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Title: Shaman Warrior Vol 8

Author: Park Joong-Ki

Publisher: Dark Horse

ISBN: 9781595823816

May Contain Spoilers

Things are getting very, very intense for our little band of heroes.   Treachery and betrayal meet Yaki and her associates with every step, and every encounter is more deadly than the last.  Yatilla is remorseful because he was unable to protect Gogu, and as his plans unravel, he becomes more desperate to find ways to make them succeed.  His choice of allies proves unwise, as greed and the quest for personal power sabotage his efforts to bring freedom to his clan. If anyone has noble motives in this book, I think that it’s Yatilla who possesses them.  Everyone else seems to be out for themselves, but, honestly, life is so grim in Shaman Warrior that the mere effort of surviving would harden the emotions of anyone.

Bounty hunters are crawling out of the woodwork like carpenter ants, allowing Park Joong-Ki to flex his artistic muscles.  This is an illustrator who loves to put his characters through the wringer, taunting and teasing them with fight after fight, never giving them a moment’s rest.  Death is quickly met in a flurry of naked steel and dripping sweat.  Odds are not fair, and lithe muscled bodies writhe and dodge in a frantic dance to avoid a final, mortal blow.  I didn’t care for the art of Shaman Warrior when I first delved into the series; now the fierce, furious line work keeps me coming back for more.

The next volume is the last, and I admit some trepidation about the fate of the characters.  This does not seem to be a story that allows happy ever afters.  What happiness there is has to be won with the edge of a sword.  Survival and a life free of oppression also seem far out of reach.  Vengeance and death can found lurking around every corner or hiding behind every rock; the ability to live in comfort and security is but a distant dream.  What fate awaits Yaki and her persecuted shaman blood?

Grade:  B+

Review copy provided by Dark Horse