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Reviews
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | HARLEQUIN | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | KARIN MIYAMOTO | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 125 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | 13+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 12/04/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 02/03/2010 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Emma is a good young lady who must find a wealthy husband in London in order to save her family from the bankruptcy her brother forced them into. However, on the way to London a blizzard sprang up and she was forced to take shelter at a lodge. She must do what she fears in order to save her grandparents, indeed, the entire family from homelessness, destitution, and starvation. But just once, she wishes she could fall in love… That fateful night her path crosses with a handsome, tall, and dark stranger. A stolen kiss was like a stolen moment in time for Emma and she wished she could hold it forever. Alas, the storm and the man disappeared never to be seen again. Her arrival in London arrived without any other happenstance and she was married to a wealthy nobleman. Twelve years passed without incident until his passing. Now it lies to Emma to see that her step-daughter, the kind and sweet Jorgina, is married off to the young and handsome Baron Jamie Grayston. The two women arrive there and see a castle before their eyes. Emma is content to see Jorgina happily married and tended to and then it is off to her lonely estate to live the remaining and many years of her life as a tutor, alone. Still she has never forgotten the man she met that night twelve years ago. Little does she know that the man is the Baron’s older brother! Many misunderstandings occur at the estate. First Alexander spies her form his tower but believes Emma is married still and not a widow. Then there is the problem of Jamie and Alexander’s family disapproving of Jamie marrying a woman below his station. Later Emma and Alexander meet but she does not see him clearly. He learns of his mistake but a new misunderstanding occurs. She sees the scar on his face he earned in battle and he mistakes her reaction for horror. He is more earnest than ever to leave for the New World which would leave Emma behind. She however is happy to finally find her one true love and is just as determined to never let him go, even if it means leaving to the New World to find him. Prisoner in the Tower is another Harlequin manga offered at www.emanga.com. It is a sweeping romance, well told and well delivered. The pacing is good. The dialogue is a tad cumbersome for the amount of information that has to be imparted in 126 pages, but they do admirably with the constraints given. In particular I enjoyed the artwork. The illustrative style is much more strongly reminiscent of original manga than I expected and it was pleasant to see a dashing baron and his Cinderella rendered in an accurate manga style. So many original English Language manga don’t quite measure up illustratively but this manga does.
IN SUMMARY:
A romantic period tale done to the tempo of pretty illustrations and dashing suspense. |
