Book Review: Spy x Family, Vol 9 by Tatsuya Endo

 

Spy x Family, Vol 9   

Author: Tatsuya Endo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: March 21, 2023

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action & Adventure/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Back to the cruise… Yor is fighting (undercover, of course) spies who are threatening to blow up the ship and kidnap the woman and child she is protecting. Loyd overhears that there is a bomb, but what to do with Anya? Anya supplies the solution herself, able to overhear her father’s dilemma, suggesting she go to the childcare area to play. But of course she has no intention of staying there, not when her family is in imminent danger!

The situation comes to a successful conclusion, with Loyd and Yor blissfully unaware of the part the other has played. But as Loyd goes to get Anya, he is worried that in doing his job, he’s abandoned his family again. Wait… since when does he actually consider Yor and Anya his family? Things are getting complicated.

Back at school after the break is over, Anya thinks to impress her schoolmates with her tale of having been on a huge ocean liner, but they don’t seem to care very much (they’re rich, you know, so used to such things), so she embellishes the truth a bit, including the arrival of pirates as well as the octopeople (total lies, of course). Back at home, she confesses to her family about what happened and doesn’t exactly get a lot of sympathy for having lied. Yor’s brother shows up, delighted to see his sister, though still not a fan of Loyd. He also denounces those who lie, which Anya finds hypocritical on all their parts, considering the secrets they all keep and the lies they tell on a regular basis.

Loyd is determined to retrain Bond, but Franky wants to know why does he have to be the one to play suspect? Loyd takes Bond for a walk, determined to break him of some of his bad habits, unaware that the dog can see the future. When they come upon a dangerous situation, they learn how to work together.

Taking inspiration from her beloved TV romances, Anya’s friend Becky is determined to come out in the open with her love for Loyd, so they can be together. Anya is appalled at first, when she realizes Becky’s intentions… until she begins to see that the idea could have some merit. But what would happen to Mama then?

Nightfall approaches Loyd, saying she needs to find someone who can forge a document. Loyd knows just the person! He sets up a meeting for her with Franky, who takes her undercover with him.

Mistress Donna Schlag of the Disciplinary Committee has decided to make an unexpected appearance at the school…and she’s determined to give out as many tonitrus bolts as she can! Oh dear, will Anya survive this? And what about Desmond, aka Sy-on boy?

I enjoyed the cruise arc, but it’s back to business and the main plot of the Strix Operation. It seems like Anya gets closer and closer to revealing her true nature, which in turn would probably lead to everyone’s secrets being revealed.  I know the series is based on no one knowing about one another, other than Anya, but I believe at some point this will change, and they will all begin to function knowingly with one another. I think that will just take everything to a whole new level, and I, for one, am all for it!

I love this series, so much, and look forward to it being around for a long time! Another great volume, looking forward to the next one, which should come out in October.

Wednesday Briefs: :Run Through the Jungle

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

As you may have noticed from the title of this week's tale, I have taken a brief break from my usual story because I was inspired to write something else based on one of our weekly prompts. The prompt in question was "Where you going, nature boy?" I've been watching Lost lately, inspired by my daughter Sarah, and this is the result. I hope you like it. The Sheriff will be back next week, never fear. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they've been up to. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Run Through the Jungle

The billboard was one of the largest Hurley had ever seen, dominating the California landscape, eclipsing even the huge letters that spelled out Hollywood.

Wait, what was going on here? And who was the woman whose face loomed larger than life? Did he know her?

The suspicious-looking sign with the glandular condition began to shimmer, the woman’s face going in and out of focus, disappearing just as recognition began to wash over Hurley. He knew he’d seen her before, and he had a feeling he liked her. But now her image had been replaced. By numbers. Very familiar numbers.

4. 8. 15. 16. 23. 42

The numbers danced across the screen with maniacal intensity, fluorescing in psychedelic hues that hurt his eyes. It wasn’t until Hurley turned to the person beside him that he realized he was seated on an airplane, not in a fast car speeding down the Pacific Coast Highway, and he knew what was going to happen… and he was powerless to stop it.

We’re going to crash, we’re going to crash, we’re going to…

Hurley sat up with a start. The sun was already a flaming orange above the horizon. Another day in paradise. And another day without Libby, the ache in his heart where she’d been reminded him.

As if he could ever forget the one woman who had actually looked at him like a man, not a fat freak. And what had he done but gone and got her killed, him and his bad luck. He should have known better.

He wasn’t sure what to do with himself. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt good. Not even the food he’d stashed in the jungle, his secret supply for when things got bad. Now eating that just made him feel guilty. Like Libby was judging him or something. Although she never would.

Reaching for the bottle of water he kept beside his bed, he took a drink, rising heavily to his feet. The jungle beckoned to him. He decided to heed its siren call.

It wasn’t until he woke for a second time that he realized one dream had become another, and he wasn’t on the beach, in his makeshift hut. He was in the jungle, where he’d spent the night, on his way back to let the others know what had happened.

Oh God, they had them. The Others. And that Henry guy, the one they’d kept down in the Hatch, was their leader. They had Jack and Kate and Sawyer, and Hurley had no clue what was going to happen to them. They’d warned him not to ever step foot on that side of the island ever again, and Hurley believed they meant to hurt him if he did.

Gotta get back, get back… warm them.

Particularly Locke. Locke would know what to do, he always did. Hurley doubted that man knew the meaning of insecure, had never felt less than confident. He wished he could be more like Locke.

What was that?

A horrible sound, like something crashing through the jungle. Hurley’s mind instantly thought polar bear, and he felt his stomach clench in horror. God, don’t let him lose it, not here or now.

Hurley cast desperate eyes about him, searching for a place to hide. But before he could make a move in any direction, a strange figure burst into view. Too much view, to be honest. The man was buck naked.

Hurley quickly averted his eyes, even as he recognized Desmond. The previous inhabitant of the hatch. “Where you going, Nature Boy?” he quipped.

“Well, brother, I’m not sure, to be honest,” Desmond responded.

Hurley dared a glance and just as quickly looked away. “Dude, where are your… clothes?”

“Burned off,” Desmond responded. Did that man ever sound anything less than chipper?

“What happened?” Hurley asked in spite of himself.

“The hatch, it imploded.” Desmond made a sound that was undoubtedly meant to represent an explosion, and when Hurley turned his startled gaze toward the naked man, Desmond’s hands were outflung, then quickly drew inward.

Right. Implosion. Not explosion.

“Glad you’re back, brother,” Desmond continued. “Things going on. Happening. Jack behind you?”

Jack. That brought Hurley back to the seriousness of the situation.

“No, dude. They have him. Him and Kate and Sawyer.” The words tumbled out in a rush. “I have to tell the rest. The Others have them. And they said never go to that side of the island again. Or else.”

“You have to tell everyone, brother. I’ll come with you. Can you spare me some clothing?”

Anything just to keep from having to look at all that… nakedness.

“Sure, if you don’t mind tye-dye,” Hurley muttered. He quickly shed his shirt and tossed it to Desmond, who pulled it on. It reached almost to his knees, but at least his bits were covered.

“Let’s go,” Hurley said, already moving in the direction of camp. No time to waste, no time to lose. Even now, they could be… He didn’t dare complete the thought.

Someday, he swore to himself, those numbers would be the death of them all.

Now go see what the other Briefers are up to!

Cia Nordwell

Carol Pedroso

Nephy Hart

Jon Keys