A fun, light spooky adventure for those that love the vibes of Halloween but aren't really looking to be scared. The setting feels almost like Halloweentown in a way, filled with paranormal denizens from witches to werewolves and all the creatures you can imagine. 

Eve is a likable enough protagonist, trying to find her place among the residents and within the domain of the surly, but well meaning Pumpkin King. With her new friends, a vampire that dreams of snacking on something other than blood and an accident prone witch, she tries to uncover the a plot meant to overthrow the Pumpkin King and throw the entire town into danger.

I was mostly pulled into the book through the cover art, which already promises a lot for those that enjoy an autumnal vibe. The story feels fairly standard, its twist I think decent enough for the target audience and gives enough clues and red herrings to keep them guessing along the way. 

I think I would have enjoyed more insight into Eve's life at the orphanage before being adopted by the Pumpkin King. She always mentioned how isolated she was and that she was never picked due to her night terrors, but it seemed a little too flimsy to me. We are immediately introduced to Eve during her escape, so there wasn't really much time to explore what her average life was before the story really begins. 

Other than that, it's simply okay. Not sure if I'll continue the series but I may if the plot calls to me.

Was a big fan of Cornelia Funke as a kid so I was interested in seeing what her newer books offered. This one really didn't hook me in like the others, mainly because it tells more of a down to earth story than these immersive fantasies that I connected to more. I think it'll definitely have its readers among the intended audience but I'm just going to give it a pass.

Water Moon expertly balances having a compelling, break neck story while also being emotionally evocative in its slower, more reflective moments. I will admit that there may be a little too many twists and revelations in the book's last 50 pages, but all of them stuck their landings being built up and paid off in a satisfying way. I think this is definitely a book you will want to read more than once just to see how all the pieces fit together. 

Look I love me a good "down with capitalism" graphic novel complete with gay vampires, truly disturbing imagery, and a female lead that's really not about to take any guff from anyone. The symbolism I think is a tad on the nose, but you know what, I really had fun with this one. The art style is very atmospheric, I love the way the visuals get more abstract the more the horror elements start to sink in. 

Our villain is unrepentingly evil, which is always fun. Though he's always smiling, he's still so expressive with varying emotions. 

I'm really looking forward to what else Taylor Robin has in store with this crew! I would love to see more!

More weird stuff from Gerard Way. Absolutely wonderful. Give me more.

Love the use of green along with the black and white. Really makes the manga pop and give it an identity. I can definitely relate to the old rockers in the cd shop looking at Mitsuki and Aya going "Ah, the youths." Their chemistry was adorable and I am interested to see what their relationship will look like going forward. 

I've been meaning to get to this series for ages as it's a pretty big title in the urban fantasy scene and, well, it certainly hits all the hallmarks. I was unimpressed by Atticus, our millennia old druid protagonist, because he's just too good at...everything. Man has two kinds of plot armor, many magical mcguffins, and somehow the charisma to make every woman around him want to jump his bones. It never felt like he struggled at all throughout the book and at best was mildly inconvenienced. There weren't really any stakes because Atticus always felt on top of it all, even when he didn't have all the pieces together. It's not really engaging or exciting, just a magical to do list to survive.

At least the dog was cute.

I absolutely love it when the two nerds fall for each other. Even better when it's in a spooky manor beset by malevolent Fairy Kings, mysterious book conspiracies, and possible ghosts? This is my first Ava Reid book even though I technically own at least three of them? This is at least the first I've gotten to based on vibes and really they are immaculate if you're looking for a low fantasy dark academia mystery. 

Just a fairly standard middle of the road kind of book for me. The mystery aspect was sufficient and the vibes of the Bend were a little ooky spooky like they needed to be. I think I enjoyed Della's chapters more, just because I preferred her perspective and style of narration. 

The magic I think could have been better explained.

It makes sense that it would be a family magic since Della's family started it, but does it work for anyone who attunes to the land? I mean, that's kind of how this mess started with Gage. Kind of odd making him a beast was framed sort of as a punishment when it just made him a better killer. Dunno, seems counterintuitive.