Reviews

Vampire Hunter D Volume 2: Raiser of Gales by Hideyuki Kikuchi

supau's review

Super boring. Introducing the world was fun in the first one, but this is just more of the same with the same semi-awkward language that's probably a translation issue. 

I'll probably try the third one for a fresh start, but I think I might be done with this series otherwise.

anieeereads's review

Just not that interested

jbaustian1987's review

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ithilienlady's review

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

robertalllan's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

paper_dragon's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

aquamarinex's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

readerbot_lu's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Did I like it? Yes
Do I recommend it? Yes (but please check content warnings)

Favorite Quote

Lina: “Why don’t you try smiling for a change?”
D: “I was born like this.” (31%)

"This was a showdown between things that had the shape of men, but weren’t men." (80%)

Positives

I still found this volume entertaining, like I found the first volume. We see more of D’s emotions in this volume. However, this one is much darker in general content and themes. 

In terms of world-building, I do appreciate learning more about the Nobility, even though the topic of genetic manipulation inevitably has eugenics following very, very closely in its shadow. 

Negatives

While I felt like the treatment of female characters somewhat balanced itself in the first volume (at least for an older text), the treatment of female characters in this volume is worse. There is some relevant violence that happens to the main heroine (certainly not all of it though) and most of the female side characters are either monster bait or sex objects. 

In terms of plot, it’s much more confusing in this volume because there are a lot of antagonistic characters but many of them are described incredibly vaguely which makes it hard to keep track of 1) if the reader has met this antagonist before, 2) which antagonists are doing which things, and 3) which antagonists are working together. 

sageunique26's review

4.0

I thought this was a good book. Not as good as the first. But definitely a good book!

horriblehumain's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0