Macabe and yet sweet!

Shadows House Volume One was one of the most exciting manga volumes I have read, so I have been waiting to pick up volumes two and three with bated breath. These two volumes ramp up the lore surrounding the Shadows tenfold, and it very much deliver on these promises.

Emilico and Kate, a living doll and the shadow she is hired to reflect are starting to understand one another more and more. Kate establishes some boundaries with Emilico but admires Emilico’s determination and desire to be a good doll for Kate. Emilico has never served before, so everything in this environment is new to her, and she is easily overwhelmed. In the second and third volumes, Emilico and the reader are introduced to more members of the shadow family and other living dolls who work in the estate. The mystery surrounding how the shadows and living dolls came to be is very much hidden, but tiny threads begin to give us information. We learn of the debut, in which Kate & Emilico and the other ‘undebuted’ shadows and dolls must go through a series of tasks to prove they are a unit and know enough about one another to join the more prominent family. Until then, Kate cannot communicate or interact with other shadows. Emilico always strives to be the best for Kate, but she also has a mind of her own, which is frowned upon as a doll. She tries to help everyone around her while holding firm to moving herself and Kate up the hierarchy ladder in the Shadow House. Every time Emilico gets close to doing the right thing, something turns the tables on her, and she has to adapt, for better or worse, quickly.

I thought both of these volumes added a ton to the overall story of the series and gave the reader a lot more context regarding what was happening in other areas of the mansion. We have now met the other dolls that Emilico is equally competing against and trying to befriend, and neither she nor the reader fully understands whether they can be trusted. Volume three ended and had me at the edge of my seat in preparation for the next, so I would absolutely recommend this to anyone, but if you have a younger kid in your life with a penchant for the macabre, this is the perfect series for them.

Title: Shadows House, Vols. 2&3
Author: Somato
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160 // 160
ISBN: 9781975345945 // 9781975345969

Three Descriptors: Creepy, Dark, Wholesome