by Kyoko Hikawa
Synopsis (from the back of the book)On her way home from school one day, Noriko is unexpectedly plunged into a strange and extraordinary fantasy world. Her troubles compound exponentially when she is rescued and befriended by a handsome young man by the name of Izark.
He may be brave and courageous, but inside Izark lurks the darkest evil imaginable. And according to an ancient prophecy, Noriko possesses the power to unleash that evil. Now, inexorably bound together, these two unlikely allies must navigate a world both wondrous and hostile.
Review
"Oh, god," I was thinking when I read the synopsis. I picked it up finally, after several passes in the bookstore. Usually stories that begin this way are predictable, and I figured I'd give the first volume a try, just to see.
I was pleasantly surprised. It does have the girl-transported-to-another-world premise – which has been done to death – but at least the heroine, Noriko, isn't annoying, selfish, or whiny. In fact, while she does feel sorry for herself at first, she quickly picks herself up, and throws herself into the strange situation she's been thrust into. She's determined not to be a burden, and she tries her best to learn the language quickly. I have to say that I admire that, and to have a heroine be so decisive is refreshing.
The hero, Izark, is typically reticent and abrupt, but he does do the right thing by saving Noriko from pursuers in the beginning, and after some hesitation, he takes care of her since she is so obviously lost. It's clear that he doesn't really want to, and calls her "the awakening," someone that many others are searching for. He seems to have special abilities, and his own problems though we don't know what they are yet, and his character seems likely to be developed over the course of the series.
As for the story, many threads are being laid down at this point, and will likely lead somewhere, though we are as confused as Noriko is at this point. One thing I didn't expect was how politics-heavy it would be. Many different countries and people are introduced, and they all have their own agendas with each other and the awakening.
One thing that I found interesting about the book was how Noriko didn't understand their language and vice-versa. It's definitely more realistic this way, and keeps her in the dark about what's really going on, and who she is. I have to comment that the mangaka did try to make it easy for the audience to understand which language is being spoken, which I appreciate.
The final chapter leaves us with a cliffhanger, as most books do.
Final thought: I have to get the next book!
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