Book Review- Black Butler

The place is London, and the time period is possibly the early eighteen hundreds. Twelve year old Ciel Phantomhive is not only the head of the Phantomhive family, but also the owner and creator popular children’s toys and games-a company called Funtom.He lives alone in the Phantomhive mansion, (his parents are dead and his aunt lives elsewhere) but his life is far from quiet. The mansion has only five servants, but between the five of them, there is never a moment’s peace! Finny, the gardener, who, not always remembering his own strength is constantly breaking things.

Mey-Rin, the maid who cannot see without her glasses and is very clumsy, and is also always breaking things. Baldroy, the cook who enjoys trying to cook meals with whatever blow torch type apparatus happens to be handy. Tanaka, the (supposed) steward.well, all he ever does is watch everyone else work while he sits there and drinks tea.

Then there’s Sebastian, the butler for whom no task is impossible. And on top of his own duties, he usually ends up doing Finny, Mey-Rin and Bard’s as well. Somehow managing to keep the household running smoothly, when asked how he manages seemingly impossible tasks, he replies, “I am a devil.of a butler.”

Black Butler by Yana Toboso is an interesting view at what life may have been like for a privileged few in Victorian era London. Or not. Toboso’s London is a mostly fun ‘what-if’ London. Mixed in with the few real events and persons are magic, and many characters that it is very hard not to like. If you enjoy this book, make sure to watch for the second book, coming out in May!

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