Hey Bookworm friends, I know that my review posts have been few and far between lately. But now that I’m less busy, I hope to share my thoughts about what I read more consistently. Starting with today’s review of this delightful graphic novel: The Mushroom Knight (Vol. 2).
Thanks to Netgalley, Mad Cave Studios, and Oliver Bly for the ARC; I leave my review voluntarily.
About The Mushroom Knight, Vol. 2
Author: Oliver Bly
Genre(s): Fantasy, Eco-Literature
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Format Read: E-book, ARC, Graphic Novel
Pub Date: Nov 5, 2024; OUT NOW!
Series: The Mushroom Knight, Volume 2
Cover Artist: Oliver Bly
Synopsis
A teenage girl called Lem is searching the woods near her home for her missing dog. A mushroom faerie named Gowlitrot is on a mystical quest to protect the biome from catastrophic ruin. Now that Lem and Gowli have met, their friendship develops and Gowli uses his tracking skills to help uncover the fate of the missing dog. However, he can’t stay long—he’s needed in the Fae Kingdom of Glöd for an important and sombre duty.
Pace: Medium, Mix of Plot-And-Character-Driven
Tone: Adventurous, Thought-provoking
My Review
I read the first volume of The Mushroom Knight at the start of 2024 and, while I enjoyed it, I was also left a bit confused and hoping for clarity with the next installment. Fast-forward to November 2024: volume two is now out! I’m happy to say it delivered the clarity I’ve been waiting for, along with a dash of whimsy, and a dark mystery, all wrapped together with a running thread of environmentalism.
The story is set in Philadelphia in the ’90s and the sense of time is embedded in every detail of Lem’s bedroom, toys, and clothing and as a ‘90s kid, I was eating it up! This second volume is where both protagonists begin to interact with each other in the way I was hoping for in the first one. I’m a big fan of ‘fish out of water’ stories and watching Gowli get his bearings in the human world was deeply charming and adorable. While Gowli’s misadventures are funny and integral to the plot, they also provide an outside perspective on how the fae creatures see the human world: a wasteland.
A Taste of the Art Style
This leads well into the second POV of this story. While Gowli is away, the citizens of the Fae Kingdom of Glöd are forced to bear the physical and emotional burdens of humans’ carelessness toward their shared environment. The bulk of the drama in that POV centers around a caravan of trash. But this is also where parts of the conspiracy from the first volume are being cleared up and new questions are arising. Additionally, even though the art is gorgeous no matter which world Bly is depicting, the scenes in Glöd are where the art shines the brightest! If you like nature-focused stories and art, I implore you to check out this series.
Final Thoughts on The Mushroom Knight & Rating
The mystery elements kept me engaged, and I’m eager for the next installment where I hope Hoppalong (Gowli’s frog steed) can be part of the adventure once more. I did miss the ‘lil guy! That being said, I suggest you read the volumes back to back to avoid forgetting details if you have a poor memory like me😅.
Note: Typically, in CAWPILE, the A stands for Atmosphere. However, I feel like in graphic novels much of the atmosphere comes from the art so when I review graphic novels, the A will be for Art.
| CAWPILE | Rating (0-10) |
|---|---|
| Characters | 8 |
| Art | 10 |
| Writing Style | 7 |
| Plot | 7 |
| Intrigue | 8 |
| Logic | 7 |
| Enjoyment | 8 |
Representation
Black
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Bullying
Minor (Mention):
Let’s chat in the comments!
Would you read this graphic novel? Or If you lived in a Fae world, what type of creature would you be?
This sounds good and I like the illustrations. I’m glad the second volume cleared some things up. I like your rating system! I don’t really read graphic novels. Does Coraline count?
The illustrations are like half of why I enjoy this series not gonna lie! & I’m glad things got cleared up a bit too because otherwise I might have given up lol. Thanks, I use the CAWPILE system that G from the booktube channel BookRoast invented. & I have not read Coraline so I don’t know but that’s okay!! haha Does that one have nice illustartions too? All I know is the Coraline movie makes me feel uncomfortable lol
I’m glad this one delivered the clarity that you were hoping for. As it involves the fae I may have to check this out if I get into the graphic novel format. I also have to confess that I’m not surprised to spot a frog on the cover of a book you’re a fan of 😂 it could be interesting to see how the environmental issues factor in too as I really liked how the author showed technology and it’s impact on the fae world in the Iron Fey books.