A Bride's Story

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Reviews

Review: Loud Snow


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Author: Tina Anderson
Artist: Amelie Belcher
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: July 2010

Synopsis: “Romantic ice-age hilarity ensues as young whaler Anituk’s miserable life with doting parents and an oversexed wife-hunting brother is rudely interrupted by the arrival of Abalu, a tall handsome stranger who delights in encroaching upon Anituk’s angst.”

For all the light heartedness of penguin tossing and wife hunting, there is a strong undercurrent of loneliness in this story. The main character just doesn’t feel he ‘fits’ in his world. He comes from such a limited background, so small a circle of influence, it’s no wonder he doesn’t get how he fits in when he’s got only his loving parents and his lusty, wife-hunting brother to measure himself by. Even when he meets Abalu, he still feels on the outside of something important. It isn’t until the snow strands them on their own does Anituk finally understand what he’s feeling and what he wants to do about it.

Anituk’s angst isn’t the only part of the young man that Abalu wants to encroach on! This was definitely an interesting manga. First off, the cover, especially the back cover, is absolutely gorgeous! I love the art. This artist is adept at saying a lot with a few lines of expression on a character’s face. That’s key when so much of the story is told without words. The artist has also done a fabulous job of depicting the snow white-on-white landscape the story is set in. She’s used shading and texture to differentiate between foreground and background, to set the characters firmly in their world and make it easy for the reader to believe in who these people are and how they live.

I like that this is a blend of a tradition I don’t get a lot of chances to read about, and a sweet coming out/self discovery story. I might have been a little upset about the ending. Dubiously hopeful is not quite what I’m after in a little romance, but I understand this is downright cheerful for this author. However, fortunately, for me, there’s a little afterward that satisfied my personal need for happily ever after.

I would absolutely recommend Loud Snow to any boys’ love manga fan who likes a hint of paranormal mixed with angst and dished up with a side of comedy and all presented with beautiful art.

Review written October 31, 2010 by Jaime Samms
Book purchased from LoudSnow.com

Jaime Samms

About the Author:

Jaime Samms has been writing gay romance and fiction for quite some time now, and reviewing it for almost as long. She's published with e-publishers Freya’s Bower, Lovyoudivine Alterotica and soon, Total e-Bound and Drollerie Press. "Writing is quite a passion for me. I’ve been asked many times why write about love affairs between men, when I clearly am not one, and really, it feels right to me. Not a terribly informative answer, but there it is."



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4 Responses

  1. […] ni Todoke (Slightly Biased Manga) Ken Haley on vol. 2 of Knights (Sequential Ink) Jaime Samms on Loud Snow (Kuriousity) Justin Colussy-Estes on vol. 9 of One Thousand and One Nights (Comics Village) Leroy […]

  2. Randi Ragan says:

    Amelie is one of the better artists I've seen when it comes to expressing emotion and depth. I've been following her online comic series for years, and now that she's become such an accomplished artist, I have nothing but congratulations for her. If you wish to see more of her art visit: http://www.amiarmy.com

  3. […] has been started for Roulette, an original boys’ love style story written by Tina Anderson (Loud Snow) and drawn by Laura Carboni (Love Circles). Laura is looking to raised enough money to fund the […]

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