Manga Review – The Bride’s Story Vol 2 by Kaoru Mori (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction/Manga/Seinen
Length: 192 pages
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: October 25, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0316194464
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in The Bride’s Story series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Acclaimed creator Kaoru Mori’s tale of life on the nineteenth-century Silk Road continues as the young bride, Amir Halgal, struggles to remain with her new groom despite the wishes of her family, who would see her wed another. Will Amir be able to preserve the bonds she has cultivated in her
new home?”
Series Info/Source: This is the second book in A Bride’s Story. I bought this.
Story (4/5): This was another well done installment in this seinen manga series. This is again very much a look into Amir and Karluk’s day to day life. There is some drama when Amir’s family comes to retrieve her to marry her off to a different clan. Karluk really steps up, along with his family, to protect Amir. I loved some of the history here and the cultural discussion about embroidery and cloth, it was really interesting. I do wish there was a bit more propelling the story forward
Characters (4/5): Amir and Karluk continue to get to know each other and have a very brother/sister like relationship. Amir is fitting in with her new family better each day and they are fiercely protective of her. Karluk really grows some in this volume and takes his duty as a protector very seriously. I love all the characters in here, for the most part they are very kind to each other which is nice.
Setting (4/5): I continue to enjoy the historical setting and enjoy learning about the history and culture. There is a lot of history about embroidery and cloth which was intriguing.
Writing/Drawing Style (5/5): This story is beautifully drawn and a pleasure to read. I really love all the detail put into the clothing and backgrounds. They are well written and easy to follow. I do wish there was a bit more story to these, rather than them just being kind of “a day in the life of”.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this volume. I do wish there was a bit more propelling the story forward, but I do still enjoy this look into the culture and life of this time. The characters are well done and the drawing is absolutely beautiful. I would recommend these to those who are interested in a day-to-day look at this time in history.
