Although the summary sounded like a checklist of everything I look for in a novel (a rebel debutante! a flamboyant Lord Byron! angry vampires!), almost instantly I realized this wasn't the book for me. I wanted so badly to love it, but nothing worked. Definitely a case of "it's not you, it's me."

⭐⭐ 2 Stars

This satirical take on traditional romantic narrative conventions and heterosexual romance novels is a quick and easy way to kill some time.

The art style of this graphic novel is one of a kind and this adds to the comedic elements of the story, the narrative is unique but it could become somewhat confusing at times. This was my main issue with this book, I found myself skimming it rather than being fully engaged in the story. Although the characters had the depth I wasn't connected with them enough to care about what happened or be fully engaged in the plot.

Overall, this is a fun graphic novel if you want to read a queer story about murder and Lord Byron (you know, from the books) but it isn't groundbreaking.

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 📚

'Bloodlust & Bonnets' written and drawn by Emily McGovern is a graphic novel that is a send up of classic Romantic literature. And vampires!

The plot follows Lucy, an unusual debutante in her quest to be her own person. She is joined by others. Sham, a bounty-hunter, wants to find a vampire and kill it. Lord Byron just wants to drink and party. Lucy wants to find the vampire and join her cool cult of vampires. There is also a large psychic (and French thinking) bird, and a talking castle that is particular about when it talks.

I laughed many times reading this story. The humor is literate and amazing. I laughed at Lucy constantly getting large bloodstains on anything she wore. I laughed at the antics of the bird and the castle. There are lots of funny surprises all over this story.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

This was such a fun book! I really love Emily McGovern's 'My Life as a Background Slytherin' comic, so when I saw that she had written and illustrated a graphic novel, I was really looking forward to reading it. It didn't disappoint. Bloodlust and Bonnets is a ridiculous tale, but it's wonderful and whimsical and action-packed at the same time. McGovern's illustrations are so quirky and I loved making my way through this story.

I love My Life As A Background Slytherin. It’s the only Harry Potter-related thing, official or otherwise, that I engage with anymore. I was super stoked to find out not only that Emily had written a graphic novel but that it was available on NetGalley.

I really, really enjoyed this. It was exactly the kind of madcap paranormal regency adventure I expected, complete with mystery, quests, subterfuge and ill-advised flirting, as well as references to other well-beloved fantasy and regency tales and a sneaky cameo by a certain bibbling old wizard, and, of course, Lord Byron being a right old dickhead.

(As one expects of Lord Byron.)

Near the end I did feel like it got a little meandering and I kept thinking “oh this is near the end” and I’d check the page number to find that I was only in the middle. But that is probably more to do with my being sick and generally exhausted and possibly not following on as well as I usually could, than any shortcomings in the narrative. Something I did specifically take note of was the character development, which a book like this easily could have left off, but this one had it anyway and I was pretty proud of everyone for coming to terms with their feelings.

(Except Byron, who did not because he is the Worst.)

My one dissatisfaction with this graphic novel is that the nonbinary character Sham was never given space on-page to express her pronouns. The characters use “she” for her which appears to be fine, but it would have been nice if Sham could give this information personally. She is asked at one point (rather rudely) if she’s a boy or girl, to which she replies “yes,” so it would have been fairly simple for the interrogating character to then ask about pronouns—but this may have been a publishing decision and not necessarily an authorial one.

Sham is later asked (by someone else) if the correct term of address is “Mr Sham or Ms Sham” and the reply given was “no.” Sham is also variously referred to as “old chap” or “fellow,” and a few times Sham, Lucy and Virginia are collectively called “girls,” and Sham didn’t seem to feel strongly either way about any of those terms.

Sham was shown at one point shaving her face while her shirt hung open to display binding bandages, but this was halfway into the book and we had already seen both conversation examples mentioned above, so it wasn’t the classic and gross “trans reveal via nudity” that we all hate. In one scene where the other characters are notably naked, Sham remains fully clothed. So all in all, I thought it was pretty respectful and well done, the seemingly assumptive nature of her pronouns notwithstanding.

The humour and wild adventurous style was reminiscent of Nimona, which I also love, and I enjoyed this immensely and took many screenshots of my favourite bits. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Nimona or Background Slytherin, or who just wants to dunk on Lord Byron. It’s no more than he deserves, after all.

Very funny and unlike anything I have ever seen. I initially thought this would be quite simple with it being a graphic novel but I loved all the sarcastic little quips.

That damn poet!

DNF halfway through.

Bloodlust & Bonnets was not for me. The character were all right. The script was pretty good. The plot was okay. It just wasn't for me, so I shouldn't say any more.

Bloodlust & Bonnets is a new graphic novel by Emily McGovern (my life as a background slytherin). Released 17th Sept 2019 by Andrews McMeel, it's 216 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a fun mashup/satire of class and gender warfare, vampire fighting (with Lord Byron, you know, from books), immortal vampire cults, giant psychic eagles, and low slapstick comedy. There's also a somewhat inept talking castle (named Castle). The art is minimalistic (see cover) and the author/artist's ability to convey emotion and character motivation in the slightest line-shift is impressive.

It is irreverent and bloody (vampires, yo) and full of groan-worthy puns and lots and lots (and lots) of sporran jokes. The art is 'net-comic' style, with computer drawn, textured, and lettered graphics and suits the story well. My youngest (university aged) minion and I agreed that it was a ripping yarn with great (if silly) characters and a lolloping plot.

I can't find anything about which to object. It's funny and violent and very bloody. With sporrans. Readers who object to puns (or fun) will likely find it hard going. I heartily wish the author/artist/creator the brightest of futures and a successes.

Five stars

3.5 stars!

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It's witty, charming and funny. I internally chuckled my way through several bits of the book and was thoroughly amused at how it poked fun at common tropes. Honestly, I'm not sure to explain why I liked this so much? It was delightful to read for the most of it. Although, it did take me longer than I thought it would to finish it; it's quite long for a graphic novel at 200-ish pages. It's got a lot of twists and turns and characters which make it quite interesting.

Occasionally, it did feel like the book was trying a little too hard to be sarcastic/funny/relatable but honestly, I didn't mind that too much.

I'm a huge fan of the My Life as a Background Slytherin comics and was quite thrilled to hear about a book from the creator and have to say, it definitely lived up to my expectations.

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing on Netgalley for an e-arc!

(Also, I understand the threat of book piracy, but locking books to just one device is really making it hard for some of us so please consider branding the books with the reviewer's name or allowing multiple devices, thank you!)

I don't mind comedy in a graphic novel. I'm all about a book that points out and plays with the silliness common in a genre. Especially when we have an historical setting and a familiar figure. Especially when it's done tongue-in-cheek. I feel like that's the tone this book was going for but never really achieved. It brushes the surface of a lot of elements but ends up jumping around a lot. There's no consistency.

his was so goddamn delightful! I mean you can kind of tell by the title that it’s going to be a little different, but the story is even more fun than I expected. It has vampire killings, adventures with Lord Byron, and all kinds of secretive and fancy characters. Sometimes, you simply need to read a fun romp of a book and that’s exactly what Bloodlust and Bonnets is. Let’s get to the review!

It’s been way too long since I read a graphic novel so when I saw this one, I jumped on it immediately. Violence and regency-looking ladies? That’s my brand! Adding Lord Byron into the mix just makes it that much more fun.

One disclaimer: Go into this wanting to have fun. This isn’t a serious book and shouldn’t be taken as such. It’s a fun romp and a quick read and quite enjoyable.

This is such an easy, delightful read. It all starts with Lucy killing a bunch of vampires and then, suddenly, Lord Byron appears to “save” her (she totally doesn’t need his help). Together, they decide to kill vampires, although, Lucy may or may not be more interested in becoming one. It’s a very glamorous life, ya know? Also…maybe she likes to kill things. Who are you to judge?!

As they begin their journey, they come across a bounty hunter named Sham. Lucy and Sham have quite the tumultuous relationship. They start out as companions in arms, fighting off any enemy who comes their way. As they travel together, they become friends, develop into friends who argue, and finally, they sort of, maybe fall in love. #itscomplicated

Lucy, Lord Byron, and Sham also meet up with a few friends, acquaintances, and mildly helpful people along the way. These characters get them into parties and secret gatherings which almost always leads them into even more trouble.

While I think Sham is probably my favorite character overall (I love the grumpy ones), Byron is definitely up there on the list. He’s dramatic (he is Byron after all), emotional, has a enchanted house that is prone to being hacked, gets upset when Lucy doesn’t want to make out with him again, and is, overall, a very fun character.

Now for the art! As this is a graphic novel, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the illustrations. They are brilliant! I love the style and all the bright colors the author used. I’m always amazed at the art people create.

And Emily McGovern wrote the dialogue/narrative and drew the pictures! That is badass!

As you can see from the cover, the faces aren’t that detailed, but that doesn’t stop the reader from understanding the character’s emotions and what’s going on. I felt like I was reading one of my favorite cartoons…just with a little more gore lol. And omg, this would be such a fun show if it was turned into a series!

I am giving Bloodlust and Bonnets by Emily McGovern 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a fun read that gave me a break from the sad books I normally pick up. If you like graphic novels, historical fiction, or are just looking for a laugh, I recommend picking this up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman bored out of her skull just wants to slash some vampires... Or become one of the undead herself.

From the artist that brings you the popular webcomic, "My Life as a Background Slytherin" comes "Bloodlust & Bonnets", staring Lucy, a lady towards the end of the Regency Era who craves adventure and gets it in the form of vampires, a mysterious bounty hunter named Sham, and Lord Byron. (You know. That one. From Books.) There's a sentient castle, a telepathic French eagle, and an abundance of people in overly fancy dresses living their best Regency life. Oh, and, like, a whole lot of vampires. Like. A lot of vampires. More than you'd think.

Also, there's amazing dialogue such as this exchange: "What books have you been reading?" "FILTHY ONES!". Amazing friendship journeys. A smidge of romance. Author rivalries. And Lord Byron. Doing what he does best. Being overly dramatic. And getting shaded for it.

Honestly, to a certain extent the plot didn't make sense to me at first because the characters are so loose on their plans and goals other than to track down the Vampire Lady Travesty, then I realized about a quarter in... this is probably the most accurate adventuring story ever. Because they have zero idea what they're doing and making up most of it along the way. And, honestly? Same. That's what me and my friends would be doing if we were suddenly vampire hunting in Regency-Era Britain.

10/10, would recommend.

I had seen this book in quite a few places so I was so happy to read it! I really like reading graphic novels. I find the format to be easy to read. It sounds like a great book with bloodlust, strong women, vampires and Lord Byron (from books). I enjoyed the humour in this book the most and it made me smile a few times while reading it. The story was okay I enjoyed it more at the beginning but overall it was one of those books I am on the fence about.

Bloodlust & Bonnet's is a delightful graphic novel about a girl named Lucy but if you asked Lord Byron he would tell you it was about him. Lucy is a bored debutante who has gotten the attention of Lady Violet Travesty a vampire and is on a mission to find her, not to slay as she has misinformed Lord Byron but in the hopes of becoming her side kick.

Through out their journeying we encounter many characters, and all have their own agendas despite what has been told to each other.

I loved this. From the diverse group of characters, the story and the graphics themselves.

So if you like adventure, never knowing what's going on, narcissistic poets, rebellious debutantes, bounty hunters, talking magic castles and well vampires, also humor can't forget humor then check this out.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me an opportunity to read and review this fantastic graphic novel. I am looking forward to checking out Emily McGovern's future works.

a hilarious quirky vampire hunting story filled with bonnets and lots of bloodlust. The characters all have their own quirks that lead them to hunting the same vampire, though for very different reasons. LGBTQIA. Loved Lord Byron "from books!' wearing a dress saying 'this dress has pockets!"

It definitely took me awhile to warm up to both the art and writing style in this, but once I did I had a really good time reading it. It seemed a bit too slapstick at the beginning but once the actual plot started to take off the jokes began to feel a bit more natural and everything came together more. The art style is definitely very simplistic and early-2000s webcomic, which is not something I generally like, but I felt like it more or less fit the tone so I came to overlook it in time. It's probably a bit long but I laughed out loud a lot and a band of queer vampire-hunting heroes is always a plus in my book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot believe how funny this graphic novel was! I honestly got into it without any expectations, I just thought the cover was pretty and appealing, so why not give it a chance? And I ended up receiving some quality humour here. Lots of dramatic irony and the characters play with breaking the fourth wall indirectly in several occasions, acknowledging not the readers but the fact that they are inside a story and are being watched.

The art is very simple but in a good way, the characters just have brows and eyes, sometimes not even both of them on their faces, but those are more than enough to express their emotions. There's not a whole story to follow to be honest, it's more of a character-driven graphic novel I'd say. The characters grow on you.

Also, the author is the same from the My Life as a Background Slytherin webcomic, which is amazing and you should check out if you haven't yet. This graphic novel has a similar kind of humour, but in a more book-lenght way instead of just one-page comics with a quick punchline.

“Arthur: On second thought , let’s not go to Camelot. ‘Tis a silly place.” (Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail)

I’m not even sure how to review Bloodlust and Bonnets, aside from saying that it is a very silly place, but you should go there anyway. Actually, B&B does share a bit of the manic pointless hilarity of The Search for the Holy Grail. There’s lots of zany white British characters (all of whom are some form of queer), and they spend the story in an extended quest because of often nebulous or shifting reasons, that may or may not be achieved by the end of the story, accompanied by lots of pointless and comically gory violence. Byron (imagine the Lord Byron but played by Nathan Fillion at his most pompous buffoonish-ness), Lucy (a fetching red-headed maiden who would rather kill things than be a well-behaved young woman), and Sham (a person of questionable morals, shifting moods, and undefined gender, not to mention the gun) traipse around a deliberately absurd alternate paranormal Regency England full of nefarious vampires and silly socialites. Also, a talking castle that is sometimes helpful and a talking bird given to flights of profligacy. The art manages to be both sharp and vague, and yet conveys exactly what it needs to for the story. Which never really seems to go anywhere meaningful, but that’s OK too. The font’s a bit on the small side, and tends to be in blocks of text, but hopefully it will be easier on the eyes in the print edition.

Don’t come to this graphic novel for great literary or artistic reasons, for a clever plot or stellar art. (You might be disappointed.) Instead, come to this comic because the world right now is ridiculous and mostly resembles a giant dumpster fire, and you just want something sublimely silly to while away some time helping you forget about it all. This will be especially effective for you if you have an appreciation for Regency fiction tropes, revisionist historical fiction, and/or paranormal silliness. I found it a helpful way to unwind a few evenings in a row, and hope that you will too.

Thanks to #Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for letting me read an #advancedcopy of #BloodlustBonnets, and to LC for recommending that I request it.

Wacky regency vampire queer shenanigans? OK, I’m in. And while this certainly delivers on all of the above, there’s not much else to it.

When Lucy – “I’m a spirited young lady flouting the gendered expectations of her time, but in a cute way!” – accidentally murders a vampire, she’s flattered to be invited into a “secret ancient immortal vampire cult” by the stylish Lady Travesty – that is, until Lord Byron (in a kilt and sporran no less) shows up, kills the vampire, and invites her to be his sidekick. Lucy can’t decide between being on a vampire hunting team with the narcissistic Lord Byron and intriguing Sham, or joining up with Lady Travesty and becoming a dashing seductive vampire in a fabulous dress (with pockets!).

First off, this is pretty hilarious. Besides the general send-up of regency tropes (there’s a ball! they go to Bath!), there’s a psychic eagle, a magical Scottish castle (named “Castle” of course), and a rich husband-murdering woman named BB, who’s probably my favorite character in the whole book. Plus, it’s a bit queer. Lucy’s bi – she kisses Lord Byron, but she’s more interested in Sham, who answers to she/her pronouns but when asked if she’s a girl or boy, answers “yes.” The art style is simple and cute and fits the tone of the book – especially the blood splatter that looked straight-out like MS Paint’s sponge brush – and the characters still manage to be expressive despite their only facial features being an eye and a unibrow.

As for the negatives, my main issue with the book was that it’s long – over 200 pages – and pretty much all of those 200 pages have a lot of text on them. The scene above – which I still think is pretty funny – is actually a mild example, as some panels were overwhelmed with text bubbles. I read an e-ARC in Adobe Digital Editions, and most panels were completely unreadable without a lot of constant zooming on my iPad, and it was only marginally better on my laptop. In addition, while part of the charm is that it’s rambling and the characters don’t stay on task (“let’s go to a ball! ooh, whiskey!”) by the time I was 100 pages in I was confused as to what the plot actually was.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but it was an overdose of wacky madcap humor for me. If that’s more your wheelhouse, I’m sure you’ll love this novel!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It took me a lot longer to get through this than I expected.

I am a huge fan of Emily McGovern's web comic, My Life as a Background Slytherin. Yes, because it's Harry Potter, but also the absolute cackle worthy humor involved with that series always puts me in a good mood, even if I've read the same strip 10 times before.

Since that story is focused more on an original character than the already established characters, I felt safe reading this, her first original graphic novel.

Lucy is an unhappy British girl who longs for more than dances and tea parties. She wants adventure and romance, and finds both after she goes on a wild rampage at a picnic and beheads several people. Turns out this makes her a perfect candidate to be invited to join a Secret Vampire Society, if she can ever get to the Vampire Tower before someone shoots the head vampire every time she goes to give her instructions.

Lucy teams up with Lord Byron (yes, that one) and a cast of characters, including a psychic French eagle and a person named Sham who you would THINK that name might inspire a bit of concern, but hmm. They're off to hunt vampires. Or join them. Maybe.

The humor in here is really good. It's the quirky humor I've come to expect from Emily McGovern, and some of it is brilliantly facepalm worthy.

But the story....the story, she does not flow. It's incredibly confusing in parts, and I inevitably ended up putting it down repeatedly and picking up something else that would catch my attention.

I really hope McGovern continues to write original novels, because this is such a good start, and she can only go up from here.