Graphic Novel Review - 'Bite Me! A Vampire Farce' by Dylan Meconis

I love vampires. I love strong female leads. Those are the only two criteria I had in wanting to read 'Bite Me! A Vampire Farce'. Naturally.

It is a webcomic by Dylan Meconis, dating back as early as 2000, until 2004. I read the full paperback edition from 2012, including short story extras, celebrating its 13th anniversary (though shouldn't it be the 12th anniversary? I'm not great at maths, but even I know something is off here).

And wow, am I glad to have finally discovered its existence.

'Bite Me! A Vampire Farce' is one of the funniest comics I have ever read. Every page, every panel, contains an overt or subtle joke. In fact, it is structured so that every page can be considered a self-contained gag from a newspaper, despite it all being a linear story. There is even cunning, shrewd foreshadowing.

It is so zany, goofy, OTT, irreverent, surprising, endearing, and brilliant. Brilliantly funny and brilliantly drawn. It delightfully, gleefully, affectionately parodies and satirises both vampires and French history. As well as Dickens's 'The Tale of Two Cities'. And the works of Anne Rice.

There are bars, chickens, horses, beheadings, riots, idiotic aristocrats and revolutionaries, and a werewolf.

Claire the barmaid - the tavern wench accidently turned into a vampire - is one of the best, most hilarious lead heroines I have ever seen. Loud, proud, wild, uninhibited, unselfconscious, imaginative, inventive, reckless, impulsive, smart and quick-thinking, I think it's safe to say, without revealing spoilers, that Claire is ripe and right for slapstick comedy. She is no conventional female. She would make Lucille Ball, Elvira, Miranda Richardson, and Sally Hawkins proud.

Claire's opposite, the haughty, bloodthirsty, snobby and elitist vampire Ginevra, is also great. That she is also not a conventionally attractive, patriarchy-dictated female - she's even on the chunky side, which is never commented on - is a huge plus. She's a lot like Katherine Hepburn and Lauren Becall.

There are outstandingly clever and funny twists and turns to the story, which I won't dare spoil. They make me love, understand and appreciate the characters even more, rather than be irritated and frustrated with them.

'Bite Me! A Vampire Farce' - even the title is clever and full of innuendos and hidden meanings. Most of its jokes land - with a bang. If your sense of humour aligns with the likes of 'The Simpsons', 'Shrek', and classic British sitcoms, then check it out. Enjoy yourselves.

Its ending is rather abrupt and unsatisfactory, however, if subversive and ironic. Twisty and turny to the end.

I wish to see more of Claire, Ginevra, the handsome and hapless vampire Lucien, the vampire Lestat parody Audric, and Luther. Someday. Maybe in new comics set in the modern day.

'Bite Me!' could be a vampire, supernatural comics version of 'Blackadder'!

Hopefully, any possible continuation will have better, more overt queer rep that isn't regulated to one-off jokes and punchlines. (Audric is definitely bi or pan... actually, this could apply to everyone in the comic. After all, why would they care? Not about anything conventional, nor will they follow human society's expectations).

Nobody expects the French Revolution!

Or a screwball vampire parody of 'A Tale of Two Cities'!

Final Score: 4/5

P.S. I couldn't think of a good place to put this comment in this review, so here it is, at the very end:

'Bite Me!' predates 'Twilight', which is something Dylan Meconis laments in one of her footnotes in the paperback version, as she could not make references to it at the time. She mentions 'True Blood' in the same sentiment. In hindsight, and upon further thought, I'd say this is a good thing, actually. It's for the best. No comedy that relies on, and oversaturates itself in, modern pop culture references ever ages well. Any reference to 'Twilight' and 'True Blood' - or any 2000s vampire and paranormal media and fad - would have dated the comic, for sure.

P.P.S. Oh, and I can't believe 'Bite Me!' is rated Ages 8+! With its sexual innuendos, and quick moments of violence, blood and gore - not to mention a, well, mention of a horse being turned into glue at the end - I'd say it is most definitely not for young children.

Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World (Les Culottées, #1-2)' by Pénélope Bagieu, Montana Kane (Translator)

Absolutely fabulous. Amazing.

'Brazen' - one of the best books about some of the best, bravest, most intelligent, influential, trailblazing and game changing women in history, from all over the world, ever. And each woman's story is told in comic form!

You can read it in a day.

You've got nothing to lose reading it, and everything to gain.

What are you waiting for? You need this and other books like it in your life. The whole world needs them.

My favourite inclusions in 'Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World', specifically, are *deep breath*:

Clémentine Delait the Bearded Lady, and barmaid, café owner, and cabaret dancer; Nzinga the badass warrior queen of Ndongo an Matamba; Margaret Hamilton the actress; Las Mariposas the rebel sisters who were murdered by their country's dictator; Annette Kellerman the "mermaid", and swimming champion, women's swimsuit designer, and Hollywood actress; Delia Akeley the explorer, and the pre-Jane Goodall; Josephine Baker the Black dancer, singer, French Resistance fighter and spy, sub-lieutenant, and matriarch; Tove Jansson the lesbian artist and 'Moomins' creator; Agnodice the Ancient Greek doctor and gynaecologist; Leymah Gbowee the Liberian social worker, women's shelter founder, and founder of the Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) (alongside Thelma Ekiyor), and she's a social activist who helped exile, extradite, and arrest a fascist dictator president, whereupon he is replaced by a woman, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Christine Jorgensen the transgender social activist, sexual revolutionary, and stage singer; Wu Zetian the Chinese empress who is fucking awesome and needs to be un-erased and acknowledged and remembered; Temple Grandin the autistic "animal whisperer", anthropologist, and hero to cattle; Sonita Alizadeh the young Muslim rapper and advocate against the Taliban, forced marriages, and child brides; Cheryl Bridges the athlete and marathon runner, who is also awesome and inspirational; Thérése Clerc the utopian realist, feminist activist, advocate for sexual freedom, birth control, and abortion, lesbian, and hero to older women (the "Baba Yagas"!) everywhere; Betty Davis the Black singer and songwriter way ahead of her time; Nellie Bly the Irish, feminist as fuck journalist, globetrotter, inventor, industrialist, war correspondent, and suffragette; Jesselyn Radack the idealistic former US lawyer and Department of Justice advisor, and blacklisted enemy of the state - the corrupt government and system - and whistleblower, truthteller, activist, and protector of democracy; Hedy Lamarr the Hollywood actress, inventor, and WWII hero, or she should have been, if only men had just listened to her and her ideas, oh, and her radio communication system technology helped to develop GPS and WiFi; Naziq Al-Abid the Syrian aristocrat, activist, feminist, suffragette, humanitarian, general, and "the Joan of Arc of the Arabs"; and Mae Jemison the Black astronaut - the first Black woman in space - and scientist and humanitarian.

Phew!

There are so many fantastic, amazing women in history and the modern day, fighting for humanity's progress and survival, and the future of all women - to be free, educated, independent, safe, and happy.

It's impossible to include every "rebel" woman in one book.

Pénélope Bagieu is a genius. Forget 'Hark! A Vagrant' - this is the satirical comic strip collection about history and its foibles and triumphs.

The artwork is great, too. So full of life, personality, passion, expression, and cartoony delight!

Fuck the patriarchy. Fuck the system. Fuck oppression. Fuck regressive and backwards politics. Fuck "traditional gender roles" (they've always been completely made up by the patriarchy to keep (white, cishet) men in power). Fuck fascism. Fuck withholding women's basic, fundamental human rights. It is inhumane, unethical, cruel, pointless, and wrong and evil on every single level.

Great women - and great people of colour, and LBGTQA+ people, and disabled people - are everywhere. They have always existed. And they will continue to exist, no matter what.

'Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World (Les Culottées, #1-2)' has revitalised me. It has reshown me that I have every right to be angry, at how, in fact, little has changed. Has refused to change. Has taken steps back.

In 2025.

Look at how our general, mainstream (what I like to call "meanstream") social attitudes and politics are, and how conservatives/bigots/fascists everywhere are absolutely, fiercely, zealously determined to make things worse for everyone, all the time, never stopping, never being satisfied, never satiating their bloodlust and hatred of people they consider inferior to them. Of people they narrow-mindedly judge and think are disgusting, unnatural, broken, ill-fitting, threatening, and wrong for existing. Of people they want to silence, to hide, to make invisible.

To erase.

Solely because they think they can.

They refuse to listen, learn, and change.

They are ruining and destroying society.

They are against humanity, hope, and love.

It's got nothing to do with politics. Or "agendas".

Equality, freedom for all, the truth - it's just common sense.

You should be angry and rebel against the injustices - unjust authority, and unjust, infringing governments - too.

'Brazen' is a book/comic strip collection from 2018, and it hasn't become dated (it shouldn't be, for all women deserve to be remembered and respected, in their lifetime or not). It still has enough power - it's powerfully inspirational enough - to start a revolution. Several revolutions.

Endless revolutions.

We remain fighting for our rights - for our very lives - again and again.

Let's keep doing it. Never give up hope.

The women in 'Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World' never did, and they certainly showed us what is possible - what women are truly capable of, what humanity is capable of, if we simply let them do it. Do whatever they want.

Before I get even more carried away and ranty:

Bottom Line: Read 'Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World'.

Thank you.

Also read 'Rejected Princesses', 'Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls', 'Bygone Badass Broads', 'Pirate Women', 'Warriors, Witches, Women', 'Literary Witches', 'Wonderful Women of the World', and 'She Persisted'.

Also also, learn about Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska, Zenobia, Louise Yim, Valentina Tereshkova, Tomoe Gozen, Margaret Hamilton (the Apollo Space Program computer scientist one), Alice Guy-Blaché, Karen Horney (a psychoanalyst who challenged Freud... how fitting (or is it ironic?), given her last name), Hubertine Auclert, Tarpé Mills, Helen Thomas, Margaret Sanger, Qiu Jin, Simone Veil, and Laskarina Bouboulina.

Final Score: 5/5

P.S. Okay okay, if I have one negative criticism, it is that I would have preferred the book came with a content warning at the beginning. While the tone in general is lighthearted and humorous, it doesn't erase, sugarcoat or gloss over heavy, difficult subject matters, such as sexual assault. A forewarning would have been much appreciated.

Non-Fiction Book Review - 'The Field Guide to Witches: An artist’s grimoire of 20 witches and their worlds' by 3dtotal Publishing, Various

'The Field Guide to Witches: An artist’s grimoire of 20 witches and their worlds' is a collection of independent artists' interpretations - and their research, notes, sketches, and works in progress - of famous legendary witches around the world. Twenty of the often fearsome folklore femmes, to be exact.

The contributors' artwork is, without exception, magnificent. Most are dark and creepy, with some genuinely original and creative takes on the witches, such as with the Sea Witch, the Snow Queen, the Cailleach, Black Annis, the Cuca, and Elli. Jenny Greenteeth is seriously interpreted as just a monster, not even human, and can hardly be classified as a witch. In fact, a lot of these witches are not really complex or made sympathetic, but plain evil, like the Gingerbread Witch, the Sea Witch (also more of a monster), the Spinning Witch, Black Annis (ditto - she resembles a scarecrow), and the Bruxa ("a vampiric menace born of witchcraft.", and "has more in common with a vampire than a witch."). Cannibalism and child snatching and eating are common traits in these horrific figures invented to scare children into obedience and conformity--I mean, safety.

But it is a very good horror artists' book, and very introspective and detailed. Each witch's story - and environment - are put into consideration, when deciphering and illustrating what they might be like. It's like a guidebook of sorts, as well as an educational tool.

My favourite witches included are Baba Yaga (of course she's here, she couldn't not be), La Befana (a grandmotherly, pagan Santa Claus who predates Santa Claus!), Morgan Le Fay (a most misunderstood and complex feminist figure, and this enchantress sure can handle Excalibur!), Isis, Freyja (doubles as a warrior queen, and is so adorable!), the Morrigan (a dark queen and goddess of war and death, "a human and a beast", and a triple goddess figure, and quoth the raven--uh, crow, plus death omens, but wait, why no mention of the mole put above her upper lip? Why that artistic choice for her?), Hecate (needs no introduction, and I love how her artist connects her to Artemis), Elli (the most mysterious and unknown; a crone and nanny who beat Thor, and cannot be defeated, for she is Old Age itself), and Yama-uba (a very complex hag of Japanese folklore; a yōkai, nature lover, and mother; she truly is like a Japanese Baba Yaga).

'The Field Guide to Witches: An artist’s grimoire of 20 witches and their worlds' - recommended to all witch/sorceress fans - from the well-known myths and fairy tales to the obscure and unknown - art fans, and horror fans. I wish more witches, like from pop culture from the last hundred years, could have been included and explored, but regardless, it is an interesting book to flick through and read the notes of every now and then.

Dark, frightening, spooky stuff. And absolutely beautiful, fascinating art.

Imagine the unimaginable, welcome the wickedness, embrace the enchantment, visualise the veil and the vile, and manifest the macabre!

Published by 3dtotal Publishing, who sell carbon-neutral products. Every book sold means one tree planted. 50% of their profits go to charity, covering causes such as humanitarian work, animal welfare, and protecting rainforests.

I'm glad to be supporting this publisher.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Les Normaux: Volume One' by Janine Janssen, S. Al Sabado

'Les Normaux'

Hmmm.

Apparently this has been a popular webcomic - a 'global phenomenon and iconic, chart-topping Webtoon series', according to the blurb - for over ten years now. Yet why did I not hear of its existence until I saw the hardcover edition of the first volume in my local bookshop last week?

This is a phenomenon in of itself. It is the strangest thing for a fantasy and diversity/representation fan and pusher - in comics and everything else - like myself to have missed out on.

I guess I haven't been following webcomics and webtoons as much as I thought.

But whatever. Regardless, I'm glad I decided to impulsively buy 'Les Normaux' in all its hardback glory (along with 'The Ojja-Wojja') on the day I first saw it.

'Les Normaux' is something special, indeed.

It is an ongoing French fantasy romance webcomic, for older teens and up, about a cute, LBGTQ+ developing relationship between the two male leads, Sébastien and Elia, and it is set in an alternate, magical world where there's witchcraft and a witchcraft college, and fantasy creatures are everywhere. You name it - vampires, werewolves, mermaids, cyclopes, genies (or djinns), fairies, Frankenstein's monsters, and more are present and completely normal. The paranormal is the norm.

In this version of beautiful, gorgeous Paris, as well as real magic and fantastical, fairy tale creatures, there are tons of LBGTQ+ people, people of colour, and disabled people.

It is like a dream. A nighttime, clubbing, dancing, fashionable dream (seriously, the fashions in this comic are also of excellent quality, quantity, and taste).

Plus, there's a cute little pet rabbit who thinks he's a world-conquering doctor and general. Pierre the bunny doesn't get nearly enough page time in this volume. He hardly appears, and doesn't actually contribute to anything, yet I feel he deserves his own spinoff series.

He isn't as cute as Elia, however.

Elia, the blue, bisexual, biracial vampire love interest of the main protagonist, the gay, demisexual, Filipino and green-haired Sébastien. Elia may be my new husbando, or should I just say comic book boyfriend? He is absolutely adorable, hilarious, flustered, vulnerable, and a sweetie, no matter how cool and mature he acts around anyone other than Sébastien and his group of close girl-friends. That he's sexy as hell helps his iconic status.

'Les Normaux' really is like a fantasy version of 'Heartstopper'. Heck, Alice Oseman is even quoted on the hardback book's cover saying, 'One of my favourite webcomics of all time'! It is a contemporary, slice-of life romance, comedy and drama, set in the fantasy genre. The supernatural elements are merely the icing on the cake. It is also like a better version of 'Lore Olympus' and 'Eat Your Heart Out' by Terry Blas, in my opinion.

I must add that it has some of the best artwork I have ever seen in a webcomic.

What a great, versatile, sweet, heartfelt experience 'Les Normaux' by Janine Janssen is. A pleasant, hopeful surprise in 2025 for me.

From the hardback blurb: ''Monster' is just a word for someone different...'

How right that is.

"Monster" is subjective.

"Normal" is subjective. And a construct.

"Different" is never always bad.

Let romance and happiness bloom and shine! Like magic.

Final Score: 4/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Mixed-Up' by Kami Garcia (Writer), Brittney Williams (Artist), Tyler Smith (Letterer)

'Mixed-Up' is a cute and heartwarming middle grade graphic novel. Its main subject is dyslexia, and also friendship. It teaches the reader about both.

It is so positive and uplifting, and all the female schoolteachers and helpers are wonderful.

There's lots of geekiness and geek girl gaming included, which I love. The newly fifth-grade protagonist, Stella, and her best friends Emiko and Latasha, are into a witchy franchise called 'Witchlins', which is popular enough to get its own interactive online RPG, and its own section in bookshops! It is this aspect, among many others, like its coming-of-age theme, that 'Mixed-Up' reminds me of 'The New Girl' by Cassandra Calin.

Goddesses, how I wish there were clubs, and other open fans, of things like 'W.I.T.C.H.' and 'Sailor Moon' at school when I was a kid! I wish that geek culture was louder, prouder, and more popular and therefore more accessible (not to mention more inclusive), more than twenty years ago. It would have been easier for me to socialise and make friends.

What an abundance of proud geek love and happiness!

The artwork of 'Mixed-Up' by Brittney Williams is colourful, bold, adorable and brilliant. Nearly every character is a POC, to boot.

It's not perfect, mainly due to the rushed ending, and a friends-falling-out plot not really ending with an apology - it resolves itself with hugs, tears, and opening up and talking about problems, but no "I'm sorry" is in sight. The book is also rather too after-school-special-ish, and too positive and upbeat, with barely any conflict (there don't seem to be any bullies at Stella's school, at best we get a grumpy assistant librarian - where is this utopia she's at?).

But 'Mixed-Up' is a great graphic novel for children, and for school libraries. Realistic or not, it is a helpful, hopeful story that needs to be told. It is clearly a personal, passion project for parent Kami Garcia, as well. how many more P alliterations can I put in here?

It celebrates creativity, using your strengths to solve problems, and doing things your own way - creative writing and storytelling forever! - which further highlights it for me, making me sing its praises.

Oh, and asking for help and support, and being honest, are always important lessons to teach.

It is a lovely, contemporary comic, that isn't mundane at all. It is its own kind of magical.

Final Score: 4/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'The Ojja-Wojja' by Magdalene Visaggio (Writer), Jenn St-Onge (Artist)

'The Ojja-Wojja' - wow, what a children's graphic novel!

It has it all: superb, fantastic artwork, a coming-of-age school story, feminism, queer representation, autism representation, tackling bullying issues, mystery, horror, scary imagery, its own folklore, witchcraft, ghosts, a helluva dose of geeky love and references, UFO conspiracy theories, parody storytelling segments, libraries, great, supportive school teachers, and most importantly, friendship.

Friendships between kids - between weirdos, the social outcasts and pariahs - that can last a lifetime. Maybe even survive a toxic, demonic invasion, determined to destroy everything that is good and kind and progressive in the world, because of one person's loneliness, fears, insecurities, and sense of entitlement.

'The Ojja-Wojja' is like 'Scooby-Doo', 'Stranger Things', Stephen King's 'It', 'Riverdale', 'Gravity Falls', and 'Dead End: Paranormal Park', all mixed into a blender. But it is its own unique kind of comic book, and not just because it is relatively scary for a modern kids' graphic novel. There is horror, the paranormal, and demonic forces at work, but vitally, it has heart.

And great characters, mostly in the form of the two main leads: Val Malloy, who is autistic, fat, and white, and a super geek, willing to try anything; and Lanie Pham, who is Asian, transgender, probably gay, and bespectacled, and also a super geek, and into witchcraft. This outcast duo, who initially bonded (and argued) over geeky interests, is brilliant. Phenomenal. They work so well together, and are the best of friends. Anyone who is a geek, a nerd, or any kind of loner in the social hierarchy due to their differences (what makes them blooming great people!) can relate to this pair.

There is no romance in this story. Friendship is the main theme. I adore the ending, too, as rushed as it is (like the authors were hit with a sudden deadline they needed meet as quickly as possible). Without spoiling anything, I will unapologetically disclose and declare that it made me squeal with pure joy. A geek girl's joy, to be precise. My heart was set aflutter, butterfly.

Compassion, sympathy and empathy - and bonding over special interests - are the other key themes in 'The Ojja-Wojja'.

It is far from perfect, with slight pacing issues, and the other three kids in Val's and Lanie's "little weirdo club" who aren't nearly as developed and fleshed out as they should have been. It's easy to forget they exist when they are not on a page. There are side characters who do not receive proper resolutions, or any resolution at all. It's easy to forget about them, too, like the comic seems to, towards the end shut up with the tos and toos, Artemis, learn proper grammar.

Oh yeah, there's that rushed ending, those last few pages. I could tell that the authors did the best they could with the little time and space they had left, however. So it's something.

There you go: if you like a bit of comedy, horror, paranormal, teen drama, school angst, conspiracy, witchcraft, female empowerment, geekiness and geek culture served like candy snacks, and a whole range of race, LBGTQ+, and disability representation - diversity, it matters - then read 'The Ojja-Wojja'.

Even though it has a title where, were I to say it out loud to anyone, they would ask me if I was okay.

'The Ojja-Wojja' - it ain't no phantasm.

To every "outcast", "loser", geek, nerd, and "unpopular" person in any crowd - you win! You will win!

Final Score: 3.5/5

Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Witch in Darkness: Magick for Tough Times, Bad Days and Moments of Total Catastrophe' by Kelly-Ann Maddox

An appropriate time to read something like this, with that title, isn't it?

It could not have come out at a more appropriate time, either.

'Witch in Darkness: Magick for Tough Times, Bad Days and Moments of Total Catastrophe' is exactly what it says on the tin. It is a spiritual, therapeutic, sublime self-help witchy book by Kelly-Ann Maddox, and a follow up to her first book, 'Rebel Witch'. I devoured it in a week, when I could, absorbing as much as I could, and I think it helped me somewhat, in dealing with my own issues. I could relate to a lot of the subjects talked about, and it is always nice to feel I am not alone, in similar, toxic situations, troubles, and thought patterns. Dark, depressive, oppressive, anxious thought patterns.

Maddox consciously, carefully goes pretty deep, and gives sound life advice. The book is life-affirming, dark yet hopeful and comforting, friendly, and a very personal journey, without being too harrowing, scary and overwhelming. I felt for the author as well as myself whilst reading.

Us individual humans, each with unique, differing experiences, are not so different in certain human life experiences, after all.

'Witch in Darkness' should help someone through some deeply troubling, traumatic, shattering times and aspects of their lives, via psychological and spiritual takes, whether or not they are a witch, or whatever they like to call themselves in a likeminded mood and, well, spirit. On giving and receiving positive and caring vibes, in soul-searching and practicing witchcraft.

In slowly, surely beating depression, and healing from it.

The author of 'Witch in Darkness', as I said in my review of 'Rebel Witch', writes personally, comfortingly, and free-thinkingly, like a friend holding your hand along the way, and giving you the choice of what you want to do and how you want to go about it; what feels right to you. Like a true therapist. It's not coddling or cloying, it's helping you on your journey, your path to mental, emotional and spiritual recovery and wellbeing.

While, like with 'Rebel Witch', the advice can get repetitive and too simplified, it is overall never dull and it engaged me enough to keep reading and taking it to heart and psyche. 'Witch in Darkness' gives the readers space to think - think for themselves, as everyone needs to do - as every mind, every psychological issue is different.

It can be a lot to take in, but with all the issues it discusses, it is an easy, accessible guide, by a caring, thoughtful writer.

I love that Maddox is crystal-clearly an openminded and grounded individual, never coming across as judgemental, forceful, pressuring, or a know-it-all with the pretence of having all the answers. She doesn't. No one does.

We just have to keep trying. Keep going.

In my opinion, 'Witch in Darkness' is more strongly written than 'Rebel Witch', giving clear activities, ideas, spells, and notes, such as at the end of each chapter (note-taking and journaling are fundamentally essential on the road to being a witch and towards self-recovery. Also tarot card and oracle card reading).

Cool, dark illustrations are included. A further win for yours truly, witch-ily. Sorceress-ly.

Keep it simple. Do what feels right to you - a spell, a ritual, however you want to design your alter, etc. Take notes and journal your experiences, memories and observations. Recall you energy healthily. Practice selfcare as well as witchcraft. Whatever positive, loving energy and vibes you are sending into the world must come from within, and be truthful, authentic and effectual to yourself. To save the world, you have to save you first. Know yourself. Love yourself.

These are my personal takeaways from 'Witch in Darkness: Magick for Tough Times, Bad Days and Moments of Total Catastrophe'. Bless you, Kelly-Ann Maddox, you lovely, wonderful, patient teacher.

Now I don't mind calling magic "magick", when I was put off by that spelling (heh) before. It sounded more hokey than hocus-pocus to me, but I don't mind it as much anymore.

But, seriously, Ms Maddox, I will never use, nor mix, recreational drugs into anything I do, let alone in any kind of witchiness. Though in 'Witch in Darkness', it is written in more responsibly and in more detail than in 'Rebel Witch' (overcoming and conquering addiction is another chapter subject Maddox goes into).

Speaking of, here is my review of her debut, 'Rebel Witch', for more.

We can all find our way out of the darkness - in our minds, our hearts (from past heartbreaks and traumas), and the chaotic, divided world at large. We will get there. Together.

Love you all.

Final Score: 4/5