Publishing Information: DMP/DokiDoki, B&W, paperback, 168 pages, $10.95 (US)
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-56970-091-4 (ISBN-13)
Fevered Kiss is a yaoi novel from writer Arika Kuga with full page illustrations from Taishi Zaou (who also produces work under the name “Mikiyo Tsuda”). This is the story of two young men who fall in love and share hot kisses, but can’t (or won’t) speak what is on their minds in matters of love.
College student Satori Okada is a straight-laced guy, but at an end-of-the-year party, he has more drinks than usual. A night of conversation and friendship turns into morning, when Satori wakes up in bed with fellow student Naotaka Asou. They lovemaking is good, and Satori can’t (or won’t) push Asou away. After that night, however, all Asou wants to do is kiss Satori, and they are the most passionate and fevered kisses Satori has every experienced. But what are Asou’s intentions, Satori wonders? Asou won’t go further than kisses, nor does Asou express his feelings.
Then, Satori discovers two people connected to Asou. One is an apparently jealous former lover named Iizuka Shunpei. The other is a beautiful young woman from another college, Yasumi Takahashi, whom Satori sees with Asou. Will these confused lovers ever learn to talk to each other?
In addition to being a yaoi novel, Fevered Kiss is also a light novel, a form of Japanese novel targeted at teen readers. Light novels are also relatively short (essentially a novella) and come with illustrations. This is definitely yaoi – boys’ love featuring explicit sex between male lovers, and using words, writer Arika Kuga creates love scenes that are as steamy as anything a yaoi manga artist can draw. This novel isn’t light on the bump and grind, but it’s not just about sex. Fevered Kiss is deeply romantic, and Kuga fills it with the kind of romantic melodrama and soap opera conflict that will have readers quickly flipping pages.
Taishi Zaou’s 12 or so illustrations add a nice touch to the book, but while Zaou is quite good at drawing characters, this story doesn’t necessarily need her contributions. Fevered Kiss’ words will get you hot all on their own.
Buy Fevered Kiss (Yaoi Novel)
