graphic novel – Page 8 – The Constellation of Moon

Grimoire Noir Review

Posted on September 5, 2019

Grimoire Noir by Vera Greentea and Yana Bogatch

It tells the story of a town where every woman is a witch, and what happens when one of them goes missing.

Rating:

With a name like that, it ewas hard to resist and the artwork caught my eye even further. This was a preorder and it cameon a grey day so it was the perfect read.

The book is a witchy mystery in a town full of secrets where every female (girls at a certain age and women) has some kind fo magic power, but they can’t leave the town or they will lose their powers and may not survive the “barrier” that keeps them in.

It is an interesting world, and it made me wonder if it was worth having magic if you’re stuck to a small town and area? I guess it’d depend on what the people in town are.

The story follows a young man, who’s sister has disappeared, and she was a very powerful witch even if a little bit young. He thinks it is foul play and something is going on, but the police aren’t really helping so he decides to investigate on his own.

As he investigates you get to see more and more fo the inhabitants of the town and the town itself. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it had a tiny bit of scary but mostly it was trying to solve the mystery of what happened to his sister and why.

The ending is interesting as it can be the end but there could be another book. I hope there’s another but if there isn’t, I am happy a is.

If you like graphic novels, witchy stuff or magic, and/or mysteries in small towns and close knit communities, this is a great one to read.

Book Review, Books

Cucumber Quest: The Doughnut Kingdom

Posted on August 25, 2019

Cucumber Quest: The Doughnut Kingdom by Gigi D.G.

What happens when an evil queen gets her hands on an ancient force of destruction?

World domination, obviously.

The seven kingdoms of Dreamside need a legendary hero. Instead, they’ll have to settle for Cucumber, a nerdy magician who just wants to go to school. As destiny would have it, he and his way more heroic sister, Almond, must now seek the Dream Sword, the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Queen Cordelia’s Nightmare Knight.

Can these bunny siblings really save the world in its darkest hour?

Sure, why not?

Rating:

Cucumber Quest was one of my birthday gifts I had on my wishlist. One of those I am randomly looking at related to this item things and stumbled upon it.

The main thing about it is that it is cute, it has a nerdy bunny who doesn’t want to be a hero and his little sister that does. Cucumber Quest pokes fun at the cliches. Starting with “you are given this quest, you are the chosen one”, which Cucumber (the nerdy bunny) definitely doesn’t think he is. All he wants is to go to school of magic.

We also have an evil queen bent on world domination! And her lackeys, who are amusing and very much useless, but they made me laugh a lot. There is a princess that is kept captive (and that Cucumber has zero interest in).

And Almond, his sister is super awesome and ballsy. She’s studying to be a knight, and training to do so, but she’s the little sister, so she can’t be the hero, obviously (but Almond will fight you on that, trust me).

It is a fun easy read with lots of food related things and a lot of poking fun at cliches and quests. It made me laugh and also it is adorably cute! I am curious to read the next one.

Book Review

Persepolis Review

Posted on July 28, 2019

Another mini review, because I saw a snippet out of this book and it made me laugh so I chose to buy it (yeah, the reasons that make me buy books are very varied) and because I am still at YALC doing bookish stuff.

Persepolis is a book that is a comic collection. And it is a story in comics. Plus it is an autobiography. I know a lot of things in one single book.

And because it is so many things, most of it was a great interesting read, either because I was learning something about Iran/Persia or because it was funny. But some of those parts also were a bit odd, slice of life that I just didn’t connect or found relevant (but that’s me and this is a biography type of thing so yeah).

It was a quick read as it is made of short comics as mini episodes of her life, so you can stop, get a dirnk or a snack and keep going without loosing much, lots of pause points. And in itself you don’t have to remember a LOT of stuff or anything. You could basically open the book anywhere and as long as it is the start of that comic, you’re totally fine to go. (Yeah you may miss some nuance, but it won’t detract from it). So that’s a good plus for this little book.

The biggest issue I had with this (just for the record, biggest issue is just to say what bugged me most but it doesn’t mean the book is bad just what I noticed most as a con) nis that sometimes it rambles poetically, and it kinda ends too soon. But it was an easy interesting read for me.

Book Review

Teen Titans Raven Review

Posted on July 21, 2019

Teen Titans Raven by Kami Garcia; Illustrated by Gabriel Picolo

When a tragic accident takes the life of 17-year-old Raven Roth’s foster mom–and Raven’s memory–she moves to New Orleans to recover and finish her senior year of high school.

Starting over isn’t easy. Raven remembers everyday stuff like how to solve math equations and make pasta, but she can’t remember her favorite song or who she was before the accident. And when impossible things start happening, Raven begins to think it might even be better not to know who she was before.

But as she grows closer to her new friends, her foster sister, Max, and Tommy Torres, a guy who accepts her for who she is now, Raven has to decide if she’s ready to face what’s buried in the past…and the darkness building inside her.

Rating:

Let me start this by saying that when I heard Picolo was illustrating this book I knew I had to have it. Plus, I grew up watching Teen Titans on Cartoon Network so there was also that.

I’ve been following Picolo since he started his very first 365 doodle challenge (at the time I was in my third or fourth year of daily drawing challenge) on Deviantart (before I left, but I was already almost gone from there). And still follow him on social media. So yes, I really enjoy his art.

Which brings me to my rating. To be honest, the only reason this book gets 4 stars is because of the art. The story is bad.

Wait, what?! Yes, the story is bad. It is weak. This is Raven! And what we get is a poorly written story, something that feels amateur for comics (my personal take is that Kami knows how to write a novel/books, but that doesn’t mean it translates well to graphic novels). It tries SO hard to keep the suspense and make Raven even more mysterious than she is, while making her extra moody and annoyed, that you get annoyed at her and want to throw the book at a wall. (As per above, I didn’t throw it at a wall because the art is my jam).

I mean, if you go see Picolo’s instagram and stuff, there’s TONS of Teen Titans fanart. And those tell a better story than this book (in a single image, the whole “a picture is worth a thousand words” definitely applies here).

In summary, art carries the story which is weak and suffers from pacing, information delivery and “ohh mysterious mystery won’t tell you anything then info dump it on you at the end because I forgot there was all of this you needed to know for it to make sense” issues. I think Raven deserved more. And I want all of the Teen Titans illustrated by Picolo <3

Book Review

Henchgirl Review

Posted on July 13, 2019

Henchgirl by Kristen Gudsnuk

Mary Posa hates her job. She works long hours for little pay, no insurance, and worst of all, no respect. Her co-workers are jerks and her boss doesn’t appreciate her. He’s also a supervillain. And her parents… well, they’re the most famous superhero couple in Crepe City, along with her sister. Cursed with a conscience, Mary would give anything to be something other than a Henchgirl, but no matter what she does her plans always seem to go awry.

Rating:

I borrowed this from Nikki 🙂 and it was a nice read for before bed time. It is a bit chaotic but funny and at times reminded me of Nimona.

Basically Mary is a little bit unlucky and is working as henchgirl for the villains in Crepe city btu doesn’t actually like it. As we move through the book, we learn more about why she’s doing that. That she thinks taxes are a great thing to be able to do (poor woman, she has no idea!) There are a lot of puns in the comic, starting with her being Mary Posa (mariposa, butterfly in Spanish) working for the Butterfly Gang.

There’s her room mates and Mannequin, plus her family and they all add a little bit of a different flavour. The story is left in a cliffhanger which was very confusing as halfway through it felt like it was getting to the end of an arc, and there was suddenly something thrown into it that “revived” the arc and didn’t let it gracefully end.

It was still enjoyable, and the art isn’t the most amazing art but it is cute and get the point, reminds em of the Sundays cartoons.

Book Review, Books

Pilu of the Woods Review

Posted on May 25, 2019

Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen

Willow loves the woods near her house. They’re calm and quiet, so different from her own turbulent emotions, which she keeps locked away. When her emotions get the better of her one day, she decides to run away into the woods.

There, she meets Pilu, a lost tree spirit who can’t find her way back home—which turns out to be the magnolia grove Willow’s mom used to take her to. Willow offers to help Pilu, and the two quickly become friends.

But the journey is long, and Pilu isn’t sure she’s ready to return home yet—which infuriates Willow, who’s determined to make up for her own mistakes by getting Pilu back safely. As a storm rages and Willow’s emotions bubble to the surface, they suddenly take on a physical form, putting both girls in danger… and forcing Willow to confront her inner feelings once and for all.

Rating:

I bought this book because I stumbled upon the website for OniPress and this one caught my eye, so I ordered it.

The artwork is gorgeous and very earthy. It fits perfectly with the “woods” theme and yhere is so much information about trees, plants and part sof the woods. That was one of my favourite parts, how much Willow knows about the her surroundings when she is in nature.

Pilu is also very cute and not exactly what I expected but I liked her a lot.

The story itself is cute but it felt a little like it was trying hard to keep you interested, by not giving enough info, which wouldn’t have made the story any less if we had had it and probaly I would’ve been less distracted wondering why or what was omitted.

It has an educational point of view, and the topic is feelings and thoughts which are represented as this kind of bubbly creatures and I really found that a wonderful way of giving them “shape” in the story.

Overall, a nice warm story about family in a nature setting, and it also deals with how to deal with feelings and thoughts in general. Artwork is cute and very much in tune with OniPress and their style (or at least the ones I have read from them before).

Book Review

Through the Woods Review

Posted on May 21, 2019

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

‘It came from the woods. Most strange things do.’

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.
These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.
Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there…

Rating:

This book is gorgeous and creepy. Probably the best way to describe it in a single sentence.

The artwork sticks to a very red, white, black and sepia palette (with a few pops of colour) but still manages to convey very well the stories and sometimes the phrase “an image is worth a 1000 words” applies perfectly here.

One of the reasons this hasn’t got more stars is that most of the stories are left open ended or rather, in a confusing ending where you keep second guessing what exactly happened and why. I know that the attempt is to scare you and be creepy, but it also left me very unsatisified at the end of each story. I think if I had known this would be a very “just a tidbit of story, without a proper ending” kind of book, I wouldn’t have minded as much, but from the blurb it seemed to have proper short stories.

My favourite is probably the first one which at least seems to have a start and potential end, but it is still very much in the air with lots of maybe, and what if.

I’d probably say that if you like horror and creepy stuff, this is a nice illustrated book to have around. But if open endings aren’t really your thing, avoid this. Or go at it with caution. The art is still super gorgeous and the stories are different and “refreshing” in their own way.

Book Review, Books

Moonstruck Vol 2. Some Enchanted Evening Review

Posted on May 9, 2019

Moonstruck Volume 2: Some Enchanted Evening by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle

Werewolf barista Julie and her supernatural friends try to unwind at a party, but a conniving fraternity of fairy bros has other plans for our heroes. With one of their friends trapped in the frat house and the winter solstice (a notable night of magical mischief) looming ever-closer, it’s up to the amorous werewolves and gregarious centaur to save the day.

Rating:

I read the first volume for Moonstruck a while ago, and enjoyed it so much that I preordered the second volume. (And somehow didn’t review it here, oh shame on me!)

They had me at the Newpals (a Neopets alternative in this universe). I loved Neopets, and it was part of my tweens/teens so much, I still go visit my pets (I have a rare Lutari for example, that I worked hard to catch on Lutari day). And basically, there is a small plot line about Newpals, and it made me all soft and reminded me of so many happy times.

But the story in general is about a party they end up with adn complications, plus there is a lot of figuring out how things work and relationships should work between the characters (not just romantic relationships, by the way). But this is all explored in a really cute, funny way. I adore the characters and how unique and special each one is, plus despite not reading the previous volume to 2catch up” or “refresh” I still thoroughly enjoyed this and it jolted my memory without having “recaps”.

There’s some new developments about characters that make it amusing, and there’s the whole take on frat parties but with fairies. Yes, you read that right! It was just a blast to read, a cuddly funny but also very real story (yes, I know it is all in a magical world, but that doesn’t take anything from it).

Book Review, Books

Aquicorn Cove Review

Posted on January 17, 2019

Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill

When Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to help clear the debris of a storm, the last thing she expects is to discover a colony of Aquicorns—magical seahorse-like residents of the coral reef. As she explores the damaged town and the fabled undersea palace, Lana learns that while she cannot always count on adults to be the guardians she needs, she herself is capable of finding the strength to protect both the ocean, and her own happiness.

Rating:

Last year I read and reviewed The Tea Dragon Society, where I fell for her artwork and story. So I had to have this little gem but somehow forgot I wanted it and it came out (why did I not preorder?!) and then I got it.

Starting the year with a graphic novel in the pile does make you feel like you’ve got this and can read through your reading goal.

Now unto the book. The Aquicorn Cove is all about awareness of the ocean and the sea and pollution, so it has a bit more of a message running through it. What I’ll say next may be a little controversial, but having that pushed as one of the main topics made the story feel rushed and took away from the rest of the topics. I felt like it was great as an awareness book given by a campaign for saving the ocean, but it felt less like a graphic novel/fantasy book.

I love Katie’s universes and that was amazing, even if this is a little confusing as it looks like the same world of Tea Dragon Society but it is also quite different. Still a lovely world to live in and the artwork more than blows me away, which was worth it. The hairdos, and creatures are so lovely I wish I could style my hair into those cute “horns”

There is also a lot about grief and friendships/relationships and how we survive and move forward (there seems to be a lot of grief topics in my reviews recently, but I promise it has been unconscious or at the very least not on purpose!) which was quite porwerful (and probably what I would’ve preferred to see explored more, as it was done so well through the scenes and artwork, the saying of a picture says more than a 1000 words works well here).

So my veredict is, I preferred The Tea Dragon Society a lot, and this felt more educational/campaign, however the artowrk was still stunning and cute and I am glad to have read it.

Moon recommends

Well, since there seems to be a theme on my reviews, pick any of my previous reviews and probably you’ll get a mention on grief. Or go check out The Tea Dragon Society, which is a big winner and quaint. (Plus it has tea and dragons, what else do you need?)

Book Review, Books

Princess Jellyfish Volume 2 Review

Posted on November 26, 2018

Princess Jellyfish Volume 2 by Akiko Higashimura

With the geeky paradise of Amamizu-kan threatened by redevelopment plans, Tsukimi and the Amars must spring into action. Buy the wily Inari and her hold on Shu forces Kuranosuke to pull out all the stops: money, blackmail, and…fashion?! Though Amamizu-kan still struggles with Kuranosuke’s stylish ways, the neighborhood fashionista has too much to lose, whether it’s a hidden identity or priceless friendships. Tsukimi gets the chance to make her jellyfish dreams into a glamorous reality, but that means breaking out of her bubble! Can these misfit princesses save their castle?

Rating:

This particular volume of Princess Jellyfish features more of the funny interactions and gorgeous artwork. On the other hand it is a slow story development. Not that it doesn’t have a story to tell, but more as in it is figuring out how they all get along, and what defines each of the AMARS ladies, and Tsukimi, Kuranosuke, and Shu.

It does develop a little on who Shu is, and why he finds Tsukimi attractive. And in general we learn more about how Kuranosuke gets along with his family (not much of his usual frineds before he met Tsukimi), but it is also a case of asking why he likes AMARS so much?

We still see little to no progress in saving the building, but at least AMARS seems to be warming up to it more and to be a team, which is a good team, considering how much they struggle with interacting with others.

Moon recommends

Go read the first volume of Princess Jellyfish, but if you are following, keep reading the series with Volume 2 (I have now all the volumes and may do a joint review of a few of them soon).

I bought the cute octopus/jellyfish at a craft fair, and it is cute and somehow fits well with this series.