This was adorable! The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! And story is really cute! Looking forward to see more of Nola, more of Pandorient and perhaps more of how she deals with her grief.

3,5/5⭐️

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book! I’m more than thankful <3

Now, let’s talk about the book:

I really really liked this book. I loved that it was very short so I read it in like a hour or so. Also, it was super interesting and I was really invested. I loved everything about the fantasy world and I would like to continue reading this series in the future! They are perfect if you’re in a reading slump!

Because it was short, I couldn’t meet the characters that much, and that’s what I like the least. But I know I will know them very well as I keep reading the books, so I’ve big hopes!

This is a book I highly recommend and suggest everyone to read! Once again, thank you NetGalley <3

It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the death of a loved one, grief, physical illness, mortality, & others.

On the night of her 8th birthday, Nora is far from being in a celebratory mood. She misses her mother & cannot fathom welcoming a birthday without her; life is not the same & never will be again. Her father offers her his best words of encouragement & comfort as he gifts her one of her mother’s prize possessions, a music box. What ensues is a world-bending adventure that sees Nora become the hero to an ailing woman & her two (2) desperate children who seek to offer her medical aid in the world of the music box.

My first impression when reading this comic strip was that much has changed since the times in which I used to roam the library shelves for the French comics of my youth. Carbone's work, having been originally written in French, does not accurately translate into a story that is as warm as I know it would have been in its original language. I am glad to see the diversity in plot lines; the reality that many children are parented by a single figure, whether that be a biological one or not, needs to be addressed in literature & I am glad that this is present throughout this story. However, the essence of the narrative is lost in the speedy language of English.

So many moments of this story felt like a translation. That is not to say that the translator did a poor job but that what was trying to be said could not be translated. The world in which Nora lives is brimmed with fantasy & lore; nothing is ever as it seems. However, nothing is actually given to the reader so we might deduce that for ourselves. We hardly got a moment to know Nora before we see her dive head-first into a music box to save someone who needed help. Later in the story, we learn that Nora’s mother was a nurse & that Nora learnt a great deal from her. Yet, the intermingling of her ever-present grief with this odyssey quest does not leave me with any semblance of enthusiasm for the narrative.

The story flies by in such quick succession that I was curious to know why Nora, a girl who is seemingly able to set aside her own fear, sadness, & emotions to help another person, would not be blown away by the monstrous figures that inhabit this land. We certainly do not need a long-drawn-out scene for this to be showcased but, some extra pieces of dialogue would bode well in crafting the world & the characters so that they appeared to be entities with depth & beings who lived lives outside of the scenes in which we meet them.

This aside, I believe that this story would be a welcomed series to all those young readers who might wish to see the ghoulish differences that exist within the Fantasy genre, in something of a beginner step in their journey. This book would serve as a lovely commencement to a lifetime of love for all things magical & cinematic. The illustrations by Jérôme Gillet paint this world to be one that is a rainbow of detail & sunshine. I was immediately in awe of the vivacity of the colour scheme & the effort that went into ensuring that this tale was told through the eyes of a person who sees the world for all the beauty it holds.

I would recommend this book to young readers, younger than Nora, who might be able to better appreciate the choppy transition of dialogue & scenes; appreciating the land, the sky, the background & the lore they hope to encounter in the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Capstone, & Bénédicte Carboneill ("Carbone") for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Eighth-year-old Nola receives a music box that once belonged to her late mother. But she soon discovers it is not a regular music box but a passageway to another world, Pandorient. She learns that her mother often visited this world, and many residents know her.

The illustrations are well-done. This is a cute fantasy graphic novel for children.

Thanks to Capstone for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

A very nice, fast paced book that I think will grasp children’s attention while not dragging on too long for them. This art was gorgeous, I was obsessed with how beautiful the art was! Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like the basic concept of this book. About a world that you can find in a music box. The world in this music box is so beautiful and unique. It has many creatures that are different from humans, but they act like humans, and some of them even look like humans. I think the characters have good chemistry. I love to see their friendship.

This novel has a fast-paced plot, and for a children's book I think it is good. Children tend to get bored easily, so I think this book's pace is perfect for them.

I also love the color palette that the illustrator used in this graphic novel. It adds a magical sense to the story.

Thank you for providing me a copy of “Welcome to Landorient” in exchange for an honest review and leave my review voluntarily.

A sweet little world about a girl who discovers her recently dead mother used to visit another world in a music box called Pandorient. She visits in her mother's place and helps a woman who has been poisoned.

What a beautiful story - and equaly gorgeous illustrations! I adored the world we get to visit and the mysteries found and solved - and some just hinted at. I can't wait to explore more of this unique world.

The art was cute and the story was interesting. Very short, but it worked. I am excited to see what other adventures they will go on.

4 stars

I mostly liked this title. It had a fun premise: a mystical world that can be found in a magical snowglobe. The different creatures and worldbuilding was fun and unique. Unfortunately it had a bit of a pacing issue. Everything happened so quickly and a decent chunk of the conversations ended up being exposition. The characters didn't seem to have much depth as a result. That being said, the stakes are real and the art is charming. Young fantasy readers will enjoy this comic.

Nola receives a mysterious music box on her birthday—a present from her late mother. She soon finds out that the music box holds the world of Pandorient, and Nola gets whisked away into a magical adventure.

Beautiful illustrations and colors!!! This books is so awesome. I love the concept of the story and the characters a lot. I will definitely be reading more of this series, and I'm glad the story continues!

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone, Stone Arch Books for the ARC!

My kids absolutely loved this story!!!

The imagery is nicely as done and the storyline is great. I can not wait to add this title to our home library.

This book is magic, it is pure magic! It is so beautiful; the drawings are absolutely stunning and the story is fab! Loved it so, so much, both me and my child. This is something I will be ordering in print for some presents. Also, I am absolutely going to recommend this book to everyone I know who asks for reading recommendations for middle-grade age kids.

Aaah! This was such a cute read! Read this as an ARC and omg I love the story and the art is adorable and so pretty! Highly recommend this and would definitely recommend it to my younger cousins!

This graphic novel follows Nola, who gets a very special present on her eighth birthday. It is her late mother's snow globe - and it plays music! Nola has been very sad since her mother died and having this piece of her is very meaningful to her. While playing with the snow globe one dayshe hears someone calling to her. Turns out there are people living inside the town in the snow globe! Nola answers the call and somehow ends up inside the snow globe! No spoilers here about what happens while she's in there. You'll have to read for yourself!

Overall, this was a really cute graphic novel that deals with grief and moving on. I loved the artwork and the coloring was beautiful as well.

The artwork of this book is beautiful. I loved the story and it was very easy to read. The book has some mature innuendos but I think this is a perfect comic to buy a young child to get them into reading. I loved the fantasy world and characters. I understand this is part of a series so looking forward to reading the other works from this author and illustrator.

- Digital arc gently provided by Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review -

When Nola turns eight, her father gives her a wonderful present—a music box that belonged to her late mother. As the young girl studies her new gift, she is shocked to find someone living inside it! That’s when Nola shrinks down and enters the music box too. There she discovers the magical world of Pandorient and a pair of siblings named Andrea and Igor. But time is short: Andrea and Igor’s mother, Mathilda, has fallen seriously ill. What’s wrong with her? Could she have been poisoned? Find out in the first volume of this enchanting graphic novel series that will leave fantasy fans spellbound.

First of all, the illustrations are gorgeous as well as the cover. The story starts of strong but when it moved further I was left a little bit confused. There was a lot of things going on; magic, strange creatures, weird families and that overwhelmed me. I think the story could have been told a little more indepth of what the world is and a bit simpeler with everything that was happening.

I did enjoy reading the first book of this series though and I think Children between the age of 8 and 12 might really like this.

Thanks to NetGalley Capstone, Stone Arch Books for this ARC.

Such a precious graphic novel!
The illustrations were so beautiful, they created a wonderful view of Pandorient. The story was so amazing. The author also included some real-life struggles and how difficult it is to cope with pain.

It was so valuable that there was a glossary at the end of the book to introduce new words to young readers.
Truly a beautiful story and highly recommended.

I was immediately drawn in by how gorgeously soft and vibrant the illustrations were. It was an amazing read and I completely enjoyed it. Something about it reminded me of things I always wished to read when I was a kid. I'm also very happy that we have a chance to read this in English now and I'm EXCITED to read the others planned once they're out.