Hollow Magic: a Graphic Novel

 

Rating: 3 out 5 | Artwork is stunning, clean lines, animation quality and crisp text.

My Thoughts:

Rosefinch was raised in a fey world and trained by a witch whome she later realizes is her father. However, when the Dawn Queen kills him,  she is forced to flee. 

She is looking for someone to help her control her witch powers, but although there are hints along the way -- like a familiarity to a curse's magic, or the way Thierry keeps reverting to a frozen state -- Rosefinch does not realize the solution to the mystery until it is almost too late. 

I was just as surprised even if I saw it coming. The particular "aha" twist, as well as the gorgeous artwork by Mars Lauderbaugh, makes this a welcome addition to a classroom library. While it is recommended for grades 10-12 -- likely due to some mature fantasy themes or its queer romance -- the content is entirely appropriate for younger readers.  The characters are not doing anything untoward. I would add this to a middle school classroom and the student that needs to find it will find it. I think the publishing world is getting stressed and oversensitive from Americans behaving badly.

As teachers of English, it has become a dangerous world, but righteous anarchy is the only way to protect our students and keep their minds sovereign. Thank you for providing a small space for ranting into the silence.

From the Publisher:

Raised in the world of fey, seventeen-year-old Rosefinch has the ability to lift curses with nothing but a twist of her fingers. But when a witch's magic is left long enough in the fey realm, it becomes supercharged, painful to use, and potentially even dangerous.

Following a rumor that the village of Harp is home to a witch who might be able to help control her magic, Rosefinch discovers an ancient ruined castle with the inhabitants long gone; the only remaining soul a knight cursed to stand a frozen guard at the entrance. The magic she uses to free them melts more than just the ice, and soon, Rosefinch is falling for this charming stranger. But Thierry has secrets of their own, as do other members of the Harp family still hidden within the castle walls. The Harp witch’s wicked magic ripped this family apart for a reason, and Rosefinch must find a way to stop the curse or she'll lose Thierry―and the chance to learn the truth about her magic―forever.

With mesmerizing art and a sweeping queer romance, this spellbinding fairy tale shows the power of found family and love where we least expect it.

Publication Information:

• Author/Illustrator: Mars Lauderbaugh
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Publication Date: August 11, 2026
• Print Length: 240 pages
• Grade level: 10-12

The Midnight Girls

 

My Thoughts:

This sapphic romance book is more about passion, one-sided rivalry, jealousy, fear and competition than it is about romance, but it does have a satisfyingly non-sappy epilogue. 

What makes the relationship between Marynka (Midday), Zosia (Midnight) and Beatta (Morning) interesting is that not only are they all servants of three sister Witches, but that this rivalry and attraction between Midday and Midnight has been going on long before the two girls were chosen. Their intense connection, then, is fate. 

What does Marynka really want? What price is she willing to pay? What does Zosia really want? And what price is she willing to pay? Do both girls like the power that makes them into monsters? What will either of them do with their freedom? And what does Beatta want? 

The book slowly reveals their individual desires and ambitions while also sending them on a thrilling chase for Prince Josefʻs heart (literally - they need his heart pulled out of his body). Can they work together or do they end up killing each other? This was a pretty wild ride: witches, monsters, magic and holy swords, oh my. 

From the Publisher:

In a snow-cloaked kingdom, two wicked rivals secretly compete for the pure heart of a prince, only to discover they might be falling for each other.

Karnawał season is a time for mischief and revelry. For the next few weeks, all will be wintry balls, glittery disguises, and nightly torch-lit sleigh-parties.

Unbeknownst to the merrymakers, two uninvited girls join the fun. Zosia and Marynka are drawn to each other the moment they meet, until they discover they're rivals, who both have their sights set on the prince's heart. If one consumes a pure heart, she'll gain immeasurable power. Marynka plans to bring the prince's back to her patron in order to prove herself. While Zosia is determined to take his heart and its power for her own.

Their ambition turns into a magical contest with both girls vying to keep the prince out of the other's grasp, even as their attraction to one another grows. But their attempts on his life draws the attention of the city that would die for him, and suddenly their escalating rivalry might cost them not just their love for each other, but both their lives.

Author: Alicia Jasinka

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication date: December 28, 2021

Nightschool: The Weirn Books

          

This manga 4-book series starts off in a day school that becomes a night school at 6pm for other worldly teens (weirns, werewolves, vampires oh my). I only have two of the four books but the books follow Alex, a homeschooled weirn who enrolls in the nightschool when her sister, who worked at the nightschool disappears.

If you like manga, but hate that the Japanese manga make you read backwards, this one is for you. If you cannot afford the manga series that seem to come out weekly for years, this one ends at 4.If you love the character styling of manga where everyone looks androgynous and European, this is for you. 

I liked the story enough. It fit the category of manga, cliff hangers and all. I think it taps into the fascination with non-human teen characters. Is it a keeper? No, but it's a reader. Find a public library or a well-stocked English classroom and just borrow it.