酒与枪

by 梦也梦也

连环杀人狂的竞技原则与恋爱秘籍。

阿尔巴利诺是维斯特兰市法医局的一位法医，单身、风趣、下班之后会跟同事们一起出去喝一杯——看上去就和其他法医没有什么分别。

除了一点：他私底下还是个变态杀人狂。

长久以来，阿尔巴利诺过着家-法医局-（自己或别人搞出来的）犯罪现场的平凡三点一线生活，直到有一天，另外一个变态杀人狂无意中杀了他计划了三个月的目标。

精心构思毁于一旦的阿尔巴利诺十分不慡，所以他决定身体力行地挑衅对方。

Genres: Adult, Romance, LGBT, Fiction

1800 pages, Webnovel

Reviews

[Laura]

English Title: Wine and Gun
Official translation will be done by Rosmei
Length: 130 chapters + 18 extras (7 books planned)
Third person POV

Albarino (MC) is a forensic pathologist working in the USA for the Westland Forensic Bureau. He is also secretly the serial killer nicknamed ‘The Sunday Gardner’. Both him and another serial killer called Herstal (ML) known as ‘The Pianist’ are operating in the same town. Herstal happens to kill one of Albarino’s targets before him and thus the cat and mouse game between them begins.

If you like the TV series ‘CSI’ or ‘Dexter’ then you will love this as it is written in an episodic way. It threw me the story being set in the USA rather than China unlike other danmei but this didn’t lessen my enjoyment.

Definitely not for the faint-hearted because the murders are described in gory detail. Plus there are many other TW’s but thankfully these are not graphic (SA, rape, self- harm & suicide, PTSD, child abuse etc).

Both the plot and characters are very compelling. I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next. The author was so clever with their plot twists. My mind was blown so many times.

Nearly all the characters are morally grey apart from Detective Bart Hardy whose probably the only 'good' guy in the story. I also appreciated the fact it had strong female characters. I loved Olga so much as she had no filter and never bothered to hide her enthusiasm for the murders taking place.

The sex scenes between Albarino and Herstal are unconventional and NSFW so bear that in mind. This might bother some readers as they occur in morally questionable places.

It has a very satisfying HEA. Everything I wanted to happen did and it all wrapped up nicely.

So yeah, I thought it was f*cking brilliant. I never read crime thrillers and am so glad I gave this a chance. I've already pre-ordered my copy from Rosmei and can't wait to experience the wild ride of this story again.

[iayal]

albarino's fingers slowly crept across the table, his fingertips pressing against herstal's knuckles lightly.

“this is the relationship between us.”

he whispered. “that's it?” herstal didn't hide his disdainful laugh. “singing songs no one understands, making puppets dance to a rhythm they've set for themselves.”

“it's never completely without understanding. isn't the key point that someone else thinks the song is great too?”

an unforgettable journey has finished. i’ve finally finished wine and gun. i didn’t really have any expectations going into it, but, it irrevocably changed me. an all-time favourite novel. i literally could’ve finished this in two days but, had to extend it because i didn’t want the journey to be over. the one day i spent neglecting all of the concerns of my real life in bed reading this is definitely one of the best days ever in my life. every single thing in this was crafted so masterfully and with so much care. i was reading the novel either in a state of titillation, stress, or adoration over the romance. i’m just so in love with the plot, the characters, the themes, the everything. i find it so special that wine and gun can be considered an entire work that deals with three separate and intertwined paths to a story of love, healing journey, and artistic piece.

the romance in this is so fucking unique and precious. i read a review on nu before i started reading this saying that this is a love story between two people and they happen to be men. that intrigued me and now when i think about that statement, it moves me so much. they are just two people, humans first, and their dynamic and their love story reflects that. it was so fascinating to read about. i would say their love is toxic and fucked-up but, in the way that works out for them and when reading it, is heart-wrenchingly romantic. i read about them with a smile on my face half of the time or clutching my heart the other half cause it was too romantic or too painful. there were so many instances where it was just fucking insane and you couldn’t believe a normal human wrote something so perfect. they’re perfect for each other and perfect to read about. i love their love.

all the characters in this are so good! the main characters are great and i’m especially fond of one of them. his story gave me so much pain and i love him so much. the other main character is great as well but, because he is a genuine psychopath and his story wasn’t as important as the other’s to the plot, i didn’t feel for him as much (just the consequence of what his character is!) but, he was amazing. two of the best main characters ever. and then all the side characters were lovely - specifically, the women. rarely does a danmei actually write its women well but, all the women in this stole the show. perhaps the tritagonist in this would be one of the women and she has to be an all-time favourite character - so, so well-written. like i mentioned before, these characters are people first, before you consider their sex or sexuality.

the plot in this is stellar. no complaints. i was always so interested and genuinely couldn’t put it down. the overarching plot with the two main characters being murderers was always interesting and then, sometimes i have difficulty fully caring about novels that focus on cases in an one-by-one basis but, i was interested in all the cases in this which is good. there were so many plot twists and everything was so captivating - i’m telling you, i was so fucking stressed or pained reading this. the author also included so much references to mythology, art, literature, and so much things that it was so nice to read. everything was included to create a veritable feast when reading where everything came together and you were in perpetual awe of what was going on.

i just have to say it again - the novel is perfect. everything came full-circle and i found that especially perfect in terms of the romance. the ending for this was just… perfect, chef’s kiss. i like how it came hand-in-hand with the individual character journeys of the two main characters. while the ending also dealt with the “completion” of their love? it’s hard to explain, it also completed the healing of one character and the artistic piece of another. just phenomenal writing.

i need a paragraph just to say… if you like nbc hannibal, read this. i am pretty sure the author drew inspiration from the tv show for stuff in this, particularly an arc in the beginning and how some of the characters are. but, i don’t care - that makes it even better and this is completely its own work. my favourite show influenced one of my favourite books! i love it.

i genuinely adore wine and gun so much - i’m so, so, so changed. i can’t believe it has basically no recognition whatsoever. i had to struggle so much to find fan art and they were all by the same artist (thank you for your service). i had to make my own playlist for it. i love this novel so much and it needs to be more famous. please read it. it will change you for sure like it changed me.

“but in reality, these are two separate stars which cannot be distinguished from each other because they are too close, forming a binary star system.” his voice was light and slow, as if he were thoughtful. “two stars, orbiting around the same center of mass on their own separate orbits. for humans, they look so bright only because we combine their light together.”

“albarino.” herstal interrupted lightly. he had already understood, yet because of that he also wanted to sigh. “i am starting to get tired of your innumerable metaphors.”

albarino wasn’t looking at the stars any more, turning his head to look at herstal; his gaze quiet, dark, unpredictable.

“no,” he smiled, saying that word as if it were a prophecy. “i know you won’t.”

[ana]

regrettably it’s getting locked up in the dungeon again

[Celia]

Me han encantado los protagonistas Albariño y Hestal, tanto que aborrecí a los otros protagonistas. No me ha gustado nada que les quitarán protagonismo a ellos y se lo dieran a Olga y los policías, me aburrieron sus partes.
A mitad libro eso hizo que se me hiciera pesado, está novela me recuerda a las series policiacas. Si eres fanático de ellas te gustara el libro.
Esperaba más desarrollo entre Hestal y Al, más tira y afloja y desarrollo de su relación, muchos más momentos. Contaban cosas de pasada sobre ellos que me hubiera gustado leer mejor.

[Helen (they or he)]

Hannigram girlies (gender neutral) are NOT gonna survive it when the official english version drops.

[Cheibby]

masterpiece

[pareidolia]

“If I don’t kill you now, I will fall in love with you eventually.”

The city of Westland is plagued by two serial killers: the Sunday Gardener murders seemingly at random and decorates his victims with flowers; the Westland Pianist sadistically tortures criminals and strangles them with piano wires. Behind the killings are Albarino Bacchus (Gardener), a young, charming forensic pathologist, and Herstal Armalight (Pianist), a middle-aged mob lawyer of aloof and cold demeanor. When the Pianist kills a man the Gardener had set his eyes on, it starts a rivalry that blends sex with violence and leads to a whole lot more of bloody murder.

Of course I'd like a story like this. It pushes all the right buttons - Murder Husbands is a winning formula, what can I say. And it's indeed all very Hannigram: the artistically arranged corpses, the dead bodies as presents, the references to Greek mythology and classic works of art, the discussions about aesthetics, the fuck-him-kill-him tension...

But it plays out differently, because the players are different. Herstal and Albarino - babygirl and dramaqueen - are very much their own characters, with their own dynamic. Herstal is the more comprehensible of the two, a man scarred by his past and grabbling for control; his cold exterior hides strong emotions and an even stronger disgust for his own vulnerability. He's the first to notice that he might fall in love, against all reason and not without resistance. Albarino is a creature of zero compassion and infinite curiosity, a predator who deems himself an artist, and he loves Herstal like an artist loves his muse or a fine work of art. If this is actually 'love'... well, that's the question, isn't it: can a psychopath feel love? I think this one is, at the very least, a romantic at heart; that fits his artistic sensibilities. He admires Herstal, he worships him, he writes his feelings for him in blood - and, in a very real sense, he gives his life to him. It may not be everyone's idea of romance, but it's mine.

Herstal represents the beauty Al is looking for, Albarino is the closest thing to the death Herstal seeks; but their dynamic isn't static, it keeps changing with them. They shape each other and the development is immensely entertaining to follow: the push-and-pull, Al teasing and Herstal sneering, the things they do to each other, and the things they do *for* each other - they do match each other's freak. And yet, inbetween all the madness, my favorite scene is actually Al fiddling with the WLPD's Christmas tree and gifting Herstal that silver bell. Childish, oddly sentimental, and quintessentially Albarino.

"I will write poetry with my blood, I will write poetry with the juice of my eyeballs, with the marrow of my bones and saliva, and I will bite it letter by letter into your body."

The central relationship is not the only enjoyable thing about this story. It's always odd to call writing cinematic, but that's exactly what it is: it's vivid, it's well structured, with cleverly provided foreshadowing. It's also extensively researched. MengYe MengYe understands how to work with common tropes of crime fiction and psychological thrillers, infusing them with dark humor and irony. Wine and Gun is not a parody, but it is at times a farce. The supporting characters are well known archetypes too, but have enough personality to be interesting in their own rights. That goes especially for best girl Olga and my other favorite, Orion Hunter the bounty hunter (and man, I love the names in this novel), but also for the rest of the cast.

I still have to read the extras - there are many and they're long, so I'm going to pace them - but the main story has jumped to a top spot in my list of favorite BL. I'd love to see it adapted to any kind of visual medium, preferably manhua, but that's a pipe dream, unfortunately; I guess I'll have to make due with Rosmei's freebies.

(and never mind the tags, these two freaks are bi, but "homicidal bisexuals" doesn't have quite the same ring to it)

[nat]

my only regret is not reading this earlier

[noorii]

** Dnf 9% **

I tried to “like” it because the concept of both main leads as a serial killers is intriguing but I honestly just DISLIKE Albarino.

[terka]

I still can’t believe I’ve run into one of the best books I’ve ever read randomly in the comments on a Reddit post. 10 stars out of 5. Omfg.

What an insane read. This starts as a detective story - just kind of turned upside down. Our protagonist, a forensic pathologist Albarino, goes to investigate a crime scene, finding out with surprise that he knows the victim… because he himself has spent months planning how to kill this gangster. Thus the lives Sunday Gardener and Westland Pianist, the two notorious local serial killers, intertwine at last and it’s all downhill from here :D

I loved all the characters - having an utterly insane protagonist was so refreshing, the eternally smiling and carefree Albarino is an amazing contrast to the scowling and always serious Herstal, who seems to communicate by sneers, scowls and grunts. Then add Olga to the mix - an ex-FBI agent, ostentatiously on the hunt for the two serial killers, but in reality even less human than either of them. Then the helpless Bart Hardy, tasked with solving the crime. And the ruthless FBI profiler Merdacer, willing to bend the ethics and laws to bring criminals to justice… and so on and so on. So many amazing characters.

The plot twists were sometimes not very believable, but it was all so much fun and so exciting that I was more than happy to suspend my disbelief - something extremely rare for me since I’m a nitpitcky asshole most of the time. All in all, I enjoyed this so much - there’s still the extra chapters to go through, if I manage to figure out how to translate them.

[xkdlaej]

睇得好爽嘅一篇文，當中關於犯罪vs公義、性與暴力、公權力vs私人恩怨等嘅討論，都好發人深省。角色塑造得好好，人物形象鮮明，而且好有 chemistry，即使係配角都有自己嘅motive，有自己嘅 story arc，難得一見嘅好文。

值得重睇，本身想寫長評但懶了。有機會重睇先再寫啦。

[ᯓTanny⁷]

Finally this book finished me.... Though i really need extras .... Isn't it a tradition for danmei authors to give extras? Why r there no extras in this book * hmph * sigh. Gimmeeeee my extras

[Mary]

"Si te gusta Hannibal/Hannigram te gustará esta novela" Tenían razón. Me he vuelto literalmente loca leyéndolo y lo mucho que he amado a Herstal y Albariño 10/10. Además de que la propia autora hace varias referencias a Hannibal en la novela..she knows. Aparte de eso, el thriller es buenísimo y varios personajes secundarios son muy carismáticos, especialmente Olga, i love my wife

Se ha convertido en uno de mis danmeis favoritos, Herstal lo eres todo para mí

[Angel]

I have no words to describe how much I love this novel. It’s genuinely one of my favourite pieces of fiction. I’m unfortunately a very critical person so I don’t say this lightly. With many other works I adore, there are many flaws with characterisation, pacing and writing style I can nitpick. With Wine and Gun though? Almost flawless. (I only say this because I’m afraid I might be a bit biased towards the novel and everything can be ‘better’ in theory). I’ve never written any review for any book, novel or show but there’s so much to say about Wine and Gun. I’m writing this after my reread, and I believe that no matter how many times I read this, it’s never going to fail to leave a void in my heart for the next week or two. If the trigger warnings don’t bother you please please please read Wine and Gun, it’s so much more than being labelled as danmei. It would be a crime to not express my love for this novel. (This work made me start learning Liebestraum on piano, made me spend three hours making a playlist on Spotify, make a themed based Pinterest board and centred my phone theme on it.)

(I’ll be here all day if I talk about everything but but I hope that I will be able to express my love for Wine and Gun and why you should read it with a miniscule amount of what the novel has to offer.)

The writing style is amazing. You get multiple POVs and everything is told like you’re observing what's happening. I don’t think any other piece of literature will ever be able to compare to the author’s writing style. It’s one of those novels where you forget you’re reading and the author creates a cinematic style for the story. Every chapter is exciting and you will have to force yourself to not read too much a day because you won’t want it to end. At times the novel feels like an intense crime drama you can’t get enough of rather than words on a screen/page, and your eyes just continue to wander through the words, anticipating what will happen next. There’s so many references to literature, Greek mythology and The Bible and art. The novel is a work of art. Not an exaggeration, the author crafted this work so well and I cannot fathom how much research was dedicated to this novel. Many works have the problem with being too long or certain arcs being dragged out. Wine and Gun has perfect pacing and despite being upset the novel ended, IMO it’s the perfect length and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. (Thank you GRain for your beautiful translation! I will be quoting from GRain translation and MTL.)

You will fall in love with Albarino and Herstal. First of all, both of them are in their 30s which is rare to see in romance in general. The couple for most romances are in their teenage years or 20s at oldest. It’s refreshing. On top of that, they both have some experience. (Well, physically. Albarino is a playboy LMAO and it’s mentioned that Herstal has only had one night stands with people). They’re both bisexual which is very rare in danmei and I love it. I’m sick of ‘I’m gay for you’ and ‘I have no relationship experience’ stories which I find repetitive. (But honestly this is just my opinion and I’m definitely pretty biased on this part.)

Herstal and Albarino are both brutal serial killers known as The Westland Pianist and The Sunday Gardener respectively, and as a reader, you’re probably wondering how you’re meant to root for them. Albarino kills indiscriminately, and you still want this guy to win even though you know how messed up it is. Herstal, who is viewed as a vigilante by a lot of the public, is actually just another brutal murderer.
‘It’s true that the Westland Pianist is not a vigilante; he doesn’t do these things because he feels that the other person is to be sanctioned by the law or by justice, which have no significance for the Pianist; he does them because such people arouses his bloodthirsty, raging, violent desires.’
Somehow, the author really makes you want to cheer them on. If you’re here for a lovey-dovey romance, then oh boy, you’re in the wrong place and you’re certainly in for a treat. Yes there is love, but definitely not in the traditional sense. The development of their relationship doesn’t shy away from being toxic and messed up but also captivating and beautiful. (Very love-hate relationship like lol.)

Albarino is a psychopath, and being so for real with you, I don’t understand him fully even now. The novel makes it very clear Albarino and Herstal hated each other's guts at the start. There’s too much to say. The things they do to each other is absolutely crazy. (Honestly, I’m so here for it.) The fact the things they do to each other is all consensual?!?!?

‘Albarino lay beneath him, hands bound and completely naked, looking almost obedient. In a sense, this scene was full of irony: for his skin was covered with cuts, nearly completely coated with fresh and half-dried blood……Yet, some part of his slightly unfocused green eyes was telling this fact: It was only because of his permission that things went in this direction - it was the delighted glory of the victor.’
Reading the novel, it’s obvious Albarino is the one receiving most of the time, and it's interesting to note that he always appears to be the one in control.
‘It forever spoke of the fact that it was because Albarino had allowed it that they had gotten this far.’


Even with all the crazy things that happen, the novel is hilarious. It has the perfect balance of everything. I live for some of Herstal and Albarino’s interactions. Honestly Albarino in general, this guy is an absolute menace, from his childish antics to being a full blown serial killer.

Al:‘’Did you break my bottle of wine? I only drank half of it!’’
Herstal: ‘’Do you really think that a bottle of wine wouldn't be broken after two people fight each other?’’......
Al: ‘’You just broke a bottle of wine with the same name as mine? Do you have any taste at all?’’
Herstal: ‘’Isn’t this a very clever metaphor?’
Al: ‘’Just so you wait, I’ll take revenge on you’’...... ‘’When I do my statement, I’ll say that you wore an extremely ugly ski mask.’’

Herstal: ‘’Why can’t I connect to your house’s Bluetooth?’’
Al: ‘’Are you kidding me?’’...... ‘’You use the victim’s computer and printer to print the victim’s private parts, and then you ask the victim himself why you can’t connect to Bluetooth?!’’

‘’Although [Albarino] was still on vacation, it was clear that he would rather go to the forensics office and harass his colleagues who were doing his job for him, than move these two corpses off the floor of Herstal’s home.’’

Al: ‘’Turns out you actually don’t have any rubber duckies in your bathroom.’’

‘Albarino leaned over the edge of the table and ate half the plate of gingerbread men - or rather forced Herstal to feed it to him all over again.’

Herstal loves Albarino. (This lives in my head: ‘’......when Herstal said ‘highly suspect’, he was basically saying that he was very certain. ‘’If I don’t kill you now, I will fall in love with you eventually.’’) And even though Herstal’s love is genuine, Herstal doesn’t explicitly like to show it for obvious reasons that Al can’t reciprocate his feelings. ‘You understand neither the hesitation, nor the pain of love’...... ‘I don’t want to play this metaphorical game with you anymore; you know this is true.’ (I was losing my mind when Herstal ignored Albarino for a period of time because he knows he’ll never be able to love Herstal the way he loves him.)
‘Maybe I finally realised that no matter how much you disappoint me, you don’t actually disappoint me any more than the world at large does’...... ‘You are the only tolerable, predictable, and most stable of all the bad things that might happen.’
I feel so much for Herstal, it’s amazing to him how the only person who managed to easily unravel who Herstal truly is would be the psychopathic Sunday Gardener.

‘Herstal, as a work of art, you are becoming more and more perfect.’

When Herstal admitted his love, it killed me: ‘’I love you.’ He whispered slowly and lightly into the other’s ear, ‘I care. I’ve lost.’’ Let Herstal’s actions do most of the talking, though, oh my god.

Here’s one of the only times I felt deeply for Albarino:
‘’I’m going to leave you here, and then go kill Stryder.’ ‘You can’t do that!’ Albarino couldn’t help but raise his voice. For the first time since Herstal had known him, his voice sounded like a roar, like real anger, like a real human being. ‘I choose to be with you, you can’t take the liberty of deciding for me without my permission-’’

Everything that happens when Herstal is in prison? That’s when he really had an epiphany on what he means to Albarino. (Herstal was such a badass in prison I love this guy so much.)

‘Albarino leaned down with a smile, pressing his lips close to Herstal’s ear and said coquettishly, ‘I’ve missed you so much.’
‘Is this what you say to all your f*ck buddies?’……‘This is different,’...... ‘It’s always those f*ck buddies who come to me with condoms ready, not me going all the way to find them with condoms and lube prepared.’ (I had no idea whether to laugh at the obscenity or cry at Al obviously valuing Herstal…)

I think about this a lot, how Herstal, a serial killer who lives off of the sexual arousal of his victims, voluntarily takes flutamide in prison to suppress that for a chance to escape and be with Albarino.

Albarino loves Herstal, but more as his work of art rather than the traditional sense. And it goes without saying that Albarino has done so much and sacrificed a lot for his muse. Albarino, who calmly watching his mother commit suicide by drowning and feeling nothing after his father shot himself, held on the said gun and gave it to Herstal. Screaming Herstal is his present, past and future. From Al’s investigations to him willingly risking his job for Herstal’s revenge against Stryder, all to see Herstal ‘complete’.

‘‘’You know Herstal’…… ‘I don’t love you’’
‘’And I don’t belong to you like the Stone Girl belongs to Pygmalion. I don’t belong to you.’’’

‘Because - at least in Albarino’s perception - Herstal is finally ‘complete’, and he is overjoyed because of this reality. It was finally time to really say ‘stop, you are so beautiful.’’

I have to mention the damn piano. Herstal, who picked up piano after 30 years, spent three months after his busy work days to learn Liszt’s ‘Liebestraum’ for Albarino. What a beautiful ending to the novel. (Albarino, I hope you never ever get bored with, or disappoint Herstal’s love for you…)

‘Obviously, he thought he was calm enough, but in fact, Albarino noticed that his earlobe was slightly red. The red color looked so soft that people wanted to touch it with their hands. But Albarino restrained this idea knowingly. He knew that if he really did it, Herstal would definitely be annoyed and angry on the spot.
——Because they all know what they are doing, which may even be more intimate than kissing, making love, and throwing corpses into the woods together in the dark and windy night: because of those sleepless nights in St. Anthony's Church many years ago, because Herstal has never touched it for 30 years.’
‘ ……there are so many piano songs in the world, but Herstal chose ‘Dream of Love’, because it is Christmas morning, and this song is a gift from Albarino.’

(I’d like to mention that Al and Herstal are willing to carry out good deeds for others if it doesn’t hinder them. The novel really makes you think.)

FYI This novel is very heavy and does not fail to make you feel uncomfortable. Yes, everything between Herstal and Albarino is surprisingly consensual, and apart from the brutal gory murders committed by them, the novel deals with other topics such as kidnapping, and child s*x trafficking which goes without saying is very difficult to read. Also, do not expect Al and Herstal to do a 180 and become law-abiding citizens at the end, that does not happen. It is also important to note that the contents of this novel are not romanticised. Honestly, the author is so talented, everything is treated seriously and despite that, readers can’t help but wish for the victory of The Westland Pianist and The Sunday Gardener.
I must mention that the side characters are very well written and they shine in their own ways and their existence isn’t there to shadow Al and Herstal. I appreciate each and every side character.

I love Olga Molozer, and so will you. She’s a criminal psychologist who doesn’t care about justice. All she’s interested in is the truth and is very smart and very good at doing so. Her purpose to investigate crimes including The Westland Pianist and The Sunday Gardener is not to deliver justice, but rather to understand the ‘’whys’’ of their crimes. A very lovable character, the woman does not hesitate to throw herself into danger to satisfy her curiosity. She has had more than enough opportunities to throw Al and Herstal in jail, cough cough, when she met Al in the woods, she didn't care. Questionable morality, but despite that, you will adore Olga. (You’re reading a novel about serial killers anyways, this shouldn’t bother you.)

Ah, yes, Lavazza Mercader. This FBI agent detests evil. He would be completely okay with allowing a person who will commit a crime in future to be thrown in jail immediately. He’s very extreme with delivering justice, and is willing to do it through illegal and questionable means. Ironic, right? Personally, I don’t know how to feel about Mercader but I definitely appreciate his character writing. He doesn’t like Olga’s sense of morality but this is also the same guy who fabricated evidence to arrest a serial killer and let Herstal shoot Stryder as a means of killing two birds with one stone. Interesting.

There are so many other beloved side characters I adore, so go read the novel!

(Wine and Gun really makes me want to check out the author’s BG novel that features Garland, Ramirez, Morgenstern and Scheiber now….)

Anyways, I really hope I managed to convince at least one person to give this novel a shot. (My flawed review is mediocre at best and this is my own take on what the novel meant to me!) It’s one of those novels that makes you stop reading and pace around the room and roll on the floor because of how exhilarating the contents are! I randomly began reading this because I found that the premise piqued my interest and thought, hey, let’s burn some time with this novel. I was not ready for the spellbinding storytelling and the rollercoaster of emotions from this beauty. This novel changed my life. I never have and I never will read anything like Wine and Gun ever again in the future, it’s simply too unique. Reading this novel will never fail to be an unforgettable experience!

TL;DR: This novel is a work of art. Absolute masterpiece. Compelling plot and characterisation. Go read Wine and Gun, it is absolutely PEAK.

[Mies]

Wine and Gun by Mèng Yě Mèng Yě

This was so good. My favourite danmei of all times?

Albarino Bacchus (wine); The Sunday Gardner and Herstal Armalight (gun); The Pianist, both serial killers who after a cat and mouse game fall in love. I both loved these characters so much that I didnt even mind the age gap and they are a switch couple (love that.) The side characters were also great, Olga was my favourite. I love a strong female character. The story was full of surprises, twists and turns. This book has multiple trigger warnings, so be warned.

I'm going to wait for the official translation to come out and devour those books aswell.

[Lyxxigi]

Amantes del Hannigram esta es su novela!!!

[Sydnie]

In short, this is the perfect novel if you like NBC Hannibal. Not to say that this is a copy or retelling, but it is paced very similarly to a crime thriller cable TV show and is definitely inspired by multiple shows in the genre. Great character study and nontraditional love story, and could very well make for an amazing crime thriller drama if it were to be adapted into a series. It would be SO GOOD. I might give it a 4-4.5☆

Wine and Gun tells the story of two serial killers and how fate intertwines their paths. Albarino is a chief medical examiner with the city police department, and Herstal is a high profile defense lawyer who often wins cases for mob bosses and other criminals. Both have been serial killers operating in the fictional American city of Westland over 10+ years, and they only cross paths because Herstal kills one of Al's targets before he is able to kill him himself.

The murders themselves are enacted through metaphors and artistic intention. The two serial killers are magnetic yet fundamentally different in their approach, which makes their dynamic particularly fascinating. In that way it is reminiscent of the shows Dexter and Hannibal. Albarino is a serial killer incapable of feeling most normal emotions, and views other people as an artistic medium for his body of work involving floral bouquets inside and on the corpses of those he kills. Herstal is prone to violence and anger, and gets off on torturing unconvicted criminals and then strangling them to death with piano strings.

What I adore about the love story between them is that by no means is their relationship a story of "romantic love". There are moments where they are literally torturing, kidnapping, and framing each other for crimes. And even when they start working together, their love is often violent and scarring. Yet despite all of this, their devotion and dedication to each other is so beautifully and captivatingly written. All of this is embedded in a full and fleshed out world. The side characters in Wine and Gun are compelling and loveable, and the book often narrates from various people's points of view.

One thing I find amusing is how the author decides on names for all these American characters. Albarino Bacchus is literally named after a type of grape and a type of wine. And Herstal Armalight is literally two firearms company names slapped together. Bart Hardy, Olga Molozer, not to mention using the names Richard and Thomas Norman for people who are supposed to be latino... I find it very interesting how the author chooses to frame an American setting, in both good and bad ways. Many times it felt true to life, but occasionally it would have a moment of "look how violent these neighborhoods are with predominantly minority residents". In my opinion, these comments were one off and did not really reflect the story as a whole, but it is something to be aware of if you decide to read the book.

“You’ve been hiding under the perfect rational mask for too long. When you’re living among crowds, you cannot tell others what you really think, nor can you demand their understanding. Your madness is bound by the rules on the surface, to the point where I’ve got a glimpse of the cracks beneath your mask. That’s why I look forward to when your mask slips off, like the moment just now; when you’re situated within a completely reasonless slaughter, this type of ruthlessness makes you more beautiful.”

Aaaandd this quote from Herstal
"Because I love him, and thus his destination only lies with me or death".

[alba rino]

O que acontece quando um serial killer, sem saber, mata a vítima de outro serial killer?
Isso da início a uma história envolvente e viciante.

Tantas histórias que amo tiveram partes que achei cansativas, mas não temos isso aqui. Cada capítulo prende sua atenção e te faz ansiar por mais. Albarino, Herstal, Olga e outros personagens nunca deixam as coisas chatas para o leitor.

O relacionamento dos nossos protagonistas é... docemente insano? O TEMPO TODO eu estaba gritando mentalmente por causa deles, eu totalmente os amo!

As referências inseridas na história são tão boas e me faziam pensar "oh, esse autor tem cultura/conhecimento".

E o sexo... oh meu deus! É tão sexy!!! Sendo uma leitora ávida, algumas coisas passam a ficar sem graça e repetitivas, como cenas sexuais, mas a relação sexual entre Albarino e Herstal é tão emocionante hehehehe.

Magnífico.
Brilhante.
Esplêndido.
Deliciosamente perturbador.

Essas são algumas palavras que podem definir essa novel.

Veja bem, eu comecei a ler apenas porque vi que tinha tag de "couple reversible", sem imaginar que estava prestes a encontrar a melhor leitura da minha vida.

Wine and Gun para mim é uma grande e bela obra de arte.

Parecia um pecado estar lendo uma história tão boa gratuitamente na internet (O próprio autor disponibilizou, mas finalmente posso apoiar o autor, por favor, comprem os livros se você puder!)

OBS: Essa história tem temas sensíveis e pode não ser para você.

[Shirley KK]

6星🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟