The Ancient Magus' Bride vol 4 by Kore Yamazaki

Master Lindel, the mage who trained Elias, invites Chise back to the dragon sanctuary to work on her wand.  While there, Lindel tells Chise of the time he met Elias.  Elias was a wandering creature walking through the woods, and Lindel offered him food and to take him back to his master, where they tried to ascertain what he was, and where he was given the name Elias.  Elias has no memory of a time before he was walking through the woods, but he confesses to Lindel that he thinks he may have eaten humans at one point.  Lindel tells this as a caution to Chise, and so that she will have the courage to speak up to Elias and ask questions of him.  Once her wand is complete, Chise uses it to travel back home with every intention of confronting Elias and making him open up to her about himself and about magic.

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This story provided much-needed background information on Elias, as well as an opportunity to see Chise on her own as a leading lady. In previous volumes, and again in this one, other characters point out how much of a backseat Chise has taken to her own life, allowing Elias to usher her from place to place, dictating her daily schedule and her knowledge of magic. In this volume, Lindel lets Chise take lead on making her wand and exploring the magic that goes into it. I’ve hoped, after reading previous volumes, that Chise become her own character, and this was a nice glimpse into what could be, and hopefully will be.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12
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Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3

Publisher: Seven Seas
Publication Date: April 12th 2016
ISBN: 9781626922556 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Fantasy, Romance, ​Seven Seas