Monday, September 16, 2024

Book Review: Snow and Ink vol. 1


Sentenced to death for the crime of sadistically killing his entire village, Neneo is all but ready to accept his unfortunate fate when he is mysteriously bought and saved by the wealthy heiress Freya. Emotionless and numb to the world, Freya is also an outcast, hiding deep wounds of her own. Unfazed by the tales of Neneo's crimes, she enlists him to accompany her in her exile to the far north. As this unlikely pair, both shunned by a cold world, venture together into the deep snow, they begin to find warmth in each other. But the past won't let itself be so easily forgotten.

Snow and Ink volume 1 by Miyuki Unohana will be published November 5, 2024. Kodansha Comics provided an early galley for review.

The figures against the stark white background immediately jumped out at me when parusing upcoming releases. That design and the description of the series really caught my interest.

The story engages the reader's curiosity right from the start. Who are these two? What forces have drawn them together? How long before they share the secrets and feelings behind the facades they wear in public? I was very intrigued.

Of course, the story gets complicated by the romantic elements (which happen a lot quicker than I've seen in other manga - I liked this change of pace) as well as the revelation of a secret that Freya keeps from Neneo until a letter arrives. This raises the tension in the tale quite quickly. What exactly is Halvard's true intentions and what secrets does he have? The whole story moves very fast, setting up situations for future volumes.

I very much enjoyed Unohana's clean art style. It flows very well with faces that are expressive and clothing that is quite fashionable. These are things I often look to manga to provide.

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