Let me start by saying the art was gorgeous and stylistic, with an adventurous story. However, I don't know if the story is engaging enough for kids to eagerly anticipate book 2, even despite the cliffhanger. Recommended for a niche audience and paired with book 2. For more engaging stories in a fantasy-historical world for middle grade I'd recommend The Firelight Apprentice, City of Secrets, or Atana and the Firebird instead.

This book is a must-read!

Ok can I begin with that gorgeous cover, the art, colour, movement, it’s just stunning and it continues throughout the entire book.

The story follows a young girl, Madeline who lives with her father on a small island, Madeline had the ability to hear the whispers of the dead, and her father restricts her from leaving the house for her own safety, because it’s always night and maybe something more, however, a strange figure shows up warning her of dangers to come, and a figure from her nightmares not far behind.

The storyline is intriguing and honestly unputdownable and the ending left me craving for more, and I'm sure you'll feel the same!

This was really great! The world and the magic system is fascinating and there's no info dumping even though you're kind of thrown right into the story.

The plot is very engaging, I really wanted to know more about Maddy and where she comes from. I feel like this could have been longer, while there is action I think you really only get an introduction here but it does make me want to read more!

The art is absolutely gorgeous. It is so captivating and really conveys the emotions of the characters, the beauty of the setting and the intensity of the action. The minute I opened the GN I was in awe of the artwork. It's probably my favourite part.

Excited for more of this story!

I'm in love with the beautiful art in this story, everything is just so mesmerizing, the colors, and the fonts and the art style, perfection!!!

The story is great, eye catching and would definitely be on the lookout for more <3

"The Night Mother" follows the story of a young girl named Madeline, who lives in a world where it is always night. She can hear the whispers of ghosts and wants to help them, but her father does not like when she goes outside. One night she sees someone drowning and goes to rescue them, and finds out that she is the daughter of the night mother, and the night mother is coming for her.

Honestly I love the art style. It is what originally convinced me to pick up the book. Since the land is always in night time, the color palette contains more blues, greens, and purples to portray that the world is always dark. I love how the characters are drawn and illustrated, and the details added into the scenery.

The story was just average. The Night Mother wants to live for longer so she has turned dark, and her daughter was taken from her because of this. It was very repetitive and I wasn't quite clear on exactly why the night mother wanted her daughter-maybe to steal her life? For such a short book I felt like the same things happened over and over, and the story never really went anywhere. I think had the story moved along a bit more, and the publisher decided to make a longer book (this book <100 pages!), that it could easily have been wrapped up in one volume, and I would have liked it more. Instead, it ended on a cliffhanger, but since not much happened in the story, it didn't grab my interest enough to continue on to a future volume.

You will enjoy this if you enjoy graphic novels with darker themes and magical realism/fantasy elements. I think this would be good for the YA audience. 3/5 stars

Thank you to netgalley and Oni Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was so happy when I got approved for this because after seeing the cover and reading the blurb, I wanted to read it so badly. The first thing that caught my attention when reading was the stunning art. The art alone kept me so invested, and I wish I could print it and hang it on my wall because of how gorgeous some of those panels are, especially with the Night Mother and her lantern. Those panels are gorgeous with a mix of blues, greens, and yellows. If anything, I recommend this book because of the art because I would give anything to be able to create art that beautiful. Moving onto the story. The relationship between Maddy and her father is very sweet and how they sacrifice for one another. I think Maddy is such an interesting character that the target young adult/middle-grade audience can gravitate towards because she is brave and daring while also being kind and loving to those she cares about. The book is short and moves fast, so the pacing keeps you constantly moving, which is good, especially when you want to keep your reader's attention. I am excited for volume 2. I want to know what happens with Maddy and Naru and if they are able to save her father. I read this book in one sitting and I think it was amazing.

If you like to read things that are pretty and have a great story this is the graphic novel for you! I don't have much else to say except that this was amazing, and that I hope there is more!

5/5

If you love stories that hold a magic that seems apart from the usual.
If you loved films/books like The Secret of Moonacre, Stardust, and Coraline Meets the Graveyard Book more then this is the vibe for you.

The moon is frozen in time, and left a small seaside town without days, only eternal night.
This town is haunted by creatures that take the living and dead, ruled by the Night Mother, who is looking for a little girl who threatens her plans.
Unlock this story in this book and know it is only the beginning of the magic and mystery of this tale.

I would humbly like to request more of this series, please and thank you, and quickly. I devoured this and was so sad when it ended. The art style is incredible and the story is intoxicating and I would love more world building.