Vampire Game Volume 6

Dark and devious dealings are in the works in the sixth volume of "Vampire Game," with Ishtar and Duzell still going undercover in the desolate kingdom of Ci Xeneth. This volume is not quite as strong as the ones before it, but it comes close with the story of magics being used cruelly. Everyone connected to Ishtar is in trouble -- Darres is desperately searching for her, and Duzell has the male knight Ilsaide proposing to him. And worst of all, the vampire Sharlen is worming his way into King Jened's confidences -- and his bed, very tastefully -- which puts him in a position of power over everyone in Ci Xeneth. Duzell tries to fend of Ilsaide, and Darres tries to deal with the news that Ishtar may be in love. But Ishtar has her own mission -- the monsters in the cellar will be made into magically ruelles, and so she sets them all free. But the jailbreak coincides with a massive invasion of sea monsters -- and a shocking revelation about Ilsaide's true heritage. The storyline of "Vampire Game" gets a lot darker with this arc, especially after Judal revealed that magical rings, swords and so on are actually made with the souls of monsters -- including vampires. Perhaps its only flaw is that the whole Ilsaide-Duzell involvement feels superfluous, since nothing really comes of it. Even the humor is a bit darker in this one, such as poor confused Duzell's thoughts when Ilsaide tries to seduce him: "I'm a vampire with a woman's face and a man's body, and sometimes, in my more humble moments, I turn into a cat." Appropriately enough, Judal's art is starker and more ominous here, with fewer baubles and more blood. Jened is a far nastier piece of work than Ishtar's aunt, but even he is basically a puppet working for Sharlen. This vampire seems to be much more power-hungry than Duzell used to be. And Ishtar may be flaky, but her good heart comes out as she tries to set the monsters free from captivity, and also greets Darres with tears and hugs. The sixth volume of "Vampire Game" is a bit more fragmented than its predecessors, but promises more action to come. But have the seventh volume on hand, for that cliffhanger.