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Spoke
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26The Eisner and Lambda Literary Award–nominated creator of Thirsty Mermaids and coauthor of the bestselling Lumberjanes series returns with this heartfelt new graphic novel!
Compelling and unforgettable, this is a year in the post-apocalyptic life of Spoke, a nonverbal cargo bicycle courier who uses ASL and serves her tight-knit surrounding communities in a world where all power sources were neutralized long ago by a mysterious force. Spoke journeys through life alone in this reverted pre-industrial landscape, but a chance connection made with a stranger suddenly makes her feel not so alone anymore.
Compelling and unforgettable, this is a year in the post-apocalyptic life of Spoke, a nonverbal cargo bicycle courier who uses ASL and serves her tight-knit surrounding communities in a world where all power sources were neutralized long ago by a mysterious force. Spoke journeys through life alone in this reverted pre-industrial landscape, but a chance connection made with a stranger suddenly makes her feel not so alone anymore.
- GenresGraphic NovelsComics
208 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 13, 2026
2 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Kat Leyh
111 books561 followersKat Leyh is a Chicago based writer and artist. She’s best known as the current co-writer and cover artist for the series Lumberjanes, and for her queer superhero webcomic Supercakes. She’s also worked as a cover artist, and back-up writer/artist for several BOOM! Studios series.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Cozy, neighborly, post-apocalypse, slice-of-life romance. That's a weird combination of words.
I immediately snatched this up when I saw it on Netgalley because I really liked Kat Leyh's Snapdragon and Thirsty Mermaids so much, but I have to admit I am disappointed by the meandering, low-key, and nearly-pointless nature of this story.
Imagine something like The Walking Dead without any zombies, militias, or violence in general. It's just calm and gentle people people in a little village crafting things and trading them for food and other goods from the highly cooperative neighboring villages, all facilitated by the Deaf woman who makes deliveries on her bicycle and talks incessantly with everyone she meets because almost all the hearing folk in the area know sign language.
It's all very sweet, but it also feels like empty calories.
Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
I immediately snatched this up when I saw it on Netgalley because I really liked Kat Leyh's Snapdragon and Thirsty Mermaids so much, but I have to admit I am disappointed by the meandering, low-key, and nearly-pointless nature of this story.
Imagine something like The Walking Dead without any zombies, militias, or violence in general. It's just calm and gentle people people in a little village crafting things and trading them for food and other goods from the highly cooperative neighboring villages, all facilitated by the Deaf woman who makes deliveries on her bicycle and talks incessantly with everyone she meets because almost all the hearing folk in the area know sign language.
It's all very sweet, but it also feels like empty calories.
Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kat Leyh's storytelling and illustrations are always a breath of fresh air, and Spoke is no exception. A beautifully woven story with so much detail in all it's characters, history, and environments. I found myself smiling and laughing along with the friends and families depicted here; so much genuine joy and expression is shared between the two towns and visiting travelers. The illustrations are clear and generous, with pieces of personality found in clothing, homes, and relics of the before times.
Throughout the changing seasons, we see all the ways in which people have adapted to their surroundings and to one another. In addition to sign language being used throughout, we can also see other creative and practical ways for folks with disabilities to be in community. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys slice-of-life type stories, woodsy adventures, and for those trying to find the better world we know is possible. Amongst all the sadness and hardship of our world, Spoke is a reminder of the ways in which we can support one another.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital ARC!
Throughout the changing seasons, we see all the ways in which people have adapted to their surroundings and to one another. In addition to sign language being used throughout, we can also see other creative and practical ways for folks with disabilities to be in community. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys slice-of-life type stories, woodsy adventures, and for those trying to find the better world we know is possible. Amongst all the sadness and hardship of our world, Spoke is a reminder of the ways in which we can support one another.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Amazing readdd!!! I love the storyline!! The characters!! I love everything in this book!! All of them understand each other duties and be together to make the living much easier in those times. The book is such a wonderful story!!! There even an explanation on how everyone in the villages knows how to sign language. I really really love the storyline soooo much!! I really recommend this story to people who wants to read stories about found family, relationships and love. Such an amazing read!!
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book in advance~
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book in advance~
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley!
I really enjoyed this so much! Spoke finding her place in the world had me feeling so cozy at the end and the gift swap??? This was such an interesting dystopian world representation that I ended up really loving. The ASL representation was such a nice part of the storyline, in addition to how there were several queer representations. Thank you so much for the early copy of this graphic novel.
I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this so much! Spoke finding her place in the world had me feeling so cozy at the end and the gift swap??? This was such an interesting dystopian world representation that I ended up really loving. The ASL representation was such a nice part of the storyline, in addition to how there were several queer representations. Thank you so much for the early copy of this graphic novel.
I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was so happy to get to read another graphic novel from this creator; I love her original work! It’s a nice quiet story, and I appreciate the dedication to world-building a softer, more inclusive post-apocalypse than what we usually get in stories like this. It sort of meanders around versus having One Central Plot, but I feel like that works for the story it's telling. Definitely recommend!
May 1, 2026
Spoke is a story filled with beautiful diversity, disability representation, and gorgeous artwork. It is a “cozy” post-apocalyptic story. While I adored the representation, the plot was too slow and filled with too many characters for me. 3⭐️
If you love diverse cozy graphic novels, you will love this! Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Spoke.
If you love diverse cozy graphic novels, you will love this! Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Spoke.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews