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The Hunger and the Dusk vol. 1 collects issues #1-6 of the series. This comic features a dying world where only humans and orcs remain. They are mortal enemies, but when a group of ancient humanoids known as the Vangol pose an even greater threat, the humans and orcs form an alliance to take on this new threat together. This alliance is fragile but it’s the only way to move forward. The survival of both groups lies in the hands of a commander of a band of humans and a high-ranking orc healer. 

 

This story has an adventurous Game of Thrones/Dungeon & Dragons vibe which I enjoyed, and the vibrant art brings the characters, action and scenery to life. Unfortunately, everything else about the book fell flat for me. I wanted more worldbuilding and I feel like I don’t have a reason to care about the characters. And because I don’t care about the characters I also don’t care about the romance. There was an interesting moment where we learn about the Vangol, but it wasn’t fully explored. I know there’s only so much that can be done in six issues, but I was left feeling underwhelmed. This genre is so popular and overdone, and so far I feel like The Hunger and the Dusk isn’t bringing anything new to the table. Hopefully this will change as the story continues. I’m interested in reading the next volume to see if my opinion changes. 

 

Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC to review. 

“I want my rage to elicit love and more love. I want people to stop asking if I love this country. No. Ask if it loves me.” 

 

Noor Hindi, a Palestinian American poet and reporter, shares her rage and love with us in her debut collection Dear God. Dear Bones. Dear Yellow. These poems are simultaneously tender and full of rage as they challenge western imperialism and the notion of the American dream. Hindi shares how America has denied her and her family their Palestinian identity and heritage. The poems about her grandmother becoming an American citizen are particularly illuminating as immigration officers refuse to acknowledge Palestine as a country and force her grandmother to remove her headscarf. These microaggressions and violations are acts of violence. And what is America if not a land of violence? 

 

Hindi writes about being a reporter and how reporting is an act of violence, too. This is something we’ve heard over the last five months from Bisan, Motaz, Hind, and Plestia over and over again. Palestinians share their pain with the hope that the world will listen, but when will it be enough? when will leaders draw the line and say enough? Palestinians are dying and most of those in power are doing nothing to stop it. 

 

Hindi also writes about family, Arab womanhood, queerness, and Islamophobia. there is a thread of sadness and sometimes bitterness throughout these poems that tie them to the rest of the collection, and I think this amplifies her overall message of defiance. Not only does Hindi have to justify her Palestinian existence to a racist world that wants to erase her, she also faces the inherent violence of patriarchy and misogyny, too. Her defiance in the face of all this violence is a form of love for herself, her people, and her country. Her defiance is survival and resistance, and her words are a burning flame that cannot be extinguished. She spits in the face of imperialism, as we all should. Free Palestine 🇵🇸🍉 

Wanda John-Kehewin’s young adult novel Hopeless in Hope tells the story of 14 year old Eva. Eva often feels lonely and small because she’s bullied at school and her mom is an alcoholic. Her nohkum is the only person Eva can rely on, but when Nohkum is hospitalized, Eva struggles to believe that her mom is capable of taking care of her and her younger brother. After her mom makes a terrible mistake, Eva is put into a group home and is separated from her brother. Eva is overwhelmed by her emotions and anxiety, and wonders if she’ll ever be reunited with her family. 

 

I like the way this book is written—the author gives readers a ton of insight into Eva’s thoughts and it reads like a diary. Eva cares deeply about her family and is protective of them, but she’s also rightfully angry at her circumstances. Eva craves connection and a peaceful life at home, but her mom keeps letting her down. With the help of her nohkum, Eva begins to understand her mom’s pain and the cycle of trauma present in their lives. Eva goes on a journey of forgiveness and acceptance, and it was heartwarming to see her growth and where these characters end up. I also loved the honest discussions of anxiety and depression and think there are several great messages in this book about the importance of taking care of your mental health. 

 

I unintentionally read Brandi Morin’s Our Voice of Fire (highly recommend the audiobook!) simultaneously with this one, and was surprised by the ways they overlap. One is fictional and the other is not, but both books inform readers about the impact of intergenerational trauma, residential schools, and the foster care system on Indigenous communities. Brandi Morin’s memoir reinforced the discussions and emotions presented in Hopeless in Hope. While both books discuss these topics, they focus on the people rather than the trauma, and they demonstrate how it’s possible to rebuild your life and find hope after despair. 

 

With compassion, care and love, Hopeless in Hope tells the story of a family finding their way back to each other. It provides space for complex feelings and is a great starting point for young readers to learn about the difficult topics within, while also showing the importance of family and having hope. 

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This book is out now! Thank you HighWater Press for sending me a copy to review. 

Dawn's Cozy Horror Corner: A Queer Chinese Horror Short Stories Anthology collects five horror short stories by Dawn Chen. The stories feature protagonists who are a part of the Chinese diaspora, and they all face supernatural elements and situations that force them to confront the realities of their lives and the society they live in. 

 

The first story follows a girl with an ability that forces people to deal with their shame, while the second story features a girl who loses her facial features as she grapples with racism and bullying. The third story has a protagonist who meets a version of her future self and sees that other futures are possible, while the fourth story follows a girl who visits the Chinese Underworld in her dreams and meets her ancestor who rules over it. The final story is about a girl who happily makes a deal with a demon who wants to posses her. 

 

Each story is different but they all discuss mental health and feelings of being an outsider.  Depression is a constant presence throughout the book, and I appreciate the way the characters and their struggles are portrayed. They’re allowed to be depressed and the author makes space for difficult conversations and examines the daily injustices and microaggressions that can contribute to poor mental health. The first two stories in particular discuss shame around SA, and the effects of racism, respectively, and the toll they take on a person’s mental health. These stories are smart and have clear messages, and I think they’re the strongest stories in this book.  

 

With sharp commentary, compassion, and sometimes humour, the author examines the themes of shame, loneliness, justice and depression. I love the way these stories use horror (and sometimes sci-fi) to address difficult topics. I enjoyed most of these stories and love how each one is unique from the rest in the collection while still being connected by the way these characters feel like they don’t belong. The stories complement each other well and together they create a great collection. 

 

Congrats Dawn on releasing your book! 🎉 Thank you for sending me a review copy. This book is out now, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. 🍉 

In The Butcher of the Forest, Veris is forced to enter a deadly forest to save the children of the tyrant who rules over her home. She is the only person to ever enter the forest and survive, and her only saving grace is her knowledge from her last trip inside. Monsters, tricks and traps await her, and she has one day to save the children before the forest claims them for itself. 

 

Premee Mohamed’s latest novella is an atmospheric and imaginative fairytale featuring a forty year old protagonist, creepy monsters, and discussions of colonialism and power. The tyrant’s wrath is quietly simmering in the background of the book—Veris knows that if she doesn’t return with the children then she dooms herself, her family and her village. The book explores power imbalances and discusses the injustice of life under tyranny, and the impact of tyranny on marginalized individuals. These themes are also explored through the monsters when they make bargains with Veris. Their prices are high and it made me think about how marginalized individuals are the ones who pay the cost of colonialism—we are the ones who bear the burden, and we are the ones who have to live with the injustices empires create. 

 

Through all of her heartbreak and grief, Veris grounds herself with tokens that remind her of home. She thinks about her aunt and grandfather, and fights to survive for them. Veris has to make difficult choices in impossible situations, and she spends the novella trying to survive but never really gets to live. Is this not what people are doing in Palestine and worldwide? So many of us spend our lives fighting to survive instead of being allowed to simply exist. I couldn’t help but see the parallels to current global injustices while reading about the fictional ones in this book. 🍉 This is what I couldn’t stop thinking about as Veris raced through the forest and constantly put her life on the line for someone who would never do the same for her. 

 

Overall this is a great addition to Premee Mohamed’s body of work. If you enjoy this novella I highly recommend checking out her short story collection No One Will Come Back For Us. I haven’t read all of her books yet but the short story collection is my favourite, and I think it’s a must read for fans of speculative fiction. 

This novella is out today! Thank you Tordotcom Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.