Petit : The Ogre Gods – Hubert Boulard & Bertrand Gatignol (Review)

The giants are getting smaller. Once, they were titanic near-immortal beings, warriors and philanthropists. Now, each inbred generation is smaller than the last, and as they decline physically, they decline morally as well, becoming more brutish, more cannibalistic, and more obsessed with restoring their diminishing size. They rule swinishly over a half-ruined city where humans are food and servants.

Petit is the youngest and smallest of the giants, shunned by his own race and feared by the humans for his violent outbursts and occasional consumption of human flesh. The book follows his growth to adulthood in a decaying society, navigating the brutal ogre court and his own divided nature.

Continue reading “Petit : The Ogre Gods – Hubert Boulard & Bertrand Gatignol (Review)”

Ladycastle – Delilah Dawson & Ashley A. Woods (Review)

A paradise of green hills and beautiful women; the little town full of bustle and work; the sound of music in the air. And then a man arrives, as they are wont to do, bringing panic and disruption in his wake.

Ladycastle is a graphic novel all about how much trouble men cause: a refreshingly honest take on the classic fairytales. The Disney-style musical number that introduces the characters is a blunt account, in their own words, of how bad things are in the kingdom of men. I’ve got a lot of time for this approach. Continue reading “Ladycastle – Delilah Dawson & Ashley A. Woods (Review)”

The Sleeper and the Spindle – Neil Gaiman

The Sleeper And The Spindle, Neil Gaiman, Chris RiddellThis book is beautiful in every way that a book can be – it has gorgeous prose, rich illustrations, and is, in addition, an extremely pleasing physical object. Even the dust-cover is gorgeous, and supports the overall aesthetic. It joins my small collection of books that are almost too beautiful to read.

I didn’t seek it out – I hadn’t even heard of it until it arrived at my doorstep. It came as a present, marking no particular event or anniversary. It was an extremely welcome surprise. Continue reading “The Sleeper and the Spindle – Neil Gaiman”