Net Galley and DC Entertainment provided this advanced reader copy and I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Alys Arden and Jacquelin de Leon take us on a magical and mystical journey through Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue in the graphic novel Zatanna The Jewel of Gravesend. Zatanna is engulfed in the world of magic and illusion in this tale of mystery, mirror script, and magic.
We see Zatanna as we have never seen her before. Her father is a magician, and her mother is a magician’s assistant. She enjoys her summer days on the boardwalk enjoying time with friends at Luna Park. We get a glimpse of a true friends-to-lovers / star-crossed relationship with her current boyfriend, Alexei. One mystic’s journey to find a powerful jewel ruins Zatanna’s summer of friends, fun, love, and all she knew about her life and the world around her.
I’ve loved seeing Zatanna in any and every story I can get my hands on, but this one was a page-turner. The illustrations and the story wove together in a way that kept me hooked. There were twists, turns, and heartache that kept me engaged on every page. The more I found out about Zatanna’s life and friends, the more I wanted to know. There was such a sweet side plot with her friends and their interaction with each other.
What I really loved was the interactions between Zatanna and the people in her circle. She has tension with her parents, but her long-time boyfriend, Alexei, keeps her sane. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say the twists in the story and the mystic’s quest for a power jewel were unexpected. The ending to this incredible graphic novel left me gasping in shock.
I rated this five stars, and it was well worth each star I gave.