I need to update my manga "have/don't-have" list; I got this at the Book Cellar only to find that I already have a copy. Oh, well!

I had read some of the xxxHolic series that runs in parallel with this one, and was intrigued enough to pick up a few volumes of this as well. [I've been watching the anime of the series and enjoying it very much indeed - it's got perhaps the best musical score I've heard in an anime, or in any film or TV series come to that. I liked the music so much I bought the CD, and now when I read the manga I can hear the soundtrack in my head!]

This volume opens with the conclusion of the previous volume's adventure (with a "story so far" section to help the reader catch up); this bit includes a cameo by characters based on the three main characters from the CLAMP School Detectives series. (This series is packed with such appearances; "spot the crossover character" is a running theme!) One of Sakura's lost memories is returned to her, and we get to see the snippet from her viewpoint - a birthday feast, with her brother teasing her, and with her being very glad to see one of the guests... who isn't there at all; this is a strong reminder of the price Syaoran paid, the loss of all her memories of him. {sniffle...}

From there, our heroes flit to another world, and we get some very amusing interactions between a flirty Fai and grumpy Kurogane (and ever-teasing Mokona as well). This particular world turns out not to contain a lost memory-feather, but does make for a nice bit of rest and relaxation for the gang before the move on.

The next hop lands them in a village amid a vast forest, with a vaguely 17th-century-Europe feel to it - and with our heroes falling under suspicion because the village has had a rash of disappearances lately, children from the town simply vanishing in the night. Of course the gang opts to see if they can help, though to do so they have to evade the growing suspicion of the villagers.

This section ends in a cliffhanger, as young Sakura has gone after the mysterious golden-haired spectre that's been enticing the children away, and winds up imprisoned herself... stay tuned!

[See its TV Tropes page for more background and interesting tidbits about the intersection with xxxHolic and other CLAMP series. There are spoilers, mostly masked, but still, be warned!]

I plan to donate this book to the charity-sale shelves inside Hannaford's at around noon or so. [They sell donated books for a dollar or less, with proceeds going to benefit various local charities.] Hope the buyer enjoys the book!

*** Released as part of the What's in a Name release challenge, for "Tsubasa". ***