Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for making available a digital edition via NetGalley of Emily McGovern’s ‘Bloodlust & Bonnets’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is Emily’s first graphic novel and I have long been a fan of her webcomic ‘My Life as a Background Slytherin’. ‘Bloodlust & Bonnets’ is a pastiche of Romantic literature.

It takes place “Somewhere in Great Britain at the tail end of the Regency” and features Lucy, an unworldly gentlewoman who desires a life of passion and intrigue. She attracts the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a secret ancient immortal vampire cult, who invites Lucy to join.

Yet before Lucy can embark on this new life of vampiric debauchery, Lord Byron (“you know, from books”) turns up and starts slaying. Lucy joins him and he soon whisks her off to his magical castle deep in the Scottish Highlands courtesy of Napoleon, a giant psychic eagle. (Giant eagles do come in handy!)

Soon they are joined by Sham, another vampire hunter and more adventures ensue as this unlikely trio fight, flirt and dash about. It is consciously silly as McGovern pokes fun at Romantic and Gothic tropes.

My digital review copy was low resolution - grayscale - so I couldn’t appreciate the bright colours (including the bloodstains) except for a few online examples shared by her publishers and on her website.

Still it was great fun and I was chuckling and laughing throughout. I did feel a bit overwhelmed reading it in a couple of sittings and expect it would work better being read in daily chapter segments.

I am planning to purchase a physical copy in due course.

This book was so much fun! The art style is amazing. The story was so enjoyable and I really enjoyed the characters and their adventure.

In this graphic novel, we basically follow Lucy, Lord Byron and Sham in their search for vampire Lady Violet Travesty.

Bloodlust & Bonnets had outstanding characters, from the hilarious Lord Byron to BB, a wealthy lady whose husbands seem to all die in bizarre accidents.

This was a funny and unique novel, not only because of the unusual art style, but also because of its story. The author kept surprising me with the most unexpected and ridiculous turns of events, and I absolutely loved it.

After reading Bloodlust & Bonnets, I’m curious to read more books from Emily McGovern and will keep an eye out for upcoming releases.

I am a huge fan of McGovern’s *My Life as a Background Slytherin* so when it was announced that she was producing a full length graphic novel I jumped at the chance to get to review it. For those familiar with her sense of humour from the web comic, they will be very happy that this tale is jam packed with the same out of the box thinking, witty repartee and slapstick fun. It takes the same pace as the web comics providing a basic plot and then watching as the characters, in their slight ineptitude ride off in a totally different direction. This makes it fun and unpredictable

Some knowledge of Byron and Walter Scott is advantageous to get some of the quips but there is plenty in there were those that are not familiar with the setting would still find this a fun romp of a regency vampire adventure.

It is filled to the brim with funny side characters, a rather incompetent magical talking castle, and duel fighting giant eagle named napoleon that seemed to reflect the very English view of a stereotypical Frenchmen’s air or “pfft” when it came to moments of danger. His cutaways were particularly funny. Then there is BeBe, a lady of unfathomable wealth who may or may not be bumping off her husbands, in a series of unfortunate accidents. I will state I didn’t not read this in one sitting but split the chapters over a few days therefore when the running jokes cropped up they were fun a nice call back. I could see why others who sit down to read the book as a whole may not appreciate all the callbacks, with potential for them to get old.

We also have some queer rep. We have Sham the Vampire hunter who is presented as non-binary, while uses her/she pronouns they present somewhat masculine in Byron’s view and do not answer his questioning on the subject. Lucy is on the page bisexual which is fantastic and well Byron is Byron.

Overall I enjoyed this graphic novel. I adore the art style, the use of colour all add to the farce, slapstick and wordplay that McGovern does so well.

This is going to be a very hard one to rate because while I did not enjoy it, there is a lot of unique humor and creativity that I do believe will appeal to many. Author McGovern has a fun romp with Regency England, creating VERY anachronistic characters, a lot of puns, some tongue-in-cheek humor, all couched in a lot of blood and violence. For me, I prefer a more subtle humor and the distinct drawing style made it hard to follow the (both nuanced and sparse) plot.

Story: Lucy's suitor turns out to be a vampire; fortunately for her, she is saved by Lord Byron. Thus begins an adventure of tracking down a vampire cult so Lucy can understand why the cult leader said she was different. Along the way, she falls for trans Sham, battles Sir Walter Scott, and has to keep the very exuberant Lord Byron in check. It's all a bit much for a young Regency Miss.

The plot is really about Lucy having to deal with Byron being Byron (over-the-top), being in love with cross-dressing Sham, and a made-up rivalry between Byron and Scott (all on Scott's side). In reality, we know that Scott admired Byron and even did his eulogy - but also that Byron had supplanted Scott as the leader of literary poetry. So it is a fun quirk here to have to Scott trying to create mischief and finding ways to off Byron. Byron, of course, is far too oblivious in his dashing daring-do to figure that out. The running joke of the series is Byron needing a serious reality check.

The illustration work is very distinct, with square, mouthless faces with button-dot eyes (think Funko Pop figures without the big head). The author manages to create a lot of character from that simple style but at times, it really did get hard to understand what was happening. Dead pan worked really well for this style, but without a mouth to moue or eyes to open wide in surprise, I had to imply quite a bit and reread several times.

This is a humor piece - a fun little dig at the Regency period using our contemporary love for monsters. Ironic, really, since this was the period in which our most remembered gothic monsters were created, from Frankenstein to vampires. Indeed, it was with Byron that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. So it is interesting that the author chose vampires; I would have preferred Frankenstein for the obvious connection.

In all, I think those who enjoy a Monty Python retelling of history (but with more killer rabbits) will find a lot to like here. The book is irreverent, fun, and very sarcastic. It just wasn't my cup of tea, which is fine. I was glad to have had the opportunity to read it and explore its unique vision. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Follow a spirited ingenue, a dashing hero-poet, and a professional vampire hunter on a quest to uncover the secrets of a vampire cult in Bloodlust & Bonnets.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Bloodlust & Bonnets, we follow Lucy as she is on a quest looking for Lady Travesty, a vampire aiming to recruit her to her vampire cult. However, it couldn’t be that simple. Lucy also has to deal with Lord Byron, the dashing hero-poet, Sham, a mysterious bounty hunter, and all of their different desires for finding Lady Travesty.

Overall, this is a very amusing and ridiculous story. Each character has a very clear characterization and humor to them. Even characters we only see briefly are characterized well. I found the story well written overall and the art is fantastic. And once we learned everyone’s motives and the ending began, the story was definitely worth the read.


However, I did find the whole thing exhausting to read. A huge portion of the story, about 75% actually, I was waiting for a climax and something to happen. It also started getting repetitive, and while those moments were intended for humor, it was tiring because nothing was progressing. And while every character was very clearly characterized, they also came across as one-note after a while. Lord Byron being a drama queen is only funny for so long. The ending was really fun and I wish we got to experience more of that sooner in the story.


I do still think this is an enjoyable read and I had moments where I laughed out loud. It really embraces its farce qualities and even though it had its slow moments for me, they still progressed the story so I didn’t feel like giving up on it entirely.

Bloodlust & Bonnets is officially out today, September 17th.

I wanted to love this. I really liked the art style and the colours used by this illustrator were great. It just wasn't for me. I had a hard time staying focused.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2980633746?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

No rating, DNF at 40%

This is a graphic novel by the creator of the hit webcomic My Life As a Background Slytherin so I was really excited to get into it.

The simplistic art style that worked so well in black & white in My Life As a Background Slytherin just... did not work for me in colour in this graphic novel. I felt like the colour schemes were clashing and not working so well together. So overall the art style wasn’t too much to my taste, unfortunately.

The plot was non-sensical in a good way but it just did not grab my attention at all. I usually read graphic novels in one seating but I kept finding myself drifting off to do other things so I just decided to DNF it.

I think part of the issue is that there was so much text and a lot of it felt superfluous.

The characters left me a bit lukewarm as well. Lord Byron was definitely there for comic relief and it worked but Lucy and Sham were just bland.

One good thing is that I liked the humour in a lot of the scenes but this just did not mesh well with me overall.

Bloodlust and Bonnets is a unique graphic novel. It’s got vampires, blood spatters, a moronic Lord Byron, a talking castle, and more. Lucy, Sham, and Bryon set out on an adventure with different end goals, but with the middle goal of finding the vampires Lady Violet Travesty. It’s snarky, very meta, and sardonic. It’s like a combination of Pride and Prejudice an

The art style wasn’t likeable at first but the super fun and ridiculous (in a good way) dialogues made it all better. Quite enjoyed this debut graphic novel. There were so many scenes where I was chuckling out loud.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for this review copy.

This was a fantastic book! I have been following the author, Emily McGovern, for awhile due to her comic My Life as a Background Slytherin (which is hilarious) so I was very excited to see that she was writing and illustration a graphic novel!. This book is about Lucy, a debutante who is bored with her life and wants to have adventures. She catches the eye of a vampire noble named Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a vampire group. Lucy is all set on becoming a vampire and starting her new adventurous life but before that can happen she meets Lord Byron and a bounty hunter named Sham. The trio embark on an adventure across Britain involving vampires, betrayal, and romance.

I absolutely loved this book. I would highly recommend this graphic novel to anyone but especially if you are already a fan of Emily McGovern's work. This book was funny, bloody, and just downright a ton of fun. It's been a long time since I read a graphic novel and laughed out loud. Overall, this is a fantastic read and would make an excellent addition to any library.

Bloodlust & Bonnets is an incredibly ridiculous and funny graphic novel. It follows Lord Byron and Lucy as they embark on a journey to hunt down the vicious Lady Violet Travesty. The characters are frankly just a mess, and watching them pretend like they know what they're doing is great fun. I liked the art a lot. It was simple yet colorful, and the characters are incredibly expressive considering they're drawn without mouths. This story is a good time, and I highly recommend it.

As a fan of Georgette Heyer, I love all stories settled in Regency period, as is Bloodlust & Bonnets. This hilarious graphic novel is set in Britain in early nineteenth-century.
This graphic novel is hysterical and entertaining, I loved Miss Lucy since the first page! Her character comes out immediately and surprised me with such a strength and rebellion. Miss Lucy is completely what you don’t expect. Exists millions of nice graphic novels, but those that managed to make you laugh are few. Bloodlust & Bonnets is one of them! Its humors it’s amazing! A brilliant story perfect to relax in the evening after a hard day at work!

It was really funny and weird at the same time. I loved the quirky characters and I appreciated the humour.
The art style was good and I found this book engrossing and entertaining.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I’ve been a fan and Patreon supporter of My Life As A Background Slytherin for years, so I jumped mat the opportunity to review Emily’s first graphic novel. Full of vampire intrigue, desperate longing and Lord Byron, this is a delightful romp through Britain’s high society. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

This was a lot of fun and I loved all the characters.
The art style and a lot of the general sense of humour wasn't really to my taste but it had a few really funny moments that I enjoyed.

I really liked this graphic novel parody of classics and regency era fiction! I've bookmarked several parts because they were so damn funny and I found the simplistic, but very dynamic, art style added to the 'punch' in the punchline.

I think it's best to consume it in small doses, like I did from halfway through bec the running gags will have a tendency to go flat when read quickly all throughout. But that's just what worked for me, and it might only be a personal reading preference.

I also loved the diverse characters and their representations, which I thought were handled lightheartedly and funny at times, but still respectful and not unnecessarily cruel for the sake of comedy. There 's also parts that could've been gory (there's vamp blood everywhere, LOL) but the cutesy art made it easier to handle for a squeamish adult like me. And speaking of 'adult', despite the cartoonish presentation, this is definitely not for kids! LOL. (which is all the more reason to pick this up, tbh)

Get this if you need some laughs and are into period pieces and fiction that do not take itself too seriously. It's a gem. :)

*I received this eARC from the publisher thru NetGalley for an honest review.

Lucy is an excellent type of woman; when confronted with the reality of the life as a debutant and dealing with pathetic suitors, she takes matters into her own hands... by equipping herself with a sword, and laying waste to them all.

Luckily it just so happens they were all vampires, so she's praised for her quick thinking. By none other than Lord Byron, (“from books!”), who is quite handsome and as romantic as he seems in said books, but also turns out to be sadly self-obsessed and dismissive of Lucy's real talents.

Lucy also catches the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a local vampire cult. She sees something in Lucy no one else can, but Lucy has always felt. All chosen one type of trope.

However, Lord Byron 'saves' her from Lady Violet Travesty, which actually discorporates her (rather than kills) as Sham (a mysterious vampire-hunter) soon explains. Sham is kinder to Lucy than Lord Byron is, and soon we can add love triangle to this book of tropes that does an excellent job at poking fun at them at the same time. (I mean, the answer is definitely Sham. She gets Lucy's jokes and is all dark and mysterious. It's easy, duh.) 

We have a rollicking tale that has amusing humour and throw-away lines that is quite a lot of fun, as can be expected from McGovern's excellent comics 'My Life as a Background Slytherin'. The artwork is simple yet effective, and while at times there is a lot of text they are known as graphic novels for a reason.

Before reading this, I assumed that this will be another adaption of Pride and Prejudice and Vampires but its so much better (and yet worst at times). The illustrations and colourings are surprisingly good. It took me a while to figure out the genders of the characters, but even after knowing it, i realised that it shouldn’t even be an issue to ponder upon. However one thing which i kinda dread is how long it is.... it’s soooo loooong, roughly it can be made into 3-4 volumes of normal graphic novels. I nearly DNF, but i totally ploughed through and ‘hate panned’ it.

Considering how much I love My Life as a Background Slytherin, it's really no wonder I smashed the request button when I saw the author was coming up with an original graphic novel. Especially since LGBT+ content and vampires are two of my biggest weaknesses.

All in all I enjoyed this book. Yes, there are some times when I felt it was dragging a bit, but there's also a lot of fun stuff that's worth noting.

McGovern stuck to her parodic style, in her drawing and in her story. Bloodlust & Bonnets pokes fun at many tropes, starting with Lucy, our special snowflake protagonist caught in a love triangle when she just wants to join this vampire cult because she's bored of her ordinary life. Add to that a narcissistic flamboyant poet, an emotionally stunted vampire hunter, a Jarvis-like castle, a French telepathic eagle and dramatic vampires, shake and bake, and voilà. Hilarious misunderstandings resulting in the most ridiculous situations, everyone having hidden agendas yet nothing going according to their plans and in this nonsense, growing friendships and figuring out who you are and what you want.

However some of it did feel like extra padding, lessening the comic effect of some punchlines. That being said, it's a fun and entertaining read if you like parodies.