Saturday, January 3, 2015

Stones of Power by Azumi Isora

There is a strange little shop that is a cafe but also sells bracelets.  Fujita stumbles into it almost by accident because he's picking up a piece of jewelry for his sister.  He's got an interest in tropical fish and is impressed with the type of fish they have and how large they are.  He gives them a short course in how they reproduce and how to protect them from the heat.  They give him a job.

Diamond Book Distributors and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so check with your local bookstore (or comic store) for a copy.

I don't read a lot of Japanese manga, but this story line caught my eye.  A fight between good and evil, magic power stones, and shapeshifters sounded good.  It is good but it's very mystical.  A lot of the story must be assumed, it's not clear exactly what is going on.  The artwork is fabulous and that helps a lot in the story telling.

Power stones are magic.  They can help or hurt.  If you use them in the wrong way, they can be dangerous.  One family has used theirs for personal gains and the stone has become large and evil.  Can the dreams Fujita is having help him fight this power?  Are the cafe/bracelet owners magical?  Does all this mysticism prove to be practical?  Take a walk through Japanese myth with magical illustrations and see...

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