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Wine and Gun Vol. 1
320 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 31, 2025
“Perhaps you started a game and now I’ve decided to participate.”
I honestly didn’t expect to hand out a full five stars, but here we are. I went in knowing it was crime-focused, yet I never guessed it would explore the mindset and psychology of serial killers so deeply. The whole interplay between psychopath and sociopath traits had me hooked right away. When the story dropped references to BAU and Quantico, it instantly lit up my inner “Criminal Minds” and “Mindhunter” fan. It felt like someone took my favorite parts of those shows and gave them an addictive, page-turning twist.
What really blew me away was the mix of storytelling styles—shifting from first-person to third, slipping in logs, articles, and other formats. It sounds like it could be messy, but it’s executed so well that it actually pulls you deeper into the investigation. And the danmei element? Completely unexpected for me in this kind of crime fiction, but it fits perfectly. It adds emotional tension without taking away from the sharp, calculated atmosphere. The pacing is tight, the writing is smart, and every detail feels researched and intentional.
On top of all that, the presentation is gorgeous. Rosmei’s cover art is pure perfection—it sets the tone before you even flip to page one. This is the kind of book you binge-read, then think about long after you’ve closed it. It’s fresh, thrilling, and genuinely mindblowing for my first experience with a danmei in this genre.
Date Read: 2025.08.13
I honestly didn’t expect to hand out a full five stars, but here we are. I went in knowing it was crime-focused, yet I never guessed it would explore the mindset and psychology of serial killers so deeply. The whole interplay between psychopath and sociopath traits had me hooked right away. When the story dropped references to BAU and Quantico, it instantly lit up my inner “Criminal Minds” and “Mindhunter” fan. It felt like someone took my favorite parts of those shows and gave them an addictive, page-turning twist.
What really blew me away was the mix of storytelling styles—shifting from first-person to third, slipping in logs, articles, and other formats. It sounds like it could be messy, but it’s executed so well that it actually pulls you deeper into the investigation. And the danmei element? Completely unexpected for me in this kind of crime fiction, but it fits perfectly. It adds emotional tension without taking away from the sharp, calculated atmosphere. The pacing is tight, the writing is smart, and every detail feels researched and intentional.
On top of all that, the presentation is gorgeous. Rosmei’s cover art is pure perfection—it sets the tone before you even flip to page one. This is the kind of book you binge-read, then think about long after you’ve closed it. It’s fresh, thrilling, and genuinely mindblowing for my first experience with a danmei in this genre.
Date Read: 2025.08.13
July 22, 2025
I'm team Herstall
My full in-depth review of the whole series can be found at:
"https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..."
My full in-depth review of the whole series can be found at:
"https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..."
August 13, 2025
4.9/5 🌟
Would have been a solid 5/5, but... Wtf Alborino! How dare you? This is pay back, isn't it?
Oh these two, I swear! One did the other dirty, yet the latter played dirtier!
The cliffhanger is diabolical! I must know...!
This is SUCH an intense story. The way the author is teasing us and making these two evil sons of bitches make you root for them. I can't! I would have never guessed I'd be rooting for serial killers.
This is insane.
I'm insane.
Send help!
Regardless. I love the progression of this story. It's very TV-show-like played, super intense, but the chemistry by the two is unlike any other I've seen. They really wanna kill each other, but then one says to the other "I want to see you burn."
*goosebumps*
They both seriously have no remorse. They have this anger that bubbles inside of them because of the other. It's crazy because that's the only time you see them have any solid emotion is with each other. They both be suffering at making each other suffer... It all depends on who caves first.Yet, despite all of this, they still wanna bang each other. This dynamic is so bizzare, but I dig it.
(ʃƪ ˘ ³˘)♥(˘ ε˘ʃƪ)
Also, Olga is fabulous! 🤣 I love her! She's like your crazy serial killer fanatic. She dreams about them and is obsessed with learning about them. Criminal psychology for her is her identity!
Herstal, I really hope you'll be okay in the end! I'll smack Alborino for you. I hope you're able to get some revenge! This btch ass Sunday Gardner is someone that blows you and kisses you, only to kick you in the balls, push you down, and laugh at you —afterwards calling you beautiful. d-(´▽｀)-b Pianist, you have really met your maker. .˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
The gore in this, intense! Not for the faint of heart. My anatomy skills are being put to the test!
Would have been a solid 5/5, but... Wtf Alborino! How dare you? This is pay back, isn't it?
Oh these two, I swear! One did the other dirty, yet the latter played dirtier!
The cliffhanger is diabolical! I must know...!
This is SUCH an intense story. The way the author is teasing us and making these two evil sons of bitches make you root for them. I can't! I would have never guessed I'd be rooting for serial killers.
This is insane.
I'm insane.
Send help!
Regardless. I love the progression of this story. It's very TV-show-like played, super intense, but the chemistry by the two is unlike any other I've seen. They really wanna kill each other, but then one says to the other "I want to see you burn."
*goosebumps*
They both seriously have no remorse. They have this anger that bubbles inside of them because of the other. It's crazy because that's the only time you see them have any solid emotion is with each other. They both be suffering at making each other suffer... It all depends on who caves first.Yet, despite all of this, they still wanna bang each other. This dynamic is so bizzare, but I dig it.
(ʃƪ ˘ ³˘)♥(˘ ε˘ʃƪ)
Also, Olga is fabulous! 🤣 I love her! She's like your crazy serial killer fanatic. She dreams about them and is obsessed with learning about them. Criminal psychology for her is her identity!
Herstal, I really hope you'll be okay in the end! I'll smack Alborino for you. I hope you're able to get some revenge! This btch ass Sunday Gardner is someone that blows you and kisses you, only to kick you in the balls, push you down, and laugh at you —afterwards calling you beautiful. d-(´▽｀)-b Pianist, you have really met your maker. .˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
The gore in this, intense! Not for the faint of heart. My anatomy skills are being put to the test!
July 19, 2025
"It's clear that Westland's two most fearsome homicidal maniacs have started to take notice of each other."
I'm not the kind of person who normally writes lengthy reviews but god damn... this book deserves it. So let's dive in. "Wine and gun" centers around our two main characters, Albarino Bacchus and Herstal Armalight, who also happen to be two serial killers, named as the "Sunday Gardener" and the "Westland Pianist". In the span of over a decade those two have each killed dozens of people in the fictional city of Westland. However, until now, the both of them have for the most part only coexisted, aware of the other one's existence, but never crossing paths. This changes in this volume due to one specific event which leads to some kind of cat-and-mouse game of mutual provocations breaking out between them.
Failing to recognize beauty was definitely a crime, and Albarino Bacchus never objected to helping people open their eyes.
Now, let's talk about the main characters. Albarino is a quite cocky but incredibly charasmatic psychopath while Herstal is more of a stoick and cold sociopath. What I found so incredible is the attention of detail that flows into the portrayel of those unusual characteristics. You can really tell that the author has put a lot of research into the different characteristics of serial killers. She doesn't tame their thoughts and actions down or tries to "humanize" them for the sake of relateability or something, but portrays them in a realistic light.
"So on one hand, I do wish to decorate you as best as I can-- But on the other hand... I also want to pin you to this table and fuck you until you cry. I must confess. I'm torn with indecision, Mr. Armalight."
Which leads me to the second point, their relationship. As the special charaters that Herstal and Albarino are, it would of course be quite unfitting if they had a normal lovey-dovey romantic relationship. No, instead their relationship can rather be seen as one of equal fascination and almost obession of the other. They have their own special way of pushing the other to their limits to see what they are capable of. They are also communicating in such interesting ways by using greek mythology or bible references to make their message come accross, which makes this such an intruiging read.
"I saw beauty Mr. Armalight. Right now you look just like Danae in the Bronze Tower."
To finish this review of: Wine and Gun for sure isn't for everyone. From the content, one can already imagine that this contains some heavy, gory and potentially disturbing scenes. So I'd discourage anyone who might be struggling with such scenes from picking this book up. However, should this not scare you, I can only recommend this book from the bottom of my heart. So to anyone who read until here: please, give Wine and Gun a chance. You won't regret it.
March 9, 2025
MY FAVOURITE NOVEL ABOUT MY TWO FAVOURITE SERIAL KILLERS IN ENGLISH??? YES PLEASE 🫶
This book has been and probably will forever be the greatest piece of literature I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I totally don’t think about this novel daily and how well researched and well written it is…😔✋
This book has been and probably will forever be the greatest piece of literature I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I totally don’t think about this novel daily and how well researched and well written it is…😔✋
October 22, 2025
“There weren’t many lies in this statement, but at the same time, Herstal being “not easy to get along with” clearly hadn’t stopped Albarino from putting the man’s c**k in his mouth.” – Wine and Gun [酒與槍], Vol.1., Pg.305.
5/5, 10/10. Whatever full-value increment you want to use that indicates this book was phenomenal, that’s where I’m sitting at while struggling to wait for the remaining volumes.
CWs include: Non-con, mentions of rape, gore, and lots and lots of morbidly, dark humor.
Possible soft spoilers ahead, so read with caution.
With every review I do, if the book has left a lasting impression on me I definitely try and strive to make my review reflect that, rather than just trying to shove the book into someone face and cry and plead for them to read it. That said, I’ll admit this was really hard to do. And I probably already did that to some of my moots. Admittedly, I’m not really sure where I should begin, but I suppose starting somewhere is the way to go, right?
Our story opens up with a curious and quaint prologue from our bossbabe, Olga – a Criminal Psychologist. Olga is one of my favorite characters in this, and you can attribute her to being something like the stereotypical gay man’s female bestie. She’s setting the stage for us with two big named serial killers who reside in the city of Westland, reviewing past cases and leaving us her personal thoughts. After all, that is part of her job. At the very end, she says something loosely along the lines of, “I wonder what would happen if these two ever crossed paths. I personally think it’d be very interesting.” Paraphrasing, obviously, but you can already see where this is going to go. And with that, we’re immediately thrown into the story and quick to meet our boys: the Sunday Gardener and the Westland Pianist.
The relationship between Albarino (or just Al) and Herstal is best described as tantalizingly hilarious, as the two have a sort of mask-on, mask-off façade dancing between them for a fair bit of this first volume. Al realizes very early on who Herstal is, while Herstal honestly doesn’t even care about Al. It isn’t until Al discloses who he is that Herstal then begins to connect the dots as to just what kind of game is going on. You can think of their dynamic as whimsically quirky, sleep-deprived playboy Forensics Pathologist (Al) meets exasperated and aloof, otherwise rigid and cold mob lawyer (Herstal). And to make matters that much more enjoyable for us, Olga doesn’t hide the fact that she thinks the Sunday Gardener is deliberately hitting on Herstal any time he strikes, and she is very much into shipping it. [Sorry Herstal, but our girl Olga is very good at her job.]
As the story progresses for us through the first volume, we’re shown a very fun and blatantly sadistic enemies-to-lovers between Al and Herstal, where they’re very clearly playing cat and mouse. Though Herstal really doesn’t seem to care much early on – at least, not until the end of the first volume when the straw finally breaks the camel’s back. This isn’t to say that we as the readers aren’t rewarded for the multiple sexual tension scenes Al deliberately causes, as we definitely do get that. But then we’re reminded by a chapter prior to this that takes places three years in the future which discloses what the media then knows about our boys, or rather thinks they know – as in, what awaits us in the future, and how they’ll likely wrap up their own stories in the public’s eye. This leaves us with a lot of room to guess about what could happen, if something like that strikes your fancy.
I found this all to be very interesting. Though I did feel the placement of this “future” chapter to be kind of strange if not anxiety inducing, simply because my default state is that I just want the boys to be happy regardless of the fact of who they actually are. After reading that chapter I immediately looked up that we’re to expect roughly seven translated volumes for this series, so… Ya know… You can see that a lot happens within those three years, and not all of it sounds to be… good. But, it comes hand in hand with the dark and otherwise morbid plot line. So, it can’t be helped.
Right off the bat, not even three full chapters in, I was immediately left with the impression that the author likely was a fan of series like Dexter and Hannibal, or just really big into true crime podcast. So I felt like I was definitely in for a ride considering our power couple are two renowned serial killers. Despite the fact that there was a lot of technical terminology being thrown around throughout the story – terminology in which folks who don’t normally watch crime shows or listen to true crime podcast might be familiar with – it didn’t effect the pacing at all. The book was so fast paced and well written that just like with any book you find yourself enjoying, it sweeps you up off your feet and then the next thing you know, you’re turning the last page and that’s it. The entirety of this volume flowed so beautifully that I cannot stress this enough. Everything about this just… sort of felt like art. So even with the author’s beautiful style in writing, I feel the need to also do a shout out to Rosmei’s translation team. Because the quality to this was phenomenal.
In closing, so as not to yap on for longer than need be and further derail my train of haphazardly organized thoughts, if you really like darker plots, enemies-to-lovers, and/or shows like Dexter and Hannibal, you’ll probably gobble this series down. Even if you’re not big on some of those and still really enjoy slightly darker themes, I’d still encourage you to give this book a try. Honestly I didn’t think this was going to be something I would enjoy, and initially I almost did pass on preordering this. But in the end the cover sold me and I’m really glad I ended up getting it. I’m very excited to see where the story goes and what awaits our boys. [Last minute note: but I also hope we'll learn more about which Westland this is, or at least be given more clues because there are a few of them in the US, and I'm softkey hoping this story fictionally happens in Westland, Michigan so I can scream even more with delight.]
5/5, 10/10. Whatever full-value increment you want to use that indicates this book was phenomenal, that’s where I’m sitting at while struggling to wait for the remaining volumes.
CWs include: Non-con, mentions of rape, gore, and lots and lots of morbidly, dark humor.
Possible soft spoilers ahead, so read with caution.
With every review I do, if the book has left a lasting impression on me I definitely try and strive to make my review reflect that, rather than just trying to shove the book into someone face and cry and plead for them to read it. That said, I’ll admit this was really hard to do. And I probably already did that to some of my moots. Admittedly, I’m not really sure where I should begin, but I suppose starting somewhere is the way to go, right?
Our story opens up with a curious and quaint prologue from our bossbabe, Olga – a Criminal Psychologist. Olga is one of my favorite characters in this, and you can attribute her to being something like the stereotypical gay man’s female bestie. She’s setting the stage for us with two big named serial killers who reside in the city of Westland, reviewing past cases and leaving us her personal thoughts. After all, that is part of her job. At the very end, she says something loosely along the lines of, “I wonder what would happen if these two ever crossed paths. I personally think it’d be very interesting.” Paraphrasing, obviously, but you can already see where this is going to go. And with that, we’re immediately thrown into the story and quick to meet our boys: the Sunday Gardener and the Westland Pianist.
The relationship between Albarino (or just Al) and Herstal is best described as tantalizingly hilarious, as the two have a sort of mask-on, mask-off façade dancing between them for a fair bit of this first volume. Al realizes very early on who Herstal is, while Herstal honestly doesn’t even care about Al. It isn’t until Al discloses who he is that Herstal then begins to connect the dots as to just what kind of game is going on. You can think of their dynamic as whimsically quirky, sleep-deprived playboy Forensics Pathologist (Al) meets exasperated and aloof, otherwise rigid and cold mob lawyer (Herstal). And to make matters that much more enjoyable for us, Olga doesn’t hide the fact that she thinks the Sunday Gardener is deliberately hitting on Herstal any time he strikes, and she is very much into shipping it. [Sorry Herstal, but our girl Olga is very good at her job.]
As the story progresses for us through the first volume, we’re shown a very fun and blatantly sadistic enemies-to-lovers between Al and Herstal, where they’re very clearly playing cat and mouse. Though Herstal really doesn’t seem to care much early on – at least, not until the end of the first volume when the straw finally breaks the camel’s back. This isn’t to say that we as the readers aren’t rewarded for the multiple sexual tension scenes Al deliberately causes, as we definitely do get that. But then we’re reminded by a chapter prior to this that takes places three years in the future which discloses what the media then knows about our boys, or rather thinks they know – as in, what awaits us in the future, and how they’ll likely wrap up their own stories in the public’s eye. This leaves us with a lot of room to guess about what could happen, if something like that strikes your fancy.
I found this all to be very interesting. Though I did feel the placement of this “future” chapter to be kind of strange if not anxiety inducing, simply because my default state is that I just want the boys to be happy regardless of the fact of who they actually are. After reading that chapter I immediately looked up that we’re to expect roughly seven translated volumes for this series, so… Ya know… You can see that a lot happens within those three years, and not all of it sounds to be… good. But, it comes hand in hand with the dark and otherwise morbid plot line. So, it can’t be helped.
Right off the bat, not even three full chapters in, I was immediately left with the impression that the author likely was a fan of series like Dexter and Hannibal, or just really big into true crime podcast. So I felt like I was definitely in for a ride considering our power couple are two renowned serial killers. Despite the fact that there was a lot of technical terminology being thrown around throughout the story – terminology in which folks who don’t normally watch crime shows or listen to true crime podcast might be familiar with – it didn’t effect the pacing at all. The book was so fast paced and well written that just like with any book you find yourself enjoying, it sweeps you up off your feet and then the next thing you know, you’re turning the last page and that’s it. The entirety of this volume flowed so beautifully that I cannot stress this enough. Everything about this just… sort of felt like art. So even with the author’s beautiful style in writing, I feel the need to also do a shout out to Rosmei’s translation team. Because the quality to this was phenomenal.
In closing, so as not to yap on for longer than need be and further derail my train of haphazardly organized thoughts, if you really like darker plots, enemies-to-lovers, and/or shows like Dexter and Hannibal, you’ll probably gobble this series down. Even if you’re not big on some of those and still really enjoy slightly darker themes, I’d still encourage you to give this book a try. Honestly I didn’t think this was going to be something I would enjoy, and initially I almost did pass on preordering this. But in the end the cover sold me and I’m really glad I ended up getting it. I’m very excited to see where the story goes and what awaits our boys. [Last minute note: but I also hope we'll learn more about which Westland this is, or at least be given more clues because there are a few of them in the US, and I'm softkey hoping this story fictionally happens in Westland, Michigan so I can scream even more with delight.]
July 30, 2025
"On the one hand, I do wish to decorate you as best as I can. But on the other hand, I also want to pin you to this table and fuck you until you cry. "
And thus, the game begins. The players are Albarino Bacchus, forensic pathologist with murderously artistic ambitions, and Herstal Armalight - sadist, serial killer, babygirl. Their unique relationship, the well paced story, and the tremendous amount of research that went into it catapulted Wine and Gun right to the top of my favorite danmei list. I'm delighted that Rosmei licensed the book for an official English release - especially because the webnovel isn't available anymore, after feiwen decided to close shop in reaction to the arrests of danmei authors.
Volume 1 consist of 11 chapters, combining the first 25 chapters of the original webnovel. As I've already reviewed the whole book here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., I'm now going to focus on Rosmei's translation, done by Xiao, edited by Onymous, Tina and Aron, with proofreading by Merry K., and X. H. M being chief editor.
Wine and Gun stands out not only because of its setting - a fictional US-Americans city - but also because of numerous references to classic literature and works of art. I'm a bit sad that the official release doesn't include the author's notes, which give more context for the references chosen, but I understand why this is the case. That would've been a lot of footnotes, enough to add at least one more volume to the count. What I don't quite understand is the decision to not attribute the quotes at all. Now you either know your Nietzsche and your Plato, or you start googling. An odd choice, and I can't say I like it.
The translation itself is a bit of a mixed bag. Most of the dialogue is beautifully rendered, with distinct voices. That especially goes for Albarino and Herstal's banter - equal parts horny and homicidal - with both Al's self-satisfied arrogance and Herstal's growing exasperation coming through. At other times, the translation sticks too close to the original text, with more repetitive phrasing and filler words than natural for the English language. That includes one of my pet peeves: superfluous "also"s that fulfill absolutely no purpose and could as well be left out. This leads to overly wordy, cluttered sentences.
There are also some grammar mistakes, especially concerning tenses (I get it, English tenses are hard), and some sentences are translated to mean the opposite of what they are supposed to mean - like here (p. 314): "Based on Elliot's social skills, the likelihood of it being the police was low." Nope - based on his (non-existent) social skills, the likelihood of the police ringing at his door is high.
Most of these issues appear less frequently as the story progresses, and the second half reads much smoother than the first. It's also far from the worst danmei translation I've read - but it would've profited from a more thorough edit by somebody with a better eye and ear for natural English. Now, the translation will change hands with volume 2; what that means for the quality remains to be seen.
Despite my issues, I still hope people will give Wine and Gun a chance. It's one of a kind among danmei releases, with an intriguing relationship and unforgettable characters. It deserves all the love.
And thus, the game begins. The players are Albarino Bacchus, forensic pathologist with murderously artistic ambitions, and Herstal Armalight - sadist, serial killer, babygirl. Their unique relationship, the well paced story, and the tremendous amount of research that went into it catapulted Wine and Gun right to the top of my favorite danmei list. I'm delighted that Rosmei licensed the book for an official English release - especially because the webnovel isn't available anymore, after feiwen decided to close shop in reaction to the arrests of danmei authors.
Volume 1 consist of 11 chapters, combining the first 25 chapters of the original webnovel. As I've already reviewed the whole book here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., I'm now going to focus on Rosmei's translation, done by Xiao, edited by Onymous, Tina and Aron, with proofreading by Merry K., and X. H. M being chief editor.
Wine and Gun stands out not only because of its setting - a fictional US-Americans city - but also because of numerous references to classic literature and works of art. I'm a bit sad that the official release doesn't include the author's notes, which give more context for the references chosen, but I understand why this is the case. That would've been a lot of footnotes, enough to add at least one more volume to the count. What I don't quite understand is the decision to not attribute the quotes at all. Now you either know your Nietzsche and your Plato, or you start googling. An odd choice, and I can't say I like it.
The translation itself is a bit of a mixed bag. Most of the dialogue is beautifully rendered, with distinct voices. That especially goes for Albarino and Herstal's banter - equal parts horny and homicidal - with both Al's self-satisfied arrogance and Herstal's growing exasperation coming through. At other times, the translation sticks too close to the original text, with more repetitive phrasing and filler words than natural for the English language. That includes one of my pet peeves: superfluous "also"s that fulfill absolutely no purpose and could as well be left out. This leads to overly wordy, cluttered sentences.
There are also some grammar mistakes, especially concerning tenses (I get it, English tenses are hard), and some sentences are translated to mean the opposite of what they are supposed to mean - like here (p. 314): "Based on Elliot's social skills, the likelihood of it being the police was low." Nope - based on his (non-existent) social skills, the likelihood of the police ringing at his door is high.
Most of these issues appear less frequently as the story progresses, and the second half reads much smoother than the first. It's also far from the worst danmei translation I've read - but it would've profited from a more thorough edit by somebody with a better eye and ear for natural English. Now, the translation will change hands with volume 2; what that means for the quality remains to be seen.
Despite my issues, I still hope people will give Wine and Gun a chance. It's one of a kind among danmei releases, with an intriguing relationship and unforgettable characters. It deserves all the love.
December 11, 2025
2.25 stars (-_-)
The writing wasn’t a slog to get through, and the book isn’t long. That’s genuinely the only two things that kept me from DNF’ing.
I was beyond excited to read this, but I couldn’t connect to either of the main characters one bit. I didn’t feel anything towards either of them, like at all. I think the plot was pretty thin on the ground, I wanted the criminal cases to have a bit more substance to them, but they didn’t. This also isn’t my first serial killer x serial killer romance (I literally gave one 5 stars earlier this year), so it’s not the premise that’s made me feel so off about this book.
I won’t be continuing this series, but hey. At least I get to mark it as read on Goodreads and move on :)
The writing wasn’t a slog to get through, and the book isn’t long. That’s genuinely the only two things that kept me from DNF’ing.
I was beyond excited to read this, but I couldn’t connect to either of the main characters one bit. I didn’t feel anything towards either of them, like at all. I think the plot was pretty thin on the ground, I wanted the criminal cases to have a bit more substance to them, but they didn’t. This also isn’t my first serial killer x serial killer romance (I literally gave one 5 stars earlier this year), so it’s not the premise that’s made me feel so off about this book.
I won’t be continuing this series, but hey. At least I get to mark it as read on Goodreads and move on :)
August 15, 2025
A surprising hit for me, not only is the plot engaging, it’s unpredictable. This is a story about a cat and mouse game between serial killers- Albarino, a charming forensic pathologist and Herstal a cold mob lawyer. These are not good people and the author never pretends they are.
It makes for fantastic tension and higher stakes. The writing is solid and a breeze to read through. I enjoy the secondary characters even if the POV switches to them are not quite as interesting as following Herstal or Albarino. Olga in particular is a delight and Hardy being the only normal person in the room is endlessly funny to me.
The translation quality from Rosmei continues to be fantastic. I believe there was only one sentence that appeared to be an accidental duplicate but overall this volume is definitely worth a buy if you like darker romance stories and toxic relationship dynamics with a side of murder. I look forward to when volume 2 is released.
It makes for fantastic tension and higher stakes. The writing is solid and a breeze to read through. I enjoy the secondary characters even if the POV switches to them are not quite as interesting as following Herstal or Albarino. Olga in particular is a delight and Hardy being the only normal person in the room is endlessly funny to me.
The translation quality from Rosmei continues to be fantastic. I believe there was only one sentence that appeared to be an accidental duplicate but overall this volume is definitely worth a buy if you like darker romance stories and toxic relationship dynamics with a side of murder. I look forward to when volume 2 is released.
August 6, 2025
Oh my goodness, I just have too much to say about this splendid work of fiction. The prose, the biblical and mythological references, the stunning attention to detail, the sexual Tension. Everything was beautifully crafted. The characters are somehow simultaneously gruesome and horrible but also charming and strangely likable. Just, chefs kiss. 10/10. Incredible.
July 30, 2025
This book was so peak guys.
I love killerxkiller stories and this one did not disappoint.
Wine & Gun follows Albarino Bacchus who works as a forensic pathologist in the WLPD, who is also known as the serial killer psychopath called the Sunday Gardener. The novel starts off with the murder of a gang member, someone that Albarino AKA the Sunday Gardener was planning on killing, however another murderer already beat him to the punch. The murderer in question is the Westland Pianist who is another well known serial killer in this city. While looking at different suspects for the murder Albarino meets the criminal lawyer of this gang member, Herstal Armalight, also known as the Westland Pianist. The novel follows both serial killers in their game of cat-and-mouse and them trying to evade the police while killing other people and dealing with other serial killers.
Onto the review:
While some characters in the story did piss me off I loved how complex and strong the other characters were, like Olga. They were also so good at clocking the murderers motives and their past activities which was so refreshing to read when most of the time in serial killer stories you see the police basically being stupid. The philosophy that was inserted into the book felt so interesting to read and gave Herstal and Albarino so much depth too and I loved learning about all the little references.
As for their romantic relationship, there were so many scenes that were genuinely INSANE like I was reading them with my jaw on the ground. BUT I did love their relationship and the push and pull between the characters (esp Albarino I LOVED him). While I was a little sad that I do appreciate the author for writing actual serial killers in an actual relationship. I also just thought they were so so cute especially in the extras.
Overall 5/5 stars ⭐️ and I cannot wait for the official Rosmei translations because I was dying trying to read the last 18 chapters of google translate.
I love killerxkiller stories and this one did not disappoint.
Wine & Gun follows Albarino Bacchus who works as a forensic pathologist in the WLPD, who is also known as the serial killer psychopath called the Sunday Gardener. The novel starts off with the murder of a gang member, someone that Albarino AKA the Sunday Gardener was planning on killing, however another murderer already beat him to the punch. The murderer in question is the Westland Pianist who is another well known serial killer in this city. While looking at different suspects for the murder Albarino meets the criminal lawyer of this gang member, Herstal Armalight, also known as the Westland Pianist. The novel follows both serial killers in their game of cat-and-mouse and them trying to evade the police while killing other people and dealing with other serial killers.
Onto the review:
While some characters in the story did piss me off I loved how complex and strong the other characters were, like Olga. They were also so good at clocking the murderers motives and their past activities which was so refreshing to read when most of the time in serial killer stories you see the police basically being stupid. The philosophy that was inserted into the book felt so interesting to read and gave Herstal and Albarino so much depth too and I loved learning about all the little references.
As for their romantic relationship, there were so many scenes that were genuinely INSANE like I was reading them with my jaw on the ground. BUT I did love their relationship and the push and pull between the characters (esp Albarino I LOVED him). While I was a little sad that I do appreciate the author for writing actual serial killers in an actual relationship. I also just thought they were so so cute especially in the extras.
Overall 5/5 stars ⭐️ and I cannot wait for the official Rosmei translations because I was dying trying to read the last 18 chapters of google translate.
September 17, 2025
2.5 rounded up. This is the most western-like danmei I've ever read so far and I'm really impressed that this was written in Chinese!! I'm so curious how close the translation is to the original.
I will say that I read this in a day, which I haven't done in a while so kudos to the translation team in making this super duper easy to consume. That being said, I wish I enjoyed this more considering I love the premise and this is one of the earliest titles I was super excited to get from Rosmei.
If I read this even 8 years ago, I might've been more impressed, but because I've read so many mysteries/crimes/thrillers and watched waaay too many procedural shows, I felt like this first volume didn't give me enough to care about with these characters or the overall plot. Every character felt too surface-level, and things were constantly spelled out and fed to me that it was clear that I, as a reader, was simply an observer instead of actually participating in trying to solve anything. I was also taken out of the story quite a few times when we would get details about how Al was getting away with things.
My favorite part was definitely the descriptions of the murder scenes though because they were really descriptive and well-written!
I felt the final act was incredibly boring, but I did enjoy the ending scene and will at least continue to the next volume, where I hope to get more of a toxic vibe.
I will say that I read this in a day, which I haven't done in a while so kudos to the translation team in making this super duper easy to consume. That being said, I wish I enjoyed this more considering I love the premise and this is one of the earliest titles I was super excited to get from Rosmei.
If I read this even 8 years ago, I might've been more impressed, but because I've read so many mysteries/crimes/thrillers and watched waaay too many procedural shows, I felt like this first volume didn't give me enough to care about with these characters or the overall plot. Every character felt too surface-level, and things were constantly spelled out and fed to me that it was clear that I, as a reader, was simply an observer instead of actually participating in trying to solve anything. I was also taken out of the story quite a few times when we would get details about how Al was getting away with things.
My favorite part was definitely the descriptions of the murder scenes though because they were really descriptive and well-written!
I felt the final act was incredibly boring, but I did enjoy the ending scene and will at least continue to the next volume, where I hope to get more of a toxic vibe.
September 27, 2025
This should be my most anticipated read of the year. So why only three stars.
Because it's just mediocre so far.
It would probably be more enjoyable if I didn't have experience working for the police.
+ Police file looks more like a murderer's tinder profile.
+ Right now there is more telling not showing the personality of these murderers through the character Olga (and quite repetitive if i may say). Because I literally feel zero fear from the characters Albarino and Herstal. Half of K-drama do better job.
+ Sociopath and psychopath can adapt behavior, but their inner world is completely different from an ordinary person. So far it has more signs of the danmei genre than the Hannibal series that I loved and hoped for.
+ Also you can't say that he doesn't enjoy torture and then write that he tied up his victim and let them die of mechanical asphyxiation, it's literally a form of torture. Victims can feel euphoria but also absolute horror, as anyone working in the field would know.
Because it's just mediocre so far.
It would probably be more enjoyable if I didn't have experience working for the police.
+ Police file looks more like a murderer's tinder profile.
+ Right now there is more telling not showing the personality of these murderers through the character Olga (and quite repetitive if i may say). Because I literally feel zero fear from the characters Albarino and Herstal. Half of K-drama do better job.
+ Sociopath and psychopath can adapt behavior, but their inner world is completely different from an ordinary person. So far it has more signs of the danmei genre than the Hannibal series that I loved and hoped for.
+ Also you can't say that he doesn't enjoy torture and then write that he tied up his victim and let them die of mechanical asphyxiation, it's literally a form of torture. Victims can feel euphoria but also absolute horror, as anyone working in the field would know.
December 11, 2025
This series I have barely seen talked about in danmei spaces, which is unfortunate. This is not like any of the other danmei I have read. Both of our leads are serial killers, one a psychopath and the other a sociopath. They decide to engage in a game of cat and mouse. There is no redeeming qualities in either of these men and this is not a romantic story at all. This is a story focusing on the psyche of evil. I am really mad that the second volume is not being released until next year as that cliff hanger is absolutely ridiculous. There is a spoiler in the volume that seems like it gives away the end of this game between these two killers but I think all is not as it seems. Albariño and Herstal are very intriguing characters. I will say this story is not for everyone but it’s for me. A masterpiece that more people should read.
August 3, 2025
I think Rosmei may be my favourite danmei publisher right now. The translation is good. Doesnt read at all like YA. The cover art is pretty and no ugly illustrations or any at all inside the book (thank god.)
Albarino Bacchus (wine); The Sunday Gardner and Herstal Armalight (gun); The Pianist, both serial killers who after a cat and mouse game fall in love. I love these characters so much that I didnt even mind the age gap. They are a switch couple (love that.) The side characters were also great, Olga is my favourite. I love a strong female character. The story was full of surprises, twists and turns. This book has multiple trigger warnings, so be warned.
Albarino Bacchus (wine); The Sunday Gardner and Herstal Armalight (gun); The Pianist, both serial killers who after a cat and mouse game fall in love. I love these characters so much that I didnt even mind the age gap. They are a switch couple (love that.) The side characters were also great, Olga is my favourite. I love a strong female character. The story was full of surprises, twists and turns. This book has multiple trigger warnings, so be warned.
October 28, 2025
This is so peak. Serial killers that are playing games with each other. So toxic and so good.
December 3, 2025
sin palabras....
March 15, 2025
O que acontece quando um serial killer, sem saber, mata a vítima de outro serial killer?
Isso da início a uma história envolvente e viciante.
Tantas histórias que amo tiveram partes que achei cansativas, mas não temos isso aqui. Cada capítulo prende sua atenção e te faz ansiar por mais. Albarino, Herstal, Olga e outros personagens nunca deixam as coisas chatas para o leitor.
O relacionamento dos nossos protagonistas é... docemente insano? O TEMPO TODO eu estaba gritando mentalmente por causa deles, eu totalmente os amo!
As referências inseridas na história são tão boas e me faziam pensar "oh, esse autor tem cultura/conhecimento".
E o sexo... oh meu deus! É tão sexy!!! Sendo uma leitora ávida, algumas coisas passam a ficar sem graça e repetitivas, como cenas sexuais, mas a relação sexual entre Albarino e Herstal é tão emocionante hehehehe.
Magnífico.
Brilhante.
Esplêndido.
Deliciosamente perturbador.
Essas são algumas palavras que podem definir essa novel.
Veja bem, eu comecei a ler apenas porque vi que tinha tag de "couple reversible", sem imaginar que estava prestes a encontrar a melhor leitura da minha vida.
Wine and Gun para mim é uma grande e bela obra de arte.
Parecia um pecado estar lendo uma história tão boa gratuitamente na internet (O próprio autor disponibilizou, mas finalmente posso apoiar o autor, por favor, comprem os livros se você puder!)
OBS: Essa história tem temas sensíveis e pode não ser para você.
#BL #SERIALKILLERS #BOYSLOVE #BIxBI #OLDMANYAOI #ROMANCE #COUPLEREVERSIBLE
Isso da início a uma história envolvente e viciante.
Tantas histórias que amo tiveram partes que achei cansativas, mas não temos isso aqui. Cada capítulo prende sua atenção e te faz ansiar por mais. Albarino, Herstal, Olga e outros personagens nunca deixam as coisas chatas para o leitor.
O relacionamento dos nossos protagonistas é... docemente insano? O TEMPO TODO eu estaba gritando mentalmente por causa deles, eu totalmente os amo!
As referências inseridas na história são tão boas e me faziam pensar "oh, esse autor tem cultura/conhecimento".
E o sexo... oh meu deus! É tão sexy!!! Sendo uma leitora ávida, algumas coisas passam a ficar sem graça e repetitivas, como cenas sexuais, mas a relação sexual entre Albarino e Herstal é tão emocionante hehehehe.
Magnífico.
Brilhante.
Esplêndido.
Deliciosamente perturbador.
Essas são algumas palavras que podem definir essa novel.
Veja bem, eu comecei a ler apenas porque vi que tinha tag de "couple reversible", sem imaginar que estava prestes a encontrar a melhor leitura da minha vida.
Wine and Gun para mim é uma grande e bela obra de arte.
Parecia um pecado estar lendo uma história tão boa gratuitamente na internet (O próprio autor disponibilizou, mas finalmente posso apoiar o autor, por favor, comprem os livros se você puder!)
OBS: Essa história tem temas sensíveis e pode não ser para você.
#BL #SERIALKILLERS #BOYSLOVE #BIxBI #OLDMANYAOI #ROMANCE #COUPLEREVERSIBLE
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