Every street has its stories – those of the living and those of the dead.
Book Synopsis:
A wonderfully evocative ghost story in the great tradition of M. R. James and Daphne Du Maurier with a contemporary edge.
Perfect for Halloween and illustrated in Norm’s own gorgeous style.
“Every village has its stories – those of the living – and those of the dead.”
After the sudden death of his twin sister, 14 year old James Reynolds becomes obsessed with her tale of a black hound, a folkloric creature that is regarded as a portent of death. Enlisting the aid of his elderly neighbour, who the local children call ‘The Witch’, he delves into the centuries of village history, folklore, and ghosts, until he uncovers a deeper secret beyond his darkest nightmares, beyond the sight of most, and beyond the mortal veil.
Set in the South Downs of England, a place that has been home to Celts, Romans, and Vikings, James’s story is interwoven with tales from his village that also blur the line between the living and the dead.
Where and When to Buy:
DOWNLANDS
Author/Illustrator: Norm Konyu
Publisher: Titan Comics
HC, 292 pages, FC, $29.99
ISBN: 9781787743328
On sale May 13, 2025
Downlands is on sale May 13, 2025 at bookstores, comic shops and digital.
Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and Forbidden Planet for UK.
The Art:
MY REVIEW
A while back I decided to lay off blog tours but every now and again I read something I really enjoy and get the opportunity to join on a tour. That’s definitely the case here. I adored the artwork in this and the story, it’s the sort of perfect creepy haunting read. (If you’re the kind who likes a seasonal TBR and does Halloween reads, I’d definitely put this on my list and probably will do a reread of it in the fall). Konyu has an entirely atmospheric style of art. I was drawn to it from page one and the story was a beautiful blend of the past and present and connecting it all is the story of death. Death in its many forms including a black hound of death.
This story is begun by James Reynolds, our MC facing a heavy loss; his twin sister. With his grief consuming him, he searches for answers. What did his sister see before she died and if she’s not alone in seeing it, what else is there out there? Looking for answers, maybe closure, James is set on the path to find out more about this creature and the answers might be with the local ‘witch.’
With stories all across the time, Konyu shares with us death from various points in time and how it links us all. Folklore is more than just entertainment it’s a tie from the past to us now. I really enjoyed the small stories that were interwoven with James and his search and I loved his story as well. The pacing is perfect for this sort of story and I caught myself every now and again just staring at the page to take in some of the panels they were just that pretty and captured my eye.
This was 5/5 Huge cups of coffee for me, I’ll be recommending this one for sure again on the blog for Halloween time and you’ll see the physical copy on my Instagram, a huge thanks to Titan Comics for sending me a copy to use for my tour day and show off! Look just down below to see the trailer for this graphic novel!
The Trailer:
The Caffeinated Reader 
Leave a comment