Caramel’s reviews – Page 3

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #11: Cold War Correspondent by Nathan Hale

Caramel has read and reviewed several books in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, the historical graphic novel series by Nathan Hale. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about the eleventh book in the series, Cold War Correspondent, published first in 2021.

Sprinkles: Here we are, with another Nathan Hale book.

Caramel: Yes, we are! And this one is about the Cold War, brr.

S: That’s funny! The Cold War is called the Cold War not because it is really cold temperature-wise though.

C: Well, I know of course. It is cold in the sense that it is not hot, like armies are not openly fighting, there is no open fire of one army attacking another. So no fire. So Cold.

S: You know so much Caramel! Here is how Wikipedia defines it:

The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which began in the aftermath of the Second World War[A] and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term cold war is used because there was no direct fighting between the two superpowers, though each supported opposing sides in regional conflicts known as proxy wars.

C: Actually the book is about a hot war which was a part of the Cold War. To be specific, the Korean War. One of those proxy wars I suppose, but the United States did have soldiers fighting in it, just not directly against the Soviet Union.

S: Oh, that makes sense. And I am assuming there is a journalist involved somehow, the correspondent in the title.

C: Yeah, the book is specifically about Marguerite Higgins. She was a war correspondent, a journalist who wrote about World War 2 and many other smaller wars, for the New York Herald Tribune.

S: That is so interesting, Caramel. I of course know about the Korean War, but I had not heard of Higgins. She seems to have been a very brave woman. So the story in the book is the story of the Korean War through Higgins’ eyes?

C: Yes, she is the narrator for this book, and she pops up from the hanging tree, or more so down from the tree.

S: The tree of Nathan Hale, you mean? So do we not see Nathan Hale in this one?

C: No, we do, but he’s not the main narrator this time, more so of a commentary.

S: That is different from the other books, right?

C: Yes, it is. In most of the other books, he is not a commenter, he is the narrator, or at least the main narrator.

S: I guess it just worked best this way for this book then. Okay, so did you learn some new things from this book? Did you know about the Korean War or the Cold War or Marguerite Higgins before?

C: Yeah, of course, I knew about the Cold War, and I knew a bit about the Korean War, but not about Higgins. This was a good perspective change.

Caramel is reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #11: Cold War Correspondent by Nathan Hale. — Caramel is reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #11: Cold War Correspondent* by Nathan Hale.

S: In what way?

C: This showed how badly prepared the South Koreans and the US were. They expected an attack and were preparing for it, but not effectively enough. They had no tanks, planes, artillery, or even armor-piercing bazooka rounds that worked, and among the things they had, many were duds. Meanwhile the North Koreans had almost a full air force and 150 Soviet T-34 tanks, the tanks that let the Soviets take Berlin in the Second World War.

S: I did not know any of these details either, Caramel. So of course the South would suffer dramatically given such a disparity.

C: Yes, so the United States called for the United Nations to help. And about fifteen to twenty nations joined in with the United States to defend South Korea. And that war lasted a few years.

S: And the book is about all that?

C: No, it’s mostly about Higgins and her experiences in Korea, not all of the war.

S: I guess the author decided to include a snapshot from the Cold War in his series. That makes sense to me.

C: Yeah, this is the only book about the Cold War so far. The next one will be about World War 1.

S: So you are all ready to move to the next one! But wait, wasn’t there another Nathan Hale book about World War 1?

C: Yes! It is the second book I reviewed from the series: Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #2: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood.

S: And you are ready for more?

C: Yup.

S: Okay, so this is probably a good place to wrap this up then.

C: Sure.

S: What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #11: Cold War Correspondent by Nathan Hale and talking about it too. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #11: Cold War Correspondent* by Nathan Hale and talking about it too.

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #10: Blades of Freedom by Nathan Hale

Caramel loves history and he loves graphic novels. So it is no surprise that he has enjoyed Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, the historical graphic novel series by Nathan Hale. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about the tenth book in the series, Blades of Freedom, published first in 2020.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, it has been a while since you reviewed a Nathan Hale book.

Caramel: Yes it has. The last Nathan Hale book I reviewed was all the way back in May 2025!

S: But we finally were able to get a few more of them into your paws, and you immediately began to read them all.

C: Yes, I see a couple more Nathan Hale book reviews in our near future.

S: I like that! So tell me what this one is about.

C: This is about Napoleon’s rise, and the revolution in Haiti.

S: Wait! Those are all more or less French history, no? I thought the Nathan Hale books were mainly about the history of the United States.

C: Well, think again, this one isn’t, except where Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory to the United States.

S: Hmm, I see. Also Haiti is in the Western hemisphere, so that also makes sense to me. And the revolution in Haiti was important for the whole Western hemisphere of course.

C: And apparently it is more or less the reason why Napoleon ended up selling the whole Louisiana territory to the then-young United States.

S: I guess this is again a story which informs a significant part of our understanding of the history of the United States.

C: Yeah, sure. But it is definitely a lot more about Napoleon and the revolution in Haiti. That is where the title is coming from after all: blades of freedom is about the freedom of the enslaved in Haiti.

S: Hmm, when you say it that way, the “Blades” part kind of sounds bloody.

C: Well, we all know the French Revolution was very bloody. The Haitian one did not lack in bloodshed either.

Caramel is reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #10: Blades of Freedom by Nathan Hale. — Caramel is reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #10: Blades of Freedom* by Nathan Hale.

S: I guess it is hard to have a revolution that is totally peaceful. But tell me more about the book.

C: Sure. Just like the earlier Nathan Hale books, it has some great characters. It has Napoleon, two cats, and the leaders and catalysts of the Haiti revolution, Francois Mackandal, Dutty Boukman,, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and Toussaint L’Ouverture.

S: Other than the two cats, those sound like real historical characters, Caramel.

C: Yep, and the cats are not real but funny.

S: And is Nathan Hale still narrating this story too?

C: Yes, it’s one of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, so of course he is still narrating. You can see him on some of the pages.

S: So I am assuming you have learned some good amount of history again.

C: Yeah, I did. I had learned about the Louisiana purchase at school, but I didn’t know much about the reasons behind why France wanted to sell, other than they were at war, which was I guess true-ish. But they also did not have a good way to connect their European land to the North American territory once they lost Haiti, so in some very real sense, it seems like they wanted to cut their losses and leave.

S: That makes sense to me.

C: I also did not know that much about Napoleon Bonaparte before this. The book basically tells all his life story.

S: That is great Caramel! So I am guessing you enjoyed this book and will want to read the eleventh book next.

C: Yep, I did and I will.

S: Great! I think this might be a good time to wrap up this review.

C: Sure.

S: What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #10: Blades of Freedom by Nathan Hale and is excited to be reading more from Nathan Hale again. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #10: Blades of Freedom* by Nathan Hale and is excited to be reading more from Nathan Hale again.

Caramel reviews Warhammer – The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook

As his first review for the new year, Caramel wanted to talk about Warhammer – The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook from 2022. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, You had already reviewed the core book for Warhammer 40000. What are the differences between the two?

Caramel::Well, in Warhammer lore the Horus Heresy is 10000 years earlier. So the time is around 30000, not 40000.

S: And why does this difference matter?

C: Well, now in this time, there is a civil war between humans and humans, mostly space marines versus more space marines, but they have cool armor, and best of all, tanks, and mechs.

S: Ahh, I understand why you like this now.

C: Yes, I’m a simple bunny.

S: But Caramel, in 40K, too, there was perpetual war.

C: Yes, but in 40K, there are aliens too. In The Horus Heresy, it’s mostly between humans and humans. This is the background they give in the web page for the book:

The Imperium stretches across countless worlds, a newborn empire on the brink of ultimate victory. Yet at the peak of this golden age of conquest, the galaxy has been plunged into an Age of Darkness. Horus Lupercal, Warmaster of the Emperor’s armies, has turned against his gene-father, and the eighteen Space Marine Legions, once united in a Great Crusade to consolidate all Humanity beneath the Emperor’s banner, are riven by betrayal. This is the Horus Heresy – the bloodiest conflict Humanity has ever known. Civil war on a galactic scale, in which superhuman soldiers clad in advanced armour turn devastating weapons upon those they called brothers. Where do your loyalties lie?

S: So the Imperium is powerful but maybe not yet as spread around the universe, and the story is more about an internal struggle?

C: Yes, basically, and the political issues with the God Emperor of Mankind being betrayed by his sons, like a certain Greek titan.

S: Ooh, I see, you are referring to Kronos and his sons, right?

C: Yeah, I am. I’m a smart bunny, too.

S: I never doubted that Caramel! But in your review of the 40K book, you told us that humans still worship the God Emperor. So does this mean that he will prevail?

C: Well, he doesn’t actually like religions, he is apparently old enough to have seen what it does. But he is a perpetual, or a being that is reborn, so, yeah, he was apparently also, I think Caesar, or something.

S: Again, this is very depressing. To have an autocratic leader who hangs around for ten thousand years of perpetual war.

C: No comment. Except a tiny one: he isn’t there after the Heresy; he sort of dies, but doesn’t.

Caramel is reading Warhammer – The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook. — Caramel is reading *Warhammer – The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook.*

S: Hmm. I think you have been reading those other books about the Horus Heresy, right?

C: No comment. I plead the fifth.

S: I have a sneaking suspicion we will be ending up with reviews of some of those books, too.

C: Maybe, I plead the fifth again.

S: Okay, let us not go too far into speculation of that sort. Let us get back to this rulebook. So then the main types of warriors you can play with in this Horus Heresy world are different then, right? You do not have the same kind of warriors, I am assuming.

C: Yes, and no, some chapters of space marines still use the same types of armor and weapons, but have primaris versions, so larger and faster, but not really.

S: So, what are the chapters of this book about? I’m guessing there are rules in it.

C: Oh, yeah, so, the book starts off with a quote by Horus Lupercal to set the stage:

I never wanted this. I never wanted to unleash my legions. Together we banished the ignorance of Old Night, but you betrayed me. You betrayed us all. You stole power from the Gods and lied to your sons. Mankind has only one chance to prosper. If you will not seize it, then I will. So let it be war, from the skies of Terra to the Galactic Rim. Let the seas boil. Let the stars fall. Even if it takes the last drop of my blood, I will see the galaxy freed once more. And if I cannot save it from your failure, Father, then let the galaxy burn!

Then the book explains what the Horus Heresy game is, and then explains the types of space marine armor one might see during the Horus Heresy, but it is missing most of the terminator plates, or any of the tanks or dreadnoughts, but should I tell you what armors types it does talk about?

S: No, I think I had my daily dose of Warhammer today.

C: Aw, one can never have too much Warhammer!

S: I know you think so.

C: Me and many other bunnies around the world!

S: Okay, that is true. So now you have some figures that are from this world and some from the 40K era, right?

C: I have some space marines, but they work for both games; it all depends on whether or not my friends let me.

S: I see. And I also noticed that you have been reading the lore like it is real history basically. You have a solid grasp of the timelines and what happens when and you know so many details…

C: Yep. I know it’s fiction, but it’s cool fiction.

S: Reminds me of the Foundation series Midnight started to review. That, too, envisions a whole future history of a galactic empire.

C: Huh, maybe, but Warhammer sort of also changes the perspective of ancient beings, like necrons, aeldar and orks, who are all older than most of the universe. Then there are the old ones: frog men who are older than the entire galaxy.

S: Hmm, so it is more mixed in with fantasy than pure sci-fi, maybe?

C: Yeah, I can see that.

S: Okay, cool. I am glad we talked about all this. I was wondering about The Horus Heresy, and this helps me get up to speed a bit about all that. So let us wrap up this review.

C: Sure. I think I should probably go to sleep.

S: Yes, I think that is a great idea. As we wrap it up, what would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel has been enjoying reading Warhammer – The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook and will likely leaf through it for many more months (or even years) to come. — Caramel has been enjoying reading *Warhammer – The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook* and will likely leaf through it for many more months (or even years) to come.

The Book Bunnies review the books of 2025

For the last few years, we have been doing a New-Year-ish thing in our last post of the year and talking about all the books we have read through that year. (You can find our recap of 2022 here; here is our recap of 2023, and here is the recap for 2024.) This year, we continue this tradition and take a look at our reviews for 2025.

[2025 saw the bunnies read and review many books, both new and classic. You can find a full list here.]

The book bunnies review the books of 2025.

Sprinkles: This year was a long and interesting one! We read a lot of new books and a lot of old books, too. And all the way at the end of the year, Midnight, the fourth member of our family joined us! So we thought, we can do something slightly different this time. Maybe everyone can tell us their favorites?

Midnight: Mine is the easiest then. I only reviewed one book: Foundation by Asimov. So it is my favorite book of the year. Also it is my least favorite.

Sprinkles: I see what you did there Midnight. That is funny.

This year Midnight joined the book bunnies blog and reviewed Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Here is a link to his review. — This year Midnight joined the book bunnies blog and reviewed *Foundation* by Isaac Asimov. Here is a link to his review.

Caramel: I want to say what mine was next!

Sprinkles: Sure, Caramel. I know you have been going over your reviews for the year. So which was your favorite?

Caramel: Escaping Peril, the graphic novel version. I also really liked rereading my review because soon, very soon, I will have the ninth book to read!

Sprinkles: Yes, I know! It is going to be published in early January 2026, so you can review it when we get back from our break.

Caramel: Will do.

Caramel's favorite book in 2025 was Escaping Peril: The Graphic Novel by Tui Sutherland. Here is a link to his review. — Caramel’s favorite book in 2025 was *Escaping Peril: The Graphic Novel* by Tui Sutherland. Here is a link to his review.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, what was your favorite book this year?

Marshmallow: I liked several of them a lot.

Sprinkles: I know, it is sometimes really hard to choose. But if you had to…

Marshmallow: I really liked The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger. I thought it was really well written and very inspiring.

Sprinkles: That was a really good book!

Marshmallow's favorite book in 2025 was The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger. Here is a link to her review. — Marshmallow’s favorite book in 2025 was The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger. Here is a link to her review.

Marshmallow: Yes. But I also really liked a lot of the other books I reviewed this year. So it is quite hard to choose. How about you?

Sprinkles: Hmm, I reviewed a lot of poetry books this year. And also Flatland: A Journey of Many Dimensions, which is a mathematical classic. So of course I liked that one a lot. But among the poetry books, When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne are probably my favorites. They are really cute, and they remind me a lot of both of you when you were even younger bunnies.

Marshmallow: Of course, because we were also so so cute!

Sprinkles: Exactly.

Caramel: We are still cute, though?

Sprinkles: Of course.

Midnight: I myself don’t care to be cute.

Sprinkles: You jut can’t help it though!

Midnight: Hmm. I prefer to be mysterious and vaguely threatening.

Marshmallow: Okay Midnight. As you wish.

Sprinkles cheated and chose three favorites: *Flatland: A Journey of Many Dimensions*, *When We Were Very Young*, and *Now We Are Six*.

Sprinkles: Typically in these recaps, we used to talk about quite a lot more books, but this year, we wanted to try something different and just talk about our favorites.

Caramel: It is a lot easier honestly.

Sprinkles: Well, for some of us, it is not so easy to choose our favorites. For example, that new book you two could not stop reading last week. Maybe it will be your favorite next year?

Marshmallow: It might be, if I review it.

Caramel: Hmm, I could review it too, but if she insists, I guess Marshmallow could review it. Then I will have my Wings of Fire books to review anyways.

Sprinkles: True, besides the ninth graphic novel of the original Wings of Fire series, the sixteenth book is coming out in 2026 as well.

Caramel: I can’t wait!

Sprinkles: Maybe Midnight will review more books for us, too, in 2026.

Midnight: That remains to be seen. A mysterious rabbit does not reveal their intentions so easily.

Caramel: Hmm, okay Midnight. But in any case, we have the month of January off!

Marshmallow: And we will be back here in February! So I want to say: Happy new year everyone! We wish you a happy hoppy new year in 2026!

Sprinkles: With lots of good books and many friends, old and new!

Caramel: Yes! And stay tuned for more book bunny reviews, coming to you in February 2026!

All four book bunnies, and Caramel's good friend Steve, wish all bunnies around the world a hoppy happy new year in 2026, with lots of good books and many friends, old and new! — All four book bunnies, and Caramel’s good friend Steve, wish all bunnies around the world a hoppy happy new year in 2026, with lots of good books and many friends, old and new!