The dialogue is fun and quirky and pokes fun at RPG/fantasy tropes. The Wizerd character is my favorite. They’re cool, calm, collected, and unbothered. Overall, the art style is an acquired taste, but I think the characters and the story are charming though erratic.

Kingdom of Souls has a very slow beginning and a lot of world-building to digest but with some very nice plot-twists and suspense as well. I really liked Rudjek and Arrah much more than I should have for some reason. When Arrah gets all flustered around him, I can't help but go "aww." In addition, I loved the relationship between Arrah and her father.

Now, this isn't a very satisfying story, and I'm not talking about the writing/plot. It's just Arrah's life is tragedy after tragedy. As soon as something good happens, 12 worse things rear their head. This story could possibly beat you down.

Spoiler Section:

Um... Y'know that part when there's a twisted-demonic reversal of Mary getting pregnant with Jesus. Chile, what was that!?! 0___O Aarti is something else, I tell you.

GOSH, I wanted to strangle Efiya so badly. When Rudjek and Arrah's relationship (who had been acting dry as toast) was about to get some payoff, the climax of their love story, URGGGGHHHH! To be honest, I wish this part hadn't even been there. The way that the whole thing went down is just terrible for all parties included (except you vile beast Efiya who I feel no sympathy for). Why?

Can you imagine being tricked into sleeping with someone who you thought was your loved one?

Efiya is bland. Don't nobody care about you.

Also, people cannot stay dead in this story for anything haha. xD

Overall, if you don't mind long stories where optimism is bleak, then I recommend it.

There's a lot going on here, but I liked reading it, I think. From RPG tropes, existentialism(?), philosophy, time loops, man playing God, and searching for a purpose/higher meaning, this story tries to tackle it.

3.5

Lovely art style. This is slice of life centered around "punny" vampire/werewolf jokes. If you're not familar with general vamp and werewolf knowledge, the jokes may not be as funny to you.

The ending is majorly rushed, but kids will probably like the conclusion.

SN: The warrior women were soooo pretty!

2.5

Charming story with lovely artwork, especially if you like European architecture.

Cilla, an optimistic kitten, sets out to find the famous quiet garden with her friend Betto. The entire journey to see whether the garden truly exists is only half the fun. The friendship between the kittens and the backdrop of paintings was so endearing to me.

Lovely book with a capable, young MC! Maya gets sad and feels beat down often (of course, with these heavy circumstances), but she's got a righteous determination. I loved the cranky granny twins, but Frankie and Eli were a bit bland. I would love to see them more fleshed out in a sequel. The plot feels slowwww at times, but ultimately I recommend this book for any young fantasy-lover.

SN: The cover's by GDBee. My god, I love all her artwork ❤❤❤

3.5^

I loved it! A little boy, who has read every book in his small village, sets off on his first adventurer's journey. What makes this story different is its core. There's a lot of heart here. Consequences are real and weigh heavily on all the characters, but there's a message of forgiveness too.

Outside of Timo, each character design is fun and magical. I enjoyed this journey from beginning to end. Usually, kid adventurers aren't the most level-headed, but Timo, though naive, is smart and kind-hearted.

5/5 stars

It’s good. A combination of confronting death and serious decision-making coupled with hard street life (y’know, snitches get stitches type of stuff). Our main character Will is consumed with revenge after his brother is shot and killed, and some ghosts of his past try to seriously reason with him. I’m starting to get a soft spot for books written in verse. I liked the watercolor artwork and thought it worked as well. Still, if this were not in graphic novel form, I would not have read this. There’s some merit to adding illustrations to heavier stories because it invites new readers.

This is no slight on the Long Way Down, but I’m exhausted with these types of stories. I would never discredit the harsh realities some of us face, but there needs to be more variety/escapism. I’m tired of these struggle life stories. Can you say draining?