Interwoven with gorgeous illustrations to fully immerse in, and a detailed, slow burn mystery to solve. Mina Ikemoto Ghosh’s Hyo The Hellmaker was an entertainingly plot twisty read that manga-loving, high fantasy lovers should definitely consider picking up! 

I found the lore surrounding Gods, Demons and curses was incredibly intriguing and I loved delving into the details around how the curses and magic system worked. Especially when it involved our protagonist Hyo, whose family carry a generational curse.

The illustrations definitely capture the magic of Ikemoto Ghosh’s prose which was both richly complex and full of humour. However, I was a teensy bit disappointed we didn’t get to explore Hyo’s backstory (or that of her family’s cursed legacy) in very much detail (but we did learn was really interesting and I have high hopes for a sequel.) 

The action, mystery and plot twists we encounter within the pacy narrative, did make up for it though, and kept me on the edge of my seat for all 500+ pages. 

The ensemble cast was marvellously impressive too! They were all really well written, endearing and soo much fun to explore (Particularly Natsuami, Tokifuyu and Hyo’s brother Mansaku —all of whom had such amazing, whimsical personalities.)

There are quite a lot of interactions between Gods and humans in this, so watching the stark cultural differences and customs between humans and their immortal counterpoints was pretty fascinating. 

The God’s lack of interest/ opinions when it came to humans reminded me a little of the wealth/class divides seen in our own societies. Where the richest 1%ers live such vastly different lifestyles they become almost detached from the struggles most people face.

Here the Gods are soo emotionally detached from humans, their fragility and very short lifespans are almost incomprehensible to them. Something that I found super intriguing —and isn’t really explored as much you’d think in a genre (fantasy) that celebrates soo many different types of immortal beings (gods, demons, vampires, fae, etc.) 

Overall, an intricately crafted and atmospheric read that has definitely made Mina Ikemoto Ghosh an author to watch out for. 

Also, thanks to Scholastic & Lorraine Keating PR for the finished PB copy.