Requiem of the Rose King Volume 7 Graphic Novel cover image

It is loosely based on William Shakespeare's plays, Henry IV (1591) and Richard III (1592), and the manga, 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.  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. 7 (Chapters 26 to 30) opens, Margaret, wife of the Lancaster King Henry the Sixth, proves just how fierce she is.  With her husband imprisoned by the York usurper, King Edward, Margaret leads her forces against Wales.  Before she departs for battle, Margaret encourages Anne, the wife of her younger son, Edward (Lancaster), and to protect him should he end up being the last of the family line.

Meanwhile, Richard continues to struggle with his inner demons and with the controversy of his birth.  Two Lancaster men are in love with him.  Must he destroy them both before revealing what he really is?

THE LOWDOWN:  The Requiem of the Rose King is one of my favorite manga.  I love it truly, perhaps not in the way our hero Richard loves, but I love it still.

Requiem of the Rose King Graphic Novel Volume 7 and the chapters that form it seem like turning points in the narrative.  There is much blood-letting, and love seems to fall beneath the need to take life in what amounts to a royal blood feud.  Of course, it is in Vol. 7 that Richard finally speaks aloud what we have suspected about him.

So I am not about to stop reading, and I can't wait for the next volume.  I think fans of historical manga should hurry and get Vol. 1... and then, play catch up.

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

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9.5 out of 10