This is a fun setting – vaguely modern American, but with the addition of a massive variety of magic and magical creatures from folklore. Honestly, I think we should call that kind of thing ‘hex Americana’ in general, it really fits the vibe. The protagonists are a yokai and a ghost, and there’s also appearances by what look to be a wolf man, a Medusa, a cyclops, a mummy, and Baba Yaga. It’s a fun mix!
The actual story I mostly enjoyed – it’s a bit more “high schooler making bad choices” than I tend to prefer, to the point that my reading had a month-long break, but I did enjoy piecing together all the backstory. Definitely worth the read, and hey, I get to support a local author, too! Check it out.1
- This is a Bookshop affiliate link – if you buy it from here, I get a little bit of commission. It won’t hurt my feelings if you buy it elsewhere; honestly, I’d rather you check it out from your local library, or go to a local book store. I use Bookshop affiliate links instead of Amazon because they distribute a significant chunk of their profits to small, local book stores. ↩