I have been anticipating this release from ebi-hime for SOOOOOOOOOO long and I'm so glad that it's finally here!!!

Once Upon a Throne of Thorns is another incredible entry in ebi-hime's collection of YuelTavi VNs. It's on the darker and more plot-heavy side compared to some of her fluffier entries, which suits me just fine ;w; All Scars and Starlight is ones of my faves, and there's some similarities here in terms of the darker themes, the plotting Salim, and the Suffering Tavi - however, there's also plenty here that sets Throne of Thorns apart as its own unique and very worthwhile story.

In this story, we get to see Tavi cast as a reluctant assassin. He's a lot less cheery and more subdued than other versions of himself, which is a good look on him IMO precisely because it's so different from the usual. His relationship with Yuel is incredibly sweet! They act as a tether to one another's sense of self after both of them have gone through so much that has changed them. Through each other, they can connect with their less troubled, less traumatized selves, even as they continue to experience hardships at the hands of Salim and his lackeys.

And speaking of Salim's lackeys... there's some very pretty men in addition to Yuel and Tavi~ In particular, Tavi's relationship with Ruth is really fun. Ruth is kind of pathetic but in a fun and endearing way lol, and in the end he really grew on me even though I was ultimately rooting against him. He's a great character both in his own right and to flesh out Tavi's relationships and the world he lives in.

Anyway, don't want to say too much about the overall plot of this VN since I think it's a huge strong point and encourage you to experience it for yourself, but: Crossdressing! Drama! Violence! Sex (if you choose to download the free adult patch)! All of this can be yours to experience in Throne of Thorns... and with such gorgeous art too, omg. The art is half the reason I was anticipating this VN so highly (the Tavi Suffering was the other half, lol). As you can see by the screenshots, the art is so so beautiful, and there's lots of CGs (including a few really cute chibis).

Also gotta give a quick shoutout to the music... the composer. Lentil, has worked on a few other projects with ebi, including Where the Heart Rests and Antonym Obscure (itch.io only)[ebihime.itch.io]. The soundtrack here is a departure from his usually more modern-rock styled compositions, but still just as excellent and includes some great vocals from him as always.

Overall, this VN is incredibly polished in all aspects, from the writing to the art to the music to even the presentation in terms of stuff like the chapter title cards and the sprite placements. I would hugely and wholeheartedly recommend it!!

i like it when crossdressers look like crossdressers instead of women.

Kinda a bit embarrassed to say this but this is my first YuelxTavi visual novel (you know ebihime's OCs that she gushing so much she've written many stories about them. Props to her for being so dedicated).

I was mostly drawn to the art and then the story got me curious. Played first the demo that confirmed my interest and did get the full vn. I certainly wasn't disappointed ! Even though the story focuses mainly on the couple, the other characters were just as interesting to follow. Towards the end, the tension made me a bit anxious and I really wondered how it would all turn out, but I ended up being satisfied with the conclusion. Plus, the writing really showcased the illustrations like damn.

So yeah an another banger from ebihime's VNs and I hope at least this one will get people more invested on her favorites blorbos.