A review by readingfrankly
Birds of Shangri-La Vol. 1 by Ranmaru Zariya

4.0

This is my first manga from this mangaka and I already love her work. Her art style is just really beautiful and detailed. Everything from the scenery to her expertise on the human form. Shangri-la is a transportative setting and her writing hooks you in by not giving up everything about the characters right away. They have a history and that impacts the way that they behave and sometimes interact, but you have to learn that slowly and are fed small pieces at a time. 
The romance (at least in vol 1) is incredibly slow burn, which is good and makes sense for these characters. They have that great dynamic of aloof and broody x charismatic and charming. They don't clash so much as balance each other out and bring out the good in each other, I feel like. 
Listen, the story is spicy yes, but the quality of the story itself is also there. Consent is respected more in this than I've seen it be in a lot of BL before, and I think the pacing of everything was really good. I even like the side characters. So overall I this was a really solid volume and I'm excited to read more of this mangaka's work.