King of Thorn, Volume 1

Hey, this was a pretty pleasant surprise. I purchased this on a complete whim a while back, largely I think because it was used and cheap, and I thought the title was interesting. My interest was justified, it would seem. Of course this is apparently one of those oh so rare mangas where there's not a ton of filler, so I actually feel compelled to procure later volumes to see the rest of the story. ( )

A fascinating survival story - Kasumi is one of 160 people who have been selected to be cryogenically frozen as the world waits to find a cure for the Medusa Virus, a disease that turns victims to stone over the course of six weeks. However, Kasumi's twin sister was not selected, and she dreams of her as she is frozen. When Kasumi awakens, the center is filled with thick vines of thorns, and strange, dinosaur-like creatures are roaming the facility. When one creature attacks and kills several of the others who have just woken up, Kasumi and six other survivors flee, using their wits and their fear to escape the facility. But can they trust each other? And how long have they been asleep? What happened to the rest of the world and is there a cure for Medusa to be found?

This was a thrilling introduction to Kasumi's story. It's easy to zip right through this volume, wondering what's happened, how the group will survive, and what creatures are lurking around the corner. Very little is revealed about the group of survivors, which adds another element to the mystery. Kasumi is fairly helpless throughout a lot of this volume, so I'm hoping that will change as time goes on. I like the artwork, which really helps the convey the action, but it also very detailed. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series! ( )

This sounds like a REALLY cool series! I like the first book; gives us an intro into the world, and raises a bunch of questions but only answers a few. I really like the characters Marco and Kasumi, and the raptor looking dinosaur monster! ( )

This book is an interesting tale of what can happen when people from different backgrounds must work together to survive. 160 people have "won" a lottery of sorts to be frozen in a cryogenics facility until a cure for the disease named Medusa is found. They wake up to a world of monsters and no sign of a cure. There are some entertaining characters including a twin, a convict, and a dirty politician, but I am not sure if the translation or original text is the reason for some uncreative dialogue. Great illustrations and a good storyline make me want to read the next in the series. ( )