This week’s mini review round-up includes the following:
- m/m new adult romance graphic novel
- adult feminist fantasy anthology graphic novel
- YA action/fantasy graphic novel
- adult m/m contemporary graphic novel
TITLE: Star Collector, Vol. 2
AUTHOR: Sophie Schonhammer
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
AGE RANGE: New AdultFynn’s favorite activities are skipping class, smoking, and lying around. So when he’s told it’s time to shape up and try doing something else for a change, he has no idea where to even start. Then, on a nighttime walk around his neighborhood, he sees a stranger with a telescope up on a hill: his name is Niko, and he loves to watch the stars. Intrigued, Flynn decides to find out more about this nerdy boy and what could be so interesting about the night sky.
The first volume of this series was absolutely adorable perfection, but this one didn’t quite live up to the same level for me! I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary drama, and honestly, this volume made it hard to like Niko as much as I liked him to begin with, because, while I do totally get that his family life has gone to hell and he’s in a lot of pain, the way he treats Fynn at times is really unfair.
All of that said, I still love Fynn, I valued the emphasis on safe sex and the fact that Niko never gave Fynn a hard time when he wasn’t ready, and I think these two lil’ beans are super precious so I really wish there was going to be a volume 3. ?
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
TITLE: Wayward Sisters
EDITOR: Allison O’Toole
GENRE: Fantasy
AGE RANGE: AdultWelcome to the world of Wayward Sisters, a celebration of non-binary and women characters who are indelicate, impolite, irrepressible… and a little bit monstrous. Inside you’ll find demons balancing duty and family, undead motivational speakers, mermaids hunted for their meat, and a gentle T. Rex looking for love. These twenty-five stories put new and provocative spins on frightful fiends, mythological creatures, and monsters like you’ve never seen before!
This was absolutely INCREDIBLE. I knew I would love it from the moment I heard of it, but I didn’t know I would love it this much. Wayward Sisters is, as the full title explains, an anthology of monstrous women, but it’s more than that, too: it’s a collection of graphic novel shorts, all written and illustrated by different creators (all of whom are women and trans people!). Each story features a different woman (or trans individual, I think) who’s “monstrous” in their own way, whether they’re a werewolf, a siren, a zombie, or something a bit more subtle.
There are a lot of separate stories in here, so I won’t go through them all, but I did want to mention my favorites. It was a tough list to narrow down, because honestly, it could’ve easily been most of the anthology, but these were the top-tier picks for me that I just adored so much:
→ Low Tide — M. Blankier & Helen Robinson:
Miss Clara’s new nursery charge has a strange secret, but Clara’s going to do whatever she must to take care of this odd little girl.
→ Zira and the Little Fire — Katie Shanahan:
Life as an orc has been hard for Zira — she’s just so hungry all the time, and people keep running her out of their towns for the way she looks! — but things get a lot more cheery when a little fire spirit befriends her and convinces her that the villagers aren’t the only ones being mean to Zira.
→ Tinseltown — Allison O’Toole & Emmanuelle Chateauneuf:
Old Hollywood isn’t known for its fair treatment of women (especially women of color), but one upcoming actress is going to make it right in the only way she knows how: by force.
→ Lost & Found — Saffron Aurora:
An adorable, hard-working Franken-girl is so busy with her new job, she’s forgotten to take care of herself, until she loses one of her hands!
→ Bad Hair Day — Cassandra Khaw & C. Ann Gordon:
Ladies supporting ladies, metaphors for depression, and what I feel is the beginning of a beautiful queer romance? *swoon* Soo Ying wants to make friends, but the monster living in her hair has convinced her nobody can ever care about her — until a beautiful, bold woman named Siti teaches her something entirely new.
→ Best Boo — Megan Kearney:
A couple of young girls wind up at the cemetery late at night to conjure up a spirit, but there’s a really precious twist. Girls supporting girls forever, please.
→ Date Night — Allison Bannister, Ronnie Ritchie, & Meaghan Carter:
Dating isn’t easy when you’re a gigantic lizard-lady and your date is some boring, basic guy who can’t appreciate your rockin’ bod or your amazing robot-defeating skills. Luckily for this dino, someone else has their eye on her.
→ Light Pollution — iguanamouth:
I can’t even describe this one, because it has no dialogue, no real plot to speak of, and whatever’s happening is… vague and a little strange? But it has beautiful art and one of the cutest little alien-type things I’ve ever seen in my life, and something about it was just so heartwarming.
Thank you so much to TO Comix for providing me with this GORGEOUS finished copy in exchange for an honest review!
TITLE: Mera: Tidebreaker
AUTHOR: Danielle Paige
GENRE: Action/Fantasy
AGE RANGE: YAMera is teenage royalty, heir to the throne of Xebel, the other not-so-lost colony under the sea. But Mera is destined to wear a different crown, that of Atlantis. When the inhabitants of Xebel plot to overthrow their homeland of Atlantis, Mera is sent to kill the heir to the throne, Arthur Curry. As the unrest between their colonies grows, Mera and Arthur unexpectedly fall in love…will Arthur Curry be the king at Mera’s side in Atlantis, or will he die under her blade?
I should preface this review by saying, at the time of writing this review (January 2019), I’ve yet to see the new Aquaman film and I have no familiarity with these characters and storyline. I don’t know if that made me more or less likely to enjoy this standing on its own, but I thought it was a pretty fun story regardless. Mera is a fairly stereotypical, run-of-the-mill superhero/princess type, and there’s really nothing about this story or these characters that stands out as original, unique, or creative, but despite all of that, it’s a likeable (if predictable) plotline with really stunning artwork. If you’re looking for something to blow you away, I doubt it’ll be Mera: Tidebreaker, but if you’re just looking for a good time with some action and a cool oceanic setting, she’s your girl.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
TITLE: Dream Daddy
AUTHOR: Leighton Gray
GENRE: Contemporary
AGE RANGE: AdultDream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator invites the player to Maple Bay, where they play as a single Dad new to town and eager to romance other hot Dads. The comic series tells five standalone stories, each focused on different Maple Bay Dads, their kids, and their relationships with one another.
A must-read for any fans of the Dream Daddy game!
This was absolutely adorable, hilarious, and so heart-warming. It follows the different dads of Dream Daddy – sometimes in relationships with one another, sometimes as rivals or friends – and is unapologetically diverse, queer as hell, and gorgeous, to boot. I love Dream Daddy so I was absolutely ecstatic to see this graphic novel’s existence, and I’ll definitely be purchasing a finished copy for my shelves when it releases!
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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