Rating: 3/5
Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First things first, I actually read this in single issues rather than the collected volume. That shouldn't make a difference for the most part, but it included letters and a couple extras that may not appear in the collected book.
I'm not sure why, but this story just did not grab my attention. It follows a young woman named Maika Halfwolf who has been captured in the midst of a war between humans and a race known as Arcanics. These creatures are able to wield magic and typically look like anthropomorphized animals. Maika has the advantage of looking human, although she is missing an arm.
Maika herself didn't really interest me. She has amnesia or a very selective memory. Her internal conflict felt superficial at times. Something is possessing her and she takes strength from it as she comes to term with that relationship, which may have been the best part of the story for me. Their interactions towards the end of the arc are wonderful. The reactions of the other characters to her seemed odd at times too.
For all that, the story is really well done. There is complexity here that can be lacking in other books of this type. And the art captures the world beautifully. The characters are done well enough, but I think it is the set pieces that really bring it life. Some of the illustrations reminded me of an anime, but not in an over the top way. They are blended into the rest of the book perfectly.
Based on the end of the book, I could see myself picking up the next part of the story at some point. It just took getting through the first two thirds to get there.
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