Winter Wolf is a sizzling “historical” romance manhwa (Korean comic) featuring the love story of a beautiful nobleman woman on the run from an assassin, and the secretive and calculating “broker” paid to help her escape.

Winter Wolf was originally published in Korean as a webnovel by RubyChe and then adapted into a manhwa by RIDI. The comic was then translated into English by Manta Comics (among others). Although I was unable to find the original webnovel (likely due to my nonexistent Korean language proficiency), it seems like some “unofficial” English translations have been posted online.

Synopsis (courtesy of Manta Comics):

Is it safe to fall in love with you?

After losing her family to the revolt, noblewoman Lysithea hires Taron, a strapping young broker, to help her flee the kingdom. But when a heavy snowstorm strands the bickering pair in an eerie abandoned mansion, Lysithea has no choice but to rely on her new partner. What dangerous romance awaits them?

Thoughts:

• Winter Wolf is an 18+ “historical” romance comic that takes place in a fictitious kingdom.
• Heroine, Lysithea Hilenaire De Arma , is a beautiful yet fallen noblewoman who is on the run from the rebels that killed her family and the assassin known as Phantom.
• Hero, “Taron Cardis”, is a handsome, cold and secretive “broker” hired by Lysithea to help her flee the kingdom.
• Forced proximity and contractual relationship tropes are very well executed. I never wanted Lysithea and Taron to leave the abandoned mansion. Shoo to the outside world please!
• Sex scenes are EXPLICIT with (quite frankly) laughable censoring. This comic is definitely for readers that are mature enough to SEE what they normally only READ about in romance novels.
• Warning: Some readers might take issue with certain sex scenes between the main characters that could be interpreted as not being entirely consensual. This problematic ambiguity is (unfortunately) a common plot “tool” utilized by many romance manhwas in order to show that the “virginal” heroine is “overwhelmed” and “embarrassed” by pleasure and therefore reluctant to admit her enjoyment of sex. It’s 2024, can we leave this 1970s romance stereotype behind please?
• Winter Wolf is already complete, so this means no waiting for new issues/volumes. Season 1 is all about the sexy suspense, drama and semi-surprising plot twist. Season 2 has minimal friction and is more about the main character’s journey to a peaceful happy ending.
• As is often the case with translated romance manhwas, the dialogue can (at times) read as overly dramatized and plot points seem underveloped, all for the sake of story pacing. I din’t particularly mind this as I KNEW what I was there for (la romance, if you will). However, picky romance readers might be irked by this at times.
• Winter Wolf’s illustrations are beautiful, hot and BRAVE. The art perfectly straddles the balance so that it never descends into cartoonish pornography.
• Check out Winter Wolf at Manta.net!