Review by Holly Ellingwood
Published August 15, 2008

The last volume left readers on the edge of their seats with Zero confronting his traitorous brother, Yuki falling into the hands of the vampire that bit Zero and turned him, and Kaname having a deadly confrontation with a fellow pureblood vampire.

The latest manga volume has some of the most tense and intriguing chapters yet. The aftermath of the terrible and tragic events of that night will continue to have repercussions that may lead to permanent consequences. A pureblood is now dead. The vampire senate wants blood, and that of Zero will do just fine as far as they are concerned. They’re demanding an execution and even enter the school grounds to help carry out their sentence! Yuki again comes to Zero’s aid, but with the reunion with his brother and his betrayer weighing heavy on his soul, he isn’t the same man Yuki knew. His lust for blood grows and without the cure a vampire promised, he may well turn into a monster that Yuki will have to kill.

The greater intrigue however involves Kaname. He has a much larger plan, one that is finally starting to come out into the moonlight, if only a little so far. Everything that has unfolded seems to be in part due to his design. What he truly wishes with Yuki still has yet to be unveiled. But he has reasons for wanting the vampire senate involved. He has an agenda, one closely kept to his vest. It worries some of his vampire followers, landing one of them in hot water and everyone involved having to make difficult choices. Exactly what Kaname is up to still isn’t known, but his calculating nature is a frightening power that he has above all others there. Meanwhile Zero’s relationship with Yuki proves perilous for both of them and yet draws them closer.

IN SUMMARY:
Mesmerizing Gothic art and the immersing story make this a must-read for vampire fans everywhere.