Manga Review: The King’s Beast Vol. 2-7 by Rei Toma

Title: The King’s Beast Vol. 2-7
Author: Rei Toma
Genre: YA Manga / Fantasy / Romance
Publication Date: May 4th, 2021 – August 2nd, 2022
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Ajin boys who show signs of special abilities are conscripted to serve in the imperial palace as beast-servants—status symbols and shields for their royal masters, to be kept or discarded on a whim. When they were children, Rangetsu’s twin brother Sogetsu was ripped from her arms and sent to the palace to attend Prince Tenyou as a beast-servant, where he quickly fell victim to bloody dynastic intrigues. Now in a world that promises only bitterness, Rangetsu’s one hope at avenging her brother is to disguise herself as a man and find a way into the palace!
Rangetsu knows she must keep a low profile in the palace if she’s to have any hope of tracking down her brother’s killer. But when an Ajin is wrongly accused of murder, can Rangetsu stand idly by knowing that Prince Tenyou has the power to prevent another horrible injustice?” (Goodreads)

This series just gets better and better!

I’m glad that my library had them all to borrow because I binged them all in one day, haha.

Rangetsu and Prince Tenyou are definitely great characters and I love how their development is going. It also has a great trope of secret identity which makes for some jaw dropping moments! One in particular wasn’t my favorite though because it had to do with taking advantage of someone which kind of just felt icky.

The solving of the murder has been slow going, but I understand why. It is very complex and Rangetsu must get to know the other princes since they are all suspects. Each of the princes are very different and so are their beast servants. She can get under their skin easily but I also think she makes them better in some ways as well since her view of the world is very different. She is committed to seeing her kind be treated differently and she won’t stop until it happens.

Their has been hints of romance with Tenyou being more forward. I wouldn’t say there is a love triangle but you can tell that one of the other princes wants more from Rangetsu. It adds a lot of jealousy!

Overall, this has been great so far. I love the illustrations and the development of the characters. There have been some major cliffhangers going on so I am looking forward to seeing where it all goes.

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Manga Review: The King’s Beast Vol. 1 by Rei Toma

Title: The King’s Beast Vol. 1
Author: Rei Toma
Genre: YA Manga / Fantasy
Publication Date: September 26th, 2019
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

“Ajin boys who show signs of special abilities are conscripted to serve in the imperial palace as beast-servants—status symbols and shields for their royal masters, to be kept or discarded on a whim. When they were children, Rangetsu’s twin brother Sogetsu was ripped from her arms and sent to the palace to attend Prince Tenyou as a beast-servant, where he quickly fell victim to bloody dynastic intrigues. Now in a world that promises only bitterness, Rangetsu’s one hope at avenging her brother is to disguise herself as a man and find a way into the palace!
Prince Tenyou is not what Rangetsu expected, and the political currents in the palace run deep and strange. Does Rangetsu have any chance of finding justice for her brother, or will she become just another Ajin casualty in the game of kings? (Goodreads)

I’m pretty sure I have had this one on my shelf since it came out. I am finally now just getting around to it, lol. Oopsie!

After finishing her other manga series that is set in this same world, I’m so happy she has made more about the Ajin because they are my favorite.

This first volume is a bit slow but I like what has been offered so far when it comes to the two main characters Rangetsu and Prince Tenyou. I love a woman in disguise and I can tell that Rangetsu will be a favorite character of mine. You can kind of tell there will be romance eventually and I am here for it.

The plot has so far been set around a murder and politics. I am very curious on where it will go. It has started off a bit slow but I am willing to give it all a chance since it is the first volume.

Overall, it was good and I can’t wait to continue.

Manga Review: Dawn of the Arcana Vol.4-13 by Rei Toma

Title: Dawn of the Arcana Vol.4-13
Author: Rei Toma
Genre: Manga / YA Fantasy / Romance
Publication Date: September 2nd, 2014
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb from first volume so no spoilers!

“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!” (Goodreads)

So I have decided to change up how I review mangas by reviewing the first volume for initial thoughts and then reviewing the series as a whole once I have finished it. I do have reviews for the first three volumes which can be found here, here, and here!

Overall, I enjoyed this series. There were a few volumes that were good, but for the most part I loved each one.

One of my favorite parts of this series is seeing the growth from the characters, especially Nakaba and Caesar. They developed so much individually as well as together. They will definitely be one of my favorite couples because even when things get hard and they must make choices that can put a wedge between them, they still hold on to hope and the realization that they love one another.

Nakaba’s development does remind me a lot of Yona from the manga series Yona of the Dawn. Nakaba must learn to fight to protect those around her as well as learn what it means to play political games. She carries a lot of weight on her shoulders but at least she has people who care and want what is best for her even if she struggles with decisions. She is also always wanting everyone to get along, especially with those that are seen as worthless and no good. She fights for them and does not stop.

Caesar has a whole transformation and I thank Nakaba for it. He didn’t understand the struggles of those under him especially when it came to the ajin. He learned that those who he thinks are different are still human and should be treated like one.

Loki was another big player in this manga and I’m still not sure how I completely feel about him. The last few mangas had him in questionable light and the plot twists surrounding him were quite surprising!

Again, I loved this one! The political games, the romance, and the characters were all great and I can see myself coming back to this series.

Manga Review: Dawn of the Arcana Vol. 3 by Rei Toma

Title: Dawn of the Arcana Vol. 3
Author: Rei Toma
Genre: YA Manga / Fantasy / Romance
Publication Date: April 3rd 2012
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“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?” (Goodreads)

Every time I read a volume from this series it never feels like enough and then I’m having to wait for the next one from the library! I just need to read them now!

Things are heating up between Caesar and Nakaba. I love seeing where their relationship grows and I wish Nakaba would jump on it. He cares so much for her and it shows through his actions. He wants to make her happy and even go against what he thinks to do it. I just love him so much!

Loki is one character I am hesitant about. He has known her since birth so it would be weird if they got into a relationship together. I’m not sure how he truly feels but or what his whole agenda is but he definitely knows how to use a sword! He can protect me any day of the week.

A new character has enter in as well and he knows of Nakaba’s secret. I am very curious what he wants exactly and how it will all play out with war looming over them.

Overall, I loved it. Things are getting intense when it comes to relationships and war. I am here for it all!

Manga Review: Dawn of the Arcana Vol. 2 by Rei Toma

Title: Dawn of the Arcana Vol. 2
Author: Rei Toma
Genre: YA Manga / Fantasy
Publication Date: February 7th, 2012
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“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?” (Goodreads)

The love triangle continues and I am here for it!

Now, I don’t know how Nakaba feels about Loki when it comes to being more than friends. He has been there for her since the beginning and I can understand why she feels the sense of loyalty she has to him. I do think he likes her more.

When it comes to Caesar, he is a precious cinnamon roll and I love him. In the first volume I was unsure but he has now shown his softer side and its everything. He sticks up for her, even when his life is in danger from two sides (but it could just be one. The mystery! The suspense!). I hope I get to read a lot more about him.

Nakaba is being pulled in two directions and I can see why she is having a hard time with it. She is definitely going to have to make hard decisions and hopefully she picks the direction I want, haha.

Overall, this was a great volume! I’m excited to see where the romance goes and because of politics, the plot is packed with suspense and danger.

Manga Review: Dawn of the Arcana Vol. 1 by Rei Toma

Title: Dawn of the Arcana Vol. 1
Author: Rei Toma
Genre: YA Manga / Fantasy / Romance
Publication Date: December 6th, 2011
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC

“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!” (Goodreads)

I found out about this one from a manga I saw on Netgalley that was set in this world and it made me very curious. So, off to my library’s overdrive I went! Luckily they had it and here we are.

I didn’t realize that this author was the same who wrote The Water Dragon’s Bride. I read about half of that series and decided it wasn’t for me. Knowing that, I was a little cautious about starting this one but honestly, it blew me away.

If you know me, I love love triangles and brothers. This manga as both. 😍

The main character, Nakaba, is very strong and a lot of that has to do with being bullied her whole life because of the color of her hair. She definitely isn’t afraid to throw a punch, haha. There is a bit more about her background that is mentioned and it’s just as sad.

Her attendant Loki is an interesting guy. He has dog-like ears and is called an Ajin. They are skilled and he is also quite loyal. It’s too soon to tell if I want him with Nakaba or not.

The prince, Caesar, is a dillweed but I already have a soft spot growing for him. Bring me the damaged goods! I feel like on the inside he is a soft cinnamon roll and I do hope that Nakaba gives him a chance.

The setting is medieval era and I quite like it. There is jousting, not-so-great kings, and war.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to seeing where it goes!

Manga Mini Reviews #6

Hello Lovely Readers!

Here is a review for The Water Dragon’s Bride Vol. 1-6.

I am putting reviews together since I binged them all in one day, ha. I will add the synopsis for the first one.

Title: The Water Dragon’s Bride Vol. 1-6
Author: Rei Toma
Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance
Publication Date: April 4th, 2017 – July 3rd, 2018

“A modern-day girl gets whisked away to a strange land where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god!

In the blink of an eye, a modern-day girl named Asahi is whisked away from her warm and happy home and stranded in a strange and mysterious world where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god! What plans are in store for her, and what will happen when she comes face to face with this god?

A young boy named Subaru comes to Asahi’s aid, but despite his help, Asahi must endure a test of survival! Will she be able to make it out alive, or will she end up being sacrificed?” (Goodreads)

I liked the idea of this manga. I fell in love with the title because who doesn’t want to be engaged to a water dragon? Sign me up! The thing is, it started out as an average read and each volume after that was the same. I think I only rated one higher than the others.

My favorite character is obviously the water dragon god. He doesn’t actually do much because he really doesn’t care about humans but I feel like he has a softer side. This side does come out every once and awhile but he is sneaky!

Subaru has been the protector for Asahi since she somehow landed into this mysterious world. I get that he will do anything for her but I guess I’m into the guys who don’t care much. Who am I?

There are other gods and goddesses which I would like more from. I would also like more from the plot as well and better plot twists.

I finished reading all the ones my library has so if I want to continue the series I will have to purchase them. I’m still not sure if I like it enough to buy the next. Eh, only time will tell.

Rating: 3 stars each (one four star)
Continue?: Maybe

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