Tag Archives: Graphic Novels

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Tea Dragon Society : Katie O'Neill : 9781620107379

Title: The Tea Dragon Society
Author: Kay O’Neill
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dragons, Fantasy, Graphic novels, LGBTQI
Dates read: 4th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Oni Publishing
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: The horn is similar in texture and density to a root, and a tiny shaving will give the tea its ginger taste.

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Synopsis

From the author of the award-winning Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming fairy tale about Greta, an adventurous blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of Tea Dragons.

After discovering a lost Tea Dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of Tea Dragon caretaking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives – and eventually her own.

Thoughts

I got this cute little graphic novel in a book subscription box. I had no idea what it was about and no idea what to expect. But, I fell COMPLETELY in love with this story from the very beginning. Actually, I now just really, really want my own little Tea Dragon. And a Tea Society with all of my friends and loved ones. Actually, I just want this world to be a reality…

I would have loved this graphic novel regardless. It is beautifully illustrated, stunningly written and has a great message that helps to keep you light and loving. But, there is also a very subtle LGBTQI theme running through the story, and I just found that these couples were all the sweeter for it.

After closing the final page of this book, I ranted and raved about how beautiful this graphic novel was. How glorious and how much I just wanted to sink into the pages. But, when it comes to writing the review for something that touched me so much… it’s hard to find coherent words to describe it.

<- More Katie O’NeillThe Tea Dragon Festival ->

Image source: Observer

Small Shen by Kylie Chan & Queenie Chan

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Small ShenTitle: Small Shen
Author: Kylie Chan & Queenie Chan
Series: Dark Heavens #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Demons, Graphic novels, Mythology
Pace: Medium
Format: Graphic novel, Novel
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: How long before the spirit could be restored and you would become more than an animal again?

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Synopsis

In the tradition of the bestselling White Tiger series, Small Shen follows the adventures of cheeky troublemaker Gold who seduces a dragon princess, fights demons and causes headaches for the gods of Chinese mythology. When Gold is ordered to join the household of John Chen, the Dark Lord of the Northern Heavens, he discovers he will do anything to save John and his family from danger…

Small Shen is a stunning combination of Kylie Chan’s action-packed storytelling and Queenie Chan’s illustrations and manga comics.

Thoughts

I love the combination of mediums in this novel. Flicking between prose and images makes this journey really fun and different. Especially when you place it within the context of the Dark Heavens series. Following Gold through the years and his ability to get into all kinds of trouble is entertaining to say the least. The fact that his numerous mistakes are accompanied by actual facial expressions, well, it’s priceless.

As well as the mixed medium, the storyline jumps between time periods. When it is telling the more modern-day story of Michelle and John, there is only prose. The characters that I have grown to love throughout the series are still only witnessed in my mind’s eye. Which I like, nothing destroys a series I have long loved more than being shown another’s image of what the character looks like… only to find out that someone else’s idea is completely different to my own. Yet, when the past is visited and the Gods are seen, there is some vivid and thoroughly enjoyable pictures which can accompany this. Not only do I like the fact that Leo, Emma and Simone aren’t really witnessed throughout this tale, but using pictures to tell a lot of one storyline and not another help to further distinguish between the two timelines and reduce the confusion.

I can remember reading White Tiger years and years ago. And I did kind of wonder just what Gold and Jade had done to be forced into servitude. I also wondered at what kind of woman Michelle was and how the relationship with her was so different to that of Emma’s relationship. This small prequel helps to answer a lot of the questions that I had when I started this series. It’s enjoyable to read this before or after reading the Dark Heavens trilogy. Or really at any point within the great Dark Heavens series.

 <- Black Scales, White Fur Review White Tiger Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Blood by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
The Blood

Title: The Blood
Author: Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
Series: Monstress #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Graphic novels, Steampunk
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: image
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Oh, no.

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Synopsis

Maika Halfwolf is on the run from a coalition of forces determined to control or destroy the powerful Monstrum that lives beneath her skin. But Maika still has a mission of her own: to discover the secrets of her late mother, Moriko.

In this second volume of MONSTRESS, collecting issues 7 – 12, Maika’s quest takes her to the pirate-controlled city of Thyria and across the sea to the mysterious Isle of Bones. It is a journey that will force Maika to reevaluate her past, present, and future, and contemplate whether there’s anyone, or anything, she can truly trust – including her own body.

Thoughts

I enjoyed this more than volume one of the Monstress series. Awakening was a great introduction, it was incredibly violent. And it was weirdly beautiful (especially considering the violence). But The Blood had a storyline that I found much more engaging, and a lot simpler to follow.

There was a lot more light in the panels of this novel – it acted as a brilliant counterpoint to Maika’s memories and internal conversations with the Monstrum. It also highlights the potential hope for the future, against the dark backdrop of her past. All interwoven in such beautifully illustrated panels that I frequently found myself stopping and staring at the pages, unable to move on until I had absorbed every minute detail.

The complexity of this picture story still makes me feel as though I have probably missed a lot in this reading. And I’m going to need to read it a few more times to really let the tale sink in. But, something about The Blood helped me to understand Maika’s world in a lot more detail than Awakening. Now to wait until the next volume is released…

 <- Awakening ReviewHaven Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Awakening by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Awakening

Title: Awakening
Author: Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
Series: Monstress #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Graphic novels, Steampunk
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: image
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Let us hope that will be enough to bring down this wild child.

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Synopsis

Set in an alternatie world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, Monstress tells the epic story of Maika Halfwolf, a teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the Arcanics. In the face of oppression and terrible danger, Maika is both hunter and hunted, searching for answers about her mysterious past as those who seek to use her remain just one step behind… and all the while, the monster within begins to awaken…

Thoughts

This is my first ever hardcore graphic novel. And, although it was seriously enjoyable, it was also a little twisted. A little confronting. And a little bit addictive.

I’ve read a few graphic novels before, but they are always an addition to a novel series. So the introduction and personification of the main character has already occurred. As has the world, and most the rules by which they live. To read a graphic novel that must do all of this from the outset with pictures was an interesting experience, and did I mention confusing? I think that this is one of those stories that the more times I look through it and read it, the more I’m going to notice about it.

I loved the imagery that was used in this graphic novel. It was a great mixture of anime-style drawings and what I imagine the world of steampunk would look like. There was a lot of violence in this, but it was beautifully, and a little disgustingly drawn. The emotions that are shown throughout the piece are great drivers of the story, and I can’t wait to read the next volume in this series.

 <- The Chosen ReviewThe Blood Review ->
Image source: Booktopia

Moon Called Volume 2 by Patricia Briggs & David Lawrence

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Moon Called Volume 2Title: Moon Called Volume 2
Author: Patricia Briggs & David Lawrence
Series: Mercedes Thompson #0.92
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Graphic novels, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Werewolves
Pace: Medium
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: A lone wolf like you would only have contact with…

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Synopsis

Mercy Thompson is a walker, a unique magical being with the ability to transform into a coyote. Her human neighbors view the fiercely independent female auto-mechanic as eccentric; to the town’s darker denizens, the werewolves, witches and vampires, she is prey.

But the greater predators have underestimated Mercy. She’s seen her friends assaulted, kidnapped, and killed as a war between werewolves erupts, and Mercy has had enough! Only she can unravel the secrets of the dark conspiracy that threatens them all, but can Mercy do it in time to save her friends… and herself? Scores are settled and secrets revealed in teh thrilling slimax of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson: Moon Called.

Thoughts

The second instalment of the graphic novel adaptation of Moon Called was even better than the first. Sort of. They were both amazing. Alright, maybe as good as the first. They were both amazing. The imagery is fantastic, the adaptation seems to add in what’s necessary, and leave out what’s not. The extra tale at the end positions this world alongside that of Alpha and Omega. And, well, it just all works out brilliantly.

One of the things I enjoyed about this graphic novel is the way that the very convoluted motives of Gerry (the villain) in the novel and places them within a simpler context. It’s difficult to take something that is quite complex and simplify it in a way that holds the essence of the original plot.

Sam, Adam and Stephen looked nothing like what I have pictured in my mind’s eye. And I will probably continue to picture them in my original way when I read the rest of the Mercedes Thompson novels. But, it was fun to see the same characters through a different person’s eyes. Weirdly enough, reading this graphic novel made me realise that I haven’t pictured Mercedes herself with much detail, since I normally follow along and watch the world through her own eyes.

<- Moon Called Volume 1 Review Moon Called Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Moon Called Volume 1 by Patricia Briggs & David Lawrence

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Moon Called Volume 1Title: Moon Called Volume 1
Author: Patricia Briggs & David Lawrence
Series: Mercedes Thompson #0.91
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Graphic novels, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Werewolves
Pace: Medium
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: And then –

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Synopsis

Mercy Thompson inhabits two worlds without truly belonging to either. To the human inhabitants of Tri-Cities she’s an oddity, a fiercely independent woman who repairs cars for a living. To the otwn’s darker residents; werewolves, vampires, and fae, she’s a walker, a last-of-her-kind magical being with the power to become a coyote. Mercy warily straddles the fine line dividing out everyday world from that darker dimension… until a boy, mauled by vicious werewolves and running for his life, appears at her door. now her two worlds are about to collide! Outnumbered and out-muscled, can Mercy possibly save the boy… or even herself?

Thoughts

I’ve lost count of the amount of times that I have read Moon Called. And I will probably read it a countless many more times. Which is why I was so excited when I found out that it had been turned into a graphic novel. After all, it’s a story that I love, I have thoroughly enjoyed Homecoming, and I’ve been on a bit of a graphic novel kick lately anyway.

And I wasn’t disappointed. Although Volume 1 only covers up to about the halfway point of Moon Called, it was done amazingly. I’m now itching to open up Volume 2 and take the rest of the adventure. The images are beautifully rendered, the aspects that have been included (and not included) cover every main point, without expanding a graphic novel ridiculously and the themes are touched upon perfectly.

I also love the extra little story that is included at the end of this novel. It covers Mac’s conversion to a werewolf and a part of his history. It’s briefly touched upon in Moon Called, but somehow the comic version of it really bought home the horrors of his experiences. Plus, the very different style with which this is drawn (compared to the rest of the graphic novel) helps to highlight that it is separate from the main story. I also found this short comic to be drawn in a more comical way, which helped to detract from the horribleness of Mac’s conversion to a werewolf.

<- Fairy Gifts Review Moon Called Volume 2 Review ->
Image source: Book Depository

Bounty Hunt by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Bounty Hunt

Title: Bounty Hunt
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #13.4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Graphic novels, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Subterranean Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Meanwhile at Stonehaven…

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Synopsis

After the Australian Pack murdered Reese William’s parents, the young werewolf fled and took refuge with the American Pack. Three years later, the Australians have tracked him down and dispatched a bounty hunter to bring him back. That bounty hunter, though, isn’t the lone wolf who owes them a debt, but his twenty-one-year-old daughter, Madison. Maddie is determined to bring in the rogue Reese for her ailing father. Now Reese has to show her the truth behind her client’s lies…and avoid being the cause of an all-out war for Elena and the rest of the American Pack.

Thoughts

I love a good graphic novel – one that works in with a series that I love. But also that has a beautiful storyline, great imagery and, in this case, the same great sass that I’m used to in the Women of the Otherworld series. The fact that this brings us back to Reese’s predicament with the Australian pack, just makes it a much more enrapturing visual story.

Reese’s past is shown beautifully in Chivalrous, and it’s kind of a sad tale, but, ultimately it takes Reese to Elena. So, when bounty hunters come to the USA to take him back down under and kill him, the story has an almost more tragic turn. Luckily, Reese is wary enough after his experiences to be wary of the beautiful new girl in his life. And his trust in Elena lets her help him to overcome the hunt and another shard of his past can be healed.

Although the majority of this series is based in the USA, there is a sense of the global supernatural community throughout the series. Bounty Hunt just drives the constantly changing world of globalisation and how it impacts us all.

<- BrazenForsaken ->

Image source: Goodreads

Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Welcome to the JungleTitle: Welcome to the Jungle
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Graphic novel, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Wizards
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Ballantine books
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Like the man said… “Smile, you son of a bitch.”

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Synopsis

When the supernatural world spins out of control, when the police can’t handle what goes bump in the night, when monsters come screaming out of nightmares and into the mean streets, there’s just one man to call: Harry Dresden, the only professional wizard in the Chicago phone book. A police consultant and private investigator, Dresden has to walk the dangerous line between the world of night and the light of day.

Now Harry Dresden is investigating a brutal mauling at the Lincoln Park Zoo that has left a security guard dead and many questions unanswered. As an investigator of the supernatural, he senses that there’s more to this case than a simple animal attack, and as Dresden searches for clues to figure out who is really behind the crime, he finds himself next on the victim list, and being hunted by creatures that won’t leave much more than a stain if they catch him.

Written exclusively for comics by Jim Butcher, The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle is a brand-new story that’s sure to enchant readers with a blend of gripping mystery and fantastic adventure.

Thoughts

I love a good graphic novel. Especially when it’s one that features a much loved character from a series that I’ve quickly become obsessed with.

Graphic novels as an addition to a series of novels can be kind of risky – they are very different ways of telling a story, and sometimes it just doesn’t translate well across the two mediums. And, quite frankly, that’s what I was half expecting from Welcome to the Jungle. After all, the thing that I love most about The Dresden Files is Harry’s wit and sass. And, of course, the immensely awkward positions he gets into. And most of these are told through his voice. So, I was a little curious (not to mention tentative) about how this really distinctive voice and character would be translated into images. Pictures might tell a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to be a good thousand words… but I worried for no reason. This medium worked amazingly.

“Welcome to the jungle, bitch.” – possibly one of the best and sassiest lines that Dresden has delivered in our short acquaintance.

<- A Restoration of Faith Review Storm Front Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Becoming by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

becoming

Title: Becoming
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #0.9
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Graphic novels, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Subterranean Press
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Danvers, Kate

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Synopsis

This graphic novella tells the story of Elena’s “becoming” a werewolf—that dark period from the time Clay bites her through her escape to Toronto.

Thoughts

I can understand why Armstrong didn’t want to turn the tales of Elena’s turning into a short story. Whilst I was always curious about those months, even year after she was bitten, reading the story would have been depressing in the extreme. However, displaying this story as a graphic novel not only helps to impart the violence, anguish and confusion of the time, it also allowed a window into the experiences of Elena and helped to explain some of her actions throughout Bitten.

Displaying Becoming as a graphic novel not only assisted in highlighting the violence and emotional turmoil that Elena went through in her change, but it also helped to wade through a lot of the heady repetition that such a tale would have required. I spent an amazing hour reading this again and again as I looked through the amazing artwork. Every time I glanced over an image, I was able to find another aspect of the artwork that I had missed.

 <- BeginningsThe Case of the Half-Demon Spy ->

Image source: Goodreads

Homecoming by Patricia Briggs

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Homecoming

Title: Homecoming
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercedes Thompson #0.4, Mercy-verse #2
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Graphic novels, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Werewolves
Pace: Medium
Format: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: He’s hardly even a snack.

Synopsis

Mercy Thompson is a walker, a magical being with the power to transform into a coyote. She lives on the fine line dividing the everyday world from a darker dimension, observing the supernatural community while standing apart.

When Mercy travels to the Tri-Cities of Washington for a job interview, she quickly finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a gang war between rival packs of werewolves. And as if fangs and fur weren’t bad enough, Mercy must deal with the scariest creature of all: her mother, who is convinced that Mercy is making a mess of her life and determined to set her daughter on the right course.

Thoughts

This is the first graphic novel that I have read in my adult life, possibly my entire life. And I found it really enjoyable. I’m not hunting out other comics / graphic novels that will capture my fancy. Although I still don’t think that anything can replace a good, solid book. Homecoming was the origin story of one of my favourite fantasy characters – Mercedes Thompson. I’ve loved her from the moment I read Moon Called and this love affair has extended to all of Patricia Briggs’ books.

I thought that visiting Mercy Thompson’s first days in the Tri-Cities and telling the full story that is alluded to in the series, was a really nice concept. And doing this in a graphic form was such a novel idea to me (I’m sure many other authors have done this, just none that I’m currently obsessed with). Some of the storyline was not what I expected – I didn’t realise that there was a competition for control of the Tri-Cities for example when she first moved in. But so many details from the books were beautifully illustrated on these pages.

The characters in the graphic novel look nothing like what I pictured – but I think that that’s the beauty of writing – you can create your own images as you read. I had a similar experience with the Harry Potter books and movies. I’ve read a few reviews that said that this completely put them off, but I just found it to be a different take on what I was already visualising.

This was a nice, quick, easy to read story that I was able to digest on a car ride into the city. I liked the simplicity and the ease of access to Mercy’s story and thought that this was a great little addition to a series that I am already WAY too obsessed with.

<- SilverGray ->

Image source: Patricia Briggs