Yona of the Dawn vol 1 by Mizuho Kusanagi

               

​Sweet and innocent Princess Yona has a devastating crush on her cousin, Lord Su-Won.  He comes to the palace for a visit and to celebrate her 16th Birthday.  However, Yona is betrayed the night of her party when she witnesses Su-Won murder her father.  It turns out, Su-Won has been harboring intense hatred towards the king since he was a small boy because the king murdered his father, a potential rival to the throne.  Yona has to flee the palace with her personal guard General Hak, who is taking her to the only safe place he knows: his home, the seat of the Wind Clan. The author also presents several chapters of Yona’s childhood to explain her crush on Lord Su-Won, and how Hak because her body guard.

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This is a thoroughly engaging story, but I know I love fantasy novels and this may be inflating my rating of this story.  It reminds me very much of Fushigi Yūgi by Yū Watase, where a helpless young girl has to navigate a fantastical world with the help of strong, militaristic gentlemen.  However, just like Miaka in Fushigi Yūgi, I hope Yona learns for be self-sufficient in later volumes because all the men around her currently have to deal everything and move the plot along.  The art for this series is vivid and beautiful.  The scenes of feudal Japan are so realistic that I feel like I can jump into the page and be part of the action.

VIZ rates this for Teen (13+), owing to bloodshed and some violence. 

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12

Right now, there are 23 volumes, with more planned, so there is a little bit of a purchase commitment for this series. 

Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Fantasy