Endless night befalls a sleepy seaside town, leaving it to young Madeline Tock to save her community from a threat known only as the Night Mother . . .
THE NIGHT MOTHER #1
by Jeremy Lambert
illustrated by Alexa Sharpe
Oni Press, October 2024
(via Defiore and Company)
The moon is stuck like a broken clock in the midnight sky, the sun a distant memory. No one in this quiet seaside town can remember how long this unnatural darkness has lasted. No one, that is, except for the curious girl who lives in the graveyard, caring for the dead: twelve-year-old Madeline Tock. In gratitude, the departed whisper their worries to her: beware this endless night and she who causes it.
Because there’s someone else who can hear the whispers, too. Someone whose gown is a map of the cosmos, hair a tangled constellation, eyes like the lights of faraway stars. The Night Mother. Her elemental duty is to gather the souls of the dead in her lantern, then send them to their eternal rest as beautiful moonlight.
But when her hunger for power drives her to take souls from the living, Madeline bravely stands up to defend her town and those she loves. Can Madeline help bring back the sun, or will she be lured by the starry promises of this mysterious woman?
THE NIGHT MOTHER is a lush gothic tale perfect for readers of all ages who relish in the wonder of the night sky.
« Myth-making with a majestic monster at its heart, laced with style and suspense. » —Kirkus Reviews
« A haunting yet poignant story that will leave readers hungry for more. » —Publishers Weekly
« Mysterious and spooky […] This gothic graphic novel will appeal to young readers who want to branch out from the popular tropes of middle grade stories. » —School Library Journal
Jeremy Lambert is a writer and filmmaker from Bowie, Maryland. He’s known for his comics work on Doom Patrol, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellmouth, Dungeons & Dragons, Goosebumps, The Hollywood Special, and his stories for Warhammer, among others. As a film producer, his productions for reakwater Studios, Ltd. have won an Academy Award and James Beard Award. He believes there are few things in life better than a nice pair of socks.
Alexa Sharpe is a Los Angeles–based book illustrator, who has worked on Lumberjanes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rolled & Told, and Uncanny Magazine. Her art is a window into dreamlike worlds that frighten and delight in equal measure.
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