Ah, this volume was so bloody and dark and disturbing and I loved it. A fitting end to the Noah's Circus story arc, especially if you are fans of Ciel's servants and the shinigami that collect the souls of Victorian London. Last chapter was a welcome bright spot in a book of mostly depressing material, although the cognitive dissonance in its placement was a bit jarring. I really wish Yen Press did 'next volume' previews for Black Butler; it needs it!

PS - Nina Hopkins is basically a representative of a good portion of Tumblr users, especially the Ciel fans. Look into your dashboards, you know it to be true! ( )

So excited when i read these. They are beyond awesome. ( )

so dark I could barely handle it. well done though.

Update: on rereading, much easier to take, probably because I knew what was coming this time. Boy, this author sure knows how to make you feel sorry for her characters. And she has certainly created a completely disgusting villain for this arc. NOT FOR CHILDREN. ( )

This is the eighth volume in the Black Butler series. This has been an absolutely fantastic manga series and this book was just as wonderful and entertaining as all the previous books.

When the troops from Noah’s Ark Circus arrive at the Phantomhive Mansion they are in for a surprise. The Phantomhive staff may be incompetent at their day jobs but they are all kickass fighters in their own right and it was awesome to see them in action. This book ties up the Noah’s Ark Circus story arc and ends on a lighter note with a crazy tailor who is prepping the crew for new Easter clothing.

The beginning and middle of this installment is pretty dark. We see a twisted viciousness and darkness to Ciel’s character that we haven’t seen before. We also get to see what kind of destruction Sebastian is truly capable of.

The book ends on a more light-hearted note that had me laughing out loud some.

All in all this was an incredibly entertaining read that was a bit of a rollercoaster of a ride. I loved seeing the Phantomhive staff in action, I loved the addition of a new Reaper, and continue to adore all of the other characters as well (Ciel and Sebastian I am talking about you!).

The manga is beautifully illustrated and just so well balanced and amazingly fun.

Overall I loved this installment of the Black Butler series. I have loved this series from the beginning and it just keeps getting better and better. Highly recommended to those who enjoy paranormal and/or historical fantasy stories. I can’t wait to read the next one, I am seriously addicted to this manga. I don’t go all fan girl over very many things...but this manga is one of them. ( )

This volume is incredibly tragic. Joker, Beast, everyone. The flashback to their early days, the revelation that the Baron hadn't fulfilled his promise and cared for their friends back at the workhouse. Even though the Baron could be almost laughable at times, he really was a nasty piece of work. The volume's ending was almost over-the-top light, fluffy and humorous, but necessarily so, in order to help readers wind down after all the prior darkness.

I really wish Ciel had refrained from killing at least a few people. Although I suppose they'd have been his future enemies then, always seeking vengeance for the ones he didn't spare. I was shocked at how totally Ciel had Sebastian destroy the Baron's place and his work.

Inside back cover extra: Black Track.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )