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Lantern Pass: A Supernatural Alpine Thriller
Not yet published
Expected 17 Nov 26A darkly immersive mystery set in a small town in the Swiss Alps, where the Sax clan calls the shots. But the arrival of a stubborn pair of detectives threatens to upend their plans—especially when the land itself begins to awaken.In the dead of winter, detective Frank Sangaré and his partner, Ms. Umber, arrive in Saint-Elme, a remote mountain town famed for its spring water. Their assignment seems locate a wealthy runaway who vanished three months before. But Saint-Elme is anything but ordinary.As the investigation deepens, the detectives collide with the Sax family, which rules the town from the shadows. With tensions rising and the case spiraling out of control, Sangaré and Umber find unexpected allies among the townsfolk—and from the mountains themselves, where ancient forces are beginning to stir.
- GenresGraphic NovelsComics
Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A very strange graphic novel. There are some genuinely great, mind-bending bits here, but they’re surrounded by stuff that just didn’t work for me.
The story jumps between different characters and plot threads, and I often had no idea what was actually happening or, more importantly, what the story was even supposed to be about. Some sequences are fascinating and completely bonkers, while others are just boring and feel like they’re going nowhere.
The art was similarly hit-or-miss for me. There are panels where the dark, strange colors and surreal imagery create a fantastic atmosphere, but other times it’s so murky that I struggled to figure out what I was looking at. In a story that is already pretty confusing, that didn't exactly help.
I can definitely see why some people love it. It’s ambitious, weird, violent and clearly trying to do something different. And when it works, it works. But there were just too many boring or confusing bits for me, and I never became invested enough in the characters or the plot to care where any of it was going.
A few excellent sequences buried inside a very messy and uneven book. Definitely not a bad choice if you’re into weird French comics, but ultimately not very memorable for me.
ARC through NetGalley
The story jumps between different characters and plot threads, and I often had no idea what was actually happening or, more importantly, what the story was even supposed to be about. Some sequences are fascinating and completely bonkers, while others are just boring and feel like they’re going nowhere.
The art was similarly hit-or-miss for me. There are panels where the dark, strange colors and surreal imagery create a fantastic atmosphere, but other times it’s so murky that I struggled to figure out what I was looking at. In a story that is already pretty confusing, that didn't exactly help.
I can definitely see why some people love it. It’s ambitious, weird, violent and clearly trying to do something different. And when it works, it works. But there were just too many boring or confusing bits for me, and I never became invested enough in the characters or the plot to care where any of it was going.
A few excellent sequences buried inside a very messy and uneven book. Definitely not a bad choice if you’re into weird French comics, but ultimately not very memorable for me.
ARC through NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for providing me with an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5 Stars)
I went into Lantern Pass not really knowing what to expect, and while the story itself didn't completely pull me in, there was one thing I really loved about this graphic novel: the artwork.
The art style worked really well for the darker parts of the story. There were scenes using colours like cerise, dark blue, red, and dark purple, and I thought these colours really helped create a feeling of dread.It's also different from another graphic novel I have read, which had me more intrigued.
I especially liked how the colours changed the feeling of certain scenes.
They weren't just there to make the pages look nice; they actually made me feel like something bad was about to happen. The darker colours gave those moments a much heavier feeling.
The story itself was okay for me. There were parts I enjoyed, but I didn't connect with it as much as I had hoped.
I was upset by that because I really wanted to like this story more.
Overall, Lantern Pass was an okay read. Unfortunately, I don't think I was the right audience.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5 Stars)
I went into Lantern Pass not really knowing what to expect, and while the story itself didn't completely pull me in, there was one thing I really loved about this graphic novel: the artwork.
The art style worked really well for the darker parts of the story. There were scenes using colours like cerise, dark blue, red, and dark purple, and I thought these colours really helped create a feeling of dread.It's also different from another graphic novel I have read, which had me more intrigued.
I especially liked how the colours changed the feeling of certain scenes.
They weren't just there to make the pages look nice; they actually made me feel like something bad was about to happen. The darker colours gave those moments a much heavier feeling.
The story itself was okay for me. There were parts I enjoyed, but I didn't connect with it as much as I had hoped.
I was upset by that because I really wanted to like this story more.
Overall, Lantern Pass was an okay read. Unfortunately, I don't think I was the right audience.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If I was going to describe this graphic novel in one word it would probably be “inconsistent”. The plotline, the artwork, and my level of interest, all seemed to ping-pong around as the novel progressed. There were some sections that were excellent and others that were either underwhelming, or outright confusing. The whole package was satisfying and I enjoyed it, though I think that there is only a particular audience that this is intended for.
This was certainly ambitious, which was good and bad. The story was tricky to follow at a few points and the artwork being somewhat unclear didn’t help matters. At other times though, the vibes were immaculate and spooky and I loved what this graphic novel was serving up. This review probably doesn’t help you decide if this is the thing for you, sorry folks. If you can get this at the library or some other free-to-you method (like me!) then I would say you should give it a shot, but otherwise it would depend on how much you like spooky content.
I want to give this 3.5 stars, but the website is making me pick a rounding direction, arg.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
This was certainly ambitious, which was good and bad. The story was tricky to follow at a few points and the artwork being somewhat unclear didn’t help matters. At other times though, the vibes were immaculate and spooky and I loved what this graphic novel was serving up. This review probably doesn’t help you decide if this is the thing for you, sorry folks. If you can get this at the library or some other free-to-you method (like me!) then I would say you should give it a shot, but otherwise it would depend on how much you like spooky content.
I want to give this 3.5 stars, but the website is making me pick a rounding direction, arg.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This graphic novel feels like watching a fully realized mystery/action movie from start to finish. It is just so ridiculously well done.
Even though this isn't my typical go-to genre or personal choice of art style, I can completely recognize the high caliber of this work. The story is expertly constructed, with an intriguing plot, great pacing, and a surprising amount of humor sprinkled throughout. Beyond the action, there's real depth to the characters—every single one feels distinct, grounded, and genuinely compelling, making you deeply invested in what happens to them.
The artwork supports the narrative brilliantly. The character designs are incredibly unique, and the use of color brings so much energy and atmosphere to the entire book.
A masterful blend of strong storytelling and brilliant art.
Even though this isn't my typical go-to genre or personal choice of art style, I can completely recognize the high caliber of this work. The story is expertly constructed, with an intriguing plot, great pacing, and a surprising amount of humor sprinkled throughout. Beyond the action, there's real depth to the characters—every single one feels distinct, grounded, and genuinely compelling, making you deeply invested in what happens to them.
The artwork supports the narrative brilliantly. The character designs are incredibly unique, and the use of color brings so much energy and atmosphere to the entire book.
A masterful blend of strong storytelling and brilliant art.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have to say, I did particularly like this full graphic comic. Now it can create chaos where you hardly know most of the characters besides Frank, Philip, Umber, Roxane, Stan and of course the druggie supervillain Dervish (he really kicked azz 10x better than the other baddies of the group). You do get to enjoy the action regardless if it is rather confusing at times but still damn entertaining. I think out of all the characters in this story, I think Frank and Dervish were one of the best tbh. Also keep in mind there’s animal killings in this so if you’re a major animal lover who doesn’t like this, look away or just don’t read this book at all.
Got this full story with thanks to Netgalley and publisher!
Got this full story with thanks to Netgalley and publisher!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a copy of this graphic novel via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
A truly remarkable graphic novel. The story is engaging, perhaps not particularly original, but nevertheless so well structured that it’s hard to put down. The characters are all well-drawn, the narrative builds to just the right climax, and the supernatural subtext is presented in exactly the right way, without turning it into some sort of deus ex machina.
However, I think much of the impact comes from the illustrations and the use of colour. They are truly, truly stunning. They were the first thing that caught my eye when I started reading, and as I went on, they didn’t disappoint.
I highly recommend it – it really is a lovely read.
A truly remarkable graphic novel. The story is engaging, perhaps not particularly original, but nevertheless so well structured that it’s hard to put down. The characters are all well-drawn, the narrative builds to just the right climax, and the supernatural subtext is presented in exactly the right way, without turning it into some sort of deus ex machina.
However, I think much of the impact comes from the illustrations and the use of colour. They are truly, truly stunning. They were the first thing that caught my eye when I started reading, and as I went on, they didn’t disappoint.
I highly recommend it – it really is a lovely read.
August 31, 2026
This took a bit for me to get invested in the story, but about a third in, I was hooked! The art is where this book really shines, the illustrator’s use of color is incredible. The art style works really well for the setting— creepy snowy mountain town. This would be a great animated show, too. Most of the characters were well written and fleshed out, but since it’s a graphic novel, there’s only so much time one can spend on backstory. My main gripe is that there was so much happening in the story that I would have preferred it to be broken into two or three volumes, that way we’d have more time to get to know the characters and their motivations a bit more.
My thanks to the authors and publisher for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley!
My thanks to the authors and publisher for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley!
September 1, 2026
4.5 stars. Such a good fucking graphic novel for real. Incredible. The characters, the narrative choices, the environment, the pacing… it’s just amazing. It is a bit dark at moments and touches on quite sensitive topics, but this just elevates the story.
In the first page you’re already hit in the face with the most absurd use of color. Fully colored graphic novels are super dear to my heart both because it's my personal aesthetic preference and also the insane work it demands.
The thing I most enjoyed in this was interpersonal relationships. The diversity of the character designs and personalities shines through and makes this town a billion times more believable to more.
I do think it funny the villains being The Russians.
In the first page you’re already hit in the face with the most absurd use of color. Fully colored graphic novels are super dear to my heart both because it's my personal aesthetic preference and also the insane work it demands.
The thing I most enjoyed in this was interpersonal relationships. The diversity of the character designs and personalities shines through and makes this town a billion times more believable to more.
I do think it funny the villains being The Russians.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
First of all, great use of colors. The setting was perfect. Small town mystery and page turner. A great blend of characters and their own stories. 6 full chapters keeping you glued and turning the page. Great writing and flow. This is a superb blend of storytelling all around. Frank, Phillip, Katiye, and many others pull you in. 400 pages of complete thrill. A must read.
First of all, great use of colors. The setting was perfect. Small town mystery and page turner. A great blend of characters and their own stories. 6 full chapters keeping you glued and turning the page. Great writing and flow. This is a superb blend of storytelling all around. Frank, Phillip, Katiye, and many others pull you in. 400 pages of complete thrill. A must read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Amazing read!!! It has action, mystery, a lil bit of romance!! I enjoy reading this book so much!!! An organisation trying to destroy the environment nearby and so the people in the good side gets the helps of the mountain to prevent it from happening. I really love the mysterious vibe in this story!!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Badass detective, an elite family up to no good, drugs, dogs, and mutant frogs! This book has it all, and I was engaged every minute of this read. Easily one of the best crime thriller comics I’ve read this year.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews