Shaman Warrior, Volume 2

November 1, 2007
Gr 10 Up-Most of the manhwa translated into English have been comedic romances: sweetly ironic stories populated with pretty, wide-eyed girls and darkly mysterious love interests. With its mix of heart-pounding action and thin layers of political intrigue, this novel is different. Set in a desert wasteland of the primitive past, it focuses on Batu, a powerful shaman warrior capable of feats beyond the skills of normal men, who is entrusted to protect the son of a warrior-wizard hated by a jealous king for his power. Batu and his ward live in hiding until a second shaman warrior stumbles across their doorstep; hes on the run from a relentless militia. Batu must decide whether to remain in hiding or to join forces with his fellow shaman and take the fight directly to the enemy. The artwork is highly accomplished, particularly when conveying fight scenes built around complicated martial-arts choreography and vicious swordplay. The tightly composed visuals add to the frenetic pace of the plot and bring to mind the style of Kazuo Koikes manga classic Lone Wolf and Cub series (Dark Horse). "Warrior"s one failing is that its all action, with little below the surface. While there are hints of deeper stories down the line, this volume by itself wont have much appeal to readers looking for strong character development or complex plotlines."Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA"

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