The Earl and The Fairy, Vol. 03 by Mizue Tani
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This volume feels like a build-up to something greater.
For those of you who have read the first two volumes, the story is still good. This volume doesn’t contain the high drama of the first two, but it’s solid storytelling, nonetheless. Rosalie strains credulity as a girl who wants Edgar all to herself (some of the dialogue made me shake my head) and Lydia sounds more like those “feisty” romance heroines who don’t have much strength in and of themselves than the strong heroine she began this series as. However, it’s a fun ride, and we get to see a little more of Edgar’s duality and angst, which is a nice change. There are also tantalizing rumblings from his past, and more information about his distant enemy, Prince.
There are also hints that Edgar is becoming truly infatuated by Lydia. There is no love, though. Not yet.
That said, this feels like the beginning of a longer arc. It’s slower than the first two in pace and yet it’s a fast read. It also ends on a cliffhanger.
What frustrated me the most about this book was that I also learned, around the time volume three came out, that the series (manga) is only four volumes long. The anime runs longer, and the light novels just recently concluded. This took away a lot of my motivation from continuing the series, and is a large part of why I took so long to continue reading it. Prince is set up as a strong threat to Edgar’s continued safety and, by extension, Lydia’s. One volume doesn’t seem like enough space to deal with that threat without giving the series an anticlimactic ending.
So, the story is good, but be warned that this series may not satisfy.
Now, on to volume four so I can find out for myself.
Amy Keeley 