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Wow if you have read the first two then you need to read this one as well. This series is one of the ones that I would read again and again and not be disapointed with.
It's a combination of mystery, suspense, action, and love. I read Vol 1-3 straight in a couple of hours. For the length of the books, the plot is really well thought out and not simply about a forbidden love of a Yakuza and a Police Officer.Like the first two books, the third continues w/ only Shiiba's narration and perspective. I'm greatly surprised by the strength in emotion the series is able to convey.I would recommending reading the first 2 volumes before reading the third one.In this novel, Shiiba gets entangled in the old mystery of his sister death, Munechika's brother, and a new yakuza boss. Meanwhile, Shiiba is still trying to manipulate his S lover Maunechika for as much information as possible on the new underground gun traficking.By and large, this is not the regular run of the mill yaoi light hearted plot. However, certain scene actions and etc, clearly display the other characters in a 3 dimensional way.I'd highly recommend this series. It's not a syrupy sweet BL, but the characters and plot have a lot of depth.However, I am a little frustrated that Vol 4 is no longer available to be purchased at this time because Vol 3 definitely leaves the reader on a cliff hanger, unlike the first 2.
The story is really building up a lot bringing much anticipation for the next volume and with new antagonists making the situation more complicated. The conflict thrills you.I love it. The writter does a great job in this and translation is pretty good.My only complaint is that sometimes Shiiba is written more like a guy and then at times written more like a woman.I guess almost all uke are written with that tendency because most novelist of this genre are female.The color paged illustration is awesome and so are the black illustrations, one of the best one I see.I wish I can get my hands on the Drama CD version.So far , the best BL novel series I have and this is a keeper.
In volume two, the plot starts building up and the wonderful cast of supporting characters--Kaname and Shinkozuka in particular--comes to life. Saki Aida's the bomb, Chiharu Nara's illustrations are pitch-perfect to the text, and DMP has served them both well with a solid translation job and good production. If you buy just one title from the June yaoi novel list, make it this one. This volume sees Shiiba and Munechika's relationship take a crucial turn and ends on a cliffhanger that'll make you impatient for the fourth and final installment. The first volume of the series can be slow going at times due to necessity of setting up the story groundwork: there's lots of information on the police agencies and yakuza group structures. But Aida makes sure to keep the human element foremost, and once Munechika and Shiiba meet the story takes off. I can only hope that this series does well enough that DMP will bring over Aida's other books. In the meantime, enjoy this one.
I just received my copy of "S" Volume 3: Split, and all I can say is. One thing I liked about this volume is that it further developed the character of Shiiba's widowed brother-in-law which adds a lot of the tension throughout the story. I also like the fact that Shiiba and Munechika's relationship is further cemented as they both fall deeper for one another. I previously rated this as a 4 out of 5 stars but this volume makes it a 5 star series all the way. It is by far my favorite yaoi novel series to date. We are pulled further into the underworld of gun smuggling but this volume also delves further into who killed Shiiba's sister eight years earlier. wow. I am really intrigued to see how his character turns out in the final volume.
There are twists and turns around every corner and just when you think it couldn't get any more intense, it does and in a big way. The ending leaves us on a bit of a cliff hanger but volume 4 is right around the corner and is the finale to this wonderful and thrilling series so I am glad it ended the way it did. We are introduced to two new characters (sort of) who will continue into the final volume and we learn more about Munechika's past and his mysterious relationship with his half brother.If you haven't read any of the books in this series, you must. If you like this review, you can also read my reviews on volumes 1 and 2 to get a better feel for the story.
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