The art's pretty good this volume, and the writing is okay (though the entire closed room mystery and the reveal were uninteresting. Perhaps the one saving grace was Sebastian running around this volume was funny, but it's just overall meh Sherlock Holmes fanfiction, with Sebastian's disguise mimicking Peter Cushing/Basil Rathbone's Sherlock). I mostly am just giving this volume high stars for Snake, whom I like a lot, mostly because it reminds me of Zhuzhi-lang in "The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System" by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It's unfortunate that the volume really doesn't win anything on its own merits, but it's not that grand a departure from previous volumes. It just, to an extent, lacks some of the Sebastian/Ciel stuff that keeps your attention, and lets the otherwise bland writing stand on its own. ( )

I love the Kuroshitsuji anime and the Black Butler manga, I mean truly, I would bend over backwards to think of reasons to give it all five stars if I could. I'm a fan of the artwork, I like Yana Toboso's wry sense of humour and how well that translates both into English and subtitles. I feel like I need to give this preface in order to truly convey how much I was disappointed with this installment in the manga.

Three quarters of read as a 'reveal' of the mystery set up in the 10th manga. It is pure filler, and not that interesting besides. I have never been particularly interested when the audience is treated like idiots and we have to have everything explained to us in excruciating detail. The ground could easily have been covered more quickly (i.e. in the first 20 or so pages) and with less 'oh my god, how did you DO that???'

You know how, at the beginning of television episodes, sometimes you get a one to five minute 'previously, on this show?' It was like that... but for the majority of the manga. It lacked pacing, dynamism and seemed muddled. Flashbacking the reveal of a mystery for the vast majority of a manga has entered a level of filler I'm not accustomed to seeing in the Black Butler manga so far, and I hope doesn't spell the beginning of a downward quality in story. It almost came across like Yana Toboso isn't entirely sure what they want to do from here on out. So, we'll see? I'd love to get back to just giving 5 stars per manga again!

I'm offering two stars instead of one because I'm intrigued by the introduction of a new character (Snake), and the last quarter of the book looks to be setting up an interesting new story arc which didn't quite make up for the previous chapters, but at least offered some promise that will keep me reading. ( )

If volume 10 was the conclusion to the locked murder mystery arc, then volume 11 pulled back the curtain to show how certain people pulled it all off. Toboso does a good job at incorporating flashbacks into the narrative, and she uses an interesting technique to transition between current and past scenes. Also, Sebastian was wickedly hilarious in this volume. His love for stray cats cannot be stopped! The new story arc involving raising the dead should be interesting and very bloody. Anything involving Lizzie and Ronald Knox is always a plus. ( )

This is the 11th volume in the Black Butler series. I have been really enjoying this manga series overall. I thought volume 10 was weaker than the rest of the series. This volume is better again; although not as spectacular as some of the volumes before 10.

In this volume the events of the last two volumes are explained in detail with all revealed. Then Ciel and Sebastian end up on a cruise ship with Ciel’s intended. Most of the people think that Ciel is taking a well deserved break but little do they know that really Ciel is following rumors of the Aurora Society, a Society that claims to be able to wake the dead.

It was nice to have the events of the previous two volumes explained in detail (I was still a bit confused about why what happened happened in volume 10). I am also happy to have that story line tied up because, while it was very tongue in cheek and somewhat entertaining, I was ready to move on.

The last third of this book puts the reader in an interesting place. We are on a cruise ship with a society that claims to be able to raise the dead (oh boy...this scenario is just begging for trouble).

It was wonderful to have Sebastian back in the story. The Undertaker is also in the story for the last part of the book (he is one of my favorite characters).

The illustration continues to be beautifully done. I really enjoy the high quality and entertainment value of these mangas.

Overall an excellent continuation of this manga series. I continue to find this manga series highly entertaining and very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy Victorian paranormal themes to their manga. ( )

Sebastian's recounting of his parts in the murders that took place in the previous volumes was absolutely hilarious. I suspected some of what was going on, but I guess I forgot that Sebastian could do impossible things, because there was lots of other stuff I didn't even guess at. That man (er, demon) is amazing. I honestly don't know whether Ciel's servants are really as dumb as they appear of if they're just so grateful for what Ciel and Sebastian have done for them that they don't care about all the incredibly bizarre stuff that happens around the Phantomhive household. One last thing: Sebastian didn't have a part in Tanaka's sudden display of martial arts skills. Which means Tanaka really can kick butt when he wants to. Wow.

This volume not only explained away the questions I had about the murders, it also explained why the Queen's secretarial officers were involved in the first place. I appreciated that, although the explanations (for everything, including the murders) were sometimes a little hard to follow.

While part of me is looking forward to seeing how the addition of Snake to the cast goes, part of me is a bit shocked at Ciel's gutsy move. If Snake ever finds out what really happened to his friends, Ciel is toast unless Sebastian can save him.

Inside back cover extra: Black Gourmet.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )