I'm with those that didn't understand, called it vague, or found it ambiguous. Sorry, I prefer immersive stories, instead of ones that are a lot of work to decode. June 2022, p. 100.

Representation: Black and Asian characters
Trigger warnings: Death in the past
Score: Five out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

What a massive disappointment.

I hoped I would enjoy Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky and find it an improvement over Witchlight, but she underwhelmed me again. I haven't read from Zabarsky in almost three years, but so far her books don't deliver. I shouldn't have even picked this one up, since the low ratings warned me to avoid it.

It starts with Preet and Valissa living typical lives in a magical all woman society (what happened to the other genders, though?) The only catch is Preet has magical abilities and Valissa doesn't, rendering her as a human, but I'm tired of books that have two types of people like this. Soon enough, their lives separate, with Preet going off exploring a new realm outside the human one, while Valissa is left behind to continue her life without her. Let's start with the positive aspects, I mostly liked the art, even with a limited colour palette of white, black, brown, coral, and sometimes blue and orange, except the faces put me off, as the eyes are only dots. Why is the font rounded? I'm unsure. Unfortunately, that is where the likable aspects conclude.

The characters don't have any depth or development, making me disengage from the creation, but writing the characters better would help. There are some intriguing worldbuilding aspects of the setting, but some aspects are vaguer, much to my confusion, as it leaves behind unanswered questions, like where did the Shifter and Shaper come from? Were they always there? Are they the creators of everyone and everything here? These two all powerful beings birthed humans, both magical and non-magical, into existence, but what about the other magical beings Preet meets, like the race of cloud people? How did she meet these deities? Preet literally grew a child, Lue, who grew quickly in a few pages, and then she turns from a human to a humanoid hedgehog, making me wonder what happened to her (so that's why other genders are unnecessary.) In the concluding pages, Valissa had had enough, so she searches and finds Preet, bringing her back into the village. That finish is heartwarming, but not enough to redeem the rest of the novel. ( )

I reviewed this book on No Flying, No Tights.

SO beautiful and strange, mythic. I've had good luck with my last few books, but this still felt like a breath of fresh air. ( )

This graphic novel wasn't 100% clear all of the time - I had questions about the fantastical world and characters and I think I need to give it another reread before I understand it fully. Two women love each other deeply - one is filled with magic the ability to shape and shift - while the other struggles greatly with it. When a mist takes over the library that stores all the wealth of their ancestors, Valissa volunteers to see what it is. The task takes a long time and in the meantime Preet is lonely - she decides to hatch a seed all on her own (which is forbidden - two need to be present to raise a seedling). Soon she has a precious child that she has to keep hidden because it goes against the customs. What if love can conquer all? Or maybe the rules of magic are bound to get in the way. Beautiful, but hard to follow. ( )

This is a weird book. I’m not 100% sure I can really tell you what it’s about. There are two women who live in a fantastical community where people are reborn as seeds to grow again. The book starts with an older woman passing on, returning to the land, and becoming a seed. That seed is taken out to the water, then comes back in a form of reincarnation. They have shapers and changers which are people with the type of magic that help the community. The librarian though has no magical ability. And this couple will see hardship as they have to separate after something drastic happens at the library. While separated Preet grows a seed into a child, a secret child. The two will eventually come back together and learn from each other and learn that sometimes the old ways are not always best. You have to make new ways in life. As I said this book is weird. It’s interesting and I think that’s the best thing I can say. ( )

Characters I like go on kinda interesting adventures in a world that is frustratingly vague and ambiguous about its mythology, magic, and passage of time. It seems like there are no men, and the female society reproduces by seeds they find adrift on the sea and plant in the ground. Our main couple, Preet and Valissa get separated as one pursues a dangerous quest and the other makes an unconventional life journey of which her community disapproves.

Everything circles around the opening chant:
From one, two; from two, one.
Go and come back to us.
Go and come back to us.

Frankly, I don't understand the story, even after reading the author's note, but I like the art and had a good time following along, so I'll give it a thumb's up. ( )

A lovely fantasy story about participating in and hopefully improving a society, while trying to navigate its rules and restrictions. Ruminations on the origins and value of traditions and on love and relationships. Cool creature concepts and very beautiful art. ( )