A review by lilbooktopus
Ella Arcangel: Tomo Una: Ito ay Panganib by Mervin Malonzo, Julius Villanueva

5.0

Top-notch Filipino urban fantasy that's deliciously dangerous and would pull you to the heart of Philippine mythos. What I love about Julius Villanueva's work is how it manages to create a mysterious and eerie feeling to envelope an urban poor landscape teeming with life, so crowded by people you couldn't possibly bring in a plethora of beings that typically inhabit dark and unexplored forests.

But I suppose that is one of Ella Arcangel's main punches. It tackles the displacement of the otherworldly occupants by the displaced humans. A supernatural territorial dispute.

Ella is such a wonderful main character. She is a child but also probably the most badass, no-shit heroine I've seen in a long time. Even so, she doesn't feel out of place and still goes through what regular kids go through, no matter how powerful she is.

If you're a fan of the supernatural/myths and legends, try this book out! Just think Studio Ghibli meets Gravity Falls. It's amazing in terms of both art and story so kudos to Mervin Malonzo and Julius Villanueva.