Light Novel: Magical Girl Raising Project 3

Magical Girl Raising Project Vol 3
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

The hit social network game "The Magical Girl Raising Project" selects one out of every tens of thousands of players to become a real life magical girl. The lucky chosen girls gain magic powers as well as incredibly good fortune, and spend their days blissfully. 

But one day, an absolute announcement declares that the number of magical girls has risen too high and must be cut down to half. Sixteen young maidens are thrust into a merciless, deadly contest to survive...but how many will come out the other side? 

We're thrown right in to the action as the volume starts with the battle against the dragon! Then after that it's on to face the Evil King....or is it? The remaining girls have to figure out where the Evil King is and kill him to win the game and escape but it's not long before they turn on each other. 

I have to say, PFLE I will never ever trust, and I really don't like her but this volume made me feel like I might have misjudged her a bit. Keek on the other hand is legit crazy, and Snow White attempts to negotiate with her...and it doesn't go well. I understand Keek's point, they did all start killing each other of their own accord, and they shouldn't be Magical Girls, but she's not really any better than Cranberry.  

This volume has some brilliant plot twists, and we finally get to see how exactly this volume and the previous one are connected to volume 1 and the events from it, and it's more than just Snow White being in it. When I started the first volume I did kind of feel like the description of a certain character was familiar and I had a few thoughts but...yeah. Plot twist. 

This volume is a lot faster paced, and a lot more tense as we try to work out who's behind everything and there's twists and turns right up until the end! I love how brilliantly dark and twisted this take on Magical Girls is, and I'm intrigued to see if this is the end or if there'll be more to come! 

Review: Bookish Boyfriends

Bookish Boyfriends
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Merrilee Campbell, 16, thinks boys are better in books, chivalry is dead, and there’d be nothing more romantic than having just one guy woo her like the heroes in classic stories. She’s about to get the chance to test these daydreams when she, her best friend, Eliza, and her younger sister, Rory, transfer into Reginald R. Hero High, where all their fantasies come true—often with surprising consequences. 

Bookish Boyfriends has been on my radar since it first popped up on GoodReads and I included it in my anticipated reads, and it showed up on my doorstep from the publisher as a complete surprise! I have a brain like a sieve and I completely forgot that I requested it, but I was so excited to find an early copy in my hands and I did a little happy dance! This book is freaking awesome you guys! It was so entertaining, and so much fun! I loved Merrilee and Eliza as soon as I met them in the book! Merrilee is super relatable to any book nerd and Eliza is too because come on...we've all read a book that we've side eyed like "How is that actually possible!? Reaaallyyy?!". I also loved their very true statements about classics on school syllabus being written by old white dudes...and the Holden comments! 

There are some brilliant one liners and turns of phrase in this book that had me chuckling! Bookish Boyfriends is genuinely utterly hilarious and so extra, like it's OTT cheesy at points or at least Monroe is, but then...that is the point! Fielding...he's totally Darcy and I had him pegged as such from the start! I freaking love Pride and Prejudice so I instantly was like DAAARCYYYY MA BOI! 

As I was reading, I found myself kind of mentally chatting to Merri, like when she said about Lizzy marrying "that charming soldier Wickham" I was like, "bro...just you wait". She felt my feels about him and other things from the book and I was just like "GIRL YES!". 

Bookish Boyfriends had me reading it in one sitting, thoroughly entertained and squealing and sighing and all the good stuff when it comes to a book! I loved everything about it, and it was just so much fun, it brightened my day and actually my entire week (My month and even my year wheeeeyyy!) it really is such a mood lifter! I genuinely don't know what else to say about this book, without endlessly squealing and fangirling! The writing was literally on point, the characters where memorable and fun and relatable, and the romance was totally cute and brought the warm and fuzzies!

I'm going to be needing a prequel about Lillian and Trent, and a sequel about Rory and Toby....and then one about Eliza and Curtis pleaaaaaaasssseeee! 

Manga: Monster Tamer Girls

Monster Tamer Girls Vol 1
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Two girls start attending a new school and find themselves responsible for the care and feeding of monsters! 

I've been super intrigued by this manga, because I couldn't quite work out if we'd be dealing with dinosaurs or dragons or some combination of both, and it sounded like an interesting new series! I have to say, this first volume certainly delivers on the interesting part! The inside cover has plenty of interesting and useful information on the world of the series and how it works and what Tamers do and so on, which piqued my interest before I'd even started to read!  

Straight off the bat we meet Sora and Ion, who are thrown in to the deep end and tasked with looking after a monster that lives on the school grounds. Ion is kind of scared of the monsters but they seem to like her, she appears to be the best at taming despite being young and untrained...I kind of got "Special Snowflake" vibes from her though, so I guess we'll see what's in store for her. I'd actually quite like to get to know Sora better next volume, she's in a different programme to Ion which could be interesting! 

Tsukiko...I kinda felt for her, it was nice for her to get such a heart warming chapter but she's hilariously bad at naming the monsters, she's another character I'd like to get to see more of in the future! 

This initial volume was fun and entertaining, the monsters are drawn wonderfully as are the settings. It kind of reminds me of Godzilla coming and destroying buildings and cities...and then just inviting his buddies over and hanging out. That's what the world reminds me of anyway. This volume lets us get to know the characters and meet a couple of the monsters inhabiting the world as well as getting osme background on the monsters and how everything works! It's certainly an interesting and fun start to a series! 

Manga: Mermaid Boys

Mermaid Boys
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

The mermaid prince is super-popular with all the girls lining up to be his bride. But the one he falls in love with...has legs! 

Okaaaay I'm calling it now, this is one of my favourite new manga of 2018, I completely freaking loved this, it was brilliant! Naru is totally Ariel in male form, but with more attitude and a bit of arrogance, he's completely and utterly hilarious. I actually really loved him and I'm totally rooting for him. 

Nami is sweet...or at least that's what she seemed like at first, she's actually got a bit more attitude than it seemed at first which I loved, she's certainly not going to make things easy for poor old Naru. Speaking of Naru, it looks like he's going to have some competition in the form of Arashi who shamelessly took credit for Naru's heroic save...which annoys him to no end. It appears we'll be having a love triangle. 

In the shady AF corner we have Mellow, who's basically Ursula but with some twists, I do love how Naru wasn't the least bit bothered about his shadiness. Ryou has some weird smell fetish thing and like...you can't just be pushing people in to the water like that dude! I was actually fairly sure he was Mellow in disguise but it turns out he's not, he's another merman with a sinister purpose which is going to be much more interesting! 

Mermaid Boys has a nice, swift pace, and the art is gorgeous! I love how the characters and settings are drawn and the volume is so freaking funny and entertaining, largely thanks to Naru who's a brilliant main character! The volume ends on a sinister note as we meet Loa, Mellow's henchman who's no doubt going to cause all kinds of trouble! I genuinely fell completely in love with this and got so hooked on it, I raced through the volume and was thoroughly entertained....and I'm going to be needing the next volume ASAP to see what hilarity ensues next! 

Manga: The Isolator 3

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

Minoru has decided to join the fight against the Ruby Eyes that threaten humanity across the world. Soon after, reports come in about a violent Ruby Eye who has a history with Yumiko. This dangerous man's name is--Incinerator. 

Things are certainly starting to get interesting this volume, as we head to the SFD base where we meet Isa the Deputy Chief and we get to learn a lot of the science behind the third eyes and the powers and so on, plus we get to explore Minoru's power a bit more and the theories behind it. Minoru is finally given his own code name, and he's now part of the team and it's going to be interesting to see him fitting in with all of them, especially considering the deal he's made. 

Isa isn't the only new character we get to meet this volume, we get to meet Olivier too, he's deceptively nice but in actuality he's kind of an a-hole. I get his point but still, I'm not sure I'm going to like him. 

Meanwhile someone's after Yumiko and something's ogg with Minowa causing Ogu to go to Minoru for help. There's a couple of heart wrenching moments in this volume, particularly the glimpse in to Yumiko and her past which explains quite a bit about her character actually. There's an intense chase that has you on edge, and an ominous moment or two as something bigger is alluded to when it comes to the bad guys. I also...dare I say it...feel like Minoru and Yumiko are bonding and maybe even....friends?

This volume really felt like an episode of Criminal Minds to be honest, we have a team of people trying to track down a killer, this one just happens to have powers! 

Manga: A Terrified Teacher At Ghoul School 2

A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School Vol 2
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Haruaki Abe is the kind of guy who wouldn't say boo to a goose. But when he starts his teaching career at a high school full of creatures that go bump in the night, he soon discovers that his students have no such qualms, and they'll have him screaming "eeeeeeek"! 

This volume takes us on quite the journey with the characters, as we start off with the youkai enduring "Physical Fitness Day", which is kind of hilarious with the eyesight tests and the animal youkai having to get shots and poor old Haruaki having to help out. Then the class get to go on a field trip to the real world for a spooking lesson which as you can imagine...is all kinds of hilarious and it was fun to see the youkai using their different powers! 

Haruaki takes the opportunity to head off home and the kids lecturing him about what not to do was funny AF. What was even funnier was them following him and mistaking his brother for him, and his brother acting all cool and they're like "Don't you dare sully our Seimei-kun's name" or at least, Maizuka was, and he was hilarious. 

Sano and Haruaki are trying to hide his families origins from the others, and his mother is in on the plan too. His brother is not happy with the situation in general and is very protective of Haruaki. Which is why he has an issue with the students getting roped in to helping out with the festival. Hijita, Maizuka, Sano and Zashiki all end up at Haruaki's home and get to meet his family but his brother tries to throw them out and make Haruaki quit....hinting at something dark to do with Haruaki's power in the process. 

We get some insight in to Haruaki and why he has no friends...I'm looking at you Ame. Ame also provides us with some interesting information on Haruaki's power and how strong it is and where it came from. I was hoping there would actually be some weight to his power, and it might have a part to play in the plot rather than being a throwaway mention in one volume, and it would seem like my hopes are coming true. Which I'm excited to see! There's humour, but it seems like there's going to be some serious substance to the plot other than just humorous antics, which I don't have a problem with, but I'm intrigued to see what could happen when his power is brought in to pay. 

Sano, in his own way, was quite heart warming this volume, offering to look out for Haruaki, he's a big softy really! There was so very nearly a heart warming moment towards the end, before it got turned in to a gag, which kind of made it funnier to be honest! 

Volume 2 is another hilarious volume, with hints at an interesting heritage for Haruaki, not to mention his powers! We also get a look at his family and the dynamics between them all that have shaped him in to the character he is, plus the students are a bit more soft than they appear at first glance! 

Review: To Kill A Kingdom

To Kill A Kingdom
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy? 

To Kill a Kingdom drew me in right from the start, and I finished this in two sittings, it was so hard to put it down! I'd have read it in one if I wasn't reading it on set! The descriptions and writing style where beautiful and fit the story and characters so well, like how Christo describes Lira's lips as the colour of sailors blood and so on! I loved the imagery so much! 

The first chapter itself actually gives you quite a bit of information on the world of the book and how things work all woven concisely in to the plot. The book then expands and adds in details throughout the book as the story progresses, something that I enjoyed as it kept me on my toes! I particularly liked the difference between the mermaids and the sirens, it was an original and intriguing one and helped this book stand out from any other. 

As for the characters, I loved Lira a hell of a lot! Her attitude and her narrative voice where brilliant, as where her quick comebacks. In the world of the sirens, awfulness is valued over friendship and that having been drilled in to Lira, along with various other things by her mother, made for an interesting MC, especially as living as a human changes Lira. I really enjoyed seeing her character develop and change over the course of the book but still maintain her attitude right up until the end! She's basically you know...kind of a villain but I loved her and rooted for her completely! Christo wasn't afraid to embrace the darkness for Lira's character. 

Elian is our other narrator and I loved him from the first sentence, "Technically, I'm a murderer, but I like to think that's one of my better qualities". I really empathised with him and how he felt when he was at home and so on. I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to him, and I liked that he was actually quite similar to Lira. They had some brilliant banter, and I loved the entire romance and relationship between the two of them. It could quite easily have been cheesy and fairy tale worthy to match The Little Mermaid, but it wasn't and their relationship really fit them. The author didn't try to make them something they weren't to make the romance work. Their sarcasm and piratey-ness was just so brilliant and I just really freaking loved them okay! They where morally grey and I loved how they where written together and separately! 

Along with our main two characters, we have Kye and Madrid who where also completely brilliant and I kinda wish we'd gotten to see more of them! They where hilariously sweet together. I actually loved all of Elian's entire crew to be honest, and their bantering with each other had me smiling. 

To Kill a Kindgom is brilliantly paced, with a vivid and imaginative world that sucks you in. There's action, and the final part of the book has you on the edge of your seat. Elian and Lira have their cute moments but they're morally grey characters, and Christo hasn't been afraid to embrace the darkness when it comes to them, they're equals and so similar, and so suited to each other and you can't help but end up loving them and rooting for them and shipping them so hard! I'd been super excited for this book since last year, and it didn't disappoint at all! 

Manga: Your Name 3

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

To save Mitsuha and all of Itomori from the comet Tiamat, Taki joins up with Saya-chin and Tesshi to evacuate the town. But Mitsuha's father is stubborn and refuses to listen...

Okay guys, this is the final volume and I don't want to spoil anything for anyone so I'm gonna keep things as vague as I can! I have to say, this has sucked me in more and more and the twists have truly surprised me throughout! 

The comet is imminent and Taki and co are springing their plan in to action to get the town evacuated because as is typical, no-one believes the teenagers. Meanwhile Mitsuha has gone to Tokyo in search of Taki....but he doesn't recognise her!? 

This volume is so tense as we wait to see if things will change and the town will be saved and if Mitsuha and Taki will finally be together. I have to say, the volume did give me pause towards the very end, but...I'm not going to lie, this story is wrapped up beautifully and it hit me right in the feels! Now I have to go watch the anime of it! 

This story has been so beautifully drawn and paced and told and I enjoyed it way more than I was anticipating when I started it and wasn't too sure what the story was all about or where it was going! The surprises keep on coming right up until the end and the story has really kept me on my toes! 

Manga: Bungo Stray Dogs 6

Bungo Stray Dogs Vol 6
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

As Ryuunousuke Akutagawa and Nathaniel Hawthorne engage in a life-or-death battle, Chuuya Nakahara has information about The Guild's plot to destroy the Armed Detective Agency. H.P. Lovecraft and John Steinbeck also reveal their powerful abilities! 

There's action from the start in this volume as Akutagawa goes up against the ever creepy Hawthorne. The Agency are in a bit of trouble too when an enemy shows up and of course the Mafia wants to pit its two enemies against each other to do the work for them. Standard really. 

I have to say, Lovecraft really cracked me up this volume, "Even breathing makes my skin crawl", not to mention the awkward moment when Steinbeck is creepier than Lovecraft. 

Volume 6 is an action packed volume as the war gets going, and the sides attempt to get one up on each other. The Agency might win this particular battle but we're left on an ominous cliffhanger when it comes to the girls and Dazai is made an interesting offer and I'm intrigued to see how he'll handle it all. The action and speed of the plot are certainly picking up and the intrigue is getting bigger. We're getting to meet more and more characters and see which powers who has, and it's a lot of fun! 

There's an interesting short story at the end of this volume that also sheds some light on Akutagawa and his past as well as how he met Dazai which I feel is going to be important in the upcoming volumes. 

Graphic Novels: The Despicable Deadpool

The Despicable Deadpool 
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

To be honest I don't think I'll ever nor find Deadpool completely freaking hilarious. He's such a snarky asshole an he always has a comeback and half the time he's just so damn right. This volume is action packed and time travel-ly with some dinosaurs and vampires thrown in and it leaves on quite the interesting note. 

To be honest with you guys, I don't think I'll ever not find Deadpool completely freaking hilarious. He's such a snarky a-hole and he always has a comeback and half the time he's just so damn right with his snarky little comments. I found myself laughing out loud or at least chuckling so many times while I was reading this volume. "Oh Deadpool" is pretty much my catchphrase when I was reading this! 

This volume is action packed and time travelly with some dinosaurs and vampires thrown in and it leaves off on quite the interesting note. As for the art, it was brilliantly drawn, and I enjoyed the colour palette and how it changed depending on the setting! 

Manga: Again!!

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

Kinichiro isn't even that bad. It's just that on the first day of high school, his narrow eyes made him look shifty, so people assumed he was trouble. Now it's graduation, and he's looking back on three years with no friends. He never even joined a club. But after a bloody collision and an accidental fall, he wakes up a high school freshman, with the chance to try it all over... AGAIN!! 

Again!! is from the creator of Yuri on Ice, so...I had to read it. I had to. I couldn't not. I freaking love Yuri on Ice and I needed to see what other kind of project Kubo would come up with..plus this sound intriguing and super relatable. Spoiler alert...it was! 

I'm not going to lie...but the High School in the series has the word Minami in it and I may have freaked out a little bit because..you know...Minami....Yuri's little fanboy....I can't even. 

I have to say, I actually really felt for Imamura and it's kind of easy to relate to him. I think we've all felt how he does at one point or another. He's super relatable, and I for one have wished to go back and do something over. I wasn't expecting Aki to go on the journey with him though, she added an interesting element to the story. You have the guy who didn't have a great time at school getting a do over and thriving...and then the popular girl getting a do over and not doing so great. I'm so here for an unlikely friendship between the two of them! 

Again!! is entertaining and a lot of fun, I'm so intrigued to see what he's going to do to change things, and to find out more about the club and so on and what went down to break it up. There's so much scheming so far, and I kind of hope things work out for Aki because I feel for her too for completely different reasons to Imamura! 

Manga: Wake Up Sleeping Beauty 3

Wake Up Sleeping Beauty Vol 3
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

As Shizu begins to venture outside more and more, her days are filled with new experiences. When she shows an interest in going to school, Tetsu and the spirits dwelling within Shizu think up a foolproof plan to get her there. But when the two teens arrive on campus, they bump into Tetsu's old soccer team. Suddenly, his carefully curated life begins to unravel and Shizu may be the only one who can save him. 

Things are really heating up with this volume, Tetsu has come up with a plan to help Shizu, part of which is a guide to handling things outside of the mansion and the other part is taking her to school with him. 

This volume really gives us a lot of insight in to Tetsu and his childhood and his friendship with Ueno and everything he gave up for his family. I actually really felt for him. This volume was so heartwarming seeing the lengths his team went to for him and helping him achieve his dream with the help of Shizu. Tetsu has been doing so much for her, overcoming his fears and helping her as much as he can and it was nice to see her come out of her shell and help him for once! 

I'd definitely say the romance has finally kicked off in this volume too, and it's so cute! Things get all warm and fuzzy and cute and I'm so ready for more of it the next volume! As well as seeing what kind of solutions Tetsu comes up with! Plus....the characters have already come quite a way since volume 1 and I'm looking forward to seeing them grow and develop even more!

Manga: Frau Faust 4

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

After a surprise reappearance by a recently defeated demon, Johanna and her companions find themselves under attack. The demon Ino has been ordered to capture Dr. Faust, and this time, nothing will stop Ino from accomplishing her goal. Soon, Johanna finds herself in the heart of enemy territory, but the Doctor's smirk as she faces her captors seems to suggest that the series of events leading to her defeat may have all been according to plan... 

A demon has been ordered to capture Johanna so this volume starts off with quite the chase and battle. Lorenzo surprisingly shows up to...help? He's just full of surprises. Johanna ends up captured but...let's be real, we all know she allowed that to happen and considering how chill she is about the situation, I assume she wants to be there. She and Mephy's little game is reaching its climax and I assume she's after the head. 

We finally get the tea on Lorenzo and his sister, and my hatred for Olga has reached new heights, it's ridiculous. In this manga, the Church are definitely the bad guys and it's pretty easy to hate them because they're totally shady. 

We get a nice snapshot of Johanna's past and her relationship with Mephisto but altogether this was kind of a slow volume and I'm assuming it's the calm before the storm of next volume! 

Manga: The Royal Tutor 6

The Royal Tutor Vol 6
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Heine and the princes have overcome many a difficulty together, deepening the mutual trust between the teacher and his pupils. But even though Heine has walked closely alongside the princes as they slowly come into their own, the royal tutor himself still remains a mystery to them. When Count Rosenberg claims to know who he really is, could Heine's secretive past become public knowledge? 

So Rosenberg allegedly knows about Heine and his past and he's not afraid to let him know that. Heine knows Rosenberg is behind the recent plots causing trouble for the Princes and it's finally time for them to have their showdown...sort of. Rosenberg kind of low-key threatens Heine and one of his comments is overheard by the Princes and it certainly piques their interest, particularly Licht who couldn't find out anything about Heine himself. 

Leonhard is hilariously jealous of Heine's previous students, bless him. Meanwhile Licht learns a lesson of his own this volume as does Bruno as we see him grow more as a character when faced with his own students and a skill he lacks. We get to see Kai's character growth as well, which had me cheering because he's come so far, plus a few heartwarming scenes in time for the final chapter of the book....which ends on an ominous note. 

The Princes eldest brother Eins appears to have made his return but what effect is this going to have on the Princes? On Rosenberg and his plotting? Is he backing Rosenberg's plotting? Not to mention there's the photo Kai glimpsed with a familiar face with Heine....I have my suspicions about who it might be, but for now, it's a mystery as is Heine's past. 

This volume shows us how far Heine's relationships with the Princes has come, it shows how deeply they trust him and look up to him and turn to him when they need help and advice...and that could all be blown away next volume or in an upcoming volume if Rosenberg reveals what he's found out about Heine and whatever shocking thing he's sitting on. I feel like getting this insight in to Heine's relationships with the Princes was very deliberate and things are going to take an angsty turn next volume! This volume is heartwarming...yet incredibly ominous at the same time with a deepening mystery surrounding Heine! 

Review: The Witch's Blood

The Witch's Blood
Rating: 3/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Life as a teenage witch just got harder for Merry when her brother, Leo is captured and taken into an alternative reality by evil witch Ronan. Determined to get him back, Merry needs to use blood magic to outwit her arch-rival and get Leo back. Merry is more powerful than ever now, but she is also more dangerous and within the coven, loyalties are split on her use of the magic. In trying to save Leo, Merry will have to confront evil from her past and present and risk the lives of everyone she’s ever loved. Given the chaos she’s created, just what will she sacrifice to make things right? 

Thank the lord for Leo's POV in the prologue getting me back up to speed with what went down last book because I was completely mind blanking! I was quite excited to see how this trilogy would wrap up, and while the little trip Merry and co takes does justify the historical flashbacks in the first book that where rendered irrelevant in the second...they also didn't quite make sense. 

We travel back to some kind of parallel universe but it was never fully explained mechanics-wise and it seemed like another little thing thrown in to drag the story out. I honestly think that the first book became kind of unnecessary when they changed certain things and certain characters and to be honest I don't think this trilogy actually needed to be a trilogy. I was hoping this final book might pick things back up but it just went even further downhill. 

Jack was back but...well...he's just another thing that has me thinking the first book was completely unnecessary. Finn had an interesting little problem, and I can't even say I'm surprised at what his father wanted him to do, at that point it just seemed like some little drama thrown in to keep things interesting throughout the slow middle section of the book. Ronan is just the worlds biggest creep, and he was practically twirling his moustache and cackling. 

Merry I have to say continued to be frustrating right until the end. Much like the last book she seems to still be riding high on her superiority complex. She never listens or does as she's told and she's quite selfish and arrogant, in that regard, I've found it so hard to like her, when you look at everything that's happened, and know it could have been prevented if she'd just listened it makes you want to shake her. Then she continues to refuse to listen to what anyone says and goes against everything...it would have been interesting if she actually seemed to learn and grew and changed as a character but she doesn't. She's just so frustrating and I was hoping this was the book she grew up a little in but it doesn't even give us that, Merry will forever be one of my least liked characters. 

Honestly, as we neared the end of the book I couldn't help put notice all the standard "series finale tropes" that had been thrown in, and it came across as a bit cheesy and cringey. I felt no real sense of tension or danger and as for what happens with Merry at the end? It just seemed like a hastily thrown together solution to finish the series.

Considering this series started out okay, aside from my issues with Merry, it just kept going downhill and unfortunately this book doesn't quite save it. 

Manga: Seven Deadly Sins 25

The Seven Deadly Sins Vol 25
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

The Seven Deadly Sins may have ended the tyranny of The Ten Commandments for now, but that doesn't mean all is peaceful in the kingdom. Separated from the rest of The Sins, King and Diane strike a deal with former Commandments Gloxinia and Drole, and agree to undergo special training--which sends them to a Britannia 3,000 years in the past, right before the end of the Holy War! Can the pair navigate this strange past--and a threat more powerful than The Ten Commandments? 

Okaaaaay, Gerhard immediately piqued my interest as soon as the volume opened, referring to some mysterious event that has something to do with Gloxinia. This volume as a whole kind of blew my mind because there are some reveals this volume that shocked me and changed my perspective on things. 

The fast pace continues and it's King and Diane's time to shine as they battle it out with Gloxinia and Drole. But there's a shock twist and we get a nice flashback to 3000 years ago and what went down with them, not to mention a familiar face and Meliodas. I am definitely intrigued by the new information on Meliodas. 

There's plenty of action which surprised me as I thought things might slow down after the last volume! But we get so much information and so many plot twists and reveals and blanks filled in it...it was a pretty epic volume! Not to mention the bonus story with Meliodas, King and Ban that had me chuckling!