Assessment:
Overall rating (4 votes)
Recommended by Morgan O'Friel and 3 other members.
100 Candles
An ongoing series, with new episodes sporadically.
Jeff Parker is a perfectly normal young man who is rather rudely introduced to the world of the strange and unexplained when he finds a creepy fortune-telling doll washed up on the beach. In the process of trying to get rid of it, he meets author and paranormal investigator Kenny Tachibana—and, shortly thereafter, falls in love with him. So begin the continuing adventures of Jeff and Kenny and their friends as they deal with an assortment of ghosts, demons, fantastic creatures, and the occasional piece of cursed fan mail.
100 Candles
— contains pervasive harsh language; also, some graphic sex and graphic violence —
Tags: gay horror humor modern supernatural romance series
Links: review feed
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Editorial Reviews
Paranormal Activity Meets Hot Queer Sex
Okay. In terms of projected fan base for this serial, I’ll admit that I’m probably inside the field. It has all of my happies— queer main characters, supernatural creatures, and the knowledge that almost every chapter is a complete stand alone story.
First, the formatting. The background has an evocative feel to it, helping me feel creeped out when I glance at it. The blue-flamed candles in-between sections add to that feeling. However, the small white text on an image-based background makes me squint my eyes, and I ended up C&P-ing each chapter to my desktop for reading in an easier fashion. There also aren’t any sections for comments – e-mailing the author seems to be the only way to leave feedback.
As for features, the site includes images of the main characters, omakes, an FAQ section and an lj feed. These things make for an enhanced reading experience, and made me giggle during more than one omake. All-in-all, the site design and layout gets a 3.5/5.
Story-wise, I’ll admit that I’m in love. I’ll be personally following this one on my own, biting my nails while I wait for updates. The characters are interesting (one left me quoting ‘Mario Party’ all day), the mini-plots have enough intrigue to keep me worrying about them, and the sex scenes are hot enough to make me pant, but not so hot that I’m reading one-handed (which is a plus for me). As I said earlier, almost every chapter is a self-contained short story, which means that even if the author were to quit today, readers wouldn’t be left with any hanging threads – convenient for readers who tend towards the skeptical side of the spectrum.
There are a few downsides. Rarely did I feel absolutely terrified. Sure, there were times when I worried for them, but only once was I filled with absolute dread for the characters. When it did happen, however, it was an incredibly strong reaction – I felt myself teetering on nausea while reading about one of the worst places the character had ever been. The prose makes for a mostly light, relaxing read, and I’d rate it at a 4.5/5.
If you’re looking for a fun, occasionally sensual and worrisome read, than look no further. 4/5 stars, and a personal recommendation.
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Most Helpful Member Reviews
SO MUCH FUN!
It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about something I just read. It’s like the feeling I got when I first discovered books by Janet Evanovich. Must . . . have . . . more . . .
Sara Sakana has woven an unforgettable story and a genuinely fun read.
The conversational style of the writing makes for fluid reading. Respecting that reading on the screen can be tedious for the reader, this author has wisely broken up the text into well-crafted and highly readable segments separated by the candle image. That makes it really easy for the reader to rest her eyes for a bit and then pick up right where she left off. Ms. Sakana doesn’t need to worry about losing the reader during these quick breaks because the story is . . . well . . . addictive is the word that comes to mind.
I especially love the sense of humor conveyed in Jeff’s voice.
100 Candles details events in Jeff’s life after he acquires a doll that tells the future. At first, the doll seems like a possible windfall but it soon begins revealing things Jeff doesn’t think he wants to know.
The only problem is, the doll won’t let him get rid of it.
Enter Kenny.
Yeah. I like Kenny. A lot.
Once the two of them hook up to solve Jeff’s problems, the story really shines. I love the exchanges between them, especially since I get an up-close-and-personal account of Jeff’s mental and emotional acrobatics.
As I neared the end of the first posting, I was scared that would really be the end. It was that fulfilled but still sad feeling you get when you’re on the last few pages of a book you really love. I read verrryyy slowly, savoring every word.
That posting wrapped up beautifully, an excellent ending. But still, I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters.
But then—AHA!—a ‘NEXT’ button. And what follows is every bit as good as the first posting.
I’d go on and on, but then I’d start revealing plot details. It would be a shame to spoil the surprises.
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Ghosts, Demons, and Gays
Like Morgan O’Friel, I’m probably exactly where this story was aimed. I like the supernatural, and I like the gay. The protagonist is funny and is easily related to—definite must-haves in a first person adventure. I like the characters, and each is unique and human.
The chapters are long and each one is pretty much a stand alone. There isn’t a lot of continuity in the story, so I feel like each adventure is new instead of treading old ground.
I don’t like the site design, however. The white text on stark black about kills my eyes. Also, it’s irregularly updated. Given the chapter size, this is understandable so it’s mostly the text that keeps me from giving this four full stars.
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