This was really unique and imaginative - but I found it rushed and underdeveloped. The story just barrels from one plot point to the next; I wanted more information, more backstory and world building, more character development, a fuller resolution. I kept thinking I missed some frames or dialog or a page because I wasn’t able to follow the story; and the ending is SO abrupt.

I did enjoy the artwork very much - whimsical and macabre at the same time.

*Review is based on eARC provided by Lion Forge via NetGalley

Watersnakes is a modern fairy tale that is highly recommended.

An eerie fable about a ghost who carries the soul of an ancient king, and whose teeth are the king’s warriors. She kisses a living girl and vomits an octopus, who begs to be taken to the sea.

Best for fans of the surreal like Coraline. The mesmerizing story lingers like a remembered dream long after the last page is read. The dreamlike art perfectly matches the ethereal plot. 4 stars!

Thanks to Lion Forge and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Girls who come from the sea, queer love, and gorgeous goth-cute artwork – of course I was going to like this. But it's not a cute love story, it's dark as hell – weird tooth myths, octopus-vomiting, skeleton wolves, oh and also the girls from the sea are actually teeth who have to fight the skeleton wolves in a dream. It's batshit and I guess the story doesn't really make 'sense' (if we want to be boring and have things make sense all the time), and usually quirkiness for the sake of it is annoying, but here it feels earned and genuine.

I'm tempted to dock a point as there's a suggestion that when the two girls kiss, Mila is 'really' kissing a guy (he's a god but also an octopus and also trapped behind Agnes's teeth, it's complicated). But Mila doesn't end up with him, and when she kisses Agnes she desires/loves her as a woman, so it's a minor quibble.

In short, this book is super-weird and super-gorgeous and I loved it.

First off the cover is stunning and is very representative of what you will find inside in terms of artwork. It's one of the most gorgeous graphic novel I've seen. The colour palette is very minimalistic but sets the tone for the story in this kind of dream like way.
The story itself is this trippy journey that you have to embark on. It has fairytale qualities to it, very lyrical, sprinkled with magic.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

This is such a trippy graphic novel. Incredibly beautiful, but trippy.

Now, usually when things get funky and weird, I find them hard to follow-- but that is totally not the case here! For the most part, everything.. well, didn't make sense per say, but I knew what was going on and somewhat the reason why.

I do like that it seems the whole story is complete in this one novel. This isn't usually the case with graphic novels, so it was a nice surprise.

There is also some LGBTQA rep here. Mila, the main character, isn't heterosexual. She also isn't totally sure of her preference which I think is always a cool thing to showcase. It is okay to be unsure and we all have to figure it out. On the other hand, all the characters are white and totally skinny -- this might be an artistic choice, but I still didn't understand why everyone was so pale... is the teeth can have black and read hair, why can't they have various skin colors as well?

This book has an interesting (albeit unsettling) story, beautiful artwork, and is decently easy to follow along with yet still has depth. I would totally recommend this one to graphic novel lovers and those who like the strange.

Watersnakes is a beautiful graphic novel.
I'd heard of Sandoval before, but I'd never checked his work until now, and I'll be sure to see what else he has to offer.

In Watersnakes, Milla is a girl on summer vacation who, on one of her wanderings, meets Agnes and falls in love with her. Her fascination with Agnes' teeth and their role in the story, as independent entities, as warriors, is surrealistically fetishistic but fits into the world of dreams and magic where nothing has to be logic as long as it propels the story forward. Agnes turns out to be a ghost who lingers in this world because an ancient octopus king resides inside her. And with Milla's help, perhaps Agnes' octopus king and his warriors can wage war on their enemies.

Watersnakes' plot and artwork really manage to convey a dreamy, somewhat disjointed atmosphere which is what really sells the book.

Hope to see more from Sandoval!

When I saw the cover of this graphic novel, I was expecting that it would be a warrior-theme story. It was beyond that because Watersnakes is a mix of both fantasy and mystery that will delight readers who are into these kinds of genre. Three stories are combined to produce this marvelous book: the story of Mila and the mysterious girl, Agnes; the narrative of what truly happened to Agnes; and why the octopus was being protected.

The uniqueness of the stories and how it was illustrated by Tony Sandoval is both eye-catching and thought-provoking. I may not have enjoyed while I was reading it, but I fully appreciated it after I'm done. I've got to understand how the stories that were correlated, were able to bring a grand whole story.

I’m giving this book a mixed review, not because it was not good, but because the mythology confused me quite a bit. The art was sensational, and loved the minimal use of colors, because it made the blood shed seem that much more graphic by comparison, but I must confess, I do not understand the main character’s obsession with the other main character’s teeth. I don’t mean to post any spoilers, but the fact that she was so obsessed to the point her spirit was willing to abandon her friend to be slaughtered so she could keep her “teeth” was a bit bizarre and difficult for me to grasp. Also, the demonic undead wolves hunting the king were never fully explained..or really, to me, explained at all. What is it they gain from killing the king and his warriors? The entire graphic novel is enthralling and very fast paced, it’s done with a great deal of style and emotion, but I must admit the motivation and much of the dialogue threw me off, which is why I can’t give it a five star rating.

I loved this book - it's feminist, surreal, bizarre and full of so many fun things. It's like a dream that you remember until it feels like it really happened.
This is not a book for young readers but I think there are a number of teenage girls who will love this one.
I loved the art - it's colorful and artsy.
This is definitely one I would pour over again and again.

"Watersnakes" is a beautifully illustrated dark twisted fantasy! Fans of Neil Gaiman's "Coraline" and "Sandman" series will enjoy this graphic novel by Tony Sandoval. The story's reality is inside of a dream, or is it?

Mila, a loner, meets Agnes. Agnes is a young girl who loves the sea and the masks her brother makes. However, Agnes has a secret, and when Mila learns that secret, she isn't frightened off. Instead, she decides to help her friend accomplish her task. Dream and reality meld together in this haunting tale that makes you wonder where one ends and the other begins.

The artwork is beautiful. All of the illustrations match the tone and the plot of the story. The tones are dark, but the psychedelics match Mila's story appropriately. If the story doesn't keep your attention, then the graphic art definitely will!

The only issue I have with this story is the ambivalent ending. In most cases, ambivalent endings allow the reader to determine what could happen after the story ends for the audience. However, I found that I really, really wanted to know what happened to the characters after the ending. "Watersnakes" is short, but poignant and embellished.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While Mila is out playing, she meets a strange but beautiful girl named Agnes who believes ghosts live in her teeth. As they spend more time together, Mila realizes Agnes is far from a normal girl as otherworldly forces spill into Mila's life.

This is what I was expecting from Likely Stories; a trippy, thrilling, scary, bloody, fantastic fantasy story that's beautiful to look at. The art takes some getting used to but if you can appreciate the likes of Roman Dirge or Dave McKean, this will be a treat to read through. If you like dark fantasy where fairy tale nightmares bleed into real life, this is a cool book to read and I'd like to see more from this creator. 4.7 out of 5.

Strange in the most beautiful way, beautiful in the strangest ways. That’s the only way to describe this, both the artwork and the story. Dark, twisted, and fantastic. I enjoyed reading this one, I look forward to sharing this title with our teens.

Watersnakes is odd in the best way possible. Mila meets Agnes and is immediately drawn to her. They become friends until Mila makes a strange discovery about Agnes. This story would appeal to teens that prefer surreal, dreamlike graphic novels. There is some gore and mild nudity. Overall, I'd recommend to teens 15-18.

The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning. Every drawing felt just slightly off which added even more creepiness to the story.
Mila is a loner whose summer is about to take a dramatic turn when she meets Agnes, a beautiful girl who claims her teeth are ghosts who travel the world and have adventures. Thinking her slightly crazy, Mila agrees to meet up with her next day to hear the full story of Agnes’ teeth. What she finds instead is a wild adventure starting with a kiss gone weird, a sea king, and an amazing female army ready to battle. But Agnes still has one major secret-she’s a ghost. And not just any ghost, she holds the spirit of a sea king and her teeth are the king’s soldiers. Mila has to help the warriors save the sea king and return him to his people.
This book is wild-absolutely bonkers wild and I really enjoyed it. The artwork is incredible and the story is great. Mila is such a teenager-all emotions and confused feelings-but she steps in when it counts. The female warriors are completely badass and the fight scenes are amazing with all the swords and flying blood.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval is available November 20, 2018 from Lion Forge.

The story was... fine, touching, all the things you'd expect from a bit darker and nastier middle grade novel - though it had gotten complex near the end, which I appreciated. But the artwork - oh, my. I'd give all the stars in the universe to the wonderful figures and the color palettes and the position of things in frames. So unique and utterly brilliant.

Definitely recommended.

Watersnakes is a beautiful fantasy tale that crosses land and sea.
Mia is having a boring summer vacation, but right before school starts she meets Agnes. Agnes is electric and beautiful and full of fun. When she learns the truth of Agnes she can't believe her ears! But as Mia follows Agnes on her journey, she experiences a whole new world and learns how brave she can really be.
The artwork is beautiful! I was taken in within the first few pages! The art is perfect for the story and fleshes out the visual world with a great eye.
The story is beautiful and shows Mia as a complex human. I cheered her own from beginning to end and wished nothing but the best for Mia and Agnes.
Beautiful in its simplicity, Waternsakes is a beautiful graphic novel with an inspiring fantasy tale. I can't wait to pick up this book in physical form!

"...It’s beautiful, except when it’s grotesque. It’s a straightforward adventure, except when it goes completely off the rails. It’s a fairy tale except when it’s a coming-of-age story, except when it’s a comedy, except when it’s a mystery, except when it’s a myth, except when it’s a poem..."

Full review at https://pixelatedgeek.com/2018/11/review-watersnakes/

Not gonna lie, the cover with its promise of adventurous girls being badass is what drew me to this graphic novel. The fact that there are foxes here and there, in addition to queer undertones, is a welcome bonus!

First off, the art style: the opening three-four pages are ab-so-lute-ly stunning! Soon enough we’re given just a taste of how dark and creepy the story will get near the end. I love the way Tony Sandoval plays with the panels, particularly the metaphorical ones, like that of “summer growing old,” illustrating the thoughts of the main character, Mila, dreamily ordering them in the space of a couple of pages, slowly pulling them into reality. They might be my favourite! Besides Mila, her ghostly friend, Agnes, and her brother, Julien, there are the creatures and their (under)world, which I am not going elaborate on, only to warn you that the battle (not a spoiler, remember the cover) turns into a visually mighty bloodbath!

Then there’s the story: I liked the pacing, the way the two girls meet, the wordless fighting panels, Agnes’s backstory, which is a twist on a ghost story trope that I’m a fan of. Not everything makes complete sense, but I would have hated it if the author had given it a cleaner ending. I’m wondering if it was inspired by Slavic folklore, with their water spirits, souls of dead young girls, eternally beautiful, playful and giggly, able to transform into snakes and other creatures.

Needless to say, I’ll be getting myself a copy! It might make for a gorgeous addition of my comics and GN shelf, but Watersnakes also happens to be just my kind of atmospheric and creepy!

*Thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors & Lion Forge Comics for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I was on NetGalley to submit some reviews with the intention to not leave with any new books but there ready to read was Watersnakes with that breathtaking cover!

& I’m thrilled to say the quality of art holds up throughout the whole book too!

The above image is one of the opening pages and this is when I knew the book was for me, it opened up so many questions and is such an interesting illustration.

Watersakes folows Mila and she is ready for her summer vacation to be very boring. But then she meets Agnes and her heart is stolen and Summer are stolen away. Agnes is very bold and creative, the opposite to how Mila is portrayed to us though I feel like deep down she’s probably very similar.

Agnes is also very mysterious; she believes she’s a ghost, that her teeth go on adventures and tell her stories, and theres also something about an Octopus too!

I was so invested as Mila and Agnes story unfolds and friendship blossoms. The two have to work together and trust each other to face a trouble from one of Mila’s stories.

Agnes’ story of how she became ghost-like and what they must achieve to help …free here is really something else! But also something totally believable that you could see a child doing. I really enjoyed how this played out.

There is a lovely fantasy feel and elements throughout all of this book but its here during the final battle that those really escalate! Its very dramatic and is a little gorey at times. The things these two girls face does make me wonder why this isn’t classed as a horror?

I actually enjoyed the art throughout this book so much that I’ve since flipped through it another two times to appreciate different pages. One of my favourites is a depiction of Summer turning to Autumn and I love how its visualised.

I hope this review it coherant enough and you’ll give this graphic novel a try because I am really impressed by it, I must try and catch some Zzz’s now as I’m running on fumes.

[see post for images mentioned]

I got a real fairy tale vibe from this book. It is a story about two young girls that meet at the beach. The parents are around but not really present for the story. Things start out innocently enough, but it moves into some pretty strange territory that sets the girls on a quest to save their lives. The story between the two girls brings in elements of a first crush, along with all the awkwardness that might entail. What happens after that is something else entirely.

The art is what attracted me to this book. The image on the cover was so great. And the interior art is just as good. It does a great job of capturing that sense of the weird that pervades the book. I'm not sure how old the girls are supposed to be (probably early adolescence) and the art can blur the line on that at times. Anyway, be prepared for some brutal scenes later in the book. It almost feels like a different story by that point. The progression works though.

Something that stuck out to me about Watersnakes is that at the end I wasn't really sure if the whole thing actually happened or if it is just some sort of childish imagining. That's part of what I liked about it. This uncertainty gives the book a depth that I wasn't expecting based on the first few pages. I'd recommend picking it up for the art alone, but the girls pull their weight in making this book fun and interesting.