This story was not only well written but also had amazing artwork to match. It was nice to see Oberon find his true self and connect with an old flame. It took some time to figure out exactly what was going on but as the story progressed I found myself invested in Oberon and his struggles. I liked how his family plays a big role in how he sees himself and how quick they are to reach out when he needs them. I also liked how the love interest is so much more than that and how their stories connect. This was such a cool read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This story was so goddamn good. After Oberon has a mental breakdown in the middle of a lecture at college, his life seems to be spiraling out of his control. He distances himself from his friends, drops out of college, and spends a lot of time dreaming. In his dreams, he starts dreaming of his high school crush, Kon, who went missing shortly after high school ended. Until Kon appears outside of those dreams as an apparition! Together, they slowly try to turn Oberon's life back around. This story was so interesting, and I adored both Oberon and Kon. They felt like real people and their struggles, though futuristic, were very relatable. Also, I really like how slang was written in this story. It feels like something kids of the future would use, but they also included "outdated" slang that older people use! It was a little detail that really helped add some reality to the story. The art was GORGOUES. I loved the art style so much, and the dream scenes were so pretty. I don't want to say too much about the story because it was so good. It's also a solar punk utopia style of a story that acknowledges the dystopia that it rose from. Please just go read it for yourself, it's worth it!

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

Trigger warnings for suicide attempt

I loved this graphic novel. While the art is nice, well drawn and with a very well-chosen color palette, it’s the story that stands out to me. Oberon, as the only one of his siblings (two older, two younger) without powers feels hopeless, and helpless. His friends are in college, which he has sort of/sort of not dropped out of — taking a deferment — after being dumped (among other stressors) led to him having a panic attack. He’s shut down around his family, doing his best to get by without having to do much of anything until his dreams of Kon. Kon, the crush who vanished. Kon, who seems so real …

This Kon is cheerful, friendly, bossy, obnoxious and Oberon both hates him and relies on him, because Kon is, after all, just part of Oberon’s own magic, which makes his dreams a reality. And the more he summons Kon — or channels Kon, or dreams Kon into being — the stronger Kon becomes as a separate personality. And, because he always had a crush on Kon, this leads to some … er, feelings. Is kissing Kon, wanting to be held by Kon (to do more with Kon) masturbatory, is it just loneliness?

Oberon’s struggles to not take responsibility, to go back to a passive, placid life are at odds with Kon’s desires for him to practice his magic and get out and be with his family and friends. Is Kon his superego? Or his Id? Oberon wants Kon to go away, but Kon makes him happy, helps him feel comfortable with his powers, makes him feel wanted and loved.

There’s a lot of emotional tension, a lot of lovely, rich character work both for Oberon and Kon, and it was beautifully paced, each moment given time to breathe without it feeling too long. The action scenes are well drawn, vivid and colorful, and the world building about the arc, the magic powers, the realities of living in a colony world were present enough to add to the world without taking over.

Please read this story! It’s just so good! Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This is a beautiful graphic novel! The art is amazing. There was a lot of words on a page sometimes and it was hard to follow the plot in a few parts, but I really liked the overall story. There is a lot of good themes here and I think it might be easier to read in person. This was super sweet and fun!

God, what an absolute grand slam. This book was BEAUTIFUL. I adored reading every moment of it. I need to buy it ASAP.

As somebody who had read Ariel Slamet Ries before picking this up, I found this to be an upgrade from her previous work. One, the artwork was even more beautiful than Witchy, and the colors were stunningly done. Two, the story was more captivating, and the mini-twist near the end was really well written. I might be buying myself a copy of this when it releases!