Requiem of the Rose King: Volume 6

Manga
Requiem of the Rose King: Volume 6
By Leroy Douresseaux
May 10, 2017 - 07:49

Viz Media
Writer(s): Aya Kanno, Jocelyne Allen
Artist(s): Aya Kanno
Letterer(s): Sabrina Heep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9268-8
$9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK, 192pp, B&W, paperback
Rating: T+ (Teen Plus)

Requiem of the Rose King Volume 6 cover image

Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

Loosely based on William Shakespeare's plays, Henry IV (1591) and Richard III (1592), Requiem of the Rose King is set in medieval England. The House of Lancaster (represented by a red rose) and the House of York (represented by a white rose) both covet the throne of England, and their struggle is called the “War of the Roses.” Into the house of Richard of York is born a third son, a sickly child that he names “Richard” after himself. Richard dreams of his family ascending to the throne, a throne that will one day be his.

As Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 6 (Chapters 21 to 25) opens, Richard must part from the commoner who has bewitched him. Richard simply does not know that this man is his mortal enemy, the Head of the House of Lancaster, King Henry VI.

Meanwhile, former York ally, the Earl of Warwick makes him move against the new York king, Edward, who has sired an heir. The Lancasters and their allies await the return of King Henry's wife, Margaret, with allied forces from Europe. On the field of battle outside London, however, the victory may already be determined before Margaret and her army arrive.

THE LOWDOWN: One of my favorite graphic novel series is the Requiem of the Rose King manga. As I have written previously, I love it unconditionally. I don't know if it is “Game of Thrones” in a comic book form, but it is courtly intrigue personified.

Requiem of the Rose King Volume 6 is a collection of blood-spilling. Everything gained is gained in bloodshed, and everyone and everything lost seems covered in blood. There is, of course, passion in the humors, and this manga burns with a hotter blood. Creator Aya Kanno knows the effectiveness of blood sprayed on white, symbolically and otherwise, but she offers the kind of alluring characters that make this manga a blast.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Aya Kanno and of historical dramas will want to try Requiem of the Rose King.

A+

Rating: A+/10