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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing the earc.
I sadly think this one just wasn't for me, tha pacing and length of the volume did really take me out of the story. It feels like such an interesting series but the set up wasn't enough to draw me in.
The way the panels were set up made the reading experience feel convoluted.
The artstyle is absolutely gorgeous and i freaking love the color palette.
Overall i recommend checking it out
I sadly think this one just wasn't for me, tha pacing and length of the volume did really take me out of the story. It feels like such an interesting series but the set up wasn't enough to draw me in.
The way the panels were set up made the reading experience feel convoluted.
The artstyle is absolutely gorgeous and i freaking love the color palette.
Overall i recommend checking it out
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
From the moment Kappa is born, he has a purpose. He is the Beacon, destined to fulfill prophecies for all of fish-kind. As he swims, he is pulled by a golden tether to anyone/ anything he gets too close to, bound to them until the prophecy is complete. Eventually the tug of prophecies leafs Kappa to the shark kingdom, where he is immediately imprisoned. The sharks prophecy states that the curse on their people will only be lifted if their Prince kills the Beacon. When Prince Siren strikes up an unlikely friendship with the Beacon, they both realize that there might be more to life than the roles they’ve been given, and maybe it’s time to break free from them.
Castle swimmers 1 was everything I wanted it to be. The art was beautiful and the setting and different species designs were amazing and so immersive. It was bright and fun and captured my attention from the first page.
The relationship between Kappa and Siren was so sweet and endearing. The two of them getting to know each other and flirting with each other while also coming to terms with their roles in the prophecy was so cute and I am obsessed with the queer merman plot.
As for the plot, it was a little bit of a slow burn, but it is clearly set up for a much larger overarching storyline. It also wasn’t too slow to where it lost my attention. I can’t wait to see where this story goes next!
From the moment Kappa is born, he has a purpose. He is the Beacon, destined to fulfill prophecies for all of fish-kind. As he swims, he is pulled by a golden tether to anyone/ anything he gets too close to, bound to them until the prophecy is complete. Eventually the tug of prophecies leafs Kappa to the shark kingdom, where he is immediately imprisoned. The sharks prophecy states that the curse on their people will only be lifted if their Prince kills the Beacon. When Prince Siren strikes up an unlikely friendship with the Beacon, they both realize that there might be more to life than the roles they’ve been given, and maybe it’s time to break free from them.
Castle swimmers 1 was everything I wanted it to be. The art was beautiful and the setting and different species designs were amazing and so immersive. It was bright and fun and captured my attention from the first page.
The relationship between Kappa and Siren was so sweet and endearing. The two of them getting to know each other and flirting with each other while also coming to terms with their roles in the prophecy was so cute and I am obsessed with the queer merman plot.
As for the plot, it was a little bit of a slow burn, but it is clearly set up for a much larger overarching storyline. It also wasn’t too slow to where it lost my attention. I can’t wait to see where this story goes next!
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
castle swimmer was my favorite webtoon in high school, 6ish years ago now, and when i saw its becoming a physical book (releasing on my birthday, at that) i was SO excited. i adore this story, the characters, the plot, and the author does an incredible job of explaining the plot and what’s happening while not having paragraphs of description. rereading it felt like visiting an old friend and id forgotten how wonderful this story is. i can not recommend it enough :)
castle swimmer was my favorite webtoon in high school, 6ish years ago now, and when i saw its becoming a physical book (releasing on my birthday, at that) i was SO excited. i adore this story, the characters, the plot, and the author does an incredible job of explaining the plot and what’s happening while not having paragraphs of description. rereading it felt like visiting an old friend and id forgotten how wonderful this story is. i can not recommend it enough :)
Castle swimmer volume 1 - Wendy Martin
“You are a beacon, a light that shines for others. There are many prophecies in this world. You will have a key role to play in each one. The world is waiting for you. Go to the prophecies and fulfil your destiny!”
3.75☆|5
This was a really quick read, the pages were flipping between my fingers — figuratively, I read this on a screen —and I couldn't let it down. In fact, I read it in one sitting. Because if there is one thing that I will always recognize to this comic, it's that it is addictive. There's something so beautiful in the art style that made us unable to leave Siren and Kappa.
This first volume is very obviously a setup; we learn about the universe and how we ended up in this situation, and we learn a bit about the characters — even though it stays a bit superficial, I hope that we will learn more deep things about them later! And yet, enough things happen, the premise is intriguing, and it seems like it is going to be well done. So we stick to it and want to know what is going to happen. In fact, I am not even sure that I will be able to wait for the second volume, and I might really well go read the next chapters directly on Webtoon.
One of the major highlights of this story is its characters. I just love Siren and Kappa, they are opposed yet very similar. And even though I feel like the light romance developing between them is quick, it is cute to read about those two mermen having small crushes when they actually need to kill or be killed by the other. This comic is truly adorable, and I love the art.
I will make sure to read what happens after this volume, and I definitely recommend it if you want a quick, adorable read with nice art and prophecies. Thank you to Netgalley and Ten Speed Graphic for sending me an eARC of this book, it will be out on October 22.
Summary:
Kappa is the Beacon, a fact known well before his birth. Every culture and city has its own legend about Kappa. Some believe he'll come and bring with him good fortune. Others think he'll be what they need to change their lives forever. It's hard living up to these expectations, to say the least.
Siren knows a little bit about drowning under the weight of expectations. His whole life, people have been waiting for the day he lived up to his prophecy—the day he saved his people from horrendous injuries on a daily basis. But can he do what it takes?
Review:
Oh goodness. I went into Castle Swimmer Vol. 1, not really having any expectations (I didn't read the Webtoon series), and holy cats! This series has so much heart it's impossible not to fall head over heels for it.
For starters, I love the whole concept – playing around with legends and prophecies. These things never work out as we expected, and Castle Swimmer does a great job of showing the how and why of it all.
Then there are the characters. I just want to bundle Kappa and Siren up and protect them from the world (in my defense, they could probably use the help). They make this series, so there is no question about that.
The worst part about Castle Swimmer Vol. 1 was coming to an end. I didn't want to put it down – I wanted to keep reading. This had little to do with the cliffhanger ending, but mostly, it's because I got so caught up in the world.
If you love mermaids and prophecies, make sure to check out Castle Swimmer Vol. 1.
Highlights:
Fantasy/Romance
LGBT
Coming of Age
Legends and Lore
Webtoon Series
Thanks to Ten Speed Graphic and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Kappa is the Beacon, a fact known well before his birth. Every culture and city has its own legend about Kappa. Some believe he'll come and bring with him good fortune. Others think he'll be what they need to change their lives forever. It's hard living up to these expectations, to say the least.
Siren knows a little bit about drowning under the weight of expectations. His whole life, people have been waiting for the day he lived up to his prophecy—the day he saved his people from horrendous injuries on a daily basis. But can he do what it takes?
Review:
Oh goodness. I went into Castle Swimmer Vol. 1, not really having any expectations (I didn't read the Webtoon series), and holy cats! This series has so much heart it's impossible not to fall head over heels for it.
For starters, I love the whole concept – playing around with legends and prophecies. These things never work out as we expected, and Castle Swimmer does a great job of showing the how and why of it all.
Then there are the characters. I just want to bundle Kappa and Siren up and protect them from the world (in my defense, they could probably use the help). They make this series, so there is no question about that.
The worst part about Castle Swimmer Vol. 1 was coming to an end. I didn't want to put it down – I wanted to keep reading. This had little to do with the cliffhanger ending, but mostly, it's because I got so caught up in the world.
If you love mermaids and prophecies, make sure to check out Castle Swimmer Vol. 1.
Highlights:
Fantasy/Romance
LGBT
Coming of Age
Legends and Lore
Webtoon Series
Thanks to Ten Speed Graphic and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Its a very cute Webtoon! I very much look forward to reading season 2!
*Thank you to Netgalley for an arc copy*
This was such a cute graphic novel that was so enjoyable!
I loved the art style, and the story itself was so good. I love anything relating to merpeople, and this is no different.
I really want the next instalment to know what happens!!!
This was such a cute graphic novel that was so enjoyable!
I loved the art style, and the story itself was so good. I love anything relating to merpeople, and this is no different.
I really want the next instalment to know what happens!!!
This was a super quick read and mostly setup, but it ends at a point in the plot that definitely makes you want to keep reading.
Character wise, there was some nice development between the main two characters, but not for many others, so I assume that would come later.
The I only thing that I found odd was how fluent the boys were in current social media reactions. Which is of course a reflection of the time it was written, but felt weird considering there was no defined time period or multicultural communication in the story.
Overall, it was super sweet and goofy and I enjoyed it.
Character wise, there was some nice development between the main two characters, but not for many others, so I assume that would come later.
The I only thing that I found odd was how fluent the boys were in current social media reactions. Which is of course a reflection of the time it was written, but felt weird considering there was no defined time period or multicultural communication in the story.
Overall, it was super sweet and goofy and I enjoyed it.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The synopsis masterfully summarizes what this book is about, but it doesn't mention how touching it is, how addictive and entertaining all the pages are, because it is impossible to put it down once you start. A solid script serves as an entry to a very well-constructed world, every detail carefully thought out, but without making it unnecessarily complicated.
Full review: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/04/comic-castle-swimmer-volume-1.html
Full review: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/04/comic-castle-swimmer-volume-1.html