Library Journal Review

Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru are magically transported from a class field trip to the land of Cephiro, where thoughts and wishes have the power to change reality. Princess Emeraude, whose prayers maintain peace in Cephiro, has summoned the three girls to rescue her from her captivity and save Cephiro from the monsters that have overrun the countryside. To save the princess, the girls must acquire magical armor and awaken the Mashin-powers of fire, water, and air-and then confront the evil high priest Zagato, who has captured the princess. Using magical girl summoning and wielding fantastical mecha mashin, the girls overcome their inner conflicts and battle assorted powers as they attempt to rescue the princess. This volume collects the issues of a serial created in the mid-1990s by the manga team CLAMP. The art is in line in with 1990s-style shojo comics, very much like Yuu Watase's Fushigi Yugi but with a cleaner style and less attention to ornamentation and the landscape of the alternate reality. Verdict CLAMP has created many well-known and internationally best-selling manga series, such as Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, so expect high interest in this omnibus from fans.-Christine Gertz, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.