Giovinetta Valdemar, Lady Devil herself, was branded as such after her first husband’s heart was ripped out on their wedding night. Years later, she is betrothed once more to a much older nobleman, and in her desperation, makes a wish to the devil of Ducommun for help—a plea that is answered by transforming her twin brother, Johannes, the exalted hero of Valdemar, into a devil himself! Will this creature be her salvation or lead her down an even more treacherous and forbidden path?
품격 높은 로맨스 판타지 스릴러 『마귀』 고성 깊은 곳에 숨겨진 석관 속 마귀에 대한 전설과 비극적인 운명을 극복해 나가는 두 사람의 사랑
리디북스에서 연재되며 스토리와 작화, 각색 모든 부분에서 호평을 받아온 스테디셀러 웹툰 『마귀』 1~2권이 오렌지디에서 종이책으로 동시 출간되었다.
독보적인 분위기와 섬세하고 풍부한 인물 감정 묘사로 인생작이라는 평가를 받으며 폭넓은 독자층을 가지고 있는 비첸치 작가의 로맨스 판타지 웹소설 『마귀』가 한흔 작가의 각색과 Fuki. Choco 작가의 작화를 만나 웹툰 『마귀』로 재탄생되었다.
웹툰 『마귀』는 신비로운 중세 분위기와 주인공의 아름다운 모습을 정교하고 화려하게 구현해 원작의 흡입력을 시각화했다. 각 인물의 세밀한 감정과 이들을 둘러싼 미스터리한 사건을 아름답고도 긴장감 넘치게 표현해 해외에서도 좋은 반응을 이끌어 내고 있다. 원작 웹소설과 같으면서도 또 다른 매력을 지닌 『마귀』에는 작품 속 주인공들의 가장 매력적인 순간을 포착한 엽서 2종이 함께 수록되었다.
I may have overlooked the incest part. But that's okay, I can handle a taboo relationship, I just thought it wasn't full incestuous, not that way. The thing is, apart from that and the devil thing, nothing much happened. I guess the plot will revolve about their forbidden relationship and the evil left-out brother. So, I wasn't really into it, it was not that interesting that I feel the need to read the next book. The cover is pretty, though. It just that sometimes the drawing felt a little sloppy, the dialogues were... meh. I couldn't care about any character, too. I know the FMC is this way because of her environment but it didn't make her more likeable. To be honest, I don't even cared about the incest thing at the end, what really bothered me was the plot, it was so boring and uninteresting.
Thanks to Netgalley, Yen Press and Choco Fuki for the ARC copy.
GOOD LORD! Seriously! Every single character was so messed up and twisted, like, what?! And every chapter was just dropping bombshells left and right. But that cursed thing at the center of it all? Totally had me hooked. I read the whole series (vol. 1-10) in one go!
Just a heads-up: it's got mature taboo themes, so it’s not for everyone. But if you’re into dark romances with a psychological edge, it’s definitely worth checking out.
The most interesting aspect of this is the misogyny. Inette is repeatedly told that she is at fault simply because she's a woman, and I suspect that's disguising some very ugly family truths.
I consider myself an unflappable reader, not much bothered by anything except bad writing. But this was just awful.
The entire story is based on incestuous relationship between twins. The brother and sister kissed once when they were six, and ever since she's been kept locked in the tower, and only briefly released for her wedding. That included a public consummation of the marriage, which she seems unfazed about, and the groom dying horribly that night. So she ended up back in the tower where she's fantasised about her brother ever since.
When her father announces another marriage for her, she wishes on the family demon that the marriage won't happen, and it turns her brother into a demon. And apparently, the demon's notion of breaking the engagement is to have sex with her (not shown). Her brother doesn't remember it the next morning, when the transformation is over, but she does. She was perfectly aware it was her brother she was with. She preferred it too.
Even without incest, the plot is just stupid. The entire society is so afraid of women losing their virtue that even siblings aren't allowed to be in the same room unsupervised, let alone men and women who aren't related. All it would've needed for her (already bad) reputation to be tarnished was to be found in the same room with another man. The demon part was wholly unnecessary.
The story doesn't really improve, when the younger brother, who is a monk, shows up (and eventually calls in his brethren for exorcism, which fails.) The first thing he does returning home is to sexually assault their nanny, which based on her reaction, is something he's accustomed of doing. When all the characters are this disgusting, therer's really no point in rooting for them or reading more.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting and exciting story, but too taboo for me
*Adult Read Only!*
"Lady Devil 01" is the first in a ten-book manhwa series drawn by Choco FUKI, adapted by Hanheun and based on an original story by B. Cenci. The story takes us into a world full of surprising twists and turns, social taboos and dark machinations.
"Lady Devil" caught my eye because of the cover. The drawing style immediately appealed to me and the blurb sounded like an exciting story with a forbidden love story, so I was hooked straight away! But I didn't know how forbidden this story would be. Because the story focuses on Giovinetta Vlademar, the only daughter of Duke Valdemar. Giovinetta had a very close relationship with her twin brother as a child, which ended in a kiss and Giovinetta was locked away and married off as punishment. This unleashed a series of events that opened up a dark and demonic path for Giovinetta, her brother Johan and the rest of the noble family.
Apart from the incest aspect, the story managed to win me over with the exciting twists and turns, interesting storyline, dark atmosphere and demons. However, I don't yet know whether I will continue to follow the story of Johan and Giovinetta.
I give "Lady Devil" 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
While I have a feeling the incestuous plot line is going to veer onto a path of these twins, "forbidden love" destroying their kingdom, I just really don't enjoy incestuous plots, period. Honestly, if this had been anything ,but* incest this would be a solid 4-star read, which is why I gave it 3.
I won't be continuing the series, but I'm sure there are plenty who will enjoy it.
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Yen Press the eArc!
This does not shy away from how messed up it is. Everyone is drowning in their own misery and clinging to whatever escape they can find. The longing is rooted in desperation, and it's sad, dark, and so compelling that I can't help but want to read more, even while knowing things are going to get much worse before they (maybe) get better.
Thanks to NetGalley and Yen Press for the ARC copy for "Lady Devil". This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.
If I have known this one was going to involve an incestuous relationship as the main romance while portraying it in such a, lets say, positive light, I would have not read it. But here we are, so lets dive into it. Because, if we take this fact out the window, the rest was quite enjoyable. And that frustrates me.
Lady Devil is the name our protagonist, Giovinetta Iseul Eurycrate Valdemar (just Giovinetta, or Inette to her twin brother), got after her first husband's heart was ripped out of his body on their wedding night. Years later, Inette is to remarry an older nobleman, a deal that could help end the war that's been going on for a while. Except, she doesn't want to be sold like that to someone she doesn't know nor does she want to be downgrade to a trophy wife and baby maker, which is understandable, but she makes really poor choices from then on. For in her desperation, she follows family rumors to a chamber where a devil (the devil of Ducommun, her family) is said to be kept and makes a wish. A plea to get rid of her future husband, except that it backfires and transform her twin brother Johannes into a devil himself, tainted the so lauded hero of the Valdemar country.
So, we have Giovinetta, who is to marry some man; she's sent a portrait to at least know how he looks. She is confined to her room, where she only sees Griselda, her nanny. We also have Johannes, her twin brother, a lauded hero of Valdemar that has fought in the war and come back home just now (at the start of the story). We also have guards, the father, and a third brother, the younger one, Winfried, who has gone and make himself a monk, so he isn't much around the castle.
As said on the plot's summary, desperate to not marry that man, Inette follows the family rumors that say the have a devil under the castle, in under ground chambers, that can grant any wishes. Is called the devil of Ducommun and it was tear apart limb by limb to be trapped in various coffins, most of which have been already destroy. She hammers one more coffin while asking for her husband to be gone so she doesn't have to merry him. After this, no night is normal anymore.
This leads to Johannes turning into a devil, full on with wings, fangs, enormous size, claws... The complete set; I'm sure you can imagine it. Worry for him, Inette starts escaping from her room at night to pay him a visit and see what happens and if she can do anything about it. Without giving too much away, lets say that this is part of the story that I liked the least, because, even though it generates conflict between the twins that ends up bleeding into the secondary characters too and affecting the course of the plot, nothing can change this story for me due to the incest and how this relationship is portrait. At least the characters (mainly Inette since we follow her thoughts the most) have the decency to refer to it as a sin, but that doesn't deterred them, anyway😐
Also, as usual, the woman is so weak she faints from intense feelings🙄 And I know there's some sensations and feelings that can lead to the human body shutting down in real life, but in these stories it tends to be exaggerated to drive the drama up to the highest, contributing, in my opinion, to nothing. Such is the case of Inette.
But, lets forget for a moment that there is not such relationship in "Lady Devil". The art stood out to me, with vivid colors and a sharp attention to detail, painting great metaphors and imagery; my congratulations for the artists for creating such amazing display of illustrations. The lore of the world we know so far, how details were given, was also what kept me glue to the pages; i didn't really cared what happened between the siblins, but i wanted to know more about the devil of Ducommun, the devils in general that existed long ago and more; Winfried is the one studying that and he is such and interesting character, that I did read the volume completely for him and the devil's myth, really.
The only issue pacing/structure wise would be repetition of flashbacks, meaning, we see on the page Inette go to the cumbers to make a wish to the devil of Ducommun, yet, this fact is repeated like two or three more times in detail, as if we would forget about it in less than 50 pages. I'm not sure if the story originally was released chapter by chapter with long periods of time between them and that's why the repetition. But, if that's not the case, it is definitely jarring.
Anyway, even though the context of the story, the lore and such were good and give the story an interesting touch, I don't think i can recommend this one in good conscience. An incestuous relationship is quite the most stereotypical and harmful way of depicting twins that I've ever read (opinions of actual twins that I've read around bookish spaces agree with me, just in case someone wants to argue with the fact). And, really, incest that is justified by the story or portrait in a romantic light that hints at that it might be the actual romantic relationship that develops through the story until the end and the characters get their way and end up together will always be a no for me. Sorry, but it is what it is
What do you do when you accidentally turned your beloved brother into a demon? Well, you do your best. Unfortunately, for XXX, her best isn’t all that great. She’s been sheltered most of her life, kept innocent of worldly affairs, and is in love with her brother John, which makes her feel even more upset in knowing she’s the one who crused him to become demon possessed. The demon unleashes John’s own desires … which involve his sister, leading to an incestuous romance.
Meanwhile their younger brother, a failed monk, is determined to ruin them both by revealing their secrets and becoming the heir. It’s a mess of pining, longing looks, guilt, lust, and a sort of madness. It’s beautifully drawn, and I think it can be taken in many ways. Giovinetta is kept achingly ignorant by the men who control her life — not knowing how food is made, how to socialize with anyone, kept locked in a tower with only her nurse. She’s kept innocent and ignorant so that she can be controlled and manipulated by her father, her brother, her nurse …
While it’s meant to be Lanister coded, it also comes across to me as very Christian Fundamentalist coded — not so much the incest as the control, the manipulation, the religious trappings, the ignorance and confusion and how easily Giovinetta was led into making poor decisions because she had no way of knowing better, because all of those around her failed her again and again.
This graphic novel will not be for everyone, and that’s perfectly fine. The sex scenes are implied, the violence never lingers and isn’t overly gratuitous and the art is beautiful. The story, though, is a bit flat. Because Giovinetta has such limited company and is kept in a tower for most of her life, she doesn’t really know what’s going on and … doesn’t care. It’s all about her love for her brother, her worry for him, her growing madness as she gives into lust and the desire to be touched, held and loved as, for fourteen years, she has been locked in her room.
It’s a complicated story. I liked it, but I do wish it had done more, story wise. However, this is only the first volume, so who knows where things go from here? Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!
Lady Devil Released Volume 2 July Supernatural, taboo, forbidden love *Before recommending this one to others, would definitely take into account their view/preferences. Not everyone's cup of tea.
This series definitely incorporated a lot of taboos, the big one being incest. If you can look past that, there is potential for the series. Volume 1 seemed to be more for setting up the series, not quite sure where the plot is leading honestly. There is a big focus on the twins' forbidden love and then adds the brother who currently seems to be their enemy. But this could take a turn and the brother could not be the enemy, who knows. It is interesting seeing two different perspectives of the devil of Ducommun locked away in their castle, one being that it was a gift and another seeing it really as someone trying to curse the family. At first it sorta seemed like the only one who had feelings for the other was Giovinetta but as the volume continues we see that Johanne was also hiding feelings as we discovered he had somehow acquired her dagger at some point and was hiding it away (he is definitely different from my original opinion of him). It does seem like as time goes that Johanne is starting to be more conscious when he transforms. It feels slow pace right now as I think only a couple days have passed from the start to end of this volume. I’m going to guess in the next volume the one who she is supposed to be betrothed to will appear.
I did enjoy the art and will say I like Johannes better in his transformation 😆. Will I continue this series? Honestly, I probably will. I am curious where this series is headed. Even though it's laid on thick,I try not to think too much of their relationship and it has more of a historical feel so if you think back to during those times it wasn't uncommon to have what we see now as taboo relationships. I have read people have conflicting opinions on this series and a huge part is the twins relationship as a heads up. Personally, if you don't hyper focus on taboos in series, I would say give it a try.
I had the opportunity to read this eARC thanks to @netgalley and @yenpress
I hadn't heard of Lady Devil before I saw the title pop up on NetGalley but let's be real I'm not as familiar with manhwa as I am with manga! So I requested it blind, it got archived before I downloaded it because I just didn't pay attention to archive dates, and here I am with a library copy several months later, still going in blind.
So straight off, all the other reviews will bring up So Taboo and questionable consent. I'm not super bothered by either of those things as it's a fictitious and fantasy setting and not meant to mirror real live at all. Inetta is a woman in her early 20s, a widow already, isolated for 14 years after sharing a childhood kiss with her twin brother. Like cool, okay, kids do that sometimes, not the greatest, but maybe not the best reason to lock this girl away in her chambers for literally 12 years, stunting her ability to have any real socializations or relationships with anyone outside her a) dying mother b) her personal maid. Like no wonder she has a crush on her brother at her age, he's like the shining sun of everything (so says everyone) and she can't even talk to a single other person. (Not even him!)
The demon situation looks like it's still getting worked out in volume 1 so maybe it'll be a little clearer/less messy in future volumes. I did like this more than some other manhwa I've read but I'm wondering if the really slow starts are due to them being web published first instead of magazine-published like manga usually is because I find the pacing a little out of step with what I jive with more.
Thank you to Yen Press/Ize Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!
While I love the concept of this one, the execution was a bit too messy + also boring for me. I didn't feel invested in the story or the characters even after I finished the volume, but I did like the art style was kind of retro! That's just unfortunately the only positive I have.
I just really wish that things were more fleshed out because even though a lot technically happened here, I didn't really get any foundation for what the stakes were, what the characters were like besides the very basics of these two characters want to be together, but they're not allowed to be because it's obviously forbidden romance and also there's a family curse. Look, maybe the problem is me and I skimmed too much, but I had to put the book down a few times because I was just THAT bored with it. 😭 Which is a HUGE shame because I absolutely love some of the themes that are in this story (hello twincest + MMC who turns into a devil? Easily a recipe for success in the right hands).
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via Netgalley, and am voluntarily leaving my honest thoughts. Many thanks to Ize Press for the opportunity!
If I'm being honest with this review, I didn't particularly like Lady Devil, but I also didn't hate it. The execution of the story and plot were not the best, and it didn't really go anywhere. It was a little messy, and what I imagine is the main theme of this story - the demon, was not fleshed out as much as I would have liked.
Volume 1 of Lady Devil was quite boring, slow paced and left you with more questions than answers. Also, the twin incest was a plot twist I was not expecting, but this taboo romance was the only exciting thing about this story. We know very little of the world, the character's and their relationships as siblings. We got a little of a lot, but it was not enough.
The artwork at times, especially in relation to more intimate scenes with the devil were beautiful and one of my favourite things about this book.
I personally won't be rushing to read more of this series soon, but I would like to see where it is headed eventually.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for an ARC of Lady Death in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.
Let's get this out of the way. There is incest. There is misogyny, old-fashioned ideas about a woman's role in the world, abuse of power, etc.
It is a mature manga. I do not recommend this for everyone. 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
The artwork is beautiful. The translation is amazing.
The characters are horrible people, lol. What I loved, though, is that the manga doesn't try to tell you they are. It gives you broken characters, explains why they are they way there are, and how they treat others based on their world views. Everyone is a victim. Everyone is a predator.
This first part does a character study. If you want something faster paced, I recommend looking elsewhere. If you want smut, this might not be for you.
Overall: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Please see the lower rated views/higher ones before reading. I don't think this is a manga I can recommend anyone going in blind for.
I enjoyed the character study in this manga but do not consider this a romance at all. If it is meant to be, think Killing Stalking everyone is not healthy.
Thank you to Ize Press for approving my NetGalley request! I picked up Lady Devil purely for the cover art, knowing nothing about the story—and I was not prepared. The twists, the taboo themes… there’s a lot to take in. I’m still not sure if this is unhinged in a good way or just outright toxic, but I’m curious enough to keep going.
Set in a historical fantasy world, Lady Devil follows Giovinetta Valdemar, a noblewoman trapped in a forced engagement. Desperate to escape, she ventures into the catacombs beneath her home and makes a wish to the Devil of Ducommun, unknowingly setting off a dangerous chain of events.
The artwork is absolutely gorgeous, but the pacing leans on the slower side. That said, the intrigue is strong enough to keep me invested—for now.
Trigger warnings: incest (yes, really) and a heavy dose of misogyny.
A dark graphic novel with hints of dark relationships. Giovinetta Valdemar, is a princess who was brought up, locked in a tower away from her beloved brother.
When she eventually got married her husband was murdered during their wedding night and she returned to the tower. Years later she is once again betrothed this time to a much older nobleman who is known to be cruel. She prays to her devil ancestors and she is rescued when her brother, the exalted hero of their nation, turns into a devil at night.
This is the first volume of a story that is definitely going to be full of twists and turns and hints of possible incest. The artwork is good but the story itself is weird, overflowing with weird characters and dark events.
Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Si hablamos de lecturas toxicas, perversas, poco éticas y escandalosas... esta sería de una ellas.
Me fascina y a la vez no logro comprender cómo es que estas historias llegan a ver la luz. Digo, todo es muy turbio. Pero ya es una moda y es muy buscado que cuanto mas perversa sea una historia más atrae. Y no lo veo mal, mientras que quien lo lee sepa que lo que esta leyendo no es algo común y que debería copiarse o seguirse. También es interesante porque se puede analizar un montón a los personajes y sus maneras de vincularse.
No es la primera vez que leo algo así, y no será la ultima. La verdad es que la historia te hace querer saber más y más, eso esta muy bien hecho.
Gracias Yen Press por el ARC que leí a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Received NetGalley arc. I have to admit that I saw the cover of this manhwa, loved the art and didn't read the description before reading it. If I had read the description, I think I would have at least been a bit more prepared for what it is ultimately about. A pair of twins love each other, but have been kept apart (for obvious reasons) and after Inette is told that she will have to be married again to a significantly older man that would treat her horribly, she does what she thinks she must to stop it, but it leads to her brother Johan becoming a devil. I think all I can say that I liked is the art, which was beautiful, but the themes were just not for me. I don't think that I will be reading volume two.
Look, here's the thing. It's very well illustrated. The plot is good. There's just one massive issue that I think I missed in translation, which is: the "forbidden romance" in the description is forbidden because it's incest.
The annoying thing, for me at least, is that there are SO many good forbidden tropes you can do in this psuedo-European historical setting. Rival royal familes! Class differences! Interracial relationships! Queer relationships! All of those things are (presumably) forbidden in this setting. And yet. Incest :/
Had literally any character other than her brother been the love interest, I'd be ready to keep reading. I have absolutely no desire to continue though. This book is not for me. I suspect the audience for this book will be extremely niche.
This is a lot darker than any of the other manhwa I've ever read, and contains a lot of super mature themes. Definitely check the trigger warnings before heading into this one, as a lot happens in this introductory volume to the story. While the story is interesting, I don't find myself particularly attached to any of the characters, and I truly fail to understand the connection between the twins. I think for readers who love a dark story this will definitely be an interesting dive, given they're okay with the taboo topics presented. Thank you to Netgalley and Yen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This series is really not for everybody. I feel like it sits more in the vein of dark taboo romance than anything, so if that’s not anything you’re interested in, you probably wouldn’t like it. The characters are complicated, their relationship is wildly toxic, and they’re hemmed in by the history before them, and make awful choices in awful situations. At the same time, there’s a very engaging storyline around how their circumstances came to be and the emotional struggles with the decisions they’ve made. I have read the entire webcomic, and loved it for the angst, horror, and unhinged behaviors of everybody involved.
Eww. Eww. NOPE. NOPPPPE. Incest (including sex), rape (as she was clearly not into it the first and second time), people getting locked into towers because heaven forbid they encounter males (which means this girl has no clue how the world works), the other brother is also horrible (I thought he was good but he is a sneaky snake plus he is fucking with the nanny (yes I believe the same one from when they were kids)), and there is much more NOPE about this one. I only read this one so I could put it on my list as a big fat NOPE. Also I was just hoping that maybe the incest would disappear. But nah. It only got worse. I guess the art was pretty?
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Hahahahahahahaha well, this would be a 5 star horror read, the same way (the EXACT same way) Flowers in the Attic is an amazing horror novel. Unfortunately, I don't think this is meant to be horror.
One star for romance. It's the full-blooded twin fucking for me, if you can believe it. Not even the monsterfucker element could save that.
I've added one extra star because I genuinely appreciate a heroine who looks like an adult. That's how low the bar is I guess.
First off this graphic novel is very taboo. Anette and John are twins from a Royal bloodline. But in their mother‘s bloodline, there’s a devil‘s curse. And so far in this first volume it goes through what the curse is about and how they got it. Also them trying to resist each other. There’s other problems in the family. And they’re trying to figure out what’s going on with John. Also is Anette going take the second husband. So far reading it’s fine but pursuit of caution. Because there are some triggers that are not for everybody.
Ok this is on the top 5 weirdest, grosses books I've picked up..... Long story short they are siblings and they get together, and like he turns into a devil and rapes her and she likes is? IDK it was weird and gross didn't finish because of how disgusting it was. If I could give it a 0 I would. The ONLY reason I even tried reading it was because it was on comic plus and I had nothing else to read. Let me do you a favor and just tell you now, don't read it, don't start it, don't even look into it. If you see it just pass it by like you never even saw it.