Vampire Knight Volume 5

Kaname's such a dick. On many, many levels.

I really liked the final panels of the exchange between Zero and Yuki. I found it very romantic.

I do feel a little sorry for Aido. I think he's in much further over his head than he expects.

Naruto Volume 9: Turning the Tables

I'll start by saying I was a little disappointed in the end of the battle between Ino and Sakura. Declaring it a tie was not really satisfying, though I suppose having all three of the team make it into the finals would have been poor for the story (because both Naruto and Sasuke have to make it based on their story). Sakura couldn't actually lose based on her story because it's all about her growing and if she loses the growth will have been for naught.

Naruto's battle, on the other hand, was worth the wait. He's so often portrayed as a loser that it's hard to imagine that the title actually bears his name but it's times like this that the reader is reminded that there's more to him than meets the eye.

Naruto Volume 8: Life-and-Death Battles

The Journeyman Ninja Selection Exams continue with a nice little battle for Sasuke. The battle isn't the main thing, it's him fighting against the curse that's been laid on him and the reactions of his team mates and other contestants. The volume ends with a good look at what Sakura is capable of. I find she's often overshadowed by Naruto and Sasuke (unsurprising really) but I do like her character as well.

Bleach Volume 10: Tatoo on the Sky

Another volume that's essentially a long training montage. The fight scene at the end was worth the wait though as Ichigo is really coming into his own as a Soul Reaper.

Bleach Volume 9: Fourteen Days for Conspiracy

I loved the fight scene that opened this volume. Great action spiced up with a bit of dialogue. This was mostly a volume of getting from one place to another and setting up the action for later in the story.

New Spring: The Novel

I'm a big fan of Robert Jordan. I've read New Spring before and I'll likely read it again. It's the prequel to the Wheel of Time series. Honestly, it doesn't add anything to the plot of the series. It's more a character piece of Moiraine and her Warder, Lan.

One of the things I really enjoy about Jordan is the rich background in which he's chosen to set his world. Reading the series there's always the sense that what has happened in the character's pasts has an effect on what they are doing in the present. And the feeling is that Robert Jordan knows what those events are. The meeting of Moiraine and Lan, her bonding of him and the beginning of her quest are all things that play an important part in the Wheel of Time but were more implied until this novel was released.

Moirane and Lan are younger in this book. Less sure of themselves in some ways and more arrogant in others. The ending of the story is known but there's great fun in getting there. It's a 4 for me.