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cazzyfmw's review
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
literarysaara's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I was incredibly intrigued by the blurb of this manga volume, as it mentions that the story takes place in a cybernetic, dystopian world that is still recovering from the effects of a war. Levius is a Mechanical Martial Arts fighter - a cybernetically augmented fighter who has been augmented into a brutal fighting and killing machine.
The reading pace of most manga and graphic novels are usually faster than the average text-only book, but I found this manga to be incredibly more fast-paced than other manga volumes I have read up until now. Perhaps this is because there are multiple flashbacks throughout the dialogues of multiple characters, which can at times make understanding what's happening a bit confusing. I'm guessing that with continuous reading of the series, the flashbacks will start to make more sense. As an introduction to the series, I'd say this first volume is a 50/50 - it has all the key elements of a fictional world I want to desperately get absorbed in, but the way it's written and the initial pace makes it more difficult to do so. I will read the second volume of this series and depending on how I find that read, I will either continue reading through the series or not.
The reading pace of most manga and graphic novels are usually faster than the average text-only book, but I found this manga to be incredibly more fast-paced than other manga volumes I have read up until now. Perhaps this is because there are multiple flashbacks throughout the dialogues of multiple characters, which can at times make understanding what's happening a bit confusing. I'm guessing that with continuous reading of the series, the flashbacks will start to make more sense. As an introduction to the series, I'd say this first volume is a 50/50 - it has all the key elements of a fictional world I want to desperately get absorbed in, but the way it's written and the initial pace makes it more difficult to do so. I will read the second volume of this series and depending on how I find that read, I will either continue reading through the series or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Death and Blood
Minor: Torture, Slavery, War, Mental illness, and Violence
flaviathebibliophile's review
3.0
A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This manga was published in English last November, but I hadn’t heard about it around its pub date. I actually came across volume 1 of Levius while browsing Edelweiss when a lot of publishers moved to using digital ARCs due to COVID-19. I’ve been meaning to read more manga and I really liked the artistic style, the use of space, the colour choices on the cover of Levius. It gave me Akira vibes, but a little more to my taste visually. I read the synopsis and became even more intrigued. I was approved for a digital copy of the book and started reading! Something to note for people moving to reading manga in digital format through platforms like Edelweiss and NetGalley is that most manga is still read left to right (like the original Japanese version) but that can get a little tricky when combined with a tablet.
I can’t get my Kobo to work right now (so I can’t speak to how these files function on there), so I’ve been reading digital books on my iPad and was a little frustrated with the progress bar in the book apps I was using starting on the right side even though you’re reading left to right. It got a bit glitchy, which I wanted to point out because it might have affected my initial reaction to this manga specifically. I was kind of figuring out how to turn the pages properly and was a bit frustrated, so I couldn’t get into the story quite like I normally would have.
That being said...
Read the rest of my review here: https://flaviathebibliophile.com/levius-volume-1-review/
This manga was published in English last November, but I hadn’t heard about it around its pub date. I actually came across volume 1 of Levius while browsing Edelweiss when a lot of publishers moved to using digital ARCs due to COVID-19. I’ve been meaning to read more manga and I really liked the artistic style, the use of space, the colour choices on the cover of Levius. It gave me Akira vibes, but a little more to my taste visually. I read the synopsis and became even more intrigued. I was approved for a digital copy of the book and started reading! Something to note for people moving to reading manga in digital format through platforms like Edelweiss and NetGalley is that most manga is still read left to right (like the original Japanese version) but that can get a little tricky when combined with a tablet.
I can’t get my Kobo to work right now (so I can’t speak to how these files function on there), so I’ve been reading digital books on my iPad and was a little frustrated with the progress bar in the book apps I was using starting on the right side even though you’re reading left to right. It got a bit glitchy, which I wanted to point out because it might have affected my initial reaction to this manga specifically. I was kind of figuring out how to turn the pages properly and was a bit frustrated, so I couldn’t get into the story quite like I normally would have.
That being said...
Read the rest of my review here: https://flaviathebibliophile.com/levius-volume-1-review/
adsowhitney's review against another edition
3.0
Good star, but I found the beginning a little confusing.
piratehunterd's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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