Single, typical fujoshi in her 20s. Lalala. Actually, I am basing this off the original Japanese version of the novel, but I trust the English translation has done it justice. I wonder if the two reviewers below are even aware that this novel is the first in a series of three books. COLD LIGHT and COLD FEVER are the sequels respectively, and each one fills a HUGE part of the sense of "incomplete" the other reviewers note. Konohara-sensei's characterizations are beautiful in her longer works, and this piece is no exception. As of this review, COLD LIGHT has come out in English recently, and COLD FEVER is yet to come, although who knows how long it'll take. I say it's also worth the wait to get it all at once, because I couldn't stop reading once I started. However, each book stands well on their own.

The first in a trilogy, Cold Sleep tells a dramatic story that thanks to the main character's amnesia, intricately intertwines the past and the present to create a suspenseful story of romance. Unlike most stories where the amnesia schtick is used, Narise Konohara doesn't present it inaccurately in order to use it as a plot convenience. Instead, she makes good use of the medical facts to explore frailties of both Tohru and Fujishima. Being a prose novel and not a manga, we get more than a mere glimpse into the confused state of mind that Tohru is in, with the full impact of his inner sense of desperation. Nanao Saikawa's delicate artwork works well to impart the sense of awkwardly shy and hesitant nature of the interpersonal relationship between the two men. Included within the volume is a bonus short story and its sequel. The stories are unrelated to Cold Sleep, but Class Reunion and its sequel The One I Love follow the similar theme of old acquaintances discovering a new aspect to their former relationship. It makes for a short, sweet, and decidedly steamy bit of filler to the Cold Sleep volume, as at 166 pages, it is really more a novella than a full fledged novel. Presentation-wise, June once more show that they know how to handle quality while charging a modest price. With a retail price of just over £4, it costs a lot less than most mass produced paperbacks, yet comes with a glossy cover made of heavy card stock and a reinforced spine that is specially designed to resist creasing. If that is not enough, they have retained the original glossy colour frontispiece and used a high quality paper that resists smudging and tearing. Douglas Dlin and Iori's effort at translating this from the original Japanese is unstilted and natural, missing none of the nuances of this emotionally and psychologically charged tale. It's a first rate effort all the way around and money well spent. Rated a modest 16+, it is not too heavy in the physical love aspect, with substance over style. The second book of the trilogy, Cold Light, is still in pre-production according to the publisher, but hopefully will not be too far behind. I look forward to seeing how Tohru progresses with his lost memories, the progress of his and Fujishima's relationship, and how his past will shape his future as it comes to find him.