Manga: The Witch's House - Diary of Ellen

The Witch's House: Diary of Ellen Vol 1 
Rating: 3/5
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Ellen, who has been plagued by sickness her whole life, heavily relies on her mother's care and love. When the bond between them decays in a horrific turn of events, Ellen despairs that she'll never get the love she so desperately craves and thinks she's done for-that is, until she crosses paths with a mysterious black cat. The cat offers her powers and a house to live in, which seems to change Ellen's life for the better. But the new witch soon discovers the gruesome secrets within this ever-changing house... 

First things first, I have not played the game that this is apparently to do with and while I can imagine it'll enrich the game if you play it...I don't think you need to have played the game to read this! 

The dark and grim colour pages definitely drew me in, and the first chapter..well it was pretty messed up! I felt for Ellen, but this one is definitely dark! Alongside that, it's also kind of a huge set up. We get all the backstory on Ellen and her childhood and how she became to be at the House and how she met the demon cat, and how she became a witch. Honestly, I wasn't that in to it, and I did find myself a little bit bored at points, but the sinister overtones, and the creepy air to it along with the sense of foreboding I had kept me reading. Plus I was curious about the cat and what the deal with the house was! 

I did like how the expressions were drawn for the characters, I have to say! The sinister ones and the twisted ones are really excellently done! I also liked the pretty, yet at the same time a little bit sinister, settings. 

This introductory volume is gruesome and dark, but certainly intriguing. It's the beginnings of everything and largely serves to acquaint you with Ellen and her full backstory with the promise of more dark and twisted tales to come.