Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 9, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: September 2018

Volumes: 12+

Spoilers?: Very light.

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

Volume: 1. 8. 10.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Deal with the Devil

Elias hoped to break the deadly draconic curse that weighs upon Chise–but his methods have created a rift between them. Now Chise prepares to make a gamble of her own: What could she possibly hope to gain from a bargain with Cartaphilus? It is a time of curses cast and forks in the road. Will the paths of master and apprentice soon diverge…?

Review:

We finally get to see what happened to Chise in this volume.

As she's with Josef, there's a struggle between them. And then Chise is forced to go back and watch her past. We see when she was younger, when things were good... and then when things turned bad. The contrast feels like it should be unbelievable, because you don't want to believe that a person can change so much, can turn in such a way. But it happens. The way that it's handled, and the way that Chise overcomes it and how she is forced to accept and decide regarding it, was really well done. I appreciated her stance on what happened.

And then we see Josef's past.

It's all very sad and messy, and it results in an equally messy end. Though I think that Chise comes out of it all right, even for the better in some ways.

After all of that, it looks like a new plot line is starting. They're off to a new journey, and I'm intrigued by where it will go next.

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 8, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: February 2018

Volumes: 10+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 7. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

THE CURSE

Chise may have stopped the dragon’s rampage, but at a great cost: she has been cursed, and a dragon’s curse is unbreakable! Chise and Elias are visited by Marielle the witch, whose fellow witches claim to know the secret to helping Chise. There’s one catch-–in exchange for their aid, Chise must join the witches’ coven.

Review:

Chise is dealing with the repercussions of her drastic actions. She wants to save everyone, but doesn't take into account her own mortality, and now she has a cursed hand.

She gets invited to a witch's meeting, which has some pros and cons they debate on before deciding to go. There's the possibility that they'll know how to cure her, but this doesn't quite turn out how they would hope.

In the background, Josef has been roiling up some mischief. And when Elias does something drastic to try and save Chise, possibly not realizing how upset it will make her, it only turns out worse for both of them. The cliffhanger is surely not going to lead to anything good.

This is the first real fight Elias and Chise have had, I think. It's rather sad, really.

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 7, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: July 2017

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: Some.

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

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lullaby, and Good Night...

After mistakenly putting Elias under a sleeping spell, Chise can't find a way to wake him up! She turns to Angie for help, and brews a potion meant to undo the spell--but the process is so exhausting, Chise ends up falling asleep herself. Upon entering a dream world, she crosses paths with the person she least expected: Cartaphilus. But something's off--the amoral alchemist seems to have lost his threatening edge. Meanwhile, in the outside world, trouble is brewing...on a dragon-sized scale!

Review:

The first part of the volume, we get to see the downfall of the turmoil between Chise and Elias. Elias is internalizing having Chise grow and know other people. Chise then gets to see that some of her powers might be unintentionally spreading, and she has to deal with accidentally putting a sleeping spell on Elias.

After that, they get approached to help a university find some stolen dragons. Chise wants to help, and even as she's being told she needs to take things easier, she continues to push herself. There's a point made here that Chise has made quite a lot of connections, and it's true. She knows a lot of people, and it's actually becoming quite easy for her to find someone to answer a question when she needs something.

At the same time, it's obvious that she's using a lot of herself all the time. She's exhausting herself easily, often, and she doesn't have that much to give. This point is made at least two times in this volume, and then we get the cliffhanger. It should be interesting to see what happens with that, and with this new development.

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 6, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: January 2017

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 5. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Path Not Chosen

Chise is gradually learning to understand both human nature and the whims of the fae, as well as how to balance them and walk her own path. Suddenly, she receives a mysterious letter from bustling London. What could an alchemist's apprentice want from her...?

Find out in this long-awaited sixth volume, in a dark fairy tale romance between the human and the inhuman!

Reads from right to left in the traditional Japanese format.

Review:

In the first half of this volume, it's nearing Christmas. Chise meets Alice in town to go shopping for their partners, something neither has really done before. In this, we get some odd awkwardness, and we get to see Alice's backstory. It's rather sweet, seeing their growing friendship and their feelings for their partners in how they want to do good for them.

After that, Chise chooses to help a girl find her missing brother, only to end up having to find Elias as well. It's nice to see how their relationship is progressing, how they're slowly growing to want to be around each other and miss each other, and how they're growing to understand those feelings.

This is a sweet little series, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Also, I got this with the extra little booklet. I don't see why they couldn't have just put it into the volume, since it was so tiny; but it was still a sweet little extra.

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 5, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: July 2016

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Fairy In Need

Chise has taken great strides in overcoming her dark past, and is ready for a brighter future by Elias' side. As for the magus himself, he is finally able to put a name to the strange emotion he's been feeling for Chise. Meanwhile, a deadly threat looms. When a panicked fairy appears at Chise's bedside, begging for help, is there anything the young, novice mage can do...?

Review:

We are once again shown the mortality of our heroine. Chise wants to help a sidhe, and she decides to make a risky concoction to help her and the man she's loved from afar. It's a really sweet plot, but we see the consequences for Chise.

I really like seeing Chise and Elias' relationship here. While we don't get a lot of development in this volume, we do get bits and pieces of them working together and trying to understand each other.

We get to meet a few new creatures, and we get to see the beginnings of Yule, which should lead to something, I'm sure. In the middle of the volume, we also got to see Silky's backstory. I wasn't expecting this, but I really like her, and it was nice to see how she came upon Elias and Chise, and how attached she is. It's sweet.

This was a slow and sweet volume. There's always a bit of quirkiness to these volumes, but this one was a bit slow in plot progression. Still enjoying it, though.

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 4, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: April 2016

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

"I am not alone."

Chise has been summonsed to the Dragon Aerie to begin crafting her very own wand, but her journey has more to offer than she had anticipated: magical wonders, enlightening visions, and perhaps most importantly, insight into Elias' past and the secrets he has been reluctant to reveal about himself.

Yet while Chise finds some answers about the inhuman mage's history, mysterious beings are displaying an unexpected interest in Chise herself.

Review:

It's been so long since I've read the last volume, that I've pretty much forgotten it. But that didn't really hinder my enjoyment of this volume at all.

Chise gets a new insight into where Elias came from, and how he came to be who he is now. It gives her a new perspective, and also lets her see him as closer to her own age, not so much as an old man. Chise also explores her magic some more in this volume, and her and Elias both learn that they don't really enjoy being apart. Their relationship is growing closer, and they're growing fond of each other.

Aside from that, we see a few new creatures, and then there's the cliffhanger. While this series isn't particularly outstanding so far, it is a whimsical, thoughtful series, and it's really enjoyable. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 3, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: December 2015

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An Ancient Evil

Chise has come face to face with the person responsible for the brutal killings at a nearby churchyard--and to her shock, it's someone she recognizes from her visions of the tragedy at Ulthar! Appalled by the realization that the alchemist who wrought such horrors is still up to his old tricks, Chise must act to stop him. But in order to control her dangerous powers as a sleigh beggy, she ll need all the help she can get.

Review:

We see the conclusion from the previous volume, and move on to meet a couple new characters and creatures.

After the big ordeal, Elias disappears for a few days, to recover. Chise grows impatient, and sees him, even when he protests. This brings on a bad memory for her, though, of her life before him, but this is mostly a tease. Then it moves on to a couple single plot-lines.

This series is slow and subtle, but I’m enjoying it. It’s not really sticking, though, and I’m finding I have little to say about it. It’s pretty, and I’m liking how the plot is growing, and the relationship between Chise and Elias is getting deeper.

I look forward to reading more.

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 2, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: 2015

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Great power comes at a price...

Chise Hatori's life has recently undergone shocking change. As a sleigh beggy--a person capable of generating and wielding tremendous magical power--she has transformed from an unwanted child to a magician's apprentice who has been introduced to fae royalty. But Chise's newly discovered abilities also mean a cruel fate awaits her.

Review:

The first part of this volume concludes the cat story. It’s sad and a little horrifying and it exhausts Chise’s power supply. Which leads to us meeting the faerie queen and king, which is quite comedic and sure to lead to something later on. There’s a bit of calm, with Chise settling into her new home, and then she goes on another job with Elias, and comes another cliffhanger.

I’m enjoying Chise’s character, and I like seeing how she’s getting used to her new home and family. She’s never had anyone be so nice to her as Elias, and it takes some getting used to, but she's growing attached to him. There’s also more chemistry between her and Elias forming; before, it seemed more fatherly, but there were actual romantic attachments between them in this volume, even if nothing’s happened yet. Given that she’s supposed to be his bride at some point, this is a nice development.

We’re also learning with Chise what her magic is doing to her, and what it could lead to in the long run.

This is a slow, subtle series. Small moments of development and humor, a lot of different characters and creatures introduced. I’m enjoying it so far.

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 1, by Kore Yamazaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: May 2015

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Ancient Magus’ Bride is an all-new manga series that features a fascinating relationship between a troubled teenage girl and an inhuman wizard. Kore Yamazaki combines a fantastical shoujo style with a darker, brooding tone that is reminiscent of shonen hits like Pandora Hearts and Blue Exorcist.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride is an ongoing manga series that includes captivating artwork and color inserts in each volume.

Hatori Chise has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise’s life will never be the same again.

The man is a “magus,”a sorcerer of great power, who decides to free Chise from the bonds of captivity. The magus then makes a bold statement: Chise will become his apprentice—and his bride!

Review:

Chise has been bought by Elias, a man with a horse skull for a head, and she expects the worst. But he seems nice to her, and then she starts seeing fairies and other creatures, and he tells her she’s going to be his apprentice. And his bride.

I like Chise from the start. She’s worried of his intentions, of course, but he’s only nice to her. He saves her from the fairies, introduces her to friends of his, takes her with him to meet dragons, and starts showing her the magic she has inside her. We leave off on a story about this world of cats and someone hunting them.

There are little moments of humor throughout, where she or someone else teases him, and I liked that. Otherwise, Chise is very much learning about his world, about the world that she has an affinity for but had no idea about. I’m intrigued to see where Chisa and Elias' relationship goes from here. There is an assortment of other characters that I look forward to seeing more of, as well.

This was an interesting start to the series, and I liked it. I’m looking forward to reading the next one.