Love of Kill Vol. 5 Review – Chateau Strikes Back

I’ve never been more wrong about a series. Love of Kill is really good but requires an investment of three volumes before things start to come together. What was once a messy weird romance is now a messy action thriller, and I’m all here for it. Love of Kill Vol. 5 continues the high-stakes action from the cliffhanger of the previous volume and sheds some light on what this new antagonist is looking for.

Love of Kill Vol. 5 opens with a bit of exposition into this new antagonist who is confused about Ryang-Ha Song’s motives. This man is a collector of sorts but is interested in understanding who Ryang-Ha Song is for reasons that lean heavily into spoilers. From these first chapters, the action pics up until the end, and the story stays focused on Ryang-Ha Song attempting to find an escape and Chateau attempting to rescue him.

I wouldn’t say I liked how this all came to a head because it leaves a lot to pure coincidence as Chateau finally gets to show off her skills but then almost fails as she requests Ryang-Ha Song’s help. I wish that this scene didn’t weigh so heavily on the conclusion of the chapter because, in these moments, I felt Ryang-Ha Song needed Chateau more than she needed him. Sure, it pushes their relationship in a positive direction, but it leaves a lot of questions as to how Ryang-Ha Song is even still alive.

The action panels throughout this volume are some of the best as we get more scenes of Chateau kicking ass. We also get a few more scenes with Indian Guy, who does a great job breaking up the serious banter with a slight joke. I’ve liked this character since the beginning, so anything with him in it, I’m a fan of.

Pacing has been improved as we get moments of high tension and then fast action to keep the reader engaged. I would say that it’s a little hard to understand just how powerful this new antagonist is since he has a ton of bodyguards outside of his inner circle, but it’s just unclear how he got to this point. I’m interested to learn more about him and his followers in later chapters.

Love of Kill Vol. 5 keeps up with the positive steps made in the previous volume. Its high tension and action make through the perspective of a captured Ryang-Ha Song, and an impulsive Chateau is a great dynamic to keep the story moving. I’m still in the dark about this new antagonist, but I’m enjoying this series more with every new chapter.