were a lot of characters to keep track of and I couldn’t remember how they all related to each other. I did enjoy reading about Willow and the other picture brides’ journeys and how their friendship lasted through the years. I like reading some of the historical portions about Hawaii and Korea. I never knew picture brides were a thing, so that was interesting to learn.

The first two parts of the book describe Willow’s life arriving in Hawaii and then her time in Hawaii. The last part skips a few years into the future. I didn’t care for the ending and the last portion of the book, I felt like it was out of place and not really needed. It seemed weird that Willow wanted her entire life to do something but then prevented her loved ones from doing what they loved. The book does explain why, but I felt that twist wasn’t needed and could have been left out especially since that person didn’t seem to tell anyone about knowing the secret. I wish there were more details given on what happened during the time jump. The book was translated from Korean so I felt some of the nuances might have been missed while reading it.

Book Review - A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig

A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig is about a young boy, Caleb, who moves to Samhain, Wisconsin with his mother after his father passed away. His mother had great memories when she used to live in Samhain and loves that the small town celebrates Halloween every day. Kids and adults, all dress in costume, and businesses and houses are decorated with ghoulish décor.

Caleb isn’t a fan of Halloween when it normally occurs once a year.  So, with Samhain being obsessed with Halloween,  Caleb isn’t looking forward to moving to the new town. He feels that the town is being over the top with kitschy vibes. In addition to wearing costumes daily, the mayor is so committed to his act of being a vampire that he is only available in the City Hall during sundown to sunup. Caleb is the only one at his school who refuses to dress up, so he is constantly picked on by other students. He does manage to befriend another fellow misfit, Tai. The timing of his new budding friendship couldn’t come at a better time, as he has noticed weird things happening around Samhain.

The children’s book is a fun and quirky read. It was easy to read and had a few funny jokes. The book was straightforward and didn’t have any unexpected twists. Even though the book had a few spooky themes, it isn’t scary for young readers. It was fun reading how Tai and Caleb were trying to find ways to discover if monsters do exist. The ending does leave an opening for the second book.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion** 

Book Review - The Rick Riordan Presents: Lords of Night by J.C. Cervantes

 

 

The Rick Riordan Presents: Lords of Night by J.C. Cervantes is about a young woman, Renata Santiago, who tries to control her destiny. Fourteen-year-old Renata is different from the other godborn, and one of the most powerful of them. From her dad, she has Mexican blood that allowed her the ability to manipulate shadows. Her mother, Pacific, a Mayan goddess, bestowed on her a magical golden rope that she could use to control time. She used up the time rope’s ability when she prevented a few gods from being transported and getting stuck in 1987. With her unique powers, she was able to save the gods including her best friend, Ah Puch, the god of death, darkness, and destruction. While she did manage to save him, Ah Puch is stuck as a teenager with no divine powers.

While Ren has godlike DNA and friends, she is also an ordinary teenager. She wishes that her blog about aliens would get more respect and that people would stop bullying her online. She knows that there is a connection between aliens and the Mayan civilizations. She is desperate to prove her online haters wrong. When she receives a fan email about a potential alien sighting in Kansas, she jumps at the chance to prove her theory. However, when she arrives, she feels that the five renegade godborns might be behind the “sighting”.

As Ren investigates the possible alien sighting, she finds herself tangled in a plot to wake up the nine Aztec Lords of Night. Ren wants to stop the five godborns before it’s too late. However, none of her friends are available to join her journey. Luckily for her, Ah Puch has a few tricks up his sleeve to help her. Will Ren be able to stop the Lords of the Night from awakening?

The book is the first part of a duology series, but it continues the story from another series. The book can be read as a standalone, but I feel like I am missing some nuances from the characters and story because I didn’t read the previous series. They felt very one-dimensional and flat for me.  I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters because the author did give a bit of background on them, but it wasn’t enough for me to care.

I felt the book was moving slowly and then towards the end, the writing felt rushed and sloppy. The book sort of ended on a cliffhanger. While it took some time for me to get into the book and it wasn’t interesting enough that I would want to continue the series. I feel readers who are familiar with the prior series would enjoy this book more than I did.