From the back cover: The air of celebration surrounding fifteen-year-old Oz Vessalius's coming-of-age ceremony quickly turns to horror when he is condemned for a sin about which he knows nothing. Thrown into the Abyss—an eternal prison from which there is no escape—Oz meets a young girl named Alice, who is not what she seems. Now that the relentless cogs of fate have begun to … [Read more...] about Pandora Hearts 1 by Jun Mochizuki: B
Manga
Alice in the Country of Hearts 2 by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino: B
From the back cover: As Alice grows accustomed to life in Wonderland, she begins to understand the inner workings of this mysterious world. Everyone desires to get close to her, and Alice's life lights up with little moments of happiness. But she soon discovers the truth behind all the bliss... and wasted lives. And how will Alice react when the greatest secret is revealed by … [Read more...] about Alice in the Country of Hearts 2 by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino: B
Vampire Knight 9 by Matsuri Hino: C+
After the revelations in volume eight, the world of Vampire Knight goes—please pardon my indelicacy, but this is really the only way to put it—batshit crazy. Pureblood vampire Rido Kuran (our villain) completes his resurrection and summons his followers to him. Said followers feel no compunction about snacking on the day class students of Cross Academy, so the noble vampires … [Read more...] about Vampire Knight 9 by Matsuri Hino: C+
Kaze Hikaru 9-11 by Taeko Watanabe: A-
Beware: spoilers ahead. I have come to the conclusion that Kaze Hikaru is not only worth owning—as opposed to borrowing it from the library, which is what I’ve been doing up until now—but is also pure evil (in the very best way, of course). Volume nine begins with a reorganization of the Shinsengumi that sees Sei reassigned from active patrolling to a position taking care of … [Read more...] about Kaze Hikaru 9-11 by Taeko Watanabe: A-
Our Kingdom: Arabian Nights by Naduki Koujima: B-
This one-volume spin-off of Our Kingdom stars Raoul, a former supporting character of that series, as he attempts to recover from heartbreak by taking a trip to a swanky Middle Eastern resort. His plans go astray when he is captured by a good-hearted yet foolish prince named Ashif, who plans to use Raoul as a pawn to ensure his sister’s marital happiness. Raoul is naturally … [Read more...] about Our Kingdom: Arabian Nights by Naduki Koujima: B-