Unfortunately I found this impossible to read as it was extremely blurry!

However, I love the concept and seeing the other reviews - I know i would have adored it.

I think kids will really enjoy this. It's fun and silly and has casual LGBTQ+ representation throughout. I found it to be a little too visually overstimulating, but I'm old.

A look at the world of dungeons and dragons from the point of view of the characters. Funny and witty, perfect for younger readers who aren't ready for all the bloody and glory of older books in the genre.

While I have never played any D&D I love animal adventures and what an adventure this is full of puns and peril! I have been voraciously reading all the graphic novels for children I can as it is THE popular trend in publishing for kids lately. This title trends at a little higher reading level than most in my opinion and represents lots of LGBT characters so this feels like a good stepping stone for the graphic novel crowd not quite ready for adult titles yet.

There were a lot of things about this graphic novel that I really enjoyed, and I thought that the fantasy quest in particular was fun and exciting. Readers will enjoy this topsy-turvy twisty world. But, I found the plot hard to follow. Picking up in medias res was really confusing for me and I kept googling to make sure this wasn't a sequel to a book I didn't know about. I also sometimes confused the characters for one another -- I think this book requires a closer reading than I would like for a middle grade graphic novel.

Dungeon Critters is such a fun graphic novel! I picked this up and read straight through it in one night. I'd been meaning to read it, ever since I came across the title in NetGalley and got approved for it. And I was not disappointed. My library classifies this as juvenile graphic, and while I think younger readers would enjoy it, and there's nothing inappropriate for kids in it (unless you're homophobic), I thoroughly enjoyed it, and didn't feel like it was written down for kids. It is silly fun, good for the whole family, especially if the whole family plays Dungeons and Dragons.

What do you get when you team up a loyal golden retriever cleric, a showy cat fire sorcerer, a tiny hyperactive frog swashbuckler, and a loyal reptilian fighter? A fun and surprisingly effective party, full of puns and melodrama and adventure and friendship. There's an arch-nemesis and a sworn rival; there's a sweet and silly romantic subplot; there's quests and adventures and monsters and evil plants and treasonous plots.

There's plenty of LGBTQ+ rep too. Aside from Prince Chirp's parents, who appear to be in a straight relationship, all depicted romantic relationships are queer, from the inter-party lesbian crush to the quietly loyal party member pining for his boyfriend, to a lesbian rivalry with romantic undertones, all without any in-world stigma. Chirp's gender is also unclear--she presents in stereotypically masculine ways, and is referred to as "Prince" and future king, but uses she/her pronouns. So Chirp has a non-binary vibe, although I'm not sure if that was the author's intention or not (and since Chirp is a frog, it's even more difficult to guess). The authors are LGBTQ+ themselves, which is probably part of the reason that the representation felt so natural as well as pervasive.

So whether you're an adult geek/ gamer who wants a fun diversion for a couple of hours, an adult acquiring fun fantasy adventure graphics for children in your life, or a family member looking for fun geeky stories to read with younger family members, Dungeon Critters is a great choice. Great inclusive escapist fun.

Thank you to #NetGalley and First Second for sharing an #advancedcopy of #DungeonCritters with me in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable critters with unique personalities go through a dungeon crawl. I mean, exactly what more could you want from a story? It was wholesome and cute and was just a lovely read.

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to review this book before publication due to my copy being unreadable. However, once I received a copy from my library I was really able to take it all in. This book is everything I love about graphic novels. The art style is amazing, the plot is hilarious and the characters have so much heart. I can’t wait to recommend this to library patrons!

If your Dungeons & Dragons campaign was made up of furry animal friends, you'd have Dungeon Critters. A group of animal adventurers are on the case to uncover a mysterious plant and a sinister plot, all surrounding Chirp - one of the adventurers, and a member of the royal family - and longtime rival, The Baron. Go on dungeon crawls, dance at fancy balls, and join the Dungeon Critters on their quests for adventure, as they figure out their complicated feelings for one another. It's a fun adventure, cartoony, colorful artwork, frenetic energy, and tons of jokes. Gender and sexuality are fluid - Chirp, for instance, has she/her pronouns but is a prince; Rose and Juniper are two Dungeon Critters who have she/her pronouns and are crushing on each other. A positive, diverse, fun adventure for middle graders.

My girls love graphic novels and were so excited to read Dungeon Critters! They adored the fun group who set out on a quest to untangle a conspiracy among the animal elite and all of the twists and turns of their adventure. The illustrations were colorful and detailed so they took their time examining every pane. They've already gone back to reread the book several times and are dying to know if there will be a sequel. They give it an enthusiastic five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, First Second Books and the authors for a copy to review.

The file I received of Dungeon Critters was blurred and pixelated to the point of being unreadable. As a person with a vision impairment, I have extreme difficulty reading unclear text. For this reason, I am regrettably unable to write a comprehensive review. I apologize for this and thank you for selecting me to receive a copy.

A quirky fantasy adventure with an offbeat sense of humor. A team of weird adventurers who spout a lot of nonsense. They're reminiscent of Adventure Time or Steven Universe. They have an aim, it's just that the aim is a bit random and not especially logical. You have to be willing to let go of logic and just go along for the ride. The weirdness is buoyed by the highly cartoony style.

Dungeon Critters was enjoyable despite the issues I had reading the text due to low file resolution. It started off a bit slow, but by the end of the book I was fully engrossed in the story. Each character is fully fleshed out, and they all have their own endearing traits and troubling faults. The art is particularly lovely and whimsical, and I'd love to see more books by these artists in the same style.

Dungeon Critters is such a fun and colorful graphic novel for that weird older tween demographic, where they think they're older than they really are. Dungeon Critters is highly suggested for all graphic novel collections. It is appropriate for all tweens, though teens will likely enjoy the fantasy trope humor more.

This nook was difficult to read. The captions weren't printed clearly. Due to this I never finished the book. It was giving me a headache trying to read the blurry words.

It was difficult to read the dialogue in the pdf but the art is charming and adorable; I'm sure I'll love it when I can get my hands on a hard copy.

I received an electronic ARC from First Second Books through NetGalley.
Four friends of different species join together to have adventures. They learn important lessons about betrayal and trust as they battle a deadly plant and the evil nobles behind the plot to kill the king and take over the kingdom. Prince Chirp, especially, discovers that she needs to grow up and remember who she trusts. They save the kingdom and defeat the Duchess though the Baron escapes with his daughter. The ending sets up the next adventure to come.
The illustrations are detailed and provide background for the text. Middle grade readers will enjoy the action and the humor.

Simply adorable! The anthropomorphic animal characters are fleshed out really well, each with distinctive personality. I would love to see this merry gang of adventurers in a full series!

A charming graphic novel, perfect for fans of D&D. It's funny but also has a lot of heart. The characters are delightful. I particularly enjoyed the second part of the book, when the pace picked up and the story was very focused. Unfortunately, the ARC itself had some display issues so I wasn't able to see the art (or the dialogue) very clearly. Still, this graphic novel will have an immediate audience and inspire some adventures!

Thank you First Second and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

This is an interesting book, as I was expecting more D&D-like adventure and got a much heavier mystery and social deduction book instead. It is a fun read mostly dealing with mistaken identities and kingdom shifting regicide. A light but fun book.