In this high fantasy graphic novel orcs and humans, after centuries of battling over rich lands, now have to sign an alliance and work together to fight a greater threat, an old enemy that unexpectedly arrived on their shores.

In this first volume, the storyline is rather simple but sets a nice premise for the story to continue and develop further. I would have liked a little more backstory on what made the land so barren and why the two factions fought over it for so long. Nonetheless, it gave us enough information to understand their reasons. The graphic style is beautiful and very detailed. It makes you easily immerse yourself in the world and relate to the characters' emotions and concerns. I would definitely check out the next volume when it comes out!

Thanks NetGalley,

This is a fantastic graphic novel. I loved the mix of characters, humans, orcs, and Vangols. I can't wait to learn more about the mysterious Vangols. It is easy to follow from the start and grabs your interest in just a few pages. Arranged marriages and treaties between the orcs and humans to try to fight a common enemy makes for a great story. Throw in a few battles, a bastard human and an outcast healer that are trying to find a way to work together to save both the orcs and humans.

Hugo- and World Fantasy Award–winning writer G. Willow Wilson creates a new fantasy story that left me wanting more.

Give us volume 2, stat! I must know what happens!

This first volume drops us deep into the world of orcs and humans, their age-old conflict, and their new need to form a truce and present a united front to a more terrifying enemy than either has ever seen before. Unifying forsworn enemies often means arranged marriages between the two sides, and things are no different in this fantasy world. One of the main characters is an orc princess who finds herself wed not to the orc overlord she had been unofficially betrothed to (and in love with) since they were both children, but instead a rough-n-tumble human who leads a ragtag band of fighters who are nevertheless fearsome in determination to save their lands. The orc overlord, in turn, finds himself paired up with another orc girl who had been friends with his erstwhile orc princess, also when they were all children. Lo, how the tangled threads do interweave. But all of this is presented in such a heartfelt and realistic way, through a story driven by the universal emotions of hope, fear, and uncertainty, that it feels immediate and relevant in a way you wouldn’t expect such a fantasy story to feel. There’s also plenty of violent warfare to keep readers from labeling this as merely a soap opera; and a soap opera it most certainly is not. Matters of the heart are experienced with the same depth, whether orc or human, and that’s one of the underlying messages being delivered in this first volume of the series.

Let’s not forget about this absolutely gorgeous art, which is what truly brings these universal emotions to life on the characters’ faces and in their body language, more than any dialogue can do. The world itself is detailed and elegant, rendered with finesse that makes you believe you can feel the slimy mud of the swamp, and hear the wind soughing through the pine trees over the snow. The orc kingdom’s fortresses and temples are a particular delight for the eyes, with crumbling plinths and still-imposing fortifications.

So I’ll once again request: please hurry up with volume 2! This is one saga I hope will continue for many volumes to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review. This review will be cross-posted to my social media accounts closer to the book release date.

This was my first encounter with The Hunger and the Dusk and it stuck with me immediately.

This is a high-stakes fantasy where the future of humans and orcs looks so bleak, they're compelled to forge an unlikely alliance against their common enemy. The story alternates between band of human fighters and a dynasty of trolls trying to save the world from both this enemy and environmental extinction. I absolutely loved the characters in this story. They're kickass and sweet and I'm now invested in their individual plots, so I'm hyped about where the story is likely to go next. I also adored the artwork, which reminds me of classic comic books with a fantasy twist.

If you're a fan of fantasy such as The Lord of the Rings, with epic battles and unlikely heroes, you'll love this one.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Posted on Goodreads:

4.25/5⭐️

This is an epic high fantasy where only orcs and humans are left and they’ve been at war with each over territory. However, the Vangol, humanoids from across the sea, have returned and are causing mayhem. Now both orcs and humans need to come together to fight them.

Let me start with I really like where this story is going. Though I’m not sure what the Vangol are up to (a lot of mystery), I’m not deterred from being patient. There’s a nice buildup going on. These two races need to get it together because having a bunch of tall looking gollums scurrying around is not it.

My favorite character of the bunch is Tara. A healer. Foolish in some aspects but shows the most character development.

Troth is on thin ice with me because he’s professed to be besotted with Tara. But married another woman who he quickly falls for. Like okay guy, way to be a liar. In fairness, his wife is a baddie.

Thank you netgalley, IDW and creators for the opportunity to read volume 1. Looking forward to more.

The Hunger and the Dusk is a call back to old school high fantasy, with modern writing and social sensibilities, in all the best ways!

In volume 1 we're introduced to a world where a long standing war between humans and orks must become a tense alliance in the shadow of a more fearsome enemy, the cannibalistic Vangol. As brutal and epic as the battles are however, the real meat, and soul, of the story lies in the characters.

G. Willow Wilson's writing and Chris Wildgoose's art are both top notch in this first arc and I can't wait to read more! Hunger & Dusk has all the style of modern D&D and Warcraft, without the gags, and depicts brutal battles without being mired down in grim dark like so much fantasy post Game of Thrones. It's a return to fantasy roots, while embracing modernity and we need more of it!

*Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley & the publisher (Image) in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! The concept was super interesting, I love the idea of a collapsed fantasy world, something we usually only see in science fiction type stories. I loved the artwork throughout, it was very detailed and the full page scenes were gorgeous! There was also loads of quotable lines that didn’t feel like they were written for quote-factor. One of the quotes that stuck out to me was “Bravery is a small word. but it requires a big heart.” I would totally recommend this book to fantasy lovers and D&D lovers. I haven’t read the other graphic novels from this author and illustrator but I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series!

I think this book was AWESOME! However, there is a scene with female nudity (breasts) which would stop it from being allowed in my public school setting. I found the art and story to be so powerful and I am hooked to follow this series. It is a must buy for personal collections or collections where nudity would be allowed.

Very much enjoyed the art style. I also enjoyed the story. It's intriguing and interesting. I'm a big fan of D&D and fantasy in general, so it hits all the right tick boxes. Can't wait to read the rest.

This book was really fun to read through, although the writing feels very simple and like a first draft, the story is captivating and interesting.

I requested this arc because I love G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel run.

After reading the intro/hook, the beginning started out with all the typical fantasy adventure tropes: funny/idiotic bard with a ranger type male lead. Where have we seen this before? Literally everywhere nowadays.

I was about to write this off because of that, but I'm glad I stuck with it! This ended up being an interesting take on the orc vs. human fantasy genre in that humans and orcs are now forced to work together to conquer a bigger threat: the Vangols.

This volume sets the mood, the politics, and the relationships between characters (humans and orc nations). It did this well enough that I'm now invested in the next volume. Why are the Vangols here? What's the history between orcs and humans? (This volume mentions land scarcity and prejudice, but focuses more on the politics and interpersonal relationships.)

Tara, the magic-wielding orc healer is my favorite character so far. But honestly, they all grew on me. And lbr, I'm a sucker for human/non-human romances.

The art is beautiful. You can tell that the illustrator spends careful time with the details in each panel.

Thank you IDW Publishing and NetGalley for this arc.

I actually enjoyed the high fantasy stuff, but it was complicated to read on computer because of the type of file. Although I would like to keep rereading this series.

This was such a fun and compelling read! Fans of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings looking of a new, comic book world to get totally sucked into, check this out! I'll be counting down the days for Vol 2. (**ARC provided by Netgalley**).

Netgalley Review

Star Rating: ★★★★☆

I thought this was just going to be another Orc vs Human manga. It definitely did well by adding an interesting third party to the mix to make it more intriguing and make me want to read more. It also mentions a lot of little that makes me interested to see what others characters they'll bring into the mix. Can't wait for the next volume to find out how they get out of their current predicament.


Like always read it and decide for yourself!

I really liked this comic book. I really liked the aestetic of the orcs, as well as the Vangol. The story was interesting too and it seems like it has an underlying ecological message which I like to see in fiction.
I hope I can find the next volume and continue the story.

The world is dying - scarce farmland is being fought over by orcs and a desolated human population, but now the two sworn enemy races find themselves in a tentative alliance against a more violent foe - the Vangol. In an effort to ally the races, Tara, a promising young healer and cousin to one of the most powerful orc overlords, is stationed with the human warrior Callum Battlechild and his group known as “The Last Men”. Their mission is to discover how the Vangol are finding their way so far in from the shores where they land, but to also secure the shrinking farmlands from further violence.

This was an engrossing fantasy with a rich world that I am excited to find out more about in volume two. This volume only scratched the surface of the complex society of the orcs, and we barely got to see why there was such a collapse amongst the humans, but all that did was pique my curiosity. What we saw of the Vangol was also mysterious and ferocious, but there were hints that they also had reasons behind their actions that were left unexplained. I appreciate the way Wilson built characters through flashback sequences and political intrigue but balanced that with action that drove the story forward.

The illustration team of Wildgoose, Msassyk, and Sousa created a beautifully colored fantasy world that fully engrossed me as I was reading, and it was full of some amazing details. I enjoyed the character designed, especially the different details for the orcs in the different climates we saw them in throughout the book.

There is one sexual scene where the overlord and his wife finally get to consummate their marriage, so teen collection development folks be warned.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

G Willow Wilson writes a fairly basic Dungeons and Dragons Actual Play. Art and coloring are great though so that carries it. I enjoyed the focus on orc society and culture.

Willson came up with a fast pace, well-crafted plot and characters story here. My only issues is the action is bit too short for how big the sequence get. The emotion is there and the artwork is gorgeous. The world that we are placed in is also fascinating. I will be conituing on and excited to see what in store.

I absolutely adore anything that G. Willow Wilson puts her name on so it came at no surprise to me that I would come to absolutely devour this one. I loved it. The storyline was great and so was the artwork. I love the air of mystery around the Vangols. I love that Orcs are portrayed as somewhat peaceful warriors and that it's only land that really is making them war with humans. The D&D vibes are immaculate and I really cannot wait to read more from this series.

As fantasy graphic novels go, this was very well done. In fantasy, you typically see Orcs as the antagonists and in 'The Hunger and The Dusk' it seems like it was how it was before the Vangol started invading. Fighting for land and resources, now they must ally to fight and survive. The alliance is of course fragile as they don't trust each other. The story while seen before, is incredibly well done, and you just absolutely want to make sure the characters survive and what happens throughout. The artwork is amazing, each character is distinct and memorable, with the background being detailed as well. The fight scenes are done amazingly and while fast-paced are easy to follow.