Manga: Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu 3

Familia Chronicle: Episode Lyu Vol 3
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review! 

After Syr pulls off a winning hand in the V.I.P. room's high-stakes poker game, Lyu demands the release of all the women Terry has collected. However, it seems Terry isn't so keen to honor the rules of his own establishment...Will Lyu and Syr make it out of the Grand Casino alive, let alone with the girls they hope to rescue!?

I know we're only volume three with this spin off series, but I'm just going to say it...I genuinely feel like this is the best out of all of the spin offs this series has offered us so far!? I'm loving it so much, and each volume has been consistently strong, with no weak moments. 

To no-ones surprise, Cervantes doesn't plan to honour the terms he agreed to and rather than freeing the girls he's supposed to, he sets two of his men 'The Black Cat' and 'The Black Fist' on Lyu. Psssh as if that would work. Especially when they aren't the fearsome people she knew back in the day...they're merely imposters. 

In a move of sheer brilliance that had me wanting to applaud, Syr nudges the other captive women in to fighting back while Bell causes chaos as a distraction with the help of poor old Mord. It has to be said...Lyu is such a badass, and she gets a seriously epic showdown in this volume that showcases that fact! 

What I enjoyed about this volume is that it kept up the same pace as the previous two, moving the story along at a fantastic pace without sacrificing the plot or any information we need, and the story arc we've had going on for these three volumes is wrapped up nice and neatly in this volume with no overspill in to the next! Plus we get some little tidbits from the past thrown in once again. It really is a beautifully paced series so far, with a nice mix of action and intrigue! 

Manga: Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu 2

Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu Volume 2 
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review! 

In an attempt to rescue Anna, a patron's daughter, Lyu has made the dangerous mistake of falling into the Grand Casino's V.I.P. room trap. The girl is in her sights, but outnumbered and facing dwindling funds, Lyu can feel the situation heading for an all-out brawl-that is, until Syr comes forward to try her own hand at the game...!

I'm going to say it....but I am loving this spin off a wee bit more than the main series or Sword Oratoria, it has to be said. This series has a slightly different vibe to the other two series, there's not as much of a focus on the Gods and Goddesses and the dungeon and so on, or at least not yet and I do find that interesting, but it provides some different situations so far. 

Things are exciting right from the start, Lyu doesn't hold back at all and she tosses the gauntlet right down from the start. I'm not going to lie, we get a little bit Compulsive Gambler in this volume with all the dirty gambling tactics and I was living for it. Syr also gets the chance to step up as she makes a play of her own and I was so curious to see what she had up her sleeve, especially as she requested a brief meeting with Bell. 

I was honestly on the edge of my seat and then clapping and cheering for Syr so many times, what a badass. Cervantes is such a disgusting creep it's unreal, but holy wow do we get an intense reveal about his past and about Lyu's right before it all kicks off in time for the volume to end because of course. 

Smoothly paced, volume 2 keeps you hanging on with tension and an edge of the seat card game with super high stakes, and then an epic reveal that has you going "OMG" before leaving you wanting more! I can't get enough of Lyu, quite frankly! 

Manga: Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu 1

Familia Chronicle: Episode Lyu Vol 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

In Orario, the only place in the world that hosts the entrance to the massive subterranean Dungeon, there's a certain tavern where the most desperate and vulnerable bring their troubles. There, the ex-adventurer Lyu Lion uses her terrifying strength to wrest what justice she can from the shadows of the Labyrinth City! But when a girl goes missing and all evidence points toward the powerful Grand Casino, she may need more than brute force to help...! 

In case you couldn't tell already, this little series is a spin-off about Lyu! As such we get to see more of the Benevolent Mistress and the waitresses and owner as well as the general goings on there. Plus, obviously, we get to know more about Lyu and her past! 

Honestly, while this is set in the world of the main Is It Wrong series, and has characters like Bell and Syr pop up, it felt kind of like a heist/spy movie as Lyu has to infiltrate a casino and locate Anna. Of course we end the volume before the rescue portion of the mission starts, but Lyu is such a badass and has some solid skills when it comes to the information gathering, and luckily for them...Bell has a lot of luck. 

This initial volume is nicely paced and has a different feel to it than the other volumes and spin-offs in this series, and Lyu is going to prove to be a capable and interesting main character. I'm looking forward to seeing this series continue, as it doesn't as yet focus on the dungeons, and alludes to Lyu's past a lot. As much as I love the adventuring and the dungeons...this is a nice break from that!