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The Tale of the Outcasts #1
The Tale of the Outcasts, Vol. 1
An Uncanny Encounter
This is the story of Wisteria, an orphaned girl lost in darkness, and Marbas, an immortal being who shares her loneliness. The unlikely companions met on a quiet, uneventful night, and they set off together in search of the light. What begins as a chance meeting on the edge of the late nineteenth-century British Empire soon became a full-fledged journey to find their place in the world.
This is the story of Wisteria, an orphaned girl lost in darkness, and Marbas, an immortal being who shares her loneliness. The unlikely companions met on a quiet, uneventful night, and they set off together in search of the light. What begins as a chance meeting on the edge of the late nineteenth-century British Empire soon became a full-fledged journey to find their place in the world.
200 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2019
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169 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 9, 2024
Not what I was expecting at all. I like the “found family” aspect and am looking forward to seeing how their relationship progresses.
I like the characters, the story, the artwork. The only thing I find sad is what Wis had to give up and that the nasty old procurer didn’t die when the house collapsed on him. He deserved it that jerk!
4, don’t even remember where/when I picked this up but glad I did, stars.
I like the characters, the story, the artwork. The only thing I find sad is what Wis had to give up and that the nasty old procurer didn’t die when the house collapsed on him. He deserved it that jerk!
4, don’t even remember where/when I picked this up but glad I did, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2023
Had trouble putting this one down and looking forward to seeing what happens in the next volume
June 5, 2021
Wisteria is an orphan in Dickensian London. Her one bright light is that her nights are spent in the company of Marbas, a demon who is visible to a select few. When a desperate situation forces Wisteria’s hand, she strikes a hell of a bargain and it will firmly alter the way both of them see one another.
Oh look, this is not exactly the most original premise we’ll be seeing in a book this year. Young waif with a heart of gold charms the stoic and unfeeling demon who has nothing left to interest him. This is not exactly a twisty plot full of shock after shock.
But it works. I like the writing and the characters a lot - Wisteria may be a little too earnest, but she is exactly what Marbas needs in whatever a demon’s life equivalent is. Even if he takes quite some time to realize it. Their dynamic starts off good, then becomes great when Wisteria strikes her deal.
Marbas is a lot of fun, an overpowered, disinterested fuzzball with a luxurious mane in both human and demon form (I am also a big fan of weapon-hair, which this book’s got a ton of) who ends up caring for a young woman. He’s snide and aristocratic and I like their contrast a lot.
I also thought the rules for demons being able to help was a nice touch - it keeps Marbas from being too callous and then when he tries to go against those rules we not only see how viciously enforced they are, but the extent of how Wisteria has insinuated herself in his routine.
I’m not sure what to make of Wisteria’s bishonen brother, Snow, just yet. You know you’re reading a manga when the brother has more piercings and longer hair than the wistful female lead, that’s for sure.
He does bring some interesting frisson to the events and I did rather appreciate how they resolved that conflict or at least put a pin in it for a bit. It was a nice break from what I expected. Watching Snow deal with a version of Sherlock Holmes who might be an even bigger twit than usual was a lot of fun too.
Mostly this is about two lost souls finding something they need in one another. Wisteria doesn’t think she brings anything to the relationship, but she is literally and figuratively not that perceptive.
The big picture is pretty standard, but the little details make the difference (you could almost say the devil was in them, or something). An activity as simple as a fancy meal is a lot of fun with the right people and these two are, for me, the right people.
It walks just the right line between danger - Marbas may be very powerful but Wisteria is quite the opposite and they are both outcasts in their own way - and some low-key comedy that I really appreciate. As I’ve learned this week, that sort of balance is hard to get right and credit to this book for nailing it.
3.5 stars, and I will nudge this up because, frankly, it has a couple of leads who work well together and I wanted to spend more time with. Nothing is new under the sun, especially not a story like this, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be good and the proof is right here.
Oh look, this is not exactly the most original premise we’ll be seeing in a book this year. Young waif with a heart of gold charms the stoic and unfeeling demon who has nothing left to interest him. This is not exactly a twisty plot full of shock after shock.
But it works. I like the writing and the characters a lot - Wisteria may be a little too earnest, but she is exactly what Marbas needs in whatever a demon’s life equivalent is. Even if he takes quite some time to realize it. Their dynamic starts off good, then becomes great when Wisteria strikes her deal.
Marbas is a lot of fun, an overpowered, disinterested fuzzball with a luxurious mane in both human and demon form (I am also a big fan of weapon-hair, which this book’s got a ton of) who ends up caring for a young woman. He’s snide and aristocratic and I like their contrast a lot.
I also thought the rules for demons being able to help was a nice touch - it keeps Marbas from being too callous and then when he tries to go against those rules we not only see how viciously enforced they are, but the extent of how Wisteria has insinuated herself in his routine.
I’m not sure what to make of Wisteria’s bishonen brother, Snow, just yet. You know you’re reading a manga when the brother has more piercings and longer hair than the wistful female lead, that’s for sure.
He does bring some interesting frisson to the events and I did rather appreciate how they resolved that conflict or at least put a pin in it for a bit. It was a nice break from what I expected. Watching Snow deal with a version of Sherlock Holmes who might be an even bigger twit than usual was a lot of fun too.
Mostly this is about two lost souls finding something they need in one another. Wisteria doesn’t think she brings anything to the relationship, but she is literally and figuratively not that perceptive.
The big picture is pretty standard, but the little details make the difference (you could almost say the devil was in them, or something). An activity as simple as a fancy meal is a lot of fun with the right people and these two are, for me, the right people.
It walks just the right line between danger - Marbas may be very powerful but Wisteria is quite the opposite and they are both outcasts in their own way - and some low-key comedy that I really appreciate. As I’ve learned this week, that sort of balance is hard to get right and credit to this book for nailing it.
3.5 stars, and I will nudge this up because, frankly, it has a couple of leads who work well together and I wanted to spend more time with. Nothing is new under the sun, especially not a story like this, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be good and the proof is right here.
May 6, 2021
This is weirdly wholesome and desperately needs a crossover with Moriarty the Patriot. When the demon's the good guy, well...
March 28, 2021
https://lapommequirougit.com/2021/03/...
Je remercie les Éditions Doki doki pour l’envoi de cette lecture. Wow, je suis submergée par un flot d’émotions suite à cette lecture. C’est une histoire passionnante !
On se retrouve au 19ème siècle. Une jeune fille est retenue malgré elle prisonnière. Elle est orpheline et elle doit affronter les terribles choses que la vie lui met sur son chemin. Pourtant, elle a la capacité de voir les diables. C’est ainsi qu’elle rencontre Marbas.
Marbas, c’est un diable qui est éternel. Il s’ennuie, car les humains les voient de moins en moins. Pourtant, quand il va rencontrer cette gamine, sa vie va complètement changer. Lui qui s’ennuyait. Elle qui se sentait seule. Ensemble ils vont affronter leur solitude et s’entraider.
Dès les premières pages de ce manga, j’ai été embarquée par une bouffée d’émotion si intense ! Il y a beaucoup de tristesse, particulièrement au début, à cause de l’histoire de la fillette. Ce qui rend ce manga quelque peu poétique.
J’ai vraiment trouvé l’histoire sublime. Premièrement, j’adore le style graphique, mais en plus, les personnages sont extrêmement attachants. Il y a également une pointe d’humour qui viendra de temps en temps rythmé le manga, ce qui m’a vraiment plu !
Enfin, la fin du second tome nous apporte un peu d’action et ça m’a beaucoup plu ! Les scènes étaient bien faites, belles et agréables à lire.
En bref, ce manga m’a touchée au plus profond de moi. J’ai été chamboulé par ce qui était proposé ici, je ne m’attendais pas à ressentir autant d’émotions avec ce manga. Je suis déjà impatiente de découvrir la suite des aventures de ces deux personnages !
Je remercie les Éditions Doki doki pour l’envoi de cette lecture. Wow, je suis submergée par un flot d’émotions suite à cette lecture. C’est une histoire passionnante !
On se retrouve au 19ème siècle. Une jeune fille est retenue malgré elle prisonnière. Elle est orpheline et elle doit affronter les terribles choses que la vie lui met sur son chemin. Pourtant, elle a la capacité de voir les diables. C’est ainsi qu’elle rencontre Marbas.
Marbas, c’est un diable qui est éternel. Il s’ennuie, car les humains les voient de moins en moins. Pourtant, quand il va rencontrer cette gamine, sa vie va complètement changer. Lui qui s’ennuyait. Elle qui se sentait seule. Ensemble ils vont affronter leur solitude et s’entraider.
Dès les premières pages de ce manga, j’ai été embarquée par une bouffée d’émotion si intense ! Il y a beaucoup de tristesse, particulièrement au début, à cause de l’histoire de la fillette. Ce qui rend ce manga quelque peu poétique.
J’ai vraiment trouvé l’histoire sublime. Premièrement, j’adore le style graphique, mais en plus, les personnages sont extrêmement attachants. Il y a également une pointe d’humour qui viendra de temps en temps rythmé le manga, ce qui m’a vraiment plu !
Enfin, la fin du second tome nous apporte un peu d’action et ça m’a beaucoup plu ! Les scènes étaient bien faites, belles et agréables à lire.
En bref, ce manga m’a touchée au plus profond de moi. J’ai été chamboulé par ce qui était proposé ici, je ne m’attendais pas à ressentir autant d’émotions avec ce manga. Je suis déjà impatiente de découvrir la suite des aventures de ces deux personnages !
December 15, 2022
An interesting start to this series, I think it's one that will slowly work its way into the heart of the reader.
July 11, 2023
✨ 4.5 stars ✨
4th manga read for my 30 manga in 30 days challenge
"I thought I had already lost all hope. But it seems I want a future with you."
The Tale of the Outcasts, Vol. 1 follows Wisteria, an orphaned girl, who is currently surviving by begging for money to pay for scraps from a man keeping her. Her life is changed when she has a chance encounter will the demon Marbas. They begin an unlikely friendship in which they keep each other company to not to feel so alone in the world.
I loved this manga and the introduction to the beginning of the friendship and adventures that Wisteria and Marbas will go on together! I thought their care for each other was so heartfelt, especially when a centuries-old demon takes care of a young girl as she learns to navigate a new world. It was fun to watch them learn more about each other and what has brought each character to where they are now.
I look forward to hopefully learning more about Marbas, like the extent of his demonic abilities and his backstory. I am also intrigued to see if Marbas and Wisteria's relationship will develop into anything more years down the line, but that's just probably the romance reader in me.
I can't wait to read Volume 2 soon!
tropes: blind protagonist, caretaking scene(s), childhood friends, human-nonhuman relationship
I have not watched any anime that I think is similar enough to recommend as a The Tale of the Outcasts watch-a-like, but please leave any suggestions in the comments of this review! I know that the series has been adapted into an anime, and I look forward to watching that after completing the series.
4th manga read for my 30 manga in 30 days challenge
"I thought I had already lost all hope. But it seems I want a future with you."
The Tale of the Outcasts, Vol. 1 follows Wisteria, an orphaned girl, who is currently surviving by begging for money to pay for scraps from a man keeping her. Her life is changed when she has a chance encounter will the demon Marbas. They begin an unlikely friendship in which they keep each other company to not to feel so alone in the world.
I loved this manga and the introduction to the beginning of the friendship and adventures that Wisteria and Marbas will go on together! I thought their care for each other was so heartfelt, especially when a centuries-old demon takes care of a young girl as she learns to navigate a new world. It was fun to watch them learn more about each other and what has brought each character to where they are now.
I look forward to hopefully learning more about Marbas, like the extent of his demonic abilities and his backstory. I am also intrigued to see if Marbas and Wisteria's relationship will develop into anything more years down the line, but that's just probably the romance reader in me.
I can't wait to read Volume 2 soon!
tropes: blind protagonist, caretaking scene(s), childhood friends, human-nonhuman relationship
I have not watched any anime that I think is similar enough to recommend as a The Tale of the Outcasts watch-a-like, but please leave any suggestions in the comments of this review! I know that the series has been adapted into an anime, and I look forward to watching that after completing the series.
December 6, 2022
Wisteria, an orphaned girl in Dickensian England has one of the hardest luck stories you're going to find. Her older brother disappeared after their parents died. The man running her orphanage forces the kids to beg in the streets, beating them when they don't earn enough. He also isn't above selling the kids for nefarious purposes and that's nearly Wisteria's fate when her path crosses Marbas, an immortal demon.
Marbas is both bored and intrigued because most humans cannot see demons and those who can are usually demon hunters. However he can't just help Wisteria because being altruistic kills his kind. She has to pay him. Once the payment is done, he decides to live with her for a while because they're both lonely and she alleviates his boredom. Wisteria needs help to adjust to what she was forced to pay.
It doesn't take long before we learn about Wisteria's brother and the demon hunters show up.
The story has an oddly sweet aspect to it given what happens in it. Wisteria and Marbas are interesting enough for me to want more and the art, as so often the case with manga, is really top notch.
Marbas is both bored and intrigued because most humans cannot see demons and those who can are usually demon hunters. However he can't just help Wisteria because being altruistic kills his kind. She has to pay him. Once the payment is done, he decides to live with her for a while because they're both lonely and she alleviates his boredom. Wisteria needs help to adjust to what she was forced to pay.
It doesn't take long before we learn about Wisteria's brother and the demon hunters show up.
The story has an oddly sweet aspect to it given what happens in it. Wisteria and Marbas are interesting enough for me to want more and the art, as so often the case with manga, is really top notch.
March 10, 2024
Though this book wasn't a favorite, it was still well-written and fast-paced. I tend to love fictional men who live and breathe stoicism, and that's my feeling towards the demon who is Marbas. I've never crushed on a redhead because I have a specific type for the tall, dark-haired, pale-skinned, stoic and intellectual men, but with Marbas, it's a pass; I do like him even though I know he'd never care for me in return (it's up for debate if Marbas is my book boyfriend, as I see him as entirely belonging to Wis, at this moment). I do love and appreciate how Wisteria is protective of him and forgives his coldness, but even on that front, I respect Marbas for keeping Wis at a distance as she is still a child (once she grows up, all bets are off, and I'll then approve of a relationship between them). I'm not sure how I feel about Snow, Wis's older brother who disappeared years ago, but I don't doubt his love for Wis. I'm eager to read the next book in this awesome manga series that reminds me a lot of Black Butler!
August 26, 2021
This manga reminds me the Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts: a demon and girl unafraid of demons bond. The demon is learning about humans and the girl is learning to navigate a new world. Unknowingly, someone the girl knows is looking to 'save' her.
The stories differ on the bigger scale obviously, but the bones are about the same. This manga is about a girl in desperate need of the demon's help in order to survive and the demon cannot leave her alone (he doesn't know why). It's a very touching and adorable story that I will continue reading. Fingers crossed I can get my hands on the 2nd volume soon!
The stories differ on the bigger scale obviously, but the bones are about the same. This manga is about a girl in desperate need of the demon's help in order to survive and the demon cannot leave her alone (he doesn't know why). It's a very touching and adorable story that I will continue reading. Fingers crossed I can get my hands on the 2nd volume soon!
June 19, 2023
The premise here is so interesting, and I'm intrigued to see where things go. I love the dynamic between Wis and Marbas, part of me is hoping it doesn't go the romantic route because something feels off about that possibility, but they have such an interesting friendship and I can't wait to see where that ends up. The fantasy elements that are being set up are phenomenal, this is one that I'm seeing through to the end.
April 22, 2021
Les dessins sont vraiment beaux, j’adore l’apparence de Marbas, sous forme de diable bien sûr… son visage félin est particulièrement expressif et je me suis plu à le détailler avec un plaisir évident.
J’ai adoré cette lecture, à la limite du coup de cœur et je file, de ce pas, lire le suivant.
https://psylook.kimengumi.fr/2021/04/...
J’ai adoré cette lecture, à la limite du coup de cœur et je file, de ce pas, lire le suivant.
https://psylook.kimengumi.fr/2021/04/...
October 21, 2021
More of a 3.5 star rating but I gave it 4 stars since I really like how the storyline was set up in this first volume.
I first got interested in this series since the cover and description reminded me a bit of The Ancient Magus’ Bride, and I’m glad I finally read this initial volume. Wisteria and Marbas’s growing bond is adorable to see and I’m excited to see how things play out for them.
I first got interested in this series since the cover and description reminded me a bit of The Ancient Magus’ Bride, and I’m glad I finally read this initial volume. Wisteria and Marbas’s growing bond is adorable to see and I’m excited to see how things play out for them.
February 6, 2023
Before this, I never heard of this manga. We (Me & Amani) just grab the manga since it has promotion at Popular bookstore. I loved the illustrations. The plot was quite slow burn but it made me craves for more. Wisteria and Marbas make a delightful pair and I’m looking forward to reading more of their adventures.
July 23, 2023
It's never a good thing to encounter a bored demon, but Wisteria's life is so miserable that she is willing to offer him anything to avoid being alone and to escape. The beginning of this series is quite interesting. I would suggest it to anyone who enjoys reading about unexpected companions embarking on exciting adventures.
June 27, 2021
This is going to be an interesting series. It's the story of a girl, Wisteria, and a demon lord, Marbas, and their strange friendship. Marbas is bored, being immortal, and finds entertainment and wonder in Wisteria. I'm looking forward to this series. It'll be fun to see where it goes.
September 19, 2021
Très bonne découverte ! Les dessins sont magnifiques, j'aime beaucoup l'histoire et la relation qu'ont Marbas et Wisteria. J'ai bien aimé l'apparition de Snow également qui promet d'être électrisante. J'aime également l'humour qu'il y a dans tout ça :)
October 19, 2021
This was good. I liked the premise, I liked the characters, and I liked the artwork. It had a good pace and felt well written. The characters were fun. This was basically a set-up volume, introducing characters, but it was good. I look forward to the next volume.
April 19, 2021
J'aime beaucoup !
L'histoire change, les dessins sont canons, hate de lire la suite !
L'histoire change, les dessins sont canons, hate de lire la suite !
August 31, 2021
Je suis vendu au manga alors je ne peux avoir une opinion objective.
November 13, 2021
I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to read more!
December 20, 2021
1.5 stars.
March 14, 2022
Oh… a great start.
April 4, 2022
Super cute can not wait until the next vol
August 7, 2022
Hmmmm a human female lead and a non human male lead….. ah shit y’all know I will devour anything with that pairing.
January 8, 2023
Feels kind of run-of-the-mill as far as Ancient Magus Bride knockoffs go; I’m waiting for it to get more interesting.
March 5, 2023
J'ai beaucoup aimé le premier tome de ce manga. Le seul point négatif c'est que les relations entre les personnages vont extrêmement vite mais c'est pas forcément gênant.
September 4, 2023
I was sold within the first chapter! I can't wait to see the relationship build between the two main characters.
September 16, 2023
19th Century London, demons, cute vibes, beautiful art. It's a yes from me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews