Vampire Knight, Volume 4

This series, which centers around a boarding school where the day students are regular humans and the night students are actually vampires, reveals a few surprises in this fourth installment. Yuki, our heroine, is devoted to her fellow classmate and school guardian Zero, who is fighting to control his lust for blood, worried he'll become like the vampire monsters he despises. She is also crazy about Kaname, the handsome head of the night class, who charges Zero to keep Yuki safe.

In the previous volume a new vampire had arrived at the school; it was clear she was bad news. It becomes evident, unsurprisingly, that the new vampire, Maria, is from Zero's past. Maria tells Yuki that she will destroy Zero unless Yuki does the unthinkable: kills her beloved Kaname, who saved Yuki's life when she was a little child.

Hino does a good job of revealing more of the characters' pasts and feelings for each other as this series progresses. There are humorous scenes that lighten the tension, while a sense of foreboding lurks in the shadows as the characters struggle to make difficult decisions. This is an engaging manga with interesting twists and surprises, and I'm looking forward to seeing what transpires for Yuki and her friends in Volume 5.

B&OT reviews of Vampire Knight:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3

Vampire Knight, Volume 4 by Matsuri Hino (Viz Media, 2006)

Also reviewed at:
Avid Book Reader
Vampire Heart