The Earl and the Fairy: Volume 3

by Ayuko (story and art) and Mizue Tani (original concept), 178 pages

Lydia is frustrated that her new employer, Edgar, seems more interested in showing her off at high society gatherings than in actually making use of her skills as a fairy doctor.  But when he brings her the case of a missing young noblewoman, Lydia finds the mystery may be entangled with Edgar's own dark past and fears his present involvement may be less about solving a crime than revenging one.

So far, this series is shaping up to be a nice blend of history and supernatural mystery.  There's still a lot the reader (and Lydia) doesn't know about Edgar's past and his present purposes, but just enough is revealed in the snippets we do get to keep us digging for more, piecing together what we have along the way.

The Earl and the Fairy: Volume 2

by Ayuko (story and art) and Mizue Tani (original concept), 209 pages

Lydia and Edgar follow the clues to their goal, but what will they find when they get there?  And will they both live to see the outcome?

The mechanics of the supernatural and mystery elements are a little hazy and occasionally require a bit of re-reading, but that seems (mostly) to be by design so I'm willing to go with the flow and watch how things progress.  This volume again includes some somber elements among the snark, which I like, as it gives everybody involved a little more depth.  The more snippets Lydia and the reader hear about Edgar's former master, Prince, the craftier and scarier he sounds, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they do or don't deal with him in the future and where the next adventure takes them.

The Earl and the Fairy: Volume 1

by Ayuko (story and art) and Mizue Tani (original concept), 182 pages

Lydia Carlton is the latest in a long line of "fairy doctors," individuals who help humans to understand and deal with the world of local spirits, but modern Victorian society sees her as more of a superstitious flake than anything else.  She's pretty much resigned herself to a life of ridicule when she suddenly finds her services not only wanted but drawn into the middle of a potentially deadly rivalry.  Lies and legends get all mixed up as Lydia tries to figure out whom she can trust with her knowledge...and her life.

Lydia's a bit overly perfect, but she's still likeable enough and may show a little more personality as the series continues and she gets more comfortable with her situation.  At least she talks back to the people making her life more complicated than she'd prefer.  Edgar, the titular Earl, and his devoted servants have a surprisingly dark shared history, which balances out nicely with the fluffier elements of the story and keeps things from getting overly silly.