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Blades of Furry #1
Blades of Furry (A Graphic Novel): Volume 1
Enter the high-stakes world of battle skating in this rivals-to-lovers romance based on the spectacularly popular webcomic—now with an exclusive new bonus story!
Emile is an up-and-coming rookie in battle skating, a sport that combines the grace of figure skating with the high impact sparring of martial arts. Just as he is gearing up to fight in his next duel at the championships, there’s a change in the lineup! To his horror, he’ll have to face off against reigning champion Radu, the best battle skater in the world (and Emile’s longtime skating idol). There’s no way he can win!
During a pivotal moment in their match, however, Emile discovers Radu’s most closely guarded secret…and it’s a bloody one. This could destroy Radu’s career for good, but when feelings start to develop between them both on and off the rink, will this rivalry turn into something more...?
Based on the WEBTOON hit comic with over forty million views and half a million subscribers, this irresistible story full of heart-pounding romance, breathtaking skate battles, and secrets both good and bad collects episodes 1-36 in a gorgeous print edition that includes a never-before-seen story!
Don’t miss Volume 2 of Blades of Furry, coming soon!
Emile is an up-and-coming rookie in battle skating, a sport that combines the grace of figure skating with the high impact sparring of martial arts. Just as he is gearing up to fight in his next duel at the championships, there’s a change in the lineup! To his horror, he’ll have to face off against reigning champion Radu, the best battle skater in the world (and Emile’s longtime skating idol). There’s no way he can win!
During a pivotal moment in their match, however, Emile discovers Radu’s most closely guarded secret…and it’s a bloody one. This could destroy Radu’s career for good, but when feelings start to develop between them both on and off the rink, will this rivalry turn into something more...?
Based on the WEBTOON hit comic with over forty million views and half a million subscribers, this irresistible story full of heart-pounding romance, breathtaking skate battles, and secrets both good and bad collects episodes 1-36 in a gorgeous print edition that includes a never-before-seen story!
Don’t miss Volume 2 of Blades of Furry, coming soon!
515 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2025
23 people are currently reading
3328 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
February 18, 2025
I'm obsessed. The whole thing is perfection. I immediately ran to webtoon to continue reading. And I've already pre-ordered a hard cover copy. I think this is my first top book of 2025. How exciting 🎉
Radu: pan
Emile: gay
Hana: bi
Sal: gay
Mimi: nonbinary and queer
Radu: pan
Emile: gay
Hana: bi
Sal: gay
Mimi: nonbinary and queer
July 7, 2025
This book/webtoon has absolutely NO right to be this damn good. When I first saw this on the shelf I was like "oh boy... another Beaststar's". Absolutely not. These creative creators have made a world that is absolutely adorable, characters who are compelling on their own but come to life when they are around each other and a storyline that is extremely unique.... Gah I'm just grinning from ear to ear. The illustrations are fun and action packed. The love story is so cute. I went into this with such low expectations that I'm honestly ashamed and embarrassed of myself. I can't recommend this enough.
August 25, 2025
Emile is a rookie in the artistic full-contact sport of battle skating, a figure skating/martial arts combo that pits two skaters against each other on the ice trying to finish their technical elements and also take down their opponents. Emile is a big fan of Radu, the skater who took last year's championship gold, but it very intimated when a change in the schedule pairs them against each other in Emile's first match of the season. Especially when Emile cuts his hand on a skate in the match and Radu seems to turn in him with bloodlust in his eyes. Is it possible that Radu is a vampire? If so, he will be kicked out of the tournament. From this melodramatic opening follows 500 pages of fast paced, silly, beautifully drawn, queer furry sports slice of life comics. I read the opening chapters of this story on Webtoons years ago but was very happy to see it in print since I'd fallen out of the habit of keeping up with webcomics. Emile and Radu are a very cute pair, and the story has a fun secondary cast including their coaches, fellow competitors, and hints at a family drama. It's also astonishing how long this story is shaping up to be- it opens multiple story lines which are nowhere near conclusion in this chunky volume. The pacing in this won't work for everyone but the skate/fight sequences are dynamic and cartooning of the anthropomorphic characters is top-notch.
March 12, 2025
A super cute webcomic about animals battle skating and falling in love. I’ve read this on WEBTOON and I was so excited to be able to read an eARC of Volume 1! I read it all in one sitting. I love the variety of animals, the brilliant invention of battle skating, and the queer representation! I can’t wait for Volume 2! PS: Iacob is my fave ❤️
May 15, 2025
Rep: achilliean MCs & side characters, enby side character
This one is so. dang. CUTE. 😭 I was reading it back in 2021 when it started coming out on Webttoon and now reread it because I saw the volume is out... I loved it just as much as the first time, it's such sweet, interesting story... AND ART
This one is so. dang. CUTE. 😭 I was reading it back in 2021 when it started coming out on Webttoon and now reread it because I saw the volume is out... I loved it just as much as the first time, it's such sweet, interesting story... AND ART
May 1, 2025
This cover is so cute to me!!!
After reading this story, I now know who is who from the cover. Look at Radu's booty! Then Emile with his little reindeer self 🤗 Vampire and reindeer, unique pairing for sure. Even the other side characters are cute.
ARC from NetGalley. Full review is coming
After reading this story, I now know who is who from the cover. Look at Radu's booty! Then Emile with his little reindeer self 🤗 Vampire and reindeer, unique pairing for sure. Even the other side characters are cute.
ARC from NetGalley. Full review is coming
August 19, 2025
This was ridiculously cute and funny in places. As a long-time figure skater and currently a skating judge, I'm always hesitant to read novels that feature figure skating (inaccuracies regarding technique and element descriptions drive me bananas). But I was delightfully surprised with this one. Yes, battle skating is an entirely made-up skating discipline, but the jump and spin descriptions were authentic to actual skating and I enjoyed the little nods to actual competitions, e.g. Fur Continents Championships = Four Continents Championships.
And the romance? Adorable. The illustrations really complement the growing affection between Radu and Emile. And Radu's secret resonated with me as a trans person who wasn't out for years and worried how other people would react to my reality.
Honestly, I can't wait for volume II. Such a cute, fast read.
And the romance? Adorable. The illustrations really complement the growing affection between Radu and Emile. And Radu's secret resonated with me as a trans person who wasn't out for years and worried how other people would react to my reality.
Honestly, I can't wait for volume II. Such a cute, fast read.
July 3, 2025
I saw this book in the bookstore and IMMEDIATELY wanted it and it was really good! Similar genre/vibe to Check, Please! and Yuri!!! On Ice, both of which I like. The art is gorgeous and the characters are silly and I like them.
August 6, 2025
This wasn't what I was expecting....in a good way
Blades of Furry focuses on two queer animal battle figure skaters. Through the course of the story, readers follow the two characters as they train together and eventually fall for each other. There are some other complications that stand in their way that Erodos carefully reveals through the plot of the graphic novel. The artwork was stunning and I was completely enthralled by the concept of the storytelling. I'm definitely looking forward to book 2 in the future.
Blades of Furry focuses on two queer animal battle figure skaters. Through the course of the story, readers follow the two characters as they train together and eventually fall for each other. There are some other complications that stand in their way that Erodos carefully reveals through the plot of the graphic novel. The artwork was stunning and I was completely enthralled by the concept of the storytelling. I'm definitely looking forward to book 2 in the future.
November 11, 2025
okay fine it was really cute
August 25, 2025
DNF at 50%. This should be working for me - I do acknowledge that it is cute. But I am not feeling any real emotions - or real chemistry - from our main characters. And nothing is happening, it feels like we are in a spin cycle of training, blushing, competition, training, blushing, competition.
June 26, 2025
My own copy review: *SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNSS* I love seeing Radu and Emile get closer and closer and SQUEEEEEEEE. But I also love the ice skating, getting to meet all the other characters (Mimi is a mood, Hana x Sal forever, Kochi is hilarious, Iacob is a fabulous coach even if he is a tad grumpy), get backstories on everyone, see the competitions, see practices, love the story on how Hana and Sal met, the art was just terrific, sparkly, fun, sweet, it was just the cutest. The only thing I didn't like? Sue. Sue can just fuck off. Geez.
Longer review to come.
ARC review:
First up, PLEASE for the love of all that is holy make sure that comic/graphic novel arcs have good quality. I was sadly not able read more than a bit over 100 pages before I had to give up. The text balloons were all super blurry and hard to make out, the art felt like it was scanned one too many times. My head was just exploding.
So for now I got a 5 reasons to read the book based on the pages I did read and I hope that soon Libristo or Amazon have the book in stock so I can get it and continue reading. Because I have been dying to read this one for years.
1. The art I absolutely LOVE the art, but then again I have been a fan of Deya Muniz art for A LONG time and through her I also discovered Emily Erdos who also has an amazing fun style. Combine the two of them and tada you have perfection!
2. The characters : Radu and Emile are such fabulous characters. I also love how adorable Radu is, he is like an eager puppy, a cinnamon role. He looks all strong and threatening but he is really just soft and sweet. I loved seeing the drive these two characters have.
3. The chemistry Holy heck the chemistry is off the charts. These two are just so shippable you just want them to get together. The cute blushes they make around each other, the teasing, the reactions of Emile to Radu, and more. OK, I do hope that they can talk about the nightmares Emile has, though haha, those seem to go more and more in the sexy mode given that scene at page 117. But I am definitely hoping that these two get closer and figure out a way to start dating.
4. Ice skating but with something extra : Not just ice skating as it is, but it is also a battle. You get matched up and you have to kick some serious ass with ice skating, not just showing your prowess with ice skating moves, but also fighting that way. It is just so much fun. I already love ice skating, I used to watch it when I was a kid and the olympics or another event was one, plus Yuri on Ice (YASSS) from a few years ago.
5. The side characters : Not just fellow ice skaters, but also trainers, friends, and others. There is a fun wide cast of characters and I loved each design and their personalities. I hope that as the story continues we get more glimpses in their lives/see more of them.
Review posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Longer review to come.
ARC review:
First up, PLEASE for the love of all that is holy make sure that comic/graphic novel arcs have good quality. I was sadly not able read more than a bit over 100 pages before I had to give up. The text balloons were all super blurry and hard to make out, the art felt like it was scanned one too many times. My head was just exploding.
So for now I got a 5 reasons to read the book based on the pages I did read and I hope that soon Libristo or Amazon have the book in stock so I can get it and continue reading. Because I have been dying to read this one for years.
1. The art I absolutely LOVE the art, but then again I have been a fan of Deya Muniz art for A LONG time and through her I also discovered Emily Erdos who also has an amazing fun style. Combine the two of them and tada you have perfection!
2. The characters : Radu and Emile are such fabulous characters. I also love how adorable Radu is, he is like an eager puppy, a cinnamon role. He looks all strong and threatening but he is really just soft and sweet. I loved seeing the drive these two characters have.
3. The chemistry Holy heck the chemistry is off the charts. These two are just so shippable you just want them to get together. The cute blushes they make around each other, the teasing, the reactions of Emile to Radu, and more. OK, I do hope that they can talk about the nightmares Emile has, though haha, those seem to go more and more in the sexy mode given that scene at page 117. But I am definitely hoping that these two get closer and figure out a way to start dating.
4. Ice skating but with something extra : Not just ice skating as it is, but it is also a battle. You get matched up and you have to kick some serious ass with ice skating, not just showing your prowess with ice skating moves, but also fighting that way. It is just so much fun. I already love ice skating, I used to watch it when I was a kid and the olympics or another event was one, plus Yuri on Ice (YASSS) from a few years ago.
5. The side characters : Not just fellow ice skaters, but also trainers, friends, and others. There is a fun wide cast of characters and I loved each design and their personalities. I hope that as the story continues we get more glimpses in their lives/see more of them.
Review posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
April 11, 2025
Series: Blades of Furry #1
Rating: 5 stars - I loved it!
This volume contains episodes 1-36 of the Webtoon comic and includes a bonus story not found on Webtoon that features Sal and Hana.
Emile is a rookie in the battle skating competition, which is a sport that combines figure skating and martial arts. Just as he is gearing up for his next duel, there is a change in the lineup and he finds himself facing off against the reigning champion Radu, and Emile’s longtime skating idol. There is no way he can win but during a pivotal point in the match Emile accidentally discovers Radu’s closely guarded secret and it changes the course of both of their lives and careers.
This was an absolutely adorable graphic and a fantastic start for a series. Emile is a rookie skater but is very driven to make it into the series championship. During their competition, Emile accidentally finds out that Radu is a vampire, the one creature that is banned from the battle skating league due to prejudices. Instead of turning him in though, Emile keeps his secret and they end up becoming friends who help each other with their performances.
I really enjoyed the progression of Emile and Radu’s story and romance. They may be rivals but they are also friends and eventually lovers. It was extremely sweet watching both of them fight their feelings and blushing every time they were together. Just adorable. I just loved these two from the very beginning and can’t wait to see how their relationship progresses, especially since they technically can’t be dating due to the battle skate rules.
This volume is surprisingly long and we get a good chunk of story in these 36 chapters. We get to see Emile and Radu move up through the series by winning multiple battles; their progression from rivals, to friends, and then to boyfriends; Radu dealing with his secret and an attempt to reveal who he is; and brief hints at both of their childhoods. Like I said, I loved this and how the story is unfolding for us. There are still so many unanswered questions but the romance is fantastic.
Overall, if you like queer sports romances, I highly recommend this. I am enjoying this so much that I might continue reading on Webtoon just so I can find out what happens next for these two. I am so hooked on their story. Also the bonus story about Hana and Sal was just and I wonder if there will be a part two of it in the next volume.
TW: bigotry and prejudices; stalking and harassment;
*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Rating: 5 stars - I loved it!
This volume contains episodes 1-36 of the Webtoon comic and includes a bonus story not found on Webtoon that features Sal and Hana.
Emile is a rookie in the battle skating competition, which is a sport that combines figure skating and martial arts. Just as he is gearing up for his next duel, there is a change in the lineup and he finds himself facing off against the reigning champion Radu, and Emile’s longtime skating idol. There is no way he can win but during a pivotal point in the match Emile accidentally discovers Radu’s closely guarded secret and it changes the course of both of their lives and careers.
This was an absolutely adorable graphic and a fantastic start for a series. Emile is a rookie skater but is very driven to make it into the series championship. During their competition, Emile accidentally finds out that Radu is a vampire, the one creature that is banned from the battle skating league due to prejudices. Instead of turning him in though, Emile keeps his secret and they end up becoming friends who help each other with their performances.
I really enjoyed the progression of Emile and Radu’s story and romance. They may be rivals but they are also friends and eventually lovers. It was extremely sweet watching both of them fight their feelings and blushing every time they were together. Just adorable. I just loved these two from the very beginning and can’t wait to see how their relationship progresses, especially since they technically can’t be dating due to the battle skate rules.
This volume is surprisingly long and we get a good chunk of story in these 36 chapters. We get to see Emile and Radu move up through the series by winning multiple battles; their progression from rivals, to friends, and then to boyfriends; Radu dealing with his secret and an attempt to reveal who he is; and brief hints at both of their childhoods. Like I said, I loved this and how the story is unfolding for us. There are still so many unanswered questions but the romance is fantastic.
Overall, if you like queer sports romances, I highly recommend this. I am enjoying this so much that I might continue reading on Webtoon just so I can find out what happens next for these two. I am so hooked on their story. Also the bonus story about Hana and Sal was just and I wonder if there will be a part two of it in the next volume.
TW: bigotry and prejudices; stalking and harassment;
*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
September 3, 2024
5 stars
Cute and wholesome romance with a wonderful sports plot
Cute and wholesome romance with a wonderful sports plot
September 6, 2025
I’m not a furry. But…
March 6, 2025
* eARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *
Pretty cute webtoon about 2 queer battle ice skaters (??). Emile is an up and coming battle skater assigned to fight one of the top skaters, Radu. Radu "The Vampire" is supposed to be this super intimidating, top fighter and Emile manages to get closer to him as they train throughout the rest of the competition. That time spent together grows into something more.
The art style is super cute! It's a world full of animal like people - birds, bats, deer, squirrels, etc. There's carnivores and herbivores - so, a little similar to what I remember from the little bit of Beastars that I watched. There's no predator/prey tropes here, I don't think, so that differentiates it. I could be reading into it, but the villain/antagonist's comments about Radu's species making him naturally and unfairly more skilled at fighting felt like a reference to the trans people in sports debate to me. I could be reading too much into it, though.
There's so much of Sue (the antagonist) here and I didn't quite understand why. She's extremely one note - her entire character is just obsessive. When she's the *only* female character with any real time in the story, that kinda sucked. It felt like a world with 99% men and 1 woman and she sucked.
This wasn't 100% my jam, but it's pretty cute and I know some audiences that would absolutely eat this up.
Pretty cute webtoon about 2 queer battle ice skaters (??). Emile is an up and coming battle skater assigned to fight one of the top skaters, Radu. Radu "The Vampire" is supposed to be this super intimidating, top fighter and Emile manages to get closer to him as they train throughout the rest of the competition. That time spent together grows into something more.
The art style is super cute! It's a world full of animal like people - birds, bats, deer, squirrels, etc. There's carnivores and herbivores - so, a little similar to what I remember from the little bit of Beastars that I watched. There's no predator/prey tropes here, I don't think, so that differentiates it. I could be reading into it, but the villain/antagonist's comments about Radu's species making him naturally and unfairly more skilled at fighting felt like a reference to the trans people in sports debate to me. I could be reading too much into it, though.
There's so much of Sue (the antagonist) here and I didn't quite understand why. She's extremely one note - her entire character is just obsessive. When she's the *only* female character with any real time in the story, that kinda sucked. It felt like a world with 99% men and 1 woman and she sucked.
This wasn't 100% my jam, but it's pretty cute and I know some audiences that would absolutely eat this up.
March 28, 2025
Picked this up since I really loved Deya Muniz's Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This one took a while to get into, not helped by the fact that the Netgalley Reader for graphic novels is really clunky. The rules of "battle skating" were kind of unclear for too long for me to understand what the stakes are, including the very light vampire element. The mish-mash of various fantastical elements were a bit annoying but at some point you start to care about the large cast of characters and the rules matter very little. I wish there were more evocative ice-skating images, because I'm trash for ice-skating narratives. That said, it was cute but entirely too long for one volume of a lot of franti competition jargon. This would be MUCH better as an anime!
March 18, 2025
Od zawsze lubiłam łyżwiarstwo. To jak niektórzy potrafią jeździć jest niesamowite. Jednakże o ile widziałam masę zawodów i widziałam wiele produkcji o tym, to nigdy bym nie pomyślała, by połączyć łyżwiarstwo figurowe z fizyczną walką. Nie chcę tego oglądać w realu, bo ludzie, by się pozabijali, jednak tutaj to było świetne. Do tego mamy sporo super postaci i dramę w tle. A nawet nie jedną. To jest przeurocze i cieszę się, że zostało to wydane w formie fizycznej. Choć jeśli ktoś to pozna w tej formie, to nie dowie się, jak to było na webtoonie, gdzie autorki kończyły każdy rozdział szokującym cliffhangerem, a my musieliśmy czekać na kolejny rozdział.
Za każdy razem było warto.
Za każdy razem było warto.
March 25, 2025
When one of your favorite Disney movies is Zootopia and your favorite Winter Olympics sport is Ice Skating, the OBVIOUS choice is to fall in love with a book that is literally the best of both worlds, but MAKE IT GAAAAAAAAAY!🌈
An adorable deer fawn falls in love with a (secretly vampire) bat while they become rival ice skaters. There is a lot of angst and then a lot of secret smooching. I loved every second of the entire book!!
An adorable deer fawn falls in love with a (secretly vampire) bat while they become rival ice skaters. There is a lot of angst and then a lot of secret smooching. I loved every second of the entire book!!
May 1, 2025
4.5
LOL the plot for this had to have been a fever dream and I am HERE for it. Gay, furry/anthropomorphic , combat figure skating, +vampire speciesism, secret romance. I mean what? It works, why does this work? Why is this addicting, why is it so freaking cute! I have a feeling this was heavily inspired by Beastars but it’s very much a good thing imo. Blades of Furry is just super sweet and genuinely FUNNY. I was shocked how much I liked it and can totally see how this is a webcomic hit and was popular enough to get published. If you don’t mind weird I highly recommend picking this up.
LOL the plot for this had to have been a fever dream and I am HERE for it. Gay, furry/anthropomorphic , combat figure skating, +vampire speciesism, secret romance. I mean what? It works, why does this work? Why is this addicting, why is it so freaking cute! I have a feeling this was heavily inspired by Beastars but it’s very much a good thing imo. Blades of Furry is just super sweet and genuinely FUNNY. I was shocked how much I liked it and can totally see how this is a webcomic hit and was popular enough to get published. If you don’t mind weird I highly recommend picking this up.
April 10, 2025
Thank you Net Galley for the early ARC
Wow! This book is a whirlwind of emotions and deeper meaning. The pain characters have a lot of development and trails ahead of them.
I wasn't sure where this book was going at first but it is beautiful. It gives me Yuri on Ice vibes and I LOVED IT.
Wow! This book is a whirlwind of emotions and deeper meaning. The pain characters have a lot of development and trails ahead of them.
I wasn't sure where this book was going at first but it is beautiful. It gives me Yuri on Ice vibes and I LOVED IT.
August 7, 2025
4.5/5⭐️
September 27, 2025
4.5 stars. I liked this even more than I expected to. It gave me Zootopia meets Heartstopper vibes. I thought the battle skating was interesting but idk how they don’t end up slicing each other open.
December 22, 2025
AHHHHH this was so freaking cute!!
October 31, 2025
This webtoon is SO cute. I wasn't expecting a vampire romance since there's already so much going on in the story, but I'm not complaining 🤐
May 30, 2025
Canadian Tire no longer has my car but this comic has my heart
December 16, 2025
I really enjoyed Blades of Furry! The characters are adorable, and I love when the main couple are just absolute cinnamon rolls. The story also surprised me, it didn’t go the way I expected, which was a pleasant twist. It definitely has a Yuri on Ice meets Zootopia vibe, but I’m not mad about it. The feel-good energy is also very reminiscent of Heartstopper, making it an easy and enjoyable read.
That said, I did find it a little disappointing that the only female character in the story is the villain, especially in a unisex sport. But honestly, battle ice skating itself is such a wild concept. These athletes are out here fighting while trying to land their routines, with actual blades on their feet, how are there not more injuries? And why aren’t they wearing protective gear? It’s giving Exy (from the all for the game trilogy)—a needlessly hardcore version of an already dangerous sport. But if you don’t think too hard about the logistics, it’s an incredibly fun concept.
I’m also loving this trend of publishing Webtoons in print format and making them more accessible to a wider audience. The comedic elements are fantastic, and even though this is just the beginning, you can already tell there’s more depth to the characters than what we’ve seen so far. The humor helps keep everything lighthearted and fluffy, and also balances out the intensity of the sport itself.
Overall, this was a great start to the series, and I’m excited to see where it goes next!
That said, I did find it a little disappointing that the only female character in the story is the villain, especially in a unisex sport. But honestly, battle ice skating itself is such a wild concept. These athletes are out here fighting while trying to land their routines, with actual blades on their feet, how are there not more injuries? And why aren’t they wearing protective gear? It’s giving Exy (from the all for the game trilogy)—a needlessly hardcore version of an already dangerous sport. But if you don’t think too hard about the logistics, it’s an incredibly fun concept.
I’m also loving this trend of publishing Webtoons in print format and making them more accessible to a wider audience. The comedic elements are fantastic, and even though this is just the beginning, you can already tell there’s more depth to the characters than what we’ve seen so far. The humor helps keep everything lighthearted and fluffy, and also balances out the intensity of the sport itself.
Overall, this was a great start to the series, and I’m excited to see where it goes next!
July 20, 2025
Martial Arts + Figure Skating + Rivals to Lovers = An adorable graphic novel!
Overview: Meet Emile, a rookie in the highly competitive sport of battle skating. While getting ready to compete for a championship duel, he is suddenly paired with the reigning champion, Radu - who also happens to be his idol. However the competition worries take a turn when Emile discovers Radu is hiding a career ending secret. As the two begin to work together, rivalry begins to change to new feelings - and romance may be building on and off the ice.
This is such a cute graphic novel! I picked it up because the cover is adorable, then I was intrigued with the concept of full contact martial arts combined with figure skating. Ultimately, I fell head over heels for the rivals to lovers storyline. The pacing is smooth, with Emile and Radu's relationship building beautifully throughout. I loved how both Emile and Radu's characters build outside of the relationship as well. It keeps both the romance and their individuality as a focus - looking at the importance of their ability to compete in something they both love.
I can't wait to read more of the series! It has already become a re-read graphic novel for me has me longing for the next installment.
#indigoemployee
Overview: Meet Emile, a rookie in the highly competitive sport of battle skating. While getting ready to compete for a championship duel, he is suddenly paired with the reigning champion, Radu - who also happens to be his idol. However the competition worries take a turn when Emile discovers Radu is hiding a career ending secret. As the two begin to work together, rivalry begins to change to new feelings - and romance may be building on and off the ice.
This is such a cute graphic novel! I picked it up because the cover is adorable, then I was intrigued with the concept of full contact martial arts combined with figure skating. Ultimately, I fell head over heels for the rivals to lovers storyline. The pacing is smooth, with Emile and Radu's relationship building beautifully throughout. I loved how both Emile and Radu's characters build outside of the relationship as well. It keeps both the romance and their individuality as a focus - looking at the importance of their ability to compete in something they both love.
I can't wait to read more of the series! It has already become a re-read graphic novel for me has me longing for the next installment.
#indigoemployee
May 15, 2025
Hello! I am obsessed?! I loved this so so so so much.
I read this part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Little, Brown Ink for providing a digital copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ALL THE FREAKIN' STARS!!
TL;DR: Inject this into my veins because I want to live and breathe this 24/7. Holy granola, I don’t have the words for how much I enjoyed this and I’m so glad it came on my radar. Not to exaggerate or anything, but if I could give it a million stars I would. It might even be one of my favourite reads of the year and I know that sounds wild but honestly, I had the best time reading it. I laughed, cried, squee-d and even raged in frustration. Not only did it make me feel all the things but it left me feeling so full of happy, and I can’t remember the last time a book left me feeling this satisfied. 🥹 I came to love these characters and got so invested in their arcs that I may have gone to finish what’s available of the Webtoon series because I’m not going to put myself through the torture of waiting any longer than I have to. Sorry, not sorry! 🤭 Needless to say, this has easily slotted itself into my favourite graphic novels/webcomics of all time and I would urge you to check it out asap. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, even if you don’t consider yourself to be a furry (cos neither was I)! 😉
Excuse me while I gush about this book now.
First of all, this artwork? Incredible. The way these authors capture the expressiveness of each character is amazing. I love how they have distinctive facial expressions, mannerisms, and how their vibrant personalities translate through the illustrations on the page! It made these characters come screaming to life and it made it all the more easy for me to get attached to them and tumble into their arcs. Beyond the amazing artwork, there are also incredible characters, interesting arcs and a tension-filled plot. I found the battle skating aspect of the story so interesting/unique and I loved that, as much as we get the fluffy relationship aspect, we also get to see these athletes training hard and competing against each other!
This competition is clearly violent and the juxtaposition of beautifully fluid figure skating moves at one moment with the brutal slashes and take downs in the next second, was pretty cool! What I also appreciated that while on the surface, this is an incredibly entertaining, hilarious, and absorbing story, I loved the themes that the authors chose to tackle in this LGBTQIA+ graphic novel. It explores all kinds of relationships: friendship, romantic, sibling, familial, and also tackles bigotry and discrimination, among others.
Did I already mention how heavily invested I was in these characters and their well-being? Because I’m fully invested! Emile and Radu are my favourite and I loved their arcs separately and together. Their romance was the purest thing and I loved seeing them go from rivals to reluctant training partners to the smooshiest lovers. The way these two blushed every time they were around each other was too freaking adorable, haha! If I didn’t love them so much, I’d probably find them sickeningly sweet because they’re both fool simps for each other and they often did the mushiest things that reminded you that sometimes it’s really just the small thoughtful actions that have the biggest impact. The banter in this was top notch—and I don’t just mean between Emile and Radu, but between the group as a whole. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud (in public too, I might add!) reading some of these scenes and interactions. This friendship crew had the most fantastic chemistry and it made for such a pleasant read
While most of the story follows Emile and Radu, I’m so glad that we get to see from other character perspectives as well. I loved Mimi, Hana, and Iacob so much! Iacob in particular grew on me so much and I loved how he was a solid supporter and pillar of strength for Radu throughout his life. He’s such a good guy and I loved his internal monologues so much! 🥹 Fitting that he’s a bear because I wanted to reach into these pages and tackle him with a giant bear hug that he would absolutely not know how to process but would love anyway! Mimi brings so much life and energy to these pages—they’re cheeky, boisterous and a total trouble maker and I loved their friendship with Emile. They are the definition of a ride or die bestie who will do anything to help you out!
I’m going to stop myself while I’m ahead because I’ve already gone on much longer than I meant to. It’s hard to stop talking about a book you loved so much when all you want to do is gush about how amazing it was! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this graphic novel, even if you aren’t normally about the furry characters. If you’re a fan of the anime series Beastars, then this book will undoubtedly be your cuppa and you should let it fall into your lap!
I read this part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Little, Brown Ink for providing a digital copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ALL THE FREAKIN' STARS!!
TL;DR: Inject this into my veins because I want to live and breathe this 24/7. Holy granola, I don’t have the words for how much I enjoyed this and I’m so glad it came on my radar. Not to exaggerate or anything, but if I could give it a million stars I would. It might even be one of my favourite reads of the year and I know that sounds wild but honestly, I had the best time reading it. I laughed, cried, squee-d and even raged in frustration. Not only did it make me feel all the things but it left me feeling so full of happy, and I can’t remember the last time a book left me feeling this satisfied. 🥹 I came to love these characters and got so invested in their arcs that I may have gone to finish what’s available of the Webtoon series because I’m not going to put myself through the torture of waiting any longer than I have to. Sorry, not sorry! 🤭 Needless to say, this has easily slotted itself into my favourite graphic novels/webcomics of all time and I would urge you to check it out asap. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, even if you don’t consider yourself to be a furry (cos neither was I)! 😉
Excuse me while I gush about this book now.
First of all, this artwork? Incredible. The way these authors capture the expressiveness of each character is amazing. I love how they have distinctive facial expressions, mannerisms, and how their vibrant personalities translate through the illustrations on the page! It made these characters come screaming to life and it made it all the more easy for me to get attached to them and tumble into their arcs. Beyond the amazing artwork, there are also incredible characters, interesting arcs and a tension-filled plot. I found the battle skating aspect of the story so interesting/unique and I loved that, as much as we get the fluffy relationship aspect, we also get to see these athletes training hard and competing against each other!
This competition is clearly violent and the juxtaposition of beautifully fluid figure skating moves at one moment with the brutal slashes and take downs in the next second, was pretty cool! What I also appreciated that while on the surface, this is an incredibly entertaining, hilarious, and absorbing story, I loved the themes that the authors chose to tackle in this LGBTQIA+ graphic novel. It explores all kinds of relationships: friendship, romantic, sibling, familial, and also tackles bigotry and discrimination, among others.
Did I already mention how heavily invested I was in these characters and their well-being? Because I’m fully invested! Emile and Radu are my favourite and I loved their arcs separately and together. Their romance was the purest thing and I loved seeing them go from rivals to reluctant training partners to the smooshiest lovers. The way these two blushed every time they were around each other was too freaking adorable, haha! If I didn’t love them so much, I’d probably find them sickeningly sweet because they’re both fool simps for each other and they often did the mushiest things that reminded you that sometimes it’s really just the small thoughtful actions that have the biggest impact. The banter in this was top notch—and I don’t just mean between Emile and Radu, but between the group as a whole. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud (in public too, I might add!) reading some of these scenes and interactions. This friendship crew had the most fantastic chemistry and it made for such a pleasant read
While most of the story follows Emile and Radu, I’m so glad that we get to see from other character perspectives as well. I loved Mimi, Hana, and Iacob so much! Iacob in particular grew on me so much and I loved how he was a solid supporter and pillar of strength for Radu throughout his life. He’s such a good guy and I loved his internal monologues so much! 🥹 Fitting that he’s a bear because I wanted to reach into these pages and tackle him with a giant bear hug that he would absolutely not know how to process but would love anyway! Mimi brings so much life and energy to these pages—they’re cheeky, boisterous and a total trouble maker and I loved their friendship with Emile. They are the definition of a ride or die bestie who will do anything to help you out!
I’m going to stop myself while I’m ahead because I’ve already gone on much longer than I meant to. It’s hard to stop talking about a book you loved so much when all you want to do is gush about how amazing it was! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this graphic novel, even if you aren’t normally about the furry characters. If you’re a fan of the anime series Beastars, then this book will undoubtedly be your cuppa and you should let it fall into your lap!
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