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Book Review: Alabaster Shadows by Matt Gardner and Rashad Doucet

Alabaster Shadows by Matt Gardner and Rashad Doucet

Oni Press, 2016

ISBN: 9781620102640

Available: Paperback,  Kindle edition, comiXology

 

In this all-ages graphic novel, the Normandy family moves to a new neighborhood. The children, older brother Carter and little sister Polly, are nervous and excited about their new place. Upon arriving, they are welcomed by Mr. Randolph and Miss Crowe, his receptionist. Miss Crowe, who is clearly unenthusiastic about children, is also the head of the Community Council. Mr. Randolph, who seems to know there is something odd about the neighborhood, pointedly asks Carter and Polly to let him know if they see anything strange.

Carter is the first one to notice something out of place: a mysterious leak in the basement. The leak is walled up by the Community Council in his absence,  but Carter, returning before the mortar has fully dried, pulls a few bricks out of the wall to discover a giant water droplet hovering in the air: a portal to another world.

Carter is joined by Polly and a group of neighborhood kids on his journey to discover what is going on in his crazy neighborhood, Harley is the Mulder for the group; her brother Warren, is a devoted skeptic; and Dudley is a shy boy who sits at the back of the classroom, where he draws a mythical creature on his desk that he claims lives under his bed. Together, they solve problems through the dreamscape, decipher an ancient language with the help of a mysterious ring, and face shadowy monsters along the way.

The story has numerous Lovecraftian elements to it, which made it very enjoyable for me. The fact that it’s a great story for multiple age and reading levels is a bonus. I’ve been hunting for horror-themed graphic novels in particular for my youngest nephews, and this one fits the bill perfectly. The artwork is bright and colorful, without being garish, and the monsters are pretty great. This book also offers some needed diversity in graphic novels as Carter and Polly’s parents are a biracial couple.

Polly quickly became my favorite character when she faced one of these monsters after earning a separate detention from her brother’s, but I’ll leave that for you to find out what happens. I’m looking forward very much to the next book.

Highly recommended

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker


Posted on December 18, 2016 by , Reply

Book Review: Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu, artwork by Sana Takeda

Monstress, Volume 1 written by Marjorie Liu, artwork by Sana Takeda

Image Comics, 2016

ISBN: 9951632157096

Available: Kindle ebook, print

Monstress, Volume 1 collects issues 1-6 of a fantastic comic written by Marjorie Liu and drawn by Sana Takeda. The story is set in an alternate vision of 1900’s Asia, and includes elements of steampunk, kaiju, and horror fiction. The world includes humans, monsters, and magical creatures, existing in a constant state of struggle and war. The animal-hybrid Arcanics and the Cumea witch-nuns are at the center of this war. The Cumea capture, auction, or buy Arcanics for reprehensible experiments, slavery, or worse. The story opens with Maika Halfwolf, a teenage girl who is discovering her mysterious past, up for auction. A high ranking member of the Cumea takes her, and a few other Arcanics, back to her mistress’s palace. The sorceress doesn’t know it, but the taking of Maika will turn out to be a deadly mistake for her captors. Upon her escape, Maika rescues the tiny, skittish, fox girl, Kippa. They are joined by the ever-present badass of a cat, Master Ren.

I love horror comics, and Monstress has quickly become my favorite comic series for this genre. Liu has created a rich, dark world, and characters are fascinating. Maika, throughout the story, remains stalwart and aloof, despite her class status in this world. This manages to be a strength as much as a weakness. She’s cold and calculating, even when such a demeanor is not warranted, and puts her at odds with her “betters.” Since Kippa is a child, she exudes innocence and cuteness. Maika does her best to be patient with her, which is to say she isn’t. No matter how badly Maika treats her, Kippa doesn’t give up on her. Master Ren is a talking cat, who seems to appear when he is needed the most. He’s protective and mysterious, and knows more than he communicates.

Takeda’s artwork is, in a word, exquisite. There is so much detail in the panels, and every page is in full color. The book took me three times as it normally takes me to get through a comic because I just wanted to drink in the artwork. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

I can’t get enough of this series. Highly recommended.

Contains: blood, violence

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker


Posted on October 26, 2016 by , 1 comment

Book Review: A Feast of Sorrows: Stories by Angela Slatter

A Feast of Sorrows: Stories by Angela Slatter

Prime Books, 2016

ISBN: 9781607014744

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Australian author and World Fantasy and British Fantasy award winner Angela Slatter’s A Feast of Sorrows is her first U.S. collection and contains fourteen dark fairy tales. This collection includes stories full of strong girls and women, fairy tale retellings, and Gothic themes. Her stories are a blend of horror and fantasy, and it is hard to pick a favourite out of this collection.

In “Light as Mist, Heavy as Hope,” a maiden leaves her home after her father strikes a bargain with a member of royalty whose coffers are drying up quickly. The lovely maiden, whose mother is long dead, is rumored to be able to spin straw into gold, but her mother is the key to her salvation. “Bluebeard’s Daughter” melds the traditional Bluebeard story with Snow White and Hansel and Gretel. “Sourdough” gives us the tale of Emmaline, who bakes pieces of art for a living. She and her mother are called upon by to compete with another bakery in town to supply a wedding with baked goods. The groom, Peregrine, is smitten with Emmaline and they begin a clandestine affair. Peregrine’s fiancé, who garnered the nickname the fox bride, is not pleased and makes her stance on their relationship known. In “The Jacaranda Wife,” an estate owner finds a mysterious woman sleeping under the jacaranda tree on his property. They eventually wed, but he becomes jealous of the grove she spends so much time in and has all of the lovely trees cut down. She’s in agony without the trees, and eventually returns home after the housekeeper leads her to the lone jacaranda tree that the master missed. A coffin maker, haunted by the ghost of her father, takes on a job to bury a widow’s husband in “The Coffin-Maker’s Daughter.” She is in love with the young widow, and thinks the feelings are mutual. They are not, but the coffin maker ensures their ties will be difficult to undo.

Slatter’s storytelling is fascinating and gripping. From the first tale to the last, I couldn’t put this book down. It becomes clear throughout that all of the stories take place in the same universe, as we see familiar characters or settings make an appearance in other tales. Highly recommended

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker


Posted on October 13, 2016 by , Reply
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