Gangsta Volume 2

This is a review of Gangsta Volume 2 by Kohske.
I gave this book ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars, I loved it.

This is the second volume in a series, reading this review will probably spoil the first volume.  If you wish to read my review of volume one you can find it here.

Nic and Worick are "The Handymen" they are the guys who clean up the messes left by gangs or do the dirty jobs that the police can't.  They are the neutral party that can clean up after or help any of the three gangs in the city of Ergastulum.  Ergastulum is not your average gang controlled city.  There are enhanced humans called "Twilights" who are generally bigger and stronger than everyone else.  The Twilights are part of a the city's dark past and a nasty prejudice still lingers in many people.

Nic & Worick just can't stay out of trouble.  A job request ends them in jail being questioned by the police.  Another job request pits them in a fight with another Twilight and this one is really tough.  This could be the roughest battle so far but the fight is interrupted and an intriguing new character enters the story.  While all of this is going on Alex is left at the office alone and something seems to be wrong with her.

I am still loving this series.  The dark past of the city is a looming mystery.  Nic & Worick's own past is still mostly secret.  The story leads the reader along from one crumb of knowledge to the next and fills all of the space in between with a nice combination of violence and humor.  The characters are diverse and each new character that joins the story makes it that much more interesting.

I highly recommend this series.  If you enjoyed Black Lagoon, Cowboy Bebop or Jorgmungand you will enjoy this.  If you like a story with rich complex characters and violence doesn't turn you off this is a great series.  

The Ancient Magus' Bride vol 2

This is a review for The Ancient Magus' Bride vol 2 by Kore Yamazaki
I gave this book ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars, I loved it.

This is a review for the second volume in a series.  As such there will be spoilers for the first volume in this review.  If you wish to read my review of the first volume you can find it here.

Chise Hatori was just an unwanted orphan shoved around from relative to relative her whole life until she ended up being auctioned off the the highest bidder.  The man who purchased Chise is very kind to her though his outward appearance is unusual.  He gives her gifts, teaches her to be a mage and promises to take care of her but there may be something lurking in the shadows.

This volume continues the journey Chise makes into a new world.  A world of magic, fae, alchemy, mystery and danger.  Chise continues to encounter many new and amazing things as she lives her life with Elias.  She is learning to use her power and learning about her own unique abilities.  Being a Sleigh Beggy means she has access to great amounts of magical power but there is a cost to using it.  After each use she sleeps for days at a time to recover.  Elias knows that it could be even more dangerous to use her powers and he is attempting to find a way to prevent the worst case scenario.

This volume features new adventures and new kinds of supernatural beings to learn about.  Chise encounters mythical fae, spriggans, black dogs and alchemists.  Each new encounter is interesting and keeps readers on their toes.  Bits of Chise and Elias' pasts are being slowly revealed.

I am really enjoying this series.  There is a great balance of mystery, supernatural lore, and daily life.  Elias doesn't coddle Chise, he tells her the truth, he may not always volunteer all of the facts but he doesn't lie to her when she asks him questions.  He is willing to let her attempt to do things on her own before offering assistance.  He seems to have a dark past but he has many redeeming qualities and I just love the "bad guy trying to redeem himself" plot device.

This series is great.  Honestly, the only downside to it is having to wait in between volumes.  The characters are complex and they grow and change as the story goes on.  The plot is rich, the details are wonderful, and the story flows.  If you enjoy supernatural stories you should really give this one a chance.

Magical Girl Apocalypse volume 4

This is a review for Magical Girl Apocalypse volume 4 by Kentaro Sato.
I gave this book ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars, I loved it.

Hospital of Horrors

This is a review for the 4th book in a series, as such it will not be spoiler free.  If you would like to read my reviews of the previous volumes of this series you can find them here, 1, 2, & 3. 

Synopsis:  Kii Kogami's live has been a living hell since the magical girls arrived bringing death and destruction with them.  His school was destroyed but he and a few other students escaped.  They finally found a safe haven at a shopping mall.  Their haven didn't stay secure for very long and they were once again forced to run.  In all of the chaos this time their group was split in half! One half is safe in a local hospital with their injuries treated, the other half is transported 10 years into their past where they make a shocking discovery.

Kii is no longer sure that Tsukune is the girl he thought she was.  Kaede finally confesses that she has been in love with Kii for years and risks her life to save Kii.  They are rescued at the last minute by soldiers and head of to find the others at the hospital.  The hospital may not be as safe as they thought it was.  Is that magical girl the one they killed before?  One of the magical girls seems to be able to talk, can they use this somehow to save themselves?  What is up with the magical girl on the cover?  Her magical powers might prove to be a serious problem!

This series is constantly changing the rules on the reader.  You think you have it figured out and suddenly the ground shifts and everything is different.  It is done really well and without leaving the reader reeling, it keeps the reader hanging on the edge of their seat for more. Discoveries were made by several people in this volume that may finally solve the problem of where the magical girls came from and what they want.

I can't wait for the next volume to be released.  This one ended on quite the cliffhanger.  If you enjoy mayhem and zombies you should check this out.  If you are squeamish or don't like gore, this probably isn't for you.  There is a lot of gore but there is a lot of humor to balance it out.  To quote this volume "Watch an anime you moron.  Read a manga." 

Gangsta

This is a review of Gangsta volume 1 by Kohske.
I gave this book ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars, I loved it.

In the city of Ergatstulum there are three mafia families that keep the peace.  Everyone is free to go about their shady business as they wish but the three families keep all out gang war from happening.  It is a dark city with a nasty underbelly full of dirty cops, murder, prostitution, violence, bloodshed and mercenaries.  There are also the mysterious enhanced humans called "Twilights" or "Tags."

Nic Brown and Worick Arcangelo are the Handymen.  They do jobs for the three families, the police and anyone who pays them.  They take the jobs that no one else wants or can handle.  Like taking down a fourth gang that is trying to mess with the peace or protecting an unaffiliated doctor from thugs.

Nic & Worick aren't saints by any means but so far they seem to have a sense of justice that they follow.  Nic is deaf and the way they treat that in this book is great.  No one treats him special or like he isn't capable of doing things for himself.  Worick is an interesting character.  He is funny, cheeky, flirtatious, handsy and a strange mix of noble.  He chose not to kill someone that he was supposed to and saved them instead.  He is violent and shoots people but he also reins Nic in and stops him from killing too many people.  Both of them have an unexplored past but hints have been made about it and I am interested to see what is revealed later.

This is being published as part of Viz Media's "Viz Signature" line.  It is a larger trim size and has some cool extra touches.  The gold foil on the cover is nice and I like the matte finish.  There is a color page at the beginning and some special extras at the end.  This book is rated M and it definitely deserves that rating, blood, violence and prostitution are very prevalent in this series.

I highly recommend this book.  If you enjoyed Black Lagoon, Cowboy Bebop or Jorgmungand you will enjoy this.  If you like a story with rich complex characters and violence doesn't turn you off this is a great series.  I am interested to see how the rest of it plays out.

Alice in Murderland

This is a review for Alice in Murderland by Kaori Yuki.
I gave this book ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars, I loved it..

Stella and her eight siblings have all been adopted by the incredibly wealthy and powerful Kuonji family.  One of their traditions is a monthly "Mad Tea Party" where every sibling must attend.  At this Mad Tea Party their mother makes a strange announcement "I'd like you children to now fight one another to the death."  Chaos erupts, shots are fired, Stella falls into a pit and everyone screams.  In the midst of the chaos a new Stella appears complete with blond hair, blue dress and machine guns and she is ready to play!

Stella is a fairly average high school girl.  Her family is a little strange and she has a big brother complex but her life is happy and she and her siblings get along well.  It is funny how fast those things can change when your mother pits you against each other in a life or death struggle to be the next head of the family.

I am absolutely an Alice in Wonderland junkie.  I love all the various versions and I especially love to see new takes on the source material and unconventional interpretations of the original.  This version is a unique interpretation, one I haven't seen before.  We have all seen the madness takes over and everyone is crazy and killing each other versions of Alice in Wonderland.  There are tons of those.  This version goes beyond that with a twist that I found really interesting.  I won't tell you want that twist is, you will have to read it for yourself!

I found the cast of characters to be interesting and well rounded.  There are some you like, some you hate and some that are just there.  Each one is harboring their own little secret and Stella is a great medium to discovering them.  Stella is a tad naive and trusting, she just wants her life back, her eight loving siblings and a mother who doesn't start war games at a tea party. 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  I am looking forward to the next volume of this series.  The hardback cover and vibrant slip cover are wonderful touches.  I really like the high quality release that Yen Press did with this.  It is a great addition to my bookshelf.

If you enjoyed Pandora Hearts or the American McGee's Alice video game series this book will be right up your alley.  If you are looking for a unique take on the classic Alice story you should definitely check this one out! 

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?

This is a review for Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? story by Fujino Omori, art by Kunieda.
I gave this book ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars, I loved it.

Bell Cranel is a fairly average guy with a fairly average dream to save a really pretty girl who is cornered by a monster and then they will fall in love.  Good thing for Bell that monsters exist and he can fight them by going into the dungeon.  What will happen if his fantasy is reversed and he is the one saved from a monster by a beautiful girl?

In this series gods and goddesses are real and they bestow blessings on humans that give the humans special abilities and make them part of the god or goddesses' familia.  Bell is the only member of his goddesses' familia but he doesn't mind.  Bell is determined to get stronger and he fights monsters every day.

I am really enjoying this series so far.  The world created in this series is interesting.  The idea of gods and goddesses willingly coming to live among humans and bestow blessings on them is intriguing.  The cast of gods and goddesses that have been introduced in this first volume is quite diverse; Norse, Greek and Hindu deities have made appearances.  Bell is a lovable idiot with surprising depths.  The story lines are good and the plot moves along well.  There is a lot of comedy but it doesn't overshadow the serious points.

I recommend this very highly.  If you enjoyed Magi or Sword Art Online you will enjoy this series.

You should also check out the anime available on crunchyroll!

Jala and the Wolves

This is a review for Jala and the Wolves by Marti Dumas.
I gave this book ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars, I loved it.

Jala is a curious six year old girl.  She loves to read, especially about animals, she is always learning new facts about them.  Jala knows her mother is magic, her mother always knows what she is thinking and when she is hungry after all!  One day she finds a mysterious mirror in her room and she just knows her magic mother put it there.  Jala travels into the mirror like Alice and Jala finds a wolf pack on the other side.
 
 This book is perfect for younger readers.  The narrative moves well, the language is simple and the story is intriguing.  Most children will find something in Jala that is familiar.  I don't think there is a child alive who hasn't pretended to be an animal at least once in their life. 

I enjoyed this book a lot!  Jala is an adorable child.  She is special and magical and just grabs your heart strings. Jala reminded me a lot of myself as a child.  I have always been a bookwork.  I had a special place in my room to curl up with my books and read.  I would have loved to find a magic mirror or wardrobe or rabbit hole to take me off on a magical adventure.  Coming home at the end and finding my mother making me breakfast would have been the perfect end.

I recommend this book to all lovers of magical adventure.  It is short and sweet and tells a great tale.

I received this book through GoodReads First Reads program.