fareehareads's reviews
119 reviews

I love a good paranatural ghost busting story. The art style is literally my favorite combo, simplistic yet detailed in expressions and backgrounds. It felt so warm and cozy, I found myself taking a minute to admire so many pages. Especially the nature panels, I was so shocked at the detail, it really looked like a painting at times. As for the plot itself, the pacing was already well done even though I kept getting frustrated that she wasn't telling her dad she could see ghosts. Like I get why but I was still frustrated on her behalf whenever she got in trouble lol. Also the details with the character design before figuring out

Oliver's ancestry, he really did look so much like his aunt, I usually never can tell in comics but the artist did a great job 

 

Another element I liked was yhe library research scene, it was actually so fun, I've really been loving stories that include archival research. Overall great comic, will definitely look into the writers and illustrator! 

Thank you netgalley and Harperalley Books for a copy of this comic.

I've really been enjoying Laura Gao's work. This coming of age story is full of heart, following Kirby Tan, a girl with a lot of pressure and anxiety from her grief stricken family, her overbearing church aunts, her struggles with internalized homophobia stemming from church, a strained relationship with her mother, to the woes of having a crush on a girl in the school's journalism club. I really liked how this story showed all the different aspects of her life as one large beating heart rather than these separate parts, it made it feel like a much more grounded story than other YA graphics I've read. Every character was so wonderful to meet.

Kirby is on hiatus from her rock climbing passion after an injury, and joins the journalism club to have something to do and somehow, starts a love advice column for the club along with her crush. It leads to way more than Kirby ever expected. Not only do we get to see her grow confident in expressing her feelings to her friends and crush, we also get to see her relationship to her mother transform as she becomes more honest with herself. I highly recommend checking it out when it releases!

This volume really sets up what's to come as a war is brewing between the arcanics & humans. We learn about Maika's father, a power hungry Halfwolf that clearly has ulterior motives as he meets his daughter and attempts to get her to join his cause. Maika learns more about her companion Zinn, and continues to really hate everyone's terrible decisions around her as there is clearly an overarching godess sized problem coming for all of the races that are warring. By the end, Maika, Ren, Kippa, Corvin and Vihn have formed somewhat of an alliance for this fight against the gods. Also Tuya continues to be the most confusing and morally questionable character in this whole story. Maika still has no idea she's the Baroness and has betrayed her, been tricking her, and is fully married to her creepy aunt. So many layers to how fucked up their relationship is, I can't wait to see their "reunion".

First of all, the growing bond between Maika and Zinn is actually like so entertaining to watch, they're so similar sometimes. Kippa remains the moral grounding of this entire story and I'm so sad she's been abducted, I have a feeling this won't be the last time. The female tiger/shark pirate characters are DOING SOMETHING TO ME I love the design so much. The plot thickens as Maika continues to change as she discovers more about her lineage and the first Halfwolf. Ren continues to be kinda shady and I have a feeling after this last betrayal with Kippa missing, we'll see him turn around a bit. Maika's kill count just like quadrupled in one go, so that doesn't bode well for her trajectory as my fav lesbian protagonist (I defend her to the death tho) We'll see how this goes !

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for an advance copy of this title for review!

This was possibly my favorite read of the month. It follows a full-time comic artist named Maya who is going through the motions at her job and reaching an artistic block. She rarely leaves the house except to check in on her best friend Juu and his constant romantic woes. One day a strange little creature crashes through her living room window and thus begins a journey between Maya and the little intruder, Soma, who team up together to save the world from alien invasion. The perspective shots, the colors, the animated expressions and fluid motion between the panels, every part of this comic is so well illustrated and was genuinely inspiring to read. The message itself was also a sweet one by the end. I would highly recommend it to fans of choose your own adventure stories, or general fantasy fans.

Ahh this was so cuteeee.

I love reading about artists and I rarely find stories about sapphic webcomic artists specifically. It was so sweet the way Noah and Sage's relationship grew, their dynamic was adorable. Also all the real shit they both had to deal with in their own lives really grounded the story. The audio experience was really fun. I have no idea when I'll get around to a romance book next, but this was really enjoyable. Would definitely recommend.

Vol 2: We follow Maika as she seeks answers about the mysterious circumstances around her mother's death. She is still haunted by the memory of her mother, the life she had before the war, and the friend she left behind. By now, we know that her old friend Tuya is actually the Baroness of the Last Dusk and is currently hunting Maika down, but Maika doesn't know about this betrayal yet. We meet Seizi who is, at this point, the only character that genuinely cares about Maika's well-being since he raised her like his own goddess daughter, it was kind of endearing to see she had some semblance of family despite her clearly fucked up past. (Also young Maika was so cute, her mom was such a bitch) We learn a bit more about Zinn, the monster inside of her who seems just as lost as she does, they really mirror each other in ways that feel like it'll be important to the story later. We learn about Maika's lineage as she visits an isle in the mist that has more questions than answers (and a very annoying blood fox). I'm loving the pacing so far, the companion characters definitely add some levity to an ultimately gritty journey as Maika continues to eat people like every other day. Also I must say, nekomancers are just the most clever cat named lore and I love all the interludes we get about the cats. The monsters design was so reminiscent of manga with the eyes and vine-like limbs, I love that we got to see the monsters in full form through memories. Can't wait for more monster battles. Also Tuya is freaking me out and I hope she's actually not evil or something because I don't think our girl can handle more deceit and betrayal. She's barely holding it together.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of Arcane: The Lost Heir

This one read like a debut, which isn't a negative, but the pacing felt like this was the work of an illustrator who decided to make a sequential series. So much of making comics is not only about what is included on the panel, but what is kept from the reader off panel. Especially as you're telling a story with so many characters and interactions. The actual style itself was very pretty, but I would say some fluidity and pacing work is needed to make it a more compelling read. 

That being said, the story itself follows Eli Jones, who has recently discovered that he has magical abilities and starts to practice using them alone in an abandoned house that he is drawn to for reasons he doesn't know yet. In comes the romantic interest, James, a member of the Arcana — an organization of witches that protects the magical world, run by a mysterious council that is definitely hiding something.  James is sent by the Arcana to investigate the new magic user and Eli is thrown into this world that leads him to finding about his lineage, his abilities, and a new romance. 

It's a solid potline and I thought some side characters were endearing, but overall it wasn't my favorite read. I'd probably recommend this to fans of middle grade witch series like Mamo, Hooky, or even Seance Tea Party. It is a bit mature in content, but I'd recommend it for teens +. There are queer and trans characters and relationships throughout the story.

“How does one whom history has made a monster escape her monstrosity? How does one overcome the monstrousness of others without succumbing to a rising monstrousness within?” 

I first read this story years ago for a college class. In it, I was specifically analyzing the style of Sana Takeda's work and how she used dark imagery to convey a message beyond the panel. I was struck by her work and how immediately different her pages felt from other gritty comics I've read before. But rereading this now, I am struck more by the writing. The questions posed by Marjorie Liu on how this story came to be touch on a theme that is often overlooked. So many of the epic fantasy stories I read tend to center on themes of colonialism, resistance, acts of violence committed by occupying forces, and those enacted in response. Typically, the ending is vague, not particularly siding with the resistance forces, nor are they painting the warmongers in a positive light. Some writers tend to keep things as disconnected from the true question at the center. This series does something different in the medium I enjoy the most. Volume one sets up the world, the types of beings that reside on it, and whose siding with who in this war. Maika Halfwolf is caught in a war between humans and Arcanics, struggling to find out her true identity and the reason she has this insatiable hunger inside her. She is plagued by dreams of a past she can not grasp, and is haunted by a literal demon that is attempting to control her from within. She is hunted and hated by most beings around her and yet has found a couple companions in the form of a cat (ancient and wise beings in this universe)  and a young arcanic called Kippa (the only pure soul in this entire story) who stick beside her as she embarks on her journey. I can't wait to continue her story, I'll be keeping that question on monstrosity within at the back of my mind as I dive in.