Very adventurous! It was an interesting read, but in the end not something that I would typically pick up. But I enjoyed the story!

Dark academia is all kinds of popular right now. But, sadly, I don’t think this pick needs to go anywhere near the top of your to-read list. It’s a 3-star pick, which for me means I’d only recommend it to someone who is obsessed with the genre, but running out of reads.

7 adults are summoned to a castle, and told they are chosen from ancient bloodlines, they have magic, but there can be only one.

Then 3 proceed to die, like, almost instantly. Because if you don’t use your magic properly, it backfires, and you die.

The thing is…when half your cast dies, you lose the chance to explore their stories. It feels boring. Cheap. Like you wanted to have high stakes, but you never actually cared about those sacrificed to raise them.

It feels like this was meant to be at least twice as long, but the publisher told the creators even before release that it was getting cut short. So what all happens, happens at break-neck speed. But you were never given the time to care, so it’s just the reader tripping along.

There’s a backstory that does get slightly fleshed out: the original wizard and the prince he raised to power. But, again, that feels cut short. It’s told in a mythic style, but there’s so little, in the end.

It’s not necessarily BAD. It’s just too LITTLE. It’s hamstrung. Unfortunate.

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

‘Monomyth’ by David Hazan with art by Cecilia Lo Valvo and Federico Bertoni is a graphic novel about a school of magic and a new group of buried students who have been chosen to participate.

Magic doesn't exist in our world or does it? When a group of strangers find themselves in a strange castle, they learn that they are the chosen ones. A strange masked wizard has called them there, but they will need to survive the ordeal ahead. The horrific tasks ahead of them will kill some of them. The ones who survive are the ones who can confront the darkest parts of themselves.

This is a pretty dark story and a lot of it didn't really make sense to me. The art didn’t help because it is cluttered and dark. I like stories like this. I just wish this one had been better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Monomyth Vol 1" weaves a dark, enthralling tale within the walls of an abandoned wizard school, where seven adults are thrust into an unexpected battle for survival, revealing their darkest fears and untapped powers. The story seamlessly merges each character's complex backstory with the unfolding mystery, crafting a narrative that's as much about personal redemption as it is about magical intrigue. While the pace can sometimes feel a bit too brisk, potentially rushing through moments that could benefit from more depth, it generally maintains a compelling momentum. The artwork has a darker edge to it, really bringing the story's vibe to life and fitting perfectly with the deep, complex journeys of its characters. Overall this graphic novel skillfully blends psychological depth with dark fantasy, delivering a compelling journey that leaves readers eagerly anticipating what's next.

While this was an interesting premise, it was poorly executed. Too many characters with flashbacks made for a confusing timeline. The artwork was virtually unreadable: too dark and gory.

I enjoy this comic. The story was great. The artwork was wonderful. The characters are all interesting. I enjoy how the mixed present and history timelines. I can't wait to read the next volume.

Monomyth volume one was an interesting premise, with art that hit high highs and low lows, and overall a much darker tone than I was expecting (in a good way). Monomyth is set in a magical world, but when seven people wake up trapped in a castle it becomes apparent very quickly that something foul is going on. The characters each have a sufficient amount of backstory, but they weren't fleshed out quite as well as it seemed like they might have been if handled differently. It doesn't really matter much, as characters start dropping like flies, and the ones that remain get a decent amount of exposition, but there was a while when I started that nobody seemed to have extremely distinct personalities in my mind. The art was occasionally very impressive, but sadly the quality felt inconsistent through the volume. There were some pages where I struggled to decipher what was happening, which was a shame because other sequences were fantastic and easy on the eyes. I was pleasantly surprised by the dark twists and turns this book took, but I could see that being a turn-off for readers who were expecting more light fantastical fare. Overall I enjoyed this story, and would be interested in following more of the series if it keeps coming out. It felt like Harry Potter meets the film Cube in some ways. 3.7/5

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review Monomyth by David Hazan.

Overall, this wasn't for me. The basic plot had a lot of potential, but the end which was all about the power of friendship (ish) and taking control of your destiny wasn't particularly well done and came off cheesy. At the start the magic wasn't explained very well, which was also a bit sad.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

This graphic novel collects Monomyth issues #1-#6 into a complete story. It's a dark tale, where 7 unsuspecting adults get thrown into an abandoned wizard school by a magical entity that pits them against each other. How many will make it out alive as they start to discover their own magical powers?

The story grabs you immediately and I loved each character's background and how it played into their development as the story went on. The author doesn't shy away from portraying imperfect humans with challenges and dark pasts, while allowing them a chance at redemption, should they choose to take it.

The art is phenomenal. It's gritty and impactful, and it fits the story so well. It's one of those books where the narrative wouldn't have been as good at building a tense, frightening atmosphere without the visuals.

This was a great read that reminded me a lot of Kieron Gillen's works, especially Once & Future. Recommended to fans of dark fantasy!

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Monomyth starts off with an exciting fantastical premise. Too many plot lines remain undeveloped. I don't know why peoole are dying. There is an undercurrent message to be true to your story- this is also undeveloped.
Appreciate the blend of art styles.

This wasn’t for me. I spent quite a bit of time trying to understand what was happening. A group of people are transported to a magic castle and after navigating some monsters they figure out that they need to fight until only one person remains and this one person will gain power and magic. The story had too many confusing flashbacks for me. I think it needed a bit more explanation. The artwork and colouring are great. The story is hard to follow.

I'm quite pleased with the story, although I would definitely prefer for it to be longer. Six issues are not enough to make me connect with the characters and root for them, especially since many of them are killed off very quickly. Here seven ordinary adults are transported to a magical castle, where they are pitted against each other by mysterious magical powers. In order to survive one must kill the other six and claim a magical crown. In each issue main story is prefaced by a flashback from an ancient tale of a wizard and a prince that he raises to glory. I really like the style of the drawings - rough and cripsy, which really suited the gory scenes. This is why it was a let down when in the last two issues the artist changed and the designs became more cartoon-like.

I have mixed thoughts on this one. I love the premise of the story. 7 people are transported to a magic castle and told to fight till the last one standing in order to gain magic. However, I felt it should have been longer. Personally, I needed more world building and character building. I was very confused at the beginning and it took most of the volume to gain my footing. I loved the artwork at the beginning. It felt harsh and that fit the story really well for me as the characters are learning magic and fighting for their lives. However, it seemed to change a bit at the end and I didn't see a real reason for that.

I wanted to love this because the premise of the story is definitely there. However, it felt like we were dropped into the middle of what was supposed to be a volume 2 or maybe even 50% of the way through volume 1. The worldbuilding was minimal and the characters appeared to just suddenly understand the magic system without any assistance either from other characters or the world itself. The art was phenomenal in my opinion, but the style also changed drastically 75% of the way through. That might have been intentional, and I missed something? I'm not sure. Also, where did we establish a relationship between 2 of the characters? Their pairing seemed to appear out of nowhere. Even with all of the apparent missing pieces of the story, I had a good time reading it. I'm hoping volume 2 has better building and pacing as this definitely has the potential to be a great series.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.

A story about 7 people who arrive at a haunted castle where they are told the last one standing will gain magic. It's alright. Much isn't explained. You're just supposed to accept what you are given with little backstory or worldbuilding to support it. The art isn't very good at telling the story either which doesn't help.

Monomyth follows seven (mostly) strangers as they are plucked from their normal lives and thrust into a world of magic. Brought together by a mysterious wizard, the group must learn magic in order to survive dangerous trials and enemies.

The first issue suffers the thankless job of introducing no less than nine major characters in addition to setting up the plot. Due to this lack of breathing room, it really isn't until the second issue that things click into place and the stakes begin to feel real.

I personally loved the handling of magic in this series, where magic is powered by stories and belief. The characters must lean into their own stories in order to harness magic in their own way. Monomyth's focus on magic powered by personal stories is really what sets it apart in the fantasy genre. It allows for a much more personal connection to the magic than is typically seen.

Overall, while I wasn't fully sold until two issues in, I ended up really enjoying Monomyth and truly hope that the story is continued in the future.

What if the secret school of magic you were chosen for...was trying to kill you?

This was fine and all but the Scholomance books by Naomi Novik did it better. I didn't hate it but I felt like I had already read it.

This was a mess. I wanted to like it, and the panel layouts were really cool, but it just didn't work for me.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This was a solid 3.5 stars. The story was interesting and surprised me in some places. I was definitely expecting it to go better for some of these characters. The art style was fine. Overall, I thought it was a fun read.

My first encounter with this type of book and the author. I have to say that the work is quite thick with colors that are rich yet muted. That to my opinion, fits very well for a fantasy book about magical legacies. It works very well to set the mood and tone of the story.

Speaking of story, it opens with a brief introduction of the cast and the bringing of them together. We get to know each of them as they get to know one another. It is a literary tool that works well here. It quickly turns into a tale of survival, of facing ones truth and accepting it.

In the end, it was an interesting story.