Food Wars! Shokugeki No Soma Vol. 8-10 by Yuto Tsukuda

Published: 2015

# of Pages: 208

Source: Purchased Copy, Books-A-Million

The battle of the Fall Classic preliminaries comes to a thundering close! Can Soma conjure up a curry masterpiece brilliant enough to surpass a dish from the master of fragrance, Akira Hayama? Volume 8 also includes a bonus story about the adventures of a certain someone during her lazy summer vacation.

After an introduction to the Fall Classic we find out what students are paired together to compete in the quarterfinals. Once again this volume showcased not only Soma's creativity, but also his ability to learn from past mistakes. He completely owns the competition and proves once more that he isn't the underdog of the competition. As usual I never got tired of the manner in which the author is able to describe the way the dishes are made. I did get a little tired with this part of the story arc, but it was still pretty good overall. 

Published: 2010

# of Pages: 192

Source: Purchased Copy, Books-A-Million

The Fall Classic finals have begun, with the theme of the first round being bento boxes. It’s a battle of the egos as Soma clashes with Alice Nakiri. Her bento gets rave reviews from the strict judges, but Soma invents a boxed lunch unlike one anyone’s ever seen! Then, no sooner does the first round end than the second begins!

Holy Crap! This was amazing! The quarterfinals started and I must admit there were some twists and turns that I definitely did not see coming. One of my favorite characters Megumi kicks total butt in this volume. She is so adorable and as a reader I was definitely proud of her. The food choices of this manga were interesting and once again Soma proves that he has a better understanding of the culinary world than expected. He surpasses some of the most highly acclaimed cooks by truly understanding what they want and desire. I just think that the kid is an ingenious cook. I definitely think this volume highlighted the complexity of Soma's character. 

Published: 2016

# of Pages: 192

Source: Purchased Copy, Books-A-Million 

It’s the last quarterfinal match of the Fall Classic. Takumi Aldini, looking for another chance to challenge Soma, faces off against the smug-looking Subaru Mimasaka. What’s making him so confident? The truth—and the dish he prepares—sends the entire auditorium into an uproar! Let the shokugeki begin!

This novel was definitely the definition of crazy. So much happened and the author introduced a character I completely dislike with every bone in my body: Mima-Saka. He's a conniving "cook" (I say cook lightly) who has no real passion for cooking, but simply copies recipes from others and changes them to win. I love that Soma decides to stand up to him because the guy is complete garbage. As much as I dislike him I must admit that it was a great twist in the plot. It makes the reader anxious for the next volume. As usual the illustrations were amazing and the author shows how much he puts into researching the recipes related to each volume.