毒姫 (2)

Poison Princess #2

by Mitsukazu Mihara

グランドル王暗殺に失敗し、捕虜となった毒姫リコリスが見たものとは、王の身代わりとなって王国を守る3人の王子の姿だった。王の身に何が起こったのか? そして3人の王子の投じた策とはムム!?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Josei, Mystery, Graphic Novels, Gothic

Comic

First published December 1, 2007

About the author

三原 ミツカズ (MIHARA Mitsukazu) is credited with helping shape the GothLoli look through her work in the "Gothic & Lolita Bible"

In 1994, she won the first "Feel Young New Face Manga Awards" Judges’ Special Prize with her short work, "The Children Who Don’t Need Rubbers."

She resides in Osaka, Japan.

Sometimes credited as MIHARA Tsukazu.
[via Mangaupdates]

Reviews

[Nouf *LostinFantasy* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no words right now... This turned around everything I thought I knew about the characters from the last volume but at the same time, a lot of pieces fell into place.
The volume mostly provided back-stories on the characters (rather than moving the plot forward) but it still changed my view on everything in the story. I love how the point of views were presented separately but of the same events, so every time we saw an event again it was with a new perspective. Overall it's such an intricate and engrossing story - also completely unpredictable!

My one gripe is that I don't have access to a version with color and that's why the illustrations don't feel as starkly clear to me sometimes. Or maybe it's not released in color...? This is not a large complaint or really an issue, though.

It keeps getting better. I won't wait too long to read the next volume, now that I finished this one!

[Danielle R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I should read this volume twice! There was so much backstory (not in a bad way)! We learned more about Shicca, the maid who has been taking care of Lycoris. We learned what happened to Iris and Anemone "Zakuro," the twin hunters (each missing one eye) who go after Poison Princess Traitors. We also saw the murder of the original king and how Garre and his sister came to be orphaned ex-royalty in the castle. (OMG, I was ready to agree with the rebel king Icarus, until he lopped off the queen-mother's head right in front of her two children and then gave them lollipops like nothing happened!)

The most backstory came for the three princes. The same handful of moments were shown from each perspective, allowing you to try to cross-reference how each one feels and make a few guesses about their motivations. It seems that Hal has always been terrified of being useless so he tries harder and harder to be the perfect son. Ultimately, his attempts lead to him replacing the dead king because he cannot be useless. Kait is impossibly smart, smart enough to open a sequence of locks that only the ex-royal family should have been able to open, but he's also... cursed? There's something inside him that drives him to kill and he has serious trauma from being the one to finish off their father. Mao is the hardest to figure out. He claims he can only trust himself, not a prophecy, and apparently not even his brothers. Why did he choose to become a poison taster? Logically, it makes no sense. Use disposable servants for that, not a prince. Why does he think Kait is an eyesore. They appear to be identical triplets. Unless he's referring to something else? The way it all layered on top of itself, revealing something about each prince in each 'origin' chapter, was really delightful.

We didn't see much of Lycoris, but I have a feeling this is an important volume. If I was a serious clever-clogs (or made a spreadsheet), I bet I could spot the horrible ending that's coming my way. Excellent plot! 4/5

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't think of a time when I have continued reading something this disturbing. I guess the story has me hooked?

[thebookorc · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Looks to the left*
*Looks to the right.*
Nope, not a mentally sound person in sight.

[Morel Dei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooooo goooood!