Manga Review: Crimson Spell, Volume 1, by Ayano Yamane

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December, 2013

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Upon wielding an ancient sword that has been passed down through his royal family for generations, Prince Vald is struck by a curse that turns him into a demon! In search of guidance, Vald appeals to the powerful sorcerer Halvi for help, and the two set out on a journey to break the curse. However, there is one thing the handsome sorcerer is keeping secret from the young prince—the raging demon that Vald turns into every night can only be calmed when Halvi satisfies his lust! And so begins their epic journey in search of clues to break the young prince’s curse.

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for mature audiences.

Review:

I was not sure what to expect with this book. It’s very pretty, and it looked good, but I didn’t even read the synopsis before reading it. I knew it was supernatural, and yaoi, and that was pretty much it.

Prince Vald gets cursed by a sword in order to save his castle/village/family. In an effort to get rid of the curse, he goes to a sorcerer, Havi, and strikes up a deal with him. This takes them on a journey to fight a dragon, ending up with an animal companion, and then to a village of sorcerers.

I rather liked the character progression for both characters, and really liked what I’ve got to see of them. Their relationship is also really nice and entertaining. I was not quite expecting the sex part, but there was quite a bit of it, rather detailed. It was nice and hot, though, I enjoyed it. I’m really interested to see what happens when Vald finds out, though… That’s sure to be fun.

The story progression was nice, nothing rushed or anything. All very interesting and exciting, fun. The humor was really well-done in this volume, a little straight-forward and straight-faced, which I liked.

The ending was nice, and opens to whatever happens in the next volumes. I’m looking forward to reading the next book, and hope to get my hands on it at some point in the near-ish future.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, and Erik Jansen from MediaLab PR. Thank you so, so much!