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蒼空の絆
北の大国N連邦との対立が続く東宝グランツ帝国、その北部戦線を守る空軍北部第三飛行連隊――通称『雪の部隊』に所属するエーリヒ・ヴィクトル・フォン・シェーンブルクは、『雪の女王』として名が轟くエースパイロットであり、国家的英雄のひとりでもある。歴史ある旧王国名門貴族の末裔で圧倒的な美貌を誇るエーリヒは、厳しくはあるが部隊内の信頼も篤い、理想的な指揮官だった。そんなエーリヒの司令補佐官を務めるのは、幼少の頃よりエーリヒを慕う寡黙で忠実な男・アルフレート中尉。厳しい戦況の中、戦闘の合間のささやかで穏やかな日常を支えに、部隊の皆と共に生き残るために必死だったエーリヒだったが、ある日、激しい戦闘の中、利き腕の肘から先を失う怪我を負う。そんなエーリヒに対し、アルフレートはそれまで以上に献身的な忠誠を見せるが――?
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Published August 30, 2019
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 4, 2019
I was really not sure whether to buy this book or not at first, since it featured the military and I wanted to make sure I wasn't spending on pro-militaristic stuffs. But I trusted Kawai Yumiko, and thankfully I wasn't betrayed at all (phew!).
The illustration for the book was done by Inariya Fusanosuke, the author of Hyakujitsu no Bara (Maiden Rose), which in my opinion is always kind of borderline romanticizing warfare and imperial cult, so also thanks to that, this book, at least for me, gave out a really really bad first impression. Thankfully the book wasn't the typical idolizing soldiers type of BL, and I can feel that the author did put effort into portraying warfare, public mobilization, and war politics with a certain degree of complexity, although I felt kinda uneasy sometimes with the rather sympathetic tone towards the imperial household. Oh forgot to mention that the setting is completely fictional, but the author borrowed a lot from Germany's and Japan's pre-1945 history, thus explaines my speculation on the author's attitude towards Japan's wartime activities haha. The depiction of war and politics wasn't particularly outstanding, but was definitely more than enough for a BL, so I have no complain at all.
What about the romance? Absolutely to my taste. What I love about Kawai's books is that they often have very mature, caring, and very sensible tops. They care deeply and just want the best for their beloved, but unlike the perfect-lover-but-also-maddeningly-arrogant type, the men in Kawai's stories are never condescending, never have the "I know everything I know what's best I will provide it for you" kind of attitude. They always consider carefully their every move so that they won't hurt their partner's feelings or put them in an uncomfortable situation, which is something that stems from a deep sense of respect for the partner as an equal being, as well as from a recognition of the limit of their ability to understand their partner and be what they need. In other words, it's the mutual respect that makes the relationships in Kawai's stories very pleasant and comforting to read.
The bottom is strong, mature, and deserves respect for his integrity and dedication for his job. Considering what they've been through, I can totally understand why and how the two fell in love with each other and why the top become so devoted to the bottom. It's a combination of personal experiences and the romantic idea of an invisible bond that exists from tbe very beginning between two people destined for each other. It's extremely hard to maintain a balance between these two ideas, if you endorse the first, it becomes dry and unrealistic because it's not like you can fall in love with someone just cuz you spent enough quality time with them; but if you endorse the second then the story becomes the typical no-brain romance you can find anywhere in the BL world. Kawai Yumiko proved her talent here, honestly I can hardly think of another author that has such superb sense of balance like Kawai's.
Totally enjoyed this story, I rated this 4 stars but that's only because I wanna reserve 5 for the super super super special ones. Strongly recommend this book.
The illustration for the book was done by Inariya Fusanosuke, the author of Hyakujitsu no Bara (Maiden Rose), which in my opinion is always kind of borderline romanticizing warfare and imperial cult, so also thanks to that, this book, at least for me, gave out a really really bad first impression. Thankfully the book wasn't the typical idolizing soldiers type of BL, and I can feel that the author did put effort into portraying warfare, public mobilization, and war politics with a certain degree of complexity, although I felt kinda uneasy sometimes with the rather sympathetic tone towards the imperial household. Oh forgot to mention that the setting is completely fictional, but the author borrowed a lot from Germany's and Japan's pre-1945 history, thus explaines my speculation on the author's attitude towards Japan's wartime activities haha. The depiction of war and politics wasn't particularly outstanding, but was definitely more than enough for a BL, so I have no complain at all.
What about the romance? Absolutely to my taste. What I love about Kawai's books is that they often have very mature, caring, and very sensible tops. They care deeply and just want the best for their beloved, but unlike the perfect-lover-but-also-maddeningly-arrogant type, the men in Kawai's stories are never condescending, never have the "I know everything I know what's best I will provide it for you" kind of attitude. They always consider carefully their every move so that they won't hurt their partner's feelings or put them in an uncomfortable situation, which is something that stems from a deep sense of respect for the partner as an equal being, as well as from a recognition of the limit of their ability to understand their partner and be what they need. In other words, it's the mutual respect that makes the relationships in Kawai's stories very pleasant and comforting to read.
The bottom is strong, mature, and deserves respect for his integrity and dedication for his job. Considering what they've been through, I can totally understand why and how the two fell in love with each other and why the top become so devoted to the bottom. It's a combination of personal experiences and the romantic idea of an invisible bond that exists from tbe very beginning between two people destined for each other. It's extremely hard to maintain a balance between these two ideas, if you endorse the first, it becomes dry and unrealistic because it's not like you can fall in love with someone just cuz you spent enough quality time with them; but if you endorse the second then the story becomes the typical no-brain romance you can find anywhere in the BL world. Kawai Yumiko proved her talent here, honestly I can hardly think of another author that has such superb sense of balance like Kawai's.
Totally enjoyed this story, I rated this 4 stars but that's only because I wanna reserve 5 for the super super super special ones. Strongly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review