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Showing posts with the label Shonen

Last Man: The Show (Book 4)

Image from  fantasticfiction.com “Marianne Velba and - Adrian track the mysterious fighter Richard Aldana into another universe to arrive in Paxtown, an illustrious modern megalopolis, where something sinister lurks behind the glitz and glam. There, mother and son enlist as a team in the Fighting Fists Funeral Cup, that world’s famous boxing tournament, in order to discover the ugly secrets lurking in Richard’s past. Marianne and Adrian soon realize, however, that they are not the only travelers from the Valley of Kings with a stake in the Funeral Cup…” - From the Publisher Although the quality is excellent, I cannot recommend this series for purchase by a school library because of thematic elements that might invite challenge - profanity, sexual content, sexual violence, nudity, drug consumption, and organized crime. Albeit these topics are tastefully navigated and are neither glorified nor condoned by the narrative, their prominence escalates as the series progresses. T...

Last Man: The chase (Book 3)

Image from  amazon.com "When Richard Aldana disappears with the newly won Royal Cup, young Adrian is shocked-- and only further surprised when his mother, Marianne, is determined to pursue Aldana on an incredible vehicle she had hidden away: a motorcycle! Their chase leads them to a mysterious rift. Beyond that lies a strange world, where the greatest threat comes from those who uphold the law. Arrested as criminals by a gang of unruly enforcers, Marianne and Adrian now must take part in a physical court battle where might is right. Can they survive this legal circus?"— Back cover. Last Man is an excellent series that uses a blending of action, adventure, fantasy, martial arts, and romance to truly enhance what could have easily been merely Shonen - instead, giving the series a depth that will appeal to fans of many different genres. Unfortunately, the adult content that makes a brief, tasteful appearance in volume one escalates in prominence as the series progresses...

Last Man: The Royal Cup (Book 2)

Image from amazon.com In this second book of the Last Man series, Richard Aldana continues his unconventional winning streak as one half of an even more unconventional pairing - showing himself a likely contender for the Royal Cup. As The Royal Cup is to The Stranger , Empire Strikes Back is to A New Hope. This is the point in the series where the exposition, world building, and character development gel, creating a synergy that energizes the reader and propels the story. In short, things have just gotten good, and it will be interesting to see where this French manga takes us! Although one might be tempted to write this series off as merely Shonen, the blending of action, adventure, fantasy, martial arts, and romance give the series a depth that will appeal to fans of many different genres. Last Man:  The Royal Cup (Book 2) by Balak, Michaël Sanlaville, Bastien Vivès Secondary First Second 208pp. Published 2015 ISBN 978-1626720473 $9.99