Fantasy Book Critic: Book review: Snow Angels by Jeff Lemire & Jock

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.

Publisher: Dark Horse Books (March 28, 2023 ) Page count: 264 pages

Lemire knows how to grab readers's attention with his character work and intriguing world-building, and Snow Angels is no exception to the rule. Milliken, Mae Mae, and their father glide on skates through a trench—a seemingly endless ice field. Jock’s art makes you feel the biting cold. It is also simply stunning.

The rules of the world are simple:

The Trench provides everything its inhabitants need; if it's needed for survival, it can be found in its walls.
You must never, ever, leave the trench. There is only death outside of it.
The Trench never ends; it stretches forever in both directions.

All lies, as it turns out. The family finds their village destroyed, and everyone there butchered. The main story attempts to answer the question of why, delve into the girls’ father's past, and take a look at the outside world. Oh, and to see if they survive the Snowman—an almost impossible task.

I loved Jock’s snow-spattered art and how it emphasized the textures of ice, snow, wind, and a hostile landscape. It's as if he was born to draw the vast snowy landscapes and the harsh blizzards. His art compliments Lemire's focused writing.

The plot maintains a brisk pace, Lemire keeps on throwing deadly threats at the family. The mysteries lead to new mysteries and bully you into reading "just one more page" until the book is finished in one sitting.

In all, Snow Angels is an excellent survival story with horror elements.