Birds of Shangri-La, Vol. 1: Volume 1

Good read, nice addition to collection

Manga, but at a cost.

Yes it is spicy, but not every other page. There is a great balance between spice, romance and background plot progression... and most scenes with Phi are hot, even when not involving bedside activities 😍! This first volume is about introducing the characters, their main drives and motivations, and the Shangri-la club rules and protagonists. Apollo's constraints and difficulties are very human and relatable (how to bounce back when life has kicked you down, and how to deal respectfully with other people's life orientation choices when they differ greatly from your owns). A wonderful read !.. which gets even better in the next volume ❤

A different take on the BL genre. Throughly enjoyed the first one, waiting on book 2.

Phenomenal work. The book itself is a soft matte-feeling cover (similar to MADK's) and is a good size volume of almost 200 pages. The art is a strong lined detailed style that likes to show close ups frequently, lots of close ups on the hands, which at times can make it suffer from 90's Yaoi hand syndrome but otherwise is fine. The panels are tight and don't give many establishing shots but it helps the page's layout feel close and connected. The story is amazing, one of the only 18+ BLs I've read that has an amazing plot and doesn't have noncon. The writing cares about the characters and isn't just rushing to the main love interest doing it immediately. It's not exactly a soft story so far but even one volume in I have high hopes. (also be book isn't blue, just my room lights are)

I was hesitant to order this due to the topic, but I was not disappointed. It is an interesting universe, an emotional story with depth, and the art is great. There are caveats due to the topic of sex work, but things are handled sensibly. I'll definitely be ordering the remaining two volumes in the series. If you want your BL for the explicit parts, this won't deliver, albeit they are there. Buy it for the interesting story and well-rounded characters.

Gostei da arte e a história. Ansiosa para comprar os próximos volumes.