Raishin Akabane is a puppeteer with a mission. Traveling from Japan to Liverpool with his automaton Yaya, he begins attending Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart. Once every four years, the Academy conducts a “Night Party” This “party” is a competition where puppeteers use their automatons to fight until the last person stands. The prize? To become the “Wiseman” the most powerful puppeteer in the world.

 But Raishin can careless for the title; his mission is revenge and the only way to get it is to get into the “Night Party”

I had very little hope in this series. Something about it, while reading the summary, threw me off. But once I started reading my mind shifted. This is actually a pretty decent story. Slightly predictable but nothing too bad, where I have to stop reading it.

Raishin is different from the rest. He is blunt and has a one track mind (his mission) or at least in the beginning. Despite this, he isn’t a jerk; he has some kind of consideration for other. Although he comes off humorous, he is genuine. The predictability comes in with Yaya. She is in love with him despite the fact that she shouldn’t. In the beginning this is known but it is not known if Raishin actually knows this. He treats her like a companion and is affectionate with her as well. Does he have feelings for her or is he just the brotherly type? Can’t tell you but what I will say is the line is a bit thin for me.

Just because their relationship is spoken about in the first two books, does not mean this is a classic high school love triangle (yes, another girl is in this series) with some special effects. The line between the puppeteer and the automaton is huge. The fight scenes are on point. I would have preferred it to be more graphic and much more intense but the scenes were good. As the series progresses the artwork becomes less cliché and more sexual.

As far as the rest of the story, I love the complexity of it and how it twists and turns. It is almost perfect. I say almost because there is deeper emotion missing for me. It isn’t intense enough.

Overall, I would recommend this read for those 17+ mainly because the sexual content that occurs.

3.5 Pickles