Jeffrey Alan LoveReviews

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I love Love's work - haha. But seriously. It's dark, mysterious, and beautiful. His images always tell a story! I would love to read a novel based on his work, because I'm always so intrigued by what I see and what little tidbits of wording he adds. This is a sketchbook of his, but it feels like one of his other books because there's definitely a theme here. I will never not support his art!

A story told completely through images, The Thousand Demon Tree is spooky and captivating. Love's illustrations are dark and gritty, with just enough detail to get the point across. This book is all done in black and white, with a smattering of red and green at the end for emphasis. It's about a man's journey to the tree (duh, I guess) and what happens to him on the way. I won't say anything else about the plot for 2 reasons. 1-It's a short book, you need to experience it for yourself! 2-Given there are no words, I think there's a lot that's left to the interpretation of the reader so my understanding of the plot could be very different from your own. I think that's really cool. Part of me thinks this could be linked to his other book, Notes from the Shadowed City, but again, that could just be based on how I interpreted everything. Regardless, I can't wait for more books from Love, whether they have a bit of text or not! His creations always leave me wondering and wanting more details!

Told thru the narrator's illustrations and journal, Notes from the Shadowed City tells his journey through a surreal realm of floating cities and giants. With no memory of who he is prior to the start of the book, we follow the narrator as he researches magical swords in this strange land, and eventually falls in love with a mysterious woman.

I was surprised by how much I was pulled into this story; with only the most sparse descriptions of his illustrations I didn't see how this book would actually tell a complete tale. There is a lot of room left for the reader to fill in the blanks of the story as they see fit, but somehow it worked for me. I'm hoping that there will be future stories detailing the narrator's continuing saga.

Wow! What a hauntingly gorgeous book. I'll be honest, I bought this strictly for the deliciously glossy pages full of Love's art, not caring a whit about the story. But it surprised me! It's a journal of a man who can remember his past, so he takes notes on the strange city (cities, I suppose, as one hovers over the other) he finds himself in.

My only complaint is that I want more of this world! I'd love to read a novel set in land. I want to know more about the lady warrior he's crushing on. And the swordsmen! And the masks!

My favorite line was: "To appease the castle, the queen was forced to marry it. Their son ruled for many happy years."

If you're a fan of Love's work, I think this book is worth it for that alone, but the story is not one to be overlooked!