Overall: B I kind of want to stick with this series for London setting and the lore of the magical crime families. But... I also kind of want to bail due to the underdeveloped "romance" with the detective that veers into instalove territory, the possibly telegraphed love triangle with said detective and a crime family rival and an anticlimactic resolution to the mystery that left me going "that's it?"

Overall: B+ This is a slow burn type story with an original premise, beautiful writing and a great sense of dread. Really enjoyed it.

Overall: B- The artwork is dynamic, expressive, and matches the crime noir tone but I just couldn’t connect with this graphic novel. The main character isn’t poorly written or annoying; his humor lands fine, and most of his choices make sense. I just never felt invested in him. With so many other characters and story threads, the story started to feel overwhelming and chaotic. It’s one of those books that I wish I liked more than I did, because the individual elements are solid but they just never came together for me.

Overall: B+ Good creepy anthology with intertwined stories and fantastic art.

Overall: B+ Good queer fantasy in an Asian-inspired world. Wish we delved more in the magic side of things but the focus is really on the relationship and the lead's growth.

Overall: C- If you’re in the mood to read a book where you hate every main character—and possibly yourself for finishing it—Outside is for you. I will never understand the premise of “friends” who clearly despise each other deciding to reunite (You can skip your high school reunion, people. Nothing good happens there either).

Gunlaugur and Daniel were obviously meant to be terrible, but I think we were supposed to root for the other two? If so, that was a flop. The setting is genuinely intriguing, though—the snowstorm isolation works, and the mysterious man just chilling (pun intended) in the corner had me curious. Unfortunately, the ending was rushed, implausible, and nowhere near as clever as it thought it was.

Overall: A-

Oh I was hooked from the very first page! We never leave the interrogation room setting but Lily's vivid recounting of the past events made me feel like I was in different spaces. Detective Travis reactions to Lily felt exactly how a real detective would respond to Lily's abilities: skeptical but willing to be persuaded with proof. The only weak part was the ending. It does a cliche set up for a sequel. However, if the next book is as engrossing as the first one, it should be a strong follow up.