I haven't done a Manga Mondays in a while. Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. I actually haven't been in the manga reading mood lately, but I hope to change that soon.


Description: Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!
  Kaname vows to sacrifice himself. Yuki vows to sacrifice herself to stop him. Zero takes a weapon in hand to protect what is dear to him. Whether parted for eternity or close enough to touch, they each will always desire their beloved.

Review: Volume 19 is the last book in the Vampire Knight manga series. There is a lot happening in this volume that I had to reread it twice in order to wrap my head around the shocking revelations. In the end I had mixed feelings about the book and the series as a whole, mainly because it went in a direction that I didn't agree with.
  Volume 18 has left our three main players going their separate ways. Kaname is done with being a pureblood vampire. Sick of what has become of his race, he has made a decision and is hell bent on sacrificing himself and allowing the vampires to be exterminated for good. He reveals his master plan and acknowledges that he was the one that set Zero's tragedy in motion leading up to this end, which shocks not only Yuki but also me as a reader. I've never liked Kaname though he had some few moments, but I never trusted his motivations and disliked him because of his cruelty.
  When Yuki hears of Kaname's suicide plan, she vows that she will stop at nothing to save him even if it will cost her own life. Yuki and Kaname have had a very weird relationship, hovering between sibling fealty and love and romantic love. I was never shipping for them, but I do understand why she feels responsible towards Kaname. Of course where there is Yuki, there is Zero who keeps getting flashes of his memory that Yuki tried to erase in the previous volumes and goes after her to save her life.
  The pacing of Volume 19 was off balance. The first half moved at a leisurely pace, allowing Kaname to unburden himself and come clean. The second half of the book, particularly the ending, is put on fast forward as we get one large revelations after the other without getting any time to process them. The solution to the love triangle is a cop-out in my opinion and doesn't really work. The alleged character growth of Kaname feels a bit forced and I honestly can't buy Zero's reactions after learning what Kaname did to his family. There is a epilogue that is a bit jumbled and it needs a few rereads to figure what happened in the future.
  Overall I enjoyed Vampire Knight as a manga series. Like any other series there are volumes that were really good and others that were a bit meh. I just wished that it ended on a strong note and not a weak one. I would recommend this series to readers who enjoy paranormal romances.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is a small sex scene, but not graphic. There is also strong violence. Recommended for teens and up.

If you like this book try: Millennium Snow series by Bisco Hatori, Black Bird series by Kanoko Sakurakouji

  It's Monday and time for Manga Mondays! Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. One of my favorite manga series, Vampire Knight, is going to be finished very soon with a total of 19 volumes in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed Volume 18 which sets up the finale quite nicely and I'm very curious to see how this series ends.

Description: Yuki and Zero team up to go after Kaname. Yuki and Kaname fight each other in the headquarters of the Hunter Society while Sara tries to control Zero through her blood. The female progenitor’s origin metal intervenes, and Yuki realizes there is only one way to stop Kaname

Review: Vampire Knight Volume 18 is the penultimate volume full of action sequences and surprising twists which sets up the events for the finale. The running theme of this volume is sacrifice. Each character must make a decision to lose something precious to them. 
  Yuki and Zero continue to chase Kaname down - trying to reach him before the purebloods seal his fate, however, the progenitor furnace is also reaching its critical mass - and with it, all chances the humans have to fight the vampire menace. Yuki will learn some hard truths about Kaname in this book before taking a drastic final act at the end. Will she align with Kaname or will she join Zero who she realized she can not live without?
  Unlike a lot of the previous volumes of this series, I had to reread this volume a couple of times because the pacing is at a break-neck speed and I thought I missed a few things in my first read. The Sara arc is finished quite nicely and I'm glad that it didn't extend into the next volume. I'm still confused as to why Kaname killed a certain pureblood and was disappointed to not see his reasoning in this volume. 
  This volume has a lot of full page visuals and too many close-up of characters. I love the emotional intensity between the characters which leap off the page when it is depicted in the wide panels. It is clear that Yuki is at a crossroads and neither paths she can take are easy. I can't wait to see how this series, particularly this love triangle ends.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence and some language. Recommended for teens and up.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Volume 19 by Matsuri Hino, Black Bird series by Kanoko Sakurakouji, Millennium Snow series by Bisco Hatori

   It's time for Manga Mondays! Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. One of my favorite manga series, Vampire Knight, seems to be coming to an end. After a few lackluster volumes lately, Volume 17 picks up on the pace, and racks up the suspense and tension!

Description: Kaname has returned to Cross Academy to kill Sara Shirabuki. Zero has joined forces with Sara, leaving Yuki in the middle of the conflict. Even if Kaname's ultimate goal is to kill all purebloods, is Yuki ready to fight him?

Review: The seventeenth volume of Vampire Knight is filled with so much nonstop action and emotions that I had to read it twice in order to grasp everything. There are a lot of twists that I didn't expect and the epic battle of Kaname and Zero draws incredibly close.
  Unlike the other volumes of Vampire Knight, this volume is told from multiple perspectives, giving us the different angles of the vampire ruler Kaname. Kaname is on the hunt to kill all pureblood vampires and his biggest target is Sara Shirabuki, a a female vampire who has slowly seduced many followers in order to gain protection from Kaname. She has even convinced Zero to feed from her in order to gain more strength so that he can fight Kaname in exchange for his protection. What Zero doesn't know until much later is that the cost of Sara's blood comes at a very high cost. Was his decision worth the price?
  Zero and Kaname have had an antagonistic relationship from the start. At first their hatred was based on the fact that they both loved Yuki then it morphed into a vampire hunter vs. vampire relationship once we found out Zero's backstory, but in this volume their hatred takes on a new level when we see how truly conniving and manipulative Kaname really is- as if he is the puppet master moving his marionettes in a disturbing fashion. I don't quite understand Kaname's nihilistic philosophy and his drive of wanting to kill all purebloods now. What happened to his goal of vampires and humans co-existing? What changed his mind?
 In addition to the building tension between Zero and Kaname, there also snippets of romance running through the novel. Some of which are unrequited that makes your heart ache for those involved while others are a creepy, obsessive kind. There are tender moments between Yuki and Zero which makes me very hopeful as a member of Team Zero and confident that Yuki will pick a side when the battle between Zero and Kaname begins. Overall this volume of Vampire Knight definitely makes up for the slow starting previous installments and it also ends on a horrible cliffhanger which I'll have to until May 2014 to see what happens. I haven't read any news but I suspect volume eighteen will be the last volume of the series.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence. Rated T for teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Volume 18 by Matsuri Hino, Black Bird series by Kanoko Sakurakouji, Millennium Snow series by Bisco Hatori

 Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. Vampire Knight is one of my favorite manga series. Getting each new volume of the manga is like watching a new episode of your favorite TV show. Hino has hinted that the series will come to a close soon. I have so many theories on how the story will end, some of which I like more than others. I'm excited to see how this popular series ends and whether or not a third season of the anime will be in works.

Description (from the back cover): The Night Class is back in session, but Yuki finds herself quickly becoming second fiddle to Sara Shirabuki. With Kaname gone, Yuki is now desperate for blood, so Zero offers hers his own. Will she break her promise to Kaname and drink from Zero?

Review: Full of action and teasers, Volume 16 of Vampire Knight moves the plot forward but leaves its readers with lots of questions. Kaname is still missing, but we have come to learn that he is on a mission to annihilate all pureblood vampires. The only question we have is: why? Why take this drastic step? What possibly could he achieve by killing other purebloods and what does this mean for Yuki now that she is one? From previous volumes, we have been accustomed to Kaname's strange, ambiguous plans. They are never straightforward as they seem.
  Meanwhile Yuki is having trouble in embracing her leadership role. While she has lost a popular election to Sara Shirabuki as class president, Yuki is appointed by Sara to do the busy work of overlooking the Night Class. Not only is Yuki trying her best to keep the Night Class under control, she is also struggling to make sense of her attraction to Zero. Though they both have claimed to cut ties with one another, it is evident that they both share strong feelings that they refuse to admit. The panels featuring Zero and Yuki alone are my favorite to read as their tension flies off the page.
  As much as I like trying to sort out the very tangled love triangle in this series, the person who stole the spotlight in this volume is Sara Shirabuki. Quiet, creepy, and extremely cunning Sara has managed to take control of both vampires and humans by creating tablets that are made using her blood. When vampires and humans take these "new and expertly" designed tablets, they become addicted to the blood and compelled by Sara to do what she wills. The only way to defeat these tablets is to come another pureblood vampire's blood. Like many other villains in the Vampire Knight series, Sara also has ulterior motives. She has convinced Zero to be on her side by whispering some of "Kaname's secrets." I'm anxiously awaiting the release of Volume 17 to see what Sara told Zero and what will happen if Kaname does return.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violent scenes in the book. Recommended for teens and up.


If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Volume 17 by Matsuri Hino, Black Bird series by Kanoko Sakurakouji, Millennium Snow series by Bisco Hatori

  Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. Vampire Knight is one of my favorite manga series. Getting each new volume of the manga is like watching a new episode of your favorite TV show. Unfortunately, the plot of the manga can be confusing at times, especially when the volumes have a long break between them and the publishers don't write a really good summary of the series as a recap for its readers.

Description: With Kaname missing, Yuki must now step in as acting head of her clan to maintain the fragile peace between the human and vampire societies. Will she be able to regain the trust of the vampire aristocrats, much less Aido?

Review: Volume 15 of Vampire Knight immediately picks up where volume 14 ended. Kaname has murdered two pureblood vampire aristocrats for mysterious reasons and now he is nowhere to be found. The Vampire Hunter society has arrested Yuki in hopes of finding out information about Kaname. Yuki, like the rest of us, has no idea what Kaname intends to do nor does she have any clue about his whereabouts.
I found this volume to be a bit confusing, but I did enjoy watching Yuki stand up on her own two feet. With Kaname absent, she now has to take the responsibility in leading the vampires, tame their frantic aristocrats, and reinstate the peace alliance between vampires, vampire hunters, and humans. Yuki struggles on how to lead her people. She is not a natural leader nor charismatic, but her compassion and her human experiences give her an edge. Unlike Kaname who has ruled with an iron fist, Yuki gives her followers an option and they almost always obey because they know she is right. As her first move as leader, Yuki wants to rebuild a school where Day and Night Classes once again take place. Though the idea of recreating a school may seem an odd move at first, it does reassure the vampires that an organized, structured framework can once again be placed.
  Hino once again teases the readers about the ambiguous relationship between Yuki and Zero, who were once best friends and had the potential to become much more. Though Zero claims to not want anything to do with Yuki, he is always found in her periphery. His hatred of vampires is tangible and understandable given his dark past. He is deteriorating quickly, which he can't hide from Yuki. Similarly, Yuki tries to hold on to her humanity and suppresses her urge to drink from humans in order to be a role model of how she would like her vampires to behave, but Zero knows how difficult it is for her.
  With the exception of the last few panels featuring Yuki and Zero, I was a bit disappointed with Hino's artwork. There was quite a lot of shading and quite a few panels broken within one another. It was a bit hard  trying to figure out what was happening. Also there were quite a few new characters mentioned in this volume that I'm pretty sure weren't there before and I'm really hoping their introduction would be made clearer in the next volume.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some violence and mild language. Recommended for teens and up.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Volume 16 by Matsuri Hino, Black Bird series by Kanoko Sakurakouji, Millennium Snow series by Bisco Hatori

 Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. Today I'll be reviewing the latest volume of Vampire Knight.

Description (from back of the book): The Vampire Hunter Society has imprisoned Aido in order to interrogate him about Kaname’s connection to Sara Shirabuki. Meanwhile, Yuki wants a fresh start with Kaname, but circumstances arise that may force them apart.

Review: Volume 14 continues with the dark, moody, and thought provoking overtones of the last volume. Throughout the story we are asked how we see our main cast of characters, especially the evasive and mysterious Kaname. Through Yuki's eyes, Kaname has always been a sympathetic and admirable character. As the higher echelon of pureblood vampires, he is most revered and feared. He has shown Yuki kindness and protection when she was younger while displaying snippets of his vulnerability. 
   Unlike Yuki's rose tinted version, I see Kaname as a walking contradiction. He seeks forgiveness, but punishes without a second thought. He provides Yuki options but only after he has manipulated the situation and even her memories. He would like Yuki to see him as her equal, but he always carries an air of self righteous that purposely places him above all others. I feel deceived by Kaname every time I think I should give him a chance. I don't understand his actions, especially when it comes to punishment because it seems so arbitrary especially in this volume. He takes action against those that are hardly a threat, but yet turns a blind eye to Sara Shirabuki and finding out who killed the pureblood that attended his soiree.
  Kaname isn't the only one evolving as a character. Aido, who is continually used as a comic relief, becomes much more serious in this volume. His loyalty to Kaname, even undergoing torture by the Vampire Hunter society, is unparallelled. His devotion, however, is strongly tested as this volume ends. I'm curious to see where Hino takes his character and I hope that he gets a storyline of his own. 
 In addition to Aido's new character growth, Sara Shirabuki is becoming a serious threat. Like the previous villain before her, she is also a pureblood vampire who is trying to form a race that will submit to her wishes. She uses her demure appearance to get close before she strikes. In a lot of ways, she and Kaname share a lot of similarities.
  Our heroine Yuki is still confused about everything that is happening. Her ties to Kaname, who is suspected to help enable the new pureblood threat, gets her arrested by the Vampire Society. Yuki's arrest can only mean more beautiful artwork demonstrating the agonizing tension with Zero. Speaking of Zero, I wish he had more presence in this volume. Though a man of a few words, we can easily identify his feelings written all over his face for Yuki though he adamantly says he doesn't have any. We also know that he is physically weakening due to his self imposed diet. I hope he has a bigger role in the next volume.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence, but most of it happens off the page. Rated T for teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Volume 15 by Matsuri Hino, Black Bird series by Kanoko Sakurakouji, Millennium Snow series by Bisco Hatori

  I have a great stash of books from the library this week. I can't wait to dive in! I was very excited when I found out Vampire Knight Vol 13 was ready for me at the library. I read the last volume quite some time ago and completely forgot the latest volume would be available this month.

Description (from back of the book): Yuki is attacked by another pureblood outside a graveyard for meddling in the ways of the vampire society. Injured, she returns home to Kaname, who shares with her his past memories and the truth behind the Kuran family. 

Review: The thirteenth volume of Vampire Knight is dark, moody, and surprisingly philosophical. As this volume opens, Yuki and Aido are caught in a bind. While Yuki continues her mission, she is attacked by a pureblood vampire. In Hino's world a pureblood vampire does not have any human blood in them, they are extremely powerful and have the ability to turn humans into vampires. Zero, who is visiting a nearby cemetery senses that Yuki is trouble. Aido, who trusts Zero's common decency and his feelings about Yuki, allows Yuki to be taken to Hunter headquarters for aid in spite of his personal discomfort. The romantic tension between Zero and Yuki is palpable and leaps off the page as these characters silently make eye contact.
  Miserable and realizing that she's overreached herself, Yuki requests Kaname's help and is whisked back home. The volume finally picks up speed as Kaname opens his memories to Yuki. The revelations, much of what the reader already knows from small tidbits leading up to this volume, are finally clarified. I enjoyed learning more about Kaname, especially as to how he lived his life before he became a powerful vampire leader. We are also shown how and why the vampire hunters originated, which was very cool. For Yuki, all of these new revelations once again turns everything she thought she knew on it's head. I'm curious as to how her relationship with Kaname will change after finding out this new information.
 Unlike Yuki, Aido isn't very lucky in his escape. He is hold against his will by Zero. Aido is actually a decent guy who has a cocky exterior. He seems to respect Zero and actually warned him about the possible presence of Shizuka at Cross Academy instead of coveting the information. Aido clearly sees that Zero still cares for Yuki and even tries to get Zero to start a dialogue with Yuki again. What scares me is that Zero knows that Aido has done nothing wrong but he also knows that the society now has a young but relatively high ranking vampire in confinement who can be tortured for information. Will we see Zero finally crossing the line towards evil? Will he become the monster that he sees in Kaname? I'm worried about him and I really hope not.
  Though Yuki may be resetting her life and relationships once again, I'm more concerned with the dark turn the male characters have gone. I also wonder why Kaname has finally opened up to Yuki. From previous volumes, we know that he doesn't do something without a plan in place. What that plan will be is what I'm highly anticipating in discovering in the future volumes. 


Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and violence. Rated OT for older teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 14 by Matsuri Hino, Blackbird series by Kanoko Sakurakoji, Black Butler by Yana Tobo

  After finishing the shaky Absolute Boyfriend series, it was nice to get back to one my favorites series, Vampire Knight which is currently on Volume 12 in the U.S. I get so sucked into this series that it's hard to wait for the next volume to come out, which should be this fall.

Description: After a year apart, Yuki and Zero meet again. They lock eyes, but they turn away from each other, becoming strangers. Yori wanders around the ballroom, and Sara Shirabuki, a pureblood vampire,  finds and talks to her. She tries to lure Yori away, but is stopped by Zero. Yuki quickly tries to make amends, while Sara asks Yuki if she wants to be her friend. Kaname arranges for Yuki to meet privately with Yori and Zero, but Zero declines. At the party, Sara Shirabuki's Pureblood fiance, Ouri, goes missing, as well as a vampire hunter. A scent of blood suddenly fills the air, and Yuki goes to investigate while Kain finds the remains of the dead Pureblood hidden underneath a tablecloth. Yuki finds Zero and Kaien investigating the body of the dead hunter, who committed suicide after becoming a vampire. Is it really a suicide or is someone murdering vampires and vampire hunters?

Review: Volume 12 is setting up for a new story arc. We potentially have a new villain and there is already strains in many of the relationships in this series, particularly our main love triangle with Yuki, Kaname, and Zero, but also the other vampires that swear allegiance to Kaname are thinking twice about their loyalty. While there might not be as much action in this installment, there is definitely high tension and everyone seems to be on edge.
   Yuki and Zero, who have always been in each other's company, now can't stand to be in the same room together. Both are unhappy with their current status quo, but there is nothing they can do about what fate has given them. Kaname has continued to keep a tight grasp on Yuki's freedom, only allowing  her to go as long she receives permission from him. I've always been Team Zero since I started this series. While I don't necessarily hate Kaname, I seem to dislike him more and more.
  Unlike the other volumes in this series, the main focus of this volume is Yuki. I've always liked Yuki. She was a strong willed, determined, and always caring. Putting others needs ahead of her own. Once again, she is now faced to make a decision as to how she will define the rest of her life and shape it with purpose.You will never find Yuki on the sideline waiting for someone else to help solve her problems for her instead she will be the first in line to tackle the issue herself.
  What I continually find interesting in the last few volumes of Vampire Knight is the budding relationship between Aido and Yuki. I don't necessarily sense a romantic interest in Aido, but I do get a sense that they are friends and that he respects Yuki. It'll be interesting on how their relationship will continue and possibly change. Although there is not really a cliffhanger ending in this volume, we are left with some interesting tidbits about Kaname as well as hints for those who want to see some background for Yuki's foster father Kaien Cross.  This volume definitely feels like the calm before the storm of the next whirlwind of events which will undoubtedly hit Yuki, Zero, and the former Night Class. It's only a matter of time.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some violence. Rated T for Teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 13 by Matsuri Hino (Fall 2011), Black Butler series by Yana Toboso, God Child by Kaori Yuki

  Of one the bad (or good depending on how you look at it) things about reading a manga series that you love is that you fly through the volumes and then have to wait for months in the next installment. I feverishly finished Vampire Knight Vol 11 because I had to know what happened after the two previous and tumultuous volumes. Now I have to wait until late June or early July to read Vol 12.

Description: The secret about the Night Class at Cross Academy is out and now has been abolished. Humans are now aware of their surroundings and Cross's goal of living peacefully amongst humans and vampires is now more important than ever. While Yuki has withdrawn from her past life and tries to adjust to her new lifestyle with the help of Kaname, Zero still attends the Day Class and carries out his duties as a vampire hunter. With their lives changed forever, can they embrace the changes?

Review:  Volume 11 takes place one year after the world altering events in the last two volumes. Though this latest installment has less action and violence, we get more of a story and possibly a new story arc. Volume 11 focuses on the aftermath the battle for Cross Academy on those who were affected. Yuki is learning to adjust to her new lifestyle with the help of Kaname and his companions. She learns a little bit of Kaname's bloody past and admits to her torn loyalties to Zero. I've always liked Yuki. Her compassion and willingness to love is very admirable. I also love that she never hides what she is feeling and is very open about her feelings. While there is angst in this manga, I don't find myself screaming at the characters to admit their mistakes or to speak up.
    While Yuki learns to look inward to help her move on, Zero is trying to turn off his emotions. We can clearly see that he is desperately trying to recover from the heartbreaking events in the last two volumes. Like the loner that he is, he lives in solitude. He tries to channels his emotions of anger, hurt, and pain and use them when he works as a vampire hunter.
  Unlike Yuki and Zero, Kaname is also learning to deal with the consequences of his actions. He slowly reveals what he has done in order to protect Yuki. Kaname, in my opinion, is the most mysterious character in Vampire Knight. He is very secretive and we don't know much about his past. He is a man of power and prestige though we can't but note his loneliness and his fear to show his true self.
  Besides these three main characters, we also get a glimpse at what the secondary characters are doing. Aidou is trying to balance his duties to Kaname and along with his new assignment of helping Yuki. Rima and Shiki are worried about the disappearance of Ichijo and go on an independent search to find him. Both Rima and Shiki are questioning their loyalties to Kaname who seems to not care about anyone besides Yuki. To matters more interesting, a new villain seems to emerge which brings a whole slew of questions that need to be answered. Though Volume 11 is a transition volume, it does seem to set the stage up for the next direction in this manga and I'm more than willing to follow. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some violence in the book. Rated T for Teen.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 12 by Matsuri Hino, Vampire Kisses manga series by Ellen Schreiber and Rem, Evernight series by Claudia Gray, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith

  After finishing Volume 9 of Vampire Knight, I couldn't wait to dive in to Volume 10. Volume 10 is world shaking. Everything that was so nicely set up in the past installments have suddenly crashed and burned. I have no idea how things are going to settle and I'm anxious to find out.

Description: While Rido is gone, the battle rages on at Cross Academy. The Night Class is still under attack by Rido's followers. Headmaster Cross has joined the war to protect his students. Zero has finally taken a stand to get rid of all the Purebloods even if it means he will endear heart break forever.

Review:  Volume 10 of Vampire Knight begins with the end of the epic battle for Cross Academy, with the main group being led by Kain and Ruka, Kaname's friends and members of the Nigh Class, securing the perimeter. Fellow Night Class member, Aido actually earning his nickname "Idol" by defending the girl's dorm against anything that got through. We also see a disturbing flash of what has transpired with Ichijo. Despite the action in the volume, the main focus is on the two love triangles of the series.
   Yuki has realized what her true destiny and knows that she has lost the only life she has ever known. She demands to have a final conversation with Zero. The intense goodbye between Yuki and Zero had me teary eyed. It is gut wrenching and one of the most emotional chapter of the entire series so far. The chapter also contains a moment between Zero and Yuki that I have been waiting for so long. Finally feelings are revealed. There is nothing left to uncover.
  We also finally get confirmation of a hinted romance involving Kain, which has been lightly hinted at thus far in the series.Kain is probably my favorite secondary character. He doesn't have a bravado like his cousin Aido and has always been laid-back and brought wry humor to the story. His romance hasn't really gotten the spotlight our our main love triangle yet nonetheless it is sad to watch. The chapter dedicated to him is something that I wanted for quite some time. Kain suffers silently though he does speak out loud when things get unbearable for him, which makes me respect and like him even more. Volume 10 of Vampire Knight leaves the series, its characters, and even the reader at a crossroad, wondering which way the story will go.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is violence and same language in this volume. Rated T for teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 11 by Matsuri Hino, Vampire Kisses manga series by Ellen Schreiber and Rem, Evernight series by Claudia Gray, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith

  I don't know much about the manga or graphic novel genre, which is why I tend to take more liberties in my selection of what to read. I either solicit recommendations from other librarians, friends, and/or teens that I work with. Vampire Knight is a very popular series in many libraries. It also has two anime series based on the manga called Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight Guilty, both of which I've watched, loved, and thought was a faithful adaptation to the manga. I started the manga series last year and read up to Vol 8. I was thrilled to get the next few volumes and am anxiously waiting for the Vol 12 to come out next month.


Review: Vampire Knight is mostly a character driven manga. The beginning volumes of the series focuses on building the relationships between the main characters. The first five books in particular, follows and focuses on the back story of Zero, my favorite character of this series. When we first meet Zero, he is distant and moody. He is cloaked in mystery and as we learn about his tragic beginning we began to realize what he is: a tortured hero who is destined to never find happiness. Zero finds his stability and humanity in Yuki, a happy go lucky girl who always wants to see her friends happy and who craves yet is afraid of her desires for the powerful pure blood vampire Kaname. Kaname is a shady character whose motives I can not clearly understand. At times he can be sincere and at other times to be a calculating politician. Moving key pieces as if he's playing a game of chess with people's lives. It is the interaction and romantic tension between these three characters that keep me on the edge of my seat.
   Beginning in the sixth volume of the series, the Yuki story arc begins. She no longer wants to be ignorant of her past. There are strong forces preventing her to know the truth and all roads somehow lead to Kaname. Once Yuki's past comes to light, everything is in jeopardy. The academy, once a safe haven built with the notion that humans and vampires can live symbiotically, is now crumbling as a new strong villain comes to town. Loyalties and relationships are given the ultimate test. Volume 9 starts with a bang and is nonstop action throughout the volume. Kaname finally reveals his hidden plan to Zero, and Zero must choose on which side he will fight.
 Unlike the previous installments of this series, the secondary characters play a bigger role as they fight in a battle that is only to get worse. I was really surprised to see Yuki's adopted father, who is generally portrayed more a child than a serious adult, take charge. There are lots of great character moments as each of them try to make sense around the chaos that surrounds them. New questions are raised as Yuki re-examines her relationships with Kaname and Zero and as the Cross Academy comes under fire. My only small complaint about this series is that some of the secondary characters are drawn a lot alike and it's at times hard for me to distinguish who is who. After watching the anime, while waiting to get the other copies of the series from the library, I was able to jump that hurdle.
 Vampire Knight is an addictive manga series. If you are like me and wondering how you are going to pass the time until the next season of Vampire Diaries, be sure to pick this series up. You will not be disappointed!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and violence. Rated T for Teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 10 by Matsuri Hino, Vampire Kisses manga series by Ellen Schreiber and Rem, Evernight series by Claudia Gray, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith