I expected a bit more from this but I'm still curious to see how things will go in the next volume.

The pacing of the first couple chapters felt a bit too rushed and choppy. The characters would go from point A to point C and that transition would be missing to make things feel more seamless. Because of that, it ended up feeling weirdly paced.

While i find the relationship of the main characters enjoyable, two broken people coming together and finding solace in each other's company and love, it also felt a bit too rushed. I would've liked it if we could have seen more of the initial stages of their relationship, even if it's implied that their relationship progressed rather fast because of them pretty much only having each other.

You can kind of guess that the story will (probably) focus a little on what exactly happened to Neneo's village but I wish it was a bit more obvious like expressing it as a goal or making their trip sound more impactful or important.

Overall, I think the storytelling itself is a bit lacking and I was a little disappointed because I had more expectations for this story, however I still liked the main characters along with Halvard, and I'm curious to read more and see how the storytelling, hopefully, improves as well as how the story progresses.

Romantic suspense exists in the liminal space between romance and mystery. Or maybe between romance and action; either way, it doesn't change the fact that it's a genre with a lot of leeway to be insane in very good ways. This isn't even the first book I've read that's invested in setting up a romance between a murderer and a lady, something I've come to call “The Karen Robards Special” because she's done it so often. In manga terms, the closest equivalent I can think of is Angels of Death. It's important to mention that unlike some of the other murderous romantic heroes, Neneo's crimes are all about context, as are Freya's financial mistakes.

That's the true base of the story, even beyond the inciting incident, which is Freya purchasing Neneo before he can be executed. His supposed crime is murdering everyone in his remote mountain village before burning the bodies, while hers is running the family business into the ground. Freya has been disowned and banished, and some impulse she doesn't seem to be entirely clear on makes her buy Neneo to accompany her on her journey north. It feels fair to suggest that she saw something in him that made her doubt his guilt, or at least the way the deaths are being framed. Neneo is quick to agree that he killed everyone in the village, but as the book goes on, it becomes clear that that wasn't the sort of “murder” that the government assumed. He's wracked with guilt over what happened, not just the deaths, but what led up to them and how he lived his life before that point. The government almost didn't need to bother tattooing his hands to show he's a killer; he's tattooed his soul more than enough.

Freya doesn't necessarily offer absolution, but she does find him much less culpable than he finds himself. It's evident that the two of them need each other, even without their make-out sessions (and possibly more off the page) – they're both people who have been beaten down by what the outside world thinks of them. We don't fully understand how Freya's situation got so out of hand, but given that her illegitimate half-sister Anna is now running the family company, it doesn't feel like a stretch to suspect that she may have been set up to fail. We don't see Anna in this volume, but we do meet Freya's former fiancé Halvard, and Anna's maid Curie, and both encounters are just odd enough that it's noticeable. Halvard, at least, is very clear about how intelligent Freya is, which suggests that he doubts what happened.

Snow & Ink is more dark than light, and its setting seems to be the early twentieth century. If this is pre-1918, which technology would support, Neneo's story could be much more grounded than it seems right now, especially when we consider the history of Brevig Mission, Alaska, where seventy-two of the eighty villagers died, and their preserved bodies helped to develop a vaccine. The fact that the Donner Party is directly mentioned in the text supports the idea that perhaps Neneo's village was (based on) a similar place. The romance may feel like it moves a bit too fast, but the story is interesting, and the art has all sorts of good historical details. I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes.

This story is about two people coming together after being ostracized by society for different reasons. It’s very much insta-love and sometimes I really love that in a story. The story is more about how they change and accept each other then getting to a romance in the first place.

They become each other’s person in the face of hardship from both sides. They protect each other and fight for each other. In a world that’s standing against them both they find each other and they fiercely protect the bond they have as time goes on.

I am so excited to read more from this series and I hope that it explores more morality and that in the couple continues to challenge each other and help each other grow. This was a great introduction to the story as a whole and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next installment!

This started so well, actually. I thought this was gonna be a full-blown mystery, enemies to lovers manga with strong leads, and well executed plot.

Although it did it good on compelling on the plot, the characters, on the other hand— specifically the leads, kind of disappointed a little bit, mainly because of how the romance went too quickly.

I definitely would have enjoyed it if there was a slow burn type of a thing and explored more on the characters individually. Anyway, I still find them completely complex in their own ways.

Highlight also for this volume is Halvard, which completely surprised me. I'm excited to see more of his character.

The plot, on the other hand— overall, it was intriguing, there's so much potential that I can feel and see, especially on Freya's family, the murders. I'm definitely continuing this series 👌

Thank you, Kodansha Comics, for the e-arc via Netgalley.

–-----
Date Released: November 5, 2024
Date Read and Reviewed: November 9, 2024
Rstings: 4⭐️

2.5
The premise of the manga is interesting and I like two different people coming together to help each other, but I'm not a fan of insta love trope. As the plot progressed things were moving fast, it was confusing at times. Overall it was an okayish read for me.

This could have been better if there wasn't an insta-like trope. The first two chapters were pretty okayish but Neneo is such an interesting character and the things he says sometimes. Going to continue the series just for him

Neneo and Freya might seem like two completely different people, but they have more in common than they could imagine. Neneo has to face the death penalty after being accused of killing all the people in his village. However, Freya, a rich girl, buys him and she takes him with her away from the city. Spending time together the two get close and realise that the gossip they heard about one another is just that...gossip. There is more than meets the eye.

I got interested in this series thanks to the blurb, but I was left somehow disappointed by the story. It's a sad story telling their journey on how the grow together. I found the chapters ending and starting abruptly, but I'm still intrigued to see if they'll have their happy ending and if they come to accept who they are and their pasts.

Freya saves Neneo by buying him at auction just before he was going to get his death sentence for killing his entire village. We see their relationship develop very quickly and learn more about the circumstances of the "murder" and also why Freys is now an outcast.

This was a quick and nice read. I was a little shocked by how Freya and Neneo's relationship progressed but the story started coming together quickly too.

Well, this was something.

Neneo and Freya are a pair of outcasts, the former for being a murderer and the latter for being a shunned heiress. And while the synopsis suggested mystery and intrigue, it was very brief. In fact, much of the story comes across as some sort of flimsy romance? If you can consider it as that, that is, since much of the storyline felt like random scenes being strung together on a thread. There was a clear lack of connection, as if the author had a general idea on what they wanted to happen but didn't know how to add in the details to have everything make sense. So at the end, the result is a somewhat confusing and misleading story with odd character development, giving the reader no real interest in continuing the series.

RATING: 3.5 (rounded up to 4 stars)

Thank you to Miyuki Unohana, Netgalley, and Kodansha for an opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In my quest to consume manga with adult characters and/or mature storylines, the first volume of Snow and Ink was a pleasant surprise to come across. For a romance set in a historical fiction backdrop, I quite enjoyed the starting chapters for Freya and Neneo’s story.

Snow and Ink chronicles the unexpected relationship that blossoms between a disgraced heiress (Freya) and a man identified as the killer of his entire village (Neneo). As Neneo is about to be executed, Freya makes a decision to spare his life by purchasing him. The two, haunted by the physical and emotional scars of their pasts, find solace in one another as their tenuous partnership turns into a romantic relationship.

I love how the story manages to capture the slow burn feeling of a love story for two characters that committed themselves into a relationship. By the end of the first volume, Freya and Neneo’s love for one another isn’t an all-consuming, completely healthy relationship yet. However, as the two learn more about each other, the little moments they share show that they could get to that stage eventually.

Nonetheless, I noticed a bit of some pacing issues. The jump from strangers to lovers happened a little too quickly than I expected, and the time skips made me want to see more of the moments that established the growing bond between Freya and Neneo. The length of each chapter does make it apparent that the chapters are released monthly rather than weekly, so I have hopes for the pacing to improve in future volumes.

Snow and Ink was the first book in a new manga series. It follows the story of Neneo who is a criminal who is sentenced to death for the killing of his village. However, before his punishment can be given, he is bought by Freya a wealthy heiress as a bodyguard as she plans to travel far to the north. They are both outcasts and both viewed as cold people. As they spend time together, they both begin to find comfort in each other and learn that not everything is what it seems.

This series was so good! From the start you are pulled into the story. The characters both seem to be outcasts from society for very different reasons. As their stories both come to light, you see both of them begin to soften and show their true colors. I loved the romance that developed between the two. They lean on each other and accept each other. The story was very interesting and hard to put down. The illustrations were detailed and beautiful and really great at showing the emotions of the characters. I will definitely be following this series and would recommend to others.

I have mixed feelings about this manga.

One one hand, it was cute at times, and it has great potential to be like My happy marriage.

On the other hand, there were quite a few red flags, like the almost insta-love, and they have a lot of growing up to do.

Quick read. Readers should be ready for simple backgrounds and art that focuses on characters and actions.

So far the relationship feels juvenile, which is expected for the age and backgrounds (trauma) of the characters.

There is potential for this story to fulfill its selling point of being a read-a-like for My Happy Marriage.

If readers are not used to manga, start elsewhere.

I read this first volume very quickly and it was entertaining enough to keep my attention. It had a lot of potential however pieces were missing and I wish the characters relationships had been fleshed out more. The romance between the two main characters happened very quickly, the plot was confusing and quite convoluted. Unfortunately, I do not expect that I will continue this series.

Good, quick read. I was intrigued by the character development the whole time and didn’t want to put the book down. I am looking forward to the next volume and finding out more about Neneo’s past. I do feel like the beginning of their relationship was abrupt but I cannot wait to see it develop more.

This was a tough read for me, which I feel is rare in the manga I seek out. This story moved extremely fast. The pacing was just too much. We start with our two protagonists meeting when one buys the other, saving him from execution/jail-time. After the train ride to a remote place in the middle of nowhere, the two begin a relationship way too quickly, and there's a bunch of other plot elements that come in and out of the reader's sight. It just felt all over the place, and I didn't get a good sense of the characters or, frankly, what the heck was going on. This manga needed to slow down by about 500%.

This book was not what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. The characters are very complex, and I feel like we'll continue to learn a lot more about them as the series goes on. I am intrigued with this world and series, and will definitely keep reading.

This was my first arc and also my first manga and I'm pleased to say I enjoyed it. It's a really cute and sweet story, with some semblance of a plot developing as we get through. Your girl devoured this cute, fast-paced arc in 30 minutes!! It's just 5 chapters, encompassing one volume, so there isn't much I can say yet, but I'll definitely give the other volumes a shot whenever they come out!

Personally i really liked the creativity, giving Neneo some character-depth, the triangle-shaped tattoo conspiracy, etc.

˚₊‧ the characters:
I won't go into them in-depth, since we really only get to know anything about three characters. Freya, our fmc; Neneo, our mmc; and Freya's fiance whose name I've already forgotten!! On a serious note though, I feel like the characters were much more surface-level than I'd like to have seen. We barely get to see any of their backstories, just a bit, like a sneak-peek, but not much. Don't take that to mean much, though - it's just 5 chapters.

˚₊‧ the plot:
It's the well-known trope of an heiress + a killer!! But I feel like it was done pretty well. It's really cute, but probably a little too fast paced for my liking. On one page, Freya had just bought Neneo, and in the same chapter, they've already kissed?? Um, I fear that's moving a little too quickly, but alright.

All in all, it's a cute story, but nothing special and/or memorable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Surprisingly cute, given the premise. In the first of five chapters, disgraced noble Freya purchases condemned criminal Neneo to accompany her as a guard into somewhat self-imposed exile. Neneo is resigned to his own position as social pariah, but on the journey he witnesses that same animosity expressed toward Freya, which leads to a kinship and from there a hope that they can build a life together, in spite of everything else.

Fast forward a few weeks (months?) and the unlikely duo are settling into village life - cooking, looking for work, avoiding gossipy neighbors. After the grittier introduction, I wasn’t expecting this turn toward domesticity and cutesy blooming romance, so it took a little bit to settle into the new pace of the story. I’m looking forward to seeing how future volumes will continue this lighter tone alongside Neneo’s tragic past and the burdens carried by societal outcasts.

Some sites have this manga tagged as adult/mature. So far, the only related content has been a few swears.

3.5
Snow and Ink is a story of a disgraced noble and the criminal she buys to protect her. It starts of bleak and depressing, with our MC being chased by angry citizens, and her new slave mocking her and threatening to kill her. But once the MC discovers that he’s hurt and tries desperately to get him help within a cold wasteland, the story takes a sudden turn toward more hopeful and lighthearted.
Honestly, it felt a little like the beginning and the rest of the story were somewhat disconnected, and that the romance moved a little too fast. It kind of didn’t make sense that the guy was being a total jerk and then does a complete 180 after she tries to help him and suddenly, they love each other? I don’t know, I found it very odd.
Of course, our criminal has a sad backstory, and I am intrigued to know more of just what happened that caused everything, but I kind of wish that the mangaka had added more of his kindness in the beginning to make his later flip make more sense instead of him constantly treating her like the dirt on his shoes. (And honestly, the trope of being a snarky, bad-mouthing guy who is just a total dirtbag to the FMC but will protect her nonetheless just doesn’t sell it for me. It just tells me he's someone who’s good at his job but isn’t paid enough to pretend to like his employer.)
The beginning aside, I did enjoy the later chapters of them living together in isolation and caring for one another as they try to rebuild their lives. From that point on, the story takes off and is much more enjoyable. I found it cute how they were both trying their best to support one another, and give each other what the other needs.
Overall, I think Snow & Ink has potential to be a really good story. But the beginning kind of sells it short.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.