Description: SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - Gr 9 Up -In theaftermath of a terrible war, tension still exists between the humans and theanimal-hybrids, Arcanics. Surviving Arcanics are sold as slaves by theFederation of Man and even experimented on by the Cumaea, powerful humanwitch-nuns who mine the precious life-giving Lilium produced from the bodies ofcaptured Arcanics. Maika Halfwolf, a 17-year-old Arcanic, survived the war butat a devastating cost. Looking for revenge, she allows herself to be sold as aslave to infiltrate the Cumaean stronghold in Zamora. Once there, she uses hernewly developed, terrible power to escape, free the captured Arcanics, andbrutally attack the witch-nuns. She also steals a fragment of an ancient andpowerful mask and murders a Cumaean elder who knows secrets from Maika's past.On the run from the Cumaea, the humans, and her own people, Maika must rely onherself and very few allies if she is to discover the secret of why her motherwas murdered and, more important, who she is and what awful power she possesses.Collecting the first five issues of the popular comic, this is a beautifullywritten and complex book. Intricate and detailed, with a definite mangainfluence, Takeda's artwork creates a lush and dangerous world for Liu's equallydangerous characters. The work is infused with feminist themes; almost all ofthe characters are strong-and deadly-women. VERDICT Intended for matureaudiences owing to the violence and nudity and filled with rage and barelycontained fury, this is a book that will be wildly embraced by all fans ofgraphic literature.-Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX

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