Review: 'City in the Desert: The Monster Problem' by Moro Rogers

And from the mingled blood of man and the evil one, Iriaze raised a horde of monsters...

And from that time on, the world was full of monsters.

Monster hunter Irro and his assistant Hari have a pretty good life, all things considered; they get to hunt monsters. But they may be the only people in the city of Kevala who are making a decent living.  When a religious sect promising relief from the burden of worry comes to Kevala everything changes. Everyone is smiling and relaxed, but Irro knows there is something sinister afoot and he and Hari are determined to uncover the truth.

Graphic Novel newcomer Moro Rogers has crafted an intriguing story that draws readers into a strangely familiar world peopled with monsters and monster hunters. Irro comes from a long line of monster hunters but has come upon harder times as monster attacks increase and hunters are eliminated. The increase of attacks has isolated Irro's home base of Kevala; they have not had a caravan travel by in almost a year. The isolation is beautifully depicted by Rogers' sepia toned art.

One of The Monster Problem's biggest strengths is the relationship between Irro and Hari. Hari is something other than human - she has a tail and claws, but Irro treats her as a person. Rogers has done a wonderful job of crafting the relationship between these two characters using language as well as image. The humor of their dialogue gives readers a depth of character often lacking in graphic novel text. This playful tone is carried over into the art itself: a bored Irro walks through a character's speech balloon, preventing the reader for seeing all the text and visually illustrating Irro's lack of attention. Hari's facial expressions are spot on with her comments; rue, humor and confusion are beautifully depicted.

But not all is action and humor in the city of Kevala. There are some darker elements at work here: a spreading confusion among residents and lack of response to physical threats that allow the reader to become aware of the threat posed by the Way of Sacred Peace well before Irro and Hari. Hopefully, further development of these threats is something that readers can look forward to in City in the Desert's next installment.

This is a fun, well-crafted and beautifully illustrated graphic novel that I'll be encouraging my teens to try.

Reviewer: Rebecca

Book Source: Local Library

Recommended Ages: 15+

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Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

It's the Suicide Forest.  I'm walking through the fucking Suicide Forest with

two witches, and a knife that flashes to the dead like a damn lighthouse.

Available August 2012

Anna Korlov was dead long before Cas Lowood met and fell in love with her and he knows he should be moving on. But he can't. In the months since Anna Dressed in Blood dragged the Obeahman into Hell, Cas finds himself haunted by a specter he can't slay. He sees Anna everywhere; asleep or awake she appears, visible only to him and seemingly caught in some tortuous circle of punishment that leaves her unable to truly rest in peace. Cas is determined to discover what kind of underworld Anna has become trapped in and rescue her from her torment.  But opening the door between worlds requires a steep price, one that Cas cannot pay alone.

With her trademark blend of creepy images and relatable characters, Kendare Blake continues the story of Anna Korlov, ghost, and Cas Lowood, ghost hunter, in her newest novel Girl of Nightmares.  I'll admit, I was a bit hesitant when I heard that Anna Dressed in Blood was going to have a companion novel, I loved the first book so much that I was concerned another novel set in that world would fall short.  But Girl of Nightmares lives up to it's predecessor and provides the reader with another intriguing chapter in the life of Cas Lowood and his friends.

Girl of Nightmares has all the elements of horror and paranormal mystery that readers expect.  The writing is vivid and evocative without being overdone and the voice of Cas is jarringly authentic. One of my biggest complaints about paranormal/horror mysteries, as a genre, is that characters involved in that type of world rarely show signs of PTSD or stress related to their constant battles (both mental and physical). Blake creates characters that could, and might even, be at any high school.  Her characters are real and the events of their lives impact their mental, emotional and physical health. Cas's suffering makes him real.  When haunted by visions of Anna being slowly torn to shreds or burned alive, Cas does not automatically assume a paranormal root, but that may be images created by his own scarred psyche.

Blake knows how to give the reader just enough detail to make them create their own personal horror that will haunt their brains long after the book is finished and the light turned out.  Highly recommended.

**These books should be read in order.**

Book Source: ARC courtesy of Tor Teen
Reviewer: Rebecca

Recommended Ages: 14+ Some profanity & disturbing images.

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