About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Scent of a Witch.
Content Warning: There may be references to ageism, rituals, human sacrifice, blood, politics, violence, chronic illness, murder, slut-shaming, missing persons, sexism, manipulation, classism, rape, confinement, social gap, power imbalance, BDSM (including forced), ableism, mental illness, mind control, drugging, PTSD, prejudice, imprisonment, capital punishment, immolation, gossiping, poisoning, obsession, torture, memory alteration, suicide, homomisia, arranged marriage, implied incest, self-hatred, child neglect, possible attempted statutory rape, and age gap, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
In the Kingdom of Yarke, right along its borders, there is a place called Uren. There, men frequently disappear. Like the silver grass in Uren, rumors have grown that witches live there. They are actually old women but can take the form of beautiful maidens during the full moon. In this way, they lure men into their arms, kill them, and then sacrifice them to help increase their power. All of this is actually true, but one thing the rumors aren’t aware of is the lone man born from and living amongst the witches. He, too, turns into a woman during the full moon but returns to his male form afterward.
It is one full moon night when the only male witch encounters prey that might just be too powerful for him: the third prince, Ryan Yarke. Princes are naturally born with the protection of the palace, so a witch’s power isn’t as potent as it might be with any other person. Still, Ryan is taken by the male witch, and they spend a lustful full moon together. Thankfully, Ryan leaves before daybreak, so the male witch’s identity remains a secret. But the other witches in his coven are upset that he let the prince go. The male witch explains that killing a prince would draw too much attention to them and hopes that the prince never returns.
But even though the prince has returned to the palace, full of enemies, schemes, and drama, his mind returns to one place: the beautiful witch he met during the full moon. Prince Ryan’s only goal is to ascend the throne by any means necessary, yet a strange woman has somehow bewitched him. Ryan’s visits to his beloved witch become increasingly frequent, drawing the eyes of his enemies in the palace. Meanwhile, the male witch is working up the courage to kill the prince, which he should’ve done from the beginning. But for whatever reason, he’s not sure that he can.
Review:
The art in this is super inconsistent, and despite it being a manhwa, this is entirely black and white. But I have to say this artist draws the nicest butts. These are truly peaches, folks, and they are a feast for the eyes. The positions are also really nice, but because it’s black and white and has little to no shading, it makes it very difficult to see what’s happening during the more active scenes. It’s very unfortunate. This can be very beautiful depending on the panel, but that only makes the unfortunate-looking panels all the more disappointing.
It is worth noting that you might be disappointed in this title if you’re hoping for lots of man-on-man action from the jump. A majority of the sex early on is hetero, and what isn’t is rape between the crown prince and his doctor. This is, of course, partly because our main character, El, takes the form of a beautiful woman whenever he’s with Ryan the first few times they meet. I like it for the gender-bending aspect, but it was a bit unfortunate that it takes a minute to see some consensual BL action. I’m, admittedly, a fan of noncon, but for those of you who want BL and for it to be consensual, you will have to read through some heterosexual sex and noncon BL before you finally see El have sex as a man. I, personally, think it’s worth the wait, but if you can’t stand hetero-appearing sex, then you’re not going to like the beginning of this series.
Now, with most of my complaints out of the way, let me gush a bit. I love the political intrigue, the scheming, and the obsession. I love darker storylines, and this is dripping in darkness. Everyone is reaching for a goal, some more personal than others. Of course, Ryan is vying for the role of king, though his goals shift when he meets El, and then his goal is simply to possess El – no matter the cost. Similarly, the first prince wants to become king, though this is simply a means to an end. He wants to be king so he can have his doctor, a man he has been obsessed with for so long that the feelings of obsession and lust have evolved into some amalgamation of love. El, however, is obsessed with acceptance among the witches, which evolves into an acceptance of himself. This is certainly a story of possession and obsession. Even side characters, such as Jania, end up with an obsession with things like revenge. Obsession is the name of the game here, and it’s delicious.
Though I have shared most of my complaints, I do have one more to share before closing out this review. Some of the relationships are far more superficial than I would’ve liked. Thankfully, El and Ryan’s relationship is thoroughly explored, which is to be expected since they are the main couple. The crown prince and his doctor, however, don’t feel as fleshed out. We do get a series of flashbacks, showing that the doctor did love the crown prince and that he still does, but that feels utterly counter to how he acts at the beginning of the series. The doctor acts like he absolutely hates the crown prince with no amount of affection – understandable since the crown prince is his rapist, but, at the same time, the big reveal that the doctor still loves him despite it all doesn’t feel believable. Similarly, Jania’s love triangle between multiple princes is mentioned but never explored; the female hunter is a character that is left behind just when we are getting to know her; the twin prince and princess seem to have an implied incestuous or at least strange relationship, but disappear before we get any clarity on that, and the little witch is left behind except for a random note in the author’s note. There was so much in this fantasy world that could’ve been explored, but here we are.
Results:
This story isn’t perfect by any means. There are a lot of characters and plot points that are mentioned but not explored to their fullest, which is disappointing and left me wanting. Plus, the art is rough most of the time, and even when it is well done, if it isn’t a sex scene, it is wholly unremarkable. It’s very dark and disturbing but with an ending full of freedom, self-realization, and, ultimately, love. This isn’t going to be for everybody, of course, but with its interesting use of gender identity paired with neverending political intrigue, it’s a very fun time. I personally recommend it.
Have you read Scent of a Witch? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!