Review: Snowlands: A Blood Moon by Morr Meroz, Illustrated by Collin Fogel

Author Morr Meroz and illustrator Collin Fogel have summoned a beautifully stunning world with their immersive graphic novel Snowlands: A Blood Moon.

Feba the snow-white wolf cub is forced to flee her pack to avoid a curse – or a death sentence – launching her on the journey of a lifetime, as she crosses paths with many other creatures wandering in the wild, some who are keen to join her adventure, and others who aren’t so sure. Gathering allies and making friends along the way, like Batu the monosyllabic wildcat, Usha the grief-stricken leopard seeking the Seeress, a pacifistic crocodile, medicinal monkeys, and a wise old panda, Feba slowly grows into the moon queen of the wolves she always claimed to be.

The Snowlands are dangerous and full of tricksters, including maze-loving lynxes, ravenous vultures, creeping spiders, and a cruel army of rodents who are determined to capture the snow-white wolf, no matter who gets in their way. When Feba discovers that her pack’s champions have been killed by a single-horned monster, Sherab, and that the evil forces hunting for her have no problem hurting her friends, she realizes that she can’t outrun the past, and chooses to surrender to Umanga, who wants Feba for a vengeful blood moon ritual. Sacrifices must be made and friendships are put on the line during a daring escape, uniting Feba’s pack and her chosen family behind a common goal.

Devastating loss, long-awaited reunions, shocking revelations, and an epic final battle keep this long-form masterpiece engaging until the very last panel. When it comes to the technical side of the writing, the text has been closely edited and carefully chosen, so while the language is limited, and there are few dialogue bubbles longer than a few sentences, readers are able to easily follow the story’s flow. It is equally impressive that Meroz works so many complex themes into a graphic novel for children; Usha is forced to overcome self-deception about her painful past, Shein must push against tradition and unfair structural forces within her pack, Feba wrestles with guilt about her actions and mere existence causing pain to those she cares for, among so many others. Despite the visual format and target audience of this tale, the ideas being explored are timeless and nuanced, explored with the impressive grace of a seasoned storyteller.

Visually, the entire book is mesmerizing, and the illustrator drives this fast-moving plot forward with dynamic panels and visceral action sequences. Fogel also excels at capturing the emotions of a given scene through his art, particularly pain, disappointment, surprise, and anger in these expressive characters. Each figure is intensely detailed, from the snakes wrapped around Umanga’s horns to the ornamentation on the Seeress – no detail is too small, not even the textured shadows on clumps of falling snow. The full-page images of dramatic or action-packed moments are standalone works of art in themselves.

A vivid, lesson-packed tale of friendship and perseverance, Snowlands is a visual feast, an emotional rollercoaster, and a powerful parable of finding peace with the past.