Manga: The Case Study of Vanitas 4

The Case Study of Vanitas Vol 4
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Deep within the bowels of Paris, Noé and Vanitas race through the catacombs with an elite team of chasseurs, the Church's anti-vampire unit, in hot pursuit. Their search for the missing vampires takes the pair down a path all too familiar to Vanitas, bringing them face-to-face with not only an overwhelming curse-bearer, but also with Vanitas's past. Confronted by the horrific menace, what will Noé and Vanitas fight for, and whom will they save...? 

Volume 4 is quite the chunky volume so I don't mind the fact I've waited a million years for the latest volume to finally be released! 

We rejoin Noe and Vanitas right where we left them, lurking in the catacombs of Paris in search of the missing vampires but as we start the volume the Chasseurs are in pursuit. 

I have to say...I fully cackled at one Chasseur being 100% dead serious as he said "It's like we're the one's being hunted" I could fully see that line being said in the trailer for Jurassic Park or something, or a horror movie. Then shortly after I fully died laughing when we cut to Noe losing his lunch because apparently going full Dracula and walking on ceilings makes him nauseous. Priceless. 

This volume is full of plenty of funny moments, and Noe and Vanitas do make me chuckle a lot with their banter although Vanitas sees Noe as quite naive so it was nice to see him take charge of the battle against Roland and try to talk things out with him after his little display. Things could have been sorted a lot earlier however, if Vanitas had just opened his mouth and spoken but he "didn't want to". Interestingly we did glean a little more knowledge of his past and get to see glimpses of it and more pieces are falling in to place.  

Roland is one of my new favourite characters, he's fully Team Vanitas and him wanting to be friends with Noe and Noe's reaction to it is freaking hilarious. Bless him. We also meet Dr. Moreau who is....interesting. And totally cray cray. He provides even more clues to this whole scheme and some connections are made. The plot definitely thickens but some of it is starting to come together. 

Our good old pal Lord shady-ass Ruthven pops up again. I'm not even surprised by his involvement anymore. We all know he's up to no good and unfortunately he does something nasty to Noe that I can see coming back to bite he and Vanitas in the future, all while Vanitas is getting asked out on a date by Jeanne. Come on man, help your bro out?! It would also appear the same thing has happened to Jeanne, but it's a matter of Vanitas putting it together at this stage. 

All through this volume we've seen allusions to someone from Vanitas' past and it would appear the low-key cliffhanger ending is bringing that character in! We're getting more pieces of the puzzle and more pieces of his past, this volume has a steady pace to it with doses of intrigue to go with the action and humour. Not to mention the gorgeous art work and rich storytelling. 

Review: City of Ghosts

City of Ghosts
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself. 

I have been so, insanely ready for this book! Not only is it new Victoria Schwab, but it's ghosts and it's set in Edinburgh! I immediately got stuck in as soon as it arrived, and read it in one sitting because it was impossible to put down and was such a cracking read. 

Cass was a relatable MC, and she was inquisitive, although not the most careful person. I did kind of internally snort, with a mild sneer, at her because she was making such a fuss about the different words in the UK compared to the US, but I'm not sure if that's regular behaviour or if she was just being extra. I have American relatives and kind of just shrug off the word difference and it isn't a big deal to me, plus you know....we all watch US shows and movies so the word difference just...kind of is part of the norm, it's something we all know. I guess that might not be the same in the US if that level of explanation is needed about chips? She made it a reaaaally big deal and I was kind of like "okay...we get it...", because she kept going on and on about it, and as much as I love Victoria's books...this actually annoyed me a little bit. I know it's meant for a US audience, but still. But it might just have been me being overly sensitive I guess. 

On the subject of overly long explanations about chips....Victoria was a bit disappointingly vague about certain other things. The book is set in Scotland...and yet there's only like two characters that have Scottish accents, none of the film crew where Scottish and neither was Lara, she was from London and I wasn't sure I liked her. She seemed very no-nonsense and serious...but also very stand-offish. I was hoping for more from her based on the synopsis but she wasn't in it much. 

I loved her friendship with Jacob and how she never turned her back on him, they're a team. As for Jacob....he was an immediate surprise as I started reading. I loved the "corporeally challenged" title he prefers! I was kinda sad we didn't get to see more of his story and what happened, I was fascinated by what could have potentially happened and how he came to be a ghost. As well as the fact he seems to know a lot more than Cass about how it all works. I kinda wish the book had been longer because then we could have got some of them, plus I feel the book could have gone longer. 

I was 100% fascinated by the spin on ghosts and the lore of them that Victoria came up with, thriving on anger and pain, and it taking a lot of spiritual power for them to move things is kind of standard fare, but being able to hear thoughts and the Veil are all new and I was so intrigued by it all. I was so curious about the ins and outs of Cass's power, I can't decide if I'd be terrified to have that power or love it so I could question ghosts about the past! 

I'm not going to lie, I had a phase when I watched any show I could find about ghost legends, so this spoke to me and I wish the show in the book was real! More importantly, the setting had me super excited! Edinburgh is one of the places I really, reaaaalllyyy want to go and visit because I want to go and check out the history...and the ghosts! I was living for all of the history in the book and the legends, some of them I already knew, along with the historical facts, but some I didn't! I would love to get my hands on a book about all of it! 

City of Ghosts is atmospheric, and a bit chilling at points to be honest! There's a nice fast pace, and the plot is coated in history. It's a wonderfully woven story, with Victoria's unique brand of storytelling, and there's plenty to entertain you! 

Don't forget to check out the Instagram tour! 

Manga: Hatsu Haru 2

Hatsu Haru Vol 2
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Kai, ever-suave, is used to being the target of affection. But deep inside, he's in turmoil because the girl he loves has eyes for another! Can he find a way to be direct and confess his feelings? 

After things on the school camping trip don't go his way, Kai's left dumped and convinced he's better off just giving up on girls and dating altogether. Yet somehow his friends rope him into a group date, and he ends up at the amusement park with...Riko!? But when Suwa-sensei turns up at the same park with another woman, will Kai be able to hide what he saw and protect Riko from experiencing heartbreak like he has? 

My man Kai goes straight in for a smooch as we open the volume, like no dude. You gotta build up to it! So because he made a rookie error and rushed it, of course he strikes out and Riko smacks him straight back down. She won't even talk to or look at him. But it's okay, because after his rejection he looks so pitiful that his bros have his back. Toramaru, Misaki and Kiritani are on to him and have made it their mission to help him so they organise a group outing to an amusement park as part of their scheme to get Kai and Riko together. 

I completely enjoyed getting to see not only Kai's friends but Riko's too, Kagura and Ooshima, plus Shimura the school reporter who tags along and Kai better hope she doesn't catch on to him. Out of all of them, Kagura was freaking hilarious. I actually choked at one point from something she said, and Misaki is the voice of reason throughout this whole thing...aka the only one with a brain cell. 

Kai's expressions are drawn brilliantly, but also hilariously plus he's so extra about things sometimes. But bless him...he's trying really hard with Riko and to look out for her. Riko on the other hand provides some more insight in to her crush on Suwa and we meet a new element to the equation. 

Things progress forward even more this volume as Kai comes to terms with his feelings and asks himself deep questions such as, what is love? What does it mean? And Riko realises Kai may not be as bad as she's determined to see him as in yet another hilarious and entertaining volume

Manga: Angels of Death 4

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

So, I can't find a decent synopsis anywhere other than "read the fourth volume of the hotly anticipated series Angels of Death" so I'll attempt to sum up this volume myself! As Zack and Rachel are attempting to fight their way out of the mysterious building, they're still stuck on floor B3, home of Cathy the Prison Guard. Sacrifices are going to have to be made if they want to progress to the next floor, but will they both make it out of floor B3 alive? 

This volume we get to see more of Zack's backstory which serves to give a lot of insight into his mental state and how he thinks, he actually makes quite a lot of sense now. As much as a serial killer can. One particularly interesting aspect of the volume was Rachel trying to understand his feelings, as he's quite on edge after he has his little flashbacks and Cathy uses certain words to bait him on purpose. 

I really liked the way what was going on inside Zack's head was drawn after he injected the drug. He definitely starts to crack up a bit...more than he did before. You can see how he was psychologically damaged by what happened to him as a kid, if you're a Criminal Minds viewer like myself you probably went "aaaaaah I see". It has to be said...Cathy is trying very hard to break their team up. 

In case it wasn't obvious already, there's a lot of focus on Zack this volume as well as his relationship with Rachel. He goes on quite the psychological journey and we really get inside his head. I'm lowkey beginning to think a romance could blossom between Rachel and ZAck, he definitely seems to view her as something but I'm not entirely sure what. But it's more than just the girl he's gonna kill. He had a lot of emphasis on the fact he hoped Rachel needed him for him, which was an interesting bit of information. 

Up until now we've mostly seen Zack looking out for Rachel, but this volume see's that switch as Rachel is kind of looking out for him in her own way. The relationship between the two of them has definitely grown a lot stronger and they seem to have really bonded, or at least gained an understanding of each other. Zack really looks out for her and it's so not for the reasons he usually states. Just saying. 

Their emotions are brilliantly depicted and Zack's emotional development is quite obvious at this point. My boy is more than just slashing people with a scythe. The ending for this volume though...wow. Talk about a cliffhanger. All I'm saying is if my little serial killer cinnamon roll is dead....I'm out. 

I've also started to develop a theory about Rachel and who she is. But I'm gonna wait and see a bit longer before I say anything! 

This volume see's the danger level rise, and you can see a lot of development for Zack as well as really getting in to his head and coming to understand him. Things get incredibly tense this volume, and we're left with the mother of all cliffhangers. Although there is a nice little Q&A at the back to fill in some more information about the characters and the story. 

Manga: Aoharu x Machinegun 12

Aoharu x Machinegun Vol 12
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

The opening match of the TGC begins with Toy*Gun Gun vs. Friendly Fire! In this "king match," where one hit to a team's king means defeat, Toy*Gun Gun decides to launch a surprise attack, sending Tachibana, their king, to the front lines to stop Samejima! But not only is Samejima a formidable former mercenary, he also has what some might call the ultimate ability! Will Toy*Gun Gun's strategy of going big send them straight home?! 

Once again we're straight in with the action from when we left off, and Hotaru is facing off with Samejima and while she's holding her own...she's up against a formidable opponent and cut off from the rest of her team. 

Meanwhile, Matsuoka is in the midst of a little freak out about losing and Hotaru getting taken out and this causes him to manage to access some weird kind of spidey sense that he has when he works at the host club. I'd be lying if I said I didn't side eye this development a little bit. It was a bit...odd. 

We get a nice amount of backstory to Akemi and Tamako as well as finally finding out Samejima's secret power. It was nice to see some more of Friendly Fire and how they came to be a team and why they did or didn't do certain things in the match. I do like how this series puts a lot of detail in to the opposing teams and let's you get to know them. 

As you may recall from last volume, Haruki is still missing and we get to see so much about the relationship between he and his twin Haruka. It was actually pretty emotional, I really felt for the both of them because we saw Haruki's side and then Haruka's and it kinda made me loo kat Haruka in a different way after seeing his side of things. He wasn't at all what I thought and I did really like this little development in the storytelling. 

With volume 12 our support characters are brought to life a bit more with some more background on them, and two of our main characters also get to be a bit more fleshed out and have some added depth. After an action heavy opening few chapters, we take a break from the action towards the end ready for the next match. Star White are about to face off against Nine Tails and the volume ends with a rather tense moment between Yukimura and Matsuoka...as well as a shady figure lurking in the background.

Review: Heart of Thorns

Heart of Thorns 
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood.

Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch.

But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy. 

Well....what an opening line. My attention was officially grabbed and I pretty much read this in one sitting because I was so hooked on what was happening! I have to put it out there....at the start of the book a few things where mentioned and I could see the whole book unfolding in my head, but I was surprised at every turn. It didn't do anything I thought it was going to! 

There are a few chuckles provided thanks to Mia and Prince Quin. They had some of the most awkward conversations in the beginning, good lord. "Your buckles are very shiny". Bless them. Mia is a very practical and intelligent character, she knows a lot about science and anatomy and she's determined in her goal. She kept trying to relate her magic to science and a process which was an interesting approach. I couldn't really blame her for hating the Gwyrach, when one of them killed her mother and at some points it felt like no-one was on her side. As for her sister...well she's not very likeable and I'll leave it at that. I thought she was quite selfish actually. I don't think my opinion of her will improve in the next book! 

Quin is quite cold and taciturn, at least in the beginning. But I liked watching the two of them warm up to each other, and grow closer. The romance developed at a perfect pace to match the plot without overshadowing the plot itself. Although I was a bit disappointed in him at the end but I could also understand his reaction. 

I was completely fascinated by the various different mystery elements and had a lot of theories throughout the book. I enjoyed putting the pieces together yet still being surprised! Mia's journey was so interesting to me, as she comes to terms with the fact she is the thing she hates most, as well as the fact she's very science minded and magic isn't something she believes in as such. 

The magic system was brilliant, and I really enjoyed the background to it. How it came about and grew and developed and a lot of things the Dujia mention and talk about in this book are so true and really resonate and I think they will with any female. 

Heart of Thorns has a fast pace, and plenty of mystery elements presented at the beginning and throughout, with a nice amount of action and some romance sprinkled throughout. Mia was a brilliant main character, I admired her a lot, she's intelligent and her scientific mind was at odds with magic. There are also some mind blowing plot twists towards the end of the book that I definitely didn't see coming and I'm incredibly excited to see things continue in the next book!