Anzu and the Realm of Darkness is a beautifully-illustrated and exciting adventure into the underworld of Japanese folklore.
Since Anzu’s grandmother passed away, the Japanese Obon festival - a time for families to honour their loved ones - hasn’t been the same for her. She misses her obaachan deeply and struggles to fit in at school. One night, while trying to escape the festivities, Anzu falls down a ridge and ends up in Yomi, the Shinto underworld. There, she must team up with Yomi’s Gatekeeper to rescue children kidnapped by Queen Izanami and find a way to escape the underworld.
Anzu and the Realm of Darkness is an exciting and whimsical adventure into the underworld of Japanese folklore. Anzu and the Gatekeeper, in the form of a dog, embark on a journey of growth, where Anzu learns to trust and stay true to herself, while the gatekeeper conquers his self-doubts. The mythical creatures from Japanese folklore are beautifully brought to life by illustrator, Diana Tsai Santos, and the narrative, enriched by author, Mai K Nguyen’s experiences growing influenced by Vietnamese and Japanese American cultures.
The publisher’s age recommendation for this middle grade graphic novel is 7 years and older, but I reckon it might be better for those 9 years and up – the demon Izanami transforms into might be a lil scary for some younger ones. Thank you, Definitely Books Kids (Pansing) for sending this over to us – this is one of my hubs’ top ten reads in 2024! This book is now available at all good bookstores.
Disclaimer: The book was provided by Pansing for our review. As always, all opinions are ours.
©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.
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