Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers Vol. 1 by Ishio Yamagata
Teodora's Rating: ★★★

Review:
Adlet Meyer is the "strongest man in the world" (according to him) and also one of the legendary Braves - a group of six heroes dedicated to protecting the world from fiends and ultimately defeating the evil god. When Adlet calls to assemble the rest of the Braves, something is amiss. Instead of six heroes, there are seven! Now trapped within a barrier, the Braves must find out who is the traitor among them... and they think Adlet is the seventh! Can he prove his innocence before he is killed?
Picking up this manga, I sensed RPG fantasy themes right away. What was unexpected for me was the mystery that is constantly present in the manga. The batch of suspects is small and the author does not muddle the story with more unnecessary characters, making it much more fun to guess who is the seventh Brave. Despite that, the biggest problem with this manga is the lack of explanation. I admire books that go straight to the action, but this time I felt left out. At the end of the manga, I had a small idea of the world and its problems, but many of my questions were left unanswered. This also affected the characters whose backstories were few and far between. I hope that the next volume addresses these. Art-wise, the style is nice to the eyes and some expressions are quite humorous. The style has a simple, same-thickness line-art and the pages flow nicely to the next. I don't understand the character design much. For example, two characters sport cat and bunny ears and tails, but are addressed as being human. Overall, the start of this manga introduced an intriguing main character and world.

Tales of Zestiria: A Time of Guidance Vol. 1 by Shiramine 
Teodora's Rating: ★★★★★

Review:
Sorey, a kind-hearted and curious human boy, has lived in isolation with the mystical seraphim for as long as he could remember. After finding another human with his friend, Mikleo, they leave the village and go below to the realm of mankind, and things are not as peaceful. Mankind's negative emotions have spread across the land in the form of Malevolence and only the mythical Shepard can purify the world and return peace. Is Sorey up to the task?
This manga has it all: wonderful characters, intriguing story line, and beautiful art! Based off a hit video game with the same title, the author stayed true to the game. Sorey is a hero that the reader can root for and Mikleo's interactions are hilarious. The other characters are just as memorable and contribute to the story line. The original game is extremely story based and very long, so the author of this manga had decided to quicken the pace of the story. While it did seem to be too quick at times, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything important. The attention to detail and character expressions were stunning as well. I'd recommend this manga to fans of Legend of Zelda, Fire Emblem, or any other fantasy RPG. I look forward to reading the next volume!

The Tracker by Tom Brown Jr. 
Allee's Rating: ★★★★★

Review:
The Tracker is an outstanding book by Tom Brown Jr. If you are an avid reader and enjoy nature and outdoor survival, this is the book for you! Join the narrator, his best friend Rick, and their teacher as they stalk a wolf and train themselves to live only on their instincts, and what nature provides for them. It's guaranteed that you'll learn a thing or two as you follow the narrator's adventures. It is a fun and engaging read that I highly recommend.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Hellen's Rating: ★★★

Review:
This book has a very interesting concept. It is a dystopian book with people who's job is to kill or "glean" other people. When Citra and Rowan are chosen to become scythes, they are reluctant - but as time goes on they find themselves accepting their chosen roles more and more. However, when their mentor is reported dead, Citra and Rowan find themselves drifting apart and changing their previous views on gleaning. I really enjoyed reading this book!

The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Teodora's Rating: ★★★★★

Review:
Sadie and Carter Kane have never been close, even though they are siblings. Sadie has been living in England ever since their mother died with her grandparents, while Carter travels around with his Egyptologist father. Things are not what they seem, however, when the Kane siblings see their own father encased in a coffin and go to Manhattan with their uncle, Amos. Now, in order to save their father (and the world), Sadie and Kane have to learn ancient magic and deal with gods that are definitely not the stuff of myths. And they only have five days.
I absolutely love Egyptian ancient culture and learned a ton of neat stuff while reading. Riordan has a humorous pop culture style that weaves its way into this first book smoothly. One of my favorite things about The Red Pyramid is the description of the gods. They are colorful characters that cooperate with modern life in their own ways while still preserving the ancient Egyptian life. I will pick up the second book in this series for sure.

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic Vol. 23 by Shinobu Ohtaka
Teodora's Rating: ★★★★★

Review:
Aladdin continues his story of the past world. Sheba has integrated herself as a member of Solomon's group, yet she wonders about the leader's past. What is the reason for trying to unite all species and create a Utopian society? As the group gets closer to creating this perfect dream, it begins to unravel and the one man who will try to sabotage their victory is the one man Solomon hates the most: his father.
Ohtaka's art is as stunning and detailed as ever. Sheba was entertaining and brought some humor to this thrilling manga (especially with her attempts to get Solomon to go on a date with her). Overall, this volume of Magi is a good segway for the next volume.

InuYasha Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi
Teodora's Rating: ★★★★★

Review:
1997, Tokyo - Kagome lives at her family's shrine, but could care less of the legends that her grandfather tells. However, all that changes when a demon drags her through a well and into Feudal Japan! Estranged with her new surrounding, Kagome finds out she is the reincarnation of a powerful archer and bears the much desired Shikon Jewel that demons will kill her for to become unstoppable; including the half-demon InuYasha.

InuYasha exceeded my expectations. After reading the first volume, I became addicted with the anime just to know what happens next. I love stories with cultural historical influences and this manga captures Feudal Japan with magical touches like demons based off the folklore. The art has that classic and nostalgic manga feel that you can only get in the 1990s and I absolutely love the humorous expressions Takahashi draws. There is the perfect balance of funny and serious that makes InuYasha an enjoyable read. Would recommend to those who like some action, some history, and a little bit of romance.