Lament of the Lamb, Volume 2

The original and atmospheric vampire tale "Lament Of The Lamb" continues to impress in its second volume, which finds re-united siblings Kazuna (in the early stages of coming into his vampiric heritage) and Chizuna (already a full vampire for years now) becoming closer, as Kazuna desperately needs someone who can help him understand and deal with the changes he's experiencing, and Chizuna finds it rewarding to finally know another like herself. This volume is a book of relationships - the Kazuna/Chizuna bond, which still remains open as to what ultimate form it's going to take; flashbacks to the bizarre relationship between Chizuna and the siblings's mortal father; the situation between Chizuna and Minase, the doctor who secretly helps her and is devoted to her. Most interesting of all is the relationship between Kazuna and his classmate Yaegashi. Their budding romance was cut short as Kazuna began to realize what he was turning into, and deliberately alienated himself from Yaegashi out of fear that someday he'll be so far gone that he might hurt anyone around him. As Yaegashi begins to realize there's something truly wrong with Kazuna and beyond his control, though, she refuses to be pushed away. Determined to be a help in whatever way she can, she makes it clear - in her strange shy-but-quietly-feisty way - that she's refusing to let him keep her from being close to him and supporting him, regardless of the danger. Not given as much page time in this volume - but still present and waiting for further exploration in the rest of the series - we have a similar situation with the Edas, Kazuna's aunt and uncle who've been raising him since he was young. Although technically their nephew, in real, heartfelt, terms, they're very much parents and child. As with Yaegashi, Kazuna is afraid of being a danger to them, and is withdrawing, albeit more subtly than from Yaegashi. The parental devotion theme, though, (established in Volume One) is going to make that too difficult to achieve. It's not developed in this particular volume much, having stepped aside to let some of the other angles - like the flashbacks to Chizuna and her father - get built up, but it's definately part of the overall tale. Well written, well drawn, genuinely scary, and with a great cast of characters, the "Lament Of The Lamb" series is a great horror drama that brings fresh blood (sorry, I couldn't resist) to the long pantheon of vampire tales.