The Qwaser of Stigmata: Volume 1    by Kenetsui Sato & Hiroyuki Yoshino Order:  USA  Can TOKYOPOP, 2010 (2010) Paperback    Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto I am familiar with fanservice in manga, and while I do not enjoy looking up a girl's skirt or down her shirt, I understand that there are fanboys out there who do (and us fangirls do get our fair share in plenty of other series). However, the fanservice (which is mentioned in the book's rating as being explicit) in The Qwaser of Stigmata was a little too disturbing for even a hardened manga-reader like me. For the most part, Kenetsu Sato's artwork is dark yet fun, and Hiroyuki Yoshino's story of a hidden Russian Orthodox artifact is intriguing. It is when the battle for the artifact begins that things get twisted. See, there are these powerful beings called qwasers who are out to either protect or steal the artifact. The battles between them are intense and action-packed, just as you would expect them to be. However, it is how the qwasers recover from their battles that is on the sick side – they have to drink breast milk from specially chosen women. I have to admit that I almost stopped reading because, to me, this seemed rather sacrilegious because of the storyline. If this one story point were removed, The Qwaser of Stigmata would be an engaging dark religious fantasy. As it stands, though, it is only for MATURE readers (definitely pay attention to the Parental Advisory on the front cover) who enjoy explicit fanservice. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Fantasy books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews