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Book Review

Review: Higurashi Curse Killing Arc 2

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Higurashi Curse Killing Arc 2

Story by Ryukishio7

Art by Jiro Suzuki

Reviewed by JMD Reid

The first volume, we have come to know Satoko. Keiichi’s surrogate big brother relationship was really sweet. But this is Higurashi, and the happiness between the friends can’t last. Doom falls on the gang in the form of the return of Satoko’s abusive uncle Teppei Hojo.

A vile man who abuses and degrades her. As Keiichi and his friends want to help the girl, they find out that even the adults in their lives are powerless. Their teacher has done all she can. The government finds no evidence of child abuse. Keiichi becomes more and more desperate as he sees Satoko swallowed up by pain and suffering.

And then he remembers Oyashiro’s curse. For the last four years, one person has been murdered and one person disappeared on the night of the Cotton Drifting Festival. Oyashiro, the shinto deity who protects the village, punishes those who try to harm it.

So why not Teppei Hojo this year?

Not wanting to relay on the nebulous “curse,” Keiichi plans to use the superstition to his advantage. He’ll save Satoko. He’ll murder Teppei Hojo.

This is one of the most heartbreaking stories to read. The artist and writer have captured the way Satoko crumbles beneath the abuse, how she tries to be strong, to pretend nothing is going wrong even as she grows more and more dead, wliting. The bubbly, happy, outgoing girl crushed beneath Teppei’s curelty. It crashes into the unfairness of the world. Into the grinding pace of a government bureaucracy. Into the limitations of modern life to defend your neighbors.

Keiichi’s transition from student to murderer makes sense. It flows down the path. You’re rooting for him, so it’s so tragic when it all goes wrong. And that ending. That gut punch at the shrine then the “disastor” only makes you have more question.

Just what happens in this village? What is going on wrong? Why did the disaster happen this time and not in the last scenario. Mion no longer seems to be in charge of the killings like she was last time. But once again, Tomitaki dies and Takano is murdered/goes missing. Only this time, we get something more with her. Something sinister.

For the most part, the art is better in this volume. The style fits the more depressing shift in the story. There were a few times it didn’t work, like with Takano. All in all, this was a powerful story. It leaves you hoping there is a way out for these friends, to survive the summer of 1983. This is the last of the question arcs. Up next is an arc to get some back story and set up the ending, and a filler one that gives us a spooky story set in the aftermath of this arc.

You can buy Higurashi Curse Killing Arc 2 from Amazon.

Book Review

Review: BERSERK Volume 19

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BERSERK 19

by Kentaro Miura

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Guts has arrived at Albion Monastery to find Caska, accompanied by the young Isidora. Though he finds Lucia and has a lead on Caska, he is too late. The cult who think Casca is their witch has already snagged her. Now he has to race against time to secure Casca before Farnesse and her Holy Iron Chain Knights raid the heretics lair.

Worse, night is about to fall and the evil spirits that swarm around Casca will be searching for hosts. Franesse, her knights, and Guts are in for a fight as demonic spirits surge. And through it all, the eyes continue to watch and the tortures led by Mozgus continue to brutalize their captives.

Evil builds at Albion as night falls. The trap has been laid and snaps shut.

19 is a wild ride. You are right there with Guts, so hopeful that he’s finally found Casca only for the cowardly Nina to ruin everything. Miura does a great job in this volume from the action, to Guts’s duel with Serpico on the ledge. The action is building as the various characters are all thrust into the crucible. Isidora shows his mettle, too.

Then the real action begins. Miura has our characters in peril. He has you wanting to read more. Volume 19 propels the story forward and leaves you wanting more. I want to dive right into volume 20! If you’re a fan of fantasy, you should check out the BERSERK graphic novel series!

You can buy BERSERK Vol 19 from Amazon.

Book Review

Review: Higurashi Curse Killing Arc 1

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Higurashi Curse Killing Arc 1

Story by Ryukishio7

Art by Jiro Suzuki

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Once again, everything has reset. Keiichi (newly moved to the village three weeks back) has just returned from that two day trip back to Tokyo. Things appear to be playing out the same as the last two times only now we’re focusing more on Satoko. Things have shifted, allowing Keiichi to get to know Satoko before.

She’s adorable beneath her hyperactive facade. She’s looking for love, abandoned by her family who have died or vanished. In Keiichi, she’s finding what she lost a year ago when her older brother Satoshi “transferred schools.” Satoshi and Keiichi have a great relationship. The playfulness and bit of sibling rivalry is capture well, along with a level of affection that will inform the second half of this story.

As always, Keiichi learns of the villages dark secret and Oyashiro’s curse. Clues are dropping as we, the reader, are struggling to understand what is truly going on. What leads to these “demonic” possession and the friends turning on each other in horrible ways.

Beneath it all lurks something nefarious. A woman has been found brutally murdered. The police are investigating. It’s something new to story. Is this the even that triggers off this scenario? How does these events relate. The questions are building and building.

The mystery of Hinamizawa continues.

Now, while the story is sweet and heartwarming (for now), there’s a problem using different artist for the scenarios. The last two produced some great, high-quality art, the characters looked great. This artist isn’t as skilled. The characters are little more cheaply drawn and less detailed. It’s a shame because I think the last artist could have really captured Satoko and Keiichi’s relationship better.

Still, this is a great series. The characters continue to be great, their personalities consistent (until things start going crazy). The clues to what is going on are scattered throughout, placed so well it’s only in hindsight that you can really make sense of the true story happening in the background.

If you’re a fan of mystery and horror, Higurashi is one of the best manga (and properties) in the genre. You can’t go wrong with reading the original visual novels, playing the game, watch the anime, or read the manga, you can’t go wrong.

You can buy Higurashi Curse Killing Arc 1 from Amazon.

Book Review

Review: BERSERK Volume 18

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BERSERK 18

by Kentaro Miura

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Guts is on the trail of the missing Casca. His lover, her mind broken by the brutality of the eclipse, has escaped from her refuge and wanders like a child. Abandoning his quest, Guts has realized what is truly important to him. What does killing Griffith matter if Casca suffers?

Around Albion Keep, refugees arrive, fleeing plague and war. The Kushan have invaded the midlands, the Easterners butchering all before them. Starving and needing sustenance, they turn to the church. But Mozgus, the inquisitor, has now sympathy for their plight. He is here to do Gods work, punishing the wicked and rooting out heresy. There is no forgiveness in his heart. All who are wicked are tortured, purified of their sins.

In Albion, horrors are performed in the name of God that would rival the acts of the demons of the world.

Farness and her Holy Chain Knights are keeping order while a group of prostitutes have taken in “Elaine,” as they call Casca. She’s in as much danger from the church as the demons as she wanders through the suffering in innocence. Can Guts arrive before tragedy strikes.

And what does such a gathering of people portend? Have the Godhand summoned them all for the slaughter.

The world continues to be brutal as we are shown just how much of a monster Mozgus is while doing “good.” He has found a way to justify his evil in the name of god. He has no compassion in his heart for the starving refugees. They should just do God’s work, even if it means dying. Because their reward will be found in the next life. He’s one of the most depraved characters in the book. If any one is a secret demon in this part of the story, it’s him.

And despite that, Miura shows a moment of humanity in him, like he has with many of the monsters. The count, Rosine, and now Mozgus. They don’t seem themselves as monsters even if their actions are horrendous.

Human weakness is on full display. Fear and lust, zealotry and flagellation. From Farness to Nina, we’re shown how circumstances bend and twist us. We all make decisions we regret. We all do acts that later horrify us. It takes a brave artist to bare that part of the human soul to the world.

This is why BERSERK stands apart from the other fantasy manga out there. It’s powerful and visceral storytelling that any fan of fantasy, especially grimdark fantasy, should read!

You can buy BERSERK Vol 18 from Amazon.

Book Review

Review: Higurashi Cotton Drifting Arc 2

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Higurashi Cotton Drifting Arc 2

Story by Ryukishio7

Art by Yutori Houjyou

Reviewed by JMD Reid

It’s the night of the Cotton Drifting Festival. Keiichi Maebara, newcomer to the village, wants to watch the ceremony, but Shion (twin sister of Keiichi’s friend Mion) wants to show him something. They find two individuals breaking into the sacred storeroom for the shrine. With everyone in the village watching the ceremony, it’s the perfect time to break in.

Inside, Keiichi learns the dark past of Hinamizawa. A history of human torture of those who break the rules. For the last four years, the village has been punishing those who supported the dam project that would have seen village destroyed.

This year, they’ll have to punish the four people who entered the sacred shrine.

As Keiichi realizes just how bad the situation is when he learns that the two people who broke into the shrine with him and Shion have been murdered. Worse, other people whom Keiichi and Shion confided in have gone missing. It’s clear the secret leadership of Hinamizawa is cleaning house. How much longer before they come for Keiichi?

While the first volume of this story is rather peaceful, things ramp up fast in here. Paranoia sets in and things get nuts. After the last volume, we saw that Mion and Rena were possessed by demons. It seems that same force is at work as we learn more about the history of the village. The tragedy plays out to the bitter end. The horror is intense.

But it’s all so tragic. Once again, close friendships have ended in bloody murder. The culprit is different, but the results are just the same. There is something wrong with this village. What is the truth of what is going on?

What will happen when the time resets for the next arc? As always, look for the things that stay the same. There are little clues for what is really going on.

This arc, while tragic, is well done in what it’s purpose is. Ryukishio7 has created a scenario that serves to fuel the mystery. The art is great. I especially like the color drawings at the start. I like how they use different artists for the arcs, matching them up with the corresponding answer arc.

You can buy Higurashi Cotton Drifting Arc 2 from Amazon.

Book Review

Review: BERSERK Volume 17

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BERSERK 17

by Kentaro Miura

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Captured by the Holy Cross Knights, Guts is in stocks and imprisoned as night descends. The demons and evil spirits his brand attracts will be here soon and being surrounded by a company of knights won’t be much protection. He needs to escape.

Farness, the female commander of the knights, is shocked by the events of yesterday. She’s caught a glimpse of something she’s never encountered in Guts, and it’s only going to get worse. Night is falling and she’s about to learn first hand why Guts has so many weapons. Why he’s left a path of carnage in his wake.

Guts might be a human monster, but he’s the only one capable of fighting the inhuman denizens about to fall upon the camp.

BERSERK 17 transitions us into the second half of this story. The first was all about how Guts became the Black Swordsman, now we’re moving past that. He’s had his two years of fruitless revenge on Griffith and things are changing. Something is building in the world. An evil is growing. What started on the eclipse is not over.

That was just the beginning for whatever plan the Godhand have for their newest member. As the world falls apart, a “savior” is needed.

Miura does a great job with this transition, showing us more of the world through the introduction of Farness and by jumping back to the characters we’ve met in early parts of the story at Windham. Momentous things are building, and Guts will have to face his decisions.

That moment when Guts realizes what he’s doing is the pivotal moment for his character. The last two years of rage have only transformed him into something like Griffith. Is that what he wants? It’s time for Guts to decide to keep being a coward, or to be a hero for the last person left he cares for.

BERSERK continues to be a great read! Powerful, full of deep and complex characters, with themes that make you reflect!

You can buy BERSERK Vol 17 from Amazon.

Book Review

A Beautiful Lie (The Monster Series Book 1)

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A Beautiful Lie (The Monster Series Book 1)

by Amber Naralim

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Ellie is struggling to adjust to her new life after her parent’s deaths. The young girl is adrift, searching for something to give her life meaning. She finds that meaning in a young man, a drifter in need of help.

Vincent is lost. Cursed and haunted by his actions, he drifts through life. If he can find something, even a lie, to cling to, perhaps he can put himself back together. Perhaps he can tame the beast inside of him.

Two paths cross and two lives are forever changed.

A Beautiful Lie is a prequel to Naralim’s fantastic Walking with Monsters, showing how Ellie met Vincent and how the tragedy that befell her family and catapulted her into a life of danger, the life of a fugitive. It’s a fascinating look at the characters before the darkness claimed them. Before Ellie walked with a monster and left the light behind.

Naralim is an indie author who writes powerful stories full of dark and engaging themes. Any fan of urban fantasy, dark romance, and fairy tales needs to check out her series! You will not be disappointed!

You can buy A Beautiful Lie from Amazon.

Book Review

Review: Safe and Sound (The Monster Series Book 5)

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Safe and Sound (The Monster Series Book 5)

by Amber Naralim

Reviewed by JMD Reid

After the disastrous events of Into the Black, Ellie, her monstrous lover Vincent, and Reese, Vincent’s brother, have returned to the safe house. There they try to settle down with the others who had their lives disrupted by the shady organization breeding new monsters. But Ellie itches to get back out and hunt the other monsters she freed rescuing her brother Edward, chaffing at playing house.

Edward also battles his own demons. He was experimented on, transformed into a deadly version of the monsters, and fights to keep control of his dark impulses with the help of his blind lover Anna. But the urges to kill, to hurt, to cause fear lurk in his depth.

The household tries to heal, everyone of the residents scarred in their own ways. But when women who look like Anna began being murdered, they fear one the monster Delilah has found them and it will only be a matter of time before more pain and suffering are inflicted.

Naralim builds on the foundation of her two previous books, using the characters she has built and nurtured, using that as the strength of this novel. Where the previous two relied on fast-paced action to drive the narrative, Shed Some Light is stationary, rooted in a small house in the remote country of Canada. Here the characters, their relationships, struggles, hopes, and fears drive the plot.

And she pulls of this transition flawlessly. Her writing has never been stronger. The depth of her characters sustains this novel all on their own so when things start getting tense, you’re all the more anxious because you care for these characters.

Naralim blew me away with the depth of her storytelling and the tragedy of the tale she unfolds. If you haven’t read Walking with Monsters, do so. Then read Into the Black, and then read this amazing book!

You can buy Safe and Sound from Amazon.

Book Review

Review: Higurashi Cotton Drifting Arc 1

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Higurashi Cotton Drifting Arc 1

Story by Ryukishio7

Art by Yutori Houjyou

Reviewed by JMD Reid

“I cannot quench your thirst,

because you who want the truth will not acknowledge it.

I cannot quench your thirst,

because the truth you hope for doesn’t exist.

Even so, I want to quench your thirst,

because I am the one who left you in the desert.”

—Frederica Bernkastel

Once again, the poem starting off this series hints that this Frederica is behind what is going on in the story, but that she feels bad for the people. What is going on?

Good question. Last volume, Keiichi Maebara, a newly transferred teenager to the sleepy mountain village of Hinamizawa, beat his two friends, Rena and Mion, to death when they become demons trying to inject him with a syringe. Shortly after, he died by clawing out his own throat trying to get the truth out.

How does this volume start? Back at the beginning.

Keiichi Maebara just moved to Hinamizawa three weeks ago. He’s made friends with some of the local girls: Rena, Satako, Rika, and Mion. They play games. Have fun. They are close-knit so fast. It plays out so similar to how the story began.

Except this time, while playing a game at store in the nearby town, Keiichi makes a fateful choice. He gives a doll to Rena, thinking the tomboy Mion doesn’t like girly things. That off-handed comment set in a chain of events that leads to a different story than last time.

Soon Keiichi meets “Shion,” a girl claiming to be Mion’s twin sister but is a girlier version of her. Suspecting Mion is pretending to be someone else to act more like a girl, he plays along with it, enchanted by her beauty.

Other than that, things are playing out the same. The Cotton Drifting Festival approaches and Keiichi learns about the annual murder/disappearance, known as Oyashiro’s Curse. One person is killed, and the other is demoned away. As a glowing dread builds, Keiichi and his friends look forward to the festival with “Shion” eager to join the fun.

After the end of the last arc, I had so many questions. Where would it go? Would it follow new characters, or would it track one of the survivors as they struggled to uncover what happened to Keiichi, Mion, and Rena. What I didn’t expect was for everything to reset.

The summer of 1983 in Hinamizawa is playing groundhogs day. Keiichi and his friends have no idea that it’s going on. But there are differences playing out. How will that effect it? What is causing it to happen? Is it part of Oyashiro’s Curse? Or is something else at play.

The questions are dancing in your mind. A mystery is begging for answers, driving you to keep following the story to find out what is going on. That is the beauty of Higurashi. Even better, as the story unfolds, it’s clear that the creator thought of these questions. He had answers for them when he created it. This isn’t an empty mystery box, but a story with substance.

So just keep with it and know that answers will come, eventually. And until then, speculate away and try to figure out what is going on.

You can buy Higurashi Cotton Drifting Arc 1 from Amazon.

Book Review

Review: BERSERK Vol 16

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BERSERK 16

by Kentaro Miura

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Jill has learned the truth of what her friend Rosine has become, but the idea of becoming an “elf” still appeals to her. Growing up abused, like Rosine, she doesn’t want to return to her village. She hates her father and fears becoming a weak woman like her mother. If she allows Rosine to transform her, she can be free of that.

But Guts, wounded, driven by his rage, shows her the truth of Rosine’s transformation. Her friend has become a demon. That sweet girl she used to play with as a child has become a monster. And even this inhuman monster is scared of Guts.

Rosine will have to reveal her true form to defeat Guts. But will it be enough? Or will she be the next demon slain by the Black Swordsman?

This arc is more about Jill and her loss of innocence as she sees the brutality of the world and what it takes for a man like Guts to survive in it. Her transformation over these pages as she survives these terrible events gives us a glimmer of hope that this world isn’t wholly lost. Even as Miura makes us feel pity for the monstrous Rosine, he shows us that Jill might have the strength to do something good in this world.

Either way, Guts continues on only now he’s hunted by the Holy Chain Knights led by Farness. After two years of following his trail of destruction, they have finally caught up to Guts. He’s wounded form his fight with Rosine. Will he escape, or will they take him prisoner?

BERSERK continues to impress. Miura shows us how the cruelties we inflict on each other can create new monsters. Because that’s the true essence of this series: all the evils, all the atrocities, all the demonic entities are just humans who have given into their selfish natures. Whether it’s Rosine who wants her childish paradise or Wyld who wants to be powerful again, the evil in BERSKER is spawned by human weakness.

So can there be any hope in such a bleak and nihilistic world? Maybe. There’s Puck the Elf. There’s Jill. And maybe even Guts can find his way out of his darkness before the beast of rage inside of him consumes him.

This is why BERSERK is one of the greatest works of fantasy literature and art produced in the world. If you’re not reading it, you should be!

You can buy BERSERK Vol 16 from Amazon.