Se-Young Kim’s Devil’s Bride is a romance in which a Devil creates his perfect bride.
On the edge of a village lives a lonely Devil. He’s sworn off doing whatever it is that a Devil does and wants to live a peaceful quiet life as a human. When he advertises in town for a bride, only one person comes forward: a child, pushed forward by the need for money and desperate parents.
The Devil lets the child into his house, really only longing for the company of another being. The child stays in a separate room and cleans house for the Devil. In the fullness of time the Devil discovers that the child, who had been presented to as a girl, is really a boy. But that wasn’t the only secret the child had been hiding. When the child dies, the Devil swears to give him back his soul, piece by piece.
Several stories are interwoven to create the Devil’s Bride. You have the main storyline of the Devil and his child, the love that the first feels for the other and the obligation to make the child whole. The other stories are of the people who will eventually become part of the child: eyes or heart or soul, whatever piece the Devil decides to take to make his child-bride complete.
Se-Young’s artwork is beautiful: elongated figures and wide staring eyes. It’s not realistic in any way, but it doesn’t try to be. The characters are all pretty, right down to the androgynous males. I hate it when the guys are prettier than the girls. They always seem to get the best hair.
Devil’s Bride is rated 16+ for language, aggression, and moderate sexuality. The sexuality isn’t graphic but does include a boy being raped. The brief, quick sketches give you more than a clear idea of what is going on and are not suitable for a younger reader. I wasn’t sure it was even suitable for me.
Overall, volume one of Devil’s Bride is a good start to the series. The story of a Devil trying to give the one he loves life is a great platform, and the way that Se-Young weaves other tales into the main storyline gives it an epic feel.
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