Lily Halfmoon The Witches Council

Lily Halfmoon: The Witches Council by Xavier Bonet (Allen & Unwin Australia) Fantasy Graphic Novel RRP $17.99 9781761069727

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Xavier Bonet is a self-taught illustrator and comic book artist who lives in Barcelona. He has illustrated many children’s books including Omnia by Laura Gallego, the volumes of Michael Dahl’s Really Scary Stories, and The Keepers Trilogy by Lian Tanner.

Lily Halfmoon is a witch who has an animal guardian and a powerful magic gemstone. She and her witch friends protect the town of Piedraveille from dangers. It’s Samhain, when magic is at its strongest, and witches from all over the world have gathered. Lily and her witch friends will have to fight off monsters and dark magic at the Samhain party because a mysterious person is after her rare moonstone. Lily must discover why this is? If they get their hands on the stone everything they hold dear could be destroyed. Can Lily find the strength and power to fight for her gemstone and what she believes?

Bonet has included an information page about Lily so that anyone can pick up this book and read it independently from the first book in the series -- The Magic Gems. Because the book is a graphic novel, the story is told with dialogue and images. The dialogue moves the plot, shares information, and gives character information. Bonet uses language that is efficient, magic related and child friendly. It’s the most special time of the year for witches. The world building is believable, and a young reader can use their existing knowledge of our world. Included in the story are information pages like a Witches Lunar Calendar. Samhain is also known as Halloween. It's the night witches celebrate the arrival of the new year.

Bonet also makes it clear there are magical people and non-magical people which makes this story understandable. I love the magic demonstrations, workshops, riddles, and races that are immersive and fun that the main characters experience, while a deeper plot brews under the surface.  The story has layers, so readers of different reading levels can experience the story and be entertained and thought-provoked. I love how the text and images are perfectly balanced to create page turns and keep you reading in an immersive fantasy world.  

The gorgeous illustrations are bright, imaginative, bold, and colourful.  Bonet’s love of comic books shines through in his illustrations that are detailed and have a modern comic book feel. The focus remains on Lily and her friends as they journey through the story. I love how when the story reaches its climax, Bonet uses a whole page spread to show the power and magic as it reveals who is trying to trick Lily and get her moon gemstone. I also discovered that Lily’s dad in the story looks a lot like Xavier Bonet so look and see what you think.

 

Lily Halfmoon The Witches Council is a fantasy graphic book that is the second book in this series and it’s enthralling. It’s a great read for the 7-11 years age group for its gripping storyline and highly engaging illustrations. This book is recommended for children who love fantasy and magic realism. It won’t disappoint, and I am sure there will be more of these books to come.

Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems

Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems by Xavier Bonet. Allen and Unwin 2023. Paperback RRP $16.99. ISBN 9781761180354.

Reviewed by Debra Williams

Graphic novels have become increasingly popular, to encourage reluctant and struggling readers. Lily Halfmoon is a junior fiction graphic novel, delightfully illustrated throughout. When Lily starts a new school, mysterious things begin to occur, and it is discovered that she has magical powers. With the aid of new friends and the librarian from the Royal Library of Magic Studies, Lily must develop her skills, training in the ways of witchery. Each student at the Royal Library’s training school receives a gem, which they must learn to use, tapping into the stone’s power. The students also need to find their animal guardian.

Lily and her friends must protect the people of Piedraville from evil, which is made especially difficult by the appearance of a fierce creature which is on the loose. Can Lily, with the assistance of her friends, find the gem’s special power and stay out of the limelight?

Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems is suitable for readers aged 7-11.

The Magic Gems: Lily Halfmoon

The Magic Gems: Lily Halfmoon by Xavier Bonet (Allen & Unwin) Graphic Novel RRP $16.99 ISBN 978 1 7611 80354 and 9781761180354

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Xavier Bonet is a self-taught international illustrator and comic artist. He has illustrated many children’s books and lives in Barcelona, Spain.

Lily Halfmoon has moved house, and at her new school she meets Gigi and Mai. They take her to the library, which is really The Royal Library of magic studies. Inside this magical world Lily discovers that she’s a witch and that she must keep her identity a secret. Her task is to protect the people of Piedraville from evil. This gets tricky when there’s a dangerous creature on the loose. 

Bonet has written dialogue that is engaging and clever. But my birthday is tomorrow. We know… Your present is a box of coloured pencils!  Zoe that’s not how presents work. Instantly you know that something is odd and want to know more. Lily is a strong character, and the secondary characters are just as strong and well-rounded. The story setting is child relatable and mirrors what children worry about at school and home.  The page turns keep a reader wanting to know more. Lily, nothing happens by accident.

The animal guardians are matched to their owners and the gems hold different powers. The language is engaging, and the dialogue uses questioning and answering to move the plot along or to share information. Really? What power does it hold? I love that as the story builds, information is built into the text. For example, Cleaning Slime is a cleaning potion and there are two full pages of information including how to make and use it.

The illustrations are gorgeous. Vivid, bright, and warm, they create a totally believable and engaging story world. When information about magic is shared, the pages are distinct and detailed with floral borders. This adds to the authenticity by looking scientific. The body language and facial expressions of the characters are cartoon-like, and the action is propelled with perspective and movement. I love how the page spreads are varied in shape and size according to the needs of the story.

The Magic Gems: Lily Halfmoon is a graphic novel for those aged 7-11 years. The themes of friendship and letting your own special talents shine are popular with this age group. This book is an exciting read that is sure to capture readers and spark their imagination.