I do not think I have ever read anything with orcs in it, at least not in this scale, puttnig them in the frontlines and not simply having them as a species that someone needs to fight to pass a challenge. But I saw G. Willow Wilson's name and I like her work, so I gave it a try. When I did, I also found out I was also familiar with the illustrator's work (Chris Wildgoose), which was really nice.

I liked the dynamics and the stakes of this first volume. What I most appreciated is how we were thrown right into the storyline, giving us just tha information we needed in order to understand characters' motivations and where they came from. I thought I would get a bit lost or confused with such a big cast, but it was actually very easy to follow and understand.

Since the book follows and alliance between two species it did get a bit political, but I thought all storylines were thrown and alternated quite nicely, making you get a bit from the history, alliances, relationships and politics in bit pieces instead of focusing 20 pages on a single thing.We were also moving back and forth between the humans and orcs stories.

I was a bit hesitant to both pick this up and continue with the second volume, as it is not something I usually enjoy, but after finding out there will only be 12 issues (this volume collects the first 6), I will have to check it and see how the story wraps up.

What a great story. Loved all the characters and how they develop throughout. Interesting to be learning about history that is still mysterious.

Excited for a lot more of this series. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley, IDW Publishing, G. Willow Wilson, and Chris Wildgoose (illustrator) for the opportunity to read this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Hunger and the Dusk Volume one is an amazing installment to a new high fantasy graphic novel series. Featuring the race of orcs and men, alliances must be made to fight of a greater threat. With the political intrigue that comes with high fantasy, as well as brilliant artwork, this series has a lot of potential to be something epic.

I like the art style and the story is very well put together. I enjoy the dynamic between the orcs and humans, for what it has going for it in this volume, as well as the creatures that pose a threat to both. A great start to a fantasy series that any high fantasy, lover of Tolkien, or D&D fanatic will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I am honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The concept was interesting and a lot of the characters were both believable and likable. However, I noticed very early on that the Orc culture seems to be largely based on Mongolian culture in real life. The plot of the story seems a little disconnected going from chapter to chapter, but seeing as it's technically a collection of six volumes of a comic, that stands to reason. I do enjoy that there is some political intrigue to this as well. It also handles switching perspectives between the two groups very smoothly. I really liked the art! The color palettes were very pretty, and the designs of different locations were beautiful. I also really liked the character designs and how diverse the body types of both the men and the women are, for the Orcs and humans alike.

The only side thing I take issue with is the whole "We know you wanted to marry your cousin" line. Which...uh. I still can't figure out if she's ACTUALLY his cousin or just like, a family friend from childhood. I am hoping that it's the latter cause I don't know if I can handle it if it's the first one.

I love G. Willow Wilson, she's one of my favorite comics creators. I love this book and I am very sad that it's only going to be 12 issues. Highly recommended to anyone who loves fantasy.

I requested this based on the cover and the description, and the contents did not let me down! The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is captivating. The fantasy elements are easy to understand, and the plot gets you hooked into the story rally fast! I finished this quickly, and immediately wanted to know what was next. Will definitely keep an eye out for next issues!

Summary:

The world is dying. There are only two races left. Three, depending on how you look at it. The humans and the orcs have always been enemies, but they might just have to work together to eke out an existence.

Certain groups are willing to work together if that means winning against the Vangol – a deadly and ancient race. Will this be enough? Worse, what happens should these groups fail? Will the rest ever consider trying again?

Review:

Okay, so there was a lot that drew me to this series. First, the dystopian vibes intertwined with a fantasy setting. Second, the author! I love G. Willow Wilson (famous for Ms. Marvel), so I had pretty high hopes for her new fantasy series.

The Hunger and the Dusk Vol. 1 is and isn't a strong start to the series. I know that sounds strange, but hear me out. On the one hand, a lot of it feels too rushed. The stakes are set, the characters introduced, and then we're off to the races. This sounds good in theory, but we didn't have time to connect with the characters, so the stakes felt shallow.

On the other hand, there is something really compelling about this world. After I finished reading it, I found my mind wandering back to it again and again. This likely means I was invested by the end, so I take that as a good sign. And to be clear, this story has some solid elements so far. We have a classic-looking D&D party (archer, bard, leader/rogue, a cleric, etc.), a forbidden love subplot, a dangerous enemy, and so on. I'm curious how these elements adapt and grow as the series continues.

Highlights:
New Fantasy Series
Dystopian Fantasy
Dn&D Vibes

This comic has a lot of potential, I think!

For what I liked, I will say there's a LOT of world building. While it builds off pretty standard fantasy lore, it is still pretty original, and the idea of common enemies forming alliances is awesome, I feel like there's not enough of that kind of thing. The characters are neat and fairly unique as well. As someone who usually reads manga and is used to that type of drawing style, this was a bit of a curve to get used to, but I love the colour, it makes it a lot easier to really understand what's happening in fights and such than traditional black and white.

Now there are a few things I was less into. First of all the incest (or desire for there to be) could have been left out, it didn't add anything and it's a weird trope to begin with. Aside from that, my only other complaint really was that it felt like there wasn't really fleshing of or explications for characters, they just kind of existed. Like, there is enough time timeline wise for people to have gotten to know each other better, and it seems like the characters did, but I didn't.

Still, it was entertaining and felt fairly original, it was a good read.

All opinions on this review are my own and I want to say thank u so much Netgalley for this Advanced copy

Reading this I highly enjoyed, the pacing was nice and the art was beautiful and made it a treat from the first page to the last to read. I enjoyed this graphic novel so much that I look forward to Vol2 when it comes out,

I will.look into more writing from.this author

If my calculations are correct, I read six issues, but for now, I'll count them as one.

The plot is good, the fans of fantasy will really enjoy it. The comics have orcs, humans, magic, fights, and monsters.
I loved the last issue I read. Twenty pages of beautiful art, no words, just backstory and plot.
The arc stopped in a very serious cliffhanger and I can not wait to read what happens next.

The characters are great, I need more time with them to decide, but I really like the bard!

I was a bit confused about the timeline and the time that had passed, but I guess, that was my fault because I was focused on the characters and the plot.

All in all, it is a very nice comic, with great artwork. Need the next issues soon!

I enjoyed this first volume and can’t wait to see where things go. Unlikely allies having to work together facing a challenge bigger than anyone expects is a great premise for a series. The characters are interesting and I’m enjoying exploring this world.

I loved every second of this - does it have clichés, yes, but is it also fun, absolutely!

The trope of “your enemy is my enemy” set in a fantasy world can be tricky since it’s done all the time but orcs are usually portrayed as the horrible creatures who are lesser than. This is not the case in this series, it tries to steer away from the raciest connotations fantasy fall into and have everyone on an equal playing field. Though this is never fully escaped due to the nature of one race at war with another race and an enemy that believes they are better and above all. This lead to the romance clichés and angst clichés, so I do understand a bit why others would rate this lower when it comes to this.

However I loved it!

The detail in the art was phenomenal which made me scan each page longer than I normally do to see if I missed anything.

The supporting characters in the Last Men Standing are so fun, giving DND vibes and humor. The enemies give mutated dark elves and very twisted magical approach with their story. The female identifying characters are badass and can stand on their own in a fight and overall very respected.

I had a lot of fun reading this and am excited for the story to continue!

Thank you to the author, the publishers, and NetGallery for giving me this opportunity to review this book!

Meh, this was ok to kill an hour but definitely nothing to seek out and I won't continue with the series. Orcs + humans + an eviler version of an orc all try to navigate political and territorial conflicts. I was confused how a "treaty" consisted of just one orc healer joining a human party, and both romance arcs were cringy.

Thanks to Netgalley and IDW Publishing for the advanced e-ARC!

I don't know what it is, but when G. Willow Wilson does stories set in our world through a fantastic lens, she tends to produce warm, weird, wonderful work like Ms Marvel, Air, or her novels. And yet if she creates worlds from scratch, it results in uneven, overfamiliar filler like her science fiction series Invisible Kingdom, or this plod through the big book of fantasy clichés. A century of failing crops has heightened the tensions between pastoral humanity and nomadic orcs - yet when it also brings the return of an old enemy, an uneasy peace must be forged. One which some are keen to undermine for their own short-term ambitions. Meanwhile a scrappy human warrior is entrusted with an orc princess-magician, and the two of them seem to be on the verge of romance when a convenient and unconvincing argument sunders their bond... This is the worst of it; it's not just that the worldbuilding is hackneyed, but even the characters within that tissue-thin world feel like they're going through the motions, as against the Khan family who felt so solid from their first issue. And where Invisible Kingdom at least had Christian Ward art, the visuals here are competent but entirely unremarkable. I struggled to finish this, and can't see myself returning to this faded photocopy of a world.

(Netgalley ARC)

‘The hunger and the Dusk’ volume 1 was really good I really enjoyed it it has a great story and really good art 💕 I would highly recommended it
Rating 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The graphics were beautiful parried with a wonderful story. I will endeavour to recommend this book to many people and cosier it fit the school library