Mooncakes
Published on 7. March 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-5493-0304-3 (ISBN)
Description
"Mooncakes is spellbinding. It had everything I love in a story-magic that felt inventive, characters that became my friends, and a romance that felt truly authentic. It was one of those books that I was sad to see end. Luckily, I can always reread." -Tillie Walden, creator of Spinning and On a Sunbeam
"Mooncakes transported me to a gorgeous magical realm that I never want to leave, and introduced me to lovable characters who stuck with me long after I finished reading. This graphic novel is the joyful fantasy romance we all need right now, and it might just restore your faith in magic." -Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky
"Mooncakes is heartwarming, playful and absolutely magical! A story about love and family, with a kind and powerful core that radiates through the vibrant cast of characters." -Katie O'Neill, author of The Tea Dragon Society and Princess Princess Ever After
A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
"Mooncakes transported me to a gorgeous magical realm that I never want to leave, and introduced me to lovable characters who stuck with me long after I finished reading. This graphic novel is the joyful fantasy romance we all need right now, and it might just restore your faith in magic." -Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky
"Mooncakes is heartwarming, playful and absolutely magical! A story about love and family, with a kind and powerful core that radiates through the vibrant cast of characters." -Katie O'Neill, author of The Tea Dragon Society and Princess Princess Ever After
A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
Reviews / Votes
BOOKLIST -- Teen witch Nova works at the bookstore runby her grandmothers (who are also witches) and helps their town handle magical
problems. One night, she discovers a horse demon battling a white wolf-who turns
out to be her childhood friend Tam, a werewolf who moved away years before.
Reunited, they rekindle their mutual crush and, as a nefarious cult manipulates
Tam for dark purposes, the teens experiment with love and magic as they
rediscover themselves in their coming-of-age. Walker and Xu offer a wonderfully
cozy, magical romance that also happens to be a cornucopia of beautiful
representation. Nova and Tam are Chinese American; Tam is non-binary, using
they pronouns; Nova is hard-of-hearing, relying on hearing aids; her
nanas are an irresistible pairing, as warm as they are powerful; and everyone in
Nova's life models an ideal support system that will bring hope to many readers.
While the romantic tension takes center stage, there's enough sorcery here to
please aspiring witches. Throw in refreshingly natural dialogue and relatable
family drama, and you've got a must-have for all graphic-novel collections. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED) -- Gr 7 Up-Nova is a
small-town witch, fulfilling her apprenticeship at her grandmothers' New England
bookshop. When rumors surface of a white wolf wandering the forest, Nova knows
it's her long-lost werewolf friend Tam. Nova goes to find them, only to
encounter a terrifying demon who's possessing a neighbor's horse-and who can't
be defeated by any magic she knows. The two get away, and Nova and her
grandmothers take in Tam. With their combined witch and wolf magic, Nova and Tam
must work together to defeat this demon, all while their undeniable chemistry
rekindles their long-dormant mutual crush. Xu and Walker have created a
charming, magical tale. Tam and Nova are multifaceted, with developed
backstories and motivations. Their shared identities (they are both Chinese
American and queer) are integral to their characters; Tam's nonbinary identity
and Nova's hearing impairment are similarly authentic. Xu's illustrations infuse
the spells and witchcraft with a dynamic, exhilarating magic. There is some
mature language, some violence, and a gentle romance. VERDICT This sweet,
spellbinding story will appeal to fans of magic and romance.-Anna Murphy,
Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn BOOK RIOT -- Nova Huang is a witchcraft expert. She
works at her grandma's bookshop, a special one that loans out spell books and
helps unearth mysteries in their supernatural town. When exploring such a
mystery, she finds her childhood crush Tam, who is in a bit of trouble.
Together, they rekindle their friendship (and maybe more?) as they try to stop
cults, demons, and other otherworldly foes. Charming, inclusive, and so much
fun.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Oni Press,US
Target group
Young adult
Interest Age: From 13 to 99 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
556 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5493-0304-3 (9781549303043)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Suzanne Walker is a Chicago-based writer and editor. She is co-creator of the graphic novel Mooncakes (Lion Forge, October 2019) with artist Wendy Xu. Part of it can be read on mooncakescomic.tumblr.com. Her short fiction has been published in Clarkesworld, and she has published nonfiction articles with Uncanny Magazine, Women Write Abouat Comics and the anthology Barriers and Belonging: Personal Narratives of Disability. She has spoken at numerous conventions on a variety of topics ranging from disability representation in sci-fi/fantasy to the importance of fair compensation for marginalized SF/F creators. You can find her posting pictures of her cat and occasionally yelling about baseball on Twitter: @suzusaur.