M/M fantasy

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Lenni Reviews: “Eternal Covenant” Vol. 1, by Haejin

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Ian Glauchester was abandoned by his parents and cursed with magic powers. Raised by Cardinal Brixton, Ian is now a decorated knight of the Knights Templar, keeping his powers a secret. That is, until he meets Jack, who has similar abilities.

This is an interesting start, setting up a lot of lore, a taste of a magic system, and some deep conspiracy. The art and pacing are very Webtoon, and let’s be real, these are paced and generally presented in a different way from something meant to be read all at once in a book or published in a magazine. Not as a detriment, it’s just designed to keep you scrolling, which doesn’t always translate fully to turning pages. Everything Is Fine is a good example, using the act of scrolling in the art (a great series). It still caught my interest, I’ll be there for volume 2. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Trickster’s Tale: Hu Yan Zhuan” Vol. 1, by Hontoku

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Feijin is half demon, half human, and lives in a heavenly realm with his master, Sage Gaochun, who had taken Feijin in after his family died. Fejin is obsessed with his master, but if they were to do anything, it is Sage Gaochun who would suffer grave consequences.

Spoiler: I don’t care if this all turns out okay; Feijin drugs Sage Gaochun in order to finally sleep with him. That’s irrideemable in my book.

The man tiddies in this book are fucking insane:

If I didn’t know better, I’d think that was just a tall buff woman with a boob window.

There is plenty of plot with this smut, and while rushed, it can be intriguing. It’s hard for me to get past how the plot was touched off (see spoiler above). That makes me want to put Feijin in jail, not root for him to get with his crush. I’ve read other series where the main relationship starts with these shady circumstances (like Don’t Be Cruel), and that’s always in the back of my mind. No amount of man boob or tender glances is gonna fix that. All I remember is that complete violation of boundaries, and this book also has some shades of incest and power imbalances. 2 out of 5 because the art is pretty.

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Lenni Reviews: “Monster and Ghost” Vol. 1, by Himemiko

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Koton Tsubaki is ostracized at school due to his violent past but there’s one being that doesn’t care: Yuuki Kabuto, a ghost that decides to follow him around.

I guess that’s as good a reason as any to refuse to move on. 

The pace of this feels off somehow, but for a boys’ love comic, it’s SO sad. It gets dark and violent. Tsubaki is just chronically misunderstood and since Kabuto is dead, he can see beyond the tough exterior and eases Tsubaki’s loneliness. The art is fantastic and there’s no smut. The story does suck you in so I do want to read volume 2. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Desert Butterfly Yearns to Be Caught” by Kaede Yunami

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Seth is the wealthy leader of a desert country, far beyond what his bodyguard, Kyle, believes he deserves, but he cannot help but desire his boss and want to claim him for his own.

When this starts, it doesn’t seem like Seth is down for whatever Kyle is doing, and it feels like it’s slipping into non/dub con territory. Spoilers (maybe?), when they get together for real, it does not feel earned. There’s mention of Seth feeling caged and wanting to do things without Kyle hovering over him but that’s never really explored in a way that’s satisfying. It’s okay but clearly the thinnest of stories to get to the smut; of which there is plenty in its uncensored glory. This was meh and didn’t have any depth. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Feigning Fox with a Face Full of Flowers” by Ryo Ayamine

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Takeru returns to his grandfather’s home after his death to take care of the property, only to be shocked when a fox spirit named Kazune comes to claim the promise Takeru’s grandfather made to the spirit.

This has all the foundations of a decent story, but it felt bland to me, even with all the smut. The setup of the back story with Takeru and his bond with his grandfather and Kazune’s shitty childhood brings us two characters who just want to be loved, but from the very first time they’re together, they don’t feel right. It’s also a bit rapey? Little dubious consent happening here? The sex in general gives off this cold, biological reaction rather than attraction or connection. I totally understand the trope to get to the smut as quick as possible (and it’s quite graphic), but this rang hollow for me. Maybe it needed more time to tell its story. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Palace of the Omega” Vol. 2, by Fumi Tsuyuhisa

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Ilia lives a quiet life after the death of his husband, but as civil war rages, he encounters a familiar young man who turns out to be King Khalid, leading the rebellion against Zayn.

First off, Suya is the MVP still. I love her. Secondly, I can’t see Zayn without thinking:

Because I’m dead inside and surviving on memes. Other than that, I love the rebels taking back the kingdom plot but… Y’all, they made it weird like I thought they would when I reviewed the first book. Sorry, but if the ages were tweaked so Kahlid wasn’t just shy of the legal age, it wouldn’t be as creepy. You can make him as badass as you want, but he’s still barely legal. And it’s weird when the flashbacks happen and they talk about how much they loved and wanted each other before the war, but it flashes back to a literal child. It’s creepy and hobbled my enjoyment. Yes, there’s plenty of detailed smut to be had, but ugh… 3.5 out of 5 because I do adore the art and the plot is interesting.

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Lenni Reviews: “Palace of the Omega” Vol. 1, by Fumi Tsuyuhisa

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Prince Ilia is an omega and the 13th prince of his line. As the lowest-ranked omega in his family, he is married off to the king of another kingdom, King Khalid, who turns out to be just a kid.

When I saw the king turned out to be a young child, I both had every red flag ready to fly and wondered if this was gonna be one of those “I may look like a child but I’m actually 80 bajillion years old” kind of thing. While this volume is all plot without any smut, I’m sticking the rating on there because it’s inevitable. I am totally okay with a good setup; the world-building, the intrigue, Ilia’s character arc, Suya being generally amazing, it’s all absolutely fantastic. If there was never a bit of smut in the whole thing, I’d still continue this to see what happens. However, I wonder how the romance will be rationalized later on. I hope they don’t make it weird. They’re gonna make it weird, aren’t they… 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Dragon’s Betrothed” Vol. 2, by Meguru Hinohara

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Angry that Rin is attached to a human, a fox spirit named Tenko attacks Chiharu; leaving Rin scared he will scare off his beloved bride.

Now, in this volume we earn out 18+ rating. There is also the issue of the prophesy and what sort of future a human can have with a god. There’s a mutual understanding and it was nice to see Rin back to his goofy self; even with the intensity of his actions in smexy times. And the art is really pretty. I love the style as it alternates between the fantastical and the mundane. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Young Men in Love” by Joe Glass & Matt Miner

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel is a collection of stories of m/m relationships in a variety of different genres; including pirates, spies, knights and more.

Each story is pretty short but they pack a punch. I didn’t end up feeling as if the stories were incomplete or poorly paced. And you get so many different types of stories; ghosts, heroes, regular guys, all different races are represented; the works. The art styles are also varied and it all comes together in a very enjoyable anthology. If you like gay comics you will enjoy this collection. 4.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “MADK” Vol. 2, by Ryo Suzuri

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*This book is recommended for 18+

Makoto has been working at Hell’s brothel for three years without a word from J. When he is randomly summoned, Makoto begins to apply his efforts in earnest to become a full fledged demon and destroy J.

This is a strange series but I’m kinda diggin it. Makoto isn’t a typical main character and is dynamic with J and the other demons he meets keep things interesting. There are conflicting emotions and desires and it’s getting pretty twisted. It’s rated mature for a reason, keep that in mind. 4 out of 5.

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