I don't usually read graphic novels and comics, but this one caught my eye. It's so easy to tell from the cover that the artstyle and the color schemes will be superb. I liked the design altogether and it was easy to follow for all types of audiences. What surprised me is that the MC is Filipino! I didn't know it until reading so it was a pleasant surprise indeed. When it comes to the story, it was average. We have our MC, Jordan, being suddenly taken to a different world and meets people he's meant to connect with and save while reflecting on his own experiences. The dialogues made me laugh because these otherworld creatures just kept using modern slang—but hey, it's YA! This book is not for those who are looking for deep symbolisms or meaning. This is just a fun, quick adventure meant for readers who want a really quick-paced, aesthetically pleasing, entertaining, queer fantasy graphic novel.

Thank you, NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors, for this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

In the shadow of the throne is an amazing, quick, and enchanting story that has won my heart with its purity.
A bit enemies to lovers, lgbt+, fantasy. Just the best of the best.
Incredible drawings. A story easy to follow and love
4/5
Maria Lourdes

I really liked this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the character development was amazing! The fantasy world was well built and all of the main characters were lovely. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the Digital Advanced Copy!

Thank you, Diamond Book Distributors, for allowing me to read In the Shadow of the Throne early!

This graphic novel was an interesting project, but it had deep pacing issues and a half-baked storyline. It definitely could be better.

This was a cute and quick read. The art was lovely and the action was fun to watch unfold. I only wish it was longer and more fleshed out, it was a bit too fast going from one scene to the next. Still would recommend it to anyone who likes graphic novels, lgbtq+ stories and. fun fantasy adventures!

3.5/5 Stars

In the Shadow of the Throne starts off with our main character, Jordan, expected to take care of his siblings on a family vacation while they walk through a museum. Jordan is in desperate need of an adventure and time to himself, which is exactly what happens when he decides to take a "bathroom break". While walking through the fantasy branch of the museum, Jordan notices a painting of a royal family, sad by a beheaded dragon. As he continues, he's thrust into that very world - finding himself very up close and personal with some monsters and a very handsome prince.

This was a solid 3.5 stars for me. As someone that has read a decent amount of graphic novels/manga/mangwa, illustrated stories can sometimes appear rushed. I think that is the case with this graphic novel in particular. The artwork is beautiful and the story premise is great, but i would have preferred to have more time getting to know Jordan and the cast. Overall it was charming and I would pick up another graphic novel by this author and artist in the future, hopefully with a longer page count and more character building!

Likes:
- art
- premise
- interactions between Jordan and Astel
- bittersweet ending

Dislikes:
- we didn't learn enough about why the queen hates magic
- not enough time with characters to attach to them

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I will be posting a review to my Instagram on Thursday, 3/10. A mini review will be posted tonight (3/6) on my Instagram story and then saved permanently on my mini review highlights (Link: https://www.instagram.com/funwithalibrarycard ).

File is unable to be opened on any device, no matter if its on my phone or computer. It is also not supported in the Netgalley app so I can't review it.

The story is simple and short but it is very passionate.
Jordan is a boy who while at the museum with his parents ends up in another world full of magic (and hot princes too). In this fantastic world he meets and saves the life of the prince of the kingdom, and thus begins his adventure and also his romantic story between swords, fantastic beasts and court intrigues.
I loved the two main characters and the artstyle was great too.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Sheridan and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review !

Thanks, Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In the Shadow of the Throne is a portal fantasy graphic novel with nice inking and colors and pretty character design. The story is cute and easy to read. I wouldn't have minded a longer story or series and deeper characterization, but I enjoyed what we got. There is a brief romantic moment that didn't have the best buildup. I actually thought Jordan (main character) had better chemistry with a different character.

Recommended for those who like YA fantasy, queer rep, POC rep.

The art was beautiful, but the story left a little to be desired. I found the pacing to be too quick, and everything wrapped up very neatly. This is defintely a plot driven story, but events happened so quickly that it was difficult to suspend my sense of disbelief.

When his younger siblings and parents become too much to bear while on vacation, Jordan tries to get some space. But instead of wandering around the local museum, Jason finds himself dropped

into a fantasy world where he can finally have fun! Except in this Elven Kingdom, there's a sinister secret kept hidden by the queen that'll thrust Jordan, the rebellious Prince Astel, and the brave knight Sir Griffith in the middle of a magical battle they never could have anticipated.

This was such a wonderful graphic novel! The art is fantastic and the story was captivating from start to finish. As a lover of fantasy it had the usual builds and conflicts you would find- misunderstandings, learning to be who you are, growing to care for what you have taken for granted, and more. I would love to see another installment in this where we get to see more of Jordan and Astel (I'm not sure how that would work but I wish it could/would!).

If youre a fan of fantasy stories with magic, other worlds, etc this graphic novel is perfect for you.

A forward-leaning 3.5 stars for this one.
A quick and entertaining fantasy story about a young man tired of dealing with his family ends up in a fantasy kingdom where he finds himself helping the prince find the evil that's corrupting and endangering the land. Jordan is an interesting character, but everything in the story seems incredibly rushed to the point where you can't really form any kind of engagement with the characters and the world. I see the potential for a great story and some fun story points, but this feels like a story that would have benefited from at least another 100 pages to flesh out the potential.
The art is pretty good, though Cardinaly sometimes has trouble with faces. At times they're just sketches of the idea of one or the same four expressions despite them not being appropriate to what's going on in the panel.
Happy thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Mad Cave for the early read!

I really liked the art style and the colors. It was very fun and entertaining to read, not too stretched out but a bit rushed and not as developed with the romance that seems too teenage cliche in a way. Overall really good standalone story.

I tried super hard to access the files (lile sat for 2 hours straight) but still wasn't able to get to read it! Hopefully they will soon do something about it.

The cover look dope and so does the story!

To be fair, it is a very short graphic novel, so many things happen really fast. There is no room for gradual development and it, therefore, makes the story feel rushed. It is in no way near a unique concept, but it still held my interest and the illustrations were really cool. I could definitely see this as a longer graphic novel or even a novel--the story really has a lot of potential.

Like some other reviewers, I also cannot access this anywhere (the app, tablet, computer, etc). The plot seems very interesting and I love the art of the cover, so hopefully when the error is fixed I can return to it.

This was an interesting comic book but i thought that some things could be improved.

What I liked: The Filipino representation (however little that was, it's good), the fantasy world and it's magic system, the art.style.

What I think could be improved: The pacing as it felt rushed, the character development (because again, it felt rushed), and i think it could do good if it had a more solid theme as i felt a lot of things were happening at the same time without a clear destination.

It's an okay graphic novel to fill your in-between reads.

It was my first time reading a graphic novel and it was a fun experience. The artstyle is very pretty. The story, however, felt a little too rushed (although to be fair, it IS a short novel). I liked the set up of the story, I found the introduction into the fantasy world very unique, but as for the rest it fell short for me.

In the Shadow of the Throne is an interesting comic! Jordan has to look after his siblings and it annoys him. His family is on a vacation and they visit a museum, where suddenly Jordan walks through a painting into this magical land where everyone has pointy ears. In the Elven Kingdom he meets Prince Astel and together these two try to understand why magic is forbidden. Dark forces are scheming and soon Jordan and Astel learn that Astel's family history is much darker than it originally seemed. The plot is great and Jordan and Astel are cute together. The comic is well constructed, but the story would've deserved more pages. It would've been great to know more about the family history and all.

The art looks nice and works well being quite simple, but still somehow fitting. The cover is surely wonderful! I really liked the boys' love aspect, since it was quite subtle and worked well in the context. I just wish the boys could've had a better ending than just "don't let me stop you from getting a happy end". It felt kind of stupid. The kissing was surely nice though. Fantasy comics with LGBTQ+ content are awesome!