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Vampire Hunter D #3
Vampire Hunter D Volume 3: Demon Deathchase
The novel that was the basis for the hit motion picture Vampire Hunter Bloodlustis available in English for the first time!
The third volume of the popular Japanese series Vampire Hunter D comes to America in Vampire Hunter Demon Deathchase. The vampire hunter known only as D has been hired by a wealthy, dying man to find his daughter, who was kidnapped by the powerful vampire Lord Meierlink. Though humans speak well of Meierlink, the price on his head is too high for D to ignore and he sets out to save her before she can be turned into an undead creature of the night. In the nightmare world of 12090 A.D., finding Meierlink before he reaches the spaceport in the Clayborn States and gets off the planet will be hard enough, but D has more than just Meierlink to worry about. The dying man is taking no chances, and has also enlisted the Marcus family, a renegade clan of four brothers and a sister who don't care who they kill as long as they get paid. Beautiful illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano complement the post-apocalyptic plot, filled with chilling twists.
The third volume of the popular Japanese series Vampire Hunter D comes to America in Vampire Hunter Demon Deathchase. The vampire hunter known only as D has been hired by a wealthy, dying man to find his daughter, who was kidnapped by the powerful vampire Lord Meierlink. Though humans speak well of Meierlink, the price on his head is too high for D to ignore and he sets out to save her before she can be turned into an undead creature of the night. In the nightmare world of 12090 A.D., finding Meierlink before he reaches the spaceport in the Clayborn States and gets off the planet will be hard enough, but D has more than just Meierlink to worry about. The dying man is taking no chances, and has also enlisted the Marcus family, a renegade clan of four brothers and a sister who don't care who they kill as long as they get paid. Beautiful illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano complement the post-apocalyptic plot, filled with chilling twists.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
June 30, 2022
This series is getting quite addictive and the dramatized audiobook version definitely add to the greatness of the series
September 18, 2022
Somewhere in a quiet village surrounded by trees, a young woman is abducted by the vampire Noble Mayerling in the middle of the night. The desperate village elder turns to the mysterious Vampire Hunter D to save his missing daughter. If this were not enough, he has also regretfully hired the help of the ruthless Marcus clan who are infamous for not only killing their prey, but killing their competition and anyone that stands in their way as well. The relationship between Mayerling and the elder's daughter isn't what it seems at first glance, and the rivalry between D and the Marcus clan hunting down the same target turns an already dire situation into a bloody disaster.
More of the same and that's not such a bad thing. Over-the-top violence, an insane blend of dark fantasy, dystopian science fiction and gothic horror and nonstop supernatural action. I liked the more humanistic emotions explored in the nobles this time around, showing us that they're not always the heartless tyrants they're often made out to be. It adds a bit of depth and complexity to the moral decisions made by the main character and the way he goes about confronting his enemies.
Though not quite as interesting in terms of world building and lore this time around, it delivers some crazy action sequences and a touching Shakespearian ending.
More of the same and that's not such a bad thing. Over-the-top violence, an insane blend of dark fantasy, dystopian science fiction and gothic horror and nonstop supernatural action. I liked the more humanistic emotions explored in the nobles this time around, showing us that they're not always the heartless tyrants they're often made out to be. It adds a bit of depth and complexity to the moral decisions made by the main character and the way he goes about confronting his enemies.
Though not quite as interesting in terms of world building and lore this time around, it delivers some crazy action sequences and a touching Shakespearian ending.
March 8, 2017
This is the book that Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is based on, and it suffers for me because I think the anime is the superior version.
The main plot is the same. A Noble, here transliterated Mayerling, and a human woman fall in love and decide to run away together. Her father pays two vampire hunters to go after her. One is the Marcus family, a group of ruthless hunters whose kill count is in the triple digits but whose competitors never seen to survive their hunts, and the other is D. They chase down Mayerling, who hides in a Shelter built by the Nobility when the constant human rebellions were starting to pick up steam and the infrastructure was breaking down, then flees to the village of the Barbarois, half-human, half-monster hybrids. He hires three of them to protect him and his lady-love, then continues his flight toward the Claybourne States, where the rusted ruins of the Nobility's starport hints at the possibility of escape to a place among the stars, where there will be no one to stand in the way of their love. It's all very gothic and tragic.
The problem comes in the execution. On screen, there's plenty of room to show the theatrics D and his opponents display in fighting, so all the hyperbole about how fast D can move and how brutal the attacks that target him are isn't necessary. That's just a difference in the medium, though, and it's not the real problem I have, which is that the original book has much more annoying character arcs--such as they are--for nearly everyone available.
I did like that the Barbarois decided to betray their employer after the village elder let slip about the law that superseded all other laws. What I didn't like is that assault-as-backstory gets used for the motivation of Leila, the only female member of the Marcus clan; that D immediately says that women shouldn't be hunters as soon as he meets Leila; and that the girl that Mayerling falls in love with doesn't have a name. She's incredibly beautiful, of course, with a face like a moonflower, a sweet disposition, and the willingness to give up the light of the sun for her Noble love, but her name is not mentioned once. Not even by Mayerling.
The ending is also inferior to the movie, not least because the book seems to be missing something. I greatly prefer the anime's ending, where Charlotte dies and Meier Link carries her body to the stars in one of the last working starships of the Nobility. Here . The final scene in the movie is better too, with D talking to Leila's grandchildren after her funeral. That leaves the question of what she did with her life later open, rather than making it explicit here that she's giving up hunting and going to settle down in a village. You know. Like women are supposed to do, according to D. Sigh.
Also, by this point I really what to see whatever the Japanese phrase is that keeps getting translated as "countenanced carbuncle."
This is a very quick read, but honestly your time would be better served watching Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust instead.
Previous Review: Raiser of Gales.
Next Review: Tale of the Dead Town.
The main plot is the same. A Noble, here transliterated Mayerling, and a human woman fall in love and decide to run away together. Her father pays two vampire hunters to go after her. One is the Marcus family, a group of ruthless hunters whose kill count is in the triple digits but whose competitors never seen to survive their hunts, and the other is D. They chase down Mayerling, who hides in a Shelter built by the Nobility when the constant human rebellions were starting to pick up steam and the infrastructure was breaking down, then flees to the village of the Barbarois, half-human, half-monster hybrids. He hires three of them to protect him and his lady-love, then continues his flight toward the Claybourne States, where the rusted ruins of the Nobility's starport hints at the possibility of escape to a place among the stars, where there will be no one to stand in the way of their love. It's all very gothic and tragic.
The problem comes in the execution. On screen, there's plenty of room to show the theatrics D and his opponents display in fighting, so all the hyperbole about how fast D can move and how brutal the attacks that target him are isn't necessary. That's just a difference in the medium, though, and it's not the real problem I have, which is that the original book has much more annoying character arcs--such as they are--for nearly everyone available.
I did like that the Barbarois decided to betray their employer after the village elder let slip about the law that superseded all other laws. What I didn't like is that assault-as-backstory gets used for the motivation of Leila, the only female member of the Marcus clan; that D immediately says that women shouldn't be hunters as soon as he meets Leila; and that the girl that Mayerling falls in love with doesn't have a name. She's incredibly beautiful, of course, with a face like a moonflower, a sweet disposition, and the willingness to give up the light of the sun for her Noble love, but her name is not mentioned once. Not even by Mayerling.
The ending is also inferior to the movie, not least because the book seems to be missing something. I greatly prefer the anime's ending, where Charlotte dies and Meier Link carries her body to the stars in one of the last working starships of the Nobility. Here . The final scene in the movie is better too, with D talking to Leila's grandchildren after her funeral. That leaves the question of what she did with her life later open, rather than making it explicit here that she's giving up hunting and going to settle down in a village. You know. Like women are supposed to do, according to D. Sigh.
Also, by this point I really what to see whatever the Japanese phrase is that keeps getting translated as "countenanced carbuncle."
This is a very quick read, but honestly your time would be better served watching Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust instead.
Previous Review: Raiser of Gales.
Next Review: Tale of the Dead Town.
July 11, 2021
The fact that this particular addition to the series setting is a constant flowing motion of traveling from location to location, is a refreshing angle that is well adaptable. Of course Vampire Hunter D is a nomad individual so it only makes sense that these installations fall into the “journey across lands” category. Well executed and a certain improvement to the overall series, it takes the lead in placement of the first three books.
Demon Death Chase reads like a Romeo and Juliet novel, touching on elements of forbidden love between the D’s prey and the damsel he is trying to rescue. The scenes where Meyerling interacts with his lover is most intriguing, giving the reader plenty of insight to the darker side of a vampire’s life.
But what makes this book stand out more then it’s last two predecessors is the fact of two main ideas that are reintroduced into the story line, D’s left hand, the countenanced carbuncle meets another of its kind, and the appearance of another Dhampir.
It’s interesting to see that Kikuchi conveniently uses the very aspects of D’s qualities as antagonists in book 3. Known facts about D is that one, he is a dhampir, and two, he possesses a countenanced carbuncle, a parasite type creature in the palm of his left hand. The reader finally gets to see more background of this phenomenon when D has to go against one of his enemies that possesses the same symbiotic relationship with another parasite. The dhampir he encounters possesses an extraordinary power that won’t be spoiled here, but it is unique in many ways.
Overall, you get to see some more compassion from the dark cold beauty that is D. The reader will get to see how D’s development as a vampire Hunter is not all just business all the time. Rather, they will see his human side bleed to the surface, a remarkable blend of light and darkness.
5 out of 5 stars
Demon Death Chase reads like a Romeo and Juliet novel, touching on elements of forbidden love between the D’s prey and the damsel he is trying to rescue. The scenes where Meyerling interacts with his lover is most intriguing, giving the reader plenty of insight to the darker side of a vampire’s life.
But what makes this book stand out more then it’s last two predecessors is the fact of two main ideas that are reintroduced into the story line, D’s left hand, the countenanced carbuncle meets another of its kind, and the appearance of another Dhampir.
It’s interesting to see that Kikuchi conveniently uses the very aspects of D’s qualities as antagonists in book 3. Known facts about D is that one, he is a dhampir, and two, he possesses a countenanced carbuncle, a parasite type creature in the palm of his left hand. The reader finally gets to see more background of this phenomenon when D has to go against one of his enemies that possesses the same symbiotic relationship with another parasite. The dhampir he encounters possesses an extraordinary power that won’t be spoiled here, but it is unique in many ways.
Overall, you get to see some more compassion from the dark cold beauty that is D. The reader will get to see how D’s development as a vampire Hunter is not all just business all the time. Rather, they will see his human side bleed to the surface, a remarkable blend of light and darkness.
5 out of 5 stars
November 9, 2025
D is back in a brand-new adventure. When kids go missing, D goes to find them only to learn that vampires are behind the abductions. Will he be able to save them? Read on and find out for yourself.
This is still a pretty good vampire manga series, and I look forward to continuing it in the future. Check this and the rest of the series out at your local library and wherever books and ebooks are sold.
This is still a pretty good vampire manga series, and I look forward to continuing it in the future. Check this and the rest of the series out at your local library and wherever books and ebooks are sold.
December 13, 2015
Honestly, it's hard to think of anything new to say about Vampire Hunter D - and I've only managed to finish the third volume! Not to mention, it's always terribly difficult to choose whether to rate this as according to its literary values, or how much of a guilty pleasure these pulp fiction-y books are to me. I'm going to go for the latter, just because I never even expected these books to have any literary value whatsoever. From the beginning, I expected to get fantastic, imaginary creatures and powers, over the top action scenes and fight abilities - and the book certainly delivers.
If I compare the third volume to the first and second installments, I have to say I find it inferior to the former and superior to the latter. This book is far more easier to follow in all its details than Raiser of Gales, and the action scenes are far more exciting to me here than in the previous books.
But, there are so many characters in so few pages, that I can't help feeling like I couldn't learn enough about any one of them to care much of what was happening to a single character. Which is a shame, given that, in the beginning, I was positively surprised by the female characters. They were powerful in their own ways. The young lady who leaves everything behind with her Noble love, Baron Meyerling, shows strength in going against the societal norms that condemn relationships between vampires and humans. Leila is a renowned vampire hunter of the Marcus Clan, and then there is a dhampir lady who shows skills unusual to most half-vampires (I forgot her name) . I really appreciated that... until all this strength was devalued by the same nonsense Kikuchi used in the first two books in the series - that is, women aren't actually tough, they're just acting they are. Violence and all power associated with it are masculine traits and women who try to make it their thing are just killing themselves inside. That's something I really wish Kikuchi would just drop.
What else do I want him to drop? The sexual abuse theme of practically all women he ever introduces in his books. All of them either get raped or are under the threat of rape. The only women to have sex that isn't designed to traumatize them are the baddies, femme fatales, who are promiscuous just because they are the baddies. Yeah. This is the one thing that is really draining me in these books. Why choose to be so unimaginative with only this one thing? It's enraging. I get the Frontier isn't a paradise. All the more reason to make female characters who, you know, have actually accustomed to that environment, and aren't all just pure fragile things waiting to be sexually abused by the men around them.
If there was something I appreciated in this volume, however, it was the whole theme of humans being sometimes worse than the Nobility and half-breeds they hate. I only wish we'd got more characterization for Meyerlink and his human love, so the ending could have really punched me in the gut.
If I compare the third volume to the first and second installments, I have to say I find it inferior to the former and superior to the latter. This book is far more easier to follow in all its details than Raiser of Gales, and the action scenes are far more exciting to me here than in the previous books.
But, there are so many characters in so few pages, that I can't help feeling like I couldn't learn enough about any one of them to care much of what was happening to a single character. Which is a shame, given that, in the beginning, I was positively surprised by the female characters. They were powerful in their own ways. The young lady who leaves everything behind with her Noble love, Baron Meyerling, shows strength in going against the societal norms that condemn relationships between vampires and humans. Leila is a renowned vampire hunter of the Marcus Clan, and then there is a dhampir lady who shows skills unusual to most half-vampires (I forgot her name) . I really appreciated that... until all this strength was devalued by the same nonsense Kikuchi used in the first two books in the series - that is, women aren't actually tough, they're just acting they are. Violence and all power associated with it are masculine traits and women who try to make it their thing are just killing themselves inside. That's something I really wish Kikuchi would just drop.
What else do I want him to drop? The sexual abuse theme of practically all women he ever introduces in his books. All of them either get raped or are under the threat of rape. The only women to have sex that isn't designed to traumatize them are the baddies, femme fatales, who are promiscuous just because they are the baddies. Yeah. This is the one thing that is really draining me in these books. Why choose to be so unimaginative with only this one thing? It's enraging. I get the Frontier isn't a paradise. All the more reason to make female characters who, you know, have actually accustomed to that environment, and aren't all just pure fragile things waiting to be sexually abused by the men around them.
If there was something I appreciated in this volume, however, it was the whole theme of humans being sometimes worse than the Nobility and half-breeds they hate. I only wish we'd got more characterization for Meyerlink and his human love, so the ending could have really punched me in the gut.
October 26, 2020
These books would be better without all of the sexism.
November 14, 2022
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: D is hired to retrieve a young woman, kidnapped by a true member of nobility, an old vampire who didn’t disappear like the rest of them. On his heels there’s a whole band of other hired muscle, as the payment offered is enough for them to consider ridding of the competition too. But due to D’s dhampir nature, his skill is unmatched, and so, he can concentrate on the young woman, and the puzzle she poses, having had plenty of opportunity to escape or even kill her captor…
My Opinion: This one’s brutal. Noticed a running theme of ever increasing sexual violence in these books, from mere threat of it, to… To the nasty shit that happened in this book, so keep it in mind as a trigger warning. Other than that, the book is packed with action, supernatural battles, killing machines, relics of unimaginable past, mutations that were once stopped by, seemingly, daddy Drac himself, and mutations that didn’t stop: there’s a vampire who can drink gasoline, because, in a twisted way, it’s life-giving liquid.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: D is hired to retrieve a young woman, kidnapped by a true member of nobility, an old vampire who didn’t disappear like the rest of them. On his heels there’s a whole band of other hired muscle, as the payment offered is enough for them to consider ridding of the competition too. But due to D’s dhampir nature, his skill is unmatched, and so, he can concentrate on the young woman, and the puzzle she poses, having had plenty of opportunity to escape or even kill her captor…
My Opinion: This one’s brutal. Noticed a running theme of ever increasing sexual violence in these books, from mere threat of it, to… To the nasty shit that happened in this book, so keep it in mind as a trigger warning. Other than that, the book is packed with action, supernatural battles, killing machines, relics of unimaginable past, mutations that were once stopped by, seemingly, daddy Drac himself, and mutations that didn’t stop: there’s a vampire who can drink gasoline, because, in a twisted way, it’s life-giving liquid.
July 16, 2022
This is the book that the second movie Bloodlust is based on. The movie was pretty faithful to the book in places, and not faithful at all in others. Mostly, I just really enjoyed a deeper look at the characters from the movie. The book has a completely different ending from the movie, which while pretty good, I think I actually prefer the movie ending.
August 5, 2024
This was one of my most disappointing reads this year. There are few cases where a movie is better than the book, and that applies to this. The reason why I became interested in reading this series was because of how beautiful and heartbreaking the movie was. Nothing that made the film meaningful was in this book.
I have a few things I liked about it. As usual, the concepts in these books are interesting. The tech descriptions were cool, and I liked the expansion on the vampires' inventions. Them making hideouts like the one in this book was very unique. Another thing I loved was an introduction of a non evil vampire. The last 2 books had it, so the only good vampire was D, so Mayerling was a great change of pace.
As for the rest of the book, it was highly disappointing. There were a couple of very weird sexist lines in this. Mayerling's lover doesn't even have a name. And again, for a 200-page book, why were there so many sexual assault scenes? Is the author incapable of writing women without having that be a part of their story? The first book had a minimal amount, the second had way too much, and so did this one. The author must get off on writing 17-23 year old girls/women being SA'd. The whole dynamic between the Marcus family was incredibly disgusting. There are much better ways of approaching that subject, and unfortunately, the author did so in a very creepy way.
As much as I love the concept, world, and the main character D, I've been so put off by the repeated (and I'm assuming) fetishization of sexual assault. I may try to pick this series back up in the future, but I definitely need a palette cleanser after all this.
I have a few things I liked about it. As usual, the concepts in these books are interesting. The tech descriptions were cool, and I liked the expansion on the vampires' inventions. Them making hideouts like the one in this book was very unique. Another thing I loved was an introduction of a non evil vampire. The last 2 books had it, so the only good vampire was D, so Mayerling was a great change of pace.
As for the rest of the book, it was highly disappointing. There were a couple of very weird sexist lines in this. Mayerling's lover doesn't even have a name. And again, for a 200-page book, why were there so many sexual assault scenes? Is the author incapable of writing women without having that be a part of their story? The first book had a minimal amount, the second had way too much, and so did this one. The author must get off on writing 17-23 year old girls/women being SA'd. The whole dynamic between the Marcus family was incredibly disgusting. There are much better ways of approaching that subject, and unfortunately, the author did so in a very creepy way.
As much as I love the concept, world, and the main character D, I've been so put off by the repeated (and I'm assuming) fetishization of sexual assault. I may try to pick this series back up in the future, but I definitely need a palette cleanser after all this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2014
I really wouldn't bother if I were you.....
I don't know why I persevered, I guess I hoped that the translation would improve or as the author got to grips with the really rather fun central conceits and backgrounds in these tales the books would improve. They didn't.
So what I am doing now is pretty much repeating the previous 2 reviews and explaining why I will NOT pick up any more of these books. Purchased on a whim I though this would be more fun than this. The ideas are good, the settings solid and there is a lot of background of an intriguing nature; the difficulty with the book is in the reading.
I don't know if this is because of the translation or perhaps because the style of writing is more suited to its source language but I found the tale interrupted and stopped by the frequent comments made by the author about the plot. The move from third to first person comment was often jarring and stopped the flow.
We really do not need to be told any more how beautiful D is, certainly not by the author who does not narrate the rest of the book in the first person. For 3 books the author has gone on and on and on about the beauty of the character and its just annoying now.
Its a shame because as ever the plot was OK, the settings good and the characters fine. The idiosyncrasies of the book just jarred with me I'm afraid and it stopped the suspension of disbelief.
I don't know why I persevered, I guess I hoped that the translation would improve or as the author got to grips with the really rather fun central conceits and backgrounds in these tales the books would improve. They didn't.
So what I am doing now is pretty much repeating the previous 2 reviews and explaining why I will NOT pick up any more of these books. Purchased on a whim I though this would be more fun than this. The ideas are good, the settings solid and there is a lot of background of an intriguing nature; the difficulty with the book is in the reading.
I don't know if this is because of the translation or perhaps because the style of writing is more suited to its source language but I found the tale interrupted and stopped by the frequent comments made by the author about the plot. The move from third to first person comment was often jarring and stopped the flow.
We really do not need to be told any more how beautiful D is, certainly not by the author who does not narrate the rest of the book in the first person. For 3 books the author has gone on and on and on about the beauty of the character and its just annoying now.
Its a shame because as ever the plot was OK, the settings good and the characters fine. The idiosyncrasies of the book just jarred with me I'm afraid and it stopped the suspension of disbelief.
June 22, 2021
Another terrible pulpy novel porn
Also why the fuck is this better rated then the second or first volume?!
Also why the fuck is this better rated then the second or first volume?!
December 29, 2022
Content warnings: Blood, kidnapping, dubious consent, body horror of John Carpenter’s The Thing variety
This entry is absolutely the gnarliest one I’ve read so far, and, yes, I am aware that I am only on volume 3. While Demon Deathchase is the lightest on lore so far, the mesh of science fiction and dark fantasy is at its tightest. There are death cars and possessed carbuncles that grow into fully sentient tumors. It’s disgusting. It’s incredible.
There is no stone Kikuchi will leave unturned when it comes to the horrific scientific possibilities plaguing the world eleven thousand years into the future. We have flesh-possessing carbuncles that are eerie like ghosts and unsettling in the way flesh distorts with science that feels like magic.
The women within this work show a range of strength, from the lovelorn dhampir mechanic Caroline to the gearhead hunter Leila. I love them all, especially how they relate to D. The purple prose really works throughout the series to draw attention to D’s terrific power and ethereal beauty. The interactions and obsessions only highlight it further, and seeing the variety of personalities attracted to him definitely keeps me engaged in the new characters regardless of gender and whether or not they label their attraction love.
The ending to this one is brutal, gross, and eerily beautiful.
This entry is absolutely the gnarliest one I’ve read so far, and, yes, I am aware that I am only on volume 3. While Demon Deathchase is the lightest on lore so far, the mesh of science fiction and dark fantasy is at its tightest. There are death cars and possessed carbuncles that grow into fully sentient tumors. It’s disgusting. It’s incredible.
There is no stone Kikuchi will leave unturned when it comes to the horrific scientific possibilities plaguing the world eleven thousand years into the future. We have flesh-possessing carbuncles that are eerie like ghosts and unsettling in the way flesh distorts with science that feels like magic.
The women within this work show a range of strength, from the lovelorn dhampir mechanic Caroline to the gearhead hunter Leila. I love them all, especially how they relate to D. The purple prose really works throughout the series to draw attention to D’s terrific power and ethereal beauty. The interactions and obsessions only highlight it further, and seeing the variety of personalities attracted to him definitely keeps me engaged in the new characters regardless of gender and whether or not they label their attraction love.
The ending to this one is brutal, gross, and eerily beautiful.
July 26, 2025
Sigue el mismo patrón que las otras dos novelas de D que he leído hasta ahora: a D le encargan matar a un vampiro, le surgen rivales o gente que quiere interponerse en su cometido, y un personaje femenino que "No es como las demás chicas" y a veces no llega a los 18 tiene encontronazos con él y se enamora perdidamente de D, pero como D es un misterioso y un duro que no puede morir, pasa de movidas.
Ahora bien, esta tercera novela lo trata con un tono más "Ominoso", y aunque peca de los mismos problemas que las otras dos (el único personaje que tiene desarrollo siquiera es el propio D y el personaje femenino de turno porque la novela es corta Y autoconclusiva; los personajes femeninos siempre son víctimas y todos los personajes masculinos que no sean D son monstruos), la he notado en general más "Madura", principalmente porque en esta el villano también es humanizado y no te lo pintan como "Un vampiro más" o "El villano de la semana", y también que le dan más peso al grupo de rivales más allá de ser simples enemigos a los que D tiene que ganar para demostrar que es un duro.
Quizá me haya gustado más por la estética de la película Bloodlust (aún no la he visto, pero lo poco que vi me llamó bastante) y mi opinión esté sesgada, pero si de los tres libros del Omnibus 1 tuviera que quedarme con uno, elegiría este.
Ahora bien, esta tercera novela lo trata con un tono más "Ominoso", y aunque peca de los mismos problemas que las otras dos (el único personaje que tiene desarrollo siquiera es el propio D y el personaje femenino de turno porque la novela es corta Y autoconclusiva; los personajes femeninos siempre son víctimas y todos los personajes masculinos que no sean D son monstruos), la he notado en general más "Madura", principalmente porque en esta el villano también es humanizado y no te lo pintan como "Un vampiro más" o "El villano de la semana", y también que le dan más peso al grupo de rivales más allá de ser simples enemigos a los que D tiene que ganar para demostrar que es un duro.
Quizá me haya gustado más por la estética de la película Bloodlust (aún no la he visto, pero lo poco que vi me llamó bastante) y mi opinión esté sesgada, pero si de los tres libros del Omnibus 1 tuviera que quedarme con uno, elegiría este.
October 7, 2024
I picked this up to experience the love story on paper, not to shatter my heart again. It seems that they are doomed in every version *sigh*
Shoutout to the masterpiece that is the movie👏
On a more serious note, I don't see myself reading the rest, and it's a damn shame because I love D. Let me demonstrate the issue:
-An immortal lonely half vampire, who is getting paid to kill his kind in a gothic setting.
-(Me:) *slams credit card on the table* I want everything.
-Every comic/novel is oversexualizing women and has at least one woman being sexually assaulted.
-(Me:) ... w-what
-Oh, and also some of them undress in front of the men before a battle to 'distract' them.
-(Me:) ... *takes card back and gets tf out*
Enough said.
(I still love you, D🫶)
Shoutout to the masterpiece that is the movie👏
On a more serious note, I don't see myself reading the rest, and it's a damn shame because I love D. Let me demonstrate the issue:
-An immortal lonely half vampire, who is getting paid to kill his kind in a gothic setting.
-(Me:) *slams credit card on the table* I want everything.
-Every comic/novel is oversexualizing women and has at least one woman being sexually assaulted.
-(Me:) ... w-what
-Oh, and also some of them undress in front of the men before a battle to 'distract' them.
-(Me:) ... *takes card back and gets tf out*
Enough said.
(I still love you, D🫶)
August 28, 2020
These Vampire Hunter D novels are really, really good! The worldbuilding in these novels is as good as anything this side of Tolkien. In this particular volume we have a fairly large cast of characters: D, a group of vampire hunters, the vampire and human girl they are all hunting, and a whole village of "monsters", three of which play a major part in the story.
The characters are cool and very diverse, and as I've already said the settings are awesome.
I would recommend this series to any fans of horror, vampires, sci-fi or manga.
The characters are cool and very diverse, and as I've already said the settings are awesome.
I would recommend this series to any fans of horror, vampires, sci-fi or manga.
February 25, 2025
Constantly blown away by this sci-fi Wild West frontier world. This one was so action-packed, D finally took a nap. Also enjoyed seeing characters from the Bloodlust movie in here! This one had a lot of heavy themes/triggers in it as well. It’s impossible to be a woman safely in this series, I guess. 4 stars! 🥀
June 12, 2022
Una interesante historia donde hubo mas participación de los personajes secundarios, quisiera comparar con la película que hicieron adaptando esta historia, pero diría que tiene varios detalles que no salieron si mal no recuerdo. Pareciera que D esta poco a poco sacando mas y mas su lado humano.
February 4, 2024
The narrator referring to D as a “mystic bird” count: 3
Possibly the weakest volume so far. It has the foundation of a compelling story—star-crossed lovers that must be hunted down, the potential to give insight into D’s emotions about his own existence as he goes about trying to kill half of the couple to prevent more beings like him from existing, a rival monster hunter crew with a lot of internal dysfunction. But a lot of these elements are executed on a very surface level, kind of thrown in then easily removed to prove D’s strength. Isn’t that always how it goes? Yes, of course, this is a Vampire Hunter D novel and one should expect no less, but we had more character development for D and insight into his humanity in the previous volume, as well as a more interesting relationship with the female companion character. No, I don’t mind the bleak ending of the novel, but I think that the brand of tragic from the film ending was much more nuanced, and much more compelling.
I also think that this is the volume with the most rape so far. Thankfully, this was changed in the movie adaptation, but the Marcus brothers actually all sexually assault Leila in the novel. Multiple times. I know that this is probably intended as an indicator of how harsh and violent the world of the story is, but having this band of vampire hunter siblings gang-rape their little sister is beyond gratuitous. It’s not enough that every other monster or human traveller who randomly happens upon the female characters are also all rapists, the anti-heroes are too. (I say anti-heroes because, to my logic, fellow monster hunters could be “good” in the same sense that D is one and is “good”, though morally grey at times, like when he kills evil human men.) The dynamic of the movie is far more interesting, where the sibling gang do care about each other and are racing for the grand prize against D, with dirty tactics and foul play involved, but without declaring battles to the death at every turn.
The cherry on top though is that the human woman, half of the star-crossed couple, isn’t named. She has no name, and is only referred to as “the girl”, whereas her vampire lover has a name and some basic characterization beyond being “as beautiful as a blossom” or whatever. Again, thank god the movie changed this and gave her a name: Charlotte. Combine this with a very rushed conclusion where everyone dies and Leila stops hunting and just goes away, this is the worst of the three volumes I’ve read so far. The action and other creatures that were fought during the story were creative, but that’s not enough to make up for the rest.
I enjoy these novels as pulp reading, but I’d go as far as recommending skipping this one and just reading other volumes, since no information about the world or D are unique to this novel and not found elsewhere. And the film adaptation Bloodlust improves on all of these weaknesses so well. Sorry, I just really felt like I gained nothing from reading this one. Still, I’m looking forward to the next one, which has a promising premise and, from what I hear, less bullshit.
Possibly the weakest volume so far. It has the foundation of a compelling story—star-crossed lovers that must be hunted down, the potential to give insight into D’s emotions about his own existence as he goes about trying to kill half of the couple to prevent more beings like him from existing, a rival monster hunter crew with a lot of internal dysfunction. But a lot of these elements are executed on a very surface level, kind of thrown in then easily removed to prove D’s strength. Isn’t that always how it goes? Yes, of course, this is a Vampire Hunter D novel and one should expect no less, but we had more character development for D and insight into his humanity in the previous volume, as well as a more interesting relationship with the female companion character. No, I don’t mind the bleak ending of the novel, but I think that the brand of tragic from the film ending was much more nuanced, and much more compelling.
I also think that this is the volume with the most rape so far. Thankfully, this was changed in the movie adaptation, but the Marcus brothers actually all sexually assault Leila in the novel. Multiple times. I know that this is probably intended as an indicator of how harsh and violent the world of the story is, but having this band of vampire hunter siblings gang-rape their little sister is beyond gratuitous. It’s not enough that every other monster or human traveller who randomly happens upon the female characters are also all rapists, the anti-heroes are too. (I say anti-heroes because, to my logic, fellow monster hunters could be “good” in the same sense that D is one and is “good”, though morally grey at times, like when he kills evil human men.) The dynamic of the movie is far more interesting, where the sibling gang do care about each other and are racing for the grand prize against D, with dirty tactics and foul play involved, but without declaring battles to the death at every turn.
The cherry on top though is that the human woman, half of the star-crossed couple, isn’t named. She has no name, and is only referred to as “the girl”, whereas her vampire lover has a name and some basic characterization beyond being “as beautiful as a blossom” or whatever. Again, thank god the movie changed this and gave her a name: Charlotte. Combine this with a very rushed conclusion where everyone dies and Leila stops hunting and just goes away, this is the worst of the three volumes I’ve read so far. The action and other creatures that were fought during the story were creative, but that’s not enough to make up for the rest.
I enjoy these novels as pulp reading, but I’d go as far as recommending skipping this one and just reading other volumes, since no information about the world or D are unique to this novel and not found elsewhere. And the film adaptation Bloodlust improves on all of these weaknesses so well. Sorry, I just really felt like I gained nothing from reading this one. Still, I’m looking forward to the next one, which has a promising premise and, from what I hear, less bullshit.
May 13, 2015
These books are getting hard to rate. I realize these are all just basically guilty pleasures for those of us who enjoy bizarre creatures, meandering storylines, and laugh out loud fight scenes filled with hyperbole. But as I try to distinguish the books from each other for rating purposes, I find myself conflicted about the strengths and weaknesses of each book.
If I compare this book to the previous one (Vampire Hunter D Volume 02: Raiser of Gales), I prefer this one because there are fewer sexual assaults, there are more strong women characters, and the main themes seem to be about love in unexpected places and the question of when humans can be the monsters. On the other hand, I didn't like this one so much because right when I was getting comfortable with all the strong women, the author throws in two plotlines (trigger warning ) that I found disturbing and undermined the strength of the women characters. Plus, the characterization overall was weaker than the previous volume, although part of that was understandable because Demon Deathchase has a lot more characters to study, and it focuses a lot more on action: it is basically one long chase sequence. Still, the ending here was not quite as poignant as it could have been, because we didn't spend as much time getting to know the characters and their motivations as we did in the previous book.
All in all, if you liked the first two books, I'm sure you will enjoy this one as well. It is a solid and entertaining entry in the series, with a few scenes that will just blow your mind. For myself, I like the unexpected over-the-top representations in these books, but I can see there will come a time when I've read enough of these. D is talented and amusing, and the Frontier has the can't-look-away allure of a deadly accident, but do I really want my heroes to be half-demons whose sole skill is killing and who doesn't dream of joy or love but of endless battles that never stop? Okay, I guess he also has a penchant for grandiose gestures of honor, but still...
Edit: Having now read three of these books, I'm pulling the rating down to three stars for this one because the author seems to be treating sexual assault as a part of the descriptive adjectives for his female characters. Did I describe their hair color? Check. Did I mention who they are in love with? Check. Did I incorporate sexual assault into their current or past history? Check. The repetition is demeaning, and I can't act like it doesn't tarnish the overall tone of these books.
If I compare this book to the previous one (Vampire Hunter D Volume 02: Raiser of Gales), I prefer this one because there are fewer sexual assaults, there are more strong women characters, and the main themes seem to be about love in unexpected places and the question of when humans can be the monsters. On the other hand, I didn't like this one so much because right when I was getting comfortable with all the strong women, the author throws in two plotlines (trigger warning ) that I found disturbing and undermined the strength of the women characters. Plus, the characterization overall was weaker than the previous volume, although part of that was understandable because Demon Deathchase has a lot more characters to study, and it focuses a lot more on action: it is basically one long chase sequence. Still, the ending here was not quite as poignant as it could have been, because we didn't spend as much time getting to know the characters and their motivations as we did in the previous book.
All in all, if you liked the first two books, I'm sure you will enjoy this one as well. It is a solid and entertaining entry in the series, with a few scenes that will just blow your mind. For myself, I like the unexpected over-the-top representations in these books, but I can see there will come a time when I've read enough of these. D is talented and amusing, and the Frontier has the can't-look-away allure of a deadly accident, but do I really want my heroes to be half-demons whose sole skill is killing and who doesn't dream of joy or love but of endless battles that never stop? Okay, I guess he also has a penchant for grandiose gestures of honor, but still...
Edit: Having now read three of these books, I'm pulling the rating down to three stars for this one because the author seems to be treating sexual assault as a part of the descriptive adjectives for his female characters. Did I describe their hair color? Check. Did I mention who they are in love with? Check. Did I incorporate sexual assault into their current or past history? Check. The repetition is demeaning, and I can't act like it doesn't tarnish the overall tone of these books.
January 17, 2014
This book is told in multiple perspectives. To name a few were D, the Marcus Clan, Mayerling, and the girl that was with Mayerling. That was only a few. I think reading it from so many perspectives really helps you imagine this story of adventure better.This story is very action / adventure / fantasy with tons of description. All of these books are very strong with world and character building.
The setting for this book is on the frontier. Where its often to dangerous for anyone to travel and you never know what creatures you'll run into day or night.
This story has to do with of course Vampire Hunter D who is a dhampir, half human half vampire (Noble). I love his character sooo much he seems very detached from the other characters of every book that I've read of his adventures (3). He like the ultimate, smoothest fighter I've read about, it almost comes to easy for him.
Within this book D is hired to go get a girl who was captured by a Noble. But a clan of vampire hunters was hired for the job as well. Not to mention the girl went with Mayerling (the vampire) on her own free will (this is very rare) and they love each other.
Just that little glimpse of storyline makes this book have such strong appeal to me. Not to mention after reading the first two I was hooked.
The Marcus Clan was interesting to read about. There is five of them in all and they all have their own skills that make them strong hunters for just being humans. I think my favorite character out of their clan would have to be the girl Leila. She is very strong with what she has to put up with and shes a pretty bad-ass at driving.
Mayerling and his girl are so romantic. I loved the two of them together and I just wanted to keep reading to see if they'd make it out alive. They have quite a few "awe" moments to them.
I really enjoyed this book, I found it to be a quick read. There is always some really dark and mess up things within these books I noticed so far, but their interesting to read about. It is one of the shorter ones that have read out of this series, but I enjoyed this story more than I did for the second.
The setting for this book is on the frontier. Where its often to dangerous for anyone to travel and you never know what creatures you'll run into day or night.
This story has to do with of course Vampire Hunter D who is a dhampir, half human half vampire (Noble). I love his character sooo much he seems very detached from the other characters of every book that I've read of his adventures (3). He like the ultimate, smoothest fighter I've read about, it almost comes to easy for him.
Within this book D is hired to go get a girl who was captured by a Noble. But a clan of vampire hunters was hired for the job as well. Not to mention the girl went with Mayerling (the vampire) on her own free will (this is very rare) and they love each other.
Just that little glimpse of storyline makes this book have such strong appeal to me. Not to mention after reading the first two I was hooked.
The Marcus Clan was interesting to read about. There is five of them in all and they all have their own skills that make them strong hunters for just being humans. I think my favorite character out of their clan would have to be the girl Leila. She is very strong with what she has to put up with and shes a pretty bad-ass at driving.
Mayerling and his girl are so romantic. I loved the two of them together and I just wanted to keep reading to see if they'd make it out alive. They have quite a few "awe" moments to them.
I really enjoyed this book, I found it to be a quick read. There is always some really dark and mess up things within these books I noticed so far, but their interesting to read about. It is one of the shorter ones that have read out of this series, but I enjoyed this story more than I did for the second.
January 31, 2011
Great read!! Mr. Kikuchi most certainly did not disappoint.
I am a big fan of the movie Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust, which was inspired by this book. Although the plots somewhat differ from one another, they both held me in suspense. I immediately became attached to the heroine of the tale Leila Marcus, the sister of the infamous Marcus clan. Believe me when I say, this chick had it rough. Being the only female in the clan, she suffered emotionally, from lost relationships, and physically by the hands and manly needs of her brothers. Of course when she crosses the path of the beautiful Vampire Hunter D, who was hired to seize the same target as the Marcus clan, she falls for him big-time and gives into the urge to protect him, just as he protects her. As usual, D is cool and unmoved, but it becomes very clear throughout the story that he has a certain fascination with Leila. But don't get it twisted, this is not a romance tale.
The horror aspect of the tale made it all the enjoyable. God, I can’t help but love Kikuchi’s wild imagination!
There are scenes in the story that are greatly drawn out, but this happens to be a unique writing style of Kikuchi’s that I happen to enjoy. It just pulls me deeper into the scene. There’s some serious head-hopping, which is a little jarring if you’re not used to it. However, the story is so intriguing that the head hopping is easy to overlook.
Fabulous job Mr. Kikuchi. I can’t wait to read the next one!
I am a big fan of the movie Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust, which was inspired by this book. Although the plots somewhat differ from one another, they both held me in suspense. I immediately became attached to the heroine of the tale Leila Marcus, the sister of the infamous Marcus clan. Believe me when I say, this chick had it rough. Being the only female in the clan, she suffered emotionally, from lost relationships, and physically by the hands and manly needs of her brothers. Of course when she crosses the path of the beautiful Vampire Hunter D, who was hired to seize the same target as the Marcus clan, she falls for him big-time and gives into the urge to protect him, just as he protects her. As usual, D is cool and unmoved, but it becomes very clear throughout the story that he has a certain fascination with Leila. But don't get it twisted, this is not a romance tale.
The horror aspect of the tale made it all the enjoyable. God, I can’t help but love Kikuchi’s wild imagination!
There are scenes in the story that are greatly drawn out, but this happens to be a unique writing style of Kikuchi’s that I happen to enjoy. It just pulls me deeper into the scene. There’s some serious head-hopping, which is a little jarring if you’re not used to it. However, the story is so intriguing that the head hopping is easy to overlook.
Fabulous job Mr. Kikuchi. I can’t wait to read the next one!
January 8, 2012
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a much looser adaptation of this book. There are numerous plot changes and character personality shifts.
D has been hired by a wealthy ailing man to find his daughter whose been kidnapped by vampire, MeierLink. We soon learn that the two are actually in love and want to escape together to a planet leaving the planet.
D isn't the only one on their tail. The father's also hired the mercenary Marcus brothers (with 3 brothers and a sister) for the same mission. It's a race to the finish for who will rescue her first.
Normally, I prefer the books to the movie, but for this series it was the opposite. The movie was visually stunning a the time with great action. I also much preferred the family dynamic of the Marcus brothers compared to the book as well. In the movie, they at least come off as somewhat likable. I didn't feel MeierLink and Charlotte's (though she is unnamed here) love shine through quite as much compared to the movie. Leila's not quite as badass as she was in the movie and feelings for D are more pronounced here. She does come off as more sympathetic though.
Overall these books are fairly short read. If you've seen Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, I would recommend reading the book. It's very interesting to see what the movie changed.
*Review posted to Amazon
D has been hired by a wealthy ailing man to find his daughter whose been kidnapped by vampire, MeierLink. We soon learn that the two are actually in love and want to escape together to a planet leaving the planet.
D isn't the only one on their tail. The father's also hired the mercenary Marcus brothers (with 3 brothers and a sister) for the same mission. It's a race to the finish for who will rescue her first.
Normally, I prefer the books to the movie, but for this series it was the opposite. The movie was visually stunning a the time with great action. I also much preferred the family dynamic of the Marcus brothers compared to the book as well. In the movie, they at least come off as somewhat likable. I didn't feel MeierLink and Charlotte's (though she is unnamed here) love shine through quite as much compared to the movie. Leila's not quite as badass as she was in the movie and feelings for D are more pronounced here. She does come off as more sympathetic though.
Overall these books are fairly short read. If you've seen Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, I would recommend reading the book. It's very interesting to see what the movie changed.
*Review posted to Amazon
June 2, 2012
After reading the first two books I had mix feelings about the character and the author. I will continue to read them (that's no doubt) but as the previous book I was not all that glad about this book. This book suffers from the translation (it seems that sometimes the english language is not suitable or makes all that sense). I think it's hard to translate a book from japonese to a western language. Since I don't understant japonese I can't say anything. If there are some differences from english to portuguese I think what would be the differences from japonese to any other language. Moving along..
This book as the first was adapted for a tv film. If the movies were something good the books I can't say that. This third book the persons doing it changed everything. Even the ending is completely different. In the movie they go happily to the stars but on this book the noble Mayerling is killed and the female counterpart impales herself in his nails (sharp as steel).
I know this book has the right ending but I did see the movie first so...
In the end I think the book (small as it was) drag on in some parts.. In seemed that nothing happened for some time... But as I Said maybe is my perspective of the film. I will read the fourth book in a couple of weeks and see what changed.
The companion-manga book is doesn't feel right and i'ts not that good. I think it add nothing to the all mythologie.
This book as the first was adapted for a tv film. If the movies were something good the books I can't say that. This third book the persons doing it changed everything. Even the ending is completely different. In the movie they go happily to the stars but on this book the noble Mayerling is killed and the female counterpart impales herself in his nails (sharp as steel).
I know this book has the right ending but I did see the movie first so...
In the end I think the book (small as it was) drag on in some parts.. In seemed that nothing happened for some time... But as I Said maybe is my perspective of the film. I will read the fourth book in a couple of weeks and see what changed.
The companion-manga book is doesn't feel right and i'ts not that good. I think it add nothing to the all mythologie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2017
Probably the best one I've read so far. The first volume was basic, the second one was overly weird and this one had multiple perspectives and was a sprawling adventure.
for those reasons it rates as the best of the 3 I've read so far
for those reasons it rates as the best of the 3 I've read so far
May 25, 2010
I couldn't make myself finish this book, and I hate that. Hideyuki Kikuchi is a wonderfully imaginitive writer who knows how to keep the action rolling. I love Vampire Hunter D, I love the far future post-post-apocalyptic world he inhabits, and I love the film Bloodlust that was based on this very novel.
I hate the translation.
As I understand it (and this is what I heard from a translator at a convention I went to) Japanese does not in any way, shape, or form translate directly into English. The translator has to absorb the meaning and intent of the Japanese writer and rephrase it into a way that makes sense to an English reader, and vice-versa. Therefore, when translating prose from one language to another, especially languages as alien to one another as the two in question, it's not enough for the translator to have a firm grasp of each language. He also has to be a halfway decent prose stylist in his own right.
Even at his best, Leahy delivers slightly jarring turns of phrase reminiscent of an early pulp writer, and for the first two books in the series that worked to add to the effect. In this one, his writing seems rushed, and just clunky enough that it continually got in the way of the story.
I hate the translation.
As I understand it (and this is what I heard from a translator at a convention I went to) Japanese does not in any way, shape, or form translate directly into English. The translator has to absorb the meaning and intent of the Japanese writer and rephrase it into a way that makes sense to an English reader, and vice-versa. Therefore, when translating prose from one language to another, especially languages as alien to one another as the two in question, it's not enough for the translator to have a firm grasp of each language. He also has to be a halfway decent prose stylist in his own right.
Even at his best, Leahy delivers slightly jarring turns of phrase reminiscent of an early pulp writer, and for the first two books in the series that worked to add to the effect. In this one, his writing seems rushed, and just clunky enough that it continually got in the way of the story.
May 5, 2015
So this was the third book, and it was very similar to the others, only D this time he wasn't AS interested in the lead female - a blooming, gorgeous young woman (per usual). At the end of the book, she gets him to smile a smile so rare it would stick with her for the end of her days if she had seen it... just like the other girls... so... it really isn't that rare.
Still, this was better than the second book - less crappy dialogue (Though the girls first sentence to D is "Nice to meet you, Mr. Tight-Lips". I have to keep reminding myself as I read that these were originally written both in the 80's, and in Japanese. So really it's the fault of whoever translated it, as well as our own language's incompatibility. What might sound witty or suave in Japanese sounds trite and silly in English (and i'm sure visa versa). It just seems like every time there's a battle, something new and impossible and unbelievable happens, and there's only so many times you can throw something in a way that's inconceivable. I mean.. eventually it's going to be conceivable, there's only a finite amount of ways something can leave someones hand!
Still, this was better than the second book - less crappy dialogue (Though the girls first sentence to D is "Nice to meet you, Mr. Tight-Lips". I have to keep reminding myself as I read that these were originally written both in the 80's, and in Japanese. So really it's the fault of whoever translated it, as well as our own language's incompatibility. What might sound witty or suave in Japanese sounds trite and silly in English (and i'm sure visa versa). It just seems like every time there's a battle, something new and impossible and unbelievable happens, and there's only so many times you can throw something in a way that's inconceivable. I mean.. eventually it's going to be conceivable, there's only a finite amount of ways something can leave someones hand!
August 28, 2025
This was the first book in the series where D had competition to his quarry, the first time we get to see the viciousness and effectiveness of a rival band of hunters.
That rival band appears to be led by an actual idiot, who just blusters his strength around to get by. Okay, so he can defy gravity - why would he forget he's just taken a massive injury and try to defy gravity over a flesh-eating ant nest, whilst himself dripping blood? What was Borgoff's plan there precisely? Meyerling wasn't going to absent-mindedly follow him onto the ant nest, all he had to do was stand there and watch as Borgoff basically committed suicide. Absolute total nonsense, ruined any suspension of disbelief.
I really hope the next book does not end on D smiling as he walks away because the sole female surviving character has somehow impressed him enough to bring one on, but they don't get to see it. "So and so *would* be proud that they made D smile, if they ever knew they did" is not a good line to end a story on.
That rival band appears to be led by an actual idiot, who just blusters his strength around to get by. Okay, so he can defy gravity - why would he forget he's just taken a massive injury and try to defy gravity over a flesh-eating ant nest, whilst himself dripping blood? What was Borgoff's plan there precisely? Meyerling wasn't going to absent-mindedly follow him onto the ant nest, all he had to do was stand there and watch as Borgoff basically committed suicide. Absolute total nonsense, ruined any suspension of disbelief.
I really hope the next book does not end on D smiling as he walks away because the sole female surviving character has somehow impressed him enough to bring one on, but they don't get to see it. "So and so *would* be proud that they made D smile, if they ever knew they did" is not a good line to end a story on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2024
Again, another VHD that revolves around the female lead being raped. This time it was incestuous gang rape that completely broke and deprived Leila of any feelings and soul. There are better ways to layer up the female cast and this is severely overused. The world and premise that Kikchuchi is going for is brilliant and amazing and could be so much better executed without the abhorrent amount of rape, genderism and how constantly beautiful D is on every single page. I honestly could no longer enjoy the story plot and may just watch the film at some point as it’s been stated to be much better and more attention grabbing than the book. The idea is great, the settings are great, the underlying background details are good- but having that constant build up for the female characters is tiresome. Along with constantly reading how beautiful D is. It’s the third book, we do not need page by page reminders.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2021
I like these books but never really like them that much.
They're wild to an almost silly degree but sometimes that's a bit of a problem. I think the novel drags at just the wrong moments and there are expository scenes that probably don't need to be included.
Still, these books are pretty fun. Just not as fun as I ever hope.
They're wild to an almost silly degree but sometimes that's a bit of a problem. I think the novel drags at just the wrong moments and there are expository scenes that probably don't need to be included.
Still, these books are pretty fun. Just not as fun as I ever hope.
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