Week of 6/17/2024
This week, Bob and DB-01 are free falling and I review a queer erotic fantasy for Pride month!
The Shapes
Close Endeavors of the Bob Kind 11-12
Sammy the Critic
The Vow Review
Note: The completed book will be in grayscale, but the advance reader copy I received is in ink only, so any thoughts and opinions regarding the art will reflect that.
Crisis is afoot in the town of Sahull where newlywed brides are regularly being abducted and left for dead on their wedding night by a mysterious beast. Dedicated to investigating magical anomalies, the Arcana Imperii assigns agents Lalo Ludovico and Oz Samokhina to the task, both of whom are at odds with each other.
As fate would have it, of course, familiarity makes their adversarial hearts grow fonder, a trope as old as Father Time himself. Equal parts horror fantasy and erotica, the story delivers on all fronts. The worldbuilding zeros in on only the information necessary to understand the space our characters inhabit and the main conflict while leaving the impression that there’s more to this world than what meets the eye, an open opportunity for subsequent installments exploring, for example, the deeper inner workings of Arcana Imperii or the beast’s motivations.
Oz and Lalo’s sexual tension, meanwhile, is a palpitating pendulum rocking between repressed affection that sheds its feathers and mutual frustration with each other that pays off in erotic ecstasy that’s elegantly illustrated and composed with numerous perspective choices that accentuate the scenes’ sensuality.
Overall, if a queer adult fantasy is up to your speed, then make your vows to read The Vow whose Kickstarter prelaunch you can follow. You can also download a free teaser to the book on itch.io.
Thank you Arden Ripley & Julian Cormac for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.