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readwithmeemz's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
4.0
I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting. I think the fact that I’ve become obsessed with dungeons and dragons lately did help, but I don’t think it was necessary for my enjoyment. This was beautifully illustrated, fast-paced, and immersive. It hits a variety of great fantasy and graphic novel notes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It leaves you wanting more (in a good way), and I’m so excited to find out what happens next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Minor: Abandonment and Rape
raikowlreads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
From the art to the characters Likable personality to the great plot. I can't wait to see this appear in my Comic store.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an early copy.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an early copy.
unavezmas's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I liked this comic. Artstyle is rich and colorful and cartoonish (as far as I am concerned there should be more cartoonish stuff) Orcs and humans looks district enough to differenciate them. It uses all the tropes and cliches you'd expect without sounding boring. There's still enough depth to it to keep me engaged.
As a person who generally finds good characters boring I was surprised I liked Cal, war orphan who grew up with a sword, and fighting is the only thing he knows how to do. And for a person who never knew love he gives it so freely.
Tara knows she'll never be together with her beloved because politics and struggling to go on is heartbreaking to see. I didn't see the other characters enough to get invested I hope that'll change in the future.
I am also curious what's going on with the undead(?). What do they want, if they want anything? Why did they show up now?
Thank you IDW publishing and Netgalley for providing me with free copy in exchange for an honest review.
As a person who generally finds good characters boring I was surprised I liked Cal, war orphan who grew up with a sword, and fighting is the only thing he knows how to do. And for a person who never knew love he gives it so freely.
Tara knows she'll never be together with her beloved because politics and struggling to go on is heartbreaking to see. I didn't see the other characters enough to get invested I hope that'll change in the future.
I am also curious what's going on with the undead(?). What do they want, if they want anything? Why did they show up now?
Thank you IDW publishing and Netgalley for providing me with free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and War
Minor: Rape and Xenophobia
versmonesprit's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
One of the best things to come out of my work was the opportunity to read the first for issues of The Hunger and the Dusk. By the time I had gone through them with utter excitement and the brilliant feeling of having discovered a story that’s as immersive and captivating, I was hooked and already fretting over how I would read the rest. The thought of waiting for the next two issues was unbearable.
So when I saw this volume available on NetGalley, I again jumped on the opportunity. I was over the moon when I saw my request was approved, and set to read from the very beginning.
My reviews for the first four volumes are up, but to summarise I did love them very much, and had minor complaints for each, sometimes as trivial as them being too fast paced and abrupt. I still stand by my plea for a full length novel of this story, but the 5th and 6th issues left a lot to be desired.
I really love the artwork (top notch dynamism!), but was surprised to see how different the colouring on my phone was from how it appeared on my work computer. The display of my phone being miles better, I assume that’s true to the original — I actually regret that because the computer made the colours duskier, which you can guess felt so much more appropriate for a series thus named!
The storytelling immediately plunges the reader into high fantasy’s favourite times: the troubled, turbulent ones. The characters, very much like us, find themselves in a climate crisis. Losing fertile lands for their oxen to feed upon, orcs move further into human territories; but when the Vangol come back centuries after leaving the lands, clerics organise a meeting for a truce between the old enemies against this new, common, hungry enemy. As part of the treaty, healer orc Tara joins human Cal’s fighting company, which sets up further opportunities to navigate themes like prejudice, cultural differences, (de)humanisation of the Other, the impact of war, and extinction. None of the remarks is deep, but they still add dimension to the sociocultural structure of this universe.
A lot is done right, but a lot is done, if not wrong, with a bit less careful attention and/or conviction. One of the main issues is the timeline — the story is vague about how many days or weeks or months certain things take place, to the point it feels like it’s almost contradictory? and if not, certainly illogical… The second issue/chapter has an ending that really does not make sense considering everything we’re told in the story, and the fifth sees our characters suddenly acting quite juvenile and unfittingly dramatically: characters who previously show reasonable communication skills have a very unconvincingly shallow conflict and decide to burn bridges. And my biggest gripe: how little we learn about the Vangol. After the ending of the fourth issue/chapter that gave us a glimpse into the Vangol sociopolitical structure, I was convinced the later issues would finally reveal more substantial information about them … to my dismay, that didn’t happen, so this entire volume feels like a prologue.
Unfortunately the sixth issue/chapter of the document I was allowed to access lacked all text. It did go to showing how good the illustrations are because I’m pretty sure they already told the entire story that would’ve been told through text, but I still hope this was an error and not intentional. Either way, it did nothing to further the story in any shape or form, so it felt like a filler episode, which is a very questionable decision for such a short volume.
I still would read the second volume whenever it comes out, but I’m less enthused and hyped for it now that I know the first one does not end on a very intriguing point: I wasn’t fed enough crumbs to really crave the rest of the pie, which is a shame, because the first four issues had achieved that!
Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the DRC, maybe I just wasn’t destined to meet my heroes.
So when I saw this volume available on NetGalley, I again jumped on the opportunity. I was over the moon when I saw my request was approved, and set to read from the very beginning.
My reviews for the first four volumes are up, but to summarise I did love them very much, and had minor complaints for each, sometimes as trivial as them being too fast paced and abrupt. I still stand by my plea for a full length novel of this story, but the 5th and 6th issues left a lot to be desired.
I really love the artwork (top notch dynamism!), but was surprised to see how different the colouring on my phone was from how it appeared on my work computer. The display of my phone being miles better, I assume that’s true to the original — I actually regret that because the computer made the colours duskier, which you can guess felt so much more appropriate for a series thus named!
The storytelling immediately plunges the reader into high fantasy’s favourite times: the troubled, turbulent ones. The characters, very much like us, find themselves in a climate crisis. Losing fertile lands for their oxen to feed upon, orcs move further into human territories; but when the Vangol come back centuries after leaving the lands, clerics organise a meeting for a truce between the old enemies against this new, common, hungry enemy. As part of the treaty, healer orc Tara joins human Cal’s fighting company, which sets up further opportunities to navigate themes like prejudice, cultural differences, (de)humanisation of the Other, the impact of war, and extinction. None of the remarks is deep, but they still add dimension to the sociocultural structure of this universe.
A lot is done right, but a lot is done, if not wrong, with a bit less careful attention and/or conviction. One of the main issues is the timeline — the story is vague about how many days or weeks or months certain things take place, to the point it feels like it’s almost contradictory? and if not, certainly illogical… The second issue/chapter has an ending that really does not make sense considering everything we’re told in the story, and the fifth sees our characters suddenly acting quite juvenile and unfittingly dramatically: characters who previously show reasonable communication skills have a very unconvincingly shallow conflict and decide to burn bridges. And my biggest gripe: how little we learn about the Vangol. After the ending of the fourth issue/chapter that gave us a glimpse into the Vangol sociopolitical structure, I was convinced the later issues would finally reveal more substantial information about them … to my dismay, that didn’t happen, so this entire volume feels like a prologue.
Unfortunately the sixth issue/chapter of the document I was allowed to access lacked all text. It did go to showing how good the illustrations are because I’m pretty sure they already told the entire story that would’ve been told through text, but I still hope this was an error and not intentional. Either way, it did nothing to further the story in any shape or form, so it felt like a filler episode, which is a very questionable decision for such a short volume.
I still would read the second volume whenever it comes out, but I’m less enthused and hyped for it now that I know the first one does not end on a very intriguing point: I wasn’t fed enough crumbs to really crave the rest of the pie, which is a shame, because the first four issues had achieved that!
Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the DRC, maybe I just wasn’t destined to meet my heroes.
noriboo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Absolutely loved this. The artwork is gorgeous, and the story is compelling. The characters are well-rounded. I enjoyed the adventure, the fights, and the romantic subplot. It's definitely a story that I will continue to follow!
•••
I received a free ARC through Netgalley. My opinions are my own.
•••
I received a free ARC through Netgalley. My opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
sphynxreads's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what a surprising new favorite graphic novel! Aside from the gorgeous artwork, there's a lot to love here already: an interesting cast of characters, a compelling conflict, and magnificent worldbuilding. I didn't expect to love this as much when I requested the ARC but I'm definitely going to continue this series. Can't wait for the next installment!
Wow, what a surprising new favorite graphic novel! Aside from the gorgeous artwork, there's a lot to love here already: an interesting cast of characters, a compelling conflict, and magnificent worldbuilding. I didn't expect to love this as much when I requested the ARC but I'm definitely going to continue this series. Can't wait for the next installment!
michaelgreenreads's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
G Willow Wilson and Chris Wildgoose's The Hunger and the Dusk (Vol 1) (June 2024 - ARC)
For a high-fantasy comic about humans, orcs, and climate change (and those driven mad by it), the art is really pretty: the colours! the beautiful landscapes! the clean action!
I loved the hot orcs more than the humans (!?) which is not surprising as I feel like G Willow Wilson does too. Their side of the story, their characters, their history is so much more layered and interesting.
This first volume is definitely fascinating enough to hook me in for the long haul. Excited to see where they take it!
evitaveda's review
3.5
“Bravery is a small word. But it requires a big heart.”
In a dying world, humans and orcs (traditional enemies) have to work together to vanquish an even bigger and more dangerous foe.
This was definitely an interesting graphic novel. I mostly enjoyed the story but at times I wished the characters and the bonds between them had been given a bit more time to flourish. The action scenes were exciting though, and I really liked the illustrations.
This book compiles Vol 1-6 of this series and I’m definitely curious about what will happen next.
Thanks Netgalley and IDW publishing for letting me read an early copy of this graphic novel. The Hunger and the Dusk is out June 11th.
In a dying world, humans and orcs (traditional enemies) have to work together to vanquish an even bigger and more dangerous foe.
This was definitely an interesting graphic novel. I mostly enjoyed the story but at times I wished the characters and the bonds between them had been given a bit more time to flourish. The action scenes were exciting though, and I really liked the illustrations.
This book compiles Vol 1-6 of this series and I’m definitely curious about what will happen next.
Thanks Netgalley and IDW publishing for letting me read an early copy of this graphic novel. The Hunger and the Dusk is out June 11th.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
3.0
Summary:
The world is dying. There are only two races left. Three, depending on how you look at it. The humans and the orcs have always been enemies, but they might just have to work together to eke out an existence.
Certain groups are willing to work together if that means winning against the Vangol – a deadly and ancient race. Will this be enough? Worse, what happens should these groups fail? Will the rest ever consider trying again?
Review:
Okay, so there was a lot that drew me to this series. First, the dystopian vibes intertwined with a fantasy setting. Second, the author! I love G. Willow Wilson (famous for Ms. Marvel), so I had pretty high hopes for her new fantasy series.
The Hunger and the Dusk Vol. 1 is and isn't a strong start to the series. I know that sounds strange, but hear me out. On the one hand, a lot of it feels too rushed. The stakes are set, the characters introduced, and then we're off to the races. This sounds good in theory, but we didn't have time to connect with the characters, so the stakes felt shallow.
On the other hand, there is something really compelling about this world. After I finished reading it, I found my mind wandering back to it again and again. This likely means I was invested by the end, so I take that as a good sign. And to be clear, this story has some solid elements so far. We have a classic-looking D&D party (archer, bard, leader/rogue, a cleric, etc.), a forbidden love subplot, a dangerous enemy, and so on. I'm curious how these elements adapt and grow as the series continues.
Highlights:
New Fantasy Series
Dystopian Fantasy
Dn&D Vibes
Thanks to IDW and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
The world is dying. There are only two races left. Three, depending on how you look at it. The humans and the orcs have always been enemies, but they might just have to work together to eke out an existence.
Certain groups are willing to work together if that means winning against the Vangol – a deadly and ancient race. Will this be enough? Worse, what happens should these groups fail? Will the rest ever consider trying again?
Review:
Okay, so there was a lot that drew me to this series. First, the dystopian vibes intertwined with a fantasy setting. Second, the author! I love G. Willow Wilson (famous for Ms. Marvel), so I had pretty high hopes for her new fantasy series.
The Hunger and the Dusk Vol. 1 is and isn't a strong start to the series. I know that sounds strange, but hear me out. On the one hand, a lot of it feels too rushed. The stakes are set, the characters introduced, and then we're off to the races. This sounds good in theory, but we didn't have time to connect with the characters, so the stakes felt shallow.
On the other hand, there is something really compelling about this world. After I finished reading it, I found my mind wandering back to it again and again. This likely means I was invested by the end, so I take that as a good sign. And to be clear, this story has some solid elements so far. We have a classic-looking D&D party (archer, bard, leader/rogue, a cleric, etc.), a forbidden love subplot, a dangerous enemy, and so on. I'm curious how these elements adapt and grow as the series continues.
Highlights:
New Fantasy Series
Dystopian Fantasy
Dn&D Vibes
Thanks to IDW and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
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