By the Sword V. 1

How did a quest to find a sword capable of handling his powers turn into an odd couple madcap road trip with a mysterious girl and her "father"?
Meet Asagi, one of the demon hunting for profit people known as the Karinin. It seems he has a wee bit of an equipment problem. You see, he has this strange inhuman power which he can channel through his sword which makes his job of demon whacking just that much easier... except for the fact that said power wears down his weapons quickly to the point that they are ready to fall apart only 2 weeks into their useage!
Yes, while this has practically made him into the poster boy of the sword making industry ("Got Sword?") it doesn't do him a bit of good since he constantly has to replace his weapons over and over again, and since swords don't grow on trees and he hasn't figured out that he should supplement his income by killing outlaws and "borrowing" their weapons after their deaths to keep his weapon supplies up, it looks like he'll need a good solution to his weapons problem fast!
Said answer seems to come in a weapon of great demonic power called the Moegi, which he figures has more than enough stamina to withstand his powers without falling apart... only it seems the sword is in the possession of a girl named Kaede, and her pocket sized "father" (a sealed demon spirit by the name of Kurenai, who was sealed by... yes... the same sword that Asagi is seeking that is in the girl's possession!)
One thing leads to another and this chance meeting between the three turns into a major road trip!
As for the sword? Looks like Asagi CAN draw it from it's sheathe, which is supposed to be impossible for most except for a certain type of person, but when he does that then Kurenai's spirit is merged with his daughter Kaede's body and he can use her body for a short time as long as the blade is drawn... mostly to kick butt and wipe out enemies.
And what an odd couple they are! It turns out Kaede eats like a horse, Kurenai/Asagi does some male bonding while traveling, and they end up getting into strange situations right up to the end of the book!
With a twist ending and an unexpected revelation we end the book with anticipation towards what we will find when we roll into GN 2 and the finale... okay, breakdown time!
By the Sword Breakdown the 1st
What's Hot? - I liked it! It's a solidly done title that is just good to read. The twists and weirdness of the title, along with the loveable characters just shows how well done this title is. Probably abit of a sleeper hit in the making, I recommend picking up this two volume set since it's a good read and well worth having.
What's Not? - Nothing. I have no complaints about this title... yet. How the end plays out however might change my mind. I'm bettin' however that I'll be pleased with the way this'll end.
Moments to Remember? - The whole thing is memorable. Some good stuff happens in here! Anyway it's only a two volume set so you're not sinking much into this investment wise to see how right I am on this! Give it a try!
What to Ignore? - Again nothing. I have no complaints about this title. Really.
Overall? - It's a solidly done little sword and action book that just reads well. With great characters, nice artwork, a good story and an ending that makes me hyped for the second (and final) volume, this is just one of those little short series that you need to have. And since it's short that means you won't have to expend much of your budget to have it. A nice bedtime read that'll settle you down for sleep, this two volume set is going to make a nice addition to your collection... now all we need is Volume 2 to release! Hurry!