Book Review: Fairy Tail Vol. 13 by Hiro Mashima

Fairy Tail Volume 13 by Hiro Mashima

After a little coda from the Tower of Heaven arc, the team returns to the Fairy Tail guild hall, which has finally been rebuilt after the Phantom Lord fight. The hall is huge and sprawling and welcomes new members Juvia and Gajeel, former members of Phantom Lord. So the newcomers aren't too popular. A reporter from a wizard magazine shows up to do a story on the new hall. The guild members make a bit of a bad impression which comes through in the article. Master Makarov, head of Fairy Tail, is not too happy, especially when his grandson Laxus comes back. Laxus is mad that the guild looks so weak, especially since he wants to lead the guild at some point. So Laxus sets in motion battles between the Fairy Tail members which occupies the last third of the book.

In addition to the main plot, the book contains some hints at future story lines--Natzu's trainer, the dragon Igneel, makes a brief appearance. Ultear, Jellal's ally on the Wizard Council, reveals she had more going on and that Zeref is not done yet. They are intriguing hints but no payoff is in this volume.

The book also has a lot of gratuitous "cheesecake." Lucy decides she want to be a star in the magazine article so she vamps it up for the reporter. Later, during a harvest festival in town, the guild hosts a "Miss Fairy Tail" contest which involves a lot of the guild members in bikinis.

The book has the usual notes in the back on Japanese culture.