G9rgeous artwork that kept me speechless in this new worldbuilring that border on dark fairy tales , explores a father-daughter relationship without being cliché with original mythos and likeable characthers

The Night Mother is about a father and his 12-year-old daughter who live in isolation near the graveyard of a seaside town, where the moon has been stuck in the sky for what seems like forever, causing endless night, The main character, Madeline, has the ability to hear the dead speaking. When someone in town dies, their coffin is set adrift in the water, washing up near the graveyard, where Madeline takes it upon herself to bury them.

As the story progresses, we learn more about Madeline and are introduced to a villainous character. I don’t want to give too much away since this first volume is quite short at just about 90 pages. Since the first volume is so short, the story felt a bit underdeveloped and rushed. The action moves quickly, and just when things start to get interesting, it ends on a cliffhanger. Now, I really need to read the second volume. I hope the next volume is longer and provides more details and backstory.

As for the artwork, I thought it was nice—not my favorite, but I liked it, especially the coloring, which was beautifully chosen and really added to the atmosphere of the story. Despite the rushed pacing, I’m interested enough in what’s happening to continue reading. I just wish the first volume had spent more time building up the story and developing the characters before diving into the action.

3.5⭐️

I wish this was a bit more in depth, the story moved along so quickly and I just wanted MORE. There was hardly time for character development, which made me not super invested in our cast. I did love the art and the concept, and the Night Mother was super creepy! I'll definitely read vol 2 to see how the story goes, but rushed snippets like this feel like a marketing ploy? I don't want to need to buy ten rushed volumes to get the story..

When the powerful “evil” one is that scary and dangerous, the book is really good!

This is the story of The Night Mother who gathers souls of the dead in her lantern. She gets greedy for power and starts taking souls from the living too! But Madeline is one young girl who bravely stands up to this and fights against it.

The artsyle is awesome and the first volume is just perfect!

Can’t wait for the second volume!

Thank you, Oni Press, for the ARC.

The illustrations are stunning and the characters designs are fantastical and creative.
I loved the colour scheme and the mythology of the Night Mother and the moon people.

A gothic tale about a girl in a sleepy seaside town who finds her life turned upside when a stranger washes ashore and tells her that the Night Mother is coming after her... Madeline Tock is a twelve-year-old girl who lives in a sleepy little season town where the unnatural darkness has been for as long as anyone can remember. When a stranger washes up in the town and says that Madeline is in danger and thatr someone known as the Night Mother is coming after her, things are about to get crazy. Can Madeline and her new friend stop the evil force coming after her and is she really Madeline's mother? This is a beautifully drawn story and the first one in a series. It's a fun read and I absolutely needed more! I need the second book right now because I am so curious where the story goes next! Definitely pick this up if you ant a spooky seaside read!

Release Date: October 8,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Oni Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

The drawings perfectly reflects the atmosphere of this comic: dark, mysterious and full of magic.
Madeline is a very endearing character that I enjoyed following in this story. I can't wait to learn more in volume 2!

5 moonlit stars.

Magically wonderful comic. The illustrations and vibrant colour-scheme are beautifully wrought, and bring an other-worldly, folklorey vibe to the whole. I really adored this story, with its endearingly weird main characters of the old not-timekeeper, stargazer and his grave-digging daughter who can hear the whispers of the dead. Despite being only 88 (glorious) pages long, the world-building in this first volume was well flushed out, and the characters' plight pulling tight on my heartstrings!

The tone and pacing - perfection. Match between story and its artful manifestation onto the page - delightfully magical. The lore explaining the fate of those who die - heartwrenchingly beautiful.

I very much look forward to eventually seeing this full adventure in graphic novel form, and will likely buy a print copy of it then! In the meantime, I look forward to reading the progression of segments as this story unfolds.

Huge gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher, Oni Press, for an e-ARC of this comic, in exchange for my delighted review. Oni Press really publishes some amazing stuff!

In a small town by the sea, a twelve-year-old girl and her father live in a house on a graveyard. The townspeople are so afraid of them that they float the caskets of the dead across the water to their island. The moon has been stuck in the sky for years. No sun, no dawn and only endless dark, starry night. While trying to bury the most recent dead, Madeline Tock is interrupted by her father and forced to return inside where she has a disturbing dream. She dreams of the Night Mother, a woman who lives on the moon and guides the souls of the dead into her lantern to be turned into moonlight. In her thirteenth year, the Night Mother’s daughter becomes the new Night Mother and the previous Night Mother retires and fades to entropy. But what if the previous Night Mother doesn’t want to finish her tenure quite so easily? What if she begins to take the souls of the living to buy herself more time? Madeline awakes with a start to see a girl running on the waves and rushes out to help her. The girl tells her that the Night Mother has found Madeline and is now on her way with nefarious intentions. Madeline runs with the girl to a local inn where they are soon confronted by the Night Mother. Will Madeline succumb to the Night Mother’s schemes or will she escape and start on the path to her destiny?

This graphic novel was so cute. The art was so beautiful and the story was compelling and creepy, but not scary. I really liked the storyline and how it managed to be both sweet and a little frightening at the same time. I did feel that the pacing was a little rushed, which is to be expected with a graphic novel, but I’m still going to knock off a star because I’ve seen it done better. It was honestly too short to be able to write a full, detailed review without spoilers. I liked this, though, and I would recommend it for adults and kids aged 10-17. I can’t wait to read more!

I don’t normally read graphic novels but I really enjoyed The Night Mother. It’s magical and whimsical. I loved the premise, the spooky atmosphere of the setting, the fear and suspicions of the town’s inhabitants. I felt for Madeline, her loneliness and her macabre job of fishing the dead out of the river to bury them. The illustrations are really good, with vivid colours and plenty of atmosphere (although I wasn't convinced that Madeline was a twelve-year-old girl but that could be for a particular plot point.).

My only disappointment was when I reached the end and realised that this is only the first part of the story - I had missed the words 'vol 1' in the title!

Overall, The Night Mother is a strong start to a very promising series, so if you like graphic novels, (and even if you don't), check it out!

Ita
Ringrazio NetGalley e Oni Press per l'opportunità di leggere questo e-Arc. La Madre della Notte è una graphic novel che mi ha catturato istantaneamente con la sua copertina e il suo titolo. Questi due elementi sono stati poi confermati dalla lettura: la trama è avvincente, la tavolozza è stupenda e la storia della Madre della Notte mi ha molto interessata. Vorrei saperne di più su Maddy, Nura e il problema a cui devono porre rimedio. Non vedo l'ora di andare avanti con il secondo capitolo.

Eng
Thank you so much NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this e-Arc. The Night Mother is a graphic novel that captured me instantaneously with its cover and title. These two elements were confirmed during the reading: the plot is gripping, the palette is stunning and the lore behind the Night Mother is very interesting to me. I wanna know more about Maddy, Nura and the problem they have to fix. Can't wait to read the next chapter.

The Night Mother Vol. 1 by Jeremy Lambert is an engaging fantasy graphic novel set in a haunting world where time has stopped, trapping its inhabitants in an endless night. The art style perfectly complements the dark, fantastical atmosphere, drawing readers deeper into this mysterious universe. The plot is intriguing and left me eager to see how the story will unfold in future volumes. However, I found myself wishing for more character development early on, as the fast-paced narrative sometimes felt a bit rushed. Despite this, the book offers an entertaining read, and I'm excited to see where the story goes next. 
Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for the digital ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a digital arc of this book!

The Night Mother is the first installment in Lambert's debut kid's graphic novel series. It's set in a world where time has stopped, and people are trapped in an endless night. The main character, 12-year-old Madelline Tock, can convene with the dead, but everyone in her life, her father included, is overly protective of her. She grew up hearing the legend of the Night Mother, a woman who wears the night sky and gathers the souls of the dead in her lantern. But when the Night Mother begins to take the souls of the living as well as the dead, there is only one who can stand up to her.

Illustrations alone, this story would be a five-star read for me. Take the stunning illustrations and add them to the whimsical fairytale-esque story, and that makes this a perfect read. It is very easy to consume and incredibly entertaining from start to finish. It gave me the sensation of reading a Grimm's fairy tale with its feeling of familiarity with a healthy twinge of horror. I almost wish I had waited to read this book so I could binge the entire series, but as it is, I am happily counting down the days until the next installment.

If you take only one book recommendation to heart this year, let this be the one. Easy 5/5 stars.

I knew nothing going into this book and I’m so glad that was the case because I greatly enjoyed myself reading this first volume of a middle grade graphic novel series. I’m a sucker for novels and graphic novels to do with the sky and celestial beings so this book was it for me.

The art style was so beautiful and I loved each and every character design. The plot was fascinating and one I hadn’t read before which is always a win. I can’t wait to see where volume 2 takes us after the way this volume ended. I only hope everything that happened can be undone, or something close to it.

The artwork perfectly sets the tone for the magical world that lies within its pages and the cover is what made me request the arc. So, if you liked the cover, you'll absolutely love the art inside. The premise is original and there are hints of deeper lore and mysteries, but I wanted this volume to be a bit longer.

While the foundations are laid, I wish more time was spent on the world-building. Similarly, the characters' interactions with each other felt somewhat underdeveloped. Having more interactions or showing their past would've made the emotional moments hit hard.

There's lots of potential in this one and it sets up a solid foundation. If you're looking for a quick, visually pleasing read with an intriguing premise, this book might be right up your alley.

Such a wonderful and intriguing concept! The artwork alone was enough to drag me in, but the story and characters held on to me just as tightly.

I will say though, it felt so rushed and short. There was so much room for more world exploring and explanations, and yet… It sorta leaves you filling in the blanks yourself. This can be a good thing… as well as a bad. I’m glad this is a series and the following books will hopefully bring more answers to the board, but I wish this first volume had been much longer. That way the reader could grow a better attachment to the characters and their world.

From one artist to another, I myself am able to become attached just by the way the characters are designed and expressed on each page, but I know not everyone would feel the same. Some people want to be able to watch them grow a little before they are able to feel their emotions and understand their actions.

This review is starting to feel like a teacher grading their students' assignments and I don’t like that feeling lol, so I’ll wrap it up with a 3/5-star rating. Lots and lots of potential in this one. I look forward to the next volume.

My thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the Digital Advanced Reader’s Copy. This book is expected to be published October 8th, 2024.

As a girl who loves the moon I loved this. The concept of the night mother, our main character esentially being a princess spirited away and protected by someone who spends his whole life trying to protect her, the world being eternal night, and the mysteries of the sun in this world now controlled by the moon were all incredible. I cannot wait for the next volume to find out what happens next.

There once was a story of the Night Mother; a benevolent, ethereal creature who descended to Earth to collect the souls of the departed. They would ascend with her, and she would turn them into moonlight so they could shine over the ones they loved.

Once, she was good and kind. But now...

Maddy knows her father loves her, but sometimes it feels suffocating. He has rules - too many - to keep her safe, but from what? Now that the moon has stopped in the sky those rules have gotten more restricting. Tonight she'll find out why.

I loved The Night Mother. The art was lovely, the story was fantastic, and it progressed quickly. The first volume really set the stage for the next two volumes, and did a lot of the essential world building. I will definitely be checking out the other volumes of this series. If you enjoyed The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman or The Nest by Kenneth Oppel I believe you will love this book.

I really loved this! It was the perfect balance of fairytale and unnerving. The mythology behind the plot is so intriguing and artwork is absolutely STUNNING!
I do wish it had been longer, though. And some of the scenes were a bit more fast paced than I was anticipating, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment in the slightest. I'm definitely going to be keeping my eyes out for the next volume!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A lot of kids at my library love fantasy stories that are darker and have a fairytale-esque feel to them, and we have a lot of readers who prefer graphic novels, so this will have a large audience here. I do think the development so far both in terms of characters and plot seems to be lacking, but it is just the first volume so maybe we'll get more as the series continues!