actual rating: 2.5⭐️

I have to start by saying I did read some of the chapters on WEBTOON years ago it feels like so when I saw this up on NetGalley, I was intrigued to request it and hopefully reconnect with the story. Unfortunately, things don’t work out exactly as you plan them but hey, you live and you learn.

Starting with the artwork, it was hands down incredible and even the use of space on each individual page is impressive! In addition, the use of color especially for the textbooks is so well done—sometimes when reading graphic novels where there’s a lot happening you lose track of who’s saying what but it’s so clear cut in this which is great! Also the character design is so reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Airbender especially for the people of the Crimson Line—a lot of the attire reminded me of the Fire Nation which I don’t think is a coincidence. Even the side characters have unique features that make them stand out, I so appreciate them all having a distinct look as to not confuse them.

While the artwork is a 10 out of 10, the story is something completely different. I will say I wish things were established better especially in the beginning because there’s just a lot that is a “mystery” which I am assuming will be revealed in later volumes. But, I think any proper story needs a good and sturdy foundation to build on especially with the themes of political conflict and power struggles. They are at war because their dragon ancestors were beefing is a very basic, almost “cop-out” reason for centuries of war and no one knows why. It would’ve been interesting to see something along the lines of the two clans being raised with differing stories as to why they are at war because honestly, they know they’ve been at war but I’m not too sure nobody knows why beyond the surface level. Just my two cents.

Moving onto Clove and Kyro….there are on two completely sides of the spectrum whereas Clove is more reserved and wears her fear on her face; Kyro is very self assured and arrogant. I will say I don’t know if I like their relationship all that much, I know the BookTok girlies would eat this up but something about them doesn’t sit right with me. However, I think between the two of them Kyro is more consistent in terms of personality whereas Clove has these moments where I’m scratching my head confused as to why she’s acting strangely—and guess what! That doesn’t get explained either! A lot of things are left without a proper explanation which I get it, you don’t want to reveal the beans too soon but even just a snippet of an attempt to explain or even expand on situations would just make for better story in my opinion.

The pacing in this is very fast but also just very off, the way some scenes or rather panels/events are connected just doesn’t make the most sense to me. It feels very like “She’s talking to the Crown Prince, okay now here’s her brushing her horse, okay now she’s here and there”. We’re essentially jumping around and there’s no real flow to the story; nothing gets developed and no one has any development in this volume which it’s only the first volume so I don’t expect anyone to go through some groundbreaking transformation but nothing really happened in this volume which is just disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley & Oni Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Enjoyed reading this a second time, the Webtoon was a favourite and it held up on a reread. Looking forward to continuing.

The artwork on this is GORGEOUS. I'm not a huge fan of court intrigue and politics, but if you are, then this should be an insta-grab for you. My Roomie LOVED this so much she was trying to get it signed by the author. Definitely one I would recommend as a Christmas gift list addition for the manga/manhwa fan who likes courtly intrigue and enemies to lovers vibes.

3, not my fav plot line but the artwork was second to none, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an eARC of this to read and review.

I really enjoyed this. The illustrations are excellent and the story is engaging.

Princess Clove has agreed to sacrifice herself and marry her enemy in order to save her people. She has agreed to marry Prince Kyro, the heir to an enemy dragon clan but Clove does not realise how difficult it will be to find true peace for her people and end the 300 year war. This is an enjoyable story and is also a free comic. Very imaginative and it pulled me in completely.

The Azure and Crimson Dragons have been at war for centuries. Their kingdoms destined to continue this never-ending feud.

Princess Clove (azure dragon) is betrothed to Prince Kyro (crimson dragon) to try and end this war that is destroying their people once and for all.

I am so intrigued by this world and magic system involving these dragons. The art style is absolutely stunning.

This volume really focuses on setting up the characters and their relationships, and I do wish we dove into the magic system and world building a bit more than we did in this volume though I'm sure that's all to come. Really enjoyed this and would recommend it if you're looking for a romantasy graphic novel series with dragons and an Asian inspired world.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this ARC to review

Book Review and Review Copy – NetGalley: SubZero Vol.1 by Junepurrr

Plot: Princess Clove is forced to marry her enemy, Prince Kyro, to end a 300-year war. Kyro discovers that Clove harbors a dangerous secret, and their fragile peace is threatened by those who wish to continue the conflict. Clove soon realizes that achieving peace is difficult.

Review: SubZero delivers a captivating blend of fantasy, romance, and political intrigue, wrapped in breathtaking artwork that grabs readers from the first page. The stunning illustrations not only impress but also add depth to the already engaging narrative, filled with dynamic action scenes and vivid character designs. From the intricate dragon symbolism to the charged chemistry between the protagonists, SubZero sets a high bar for fantasy literature with romantic elements.

At the heart of the story is Clove, a strong yet vulnerable heroine who must navigate the complexities of a political marriage with Kyro, her sworn enemy. Their relationship, filled with electric tension and a slow build of connection, is a testament to the series’ ability to balance emotional depth with a richly imagined world. Kyro, enigmatic and brooding, carries a painful past, adding layers to his evolving bond with Clove.

The supporting characters are just as engaging, with figures like Kyro’s sister and Clove’s childhood friend adding further intrigue and potential love triangles. Each character is carefully crafted, contributing to the sweeping narrative that not only explores romance but also delves into themes of duty, sacrifice, and the struggle for peace.

The first volume of SubZero lays a strong foundation, teasing readers with hints of backstories yet to be revealed, leaving them eager for more. For anyone drawn to epic tales of enemies turned lovers, ancient grudges, and complex political landscapes, this series is a must-read.

Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 328
Genre: Manga, graphic novels, romantasy
Book: E-book (Kobo)
Author: Junepurrr
Publisher: NetGalley – ARC
GoodReads: ArbereshaSabani
Instagram: @wandersinbookland

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

SubZero Vol. 1 by Junepurrr was such a great surprise, even though I have no idea how the title relates to the story. For some reason, my brain thought the cover was mermaidy, but it is not that! It follows two opposing dragon nations that have been locked in a war for centuries and the dragon princess who agrees to a marriage alliance with the enemy kingdom to try and end the war. The art is simply stunning, with beautiful colors and character design, and the plot is mysterious with an intriguing world and magic, with some characters that you want to root for, and some that you want to boo at. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment...A WHOLE YEAR FROM NOW! :'-(

For starters the artwork for this story is absolutely beautiful and I loved it so much. I found myself really drawn into the plot of this one and I really enjoyed this story a lot. I’m really excited to read about what is going to happen and I really want to know the secret that Clove is hiding as well as the growth within her relationship with Kyro.

The illustrations in this are gorgeous - I liked the premise, but felt that the dalogue and illustrations didn't tell the most complete story possible.

My favourite webtoon series is now a graphic novel!! We love kyro❤️ and of course dragons! Absolutely binge-worthy series!!

I loved it, I'm a huge fan of anime and this was just amazing, it was so well written and the characters and the art were just amazing, volume 1 was awesome so now I can't wait to see next

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. This is a fantasy story about royals that turn into dragons, arranged marriages and political infighting. I am not sure I like any of the characters and the plot is predictable.

I loved reading this, it had me blushing and swinging my feet.

The characters are incredible and the art is do beautifully done.

I can't wait for the next volume!

Huge thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for providing me with this arc

I didn’t realize till I began reading this that this is a webtoon that I had read back in my high school webtoon days. Re-reading it I still felt all the same excitement and I still blushed at the prospect of the romance you find within these pages.

Every single page is gorgeously rendered. You cannot talk about this without discussing how beautifully drawn and colored every detailed page of it is. It’s truly a masterpiece.

There’s drama and intrigue and scheming princesses and a century’s long war to end. Magic and dragons and a gorgeous palace. Not to mention absolutely stunning men and women… uhhh forget I said that. This webtoon is a fantastical thirst trap and an absolute pleasure to read.

This is a story to read when you need an escape into a wild dangerous world completely different from the world you are living in. It’s a book you read to blush and gasp at. A book you read when you want to completely be enraptured by something.

I adore it. I adore it as much as I did years ago. I am so happy to see that a story I’ve loved for many years getting its chance to be physically released today.

SubZero is unequivocally awesome. My teenage self is the happiest camper there ever was.

thank you netgalley & oni-press for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review ✨

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i finished this graphic novel quite a few months ago but lowkey completely forgot to review😓

i really really enjoyed the art! it's really pretty and does remind me a little bit of like the avatar era or like legend of korra art style (pls don't crucify me- i don't draw😭)

i did like the plot line bc like who doesn't love political marriages (basically an enemies to lovers scenario here too) but it did feel like something i've read before and i had a difficult time connecting with Princess Clove. I don't think I felt the chemistry between the two main leads just yet either but it is just the first volume and these are usually slower with the connections. i'll definitely continue to read the upcoming volumes bc i'm curious what will happen.

The art is beautiful and the story is super intriguing! Forced proximity/marriage of convenience, fantasy, dragons, so pretty much all the best tropes!

This webtoon is one of my all time favorites, and getting to read it in a book format is amazing. I'm so happy I got the chance to reread this story and be a part of reviewing it. The story is so good of two rival kingdoms and the royals married. Thank you so much Netgalley for an arc of this book. I apologize for the late review.

Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up)
[Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]

Volume 1 of SubZero by Junepurrr offers an intriguing, if traditional start to an epic political fantasy romance.

Amidst warring dragon-shifting kingdoms, Clove, sole heir and princess-with-a-secret, sets out to marry Kyro, enemy prince who needs a wife to become king. Standing between our protagonists and an end to the war are political schemes, dangerous secrets, dead family members, a general lack of trust and some preexisting romantic entanglements. Still, Clove and Kyro might have more in common than they think and they both actually want this marriage to happen. It’s a solid set up, if a very predictable one. Clove and Kyro are fun and their banter is cute. A few of the more predictable story beats did halt the story a bit and the paneling overall can be confusing to follow (more than once I struggled to follow the dialogue bubbles). Still it's a fun version of this story and I would be interested to see where our lovebirds (lovedragons?) end up.

Cute and enjoyable! I really liked how engaging this story was. The setting and characters were so fun and unique.

I first came across SubZero when browsing Webtoon and I did check out the first few pages before saving it to check out later. Well, that never happened, so when the opportunity to read the official volume came up, I knew I had to.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. You can really tell a lot of hard work and love went into creating this graphic novel. My only issue with the illustrations were that the dialogue and order of panels was a little confusing to read at times. A few times I found myself skipping over dialogue because it wasn’t flowing too well.

My other issue with SubZero was there not being a whole lot of story going on considering the length. This graphic novel is over 300 pages long, which is fairly long if you ask me, so the pace felt quite slow. The little snippets of world building were really interesting, I just wish more of that happened rather than the pages and pages of less important dialogue.

I would have also liked to have seen Clove and Kyro’s relationship develop more. He goes from not wanting to see her to suddenly being ok with the engagement. You don’t get to see this change and I feel like that would have made this graphic novel so much better. I’m all for appreciating good art work, but the story did lack slightly. Not that it wasn’t interesting, it definitely was, but not enough happened.

Although saying that, I would definitely check out the second volume whenever that gets published. I’m interested to see where this story goes and I’m a big fan of Oni Press, so I’m always up for checking out their new releases.