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Title:  Kiichi and the Magic Books Vol 1

Author:  Taka Amano

Publisher:  CMX

ISBN:  9781401217556

May Contain Spoilers

Kiichi  is part demon, and after his mother dies, his village, fearful of his pointy ears and the horn growing from his forehead, ostracize him.  When Mototaro, a traveling librarian, visits the village, Kiichi begs him to let him travel with him.  He believes that Mototaro and his magic books might be the key to helping him learn more about onis and, in turn, about himself.  Along the way, they share dangerous adventures- and you thought being a librarian was a boring occupation.

I have mixed feelings about this book. One of the things I did like are the magical books.  In Kiichi’s world, books can be dangerous in the wrong hands, as enchanted creatures escape from the pages and cause grief if they’re not put back where they belong.  Even an innocent child can unleash a fearsome beast, and only a librarian can set things right by returning things to their original form.  Books are forbidden, unless they are read under the watchful eyes of a librarian or kept in the safety of a depository.  That’s one message I didn’t like very much.  I would shrivel into a lifeless husk if I could only read books when the librarian visited town – it’s a thought too horrible to contemplate.

Kiichi is a good-natured, bright boy, but because he’s been shunned by the villagers, he can’t read.  Nobody has let him learn this fundamental skill.  Mototaro refuses to take him along at first, insisting the boy stay in the village.  Since Kiichi wasn’t being treated well, being forced to live by himself and survive the best he could, I found it difficult to believe that the librarian would be so blind to his plight.  Mototaro is a hard character to like; he’s cold, aloof, and keeps his thoughts to himself.  He’s incredulous when he discovers that his new charge can’t even read, demanding to know how he can possibly learn about himself when his primary form of information gathering is out of reach to him.  Hey, it’s a good thing Kiichi hooked up with a guy who can teach him how to read!

There’s some conflict between Kiichi and Mototaro’s young assistant Hana, which blossoms into a flame of jealousy.  Hana feels very threatened by Kiichi and there’s not much he can do to convince her that he’s harmless.  Along the journey, they also pick up a body guard, Mori.  I like Mori the best of all of the characters.  Big, strong, and jovial, he has an affinity for birds and he’s a good cook to boot.  How can you not want somebody like that tagging along?

I thought the book started to hit its stride near the end.  There’s a hint of some tragedy in Mototaro’s past, and the varied personalities were starting to play interestingly off of each other.  Mototaro even started to lighten up a little, though on the exterior he remains gruff and unapproachable.  I’m curious to learn more about the book depositories, and Hana’s background is also a bit of a mystery.  While Kiichi and the Magic Books didn’t totally blow my socks off, it kept me entertained enough the I want to pick up the next volume.

Grade:  B-

Rated for Teen

Review copy provided by CMX