Mark of the Succubus, Tome 1 :

Mark of the Succubus #1

by Irene Flores, Ashly Raiti, Achille(s) (Translator)

For a succubus, love can be a real nightmare...Maeve, a succubus-in-training, is sent to the human world to learn how to hone her skills of seduction. But things get a bit complicated when she sets her sights on Aiden, a smart but unmotivated student at her new high school. Meanwhile, the head succubus of the Demon World has sent a spy to make sure Maeve doesn't step out of line. But between Aiden's witchy girlfriend, his nutty best friend, biology class, and Demon World conspiracies, Maeve is going to be lucky to make it out of high school alive!Finalists in TOKYOPOP's national Rising Stars of Manga competition, Ashly Raiti and Irene Flores have created a Gothic romantic fantasy set in one of the most menacing worlds known to high school.Grade 9 Up-In this OEL manga, readers meet sweet and stunning Maeve, a succubus-in-training. (A succubus is a demon who seduces men and then kills them.) Hailing from the Demon World, she is sent to the human world to fine-tune her skills. She enters high school and meets Aiden, a handsome young slacker with a demanding father and a shrew for a girlfriend. The two become friends, and there is an underlying attraction between them. Their awkward romance builds to a crescendo until Maeve completes her training and is instructed to kill her first human, which happens to be Aiden. Though the sexual innuendo is kept to a minimum, and the relationship ventures no further than flirting, there is some fairly strong language. The characters are well crafted and likable. The plot is fresh and will appeal to most teens with its elements of high school drama combined with fantasy. These facets of the writing blended with Floress gothic manga-inspired art will make this book fly off the shelves.Unmotivated high school student Aiden meets Maeve, a succubus-in-training sent from the demon homeland to learn about humans in this OEL manga. Just when the situation is getting interesting, with Maeve being told to target Aiden, the book ends with a promise of more to come next volume. Aiden's got a neglectful father who wants him to ignore his music and go to law school. Aiden's best friend, Devin, hates his pushy girlfriend (who's more demonic than Maeve and jealous of her). Maeve's being spied on by a former teacher, convinced she'll break the rules by becoming attached to a human. Too many elements like these are raised but not sufficiently dealt with. The character design varies from panel to panel-classical fantasy, cartoony exaggeration, thick-outlined oversimplification, old-fashioned big-eyed manga-but somehow it all hangs together, even though the artist hasn't yet synthesized all of her many visible influences into her own style. She also can't pull off sexy well enough for the subject matter; instead of looking seductive, her scantily dressed Maeve resembles an overstuffed sausage bursting from her clothes. (It doesn't help that she looks about 12.) The boy's very cute, though, and very realistic in his attitudes and poses.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Magic, Romance, Supernatural

185 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2005

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better than I expected. I generally have low expectations of Amerimanga--Svetlana Chmakova's work excepted--so I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was. The manga influence is there, but so are the storytelling chops. It's not just a mishmash of manga tropes thrown in a blender.

So we've got the high school setting. Our two main characters seem to be Aiden, something of a daydreamer and indifferent student, but he tries, and Maeve, a succubus in training. She's come to the human world as part of her training, but must keep her supernatural aspects a secret. Naturally Aiden helps show this new girl at school around. And naturally there are signs that they're starting to fall for each other. And naturally the volume ends with a complication that could be serious trouble for at least one of them ...

As I said, this was fun. The characters are enjoyable and the story flows nicely. If the story isn't particularly original, it's done with enough style and earnestness that it doesn't matter. And I'm impressed that they managed to come up with a teen-appropriate version of the classic succubus without it seeming like a cheat. I'm definitely up for more of this series.

[melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art in this one is kinda hit or miss, nothing terribly impressive, but I really enjoyed the storyline, despite this installment ending on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Maeve is a succubus-in-training that is sent to the human world to learn how they act so she'll be able to seduce and kill them later.

[Sarai · Rating 4 out of 5]

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–In this OEL manga, readers meet sweet and stunning Maeve, a succubus-in-training. (A succubus is a demon who seduces men and then kills them.) Hailing from the Demon World, she is sent to the human world to fine-tune her skills. She enters high school and meets Aiden, a handsome young slacker with a demanding father and a shrew for a girlfriend. The two become friends, and there is an underlying attraction between them. Their awkward romance builds to a crescendo until Maeve completes her training and is instructed to kill her first human, which happens to be Aiden. Though the sexual innuendo is kept to a minimum, and the relationship ventures no further than flirting, there is some fairly strong language. The characters are well crafted and likable. The plot is fresh and will appeal to most teens with its elements of high school drama combined with fantasy. These facets of the writing blended with Floress gothic manga-inspired art will make this book fly off the shelves.–Jennifer Feigelman, Plattekill Public Library, Modena, NY

[Anna Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I picked up because who doesn’t like a good succubus story? And it was on my kids’ shelf. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great. The inner turmoil of the FMC was a bit childish (even for a succubus in training). The font used was not always easy to read. Some of the print was lighter than others and that made it hard to read (which distracts from the page). The artwork was eye catching and enjoyable though.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's often light and amusing, but not goofy. The subtle comedic timing is good. The story concept doesn't seem too original so far, but the execution is absorbing, and the art is good (perhaps apart from a couple strange clothing situations). I'm enjoying this, and plan to look for volume two.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK. It's beginning to show its age and the art is weird at times. I like the story, but it's nothing too special. This first one was slow to start and gave me little incentive to keep going, but the ending does have me wanting the second volume. I hope the second one is a little faster!

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expected better

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. An interesting premise but it seems to predictable and Maeve comes off as too sweet. There should be something there that is, if not, evil at least edgy or dark because she is a demon.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute Gothic romance manga. Art is beautiful

[Macha · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked the artwork a lot: very definitely drawn, with a lot of expression and characterization - for that reason though, more obviously owing a lot to American comics. the whole succubus-in-training thing is cute, but the high school setting's kinda banal (unless, i suppose, the reader's of that age), and not a whole lot happens. the teacher incubus and the enslaved imp are interesting characters, though, and Maeve's pleasant but bland excursion into human life suddenly sours at the end when her registered victim turns out to be the boy she's getting to be friends with. so this series does have possibilities, but it's really too early to tell whether it will realize any of them when the story progresses. it's not bad, but on the surface the story doesn't look to be reaching for anything very original either. #1 of any manga, though, isn't necessarily where the reader finds out where the artists plan to take it.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow I hated this book. In fact, this whole manga genre is definitely not for me. I find the plot of this book, and other manga to be very childish despite the content. So the plot is a girl comes from hell as a succubus to make a highschool boy fall in love with her. Okay? This is not a very difficult task obviously for a girl who dresses like a dominatrix. However, the plot 'thickens' when the girl falls in love and doesn't want to hurt the poor boy. As if the plot wasn't painfully simple enough, their are more in the series and I cannot wait to not read it. Do not read this book unless you're ready for a cheesy love story out of hell.

[Bniceygresham · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a girl who is about to become a succubus, so she has to go to earth to learn our rules and customs. She has a perfume that enchants the first person she sees that happens to be a boy she meets. She finally passes the test and becomes a succubus. She must find a person to attack. She does not know who so she says the next boy who comes through the door, who happens to be the boy she first met when she came to earth

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that I really didn't understand fully. Its a small series of a girl whose a succubus in training. She must go to earth and pick one man to seduce then kill him. She goes to earth looking for someone, but something strange happens. The person she picks she starts to feel an attraction to. Can she overcome it or is she going to break the biggest rule to stay with him. Very weird book to read.

[Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and enjoyable read. The story is quite simple and the same could be said for art but all in all one of the better OEL manga that I've read. And I'm looking forward to the second volume.

[Rachel (Sfogs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, very predicable.
It'll take me a while to get used to this drawing style!

[Joseph dela Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its art is obviously not that brilliant but it still had a well story which blends together.

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

[REVIEW TO COME LATER UPON RE-READ.]

[DJay · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not bad. It's just not my cup of tea.

[Lightwhisper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't think the art and the story were that interesting. But love is in the air.