The Barbarian's Bride Vol. 1

Perusing the Travelling Man in York I spent quite some time trying to find something new that wasn't an isekai or a high school teenage Rom-Com. There are so many series dropping like leaves right now that it's almost hard to focus, but since I had to wait for the car to be examined I had the good fortune to spend a good hour combing through the shelves, finally landing on The Barbarian's Bride and The Valiant Must Fall (to be reviewed later) - a quick flick through the former was enough to convince me this had everything I was looking for - a historical drama with a strong hook and some amazing artwork.

Serafina de Lavillant (Sera) is the strongest of the Western female knights, and the story opens with her in chains, recalling her fateful battle against the barbarian horde. Challenged to a one-on-one duel, she agrees in order to cover the retreat of her men, but despite a valiant effort proves no match for the imposing barbarian commander Veor.  A prisoner among strangers, she awaits her fate.

There’s a certain Beauty and the Beast vibe to the book, the indignant and (if we’re honest) fearful Sera has only her prejudices to inform her, but each interaction with the barbarians is a surprise - I don’t want to give too much away, save to say that death isn’t to be her fate, but marriage. The title tells us that much so I don’t think that’s a spoiler.

It was actually quite refreshing to see a story like this that isn’t trying to “subvert my expectations”. It’s a romance story with a sense of humour, maidenly blushes and naked (literally) machismo, and God it’s so much better for it. I like the fact that the barbarian tribe are essentially vikings, at ease with nature but fierce in battle, their values on life and death far less rigid and pious than those of the West from which Sera hails. 

With the story told entirely from her point of view, the book centres around the two Sera’s that try to coexist - the valiant and skilled warrior knight who feels the weight of her privileged position as a noble and a leader, and the Sera fighting against the insecurities of a young woman utterly lacking in worldly experience. It’s a very personal struggle that largely takes place in her own head, and honestly I’d love to see the same situations through her potential husband Veor’s eyes, as I’m sure it would be a fascinating contrast. True, this is a “damsel in distress” fantasy, but my goodness it’s a ripping one. The book is tight in its narrative so no page feels wasted or overlong, it’s concise and snappy, taking all the genre tropes and just laying them out in a traditional, enjoyable manner. 

Veor's manliness melts the uppity ice-princess

One thing I missed in the store was the amount of non-sexual nudity there is throughout the book, to the point where I’m quite amazed it wasn’t in shrink wrap. It’s not shy in showing body hair though curiously it doesn’t venture into the sort of detail and camera angles of hentai (the reviewing of which is currently Eoghan’s pet project). It shows enough to titillate, but this is no more gratuitous than, say, Game of Thrones in that it serves the story and isn’t the focus of it. You might want to be aware of this before reading it in public however.

Noriaki Kotoba’s artwork is absolutely stunning. The barbarian warriors are menacing in their battle armour, full of gnarly detail and heavy shading, it has the look of Berserk about it in places, The style softens somewhat once things are moved away from the battlefield and it has a more general cute-girl manga aesthetic once it settles. Despite this, it’s never short on shading and rich textures, so it feels substantial on the page. Action sequences are easy to follow and the mix of feminine and masculine interplay the like of classic Mills and Boon romantic novels, but balanced in such a way as to be enjoyable for either men or women equally. You see as much of Veor as you do Sera, so eye candy is plentiful for all. There’s commentary from Nagatoro’s author/artist Nanashi at the end of the book, and as the author of one of my favourite series of the last decade, that approval just puts the cherry on the cake for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book. By chapter two I’d broken away only to pre-order the next volume. Looking for images I discovered there’s an anime adaptation coming in 2025, so yes, this is a tremendous series, I love it to pieces and if you’re looking for a traditional romantic fantasy with a little spice then you’d be hard pressed to find a better series this year. Go forth and conquer your bookshop for a copy!