The art in this graphic novel was beautiful, but I found the story itself a little confusing. It tells the story of a young boy who is dropped offed at his grandparents by his father since there is something going on with his mom, which is never explained. His grandfather is difficult and the boy finds himself at odds leading to an adventure through the woods and an unclear ending.

In Trumpets of Death, a young boy named Antoine finds himself marooned at his grandparents' secluded home, a stark contrast to his usual life. The atmosphere is thick with unspoken tension, particularly between Antoine and his gruff grandfather, who seems less than thrilled by his grandson's presence. What begins as a dreary, isolated stay soon morphs into a suspenseful journey when Antoine joins his grandfather on a mushroom foraging expedition, leading them into a thrilling and mysterious hunt through the woods.

The book does a commendable job of painting a vivid picture of the remote, rain-soaked setting and the strained relationship between Antoine and his grandfather. The doting grandmother provides a much-needed emotional anchor, while the grandfather's open hostility creates a palpable sense of unease that keeps you turning pages. The story effectively builds suspense as the mushroom hunt unfolds, weaving together intergenerational conflict with the enigmatic forces of nature. The descriptions of the forest are evocative, making you feel like you're right there with Antoine, experiencing the damp air and the rustling leaves. The climax, a "fearsome hunt," delivers on the promise of resolving their differences, creating a compelling emotional arc for both characters.

However, the story could have truly blossomed with more background on the "special mushroom" that seems to be at the heart of their journey. While its mysterious nature adds to the intrigue, a deeper dive into its significance—perhaps its folklore, its unique properties, or its historical connection to the family—would have provided a stronger foundation for the narrative. Without this additional context, the motivations behind the hunt and the "mysterious forces of nature" feel a little underdeveloped, leaving some gaps in understanding Antoine's perilous adventure. Knowing more about this crucial element would have allowed the story to truly cohere, giving more weight to the grandfather's actions and making Antoine's personal growth feel even more earned.

Overall, Trumpets of Death is an engaging and atmospherically rich read with strong character dynamics. It's a solid 3.5-star experience that offers a compelling blend of family drama and natural mystery. If you enjoy stories where human relationships are tested against a backdrop of the wild unknown, you'll likely find this a rewarding read, even if you're left wanting a bit more about the magic behind the fungi.

I thought this book was very interesting. The family dynamic was something interesting to read and sad a times. Totally would recommend to others!

**First Person ARC Review: *Trumpets of Death* by Simon Bournel-Bosson**

*Trumpets of Death* is an intoxicating blend of noir, horror, and surrealism that caught me completely off guard—in the best way. I went in expecting a dark thriller and came out feeling like I’d wandered through a hallucination wrapped in decay and dread.

From the opening pages, there’s this strange, hypnotic pull to the narrative. It doesn’t unfold so much as unravel—layer by layer, dream by dream, rot by rot. The writing is sharp, but it’s laced with something deeply unsettling, almost fungal, like the story itself is alive and slowly consuming you. I could practically smell the damp earth and feel the mold creeping in.

The plot is slippery, deliberately so. You’re never quite sure what’s real, who to trust, or where the line is between psychological breakdown and supernatural influence—and that uncertainty only makes the tension more intense. I felt constantly off-balance, like the ground might give way at any moment.

But beneath the horror, there’s something profoundly existential about this book. It probes into death, decay, and the quiet terror of losing control—of the body, the mind, the narrative. It’s not just eerie; it’s thoughtful in a way that sticks with you long after the final page.

*Trumpets of Death* isn’t a conventional horror read. It’s strange, poetic, and rotting from the inside out—and that’s exactly what made it unforgettable. If you like your horror weird, philosophical, and a little bit hallucinatory, this one is absolutely worth getting lost in.

This was cute, the art was beautiful . Took a minute to get where it was going but I appreciated the ending.

Trumpets of Death tells the story of a boy left with his grandparents. His mother has left them, and his father needs time to look for her and possibly fix their relationship. The grandparents are not close with the boy, though the grandmother tries to be warm. The grandfather is a large mean man who seems to dislike his grandson and is always on the edge of threatening violence. Then, the story takes a mystical turn as the boy disappears into the woods and becomes a deer for a few months?
The story is strange - a sort of character study and then magical realism enters the picture. I didn't feel like there was any resolution or real end, and though I am sure some out there would enjoy it, this was just not for me.

Trumpets of Death had such a vibe to the artwork. The limited color palette was used in such a clever way. The linework of the art was so expertly done. A lot of the book was mostly images showing the progression of the story. There is dialogue, but just a bit. The whole graphic novel takes a few minutes to read and then it’s just over. I think I was expecting more out of the story. The blurb made it seem like something more sinister was in store.

Antoine goes to stay with his grandparents for some unknown reason and we never really find out why. It makes it seem like it’s important, but apparently not. I guess that’s a lot of the problem with the plot is that nothing is explained. Some of it is purposely open-ended, but some of it seems like it wasn’t thought out. Antoine gets lost in the woods and then what plot there is happens. I don’t know what would’ve made it better, but everything that happened could be summed up in 2 sentences. Most of the stars come from the artwork because it is essentially an art driven book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for allowing me to read this book. I am writing this review based on my own opinion.

An absolutely beautiful graphic novel about growing up and mushrooms. The art is fantastic, and I loved the idea of a magic mushroom (not that kind) holding the ability for transformation. Pretty fantastic, not gonna lie!

The art in Trumpets of Death is just gorgeous. I would happily hang panels of this on my wall. I love the vibrant use of color, the details in all the scenes, and if I was rating this purely on the art, this would be 5/5.

Unfortunately, the rest of it didn't also knock it out of the park. The cover blurb ("intergenerational conflict and mysterious forces of nature culminate in a fearsome hunt through the forest that will resolve their differences once and for all") makes it sound like so much more than it is. Sure, there is somewhat of an 'intergenerational conflict', 'mysterious forces of nature' (singular, really), and a 'hunt' (several, actually), but the 'resolve their differences once and for all' was much less than I'd hoped or expected.

The problem is that the blurb hints at one or more of: drama, adventure, horror, and above all, promises *resolution*, when this is really an open-ended magical realism story. I spent most of this book wondering where it was going, and the answer was... not much of anywhere. The first half worked at establishing a status quo, but we never see how that changes, an early thread is resolved entirely off-screen, and there is no meaningful conversation or understanding between the characters in the end.

Trumpets of Death is a story about a young boy whose Mother and Father both seem to have no time for, so he is dropped off at his grandparents for an unknown amount of time.
As expected the poor kid is bored and while he is loved by his grandmother, he sees her as an old woman who just complains all the time. And his grandfather is just plain scary. He yells at Antoine every chance he gets or just ignores him.

That's all I can say I understand about this book.  The relationship between Antoine and his grandparents is rather typical and easy to follow. I just really can't say what the story was ultimately about. 
The art was beautiful but I just couldn't see where it was going or why it went where it did.
I think this was a problem that was more mine than the authors but there you are.

Expected publishing date August 05, 2025

Thanks to @netgalley and  Lerner Publishing Group/ Graphic Universe for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was very well illustrated. Colorful and intriguing. I found the story a bit thin but I enjoyed it.

An interesting allegory about relationships, growing up too quickly, and a touch of poetic justice. When our protagonist is dropped to stay with grandparents by his father, mom's whereabouts a mystery, they aren't as welcoming as one would hope. A strange misstep results in lost youth, and exposes what little care there is for it. The imagery was well done and sends a clear message about loss and isolation. Also, don't do drugs kids!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this story.

Even though the art style wasnt my favorite I really enjoyed the visuals. I think the color palette used for this really made it pop. That is probably the only positive I have for this story. I am not someone that likes open endings that can leave things up to interpretation. I had so many questions prior to the magic mushroom and afterward I had no idea what was going on. I really just wish there was more of an explanation for what the mushroom was, what happened with the MCs mother, did the MC return to his family since he previously seemed to have lost his memory of them and what happens to his grandfather?

Um, the art was beautiful but I had no idea what was going on most of the time and that ending was extremely confusing.

This book was lowkey and acid trip, but it was quick and I had a good time
While the story was a bit vague, I think the best thing about this was the art style, and the color palette I really loved it.

3.5 ⭐️
It’s a story that leaves you wondering. Artwork was beautiful and detailed. I would have like it better if I knew what was going on. Definitely felt like an acid trip. Thank you NetGalley for the digital read of this story.

3/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Graphic Universe for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I LOVE the colors in the graphic novel. They’re super bright and at times give off a fever dream vibe. This was definitely a very quick read, and I thought the story was interesting, though it felt like there was meant to be an overarching moral that never really took shape in my opinion.

Dark, eerie, and beautifully drawn, Trumpets of Death follows a boy’s unsettling visit to his grandparents in a forest full of secrets. With surreal twists and striking art, it’s a haunting tale of family, nature, and transformation.

Let's start this off good. The art was incredible. The shifting colors made this story into something more than itself. I was more enamoured with the illustration than whatever this book was actually about. Like, was it about generational trauma? Creating your own family? Perserverance? Couldn't tell ya. This book was either lost in translation or needed a solid direction. It's for those who like a trippy novel with a loose ending.

This art style was so COOL! I loved the color and style choice. The story was also very interesting and i actually really liked the ending. I love when people get what’s coming to them in the end. The journey that Antoine goes through is both transformative and magical. My only con is that we don’t really find out why Antoine is left with his grandparents and what is going on with his mom. That is something that I was really wondering. I suppose it doesn’t have a ton of impact on the story itself but definitely a choice to not resolve that.