Manga: Seven Deadly Sins 26

Seven Deadly Sins Vol 26
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

When they were accused of trying to overthrow the monarchy, the feared warriors the Seven Deadly Sins were sent into exile. Princess Elizabeth discovers the truth - the Sins were framed by the king's guard, the Holy Knights - too late to prevent them from assassinating her father and seizing the throne! Now the princess is on the run, seeking the Sins to help her reclaim the kingdom. But the first Sin she meets, Meliodas, is a little innkeeper with a talking pig. He doesn't even have a real sword! Have the legends of the Sins' strength been exaggerated...? 

We pick up right where we left off and we're in the midst of a battle with two of the Commandments and the Goddesses....back in the past of course. Elizabeth steps up because she wants to fight for once and do something herself, plus she wants to save the two Commandments because...Elizabeth. She has her shining moment aided by Sariel, Tarmiel and Meliodas.  

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Gowther is shady AF, and will never not be. I don't think I'll ever be able to trust him to be honestly. But we learn the truth of him this volume, and a side story that fills in some blanks about him and shows us a bit of young Bartra and his sister Nadja...which admittedly did hit me in the feels and I kind of do understand him but still...super shady. 

The pace for this volume is cracking, we're delving deeper in to the past and the pasts of the characters and what makes them tick. There's another cliffhanger ending and it's kind of a heartbreaking one to be honest! Luckily there's a few bonus chapters at the end that are fun and kind of soothe how you felt reading the volume! It's a battle heavy volume with a lot of blood and sad moments, but we get a real idea of what went down 3 thousand years ago.  
SaveSaveSaveSave

Manga: Is It Wrong 9

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon Vol 9
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

After a close call deep in the Dungeon, Bell and his party are making good progress on recovering and they've even reunited with their goddess after her ill-advised trip into the labyrinth. But as soon as it seems like they can relax, Hestia is goddess-napped and there's no time to lose if her familia wants to save her! While everyone is distracted, even more danger approaches... 

We start the volume off with Bell...fanboying. Which was cute and there was a nice chill vibe until Hestia and Hermes rocked up, causing a commotion. Hermes is so totally up to something, I think we all know that, and meanwhile Bell is caught between Hestia, Lilly and Aiz. Hermes isn't really helping as he's such a bad influence on poor, innocent Bell. 

We finally get the tea on Lyu, this volume, and I was so here for it. Plus. Hestia went full goddess and was mildly scary for about ten seconds there, actually! I know she's a goddess but I kind of forget that a little bit, and this reminded me! 

There's a lot of action and fight scenes this volume, and the pace has definitely picked up again with this volume. We've got sprinkles of mystery throughout, like I said, we know Hermes is up to something...but what? He is a bit of a creep though, I'm not going to lie. 

The dungeon isn't happy having Hestia and Hermes there, and Bell, Lyu, Hestia, Lilly, Welf and Mikoto and co are left preparing to fight a floor boss because Bell is Bell and has to help the butt hurt dude who tried to beat the crap out of him. Soooo we're left hanging when it comes to the ending. 

Aiz and co are briefly seen as we cross over with Oratoria again, but this is definitely a wild volume with a lot of action and a lot going on throughout! 

Review: Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts Vol 1
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy! 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

A young girl has resigned herself to being he next sacrificial meal for the Beast King...but the king is no mere monster! Love is more than skin-deep in this gorgeous fantasy manga. 

I'm not going to lie to you guys, I got some hardcore Beauty and the Beast vibes from this one! I feel like Yen Press has really got my back with all these fairy tale retellings...Mermaid Boys and the Little Mermaid, this and Beauty and the Beast....I'm living for it! 

I eagerly dove in to this ready to see what it was all about, and right from the start I was hooked. Why? Because there's a certain character and I was like "Wooooaaaaah he looks like Anubis...oh wait...he actually is...HELL YES I'M GONNA LOVE THIS". Anubis is kind of a nag, but he's also really funny although I kinda wanted to smack him at one point. 

Sariphi has such an attitude and it's freaking hilarious, she had me chuckling from the start and you can't help but empathise and root for her. Her sole purpose was to be "sacrificed" to the King of Beasts. But she's not actually bitter or anything like you'd expect. 

The King is the definition of the tortured hero, he's trying to protect everyone and everything and harming himself in the process but no-one's aware of it. Except for Sariphi towards the end, but still. His human form is gorgeously drawn, and his beast form is reaaaaally reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, but fiercer! 

Oh and Cy and Clops are totally adorable! 

The story moves along at a nice, fast pace! Introducing us to the characters and kicking the plot off. There's political intrigue and unrest to go with the humour and romance, and there's even some drama thrown in too! The art is gorgeous, and cute, I loved how the beast people are drawn! I also particularly liked the world, it's a fun world, and we get quite a lot of information about it and how it all works, it's really intriguing! 

The ending certainly leaves you wanting more and I'm definitely curious to see how this is all going to play out and where the story is going to go! Oh, and there's a brilliant bonus chapter too! 

Manga: Baccano 3

Baccano! Vol 3
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy! 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Firo's big day has come, and everyone's enjoying the celebration--Isaac and Miria so much so that they've had a bit of a change of heart! If one criminal syndicate is just too nice to rob, then surely another will do...Meanwhile, Szilard learns that the object of his search is right under his nose. Soon nothing will stand between him and ultimate knowledge...! 

The day is finally here, Firo has his ceremony and becomes an Executive, so there's celebrations all round, including Miria and Isaac....and me. Unfortunately Dallas and co are after Firo, and the Gandor brothers return to see the damage...and they aren't happy. 

There's ominous undertones to the story from the start, thanks to the voice over/narrations added in. It's all to do with that box, and every time I saw it, or a piece fell in to place, I could start to form an image of what was going to happen and my brain was screaming NO, fora large part of the volume. Everything really starts to converge in this volume and come together. 

I have to say, I want to shake Ennis so bad. I wanted to like her, but she's on the wrong side and she's kind of an idiot, like I get why she is, but she was so frustrating for me! My hatred for Szilard literally knows no bounds with this volume. 

Miria and Isaac have grown on me so freaking much, and actually really love them! So I was screaming at them not to go to a certain place! They're just funny, and bless them...they really do try and do the right thing and try to help their new friends. 

This volume moves quickly and there's a lot of tension and action throughout. There's some heart breaking and heart stopping moments but in the end everything is wrapped up nicely! I have to say it's a satisfying end for the characters, and one I kind of didn't see coming so I shrieked a lot when I read certain chapters! 

Review: Brightly Burning

Brightly Burning
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere—anywhere—else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind.

But the Rochester harbors secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet. 

I'm going to straight up tell you guys that Brightly Burning is a retelling of Jane Eyre and I had to read the original when I was in school....and I actually liked it okay!? So I was super eager to get my hands on this and I eagerly dove in and read it in one go. Because I have no self control, and it was really entertaining! 

I loved Stella immediately, she loves book, she's bold and she had a nice attitude. She wouldn't be walked all over and she was intelligent and I was fully on Team Stella. Hugo...I knew I was going to like him from his first line. He and Stella bond over their love of books, but he can't really handle his alcohol....not that you can blame him for drinking to be honest. He's also kinda relatable because he also prefers to be alone! Shoutout to Rori, the ships AI, because she was a brilliant touch! 

The other characters are an eclectic yet brilliant bunch, Iris, Sergei, Orion, Jon, Bianca (who I was prepared to hate and kind of did in the beginning but she turned it around in the end), I loved getting to know them and they brought some fun and life to the story. 

Brightly Burning is a brilliant reimagining/twist on Jane Eyre and I loved it, I dived in with high expectations and it exceeded all of them. I loved how things where twisted and changed and I loved anytime I spotted something or a reference to the original! I freaking loved The Rochester too, it had brilliantly creepy vibes at points. 

The world building was very well done and it was an intriguing world too, the set up with the whole "is Earth inhabitable? Do we go back down or carry on floating up here?" complete with a shady government dude. Which added a tonne of intrigue along with the mystery with the virus and the Rochester and so on. For me, it was an original/unique world and I liked the detail and depth it had, as did the characters. 

Brightly Burning has a fast pace, and there's never a dull moment. I got fully hooked and read it in one go, the plot kept me reading, as did the romance and the humour. It was a wild ride and it kept me fully entertained and I shouted at the books multiple times whenever a twist happened. Some of them may have been a smidge predictable, but it was still an entertaining and enjoyable read! I have to say, the story was beautifully wrapped up too....although I think there's room for a sequel, and I wouldn't say no to one! 

Manga: The Devil is a Part-Timer 11

The Devil is a Part-Timer Vol 11
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Chiho has collapsed, and Maou and company have figured out that it must be the work of an Angel. The only thing left to figure out is whether they're holed up in Tokyo Tower or the Sky Tree. When the group finally finds whoever's responsible for hurting their friend, the ultimate Maou/Alciel combo is going to paint the town red! 

Every time I read a volume of this series, I lament the fact that it still hasn't gotten a second season of anime...it really is such a gem and this volume is no exception. 

Volume 11 opens with quite the battle...I mean, shopping trip. You could be forgiven for the mistake with how our little group, some more than others, carries on! They quite brutally exposed sales people and their methods....I've worked in 3 different stores and can confirm the accuracy of their statements too. *nervous chuckle* I have to say, much as I love Maou....Ashiya continues to be my favourite because of situations exactly like in this volume. He just cracks me up. 

Speaking of Maou....he's suprisingly perceptive, even if he goes about voicing it the wrong way. I mean, we all know Rika has a thing for Ashiya. Unfortunately Maou has a tendency to be a bit too blunt about things, and Suzuno....well she gets a bit violent because of it. They do have quite an interesting discussion about what they are and what they should do with erasing Chi's memories and so on. They got quite deep actually, I didn't think Maou was quite capable of that! 

It's actually quite nice to see Suzuno has gotten to know Maou and co well enough to know he isn't behind what's happened to Chiho, it saves us quite a bit of time. It really hit me in the feels this volume, how far their bond as a group has come! 

We're straight in to the next story arc this volume, Raguel has made his move, and it isn't long before the gang figures out he's after Emilia's mother, Laila. There's some interesting reveals about Emilia and her family that leaves her (and us) with a lot to think about. Alongside that we get a nice bit of action as Maou Devils-out and goes up against Raguel and Gabriel! 

I have to say, Gabriel is so irritating and he's not above getting a verbal jab in at any of the demons. He also drops loads of hints, like okay mate, have a day off. *Eye roll*. 

Volume 11 is fast paced, with the usual doses of humour that have you laughing out loud, as well as some drama and action...and some twists and developments to liven things up. There's a particular development with Chiho that could prove to be interesting...things have certainly picked back up for this series!