This book wasn't great, though the last 4-6 chapters were exciting and better. It has some majorly problematic pitfalls though. It falls into the dominance trap common in romance: the readers hear the woman's inner dialogue excited by near violence so it doesn't seem inappropriate, but the male character can't hear that, so yes, awful and gross. By the end of the book the violent twist is pretty much gone, but I strongly disliked her love interest through the first half of the book, and at-best tolerated him through the second half. Possessive and violent aren't my thing and I'm a little done with romance novels selling them as sexy. It's too bad because the world building, plot, mythical elements, and the female lead are all pretty great. Basically I want this as a fantasy adventure book without the romance.

My son and I have been reading comics together for a while now but this is the first large volume graphic novel series we've take it on. It's possibly a bit above his age but he's mature and it's not so much inappropriate as it is just sort of sad or intense. I find myself really enjoying the story and some of the art is unbelievably streaking. Tonight he begged to go to the library immediately to check out the next one and I had to break the news to him that they closed 40 minutes ago 😂

Finished volume two with my son tonight. I keep worrying that these are going to be too scary or intense for him but he is just in love. I really like the trust the mother has in her children, the spirit of family togetherness, and their sense of adventure and moral responsibility. Emily and Navin remind me a bit (flip flopped) of my Maxwell and Eleanor. I’m loving that we have these to read together from the library!

And now there’s a character named Max and my son lost his mind, and then panicked “what if he’s a bad guy?!” “Buddy, if he’s honorable we’ll know he’s a good guy just like you, but if he’s a bad guy, well at least they always get the good one liners.” “Thanks mom.” #readaloud #MaxMom

Reading these my son is so special. Art and story continue to be great!