Inu Yasha

Doggy

Basics

This is a Manga serie about a jewel that can destroy the world if it falls into the wrong hands.
So, first things first: Manga is the japanese comic. It's a style to draw pictures, a style I personally like but I dunno about you.
There are the books (german Version 56) and the films (dunno how much, but over 100 plus 5 longer movies). I started with watching the movies, recognized my mistake because the movies aren't really in the whole storyline of Inu Yasha. Then I moved on to the films, each one about 20 Minutes I guess. But my internet connection was so bad that I continued with the books, which are also faster to finish than the films :)
But it's your choice!

Characters

Inu Yasha - Half Dog Demon that falls in love with the Miko Kikyo, after they're divorced through Naraku they kill each other, he later helps Kagome to find the splitters of the Jewel of the 4 souls, his sword Tessaiga gets a lot of powers throughout the series
Kikyo - a Miko who guarded the Shikon no Tama and fell in love with Inu Yasha
Kagome - reincarnation of the Miko Kikyo, even looks like her, has some of her powers, she accidentally shatters the Jewel and than tries to find the splitter together with Inu Yasha, fights with bow
Naraku - in a way the archenemy of Inu Yasha and his friends, he's a half demon too and tries to collect the Jewel Splitters to become a full demon
Shikon no Tama - Jewel of the 4 Souls, has a bad and a good side, can full fill the wish of the owner
Shippo - little fox demon, helps Inu Yasha and Kagome throughout the series
Sango - a Demon hunters who helps too
Miroku - a monk, who is a bit of a womanizer but in true love with Sango, his Kasana, a hole in his hand, can "soak up" immense quantity of material
Kohaku - Sangos brother who killed their parents and friend because of Naraku, lives because of a splitter of the jewel
Sesshomaru - Inu Yasha's Brother, full Dog Demon, hates his brother, tries repeadetly to kill him, has a sword, Tenseiga, that brings the Dead back to life
Rin - little girl that was saved by Sesshoma
Jaken - a Kappa that travels with Sesshoma
Myoga - flea demon, intelligent but a coward
Totosai - maker of Tenseiga and Tessaiga

Story

Kagome is a normal girl that live in Japan in a Shinton Shrine.
One day she accidently falls into a well and finds herself in the Middle Ages. She meets Inu Yasha, a Half Demon, who is trapped to a tree by a sacred arrow. She releases him to save her life from a monster and, after a while and because they have to work together, they become friends.
The Demon, who has threatend her life is killed by Inu Yasha, but not before it frees the Shikon no Tama that was inside of Kagomes body.
In the following episodes Kagome accidently destroys the Jewel and it shatters into splitter. She gets the task to reunit the splitter of the Shikon no Tama because even one little piece of it can turn a simple demon into a life threathing Monster.
On this journey she meets a lot of different Demons, Monsters, Humans, gets new friends and new enemies, of which the worsest is Naraku, exactly the Naraku who divorced Kikyo and Inu Yasha in the first Place.
This half demon cares about nothing but the Jewel and would do everything to reunit it again.
The Fight begins!
(I can't tell the whole story of 56 books in one short post, but you're free to ask me questions :) )

Pro and Cons

You can decide if you want to watch the films (196 episodes) or read the books (56 books), but as you can see you'll be faster with the books. On the other side it is just amazing to watch all the fights and the emotional scences in full lenght as a film.
I must also admit that the whole Inu Yasha thing can be a bit addictive, but it's definitly worth it.
The movies are nice to watch, too, but they're not necessary for the actual storyline, in fact it can be a bit confusing because there are maybe some characters that appear later in the Series.

Funny and awesome Quotes

I read it in german so I can't come up with any quotes, I'm sorry.
I'll try to figure out how to find some and post them later! 

Faceless Ones

Doors are for people with no imagination. 

BASICs

So, that's the third part of Skulduggery Pleasant
Again Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery have to unit their powers to save the world from destruction.
You'll read about the old gods of the world.

Characters

Skulduggery Pleasant - a skeleton and detective
Valkyrie Cain - original Name Stephanie Edgley, 14 Years old
China - beautiful woman, who must not be trusted, Collectot, has a libary
Flechter Renn - the last Teleporter, he's a natural
Guild - the new Grand Mage, Skulduggery thinks he is a treater
Kenspeckel Grouse - a magic Doctor, helps Valkyrie and Co. when they're injured

Story

Again someone want to bring the Faceless back.
This time it's the Diablerie, a group of 5 people.
They want to use the Torso of the Groteskery to bring back the Faceless and they need a teleporter. They kill all of them except Fletcher Renn.
Then they want him.
Will Valkyrie and Skulduggery be able to stop them?

Pro and Cons

I must admit that you have to read the earlier books to understand the story line because there aren't much explanations for example for the Faceless Ones, for China or about the Groteskery.
But it was another funny book written by Derek Landy.
There are more emotions, I guess, but it depends on the reader, how you like it.

Previous

Skulduggery Pleasant (German "Der Gentleman mit der Feuerhand")

Playing with Fire (German "Das Groteskerium kehrt zurück")

Funny and awesome quotes

Finbar looked at Valkyrie. "Want a tattoo?"
"Yes." Valkyrie said.
"No." Skulduggery said. We're leaving now."
Valkyrie scowled as she followed him out into the rain. "I could hav just got a small one."
"Your parents would kill me."
"Being around you puts my life in constant danger. I've fought monsters and vampires and I've almost died twice, and you think they'd choose to kill you over a tattoo?"
"Parents are funny that way."

Black lightning streaked from the crystal, and the table turned to dust and the oak box fell heavily on the floor.
Valkyrie stared. "I missed the box." "Yes, but on the bright side, you killed the table."

China glared at her, than glared at Skulduggery. "Some of those books were one of their kind."
"I understand that." "Priceless, Skulduggery. Beyound Priceless. The secrets they held, the histories they contained ..."
"I'll be happy to pay for any damage caused."
"You cannot pay for priceless book! That's why they call them priceless!"
"Then let me at least for the bookcase."

Playing with Fire

Doors are for people with no imagination. 

BASICs

I wrote about Skulduggery Pleasant before, "Playing with Fire" is the second book in this serie.
Well, it's again about fighting, magic and the rescue of the world.
Something else?
You'll discover a new force of magic, I guess.

Characters


Skulduggery Pleasant - a skeleton and detective, works for the sanctuary
Valkyrie Cain - 13 year old girl, original name Stephanie Edgley
Mr. Bliss - strongest Man in the world
Baron Vengeous - one of the 3 generals Mevolents --> who is a really bad guy, dead
Lord Vile - already dead, but his armor with his power still exists


Story

This Time they are confronted with another General of Mevolent, Baron Vengous has eskaped from his prison and wants to bring the Faceless back.
He needs Lord Viles Armor and another unknown thing, to awake the Groteskery and to bring his gods back.
And Valkyrie have to stop him together with Skulduggery.

Pro and Cons

It's really similiar to the first book, Skulduggery Pleasant, but this time there is more action and fewer theoretical parts. There is more fighting and more threathning and dangerous scenes.

Funny and awesome quotes

"Guild doesn't like me.", Valkyrie said.
"That's true.", Skulduggery responded.
"He doesn't likes you either."
"That is mystifying."

"Was it a test?", she asked. "I mean, I know I'm still new at this, I'm still the rookie. Did you hang back to test me, to see if I'd be able to handle it alone?"
"Well, kind of, " he said. "Actually, no, nothing like that. My shoelace was untied. That's why I was late. That's why you were alone.
"I could have been killled because you were tying your shoelace?"
"An untied shoelace can be dangerous,"he said. "I could hace tripped."
She stared at him. A moment dragged by.
"I'm joking." he said at last.
She relaxed. "Really?"
"Absolutely. I would never have tripped. I'm far too graceful."

Skulduggery Pleasant

Doors are for people with no imagination. 

BASICs

It's a book. Okay, that was useless. Start again.
It's a book about detectives. But Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant aren't normal detectives. They use magics to hunt creatures like vampires.
And they have to fight against really bad guys!

Characters

Skulduggery Pleasant - a skeleton and detective, works for the sanctuary
Valkyrie Cain - 12year old girl, original name Stephanie Edgley
Mr. Bliss - strongest Man in the world
Gordon Edgley - Valkyrie's uncle, dies at the begin of the book

Story

The book begins when Stephanie Edgley's uncle died because of a heart attack. She inherit his house and his money. At the same evening she and her mother want to visit the house, but their car brokes and her mother drive away together with the mechanic to repair it, so Stephanie has to stay alone at home.
While she reads a book she falls asleep an is suddenly awaken, as someone ring the phone. A unknow men wants her to open the door. She don't do it and is finally attack by a men who is immun against flames, but she is rescued be Skulduggery Pleasant. She discovers that he is a skeleton an decides, that she will help him to discover the murderer of Gordon, because his sudden death wasn't naturally.
She becames involved in a world filled with magic and soon she is helping Skulduggery.

Pro and Cons

This book is about fighting, magic and evil guys, so I can't do anything but to love it. Really! Derek Landy did a great job with writing Skulduggery Pleasant. He has an amazing humour!
I just can't stop laughing!
But there are also scenes and parts, where you just wanna to cry.
It has something of all, it is scary, but also funny. And it is easy to read.
A bad point is, that it is only short, so you'll finish it very quickly. But I think that's not a problem, because there are already 6 books (English) and a 7th is comíng soon!

Funny and awesome quotes


"So you are real? You actually exist?"
"Presumably."
"You mean you're not sure if you exist or not?"
"I'm fairly certain. I mean, I could be wrong. I could be some ghastly hallucination, a figment of my imagination."

“So you won't keep anything from me again?",Valkyrie asked.
He put his hand to his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die."
"Okay then. Though you don't actually have a heart," she said.
"I know."
"And technically, you've already died."
"I know that too."
"Just so we're clear."

You know, because I'm at the moment in Australia I wasn't able to go to the Leipziger Books fair. That is so terrible, you know, because Derek Landy was there!
When I read that on his own blog, I was so down you can't imagine!
Well, I'll survive it.

So, and who is my mysterious reader who doesn't show himself or herself?
Comments aren't forbidden!