2 stars out of 5

This was honestly a pretty quick DNF from me, I got almost halfway through but just couldn't read anymore. I actually really enjoyed the first 10-15 pages (they were very very heavy with information though) but then it just had a completely different atmosphere afterwards and was overall just very confusing. I feel like in even just the half I read, four or five comic books worth of information were stuffed into it. If it weren't for the synopsis I also wouldn't have had really any idea what was going on and what I did read of the story was definitely not for me.

Disclaimer: I received a digital arc copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Bly for the ARC.
This comic is a combination of Arthur and the Minimoys and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It felt like reading either a fever dream or someones D&D campaign. It was not really for me, but I am sure that there are people who will enjoy it very much.

The artwork of this comic is amazing! So detailed and vibrant. I loved it!
It was a good comic, though I found myself confused at times and I didn't know what was happening.

The Mushroom Knight by Oliver Bly is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel following the day-to-day adventures of a mushroom faerie gardener in search of a stolen artifact. This delightfully chaotic story unveils a mystery of betrayal that our hero, Gowlitrot must solve despite the interruptions of a young girl desperately searching for her missing dog.

The artwork in the graphic novel is detailed and rich, using bright themes and muted tones in juxtaposition that aptly convey how the emotions of this story winnow from one panel to the next. The artwork transports you to this fantastical part of the forest where mushrooms ride froggy steeds, summon magic, and interact with a myriad of strange, unique creatures.

This is a light story with dark themes and heart-wrenching moments that give this volume depth and keeps the reader on their toes. I would heartily recommend this to anyone who enjoys their whimsical fantasy with a dash of horror, and of course, for the cottagecore girlies who want more mushroom and frog content in their lives.

Who doesn't want a noble frog to lollop about the forest on?

3.5 ☆

Firstly thank you Netgalley for providing me with this e-arc

I really loved the art style and the story is interesting, however its also very confusing. Even though this is only the first volume it already feels like you're missing context and started reading in the middle of the story

This book opens on some rather scientific names and facts about various plant and animal life, predominantly in the dirt. And admittedly, I was kinda into that and forgot what the plot was that I was supposed to be reading.

Then we're dropped in the story and I found it very confusing. Because it felt like I was supposed to have read a lot of back story before this point, even though I know this is labeled volume 1. And even though I've finished it now, I still can't help the feeling that I missed several prior volumes.

I quite like the art style and the colorful panels, though it has a more adult leaning style than the cartoony panels I normally prefer. The two main drawbacks were that 1. many of the panels were so crowded with tiny text that not only were they occasionally difficult to read, but they obscured the art (>50% speech bubbles on probably the majority of the pages), and 2. there aren't a lot of reactions on the faces (in fact the titular character doesn't have a single feature on their face with which to express).

Add on the fact that the characters would say things like "And now you've made me squirt out a cuss," while not emoting and with a lot of the image covered up, so ultimately it was rather hard to parse what was happening and its import to the story. I know this is an intentional choice because the dialogue had no issues when following the human girl searching for her dog, but it's not a choice that made a lot of sense for me and the story I was trying to glean.

Thank you to Mad Cave Studios and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have to admit that I'm a little overloaded. It speaks to three kinds - with knight and gardener being two different ones. Yet he's a Gardener who gets called a Knight? Which is it? And the info-dumping was en masse. I understand that this little world is so different, but I feel like there could have been a better way to go about it. It really just muddled everything. I loved the art and I loved the concept. I just found it difficult to follow along due to the info-dumping. By the time we got back to the plot, I had forgotten what plot point we were on. The language was just so different too that it made it challenging.

Gorgeous art, awful writing. The art is simply beautiful, but it just can't make up for the "plot", if you can even call it that. The story meanders and jumps from scene to scene without much coherence, the pacing is completely off and we don't learn anything about the world or its characters. At one point, the main character magically absorbs the soul from a girl's leg to heal himself, promising to return it later, and there is NO explanation of how that works or why someone has a distinct soul in their freaking leg. When the story finally gets some semblance of coherence, it's over and we're left with a cliffhanger.

I was very excited for The Mushroom Knight, but it lacks the basics of good storytelling. Even though the world seems really interesting, the comic book fails to properly convey its rules and inhabitants, which is a shame. I'd be open to read the next volume to see if it gets better, for the amazing art alone.

- ARC provided by NetGalley-

Graphics that leave you with your mouth open!
This is your story.

We find a beautiful story inspired by a world where nature is very present as we follow the protagonist in his adventure.

The style of this protagonist refers to a fairy-like mushroom that turns out to be a knight who is on a quest while being accompanied in the story by a girl whose purpose in that forest is to find her dog.

It is a light and cozy read with which you can have a very entertaining time while immersing yourself in the knowledge of an ecological fantasy. I feel it is a great approach to this genre and leaves a very nice message about forests, nature and the thousands of species that inhabit it.

#TheMushroomKnightVol1GN #NetGalley

3,5⭐️

Talk about some weird, eerie, fantastic comic, and this one truly serves. Do I know what I read? Not to the full. Did I enjoyed ut? Oh hell fucking yes I did.

The Mushroom Knight is a whimsical, beautifull illustrated and cozy book with a really unique world. Where the story fell kinda flat for me, was the at times very confusing and hard to follow conversations the characters were having.

The art in this book is amazing! There's so much to look at. The plot was pretty confusing at times. I think it could have been longer with more attention paid to world building. I found Lem and Gowlitrot to be endearing characters and I might read the next volume just to revisit those two.

Thank you Netgalley, Oliver Bly and Mad Cave Studios for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I really enjoyed reading this story. The art was beautiful and intricate and built a fascinating world.
Gowlitrot is an interesting hero and the rest of the characters were charming and fun. The story is filled with intrigue and mystery that left me wanting even more.

There were some moments that I found a bit confusing in terms of the timeline of the story as well as the heavy world-building.

But overall, this is an exciting and charming story and I am looking forward to reading the next volume!

This just wasn't my cup of tea. I really enjoyed the illustrations but the story was confusing and it was hard to focus while reading it.

I need to start by saying that I really, really, really wanted to like this. It sounded like the cottagecore graphic novel of my dreams. I feel like I was sold something else though. The conversations were hard to follow, and I don't think it was very whimsical (but maybe that was the point?). The art had the whimsy I was looking for, but the narrative just did not match the style. The world-building, though, was immaculate. I loved its depth and detail. I just wish I had felt more connected to the characters and the story, but I found myself more confused than anything.

I do think that this graphic novel deserves a higher rating though because I rate based on if I would suggest this to a library patron. I think this could easily be enjoyed by an avid graphic novel and fantasy fan who has a love for complex worlds and (sometimes confusing) an excessive amount of detail. I just don't think that this was what I was expecting when I read the title and the description.

The art for this graphic novel is gorgeous and I loved the atmosphere of the silent portions where you just see the scenery and the magical creatures do their day to day activities. It really adds an ambience to the story by just sight and I really enjoyed how it was done. My main issue with the story though was that I didn't fully understand what was happening most of the time and the explanations weren't very detailed or conveyed in a comprehensive way especially when there's a lot of panels that have too many words being through at the reader at once which makes it harder to read. Everything is told in a sort of fragmented matter and I didn't fully understand what magic was happening in the story but overall I enjoyed the vibes and the art of the graphic novel.

I think unfortunately the description for this graphic novel is very misleading. While the story does cover a mushroom knight and a young girl their stories rarely intersect in this novel and they don't go on a "whimsical journey". The story takes on more of an edgey alternative art style to pair with it's dry humor and horror.

Outside of the description being off I felt the story had large gaps left in the world building and plot development that just primarily left the reader confused. Overall I think more time should have been spent in setting up this world and story to allow for better understanding of what's happening along the way. The author understands where they want to go and so it makes sense to them but from a reader's perspective we don't know the intended directions or missing pieces. I think unfortunately because of this the flow of the graphic novel was a little jarring with not great transitions between plot points.

The story at times has an interesting, dry sense of humor, yet also feels like it's trying too hard sometimes. I think a simpler approach to some parts would have smoothed out the story more as well. Unfortunately this graphic novel wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for my review. The Mushroom Knight is a beautifully illustrated whimsical, creative world with some hiccups in the storyline—I would give it a 3/5 🌟.

I enjoyed learning about the Mushroom Knight’s unique world. The color palette was absolutely beautiful and cozy to see shine in the illustrations—both in the scenery and the characters.

Though, the story fell flat. I had a hard time following some of the conversations. What caught me most off guard was the animal death, which I would have appreciated a TW for in the beginning as it triggered me.

Overall, this graphic novel was enjoyable for the most part. The premise of tiny creatures invisible to the human eye is such a fun idea to play with. World-building is difficult to achieve sometimes, but I feel that if the storyline was cleaned up in future volumes, this series would be an absolutely magical experience.

Summary: Follow the trail of an intrepid adolescent girl as she ventures into the deep, dark woods in search of her missing dog, only to stumble upon the enigmatic Mushroom Knight, Gowlitrot the Gardener. As Gowlitrot unravels a sinister conspiracy threatening the very essence of the forest, our unlikely duo embarks on a quest to protect the biome from catastrophic ruin. With captivating artwork and charming characters, "The Mushroom Knight" promises a journey teeming with wonder and whimsy.


Pros:
🌟 The artwork deserves a standing ovation – vibrant, detailed, and capable of turning mundane mushrooms into faerie-chic fashion statements. My eyes feasted on every page.

🤩 Charming characters abound in this fungal fantasy! From the plucky adolescent girl to the chivalrous Mushroom Knight himself, each character adds a layer of whimsy and wonder to the story.

Cons:
🤔 Confusion, thy name is Mushroom Knight. While the art dazzles and the characters charm, the plot meanders like a lost mushroom in the underbrush. A bit more clarity would do wonders for navigating this forest of fantasy.

🌍 Worldbuilding overload! While the lush setting and lore are commendable, much of the world remains unexplored, leaving readers lost in a thicket of tantalizing but untamed details.


In conclusion, "The Mushroom Knight Vol. 1" offers a delightful romp through a forest of fantasy, brimming with enchanting art and endearing characters. While the plot may stumble like a wayward mushroom, and the worldbuilding sprawls like an overgrown vine, the journey is nonetheless an enjoyable escape from reality. So, grab your cloak, sharpen your wit, and prepare to be whisked away on a fungal-fueled adventure of epic proportions!

Disclaimer: A hearty thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for entrusting me with this eARC. All opinions expressed are as unpredictable as a forest fairy's flight path—whimsical, capricious, and subject to the winds of change! 🌟🍄

Mad Cave Studios provided an early galley for review.

This gorgeously illustrated tale begins with a reminder of the vastness of nature, something many likely overlook. It is from this poetic and informative opening that we dive deep into the fantastical tale of our frog-riding hero Gowlitrot. In just a few scenes, the reader gets a sense of him - his personality and his demeanor. He balances his sense of duty with a bit of self-motivation. He is very much a rogue in every sense of the word.

There are plenty of moments where the artwork alone is meant to silently move things along. It does so brilliantly, making the most of what the comic medium can powerfully do. I like that the team is equally at home illustrating nature, the fantasy elements and the real-world elements, and that they are able to seamleslly move from one to another.

There is a lot of worldbuilding going on here, and some of it is not immediately crystal clear. There are mysteries, there are oddities, and there are often more questions than answers. It is definitely a story that can pull you in and want to know more. I know I do, so I will be looking forward to future volumes to see where this all is going.