Title: Red River Vol. 11-14
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: March 14th 2006 – September 12th 2006

*Rated for older teens

Volume 11 Goodreads Summary: Yuri, a teen of the twenty-first century, has been transported to ancient Anatolia as part of a scheme by the evil Nakia, Queen of the Hittites. Only the intervention of Nakia’s stepson, Prince Kail, save Yuri from the Queen’s bloodthirsty intentions. As an unintended consequence, the people of the kingdoms of Anatolia are now convinced that Yuri is the incarnation of the great war-goddess Ishtar….

My Thoughts

Have you noticed yet that I am totally addicted to this series? I can’t stop reading them so as soon as a finish a couple I try to return them as soon as possible in order to get more from the library. My library only has the first couple of the series so the rest I have to get through interlibrary loans which can take forever I know, It sucks but the point is I love reading them. Would I give every volume 5 stars? Nah but they are still addicting. Since they are so addicting and quick to read as soon as I get 3 or 4 from the library I read them back to back and it has really started to get hard to write reviews for them. I feel like all I am doing is repeating myself especially since I don’t really want to give any spoilers from Volume 1 to Volume 14.When I say repetitive I just mean that I continue to think that Yuri continues to grow with each volume which is a great thing and that as she grows more problems arise and with those problems she grows even more…and the cycle continues. I think the growth of a character is important. Yes they all have there set backs but then they continue to move forward. The problems and obstacles are usually always different but the fact that there is a problem in each volume is just what I am always repeating lol.

Yuri goes through so much crap in this series. She has to deal with so much. I would probably just curl up into the fetal position and cry but she keeps on moving on. She comes up with her own plans and does what she believes will be the best choice for everyone even if it is not the best choice for her. Kail has both really great qualities and then others that are just not so great. He has his moments were I think I am going to start hating him but some how he quickly turns it around and I kind of just forget until something else happens. I love Hadi and her sisters and all the other people close to Yuri and Kail. They all seem to be going through a lot. There is actually quite a bit of loss in this series so far.

Although I have been liking a lot about this series there is also a lot I can’t stand. The problem is it is hard for me to explain. I’m sure most of it has to do with the fact that this series takes place far into the past. Also, I am pretty disappointed that Yuri isn’t more disappointed about not getting back home. I mean it is mentioned and a lot of it is her trying to get back home but then when it doesn’t happen it doesn’t seem as big of a problem as I feel it should be. I don’t know I guess I would be torn also but my family is my family and I couldn’t picture life without them.

Title: Dawn of the Arcana Vol 3
Author: Rei Toma
Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: April 2012
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

Princess Nakaba of Senan is forced to marry Prince Caesar of the enemy country Belquat, tantamount to becoming a hostage. While Caesar is pleasing to the eye, he is also selfish and possessive, telling Nakaba outright: “You are my property.” With only her attendant Loki at her side, Nakaba must find a way to cope with her hostile surroundings, her fake marriage…and a mysterious power!

Princess Nakaba of Senan and Prince Caesar of Belquat only married each other for the sake of peace between their two warring countries, so no one expected there to be love between the unlikely couple. Nakaba is starting to warm to Caesar, however, and her attendant Loki doesn’t like this one bit. Are Loki and Caesar destined to be enemies? And how does Nakaba’s power, the Arcana of Time, fit into all this?

My Thoughts:

In this volume Caesar’s family starts to take more of an interest in Nakaba. They demand that she dye her hair black because they have another kingdom coming for a visit. When she refuses to do as they say Caesar’s family starts to force their ways on her. Caesar is not able to protect his own bride and this leads to some interesting character changes in Caesar. I have to say this volume really brought some good light to Caesar for once. He is finally standing up for what he wants and he is finally sharing his feelings with Nakaba.

Nakaba’s character also grew in this book because she is always constantly worrying about if she is doing the right thing. I think she became stronger in this volume do to the fact that she finally has to face her fears and her gift of the Arcana of Time. I hope that in the next volumes we get to learn more about her powers and see how she stands up to the two stubborn men around her.

Overall, this was a great volume and I hope that the rest of this manga series stays this impressive.

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Title: Dawn of the Arcana Vol 4
Author: Rei Toma
Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: June 2012
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

Princess Nakaba of Senan and Prince Caesar of Belquat only married each other for the sake of peace between their two warring countries, so no one expected there to be love between the unlikely couple. But just as feelings start growing between them, Nakaba’s power, the Arcana of Time, shows her a vision of a young woman’s murder. Has the time come for Nakaba to harness her power to change fate?

My Thoughts:

In this volume the gang of characters finally gets to travel away from Prince Caesar’s castle! I do love the castle that they have been at for the entire series but it is nice to get a chance once in a while. I thought all of the characters were pretty laid back in this volume and the reader gets to see some more of their character. Plus the reader is introduced to some new characters that I already like and think will play important roles as this manga series continues.

Not only did I love that the setting of this volume was different than the previous ones but I liked that there was additions to the overall plot. There was a clear purpose for the gang to travel so far away from the castle and while the big scene I was expecting did not happen in this volume I have high hopes that in the next volume or two the reader is going to see these characters, especially Prince Caesar and Loki step up in a big way.

Overall, this was another great volume that added to the value of this series. I simply can not get enough at this point and now I’m really excited to get my hands on the fifth volume because I have to see how Prince Caesar will react when things get more complicated.

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 7
Author: Mi-Kyung Yun
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: Feb 2011
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

Soah, our heroine, is saved from a strange, sacrificial ritual by Habaek, the young Water God. While Soah has come to appreciate the Water God and his kingdom, the heavenly Suguk, she’s also fallen in love with a mysterious man named Mui. What she doesn’t know is that Habaek is Mui–he’s been cursed to appear as a little boy during the day while he lives in his true adult form at night Will Soah discover that she’s torn between two versions of the same person, or will other sinister forces drive them apart? Soah and Habaek try to overcome a kidnapping, memory loss, pride, conflicting passions, and an array of devious interlopers on their paths to true love.

My Thoughts:

Since so many of the Gods are always out to hurt Habaek it has always been hard in the past to keep up with everything. In the previous volume so much stuff was just laid out on the table and I feel that I’m owed an explanation at this point. Well this book did finally put together some pieces. Of course it had to introduce yet another new round of characters in order to do that. This time around the Emperor and one of his servants are introduced because they play a key part in the storyline involving Huye and Nabkin.

I loved learning about the backstory to Huye and Nakbin because I feel that it explains a lot of the reasons behind why these two characters do the things that they do. Plus the addition of the Emperor leads to even more interesting plot choices. He might just be the man behind the majority of what has been going on in the water god’s world. Of course Habaek has no idea what is going on, so much so that he has lost all memories of Soah, who really should be his one true bride. I’m certainly cheering for Soah to break through at this point, I believe she is so much better for him than this fake Nakbin.

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 8
Author: Mi-Kyung Yun
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: May 2011
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

My Thoughts:

This novel continued to focus on some of the other people besides the main couple. The plot keeps getting more and more tangled and complex as the story goes on. Soah has been stolen by the Emperor in order to draw the water god to his palace. Habaek takes this as a chance to introduce the world to his new bride…Nakbin. Of course it doesn’t help that Habaek has been drugged to not remember Soah but he is intrigued by her when he does manage to come across her at the palace. He might just be able to break through and remember his promise to Soah if he can get away from the evil Nakbin for a little while.

Overall, this manga is shaping up to be more than I ever imagined. There is a ton of plot lines going on now and I’m actually able to keep up with them even though the artwork tells the majority of the storyline. The art is fantastic and now the storyline is starting to match that. I can’t wait to find out if Habaek can get back his memories and remember that the Gods are playing tricks on him behind his back, he has to be strong enough to fight them off and pick is own path and his own bride. I for one hope to see a little more of those romantic moments between Soah and Mu/Habaek again because I do miss them.

Title: Red River Vol. 8
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: September 6th 2005

*Rated for older teens

Goodreads Summary:
Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer, and Yuri, a modern-day teen, were thrown together when Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen’s plan to murder them both–and their growing feelings for one another–keep getting in the way!

Ramses, the renowned Egyptian commander, helps Yuri find her way back to Hattusa, but on her return she finds tragedy has wracked the Hittite royal family. As a result of Nakia’s manipulations, Kail’s ascension to the throne is by no means guaranteed. Plus, someone has been impersonating Yuri in her absence and dragging down her reputation among the Hittites!

My Thoughts

I think every volume of this series has had some bloodshed and most of the time it is pretty sad. I hate to see good people (characters) die. Queen Nakia sure doesn’t make things easy for Yuri. As soon as things might seem to begin to be okay she doesn’t waste time and some other obstacle is thrown in front of Yuri and Kail. In this volume Yuri had just gone through a traumatic experience and even while in pain she is still thinking about the implications of the scenario she just witnessed and how it might effect Kail. She takes everything like a champ. I definitely would have been one big baby. Unfortunately as she tries to fix one thing more problems arise. Nothing is ever easy and on Yuri’s journey back to Kail she had to get the help of Ramses. I see trouble ahead when it comes to him and not the  same kind of trouble Queen Nakia brings.

Title: Red River Vol. 9
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: November 8th 2005

*Rated for older teens

Goodreads Summary:
Yuri fights to clear her good name by publicly confronting her impersonator. Rather than earning respect, however, she is exiled to a settlement of the sick and dying! Yuri sets out to change people’s minds, all the time hoping to be reunited with Kail. However, her heart is broken when she finds out that Kail has been hiding a terrible secret of his own. Does Kail deserve his bad reputation?

My Thoughts

Do you ever get surprised by something but think that after getting to know a character you really shouldn’ t have been surprised. Well, this volume brought that. I think Yuri went through the same process as myself. She went from being shocked to realizing maybe she shouldn’t be so shocked. She knew who Kail used to be and who he is now. Nothing should really surprise either of us. It was upsetting though. Yuri just had to deal with someone pretending to be her and ruining her name and then as soon as that is fixed this is sprung on her. It might just be possible that it isn’t Queen Nakia that is going to pull her and Kail apart. While still conflicted and constantly assaulted with problems Yuri continues to still try and keep going on. She continues to try and think about what is best for everyone and she does everything she can to help.

Title: Red River Vol. 10
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: September 6th 2005

*Rated for older teens

Goodreads Summary:
Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer, and Yuri, a modern-day teen, were thrown together when Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen’s plan to murder them both–and their growing feelings for one another–keep getting in the way!

Queen Nakia schemes to frame Yuri for the king’s murder, expecting that the Senate will order her execution. Her plan seems to be foiled when Nakia’s own son comes forth to claim that Yuri cannot be the assassin! In a last desperate attempt to do away with Yuri, Nakia uses her dark magic to take control of the situation. The Senate seems poised to do the queen’s dirty work, but as usual, Kail has other plans…

My Thoughts

Aww in this volume you get so see a little bit of romance between characters that are not Yuri or Kail. It wasn’t too much but it was still cute. Anyways… Usually it is one thing or another in this series but things are starting to pile up now. Multiple things at once are wreaking havoc on these characters. Nakia has so many plans up her sleeve and I never know what she will do next. I do know she won’t give up easy so all I can do is wait and read what she is up to. This volume really shows just how far she will go to get rid of Yuri and Kail so that her son may take the thrown, a son that has already made it clear he doesn’t wish to be king. I’m not sure how everyone is going to maneuver out of these situations but I am sure they will find a way. That is what I like so much about this series so far. Even when their best winds up short these group of character keep on pushing through. They try and try again to work towards the outcome they wish to see.

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 5
Author: Mi-Kyung Yun
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: Jan 2010
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

With a jealous admirer and a bitter, powerful mother plotting behind his back, Habaek’s controversial decision to return Soah to his magical kingdom has the elemental gods and goddesses in an uproar. Habaek, the moody water god who rescued Soah’s village from famine and drought, is also dealing with a curse that turns him into a child during the day and reverts him to his true adult form at night. While some of the inhabitants of his domain are friendly to his human bride – and some are a bit too friendly – Habaek has kept his curse secret from Soah, who’s become completely confused by all the attention and resentment her presence brings When night falls, Habaek pretends to be the aloof, handsome god, Mui, whose irresistible charisma and flirtations with Soah have her thinking that she’s about ready to cheat on her immature spouse. It may be about time for Habaek/Mui to come clean And who’s really responsible for the death of his previous human bride?

My Thoughts:

The plot certainly picks up in this book. Just when we thought that Mui and Soah might finally have reached a certain romantic connection a wrench gets thrown into that new found love. The wrench that gets thrown in is the addition of another bride. This bride seems harmless but Habaek quickly forms a bond with her because he thinks she looks exactly like Nakbin, his first human bride.

Basically the addition of the Nakbin look alike pushes Soah to seek the truth outside of the palace walls. She turns to Huye because he has promised to take care of her. The reader will get to learn some very interesting secrets about Huye in this book and I for one think I underestimated his character. He seems like a man on a mission and I just have to wonder exactly what he hopes to do in this series. Is he going against the water God or is he on his side. I think only time will tell how all of these new plot twists are going to work themselves out.

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 6
Author: Mi-Kyung Yun
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: Aug 2010
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

At the start of this series, Soah was willing to sacrifice her life to the feared god Habaek to save her drought-stricken village on Earth. However, she wasn’t killed by the powerful Water God – she was rescued and taken to the magical kingdom of Suguk. Once there, she met moody gods of the elements and a mysterious husband who took her as his bride – but then spurned her. While Habaek yearns to treat Soah as a proper husband would, he’s cursed to live in the form of a little boy during the day, only reverting to his true adult self at night. Trying to keep this strange secret from Soah, he hides behind the fake identity of “Mui” at night, when he competes with other unusual gods for her attention. Will this be the volume in which the Water God finally spills the truth to Soah – or will other conspiring, jealous gods succeed in driving a permanent wedge between him and his human bride? Cursed and pursued by an unknown, shape-shifting tormentor, Habaek is also led to believe that his previous human bride is still alive.

My Thoughts:

Well the story is certainly picking up with the addition of even more new characters. I think in a series like this it can become hard to pay attention because there are a lot of characters that jump in and out of this series. In this series we are introduced to another new character and then we go back to learn more about Mura and what her wishes and desires have been throughout her life. It was interesting to take a step back from Soah and Habaek and learn more about the other Gods and Goddesses in the story but also confusing at the same time. Plus with the addition of the new bride that looks like Nabkin it is hard to tell her and Soah apart, you really need to pay attention in this volume in order to have a chance of grasping everything that is going on.

I really did like learning all of the things we learned in this volume but it can become a bit confusing and just too much to take in, epescially since the story relies so much on the artwork instead of the character’s speaking about what is going on. The artwork is still as beautiful as ever but the story is a little confusing. I hope somethings get sorted out in the next volume so that things become more clear to the reader.

Title: Dawn of the Arcana Vol 1
Author: Rei Toma
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: Dec 2011
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

Princess Nakaba of Senan is forced to marry Prince Caesar of the enemy country Belquat, tantamount to becoming a hostage. While Caesar is pleasing to the eye, he is also selfish and possessive, telling Nakaba outright: “You are my property.” With only her attendant Loki at her side, Nakaba must find a way to cope with her hostile surroundings, her fake marriage…and a mysterious power!

My Thoughts:

 I really loved diving right into this manga story because I could tell right from the start I was going to like it. Think olden days where kingdoms ruled the world and two warring kingdoms could never have a chance in hell of getting along with one another. Now imagine those two kingdoms deciding that marriage would solve all of their problems and that the two places could find peace.

Well that is exactly what happens to Nakaba. She is the last true royal of her kingdom and she is an outcast since she has red hair. You see royal people only ever have black hair while all other hair colors are part of the working class. So Nakaba is an outcast from her Kingdom for being so different. Add in the fact that she is friends with her servant and well you have a plot line that becomes very interesting. Oh wait I completely forgot to mention her husband, the prince. He is one of those male manga characters that you can’t help but like because he puts up the front of being a jerk but yet he is kind to Nakaba whenever no one else is around.

Basically I grealy enjoyed the background plot and thought that the characters were very interesting and that they will have some great times together in the future volumes of this manga series.  

Title: Dawn of the Arcana Vol 2
Author: Rei Toma
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: Feb 2012
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

Princess Nakaba of Senan and Prince Caesar of Belquat only married each other for the sake of peace between their two warring countries, but things take a surprising turn when Caesar finds himself falling for his strange wife! Caesar tries to get Nakaba to return his feelings, but she maintains that he is her enemy and that she hates him. So when Nakaba has a vision of Caesar getting killed, will she say anything to save him?

My Thoughts:

 In this story the plot moves along in huge leaps and bounds. This was a good thing but also a lot to take in. In the first book I was use to getting to know more about the characters and their witty banter and behavior. In this volume I felt that the progression of the characters took a slight backseat to all of the plot elements. I would almost have to say that there might have been too many things going on with the plot in this volume.

Overall, I really did want to see more character progression, especially since I loved the characters from the moment I read the entire first volume. I’m glad that a plot is coming together but I hope to learn even more about all the great characters moving forward.

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 3
Authors: Mi-Kyung Yun
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: June 2009
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

Yun takes readers on another journey to Habaek’s kingdom, where the cursed Water God tries to hide his dark secrets from his new bride, in this novel that combines humor, drama, and a bit of horror.

My Thoughts:

I highly enjoyed that this volume was easy to understand just like volume two was. I love the characters now more than ever and I love that there are actual plot lines going on with the main characters and with secondary characters as well. I loved that there started to be this darker element to this volume that really explored what the Water God’s life has been like up to this point. However, I did have a problem with one plot element and that had to do with the actual bride, Soah, has to be sent back home. I’m sorry we just barely started to learn about the Water God’s Kingdom and now all of a sudden she gets sent back to her village!!! I want to see more of the palace of the Water God so this was disappointing to me.

Overall, this volume kept up great plot points, way more plot than ever before which is something I appreciate. It was like the author actually moved away from the focus just being on the beautiful art and actually moved forward with a story to go with the art. I have high hopes for volume four in this series because I feel that this manga could hold a lot of hope moving forward.

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 4
Authors: Mi-Kyung Yun
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: Oct 2009
Classification: Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

Gods and mortals alike are in love with Soah Driven from her husband Habaek’s magical kingdom, Soah’s life back on Earth has been pretty miserable so far, despite her many admirers. With Habaek’s mother and some of his supposed friends conspiring against him, will the cursed Water God finally come to his senses and rescue Soah? Dark Horse Manhwa’s engrossing and mysterious fantasy-romance series returns, and writer/artist Mi-Kyung Yun brings more of Habaek’s colorful peers to the forefront. Humor, drama, and a bit of horror combine in this story, as Soah tries to uncover the truth behind her strange husband’s curse and his previous wife’s early, brutal demise. Complicating everything, Habaek – her powerful, moody husband – must live in the form of a little boy during the day, returning to his true adult body at night.

My Thoughts:

 The beginning of this manga got confusing again. I now know who all of the character are and I understand how they are plotting against the water god but there was a weird dream section in here that I didn’t understand. The water god goes through some dreams and then for a little while it is hard to tell if the story is actually happening in present day or if it is all from the dreams of the water god. I really thought there would have been a better way to show the pieces of his past that we needed to see in order for the story to move forward.

Overall, once you get past the short dream section of the book the manga becomes pretty powerful once again. The plots are thickening and becoming so much more than they originally were. Plus I love the addition of the water god’s old bride, the one that is suppose to be dead as far as the reader currently knows. The story is certainly going to be very interesting form here on out if only the confusing pieces stay far away.

Title: Red Rive Vol. 6
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: May 10th 2005 (first published September 26th 1996)

Goodreads Summary:
Yuri, a modern-day teen, is trapped in the palace of an ancient Prince of Darkness! She waits there for Prince Kail, her savior and the only one who can send her back to modern-day Japan. While Yuri attends to the prisoners taken by the Dark Prince’s armies, hoping they can rise up and fight again, Prince Kail and his brother, Zannazana, journey into enemy territory. If they misstep, the consequences will be great-for both the future of the Hittite empire and Yuri and Kail’s relationship.

My Thoughts

Even captured Yuri doesn’t give up. She also doesn’t stop caring about other people. She may be separated from Kail but she still thinks of ways to escape and begins to devise a plan to still help Kail with the war right from where she is. The best thing about Yuri is even though she has a lot to deal with, you know with people always trying to kill her or harm her, she still worries about others. While captured she does her best to help the people even if she has to work hard to do it.  Yuri misses Kail but she stays strong and does all she can with what she has. She even starts to catch the eye of the Prince of Darkness, the guy that wants nothing more than to kill her to get back at Kail. I am getting sick of the fact that these guys just don’t know how to take no for an answer. I know it is a different time but damn. No means no. These guys are always really pushing it and I am glad it always ends before Yuri can really get hurt but I am just sick of them not taking no for an answer.

Title: Red Rive Vol. 6
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: July 13th 2005 (first published November 26th 1996)

Goodreads Summary:
Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer, and Yuri, a modern-day teen, were thrown together when Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen’s plan to murder them both–and their growing feelings for one another–keep getting in the way!

Nakia’s evil sister, Nadia, schemes to help Kail’s archenemy, the Prince of Darkness! As the North Star blazes in the sky, Kail and his forces struggle to reach Mittani in time to rescue Yuri from becoming one of the dark prince’s courtesans. Will they arrive in time to send Yuri back to modern-day Japan?

My Thoughts

 Prince Kail to the rescue… again. Although Yuri has been making progress she can’t save herself from everything but really who can? Kail is trying his best to get Yuri back home but to do that they both need to get to his home and that proves to be difficult. By this point it is really obvious that the two of them have deep feeling for the other but Kail wants to keep his promise and send her home and Yuri is very conflicted. She wants to stay with Kail but really misses home. She wants to see her family (I really wish I could see what was going on with them). It doesn’t help them that everyone else close to them wants them together either. Oh and in this one I got to “meet” the queens son, the prince that she wants all the other princes killed off for, and he wasn’t at all what I expected. I really liked him since he isn’t anything like Queen Nakia. Of course the queen is still up to no good and the end of this volume has me needing the next one really soon!

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 1
Authors: Mi-Kyung Yun
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: Nov 2007
Classification: YA Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

When Soahs impoverished village decides to sacrifice her to the Water God Habaek to end a long drought, they believe that drowning one beautiful girl will bring much-needed rain. Not only is Soah surprised to be rescued by the Water God, she never imagined she’d be a welcomed guest in Habaeks magical kingdom.

My Thoughts:

The first thing that anyone will notice about this manga is the stunning artwork. The artwork of this manga far surpasses any of the other mangas that I have read. It is easy to see that the art is the focal point in this manga. While the artwork is amazing it is not the only part of a manga novel. The actual storyline here was really hard to follow because the author doesn’t like to put many word bubbles into a scene because it would cover up the art!

Overall, the story is pretty choppy and difficult to follow at times. There are hardly any word bubbles in this volume and it makes it hard to understand what is going on. The plot finally started to come into play at the very end of this volume and I am interested in reading volume two even though the story was pretty confusing at first. Ultimately, this is a manga that you need to look/gaze at instead of read. The art tells the story here.

Title: Bride of the Water God Vol 2
Authors: Mi-Kyung Yun
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: Feb 2008
Classification: YA Manga Novel
Challenge: None

Summary from Goodreads:

Habaek, the mysterious Water God, is cursed to live his days in the form of a little boy-while he turns back to his true adult self at night. His new human bride, Soah, thinks that she’s been married to a child and has no idea that the attractive “Mui” is actually the adult Habaek. Surrounded by a cast of colorful elemental gods and their servants, Soah is tempted by flirtations from both “Mui” and the rascal Huye. When Tae-eul-jin-in spills Habaek’s surprising secret, Soah audaciously plots to uncover the truth for herself. She has to be careful, though, so she doesn’t anger the moody gods-including her powerful, new husband.

My Thoughts:

I’m happy to say that this volume is much more clear and easy to understand than the first volume was. In the first volume, it was all about the art being beautiful but in this volume the story actually moves forward. Not only does the story progress nicely but the word  bubbles that the characters are saying and thinking are much easier to understand. Things were confusing in the first volume but this one actually makes sense, I could actually understand what was going on. The art was in no way, shape, or form compromised here for the sake of the story. The artwork was just as beautiful as it was the first time around.

Overall, I have to say that I did really enjoy this. I finally got a hang of who each character was and the role they played in the story. I was able to better connect with the story, setting, and characters which makes it just so much more enjoyable than the first volume and the struggles that I had while reading it. Of course this volume leaves off on a huge cliffhanger so now I know that I will be continuing with this series so that I can see what happens!

Title: Red River Vol. 3
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: November 30th 2004 (first published November 1995)

Title: Red River Vol. 4
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: December 31st 2004 (first published March 1996)

Title: Red River Vol. 5
Authors: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: November 29th 2011

*Rated for older teens

Volume 3 Goodreads Summary: Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer, and Yuri, a modern-day teen, were thrown together when Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen’s plan to murder them both–and their growing feelings for one another–keep getting in the way!

My Thoughts

I have found that Manga is pretty addicting. You can read it quickly, everything happens really fast, and you have pretty pictures (most of the time) to look at. I really enjoy reading Red River even though some aspects of it kind of drive me nuts. I find my self quickly forgetting about it though and get caught up in other parts of the story. I think this series has 20+ volumes so I am going to review a couple together at a time. Since they are very short and fast to read I figure this way I will have more to talk about in my reviews for them.

In volume 3 Yuri is still growing and becoming more capable of taking care of herself. She still has to worry about Queen Nakia so she still has a long way to go before people are going to have to stop saving her though. You do get to see her save herself at least once or twice in this one so yay! progress. Kail even teaches her how to use a sword. People are also still being drawn to her and she has many people looking out for her.  In this volume I got to see that Yuri is going to be very important in these people’s lives. Also, Kail’s brother Zannanza is introduced and stirs things up for Yuri and Prince Kail.

Volume 4 brings a lot of blood and death. It also leaves a lot of responsibility for Yuri. A new character, Prince Mattiwaza (The Bloody Prince of Darkness), is reeking havoc on towns and it is up to Yuri to help the towns people and get word back to Kail. More responsibility and less helplessness happening here Kail is distant in this one but with good reason. He is a stubborn person. You can see they both care deeply for each other but Yuri belongs in another time and place and they both know that. They don’t want to kid themselves. So when Prince Kail has to leave for a long war he knows Yuri must stay so she doesn’t miss her opportunity to go home but Yuri refuses to be left behind. Luckily Kail isn’t as unselfish as he wishes he could be and he decides to take her but with the promise to get her back in time to send her back to Japan.

You get to see how smart Kail is when it comes to planning. You can’t go into war, especially if you plan to win a 3 year war in 10 months, without a strategy and although you don’t always know what Kail’s plan is he always seems to have one. In volume 5 you really get to see Prince Kail as a leader more. He really would make a great king someday. I loved that he hoped to win the war with as little bloodshed as possible. In this one you also get to see how Yuri and Kail work together as a team. Yuri also tries to show Kail how people show affection in her time. Kail says it doesn’t sound as fun lol but he still takes the time to listen to Yuri. As always Yuri faces a lot of problems and trouble but she does a wonderful job being strong and thinking of others. I really like learning more about Yuri and Prince Kail’s character. They are turning into really great people so far.