Genre: Romance

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 2

Posted January 22, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 2

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

by Mò Xiāng Tóng XiÚ

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 403
Series: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (LN) #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

HAUNTED BY SIN

Following the trail of a dismembered corpse, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arrive at the gates of Yi City: an old, abandoned town shrouded in mist and restless spirits. A fiendish foe awaits them in the shadows, heralding a tale of heartbreak and tragedy. When the mysterious corpse’s identity is finally revealed, the hunt for its killer plunges Wei Wuxian back into the depths of the cultivation world's politics, where he must keep his enemies close and Lan Wangji even closer.

Volume two of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation contains the Yi City arc, which takes up most of it and is absolutely heartbreaking. It takes a while for the full story to unfurl, and features a long flashback of seemingly limited relevance to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s current story, but nonetheless it’s completely worth it. Son Lang and Xiao Xingchen’s story is so heartbreaking but lovely.

There is also some development between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, of course, including a kiss — though Wei Wuxian seems pretty oblivious to the full weight of his and Lan Wangji’s feelings, sigh. The bit where Lan Wangji gets drunk is, aaahhh, so ridiculous.

I’m still suffering a bit from the barrage of names, clans, sects, and relationships, but I have the character and name guide in the back to help, and of course a wiki. I’m getting there! Slowly. I’m gonna head straight into volume three to keep up the momentum.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Swordcrossed

Posted January 17, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Swordcrossed

Swordcrossed

by Freya Marske

Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 384
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

The cozy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance where, yes, the swords do cross.

Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family's wealth, something that Matti has been trying—and failing—to do for the past ten years.

What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn't plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.

However, neither Matti's business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As the days count down to Matti's wedding, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti's house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca's secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away, when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

I think the title and emphasis on swords might slightly mis-sell Freya Marske’s Swordcrossed, because though they’re a part of it (and how the main characters initially begin to connect), the story is really more focused around Matti and the problem of his House’s slide into poverty. You could take the swords away and make Luca a dancing teacher, and much would remain the same. One does rather contemplate whether Ellen Kushner’s Swordspoint had something to do with the swordplay elements here; there are certainly some points of similarity. (Though I’m not saying it’s a carbon copy, by any means.)

I think much of the plot is pretty predictable, but there is some genuine tension built up between Luca and Matti — some of their scenes were pretty scorching (especially the ones where they didn’t have sex). I was less sure why I should think they make a good couple; there’s some “opposites attract” sort of stuff, and Luca getting Matti to be a bit more spontaneous, but… I don’t know. When I look back at the story, I’m not sure they had enough that was real to build a happy-ever-after on — the chemistry is there, but not the understanding of how they’d work on a day-to-day basis.

I genuinely loved the detail around the wool industry, though. That offered a bit of weight and detail to it, though a lot of the other worldbuilding was somewhat glanced over.

I didn’t feel this way at all about A Marvellous Light, and the author’s note says that Swordcrossed was actually written first, so maybe I’m being a little hard on it. All in all, I liked it, but it feels a bit thin when I sit and look back at the experience.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – Loving You When the World Ended

Posted January 16, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Loving You When the World Ended

Loving You When the World Ended

by Gene

Genres: Manga, Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 146
Rating: one-star
Synopsis:

An apocalyptic event forces two strangers to navigate a world where the old order is shattered. Is it survival of the fittest or survival of the richest? Spoiled Nuowan can’t stay alive in this new reality without the help of skilled hotel worker Yu Sen, whom he met only moments before the world ended. Yu’s former military training comes in handy but is kissing out of the blue a survival tactic?

Gene’s Loving You When the World Ended is a pretty short manga focused on the relationship between Nuowan and Yu post-apocalypse. Nuowan is a spoiled rich kid, and Yu’s an ex-military man who saves his life and works hard to keep him alive, since it seems possible that they’re the only humans left.

The apocalyptic stuff is very very light, and the focus is more on the relationship drama: Nuowan is demanding, childish, and wants Yu to put him first and love him no matter what, while ignoring Yu’s feelings. He acts on impulse and all his relationships are really rushed.

The art is OK, cute sometimes, but the story and relationship are pretty meh.

Rating: 1/5 (“didn’t like it”)

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Review – The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish, vol 3

Posted January 4, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish, vol 3

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish

by Xue Shan Fei Hu

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 404
Series: The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish #3
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

A FINE KETTLE OF FISH

When Prince Jing is sent to quell the disturbance at the western border, there’s no question that Li Yu will accompany him—as his boyfriend and as his pet fish! Li Yu’s mission is to help Prince Jing secure his position as heir to the throne. However, the new couple is in for a surprise when Li Yu makes a much bigger splash in the imperial line of succession: even male fish can lay eggs now!

With four bouncing baby fish in tow, Li Yu and Prince Jing must work extra hard to dam the trouble brewing at the border. Despite the challenges, Prince Jing is determined to make Li Yu his official consort. Will the emperor approve of this unusual union? And how will Li Yu and Prince Jing protect their new family from the treacherous machinations of the imperial court?

Volume three of Xue Shan Fei Hu’s The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish gives us Li Yu and Prince Jing’s trip to the borders — ostensibly out of the emperor’s favour, but ready to prove themselves and (in Prince Jing’s case, anyway) ready to make a good case that they should be given official sanction to marry. Plus, the system’s tricked Li Yu, and now there are babies on the way!

How this volume hits depends on how you feel about Li Yu and Prince Jing having kids, basically. There’s some other politicking, and some development in their relationship (including their marriage), but the babies are a pretty major feature, especially in the second half of the book.

For me, I thought it was adorable. I love the emperor’s reaction to them, I love Li Yu and Prince Jing’s growing excitement about and love for the babies, and I had so much fun with the babies’ silly hijinks as well. And I loved that Prince Jing and Li Yu are growing into themselves and maturing as a couple as well (though Li Yi remains a precious cinnamon roll).

I know a little about how the story ends, and I’m looking forward to volume four very much. It’s silly and a ridiculous concept and satisfying as heck.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Love in the Palm of His Hand, vol 2

Posted January 3, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Love in the Palm of His Hand, vol 2

Love in the Palm of His Hand

by Rinteku

Genres: Manga, Romance
Pages: 224
Series: Love in the Palm of His Hand #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Through sign language and acting, two young men seeking their places in the world discover a connection that transcends the spoken word.

"I could only return to acting because there's someone who believes in me."

Fujinaga is determined to give acting one last try as he performs in a stage play adaptation of a manga series, but his nerves get the better of him when he realizes that Keito will be there in the audience. While Fujinaga's talent is finally garnering him some public recognition, his worries and loneliness begin to eat him up from the inside. Can the special language he and Keito share form a bridge between them and help him resolve his frustrations?

For Keito and Fujinaga, sign language will light the way along their journey of self-discovery and bind them together as nothing else can.

Like the first volume, the second volume of Rinteku’s Love in the Palm of His Hand is really cute, though it focuses a bit less on the relationship between Keito and Fujinaga, and a bit less on sign language as a result, and spotlights Fujinaga’s acting career.

Fujinaga has a pretty amazing opportunity, and he spends a lot of it figuring out how to bring across the play for the whole audience, but his relationship with Keito isn’t forgotten — even if they don’t seem to be 100% on the same page about it (there’s a weird mismatch in expectations about kissing, for instance).

I actually liked the art better in this volume, or maybe I was just used to it? And I still love the way sign language is portrayed, and the various ways Keito manages to communicate.

I’d love to see them get a bit more comfortable with being in a relationship in the next volume, but I was glad to spend more time with them in this one, too!

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 1

Posted December 18, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 1

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

by Mò Xiāng Tóng XiÚ

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 395
Series: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (LN) #1
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Wei Wuxian was once one of the most outstanding men of his generation, a talented and clever young cultivator who harnessed martial arts, knowledge, and spirituality into powerful abilities. But when the horrors of war led him to seek a new power through demonic cultivation, the world’s respect for his skills turned to fear, and his eventual death was celebrated throughout the land.

Years later, he awakens in the body of an aggrieved young man who sacrifices his soul so that Wei Wuxian can exact revenge on his behalf. Though granted a second life, Wei Wuxian is not free from his first, nor the mysteries that appear before him now. Yet this time, he’ll face it all with the righteous and esteemed Lan Wangji at his side, another powerful cultivator whose unwavering dedication and shared memories of their past will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.

The first volume of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation has a lot of fun elements, and I did enjoy the interactions (past and present) between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji — it’s really funny how Wei Wuxian teases him and gets under his skin in the past, and how he turns the tables in the present. I can see a lot of potential in that relationship, especially if I’m reading clues about their past correctly.

That said, this book does the mother of all infodumping, and the transitions between past/present aren’t that well managed. I’m not sure I quite followed all of the infodumps, if I’m honest: I’m kinda letting it wash over me, in hopes it’ll start to come together later (as has often happened to me with danmei, and with other non-English-language works with a large cast or complicated stories in the past). In some chapters there are pages of pure exposition, and it’s a lot.

I am intrigued by some of the other characters, too, and by some of the worldbuilding; I’m curious to know more about why Wei Wuxian became so reviled (and why some people still clearly think he did good things), and what the bigger story is going to look like. So I’ll definitely read more, but with the caveat that volume one (at least) isn’t the most polished.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish, vol 2

Posted December 9, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish, vol 2

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish

by Xue Shan Fei Hu

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 412
Series: The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Li Yu is settling into life in the lap of luxury as Prince Jing’s spoiled pet, especially now that he can turn back into a human once a day. Prince Jing seems infatuated with Li Yu’s human form, and romance begins to swell between the two men. Yet the secret of Li Yu’s identity lurks beneath the surface of their bubbly relationship.

Meanwhile, there are bigger fish to fry in the Imperial Court. It seems like every time Li Yu smacks down one of Prince Jing’s scheming brothers, another one emerges to plot against him! It’s up to Li Yu to make sure his handsome prince gets the happy ending he deserves. But will Li Yu himself be a part of the Prince’s future?

I went onto reading volume two of Xue Shan Fei Hu’s The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish more or less right away — I love Li Yu and Prince Jing, and I badly needed to read more about their adventures. Li Yu isn’t always the brightest, but he means well… and Prince Jing is an entitled and sometimes ruthless prince, but he cares strongly for Li Yu, and I love the combination of them.

I also loved that Prince Jing works so hard to obey the rules Li Yu sets, and to make Li Yu see that he’s serious. The calligraphy put up all over the palace, aahh…! “There are no other lovers. I adore you.” So cringe, but so sincere as well: Prince Jing can’t exactly shout after him, or voice his feelings aloud, so he finds his own way to shout it from the rooftops.

I love as well that Li Yu has a think about whether this has a future, whether he can be with a fictional character, and basically concludes that his feelings are real, and he cares deeply for Prince Jing, so he needs to seize the chance. He rarely stops to angst that “oh, these are just characters in a story”, but he also hasn’t entirely lost sight of it.

I’m always mentally comparing it to that other isekai-with-a-system danmei I’ve read, The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, and thus it’s a relief that the characters communicate about things, that Li Yu isn’t deeply closeted and is quite open to the relationship, and that they actually get down to it and get together before they nearly wreck each other and end the world. I love Shen Qingqiu, but Li Yu is adorable, and though there are some similarities in the setup, this is a very different relationship that I’m enjoying very much.

It’s all ridiculous, you can’t take it too seriously at all… but it’s a lot of fun, and genuinely sweet. I immediately went on to the third volume!

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Into the Dark

Posted December 7, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Into the Dark

Into the Dark

by Jordan L. Hawk

Genres: Horror, Romance
Pages: 227
Series: OutFoxing the Paranormal #3
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

OutFoxing the Paranormal’s benefactor, Ms. Montague, has a new assignment for the team: to investigate the haunted asylum Oscar’s grandmother died in. But upon arriving at the site, they find a rival duo of ghost hunters already there.

Between unexpected competitors and the murderous ghost of a former nurse, the pressure is on for Oscar to live up to his family’s heritage and lay the asylum’s ghosts to rest. Can he prove himself by putting an end to the nurse’s reign of terror, or will the asylum claim yet another victim?

Oof, Jordan L. Hawk’s Into the Dark genuinely creeped me out in a way the previous two books didn’t really. It was some of the details, I think, and the fact that the haunting partly manifested via illness. Also, “insane asylums” are genuinely terrifying places, and I can well imagine the horror of them even still, even without a haunting.

I’d have loved to see a bit more of Oscar’s grandmother — we get a glimpse of her in the prologue, but her ghost doesn’t appear. Still, we learn a bit more about Patricia’s deal, see a bit more of Chris’ life in the form of their ex, and even maybe a bit of a romance for Tina. I wonder if the group will see more of Zeek, which could be very fun, though I did feel like Oscar’s worries about his presentation of the show etc kind of petered out as a plot thread, and could rear up again if we do. I wasn’t really a fan of his self-doubt. Too real, ahaha.

I did think a bit ahead of the characters in a few details (e.g. if something stops happening if you get away from the creepy haunted asylum, maybe it has something to do with the haunting?) but the twist was still handled nicely, even if I saw it coming.

I read it almost in one go, ’cause there was no putting it down and going to bed until I knew everything worked out okay, yeeesh. I do wonder if Oscar and Nigel are going to end up paying a serious price given what they keep throwing themselves into…

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Love in the Palm of His Hand, vol 1

Posted December 6, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Love in the Palm of His Hand, vol 1

Love in the Palm of His Hand

by Rinteku

Genres: Manga, Romance
Pages: 256
Series: Love in the Palm of His Hand #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Fujinaga is a university student who dreams of becoming an actor so he can do what he loves best--conveying emotion and story through physical expression. But after failing multiple auditions, his hopes are dashed and his confidence crushed. When he meets Keito, a fellow student with congenital hearing loss, Fujinaga is suddenly introduced to the world of sign language. Although clumsy at first, Fujinaga quickly picks up signing and surprises Keito with his astonishing talent of expressing emotions through action.

Through sign language and acting, two young men seeking their places in the world discover a connection that transcends the spoken word.

Is it that only in a place beyond all verbal limitations can two people, both yearning to be understood, forge a bond they never expected?

"To think that just what I've always wanted to hear would come from someone I just met."

Rinteku’s Love in the Palm of His Hand is a really cute manga focusing on a friendship (and burgeoning romance) between Keito and Fujinaga, a Deaf student and a hearing student who is also an actor. The art spends a lot of time trying to portray Keito’s various ways of communicating: lipreading, speaking aloud (without being able to hear and thus sometimes mispronouncing things), texting, different types of sign, mime… Some panels include the hands in multiple different positions to make it clear how dynamically Keito is signing. It’s all lovely, and the artist seems to speak sign — I know nothing about them, but they mention at the end that they were trying to draw their own signs and realising they were getting everything flipped.

The relationship between Keito and Fujinaga is also really cute, as Keito’s enthusiasm for Fujinaga’s expressiveness makes him realise that even though his “overacting” is criticised, there are contexts in which it’s useful and helps him communicate — and Fujinaga’s enthusiasm for learning sign makes Keito feel wanted and understood.

I thought the art and panelling was really interesting, though I wasn’t 100% a fan of the art style — something about eyes/expressions, maybe? But that didn’t stop me loving it: the next volume is out in translation in October, and I’ll snag it right away (I’m writing this review in September). I’d love to spend more time with Keito and Fujinaga, and see how their relationship develops.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – One Night in Hartswood

Posted December 5, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – One Night in Hartswood

One Night in Hartswood

by Emma Denny

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance
Pages: 384
Series: The Barden Series #1
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

A love story worth fighting for…

Oxfordshire 1360

When Penn and Raff meet in Hartswood Forest the only truth they know of each other is a brief moonlit kiss they had shared previously. But Penn is escaping a life of cruelty, and an arranged marriage to a woman he has never seen. Raff is tracking the elusive missing groom of his sister to restore his family’s honour. Neither are looking for a travelling companion. Yet both men find themselves drawn to each other in ways neither imagined.

Unaware of their true identities they venture north together through Hartswood Forest. And, as their bond deepens, their fates become irrevocably entwined. But, with one escaping a life of duty and one tracking a fugitive, continued concealment threatens everything they know and trust in each other. So when secrets are finally revealed, and the consequences of their relationship become clear, both must decide what they will risk for the man they love.

Emma Denny’s One Night in Hartswood was sadly just… okay. It’s ostensibly historical fiction, but it could equally have been fantasy; that part is really just set-dressing for a mildly forbidden love (in that Raff’s family are absolutely fine with and encourage).

The plot all goes fairly predictably, along with the miscommunication trope in the middle where they’re both hiding their real identity, and then gets infuriating because Raff comes clean and Penn doesn’t — despite knowing that Raff was totally okay with it all. There’s some heaped-on angst with Penn’s scars and Penn’s father’s absolutely bananapants idea to shoot Raff and then pretend he didn’t, but it’s always so obvious it’s going to work out that it lacked urgency (even with the meta-knowing that it’s going to work out of knowing that romance always does).

I didn’t feel like DNFing it, so there’s that for it, but overall it’s just… kinda meh, sadly. I won’t read more in the series.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)

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