Grimoire Noir by Vera Greentea & Yana Bogatch
Title: Grimoire Noir
Author Name: Vera Greentea and Yana Bogatch
Age Rating: Older Teen
Star Rating: ✦✦✦✦
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novel
Summary:
Bucky Orson is a teenage boy living in a town where only women can possess magic. The town is weird, gloomy, and closed off from the outside world. The barrier protecting the town also keeps witches from leaving because witches cannot leave the town unless they’re ready to lose their magic forever.
When Bucky’s younger sister, a talented magic user is kidnapped, Bucky is determined to save his sister and get her back home safe and sound.
His father is the town’s sheriff but has his hands tied and isn’t able to conduct proper searches to find his missing daughter.
Bucky, fed up, decides to abandon all rules in a mad search for his sister.
But what he finds might not be pretty.
Favorite Character: My favorite character was Bucky’s ex-best friend. There were some serious twists about her character at the end of the story which I did not expect.
At first, I didn’t really like her because she sort of betrayed him for the company of her new friends, but over time I came to understand her motivations and sympathize with her because of her backstory.
Storyline Development: The storyline developed very nicely. The entire time I was buzzing with theories on where exactly Bucky’s sister could be hidden. Overall the mysterious feel of the town was also well developed with certain locations being a no-go for Bucky not just because of trespassing laws but also because he was a boy and had no magic.
Worldbuilding: The worldbuilding of the story was great, with key locations like the mansion and the Police Office being wonderfully illustrated. Overall the art of this graphic novel caught my eye in the first place and I ended up staying for Greentea’s well-thought-out storytelling.
The theme in the story of boys not being able to have magic and wanting it showed a universal theme of how people will always want things they cannot have.
My Thoughts: The story was pretty airtight, with the resolution being quite satisfying. I still left the story with some questions. Such as the well spirit, why did she never move on? Was her bitterness toward the people of the town enough to make her stay lingering on Earth for eternity?
I found Grimoire Noir to be a riveting fantasy graphic novel. It did a wonderful job of chronicling a boy’s journey to find his missing sister in a world of witches and wonder. I encourage you to join Bucky Orson on his investigations and revelations as he learns the truth of his sister’s disappearance and the witches’ magic as a whole.