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Through the Black Gate
A stunning middle grade graphic novel about an orphaned girl and a music-loving boy who venture into the land of the dead with the hope of seeing their loved ones again.
Thirteen-year-old orphan Irene believes her father’s soul is trapped inside her cat, Moses. Living at her caregiver Ruth’s hostel, Irene spends every waking hour studying a mystical book that her parents left behind in the fire that took their lives. Irene thinks the book can help her see them again, if only Moses will give her a clue.
Then, just as a strange fog sweeps over their quiet Chilean town, a mysterious young musician named Francis moves into the hostel. Irene and her new roommate don’t particularly get along, but Moses soon leads them both through the fog to a strange tear in an entrance to the Land of the Dead.
Believing this is the key to seeing her parents again, Irene and Francis cross to the other side. There, they encounter the Ferryman of the Dead, who is desperate to escape into the Land of the Living. The Ferryman offers to return Irene and Francis’s loved ones in exchange for their help. In the face of such a massive promise, Irene and Francis must decide whether to risk the fate of both the Lands of the Living and the Dead or be braver than they ever thought possible.
Thirteen-year-old orphan Irene believes her father’s soul is trapped inside her cat, Moses. Living at her caregiver Ruth’s hostel, Irene spends every waking hour studying a mystical book that her parents left behind in the fire that took their lives. Irene thinks the book can help her see them again, if only Moses will give her a clue.
Then, just as a strange fog sweeps over their quiet Chilean town, a mysterious young musician named Francis moves into the hostel. Irene and her new roommate don’t particularly get along, but Moses soon leads them both through the fog to a strange tear in an entrance to the Land of the Dead.
Believing this is the key to seeing her parents again, Irene and Francis cross to the other side. There, they encounter the Ferryman of the Dead, who is desperate to escape into the Land of the Living. The Ferryman offers to return Irene and Francis’s loved ones in exchange for their help. In the face of such a massive promise, Irene and Francis must decide whether to risk the fate of both the Lands of the Living and the Dead or be braver than they ever thought possible.
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 8, 2026
Through the Black Gate by Alfredo Cáceres is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that takes readers on an emotional adventure through the land of the dead. When Irene and the music-loving Francis cross into the realm beyond in search of the people they have lost, they find themselves caught in a journey that challenges both their courage and their understanding of grief.
Alfredo Cáceres’ whimsical and wonderfully unique art style immediately drew me into the story. Every page feels full of atmosphere, making the Land of the Dead both magical and haunting.
While the adventure itself is captivating, the heart of this graphic novel lies in its exploration of grief and the different ways people cope with loss. The emotional depth surprised me, especially in the final third. By then, I was completely invested in Irene and Francis and found myself desperately hoping they would succeed.
This is a graphic novel that can be appreciated by readers of all ages. Grief is something everyone experiences, and Through the Black Gate approaches it with empathy, nuance, and hope.
Alfredo Cáceres’ whimsical and wonderfully unique art style immediately drew me into the story. Every page feels full of atmosphere, making the Land of the Dead both magical and haunting.
While the adventure itself is captivating, the heart of this graphic novel lies in its exploration of grief and the different ways people cope with loss. The emotional depth surprised me, especially in the final third. By then, I was completely invested in Irene and Francis and found myself desperately hoping they would succeed.
This is a graphic novel that can be appreciated by readers of all ages. Grief is something everyone experiences, and Through the Black Gate approaches it with empathy, nuance, and hope.
August 6, 2026
Hi? This graphic novel for 10 year olds made me cry??
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this graphic novel, Irene's mother and father has both been killed in a tragic house fire in Valdivia, Chile. The family cat, Moses, barely survived, and Irene believes that the spirit of her father is trapped in the cat. A book of her parents' also survives. She goes to live with her Aunt Ruth, as well as Ruth's nephew Francis who is living with her while studying music at a local conservatory. Moses keeps trying to escape and run back to the remains of the house, so is kept in the basement of Ruth's bed and breakfast. Francis wants to discuss ghosts, but Ruth warns him not to, given Irene's recent losses. When Francis plays a tune on his guitar, however, Moses is enveloped in a glowing aura. Irene decides to take the bus to the house, where her parents were studying the flora and the magnetic fields in the area, to try to make sense of what happened. Francis goes with her, and they realize that the house isn't so much burned as it is cut in half. Another song of Francis' opens a portal, and the children find themselves in a land halfway between life and death. Irene's book indicates that this is fairly safe, as an explorer returned without incident, but there are many threats. Francis does meet his former guitar teacher, Sam, who passed away at the age of 84, and she tries to help them. The biggest threat comes from the Ferryman, who takes people through the Black Gate, and Irene and Francis must harness the power of music to save themselves. They are not able to retrieve Irene's parents, and Moses stays behind, but they eventually make it home to Ruth, enriched by their experiences.
This was similar to Santat's The Aquanauts in the stark brutality of the parents' death, but isn't as graphic. This might be popular with readers who enjoy graphic novels dealing with ghosts or the afterlife, like Colossal's Ghost Town: A Graphic Novel, Hahn, Franquiz, and Peer's All the Lovely Bad Ones, Escabasse's Taxi Ghost, Lai's Ghost Book, Fearing's Welcome to Feral, or Kress and Khang's Ghost Circus. The illustration style was unique, and this had a deeply allegorical feel to it. The author thanks Lora Senf in the afterword, and I can see fans of her The Clackity appreciating The Black Gate.
I wish there had been a way for Irene and Francis to have their adventure without having both parents killed. It wouldn't have been a bad idea for her to find and rescue them.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
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https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
In this graphic novel, Irene's mother and father has both been killed in a tragic house fire in Valdivia, Chile. The family cat, Moses, barely survived, and Irene believes that the spirit of her father is trapped in the cat. A book of her parents' also survives. She goes to live with her Aunt Ruth, as well as Ruth's nephew Francis who is living with her while studying music at a local conservatory. Moses keeps trying to escape and run back to the remains of the house, so is kept in the basement of Ruth's bed and breakfast. Francis wants to discuss ghosts, but Ruth warns him not to, given Irene's recent losses. When Francis plays a tune on his guitar, however, Moses is enveloped in a glowing aura. Irene decides to take the bus to the house, where her parents were studying the flora and the magnetic fields in the area, to try to make sense of what happened. Francis goes with her, and they realize that the house isn't so much burned as it is cut in half. Another song of Francis' opens a portal, and the children find themselves in a land halfway between life and death. Irene's book indicates that this is fairly safe, as an explorer returned without incident, but there are many threats. Francis does meet his former guitar teacher, Sam, who passed away at the age of 84, and she tries to help them. The biggest threat comes from the Ferryman, who takes people through the Black Gate, and Irene and Francis must harness the power of music to save themselves. They are not able to retrieve Irene's parents, and Moses stays behind, but they eventually make it home to Ruth, enriched by their experiences.
This was similar to Santat's The Aquanauts in the stark brutality of the parents' death, but isn't as graphic. This might be popular with readers who enjoy graphic novels dealing with ghosts or the afterlife, like Colossal's Ghost Town: A Graphic Novel, Hahn, Franquiz, and Peer's All the Lovely Bad Ones, Escabasse's Taxi Ghost, Lai's Ghost Book, Fearing's Welcome to Feral, or Kress and Khang's Ghost Circus. The illustration style was unique, and this had a deeply allegorical feel to it. The author thanks Lora Senf in the afterword, and I can see fans of her The Clackity appreciating The Black Gate.
I wish there had been a way for Irene and Francis to have their adventure without having both parents killed. It wouldn't have been a bad idea for her to find and rescue them.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Determination, family love, and the magic of music mix together to form an exciting adventure.
After loosing her family to a fire, Irene has reason to believe that her father's soul is trapped inside the family cat. While Irene does her best to hold on to this last thread of her family, the cat is determined to escape the new home at a hostel. When a boy, Francis, moves in with the intention of improving his guitar technique at a local academy, him and Irene immediately hit like fire and ice. But then, Irene notices that his music seems to be having a positive affect on her father's soul. When the cat escapes again, she drags Francis along, hoping he can help her get her father to cross over. Instead, they open a portal to the land between life and death, and discover that the entire realm has been corrupted by a very dangerous Ferryman.
I promised myself not to do any grief books this year after last year's overwhelming supply in that direction, and yet, here I am. And I'm glad I took the leap into this book. While the loss of Irene's family and the determination to help her father crossover into the afterlife drive Irene's every decision, the tale doesn't weigh down in loss and grief. Irene has accepted her parents' fate and heads into danger out of sheer love for them. Well, mostly as the ending pulls a last twist of emotional meaning...but adventure, danger, and forming friendship drive the plot forward and keep this read exciting. There are dangerous foes, sticky situations, misunderstandings, secrets, unexpected friendships, and secrets to be discovered. The land in-between offers a dive into pure fantasy with many unexpected moments. It was also nice to see that while Francis' music could act like a golden ticket, this was by no means a guarantee, and he had to struggle with his own side-plot.
I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy quite a bit of adventure and dives into the afterlife. I'm giving this one a 4.5 and rounding up.
After loosing her family to a fire, Irene has reason to believe that her father's soul is trapped inside the family cat. While Irene does her best to hold on to this last thread of her family, the cat is determined to escape the new home at a hostel. When a boy, Francis, moves in with the intention of improving his guitar technique at a local academy, him and Irene immediately hit like fire and ice. But then, Irene notices that his music seems to be having a positive affect on her father's soul. When the cat escapes again, she drags Francis along, hoping he can help her get her father to cross over. Instead, they open a portal to the land between life and death, and discover that the entire realm has been corrupted by a very dangerous Ferryman.
I promised myself not to do any grief books this year after last year's overwhelming supply in that direction, and yet, here I am. And I'm glad I took the leap into this book. While the loss of Irene's family and the determination to help her father crossover into the afterlife drive Irene's every decision, the tale doesn't weigh down in loss and grief. Irene has accepted her parents' fate and heads into danger out of sheer love for them. Well, mostly as the ending pulls a last twist of emotional meaning...but adventure, danger, and forming friendship drive the plot forward and keep this read exciting. There are dangerous foes, sticky situations, misunderstandings, secrets, unexpected friendships, and secrets to be discovered. The land in-between offers a dive into pure fantasy with many unexpected moments. It was also nice to see that while Francis' music could act like a golden ticket, this was by no means a guarantee, and he had to struggle with his own side-plot.
I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy quite a bit of adventure and dives into the afterlife. I'm giving this one a 4.5 and rounding up.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Reviewed from an ARC from the publisher.
Irene and her pet cat Moses now live with neighbor Ruth, after her parents were killed when their home was destroyed by fire. While exploring near the house ruins, Irene finds both her beloved cat Moses and her mother’s favorite book "A Comprehensive Guide to the Graylands" nearby. Due to his strange behavior, Irene believes that her father’s spirit was left behind in Moses’ body. When Ruth’s nephew Francis comes to stay so he can study guitar at a nearby music conservatory, the two children become reluctant companions as they travel to the Graylands and the Black Gate in order to free Dad’s spirit. While there, they battle many dark spirits determined to keep them away from the Black Gate, becoming friends as they share their grief over the loss of loved ones along the way.
The storyline itself is quickly described – there are no deep complications or loose ends in this one, making it a good choice for younger readers looking for a good story. It is interesting to see these two young people work through their grief of losing a loved one in this way – Chilean author/illustrator Cáceres easily weaves this into the storyline a believable manner.
The artwork is intriguing. Based on the few sample final pages, artwork will be printed in full color on slick paper. When Irene and Francis are in their world, it is in full color. They go through a portal into the outer parts of the Graylands. After they pass through a solid membrane in the gray castle ruins, the artwork changes to grayscale. Kids will have fun looking for signs of the Graylands as Easter eggs in the world and as architectural decoration in the Graylands.
For those ready for emergent chapter fantasy books, this one scores high.
Highly Recommended grades 3-6.
Irene and her pet cat Moses now live with neighbor Ruth, after her parents were killed when their home was destroyed by fire. While exploring near the house ruins, Irene finds both her beloved cat Moses and her mother’s favorite book "A Comprehensive Guide to the Graylands" nearby. Due to his strange behavior, Irene believes that her father’s spirit was left behind in Moses’ body. When Ruth’s nephew Francis comes to stay so he can study guitar at a nearby music conservatory, the two children become reluctant companions as they travel to the Graylands and the Black Gate in order to free Dad’s spirit. While there, they battle many dark spirits determined to keep them away from the Black Gate, becoming friends as they share their grief over the loss of loved ones along the way.
The storyline itself is quickly described – there are no deep complications or loose ends in this one, making it a good choice for younger readers looking for a good story. It is interesting to see these two young people work through their grief of losing a loved one in this way – Chilean author/illustrator Cáceres easily weaves this into the storyline a believable manner.
The artwork is intriguing. Based on the few sample final pages, artwork will be printed in full color on slick paper. When Irene and Francis are in their world, it is in full color. They go through a portal into the outer parts of the Graylands. After they pass through a solid membrane in the gray castle ruins, the artwork changes to grayscale. Kids will have fun looking for signs of the Graylands as Easter eggs in the world and as architectural decoration in the Graylands.
For those ready for emergent chapter fantasy books, this one scores high.
Highly Recommended grades 3-6.
September 11, 2026
As a longtime follower of Alfredo Cáceres and his art, I can confidently say that in Through the Black, he proves himself to be a storyteller through words as well as illustrations.
The book invites us into Alfredo’s world, a world filled with many of the elements familiar from his artwork, but also with places and fragments that seem drawn from his own life. The story feels deeply personal. At times, I almost felt like asking, “Excuse me, may I enter?” Its characters and landscapes seem to have been plucked directly from his mind’s eye and heart.
It is a strange, magical, and beautifully lived-in world, where the impossible feels completely at home. There is a real intimacy in being allowed to enter it, and we should thank Alfredo for sharing so much of himself with us.
Through the Black is more than a beautifully illustrated book. It is a personal and moving work by an artist who has found yet another way to tell his stories. Here’s hoping for part two.
The book invites us into Alfredo’s world, a world filled with many of the elements familiar from his artwork, but also with places and fragments that seem drawn from his own life. The story feels deeply personal. At times, I almost felt like asking, “Excuse me, may I enter?” Its characters and landscapes seem to have been plucked directly from his mind’s eye and heart.
It is a strange, magical, and beautifully lived-in world, where the impossible feels completely at home. There is a real intimacy in being allowed to enter it, and we should thank Alfredo for sharing so much of himself with us.
Through the Black is more than a beautifully illustrated book. It is a personal and moving work by an artist who has found yet another way to tell his stories. Here’s hoping for part two.
August 10, 2026
3.5 stars. Irene lost both of her parents suddenly, but believes her father's spirit is trapped inside her cat, Moses. She lives with her caretaker Ruth, and spends a lot of time trying to prevent Moses from escaping-something he seems determined to do. When Ruth's nephew Francis arrives, he accidentally lets Moses out and the two set out to find him. They follow Moses into a rift in reality into the land of the dead. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this one. The art is nice, and I loved the idea of the book, but it seemed to progress somewhat jerkily. I think this will benefit from a second reading.
September 14, 2026
Irene is grieving the death of her parents and living with her Aunt Ruth when her cousin Frances comes to stay and study music. The squabbling cousins follow the mysterious white cat they call Moses to an odd liminal world where they might find her parents (or at least the truth of what happened to them). Though the theme and some of the elements are really dark, it isn't as scary as some: several characters are very helpful, and the setting is very dreamlike. Even the scary ferryman they confront at the end turns out to be just a guy hurting from the loss of his love rather than just evil. Give to fans of The Black Sand Beach or Garlic and the Vampire.
September 8, 2026
Lovely and moving and all about grief. There are, as you might expect, several very hard things -- the the death of parents and a very good friend, destruction of an instrument, the loss of a cat, betrayals and a shifting dreamscape of a world. But it's also about Irene and Francis learning to be friends and trust each other, and about confidence, and about moving forward despite the sorrow. Excellent art as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2026
Escribir una historia es difícil, pero es mucho mas difícil escribir una historia muy buena y además ilustrada.
Las ilustraciones son tan simples pero a la vez expresan mucho y quedan perfectos con las historia, trazos tan delicados y los colores quedan tan bien, son increíbles. Espero que leas este mensaje y decirte que eres un gran artista y escritor.Nunca dejes de crear!
Cariños
Aurora
Las ilustraciones son tan simples pero a la vez expresan mucho y quedan perfectos con las historia, trazos tan delicados y los colores quedan tan bien, son increíbles. Espero que leas este mensaje y decirte que eres un gran artista y escritor.Nunca dejes de crear!
Cariños
Aurora
September 4, 2026
Has quite a handful of good ideas and the bones of a compelling story, but is ultimately let down by a rushed pace and leaving out important details. The villain's identity I don't think is even hinted at once, so I'm more confused than surprised when it eventually does happen. If the author had fleshed out the middle and shortened the beginning set up, this could have been amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A really sweet and thoughtful conversation about death and grief packaged in an adventure well suited for the target audience, one that even adult readers will enjoy. The sample art looked amazing, and will defiantly read it again after publication.
June 29, 2026
Satisfying and beautifully drawn graphic novel. I wish I there had been more character development and that we’d gotten to know the parents and the main characters a bit more but I still enjoyed it. The art is wonderfully done.
July 19, 2026
This felt a bit odd. Irene looses her mom and dad in a tragic accident and I hardly see emotion from her the entire story. This didn't feel middle grade. The kids act too mature.
August 3, 2026
Actual rating: 3.5 stars rounded up
August 18, 2026
3.5 stars. It was good, but a little too didactic. And interesting look into grief.
September 2, 2026
A couple of kids find themselves in a strange sort of holding ground for the afterlife—Irène, who has recently lost her parents in a bizarre accident, and Frances, who is mourning the loss of his music teacher. The fantasy landscape and characters were unique and inventive, and I especially appreciated the Chilean setting. The emotional arc felt more adult than middle grade to me, and, on a personal level, stories centered around what happens after death aren’t really something I seek out. Interesting and imaginative, but ultimately I wonder how my own students will respond to it.
September 11, 2026
This is a beautifully illustrated and written graphic novel about loss, grief, and not being afraid of them.
September 13, 2026
3.5 I wanted more context on how her parents worked on what got them their fate.
Read
September 13, 2026A really fun story for kids who like spooky ghosts and adventures with emotional content and without gore.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews