Manga Review – Berserk Vol 15 by Kentaro Miura (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Manga
Length: 240 pages
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga
Release Date: February 20, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-1593075774
Stand Alone or Series: 15th volume in the Berserk series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

“From his days as a young mercenary to his time as captain of the Band of the Hawks’ Raiders, Guts’s life has been defined by his ability to fight and his will to win. Now cursed with the Brand of Sacrifice — a sigil that will forever mark him as prey for the damned — and with his companions dead, his lover’s mind destroyed and his one-time commander and friend reborn as a malevolent demon lord, it seems that more than ever Guts must rely upon his instinct to survive. But Hell has many faces, and when what appears to be an innocent country village proves to be a den of tragic secrets, the horror of a fairy tale perverted by pain and hate may prove to be more than Guts can handle!”

This is the 15th volume in the Berserk series and continues the story arc started in volume 14. It was well done but the story moved slower than in previous volumes and this seemed to be something of a transition volume.

Guts is in a small town plagued by elves that attack in swarms and eat people. Only the elves aren’t really elves, they are some other sort of monster entirely. The you girl that we meet in the last volume, Jill, decides to accompany Guts into the Misty Valley after one of the elves appears to be one of Jill’s former friends. What follows is a lot of killing and violence on many fronts.

Illustration continues to be top notch. I enjoy watching Guts journeying across the countryside and hunting down demons. I did think that this story arc is dragging a bit; it started last volume and did not wrap up in this volume. I am sure it ties into the overall story somehow but we aren’t there yet.

Overall this was an excellent continuation of the Berserk series. I continue to enjoy the series and would recommend to mature readers who enjoy horror fantasy manga.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge
– Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge