Author: Oliver Bly
Artist: Oliver Bly
Colorist: Steph Snow, Anna Marie Navaja
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Released: March 5, 2024
Find it on Goodreads | More Graphic Novels
Summary:
A girl stumbles across something magical while on a relatively quiet adventure through the forest. There are many sentient fungi in this world, and they have been sworn to protect their woods/biome.
Gowlitrot the Gardener was designed to investigate the biome’s unknowns and potential threats. What he finds is much more than they could have ever expected.
Review:
The Mushroom Knight Vol. 1 is an interesting story about the organic side of magic. That’s a fascinating concept, so I knew I had to dive in right away (see my side note on why that was a mistake).
That said, I didn’t end up loving the story all that much. The artwork is stunning, but that’s the best praise I have for it. The story itself is disjointed and difficult to follow, making it impossible for readers to get invested. Then there’s a scene that was downright off-putting for me, but I know I’m particular about avoiding certain subject matter. So that’s not on the book and will not affect my rating.
In short, there’s a lot of potential in The Mushroom Knight Vol. 1. Honestly, I would have liked this book more as a collection of artwork focused on fungi-based characters.
Side note: please, please, PLEASE do not make my mistake. Check the spoilers before you read The Mushroom Knight Vol. 1. I didn’t, and I have SO MANY regrets. To quickly sum it up, there’s a graphic animal death. I had to stop reading for a long time because of it. (I may have skipped about twenty pages, too.)
Highlights:
- Fantasy Aventure
- Speculative Fiction
- Fungi & Mushrooms
Trigger Warnings:
- Animal Death (graphic)
Thanks to Mad Cave Studios and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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