The Night Mother Vol. 1

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.

This graphic novel is so gorgeous, so vibrant and whimsical, I couldn't stop staring at the new art on each page!! Volume 1 of The Night Mother did a great job at setting up the storyline and I really look forward to seeing where this series goes. Although it was only 88 pages it already started tugging on my heart strings, and had me rooting for Madeline the whole way!

The Night Mother will be published on the 8th of October and I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a beautiful, whimsical graphic novel with themes surrounding family, time and darkness. The book is noted to be middle grade but is also advertised for all ages and I'd definitely agree that any age can enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and OniPress for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review.

Every panel of this graphic novel is a visual masterpiece, an extasy of art, with colors so vibrant, atmosphere so unique and artsyle that is a pleasure to look at. And the storynof Night Mother is as fascinating as the visual aspect – I adore the folklorish note behind it. Although it was roughly one hundred pages, it managed to set a great world-building, with great, complex characters and possibilities endless for the continuation. I am so glad I was able to read it, because it instantly swooned me, and I fall in love. Cannot recommend it enough!

I have a deep love for graphic novels and nothing makes me happier then when the illustrations and story match with so much precision. This story is fantastic I love the concept of the moon mother and her role in the balance and shepherding of souls. I'm always fascinated by different takes on what happens when we die and I think that this is my favorite one that I have come across. I also was very moved at the love that the stargazer had for his daughter. As some one who was raised by a single dad this really resonated with me. I cannot wait to see what happens in Vol.2

The moon has stopped, and nobody knows why, and for Madeline Tock, this is an unbearable situation. Her father was alreading an unbearing worry wort but now that there is no daylight, he has basically made her a prisoner in their home. A rule that Madeline tries to follow, but one night, she sees something incredible out her window, a young boy running across the waves! Knowing she must save him, she rushes out of the house, not knowing that this may be the very last time she sees the father she loves so very much.

This just needs to be made into a Disney movie. I said what I said. This is such a perfect combination of wholesome and spooky that I can't see it not being a Disney movie. And honestly, I don't think I've ever read a book and said, "Ya know what? I need this to be a movie." So I'm pretty sure that's about the highest praise I can give a book. Plus, the art is absolutely gorgeous!

Overall, I definitely recommend this. It was just a super cute, spooky little fairy tale.

As always, thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the eArc!

5/5 Stars. Absolutely stunning! The artwork is gorgeous! The story line immediately draws you in. Though I’m as confused about the rules of the world around us as Madeline, I loved everything about this! This magical graphic novel tells the story of a young girl, Madeline, who cares for the dead. Madeline and her father Barnabus live on an isolated island. Barnabus the clock master would love nothing more than to keep it remote and protect Madeline, but the whispers of the dead, the fate of the stars, the stuck moon, and the current Night Mother have other plans. There is nothing I didn’t like about this, except maybe how short it was. I look forward to reading on in Vol. 2. Thank you Oni Press, Jeremy Lambert, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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*

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.

I am always up for reading a new graphic novel and really enjoyed the imagination that was present in this book. It is a combination of a creative author, as well as a talented artist. I would gladly add this book to my classroom shelf and enjoyed it on my own as a comics reader — a wonderful book for a variety of ages

I absolutely devoured this wee graphic novel. The art style is stunning and a delight to view, the story engaged me the whole way through. Just an all round great little reading experience.

Very excited to see where this goes in Vol 2.

This book, y’all! It might be one of the best graphic novels I have seen lately. The art alone is so, so worth being mentioned and praised! And the storyline, although packed in short-ish 80-something pages, is rich and well-written.
An absolutely perfect middle-grade read!

Thanks to Oni Press for making 'The Night Mother vol. 1' by Jeremy Lambert, Alexander Sharpe and Becca Carey available as an ARC on Netgalley

The moon has frozen in the sky, leaving the world in perpetual darkness. Barnabus Tock, local gravedigger and father to 12-year-old Madeline, who is beleaguered by nightmares when asleep and surrounded by the voices of the dead while awake, fears that his daughter is in danger. Despite his attempts to keep her inside, Madeline puts herself in danger to save a stranger from the storm-swept ocean, who informs her that she is the only one who can save them all from the ruler of the moon, the Night Mother, who is searching for souls to prolong her eternal life.

The art in this graphic novel is beautiful and dynamic from cover to cover, matching the mix of whimsical and dark storytelling. You get a good sense of who Madeline in particular is as a main character, but even secondary characters have moments that help define them, whether it be in a line of sarcastic humour or a moment of anxious indecision about stepping over a self-imposed boundary. Every opportunity is taken to bring life to this story and the characters within it.

This volume comes out on October 8th, and I'll be keeping an eye out for the next instalment.

Thank You for the e-ARC!

</i>“The moon is stuck. Frozen in place on Barnabus Tock’s clock that doesn’t tell time. A fault, perhaps. A gear that refuses to turn, you might say. But the clock tells no lie. The moon is stuck in the night sky.”</i>

The Night Mother snuggles its way into the same part of your heart as old fairytales, Studio Ghibli movies, and that one short played before a Pixar movie that has stuck with you for years (I’m looking at you, La Luna)

I absolutely inhaled this book, the story is unlike any I’ve read before whilst still filling me with a sense of nostalgia.

I don’t think I’ve seen such stunning artwork in a graphic novel for a long time. Reading took me far longer because I was studying the artwork and its beautiful details. Particularly the illustration of Maddy’s nightmare on page 28, I want to frame it and put it up on my wall so I can stare at it forever.

I hope my students enjoy this book as much as I have. Vol. 1 hasn’t even been released yet but I’m already waiting patiently for Vol. 2.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
This is a delightful graphic fable that draws you in with intrigue and gorgeous artwork. Madeline Tock feels trapped in her seaside town where night is eternal. She hears whispers from the dead and that's where the adventure and clashes with the Night Mother begin.

I enjoyed the keyed up coziness and mythological storytelling. The artwork makes it though,  that was one of my favorite aspects.

Thank you to Oni Press, NetGalley, and author Jeremy Lambert for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. The Night Mother Vol. 1 is out October 8, 2023.

So engrossed in The Night Mother was I that it took reaching the end to remember this was only the first volume. A relief. A disappointment. The art is stunning and enthralled me from the moment I opened the ebook. The cover – though beautiful – does not do the interior justice. And combined with a perfect first line – ‘Barnabas Tock has a clock that doesn’t tell time’ – I was lost to its world.

Its initial atmosphere of isolation and ostracisation is fantastic and it establishes Madeline and her dad’s relationship really well. It’s such a shame that collapses when Madeline goes into town. Even so, I’m not terribly saddened by this. The villagers are one of the elements I’m most excited to read about in the next volume. I can’t wait to find out what exactly happened.

The Night Mother herself is truly a wonderful villain. One to loathe, but also one you can’t help but feel some sympathy for even as the ways she’s grown twisted are terrible. It builds up her arrival like rolling thunder and she can be frightening to behold. The intensity of her stare. The way her presence drains the colour out of the world. The nightmares she gives Madeline are illustrated exquisitively. The colours and textures are breathtaking.

The Night Mother is one of the best comics I’ve read this year. Its relationships are so full of promise. Madeline and her dad are shown to be so close so quickly and it’s genuinely heartbreaking what happens to them. The moon is so eerie and alien and I can’t wait to see more of it and learn more about its people and what they’ve endured. But I especially am eager to see what The Night Mother will do.

The Night Mother rules over the moon and its people. During every full moon, she uses her lantern to guide the souls of the dead to the moon. The position of Night Mother is always passed from mother to daughter, but the current Night Mother is a cruel ruler who would even take the souls of the living.
Barnabus Tock owns a clock that tells the patterns of all the stars and the rotation of Earth, but the moon is fixed in place. No, the clock isn't malfunctioning because where Barnabus lives, it's eternal nighttime. Barnabus's daughter, Madeline, on the other hand, can hear the voices of the dead. One night, Madeline found a living, breathing human walking on water. This person tells Madeline that she is in great danger and that the Night Mother is coming after her- her own mother.
I just finished reading an incredible book that left me eagerly anticipating the rest of the series. The main character, Madeline, stood out to me with her kind-hearted nature, and I couldn't help but imagine her as a formidable Night Mother. Every character in the book added layers to the story, making it a truly engaging read. The detailed artwork further enhanced the overall experience.
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a captivating work of fiction that will keep them thoroughly engrossed.
Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚