Tag: illustrated

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Night Marchers

Posted on

The Night Marchers

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Another collection of stories, but this time in graphic novel form. This is a rich collection of “Cautionary Fables and Fairytales” from Oceania and around the area, so you get a lot of different stories than the usual fairytales we all know.

Forget Snow White or yet another greek mythology retelling, here you will get tales with a wide range of ideas, some from superstition (like consider what happens to the spirits and invisible beings, or they may be out to get you), to wider and more elaborate stories ranging Philippines, New Zealand, Hawaii, and beyond.

Some reminded me a little of the stories from Spirits Abroad but now in graphic novel form, and some felt new and interesting, and it was also an introduction to artists that may not be as well known or that you see less of their work on the Western side of the world, and boy the artwork was also stunning considering it was in black and white, there were many styles and stories.

I haven’t read the rest of the series of Cautionary Fables and Fairytales so I cannot compare it to the rest, but it was a decent number of stories and even though as usual some were not my style either in art, or story or both (I think only one didn’t hit both things for me) the overall feel of the book was good and interesting leaving me wanting to get some more books to read on fairy tales and fables from the regions.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Meesh the Bad Demon

Posted on

Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

What makes a bad demon? Apparently Meesh is one, as she is better at seeing the good in everyone than the bad and doesn’t act like other demons. Therefore the other demons bully her because she dreams of being more like a fairy princess than the expectations of a demon.

But, as a big disaster strikes, Meesh ends up journeying to other worlds to try to find help. And why not start where she thinks she could get help, the fairy realm?

The artwork and the story were very cute and perfect for a middle grade graphic novel, the colour palette was also beautifully used to show the different worlds and the elements of what was happening so you could get an idea before you fully understood what was going in, which was done in a subtle interesting way and I liked that.

The story focuses on being brave, on being true to yourself and in some ways, challenging the expectations set on you from society and others and that what sometimes we are told is the way we ought to be, doesn’t make who we are less, and sometimes we have to do things for the better.

It is a very cute lovely story and I am looking forward to reading the second book.

And yes, I am trying to keep a relatively spooky/scary vibe or as close as can be for the posts of the month. Let’s see how well we can do.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Diary of an Accidental Witch – Stage Fright

Posted on

Diary of an Accidental Witch – Stage Fright by Perdita and Honor Cargill. Illustrated by Katie Saunders

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I love this series so much and every time a new book comes out I immediately need it.

In Stage Fright, the school year is putting up a play with magical displays and a lot going on. so Bea is hoping maybe she can help with all the effects and use her magic for it, but when it gets a little chaotic and the play becomes more than they thought it’d be, Be’s nerves get in the way.

Thankfully she still manages to make the most fo the play, be the best character she’s meant to be and perform.

As usual, a hilarious book that feels exactly like Bea’s diary with a lot of froggy madness, nerves, questions and trying to fit in and do it all, including performing perfectly.

There is a lot of laughs to be had, the artwork makes it even better, and you will definitely not forget this play put on by Bea and her friends. Don’t miss out on this and the full series which is now a few books ahead!

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Skull

Posted on

The Skull by Jon Klassen

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I stumbled upon this book while browsing Waterstones and it just looked like an interesting creepy book that would match some other favourites I have read on a similar style (reviews coming).

Let’s start with the artwork which is absolutely perfectly matched to the book, it is creepy, it is artsy and feels a bit folkloric and just right.

Then we have the story, which has a story of how it came to be. The author had a vague idea of reading a story that matched this story, but when he went back to read it, it was nothing like what he remembered, so he made the one he remembered. I think that is so cool and comes to show that sometimes stories grip you and you end up being inspired or making your own interpretation of them.

But, now to the main story, The Skull is about a big old abandoned house where a skull lives. And when Otilla escapes from danger and ends up taking refuge in the house, she finds her host, the skull, not too bad a companion. But skull is scared of something too and therefore they may be able to help each other!

This was a work of art and I found it perfectly creepy, mysterious and folkloric, with a nice twist of a decision on where the plot goes and it was very satisfying to read.

Book Review

Moon Reads: A Super Scary Narwhalloween

Posted on

A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Diary of an Accidental Witch – Unexpected Guests

Posted on

Diary of an Accidental Witch: Unexpected Guests by Perdita and Honor Cargill. Illustrated by Katie Saunders

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

If you are new here, I have reviewed other books in this series because I really really enjoy it! You can read my review of the first book (Diary of an Accidental Witch), second (Flying High) and third (Ghostly Getaway) in their respective links.

The hard part fo reviewing a book you like is that then you struggle to say coherent things that tell others why you like it without being too much of spoilers, so here’s my attempt at it.

As usual, Bea wants to become the bestest witch ever and prove she can catch up with her peers who have had a lifetime of magic, compared to her very limited and relatively new experience of magic. So when the school has suddenly unexpected guests, her plans may go a bit awry, and she realises her non magical expertise and skills are an asset too and can help a lot in this magical world!

Filled with lots of funky magic, and a bit more development in the relationship between Bea and her dad who is one of my favourite book dads (he’s so supportive and chaotic but in a good way and tries so hard and loves Bea so much and it shows in all the books), there’s shenanigans and more to come but also, maybe a bit more love to show around the magical school and what the students can do best!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness

Posted on

Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness by Ben Clanton

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Ownership: Preordered because I love this series

Series: Narwhal and Jelly

If you haven’t read any of the books from the series I can highly recommend it, starting with Narwhal and Jelly. You can search for reviews on them all throughout the blog as I have loved each book and this is the sixth one.

The main thing is we have Narwhal who is enthusiastic, very friendly and extremely chaotic with a high love of waffles and a good heart. Then there is Jelly who is anxious and scared and has not a lot of friends. But they somehow become best friends and go on adventures, mostly started by Narwhal.

In Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness they decide to go to school after finding a school of fish, the puns are gorgeous and really cute. So we embark on a set of lessons by Narwhal and Jelly to the fishes on various topics they deem important, including waffles of course. It is a fun take at how cool school can be at times and learning being a good process which was very enjoyable and obviously there is the whole antics of Narwhal and Jelly and their friendship.

Overall, another winner of the series.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Vol. 1

Posted on

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Vol. 1 by Kagiji Kumanomata

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Ownership: Bought for me since it sounded fun

I can’t remember if this was a recommendation or if it was an accidental find while browsing for new manga to read, but what I do know is that I bought it, and forgot about it until I felt like reading manga again and decided that I really ought to read this first volume and check if I wanted to keep it or not.

Well, I have to say at first I went unsure how this could be a whole series given the premise of a princess that just wants to sleep and is being kept prisoner in a castle by a demon. I was so wrong and I am glad about it.

Our princess is an interesting character that doesn’t actually want to escape, all she wants is to be able to sleep well and you know, have a little bit of peace. So when she starts finding demons and items that might make her sleep better, well, she is a princess on a mission and nothing, not even death will stop her!

I laughed a lot as I read this one. It is a light read because the adventures of her finding a specific item/quest/idea are just small manga chapters and are all very enjoyable. They introduce new demons or characters that the princess focuses on and also new areas at times or new mechanics, and it is fun because you keep seeing what is happening outside the castle and then comparing it to what the princess is doing in the castle and you can’t help but enjoy the whole chaos of it.

I think if you like chaos, a humorous take on the princess kept captive by an evil enemy and what demons do, this is a delightful and funny read with easy breaks in the story and lots of potential and surprises that keep coming through it.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Foxes in Love Vol. 1

Posted on

Foxes in Love Vol. 1 by Toivo Kaartinen

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Read before: Yes and no.

Ownership: Gifted by the awesome Justine for my birthday!

I love, love Foxes in Love as little comics, and when they first launched the book I wanted one but they didn’t ship it to the UK, so I waited, but now they do. And then I had it on my wishlist and Justine sent it as a surprise and I read it super quick and smiled a lot.

I really love the foxes, the comics are online so you can find them on twitter and Instagram that’s where I usually read them. But as I read through this one I realised I had missed quite a few even if several where also very familiar.

Mostly the book is about two foxes, Green and Blue who are in love and are having little adventures or declarations of love, and you just get to see their personalities, their relationship and a lot fo it made me smile either reminding of friends or situations or things I wish for, so very relatable, plus they are foxes which is always a big bonus in my books as you may know.

Overall, if you have seen the ones online, I recommend having this little book and collecting them. I want volume 2 too!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse

Posted on

Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse by Stephanie Cooke and art by Mari Costa

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Ownership: Bought it for myself.

Chaos bunnies? Did someone say chaos and bunnies? That was basically what sold me this book. And that it is a graphic novel. If that hasn’t sold it to you yet, let me try a bit more.

We start with our main heroine, Abby, who is helping her mum at a cafe and serving the magical community but then her sister gets bullied and portal is opened to this chaos bunny land. Abyy is sweet but her magic is a bit odd and she wants desperately to help fix everything a nd help everyone. Obviously having chaos bunnies come through a portal creates chaos so that’s basically the story, how to stop the chaos bunnies from causing the end of the world and all that chaos.

But one of the things I really liked about it is how it integrates diversity into a magical world. The concept of ghosts here was beautiful and I like that it had a hijabi character. Then each of Abbys friends has a specific background, issues and approaches and despite some clashes, they are friends and help each other out and want the best for each other and again that was super cute to read and very encouraging and uplifting.

I recommend this book because it is a cute cosy chaotic read and I even sold it to the booksellers from the publisher, because it is so good and fun. If you want a more chaotic Mooncakes vibes with less romance and more middle grade or lower vibes this is it!