Picked this up since I really loved Deya Muniz's Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This one took a while to get into, not helped by the fact that the Netgalley Reader for graphic novels is really clunky. The rules of "battle skating" were kind of unclear for too long for me to understand what the stakes are, including the very light vampire element. The mish-mash of various fantastical elements were a bit annoying but at some point you start to care about the large cast of characters and the rules matter very little. I wish there were more evocative ice-skating images, because I'm trash for ice-skating narratives. That said, it was cute but entirely too long for one volume of a lot of franti competition jargon. This would be MUCH better as an anime!

I really enjoyed Blades of Furry! The characters are adorable, and I love when the main couple are just absolute cinnamon rolls. The story also surprised me, it didn’t go the way I expected, which was a pleasant twist. It definitely has a Yuri on Ice meets Zootopia vibe, but I’m not mad about it. The feel-good energy is also very reminiscent of Heartstopper, making it an easy and enjoyable read.

That said, I did find it a little disappointing that the only female character in the story is the villain, especially in a unisex sport. But honestly, battle ice skating itself is such a wild concept. These athletes are out here fighting while trying to land their routines, with actual blades on their feet, how are there not more injuries? And why aren’t they wearing protective gear? It’s giving The All for the Game series' Exy—a needlessly hardcore version of an already dangerous sport. But if you don’t think too hard about the logistics, it’s an incredibly fun concept.

I’m also loving this trend of publishing Webtoons in print format and making them more accessible to a wider audience. The comedic elements are fantastic, and even though this is just the beginning, you can already tell there’s more depth to the characters than what we’ve seen so far. The humor helps keep everything lighthearted and fluffy, and also balances out the intensity of the sport itself.

Overall, this was a great start to the series, and I’m excited to see where it goes next!

Thanks to NetGalley & Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was FANTASTIC. It's so lighthearted, hilarious, and so endearingly sweet! The art style lends itself well to the story and I love seeing all the cool animal designs throughout the book. The side characters are fleshed out and contribute so much to the couple's developing romance. I don't usually care about sports stuff but I love this concept of ice skate-fighting! It didn't overtake the plot and it wasn't boring/slow at all, I was completely enraptured and wanted Radu and Emile to win all of their matches.

I can't wait to read more--I'm excited to see more of Radu's family and vampirism in the next volume!

Definitely recommend for fans of Beastars.

This title is everything, and I MEAN EVERYTHING. For fans of Yuri On Ice and people chronically online in fandom realms, I cannot suggest a better title. Part Heartstopped, part Beastars, and part it's own thing. This is a recipe for success. I love that Webtoons are making a physical run. I have it on-order at the library, and it'll do well for Summer Reading. Love that escapism!

This is sort of like Yuri on Ice meets Zootopia meets Check Please and I'm not mad at any of that? It takes a little to understand exactly the structure of what's going on with the competition--and I do wish the only distinctly female character wasn't a crazy stalker, but, alas.

I had never heard of the webtoon when I picked up the graphic novel Blades of Furry. I wanted to read it because Deya Muniz wrote one of my favorite graphic novels, The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, so I suspected I might love this one, too.

In short, I was right. This is so cute and incredibly funny, and it's a fantastic start to a series that I can't wait to read more of!

Blades of Furry is a sports romance about two rival skaters, Emile and Radu. Radu is a champion in his sport while Emile is a rookie. Emile is forced to face the unbeatable Radu earlier than expected. When Emile learns a secret about Radu, the two grow closer together which further complicates things. The cast is filled with their friends, competition, family members, a stalker, and coaches. Every character adds something interesting to the story.

My favorite thing about Blades of Furry is the relationship between Radu and Emile. Radu is a dark and mysterious loner but his crush on Emile turns him into the most adorable softie. They are one of the cutest relationships I've ever encountered in a graphic novel. I couldn't get enough of them!

The plot is paced well and has multiple layers that kept me hooked. Most storylines will continue in the second volume in the series and I'm eagerly awaiting to see what happens next. I'm fully invested!

At the end of the graphic novel, there is a short story that gives some backstory on a secondary couple (another Achillean romance). This romance is also adorable and I'm looking forward to more of these two.

Blades of Furry is absolutely fantastic and well worth a read. It's great for those who frequently read graphic novels and would be great for new readers too. If you love Achillean romances, be sure to give this a try. This is a new favorite graphic novel for me and it's a series that I will be loyally following.

Incredibly fun and engaging story about two figure skating rivals turned lovers!

Enter the world of battle skating, it’s figure skating with martial arts style combat, oh and the characters are all animals! Couldn’t get any cooler, am I right?

Emiles’s world flips upside down at championships when he learns there’s a last minute change in the lineup. As luck has it he is going to be competing against Radu, the best battle skater in the world, not to mention he’s Emile’s idol. How on earth is Emile going to win being a rookie going against a champion?

CINNAMON ROLLSSSS!!!
ABSOLUTE CINNAMON ROLLS!💕

These characters are just so cute, you can’t help but root for them!

This is just one of those stories you read and have to stop every so often to scream internally at how cute it is.

If anything happens to them I will rioT

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for the e-arc!

Blades of Furry follows Emile an up-and-coming rookie in battle skating. Just as he is gearing up to fight in his next duel at the championships, there’s a change in the lineup! To his horror, he’ll have to face off against reigning champion Radu, the best battle skater in the world (and Emile’s longtime skating idol). There’s no way he can win! During a pivotal moment in their match, however, Emile discovers Radu’s most closely guarded secret…and it’s a bloody one. I enjoyed this story so far it is a slightly enemies-to-lovers romance with some funny moments. It did have an intriguing side plot that I am looking forward to seeing how it will develop. I recommend checking this out if you are a fan of any of the aforementioned tropes.

From the very first page, I was hooked. The chemistry between Emile and Radu, chef's kiss. I was invested. The balance between humor, tension, and emotional depth was spot on. I loved the flashbacks to the characters past.

The pacing? Flawless. The story unfolds at just the right speed, never feeling rushed or sluggish. The plot is well developed, pulling me deeper into Emile and Radu's story. And the art? Absolutely stunning. It perfectly captures the vulnerability of the characters. Plus, the best friends and coaches, were top tier characters. They were always supportive in the best and funniest way.

I adored Emile and Radu, but let’s talk about Sue because wow, I hated her. As an antagonist, she’s infuriating in the best way. And trust, she will be dealt with. (I hope.)

Blades of Furry is easily one of the best graphic novels I’ve ever read. I’m officially obsessed with this world and these characters. I will be preordering this and praying for sequel in my future.

If you love dynamic storytelling, breathtaking art, and a romance that melts your heart, Blades of Furry is a must read.

It was cute but kind of one note. There isn't much depth to any of the characters so far and too much time given to a pretty dumb villain. But I do like the art style and the romance is cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested as a semi joke... but honestly enjoyed it and thought it was cute, I will and have recommended this to friends who like anime like beastars and are not furries

A super cute webcomic about animals battle skating and falling in love. I’ve read this on WEBTOON and I was so excited to be able to read an eARC of Volume 1! I read it all in one sitting. I love the variety of animals, the brilliant invention of battle skating, and the queer representation! I can’t wait for Volume 2! PS: Iacob is my fave ❤️

I'm not sure what makes this specifically a "furry" story as opposed to an animal one, but it's very sweet and sweet and the world is very original. Who knew a book about battle dancing on skates could be such a delight?

A beautifully illustrated book that mixes child-like whimsy and complex adult themes. You can tell it was a product of a great partnership. The story didn't engage me much at the beginning, but after the conflict is placed, I was curious to know the ending. I think it is a story (and an universe) with great potential. I was following the development of this story in the author's Instagrams and I was really looking forward to see the final product! The characters were cute and easy to relate to.

I think this is a good book for the right audience. I am not that audience, and I honestly don't see this book being checked out at the library I work in. With that being said, I really like the art style, and I enjoyed all the subplots and how they tied in to the main plot.

Pretty cute webtoon about 2 queer battle ice skaters (??). Emile is an up and coming battle skater assigned to fight one of the top skaters, Radu. Radu "The Vampire" is supposed to be this super intimidating, top fighter and Emile manages to get closer to him as they train throughout the rest of the competition. That time spent together grows into something more.

The art style is super cute! It's a world full of animal like people - birds, bats, deer, squirrels, etc. There's carnivores and herbivores - so, a little similar to what I remember from the little bit of Beastars that I watched. There's no predator/prey tropes here, I don't think, so that differentiates it. I could be reading into it, but the villain/antagonist's comments about Radu's species making him naturally and unfairly more skilled at fighting felt like a reference to the trans people in sports debate to me. I could be reading too much into it, though.

There's so much of Sue (the antagonist) here and I didn't quite understand why. She's extremely one note - her entire character is just obsessive. When she's the *only* female character with any real time in the story, that kinda sucked. It felt like a world with 99% men and 1 woman and she sucked.

This wasn't 100% my jam, but it's pretty cute and I know some audiences that would absolutely eat this up.

From the same married duo that brought you The Princess and the Grilled Cheese comes the wildly funny, queer, intense serialized comic in print form! Blades of Furry has been going for YEARS, so I'm thrilled to see it get the physical series treatment. I felt a sizzling combination of the drama of Yuri on Ice with the intensity of sports anime like Haikyuu or Prince of Tennis. There's conspiracies, rivals-to-lovers, fluff, angst, and SO MUCH QUEER WHOLESOMENESS.

Oh, right, and it's Furry of course, but don't jump to any conclusions if that label normally makes you think twice. Just trust me!

"Blades of Furry" is a young adult graphic novel by Emily Erdos and Deya Muniz. In this no-human universe, anthropomorphized animals compete in battle skating competitions. Emile is a young male deer who is up and coming in the skating world and suddenly ends up facing a much better opponent: his celebrity skater idol, a bat named Radu. Emile does well against Radu, for reasons (no spoilers) and they eventually start to fall for each other. A suggested purchase for young adult graphic novel collections, especially where books like Beastars are popular.

Loved this!!! I am definitely going to binge the rest on Webtoons. This was so fun! I highly recommend this for any graphic novel fans.

I'm obsessed. The whole thing is perfection. I immediately ran to webtoon to continue reading. And I've already pre-ordered a hard cover copy. I think this is my first top book of 2025. How exciting 🎉