Inner Heart by Yuu Watase Series: Alice 19th Book: 2 Can’t say I’ve had any cute guys come up to me and claim me as their fiancée, but I would probably be a bit wary too. Such happens to Alice right in the hallways of her school…and right in front of her secret love, Kyo. But Frey, the strange marrying guy, has a much deeper purpose and joins Kyo and Alice in their mission to save Alice’s sister from a strong darkness, bringing to the table a more expanded knowledge about the Lotis Words and the group’s destinies as Lotis Masters. The main foe the teens face in Inner Heart isn’t very scary (she comes in the form of Oishi, a prissy, stick-up clique chick with a bit of scary on the side), but it does help the group gain a better understanding of how the whole otherworld, darkness-of-heart, kidnapping spirits thing works. Sure, Frey’s protective presence makes things a bit confusing, but Alice’s unintended love triangle is an adorable one with, considering they’re illustrated manga characters, two quite hot guys. Review Posted: PaperBackSwap

Lotis Master by Yuu Watase Series: Alice 19th Book: 1 What would you do if your words could literally affect the lives of others? Alice begins to find out exactly how it feels in the first volume of Yuu Watase’s (Fushigi Yugi, Ceres) series Alice 19th. Truly, all Alice wants to be able to confess her deep feelings for her sister Mayura’s quasi-boyfriend and archery classmate Kyo. But it becomes increasingly more difficult when Alice’s discovery and rescue of a mysterious, carrot-snatching rabbit gives her the ability to use the Lotis Words (words with underlying power, pretty much) and protect herself from disruptive forces, like the sketchy archer her sister sets Alice up with. Kyo, though unsure of pursuing any romantic interests with Mayura, casts himself in the role of protector of Alice from the get-go. However, whether Kyo sees Alice in any other light than a youth subject to precarious situations remains to be seen in the future installments, which will hopefully put Alice against riskier, more dangerous foes than just a hormonal teenage kid who needs a good kick in the behind. The underlying concept of Alice 19th and its relatable characters, though, are interesting and intriguing. Review Posted: PaperBackSwap