My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher IDW Publishing for an advance copy of this graphic novel that is both an exciting read, but an introduction to the people, culture and myths of Mesoamerica.

Growing up I was blessed with a family who loved to travel to every tag sale, flea market, and book sale that was within a two hour ride on weekends. My mom loved owls, my father loved tools and old records, and my brother and I loved books and comics. We would get anything we could, newspaper strips, magazine, collections, single issues. If it looked cool, and the price was right, back to the car we would go ready to read. I was familiar with comic works from around the world the European collections, some early manga, and a lot of comics from Mexico and Argentina. I never really understood the stories a lot of the time, but I loved the art and got a feeling for the mythology, and some history as I got older and branched out in reading. The style the sense or adventure came off the page, it just seemed fun even if I was filling in the blanks a lot of the time. This is same sense of fun and adventure is what I had while reading this new collection Codex Black (Book One): A Fire Among Clouds written and illustrated by Camilo Moncada Lozano, and colored by Angel De Santiago. This graphic novel, for younger kids features two companions, both lost, their adventures together, learning lessons and having fun.

The story is set in Mesoamerica, the cultural and historical region stretching from Mexico to Costa Rica, and set in the fifteenth century. Readers first meet Itzcacalotl, a 17-year-old Mexica boy who has become separated from his group, do to his fascination with crow feathers. Itzcacaotl falls into a pit that is part of a temple, and is trapped for almost a week before being granted a gift by the gods of wings to fly out to freedom. Upon landing he meets Donaji, a young Zapotec woman of fifteen who is looking for her missing father, accompanied only by a poncho that is the dwelling place of a god. Together these two decide to unite on a quest to find Donaji's missing father, and are challenged by creatures great, small and the gods themselves.

A very fun adventure with a story and mythology that I was unfamiliar with, but that I enjoyed, and learned a lot about, including historical information I was also unaware of. The story is for young people, but older people like me will still enjoy it, as it is a clear story, told well, and with a good sense of adventure. This project started as animated shorts, that were brought together and it shows as the art is clean, clear and very distinctive. I liked the coloring, the way the characters were represented, and the way everything fit together. The story unfolds carefully, never overwhelming in facts or story, with a nice pace that keeps the reader following along willingly.

I enjoyed this story and can't wait to share it with my nephews. A very good mix of story, mythology with lots of information about a time and place that many readers will really enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for an arc of this comic.

This story was originally a webcomic series on tapas and is now going to print with IDW, so the comic is fully accessable there up to the hiatus while the creator works on new chapters.
The story follows a Zapotec girl named Donají who is travelling with a protective god in the form on a poncho and Itzcacalotl, a young Mexica boy from Tenochtitlan that ate a crow feather and sprouted wings. They meet through sheer luck (or perhaps fate) and embark on a journey together to find Donaji's long lost father.
The story is based entirely on fifteenth-century Mesoamerica culture and every aspect of this story was clearly made with careful intention. From the culture norms, the names, the outfits, to the gods themselves, this story has everything for fans of indigenous storytelling. There is also something so satisfying about the art style that I think will be appealing to a large audience. I'm curious to see where the story will go next, this is my first time hearing about this comic creator but after reading this, I will be following anywhere I can find them. I'd definitely recommend giving this comic a try!

I'm not sure if I can find the exact words that will express how much I love this graphic novel. First of all it's amazing to see indigenous representation in a graphic novel. The artwork is amazing and colourful. I love everything about this story.

The only issue I have is that it ended in a to be continued (which makes sense) but I have a need for more. I'll definitely be keeping my eye for the sequel.

This wonderful fantasy graphic novel was set in 15th century Mesoamerica.

I have no background knowledge of this history did enjoy reading and learning about a different culture & side of history. The author also did an amazing job sharing information and history to help the reader contextually.

The art included in this graphic novel was lovely and I recommend this graphic novel.

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Donají is a fearless Zapotec girl who, even though she's only fifteen, is heralded as a hero by her village. In Codex Black, Donají sets out on an adventure--accompanied by the god that lives inside of her poncho--to find her missing father. Along the way, she meets an 18-year-old winged Mexica warrior named Itzcacalotl, and over time their temporary partnership blooms into an incredible friendship.

The search brings the young pair closer to danger and deeper into mystery than either could have predicted. What exactly was Donají's father involved with? And how did a simple search for a missing relative lead Donají and Itzcacalotl into a fight with a terrifying bat monster to defend an entire village?!

This book was not for me. It did not grab me at all. Its not a bad book it just wasn’t the book for me. The pictures are pretty.

*review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review*
3.5* I enjoyed the art and characters in this book. It was a fun and colorful introduction to South and Central American cultural history. The fantasy setting felt original and well crafted with love and attention to detail.

The characters of Donaji and Itzcacalotl feel unique. I enjoyed Donaji's strong-willed personality, and her brute strength. It was wonderfully complemented by Itzcacalotl's softness and swiftness. They are wonderful subversions of how I grew up viewing male and female characters roles in media. These subversions also are not called out as strange by other characters, but are celebrated by all around them. By the end this became a great start to what I think will be a fun and emotional series.

However, the beginning was quite sparse and slow. It felt like there were pages missing, and like there were too many time skips when I wish we could have seen some character downtime. One specific instance is when Itzcacalotl and Donaji are training to improve her combat skills. I would have loved to see them get to know each other better while training, but we see the conversation where they start, and then skip to a few days later when another character shows up. I think more down time like we got towards the end of the book to explore their relationship with each other would have been more appreciated, especially earlier on when the reader wants to get to know the characters and the characters need to get to know each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I was a kid, I always wanted more Mesoamerican lit, be it fictional or nonfiction. When I saw this title I knew i had to grab it for younger me!

The story is ok. Nothing amazing, but nothing bad. Sometimes it felt like there were sudden shifts in the story, however I think there may have been some bits I missed due to watermarks from the publisher that I know blocked out bits of dialog and potentially time skip/location change alerts. The lingering mystery of the story does add some extra interest for me as I fully expected this series to be more episodic.

The art work is overall good.. Sometimes I really loved it. Other times there were style changes that felt a bit abrupt. The color palette is very rich and vibrant; it really helps define the location and culture. The prelude chapter has an absolutely amazing palette that created such an ominous tone, that days later I'm still thinking about it!

Overall, a solid enough debut. I look forward to seeing what volume 2 brings us.

Loved this book! It was great to learn about some of the myths and legends and the artwork was beautiful.

While I did enjoy the overall story and the illustrations I had a hard time pushing through some parts of the story. Unfortunately, the 'advanced copy' marking on each page often obscured sections of the text. while I was usually able to piece together what I was missing it made reading slow going.

I was looking forward to that read - the lore of this comic seems seriously based on historical cultures and lots of people have positive things to say about the actual plot and characterisation. Sadly, the e-copy I got is corrupted, with the bottom of the page missing... for every single page. This means I can't judge any of it except the quality of the illustrations, which are vibrant, very personal and fantastic. Beyond that I can't say anything about the actual story.

Codex black is a delightful graphic novel that follows Donaji and Itzacacalotl as they travel in hopes of locating Donaji's missing father. We start the story off with Itzacacalotl getting seperated from his Group because he is drawn to crow feathers which lead him into a pit. When then switch to Donaji who has decided to leave her village , with her poncho with is in habited by the god chicahualizteotl, to search for her father who has been missing for 11 years. Eventually itzacacalotl gets out of the pit by consuming feathers from a crow god granting him wings. Itzacacalotl runs into donaji and the two decide to team up together in order to find donaji's missing father.

The art in this graphic novel is really beautiful, and clearly steeped in the central American history and culture. The story is both up beat at points and fun but handles topics like abandonment with maturity. I really love the dynamics between Itzacacalotl and Donji and their budding friendship along with Donji's struggles with being so adored and celebrated by her village. Overall i had a wonderful time with this graphic novel and hope there is plenty more to come in this world and from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honesty review.

This is a fantasy graphic novel set in 15th century mesoamerica. And while I don’t feel in a position to comment on how accurate the rep was, I did enjoy reading about a different culture & side of history to what’s most common in literature. I also really appreciated all the info included at the end as I learnt quite a few new facts!

The story: 2 teens find themselves lost in a jungle so decide to work together. But they soon find that even with the protection of the gods, things still have a habit of going wrong. Can they rise to the challenge & be the saviour for their whole town? I really enjoyed this & thought it managed to be both unique while still having all the fundamental aspects/tropes of popular fantasy books.

The art: I rlly loved the art style in this. I don’t know what it was particularly about it. I think it just really fit the overall vibe of the book & story.

Anyway, I recommend this if you’re looking for your next graphic novel to read, but especially if you like history and/or Aztec mythology!!

“Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds” was a fun and adventurous graphic novel set in Meso-America for young adult readers. I enjoyed experiencing a mythology and ancient history I wasn’t as familiar with and following the story of our magical heroes. Young Donají is a girl with a poncho of godly strength and Itzcacalotl is young warrior with the wings of a crow, together they are on a quest to find Donají’s missing father and fight a few village terrorizing monsters along the way. Teens who enjoy the “Percy Jackson” series or other mythology based stories will enjoy this graphic novel. I’m looking forward to reading more of this series when they are released.

Thank you for the chance to read this, read it in one sitting. Absolutely loved the art style and the blurb.
This is my second Mesothelioma historical fiction novel this year but not with all the art, it really pulls it all together especially with the gods on the page often.
Can’t wait to see what happens next and definitely recommend this. Good character development and the art style is great and cohesive even in the fight scenes.
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Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds by Camilo Moncada Lozano is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that follows characters Donaji and Itzcacalotl on an adventure through 15th century Mesoamerica as they meet and search for Donaji’s father. The book draws on both history and mythology as the characters travel to other villages, meet infamous characters and battle legendary monsters.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The illustrations are fantastic and the story is sweet, informative and interesting. The author includes maps and a character and historical summary which were all very helpful as I was unfamiliar with the history and mythology of the region/time. Did I mention Donaji wears a poncho imbued with the essence and power of a god? This one is a lot of fun.

It’s rare to find such a great combination of character, story, heart and history in a graphic novel. Highly recommend.

Codex Black (book one) releases on April 4, 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the ARC.

(Review will be posted on Instagram @backlistblooms the week of release)

Just WOW! I was enthralled with this from start to finish, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next issues! The art, the story, so good! Absolutely ordering for my bookstore!

Thank you so much NetGalley and IDW Publishing for access to this arc!

Codex Black was a great start to a gaphic novel series I am now obsessed with. I have not been one to read a lot of MezoAmerican fiction and wanted to read more this year. When I received this advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review I moved it to the top of my TBR. The Prologue shows a forbidden ritual that thrusts us to our current events.

We meet Itzcacalotl as he adventures through the forest where he has volunteered for an expedition through the Triple Alliance. He separates from his group, falls into a pit and is left behind with little thought by his fellow adventurers.

We meet Donaji as she celebrates her birthday with her divine Poncho with her shadow over here joy. Now that she has finally turned fifteen she can leave the Cloud Mountain in search for her father.

When the Crow and the Poncho meet we are thrust into the wonderful adventures of the first chapter of an enthralling series. This graphic novel was well written and illustrated, each cell built with intention and brilliance. As we learn more about the Triple Alliance, Donaji's father, and the Crow and the Poncho, we realize that even fated adventures aren't meant to be easy. I highly recommend this graphic novel as a quick, fun and diverse read for all ages.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This book is about Donaji and Itzcacolotl searching for Donaji's father. The story takes place in mid-1400 Central America. There are references to historical moments, with added information at the end. There are also references to various gods and traditions. These are also explained more at the end. The story and mythology were very good.
This is a good read for anyone who is interested in Central American myth and fantasy.

In this story, a Zapotec village girl, Donají, is on a search for her long-lost father, with her trusty god-protector (in the vessel of her father's poncho), when she meets Itzcacolotl, a young Mexica boy from Tenochtitlan who is searching for adventures and just so happens to have recently been blessed by a crow god and given wings. These two teens team up and set out in search of Donají's dad.

No you don't understand, I'm OBSESSED!!! I am inspired! I am in love! This beautiful comic has more pre-colonial, indigenous Mexico historical and cultural touch points than any piece of media I have consumed in 30 years of life. I really, really loved the setting and it would be a 5 for that alone but this comic has so much more to offer. First of all, the art! The colors are stunning, really make the images pop, and the illustrations bring the story to life and make the characters jump off the page (especially the character introduction pages stylized like playing cards I LOVE!!). Which brings me to the second point- the characters! I love these two main characters and their budding relationship - it's sooooo cuuuute!!! I'm also eager to see where the story with the thief goes and whether they actually do form a friendship altogether.
The story is okay so far - it varies from great to just ok - to be honest, there seems to be more going on than the story can sustain this early on. There is the mysterious but adventurous search for the dad, the war between the Mexica conquerors and the southerners, there is an evil force summoned by an apparently third (sixth?) party, and then there also seems to be some sort of godlike entity encouraging Donají to rise to the challenge... Plus a thief friend and a lot of other loose threads. I'm very eager to see where it will all lead but I was a bit overwhelmed.

Definitely a must buy!!

This is a great start to a promising series. A fantasy story inspired by 15th century Mesoamerican culture and mythology, this book follows two kids, Donaji and Itzcacalotl, as they search for Donaji's father and get involved in various adventures along the way. In terms of setting and worldbuilding, this is a fantastically unique story, giving readers a glimpse of a culture rarely depicted in media as it is here. The art style is also good, it's a bit sketchy looking, but the colors are bright and bold, and the designs are beautiful. I look forward to seeing more of Donaji and Itzcacalotl's adventures through this gorgeously imagined world.