There's something about forbidden romances that makes me want to read them over and over again. I never get tired of them, but I also have high expectations when getting one. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy them, but that I'm picky. And I'm glad that I picked The Snake Who Loved a Sparrow, by Nna Natsuo. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!
- Print Length: 224 pages.
- Publisher: TokyoPop.
- Expected Publication Date: February 21, 2023.
- Genres: Fantasy, Gay, Manga, Romance, ShapeShifters, Yaoi.
- Rating: 4 / 5 stars.
A controversial courtship between a sparrow and the lonely snake who saved his life...Komazu is a sparrow, and as a sparrow, there’s one thing he knows about snakes: they eat small birds. When he encounters Shiratō, the white snake, of course he expects the worst — but instead of trying to eat him, Shiratō saves him from a boar stampede and flees, teary-eyed, when Komazu lashes out in fear. When the sparrow realizes he's perhaps misjudged snakes and decides to learn more about Shiratō, the two grow closer, first as friends and then as something more.They are predator and natural prey, coming from different species and social castes; can love overcome the laws of nature, despite the differences in their way?NOTE: This book contains nudity, explicit sexual content and nonhuman physiology. It is intended for mature audiences only.
One of the things that I liked about this book is the aesthetic. I've seen the vampire x werewolf done to death, I think we all have, and while it certainly has some appeal, it gets boring after a while. This time, however, a snake and a sparrow shifters give the story several originality points. Two real life enemy species gives it also a realistic touch you don't find that often.
The art is beautiful as well. It took me by surprise how different it is from other titles I've read, how delicate and thin all the lines are. I admit it was somewhat confusing at first, but you get used to it in no time. It reflects how tender, cute, and wholesome the romance is between Shiratō and Komazu, and I liked the fact that it was explicit enough even though it was censored (should be illegal in stories like this one!)
I do think, however, the story could have been longer. It is a wonderful thing that it felt so short, time flew me by, and I didn't feel it at all, but the romance wasn't as developed as I wanted it to. It was beautiful, made me smile, and even feared a bit in certain scenes, but it would have been perfect had it been a bit longer, maybe made into a duology.
All in all, I loved The Snake Who Loved a Sparrow. It's a story that takes several risks and incorporates elements that I love (monster porn lovers of mine, you want this one!) However, it is soft, tender, cute, and keeps that innocence that contrasts so much, giving it an even more interesting look when you look at it as a whole. We need more books like this in the market!
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