Ghost and Witch, Vol. 1

Gr 8 Up–Yamazaki is the creator of the best-selling manga “The Ancient Magus’ Bride,” and this tale has a similar folkloric setting, though the stories greatly differ. Saku, a young Japanese woman, is haunted by a serpent that taunts her, urges her to commit evil deeds, and appears to be taking over her body. She travels to Ireland hoping to break the serpent’s spell, but instead she ends up in a B&B run by Rosie, a tough-talking, chain-smoking witch, and her helper ­Sullivan, who is a pooka (a fairy who can take the form of a horse). Irish fairies, in actual legend as well as in this manga, are dangerous and often malevolent, and Saku witnesses this firsthand when she rescues a girl who is being pursued by the furious brothers of a fairy her father accidentally killed. The art is highly detailed, and sometimes the magical scenes are hard to decipher, but Yamazaki has a knack for drawing characters whose emotions jump off the page. This story has a strong horror element, and the character designs really carry it through; the supernatural creatures are spectacular.