Gender benders aren’t terribly uncommon, but Roxy — known as “Rock” in her male disguise and in the narration — is unusual for a main character who looks and dresses like someone of the opposite gender: she’s twenty. While I love this novel’s art, I’m not sure if people would be convinced of her supposed gender since Roxy/Rock looks several years below her age. But I guess the author wanted to make her old enough to run a business.
It’s because of this shop that she meets a werewolf, a rare and scary sight. The beast turns out to be Count Ebel Mateus, who needs clothes so that he won’t be naked when he transforms back into a human. After another mishap, Rock agrees to make some custom clothing that will work for both his appearances, and then the nobleman falls hard for her. Phoebe, the lover of Rock’s deceased father, is suspicious that a nobleman would court somebody from the slums, but Phoebe, who was born a man, has her own secrets.
One of… well, maybe not so much concerns, but debates about this type of gender bender is that it can be seen as the love interest getting “rewarded” when finding out their love is no longer forbidden now that it’s a heterosexual relationship. While Ebel is a bit insistent that Rock is really a woman, he says he loves her regardless of her gender. If that seems like a cop-out since his sense of smell is dead-on, I will say that the LGBTQ+ community is represented here, although it may not seem like it at times.
Most of The Werewolf Count and the Trickster Tailor volume 1 is about Ebel repeatedly approaching Rock, so it can be a bit slow-paced. Rock chooses to protect her identity as a way to reject Ebel and keep her shop running as it has been. He can be a bit forceful in his passes, but Ebel doesn’t second-guess his desire to be with the tailor. That’s significant since the setting is the typical pre-1800s fantasy setting involving carriages, classes of people, mercenaries, etc.
Speaking of fantasy, why Ebel turns into a werewolf is brought up, but the big question of what can be done about it isn’t discussed much until the end. In fact, Ebel has become pretty much okay with it. However, turning into a werewolf isn’t something Ebel advocates for, as he knows the pain and trouble it can cause for those around him. It’s a wonderful change of pace from mopey vampires who try to push the heroine away because he’s a monster receiving divine punishment. This story would have been a much different – and, in my opinion, worse — tale if it weren’t for Ebel’s attitudes regarding love and his affliction.
During the courtship, the novel does a nice job of setting the stage for the volume’s finale. It keeps the number of characters limited while also setting up goals for the continuation. There’s a conflict with an antagonist, but for now, it isn’t about saving the world. This first volume keeps everything intimate and connected to the leads.
However, most of the plot reaches a climax in the course of a 24-hour period. Case in point: the romance. When Rock finally does stop hiding the truth from Ebel, she also admits that she has feelings for him. But this change of heart felt a bit abrupt considering she was cornered by another character. They were drawing closer, true, but I wish we could have seen Rock make the decision on her own terms. A less direct line between the final events would have made this just about perfect for me.
Still, while some secrets have been brought to light, there’s plenty for The Werewolf Count and the Trickster Tailor left to cover. It’s a fun tale that doesn’t treat cross-dressing as just for laughs, and it avoids much of the usual Debbie Downer drama that an unwanted monster form usually brings.