Les Normaux

November 18, 2024
Janssen debuts with a gentle queer romantasy that literalizes the magic of a Parisian romance. The world of the story exists simultaneously in both mundane and magical versions. Sebastién, a 20-something from the banal reality, has just hopped to the supernatural version of Paris to study spellcasting. His parents don’t approve of his talent for magic or his sexuality, but he and his pet bunny move in with a supportive aunt and uncle. Sebastién barely has time to unpack before he meets Elia, a blue bisexual vampire and the scion of a wealthy fashion house. Sparks fly, and as the two dance around the possibility of dating, their diverse crew of friends cheer them on and pursue a series of sweet, steamy relationships of their own. As with many webtoon-to-print series, the art is initially unpolished, with stiffly posed figures. But it improves as the story progresses, and the imaginative settings add a welcome sense of place. This Paris is multicultural and multispecies, peppered with amusing details like Monster Match, a dating app for supernatural beings. With nothing keeping the leads apart except their own mild hang-ups, the story pads along at a casual pace. Still, fans of cozy fantasy will be happy to follow these amiable characters on the winding path to love. Agent: Christabel McKinley, David Higham Associates Limited (for Janssen)

Starred review from February 1, 2025
An innocent make-out session at a bar transforms the lives of two twenty-something men in this magical romance full of found family and delightful queer representation. S�bastien, an anxiety-riddled magic user, has run away from home, moving to the supernatural counterpart of Paris to attend magic school and live his truth away from his restrictive parents. After a chance smooch in a bar the night before, he realizes the handsome vampire he kissed, Elia, is his upstairs neighbor! A tentative friendship and some grade-A yearning ensue as the two continuously cross paths, thanks to magical dye and a surprisingly small world. But with all the precious romance, there are great subplots focused on owning one's truth and opening up the heart in a variety of ways. S�bastien learns to accept new friendship and deny his anxieties more, revealing to his magical aunt his struggles of having non-magical parents who don't want him to embrace that identity (or his queerness). Elia takes steps to open himself up to a relationship, hinting at over-involved parents deciding his life trajectory and a desire to explore beyond their fashion empire. As a delightful bonus, vignettes featuring S�bastien's hilariously sentient bunny warring against those who enter their apartment is amusing, to say the least. New adults, and those who are fans of queer romance and fantastical elements, be sure to scoop this one up.

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