There's practically zero storyline, mostly smut. But pretty pictures. ( )

This one really annoyed me by having SO MUCH potential and then just letting it all drop away.

First, the artwork is really beautiful. Detailed, intricate, and blessedly light on the chibi bits. Second, the world depicted was pretty interesting and could have been deep. Third, the enemies-to-lovers trope is one that can be a lot of fun to read when done well. The situation had promise and the book started pretty well.

But, as seems to be the trend with the 'mature content' yaoi manga, it's all about getting to the drawings of a sweaty naked uke 'hah, hah, hah' ing away, some censored penis drawings, and I am ... bored.

Oh, there is a love story, and it's good enough to carry the book, but it gets passed over or sped through. I'm not sure if it is publisher/editor requirements, genre trope pressure, or just a matter of page count, but I was very disappointed with how much there could have been and just wasn't. There's even a whole potential discussion about what is a soul, what constitutes a life -- and these are essential to the story as presented -- but, again, it all gets zipped up and skipped over to get to the next sex scene.

I know these stories are originally presented as chapters with long wait periods between them, and when they are combined into a single book, it can affect the overall story. But, no, I have other examples in my library where it is done much better. Especially with the excellent artwork, that the story fell flat just makes it worse. ( )

This is more of a 3.5 than a 4. The art is lovely, with a gorgeous cover and some really detailed, pretty shots of armor. Gilbert in full armor in particular is a treat. The characters are interesting and the world-building is okay. The story isn't the best, but if you're into master/slave stuff, this is there, and there's some fun kinky stuff with collars, dildos, orgies, and voyeurism. It's kind of a wonky version of Beauty and the Beast with some extra pseudo Christianity, which is odd, and the Beauty and the Beast thing isn't just because Gilbert is Chris' prisoner and they fall in love/lust. At one point, Gilbert is tasked with organizing Chris' library, which feels very much like Disney Beast giving Belle the library as her domain, just with fewer freedoms.

I found the sorcerer friend plot odd, especially given they're the only character of color, and apparently one of the only "evil" characters, which is kind of eesh. Gilbert is betrayed by his comrades, of course, and they all seem pale-skinned, but still.

It also kind of jumps the gun with certain characters, like when Chris asks, upset, if Gilbert really wants to go home. And then stops bothering him for a bit out of frustration. There's no evidence of their relationship developing, other than with the voyeurism, and Gilbert is isolated from news of the outside. He has no idea what's going on back home, and Chris has not made any attempt to let him know about it. Maybe Chris thinks that he's being charitable and Gilbert should be convinced his prison is heaven already? It's just kind of strange, and a narrative beat that really doesn't work, unless you assume Chris is upset because HE knows, and he believes that Gilbert should like... pyschically know that it's a waste for him to try to head home. It's just a weird plot thread. But Chris and Gilbert are generally fun together.

This feels like it exists primarily for vibes and kinks than plot, and it works well enough on that front, hence the high star rating. It's not a bad use of your time if the art and plot sound compelling. ( )