A twisted relationship searingly plays out amid beautifully delineated pastoral scenes of the American West.
A graphic novel explores the relationship between a man and a centaur in 19th-century America.
Evander Rook, a centaur and formerly a Southern Unionist, gets hired by a sinister sphinx, Elen. Evander’s task is to kill Asa Langley, who’s the director of central west operations for Wakefield Steel and “crazy enough to eat the devil with horns on.” Instead of murdering Asa, Evander works for him, and a turbulent romantic entanglement develops. The pair travels through the United States. After first meeting in Iowa, they make a stop in Davidson, “a shithole town in Wyoming” that has a mine, and the Colorado territory Lynd, where Asa wants to build a railroad connecting to Denver. Evander and Asa consider living in Deseret, a provisional Western state that the inhabitants believe was Jesus’ final resting spot; it’s also a place rich in uranium, copper, and iron. After the duo’s plans are disrupted, Evander eventually gains information about some puzzling questions, helping him make an important decision about his life and relationship with Asa. Using minimal and muted color tones reminiscent of sepia photographs, Orlesky skillfully renders images of an older America, though one inhabited by both humans and nonhumans. In this engrossing series opener, the engaging drawings depict multiple intriguing angles. One frame zooms in on Evander’s hooves crossing a railroad bridge while the next pulls back to show the centaur and a man as small shapes silhouetted against a panoramic sky. Marred by inner pain, Asa and Evander conceal it with laconic language. Their psychological battle, as they struggle not to kill or be killed, can get intense (and confusing), but wordlessly touching each other seems to bring them relief. Through Orlesky’s haunting illustrations of the uninhabited Western landscapes, wide open and natural, readers will get the sense of a land filled with promise and possibility that men like Asa exploit for personal gain.
A twisted relationship searingly plays out amid beautifully delineated pastoral scenes of the American West.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9781545820445
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Even so, this remains Macbeth, arguably the Bard of Avon’s most durable and multilayered tragedy, and overall, this enhanced...
A pairing of the text of the Scottish Play with a filmed performance, designed with the Shakespeare novice in mind.
The left side of the screen of this enhanced e-book contains a full version of Macbeth, while the right side includes a performance of the dialogue shown (approximately 20 lines’ worth per page). This granular focus allows newcomers to experience the nuances of the play, which is rich in irony, hidden intentions and sudden shifts in emotional temperature. The set and costuming are deliberately simple: The background is white, and Macbeth’s “armor” is a leather jacket. But nobody’s dumbing down their performances. Francesca Faridany is particularly good as a tightly coiled Lady Macbeth; Raphael Nash-Thompson gives his roles as the drunken porter and a witch a garrulousness that carries an entertainingly sinister edge. The presentation is not without its hiccups. Matching the video on the right with the text on the left means routinely cutting off dramatic moments; at one point, users have to swipe to see and read the second half of a scene’s closing couplet—presumably an easy fix. A “tap to translate” button on each page puts the text into plain English, but the pop-up text covers up Shakespeare’s original, denying any attempts at comparison; moreover, the translation mainly redefines more obscure words, suggesting that smaller pop-ups for individual terms might be more meaningful.
Even so, this remains Macbeth, arguably the Bard of Avon’s most durable and multilayered tragedy, and overall, this enhanced e-book makes the play appealing and graspable to students . (Enhanced e-book. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: The New Book Press LLC
Review Posted Online: Nov. 6, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013
Utterly charming and swoonworthy.
Two beloved characters from artist Eunnie’s Instagram feed get a full-length graphic novel treatment.
Readers meet college student Momo just as she’s about to encounter PG for the first time. It’s not an ideal meet-cute, however. Momo is doing her friend Kayla a favor by dropping off some class notes at Kayla’s friend Lea’s dorm room. When scantily clad PG answers the door, Momo is immediately flustered by how gorgeous she is—but she learns that PG has a reputation for seducing women and avoiding serious commitments, the exact opposite of Momo, who’s never dated anyone. Still, after witnessing a fraught situation at a nightclub, Momo overcomes her shyness to check on PG. They have an open conversation and a romantic dance. Running into each other around town turns into texting, which turns into mutual big feelings. Readers will fall in love with both young women as they fall in love with each other. Their conflicts give them depth and feel believable for their stage of life, their different but equally relatable backstories are fleshed out, and the satisfying resolution inspires happiness. Well-developed friendships play smaller but still important roles. The appealing artwork features clean, pastel-tinted backgrounds and doe-eyed characters with expressive faces. Momo has dark brown skin and wavy brown hair; PG is Vietnamese American.
Utterly charming and swoonworthy. (Graphic romance. 14-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9780593403228
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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