Red River: Vol. 13

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Yuri, a teen of the twenty-first century, has been transported to ancient Anatolia as part of a scheme by the evil Nakia, Queen of the Hitties. Only the intervention of Nakia's stepson, Prince Kail, saved Yuri from the Queen bloodthirsty intentions. As an unintended consequence, the people of the kingdoms of Anatolia are now convinced that Yuri is the incarnation of the great war-goddess Ishtar.

Yuri finds a way for her and the Hittite army to take the castle city of Beykal without bloodshed. In the course of this conquest she also gains a powerful new ally. Nakia, however, plans to thwart Yuri's eventual return to Japan by building a temple over the spring from which Yuri sprang! Responding to this new threat to his beloved Ishtar, Kail makes a decision that not only brings a fresh challenge from Egypt but may cost him his life!

Review
Things really come to a head in this volume. Yuri wants to go home, of course, so we get never ending scenes of angst, and her saying how much she wants to go home, but she loves Kail, but she wants to go home, but she still loves Kail, and -- oh, she misses her family so much, but she'll never forget Kail! Bleh, spare me. I keep complaining that she won't decide, but I guess she has -- she chooses to go home. It's really the childish choice. When people grow up, it's natural to grow apart from your family, and create your own life, and your own family. But whatever. I can't wait for her to get back to Japan and have a boring, boring life. School, work, marrying a man you don't love. Ha. What's also utterly ridiculous is Hadi, her servant, makes a comment about how Yuri has to decide, not her friends, and not Nakia. Keep that comment in mind.

So now Nakia has a new dastardly plan to keep Yuri there. She's going to destroy the spring where Yuri first arrived in Hattusa. Although, I fail to see why if Kail sends Yuri back, why Nakia can't just re-summon her. But I think too much. Seriously, if there's really a reason why it must be Yuri who is the sacrifice, why doesn't the author tell us? As it is, it just seems like a case of not following the Evil Overlord's Handbook.

I should mention that Yuri actually was clever in her capacity to conquer the towns of Arzawa, by posing with the sisters and Ilbani as traveling musicians, with her as the dancer. I don't know how well this would work as a tactic, but it is pretty ingenious. Too bad she's not this clever all the time.

Also, it looks like Ramses may have killed Kail. Or, if you know history, you know he doesn't. So much for that suspense. Yuri doesn't know, but through that magic of stories, she can tell because the headband he gave her broke. I wonder if she'll still choose to go home or will she rush to his side?

Final thought: I'll keep criticizing.

Red River: Vol. 12

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Yuri, a teen of the 21st century, has been transported to ancient Anatolia as part of a scheme by the evil Nakia, Queen of the Hitties. Only the intervention of Nakia's stepson, Prince Kail, saved Yuri from the Queen bloodthirsty intentions. As an unintended consequence, the people of the kingdoms of Anatolia are now convinced that Yuri is the incarnation of the great war-goddess Ishtar.

Kail's forces are triumphant in Alinna. Back in Hattusa, the victorious prince is declared the new king of the Hittites, even as Yuri uncovers a web of subterfuge woven by Queen Nakia that threatens the entire Hittite empire. Making matters worse, the neighboring nations of Arzawa and Ugarit have launched a two-pronged attack that compels the Hittites to field two countering forces -- one led by Kail, the other by Yuri!

Review
So it seems like any implication of Nakia in the last king's murder that was introduced in the last volume has been completely forgotten. Surprise, surprise. She's also apparently behind spying in the palace, and probably the two countries that are attacking at the same time. Something really needs to be done about her, but it won't be. As for her lackey, Urhi, they'd almost captured him, but he committed suicide by diving into a fast moving river. Except, that he didn't die, as we find out later. Yeah, right.

Most importantly, Kail is now the king. I wasn't surprised, though, history played out that way, so he had to become king. Be careful reading history books, though, you might get spoiled.

They still talk about Yuri going back to Japan. I am so sick of hearing about it. Every time I see it, it's like a knife being stabbed into my stomach, because it's so annoying and fake. Why can't they be together? How would this have changed the story?

Finally, I have to mention the reason this volume is the first to be rated with "explicit content." When I first read this book, I thought, "Finally!" ...no. I won't go into detail, but it's kinda weird, sad, and frustrating at the same time. I honestly cannot understand Yuri's reaction. I mean, I don't condone Kail's actions, but I felt like I empathized with him more. It must get frustrating to be rejected all the time. And I don't know about anyone else, but I was certainly not so frigid when I was 17. I guess it goes back to the classic "women have no sex drive" cliche. This series teases way too much.

Final thought: I dread the upcoming books.

Red River: Vol. 11

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Yuri, a teen of the twenty-first century, has been transported to ancient Anatolia as part of a scheme by the evil Nakia, Queen of the Hitties. Only the intervention of Nakia's stepson, Prince Kail, saved Yuri from the Queen bloodthirsty intentions. As an unintended consequence, the people of the kingdoms of Anatolia are now convinced that Yuri is the incarnation of the great war-goddess Ishtar.

But even a goddess has no immunity from persecution when she's falsely accused of the murder of the Hittite king. Forced to flee to Alinna, Yuri must deal with treachery, abduction by the Egyptian military commander Ramses, and someone's tragic self-sacrifice. And in the midst of all this turmoil, Yuri's potent feelings for Prince Kail, ever fraught with uncertainty, are shaken to their very foundations!

Review
This was actually a very good, very sad volume. Yuri runs away, in an attempt to escape Nakia's forces surrounding Alinna, and stupidly gets kidnapped by Ramses. This distracts Kail, who now runs after Yuri to rescue her. While all this distraction is going on, Ursula, the false-Ishtar-turned-maid, decides that she believes in the dream of a peaceful empire enough to sacrifice her own life for it. When she confesses, she also implicates Nakia, but I guess we'll see if anything comes of that. When she was executed, even I admit that I felt sad.

But also, Yuri is kidnapped. Again. And almost raped. Again. And she needs to be rescued. By Kail. Again. This is getting a bit predictable and tiresome. The kidnapping thing is stupid enough, but it'd be nice if she could rescue herself for once. I think it was set up this way so that Ursula could turn herself in without Kail or Yuri knowing, and most likely, stopping her. But what a ridiculous way to distract the characters. Couldn't the author have thought of something other than the kidnapping trope?

Also, Nakia sacrificed Urhi to save herself, but this volume ends on that cliffhanger, so we'll have to wait and see what becomes of that. I suspect it's not that easy, though.

Final thought: I'll rip apart some more.

Red River: Vol. 10

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer and Yuri, a modern-day teen, where thrown together when evil Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen's plan to murder them both -- and their growing feelings for one another -- keep getting in the way!

Yuri fights to clear her good name by publicly confronting her impersonator. Rather than earning respect, however, she is exiled to a settlement of the sick and dying! Yuri sets out to change people's minds, all the time hoping to be reunited with Kail. However, her heart is broken when she finds out that Kail has been hiding a terrible secret of his own. Does Kail deserve his bad reputation?

Review
Oops on reusing that synopsis, but that's what's on the back of my book. Maybe it's a first edition problem.

Well, the drama continues. The gist of this volume is that the new king, Arnuwanda, is murdered, and Yuri is accused as the murderer. Of course, we know who the real murderer is, Urhi, ordered by Nakia, but the problem with those two is how to prove it. It was explained that the queen was controlling Guzel, the princess who claimed to have Kail's son, as a way to distract Kail from her real plan: to poison the king. Unfortunately for her, Juda came along with Yuri as she tried to warn the king about the poison. Now here, it gets interesting, as Kail figures out that the queen was using Guzel, and he squeezes her, which brings the black water out of her. Of course, you'd think that the council members would see this, and realize that someone was controlling her, but somehow, it doesn't end up that way. They still seem incredulous that magic could be at work, which is utterly ridiculous, because it seems like common knowledge that members of the royal family can use magic. What could have clinched it though, is proving that Juda is being controlled by her, but funnily enough, she won't allow that. Even after it's been established that no one is above the law. This murder mystery is really interesting, and should have exposed Nakia, but the author isn't ready for that, so it doesn't.

Another matter that really bothers me is why, why are the characters always responding to Nakia? Why do they never go on the offensive? It's like those shows we watched as kids, where the bad guys would think up an evil plan, and the good guys would always have to go thwart him/her. I know this series has a lot of anachronistic behavior, but why do we have to include perfectly good here? It's too simplistic. In history, kings and people in the way were always murdered, even by the good guys. Personally, I really like and respect Queen Elizabeth I, who was an excellent queen. But even she had to murder people who were threats to her power. That's how she secured her power base. Every ruler does that.

I suppose my real problem is that I know too much about history, perhaps even more than the author does. Simple ideas of good and evil don't cut it with me anymore, because the world isn't really like that. Even Yuri says several times that she doesn't like sitting around when she could be doing something. Well, she should take the initiative and figure out how to remove Nakia from power, if she's too cowardly to actually kill her. God, and with this talk of "what a great queen she'd make," don't make me sick. It's pathetic that I can out think her, with just a little bit of logic. Anyone with half a brain would make a better queen than her.

Final thought: I'm crazy, let's rip apart some more!

You're probably wondering why I subject myself to this. Well, it's because I already did, over a year ago when I read these books. I used to think they were great, until I started thinking about them, instead of just devouring them. Rereading them has only solidified my opinion: they're good, but not that good. Besides, aren't rants more interesting than reviews of good things?

Red River: Vol. 9

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer and Yuri, a modern-day teen, where thrown together when evil Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen's plan to murder them both -- and their growing feelings for one another -- keep getting in the way!

Yuri fights to clear her good name by publicly confronting her impersonator. Rather than earning respect, however, she is exiled to a settlement of the sick and dying! Yuri sets out to change people's minds, all the time hoping to be reunited with Kail. However, her heart is broken when she finds out that Kail has been hiding a terrible secret of his own. Does Kail deserve his bad reputation?

Review
Like the synopsis says, Yuri confronts the false Ishtar (without evidence) and is thrown into the valley, where poor people with the seven day fever go to die. Yuri's never had this disease, and thinks she'll die from it, but rather than run away, she escapes and returns to help the people there. She never gets sick, and the people all end up worshiping her. Well, Yuri's idiotic actions in a roundabout way turned out for good. Seriously, why does she always have to run off and do her own thing? And why does it always have to turn out ok? She should experience some real consequences for once.

And again, people keep commenting on what a wonderful queen she would make. If only she would stay! But no, the characters still talk about her going home. Why won't someone just decide already? The two are practically killing themselves by denying their feelings, and yet they refuse to talk about them! It's psychotic. It's annoying for the reader. And to top it off, the author dares to throw a teasing scene at us, but still nothing happens! This is beyond artificial, this is bad writing. There's no logical reason for the characters to behave this way, nor can I even think of what in the story requires them to not be together. Nonsensical.

So after the false Ishtar thing, Kail is named the crown prince. Big surprise there. Then, a woman from his past shows up, and she's had his son! Oh noes! There's just always something going on, isn't there? It's not the events that bother me, though, it's that I've realized that this series has no pacing. It jumps from arc to arc, conflict to conflict, with no "downtime" in between. It's as if the characters (and the audience) have no time to breathe before being thrown into another whirlwind adventure. In other stories, there should be time to contemplate things before the next conflict occurs, it's just good storytelling.

I noticed this when I wondered to myself where the five minutes that Kail and Yuri could use to talk about their relationship was. Then I realized that there's plenty of time, like before they go to bed, that they could use but never do because Shinohara never shows those parts. Why? Some of the best character development happens during the slow moments. And now I have to wonder, where is the character development anyway? The story goes by so fast, I didn't have time to notice the lack of it. Yuri's been shown to be (usually) strong and competent, but she was always that way, she just didn't notice until she was put to the test. Kail has never developed, really. He's just always been perfect, since book one. That's really too bad.

Regardless, it's interesting to read, and fun to pick apart, so I shall keep doing so.

Final thought: I'll keep reading.

Red River: Vol. 8

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer and Yuri, a modern-day teen, where thrown together when evil Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen's plan to murder them both -- and their growing feelings for one another -- keep getting in the way!

Ramses, the renowned Egyptian commander, helps Yuri find her way back to Hattusa, but on her return, she finds tragedy has wracked the Hittite royal family. As a result of Nakia's manipulations, Kail's ascension to the throne is by no means guaranteed. Plus, someone has been impersonating Yuri in her absence and dragging down her reputation among the Hittites!

Review
This is still a fascinating story, especially this volume, which didn't have much in the way of "romance." First, Yuri finds her way back from the massacre, just in time to avert a war between Egypt and the Hittite empire. However, just when Yuri proved that it was not the Egyptians who attacked them, the other "sole survivor" was murdered by Nakia's lackey, Urhi, conveniently. Now, I really have to seriously start questioning things. Why does no one ever see through the queen? Even if they don't, this incident should have opened up a lot of questions, but in the story, it was just brushed aside. This is highly unlikely. If someone had set up "hit men" to murder a prince, they surely would have investigated everyone possibly involved to the fullest. Especially since it's been established that the Hittite empire is extremely just, and no one is above the law. And who possibly had the motive and the ability? The queen. But no, it doesn't happen the logical way, and Nakia lives to create more conflict for the main characters.

Also in the volume, Ramses is introduced, aka Ramses the Great. While this is fascinating, it's also about twenty years too early, according to history. He wasn't even alive at this point in time. Clearly, the author has done her research, why would she mess this up? Or did she just add him in to create more conflict? Anyway, he soon develops a crush on Yuri, who spurns him, but he doesn't take no for an answer. He also recognizes her potential greatness as a queen.

So then, a plague hits Hattusa, killing the king, and the crown prince becomes king. There is a fight over who will be the next crown prince, as the natural choice is Kail, but Nakia wants her son to be named. It seems to me that there shouldn't be a fight at all, as Juda is too young, and no one would agree to a child being crown prince when there are better, older, choices.

Finally, Nakia steals the "house of rest" idea, and sets some up during the plague to improve her reputation, and by extension, her son's. She is also behind a false Ishtar, who is out to ruin Ishtar's reputation, and by extension, Kail's. It seems really weird to me, this false Ishtar thing. I feel like there should be some easy way to counteract it, like Kail coming out and publicly disavowing her as Ishtar and his concubine. But no, Yuri has to deal with it herself, for some reason.

One thing I did find rather nice, was how Kail was hinting to Yuri that he might be jealous of Ramses giving her gifts, and he also brings up the time she spent with the Prince of Darkness. But instead of freaking out, she maturely shows him the clay tablet with a heart drawn on it that he gave her. She showed him that unlike the prince's black stone that she wears on a necklace in plain view, she keeps her most important treasures where no one can see. It was nice not to have the characters freak out over something unimportant.

Final thought: I'll keep reading.

Red River: Vol. 7

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer and Yuri, a modern-day teen, where thrown together when evil Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen's plan to murder them both -- and their growing feelings for one another -- keep getting in the way!

Nakia's evil sister, Nadia, schemes to help Kail's archenemy, the Prince of Darkness! As the North Star blazes in the sky, Kail and his forces struggle to reach Mittani in time to rescue Yuri from becoming one of the dark prince's courtesans. Will they arrive in time to send Yuri back to modern-day Japan?

Review
A lot happens in this volume. The Prince of Darkness arc gets wrapped up, and immediately we get thrown into another. My prediction was correct, the prince does get interrupted right when he's about to rape Yuri. But as far as the story goes, this arc get resolved rather quickly, meaning the end of the Mitanni empire.

Ok, about Yuri going home. It gets sabotaged. Ilbani, Kail's advisor, has decided that it would be better if Yuri would stay. He's probably right, but it's too bad that other people have to decide for the main characters. So now Yuri's stuck there for another year, oh darn. Should I go out on a limb and guess that Yuri's never going to go home? There's 28 books, I highly doubt they're about her and her life in Japan.

Later, when the characters are back in Hattusa, Yuri complains (to herself) that Kail is out of her reach, but how can she give him up after she has to stay with him for another year? Meanwhile, Kail gets the advice to love her and make her forget about her own country. It seems to me like the characters just need to talk to each other for five minutes, and their weird internal conflicts would get resolved. But no, we get interrupted by the next story arc.

Tutankhamen has died, so his wife needs a husband, and they've asked for one of the princes of the Hittite empire. A lot of fighting and conflicting happens over who to send, of course Nakia wants to send Kail (which I personally think would work against her, personally), her son Juda, who's a really nice boy considering his mother, wants to go, and so forth. After a chariot race to decide, it ends up being Zannanza who goes. So, being a good sport, he goes, and Yuri goes with him (why? Probably to witness the next events). Unfortunately, he is assassinated, and only Yuri is left alive. What most fascinating about all this, is that these events really did happen in history. I was about to praise the author for not pulling punches, except that if she wanted to follow history, Zannanza had to die.

Still, the story is a good read, and Hittite history is very interesting.

Final thought: I'll read the next book.

Red River: Vol. 6

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Yuri, a modern-day teen, is trapped in the palace of an ancient Prince of Darkness! She waits there for Prince Kail, her savior and the only one who can send her back to modern-day Japan. While Yuri attends to the prisoners taken by the Dark Prince's armies, hoping they can rise up and fight again, Prince Kail and his brother Zannanza, journey into enemy territory. If they misstep, the consequences will be great -- for both the future of the Hittite empire and Yuri and Kail's relationship!


Review
Once again, Yuri shows some remarkable strength of character in this volume. She tends to the prisoners of war, and those who've been injured and are taken to the infamous "house of rest," where people go when sick, but eventually die. She improves the conditions, so it's more like a hospital. I really respect this aspect of her character, and if it weren't for her being such a ditz when it comes to love, I'd like her a lot more.

Kail continues his remarkably fast campaigns, all in an effort to get Yuri home. Although it's not shown very well, a lot of time passes in this volume, at least five months are spent in the Prince of Darkness's seraglio, and another four after being captured by him, thus bringing us to almost a year since Yuri was brought to Hattusa. Somehow, Kail and Yuri still love each other, yet they continue to speak of her going back to Japan. Even other people are beginning to comment on what a perfect queen Yuri would make, and suggest that Kail should keep Yuri rather than sending her home, but he falls back on the excuse of his promise, rather than reanalyzing the situation and making the logical choice. And, if it were me, I'd be thinking: why would I want to go back home anyway? At home, everything is boring and I'm unimportant. I'd rather stay where I am treated like a goddess, have anything I want, and am loved by a good man. But, you know, I'm pragmatic and logical. I'm not an author trying to artificially prolong my story, and contriving to keep conflicts going so that the story happens on my schedule, not at its natural pacing.

Later in the story the Prince of Darkness is holed up in a stronghold trying to stave off the inevitable. For some reason, he decided to take Yuri with him, despite not having any interest in her these past months. And of course, he only decides to make his move on her right at the point in the story where he has a chance at being interrupted, instead of three months before. It's too bad that the "conflict" has to be so transparent. I still wonder why Yuri's virginity is so damn important. Is it just to create more conflict, without the risk of anything bad happening to Yuri? At that point, it becomes cheap, and the audience figures out that nothing will happen anyway.

The story is still interesting, and the Prince of Darkness has been developed a bit, explaining why he's such a misogynist, even if it is a hasty generalization.

Final thought: I'll keep reading.

Red River: Vol. 5

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Ancient Hittite royal Prince Kail and modern teen Yuri continue to battle to save Kail's kingdom and to be with one another! The two journey to the city of Malatia to prepare for battle with the enemies armies. Yuri plots to foil the plans of the Prince of Darkness. If her attempt fails and she becomes a prisoner of the evil prince, she may have to surrender her relationship with Kail -- and her way back to modern-day Japan!

Review
The story is interesting at least, although sometimes I wish the characters were smarter. The war with the Mittani continues as Kail and the Prince of Darkness keep trying to outsmart each other.

As a romance, though, it's mediocre. Though I wouldn't have said that the first time I read it, simply because I didn't know better and have knowledge of future events. Yuri keeps trying to avoid Kail's advances, because she's not ready, which is fine, except she doesn't have the courage to tell him that. Did it not occur to her that if she did, he'd stop chasing her? I have problems with this because later on in this book, she's very strong and says what's on her mind to an enemy, so why not Kail?

So then, foolishly chasing the MacGuffin-ish Dragon's Eye (which controls people's minds) Yuri gets captured by the Mitanni. What's strange about the Dragon's Eye is it disappears and is never heard about again. Ever. After this and that, the Prince of Darkness finds her and puts her in his seraglio (harem), thereby showing the Mitanni that Ishtar supports them now, and to send a message to Kail. Of course, Yuri is horrified by this, as she's worried that if Kail thinks the Prince of Darkness has slept with her, he won't want her anymore. It seems obvious to me how ridiculous this is. What, no man has ever accepted his lover back after she's been raped? Really, now. And if he doesn't, doesn't that tell you what kind of loser he is? But fortunately for Yuri's purity, the Prince of Darkness has no interest in her sexually. How convenient.

One part that I did like was how Yuri won her life back. The Prince of Darkness was going to kill her, but she won a bet with him, by escaping from the pit and the lion where she was going to be killed. It's fascinating to watch, and makes you think that maybe she really is a goddess. She then acts calm and confident when she asks for better treatment for slaves, rather than to leave. I really like strong characters like this, but I wonder why she can't be this way all the time? What's the difference in being confident with the Prince of Darkness or Kail? It's weird, to say the least.

Final thought: I'll read the next volume.

Red River: Vol. 4

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Battle between the ancient empires of Hattusa and Mittani rages on, but Yuri is pulled away by Zannanza, Prince Kail's half-brother and his competitor for Yuri's affections. Kail, seeing evidence of another man's passion for Yuri, recoils with jealousy and refuses to let her back into the fray.

However, twenty-first century teen Yuri is thought to be good luck on the battlefield, and Kail relents, allowing Yuri to fight alongside him for the kingdom of Hattusa. Knowing that the time will come when he must send Yuri back to her own time, Kail struggles with his inner desire to keep her with him forever....

Review
This is a less interesting volume, as lot happens, mostly resolving Yuri's kidnapping, and beginning another campaign with the Mitanni. For a historical fiction, it does progress rather logically, and presumably, the author had to contrive events in her story to match with history.

I noticed something right at the end here: Kail creates a ploy to take over one city by cleverness, rather than by fighting. It won't be more developed until the next book though, but I do hope they continue this trend of being on the offensive rather than defensive.

As for the characters, we have a lot of whining about Yuri going back to Japan, so neither character wants to express or even feel their feelings for each other. Get used to this, it comes up a lot. Obviously, this creates a lot of artificial conflict between the two characters, keeping them from getting close too quickly, and -- god forbid! -- sleeping together too soon! As usual, this book teases us some more.

Final thought: I'll read the next book.

Red River: Vol. 3

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Yuri, a twentieth-century teen trapped in an ancient Hittite empire, learns the secrets of the Iron Age as her quest to return to her own time continues. Her protector, the dashing Prince Kail, finds out that war with a neighboring kingdom is emminent. At the dawn of war, Yuri and Kail express their growning feelings for one another. The romantic adventure intensifies as Yuri's relationship with Prince Kail (and her chastity) is threatened by an unexpected interloper -- the prince's own half brother!


Review
This is really a bridge book. One arc ends, while another begins. Yuri finally wins over Tito's murderer, as unlikely as that is, with her weapon of choice -- an iron dagger. One must remember that these people are still in the bronze age, so iron was not understood very well. This further cements her in people's minds, because only the goddess would have picked a worthless-looking, rusty dagger. Wait a sec, if it was rusty, doesn't that mean that it's brittle and weak? I mean, I'm no chemist, but I thought rust was bad for swords. And the way she did it -- breaking bricks with that sword. Absolutely ridiculous. But anyway, now she's a hero, and Tito's family: his three sisters and father, promise to give their secret of iron-making only to her.

So there's an upcoming war with the Mitanni, and the Hittite King orders iron weapons to be made. Sure, this sounds nice, like they'll have a definite victory, but Yuri never tries to use this power to ensure her or Kail's position. It's called being proactive, and they could have used the leverage here, oh well.

Finally, Kail's half-brother, Zannanza shows up, and takes an instant liking to Yuri. Of course, the queen uses this to her advantage and controls his mind so that he'll kidnap her and "have his way with her." I'm just surprised, as always, that the characters are never as vigilant as they could be. I figured the whole water trick would be common knowledge by now, but no.

Anyway, as a volume, I thought this one was weak. The climax of the last arc should have been more exciting, but I thought it was anti-climatic. The start of the next arc is so-so so far, so I guess we'll see.

Final thought: I'll keep collecting this series.

Red River: Vol. 2

by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis
Yuri is a normal twentieth-century teen trapped in an ancient Middle-Eastern empire. In this volume, Yuri and Prince Kail return to the queen's palace to rescue Tito, but the queen will not let them in. Later, Tito's whereabouts are made shockingly clear. Yuri tries to get back to twentieth-century Japan, but the queen uses her magic to stop the attempt. Kail, in turn, fights back against the queen using his own magic. Will Yuri succeed in going home?

Review
Well, more irritation abounds. Yuri wanted to go home, but let herself be distracted by the queen's attackers at the crucial moment. Apparently she felt angry at Tito's murderer, which I understand, but she cares more about that than going home? Yeah, whatever. And of course, this was the last time they could try for a year, so darn, she just stuck there now. Also, the queen is obsessed with sacrificing Yuri now. Anyone who's read the Evil Overlord's Handbook should know that if anyone will do as the sacrifice, you shouldn't waste your time on one particular person. She should have just asked for another sacrifice, then sacrificed them, and yay -- her plans would have worked out. You'd think the author contrived things to work out this way, instead of having her characters act logically. The question is why? Could she not think of anything better? Sigh.

Regardless, I'm still entranced by this series, and I can't stop reading it. Yuri is now going to be known as Yuri Ishtar, her goddess name, as most think of her as a goddess after this point. (In fact, when they mentioned her Japanese last name in the first volume, I paused for a second.) It's a ploy, but well done, and I can only hope it serves them well in the future. She lives up to her name as the goddess of war, by turning the tide in an important battle, without really intending to. Of course, this is contrived, too, but at least it makes sense in terms of the story. Unfortunately, Tito's sisters, who misunderstand what happened to their brother, take their revenge, and kill Yuri. That is not a spoiler -- it can't be, there's 26 more books to go. Of course she's not dead. So it leaves us at another cliffhanger.

Kail and Yuri are starting to get a little bit closer at this point, but still not that much. Yuri is debating whether she likes him because he saved her or because of who he is. I do have to credit the author for making me think Kail was a playboy, when really, it's all a ruse to explain why he hasn't married anyone yet. Apparently, he might be King at some point, and his (future) wife would be a very powerful woman, so he'd better make the best choice he can, lest she be an evil woman like the current queen. The idea that he'd love only his wife, though, and not take any concubines... I'm not sure I buy that as it sounds too much like modern sentimentality. I don't doubt that a man could love only one woman, but to not have concubines when it was expected of you? Unlikely, especially back then.

Final thought: This series is interesting enough to obsessively collect continue.

Red River: Vol. 1

(aka Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori, Heaven is Nearby the Red River)
by Chie Shinohara

Synopsis (from the back of the book)
Yuri, a pretty Japanese girl, is ecstatic after passing her college entrance exam and having her first kiss with her childhood friend-turned boyfriend. However, her luck soon changes. She starts to notice that water becomes agitated whenever she goes near it. One night, hands appear out of a puddle on the street and drag her into the water! Transported to an ancient village in the Middle East, she is then capture by armed troops and taken to the Queen's Palace for a human sacrifice. Adventure and good-looking boys fill this great first volume!

Disclaimer
I have read more than one volume of this series, in fact, I have all 23 (of 28) that have been released to date. You should not take this as a ringing endorsement of the series, as I believe it has serious flaws. Even so, it is captivating enough to continue reading. As such, it is hard to focus solely on the first book, as I have knowledge of future events, which impact what little information the first book gives you. I shall attempt to do my best. Also, the series crams a lot of events into its books, so it's very difficult to judge the series by the first book.

Review
I found this series rather randomly. I was looking at some pictures of anime and manga online, and I came across a picture from this series (though they called it Anatolia Story, which is not the true title). The artwork is very gorgeous, and it attracted me to it immediately. After much struggle finding the first book (they didn't want to have volume one in stock, for some reason) I was not let down. Again, it is a girl-transported-to-another-world premise. I understand why the author did this, but it doesn't excuse that fact.

Anyhow, once Yuri is transported to Hattusa of the Hittite Empire, things really pick up. She becomes the concubine (in name only) of third prince Kail, who protects her from the queen who wants to sacrifice her so she can put her son on the throne. All this time, however, she's really only thinking of getting back home, and does anything to forward that goal, even if it means she's impetuous or impulsive. Of course, this gets her, or other people, into trouble. This is rather unfortunate, as I can't relate to a character like that at all, although I do admit that there is one point in the book where she has great strength of character, and says some pretty impressive things, a foreshadowing of her character if you will.

The events are tight and fast-paced, in fact, little time is given to introspection, a flaw that becomes apparent later in the series. Still, it's a very exciting book, it just sucks you in, and even I admit that after I read the first book, I tried to get as many as possible, and read through them just as quickly. I can't say why, but this series is so engrossing. I don't know if it's the historical events, or suspense, or just a desire to see what happens next.

I should say that this book and the series can be quite erotic at times, something which I'm not sorry about at all. I do like it, but perhaps I'd advise you not to get too focused on it, or expect too much of it. Then perhaps you won't be disappointed like I was, because this series likes to tease.

Final thought: I have to get the next book!