I had not heard of the web comic Never Satisfied by Taylor Robin until I saw it in an book form I never felt the need to read. That was until I found a physical book. Robin’s book had been published in February 2023, therefore it only felt fitting that I read it a year later.
This book is a traditional webcomic style of art and story. There feels to be some bumps and some missing information. Hopefully this can be filled-in by later issues (not just the why Lucy has an eye patch, but the history of the contest, who these people are, what is this world like), but it does make it a little hard to follow sometimes in the meantime. Heavy on the GLBTQ themes (nonbinary, trans, same sex lovers, etc), magical elements, and familiar themes of heroes and villains the story unfolds as we watch several teens trying to become adept in magic and take a seat on the ruling council of the city. Of course, there are several dangers around every corner, and not just from the island filled with murdering creatures that might be more human than people realize. No, there are dangers from each other, their mentors and the governing body (in fact the system they want to join might be more broken than Two Broke Girls after the weekend) as well. While we mostly follow Lucy who wants to show their master they are as good as anyone else, we see the spoiled, the needy and the ones who just want to prove themselves at any cost. Lucy’s chances might seem as good as anyone else’s, at first, except they have a not so little secret that could derail their chances of winning the competition.
Also heavy on the action and humor, this collection of adventures flows into events that have elements of things like Golden Compass and other classic fantasy tales. Ages 12 and up are the best audience, but as of volume one aged 10 and up can read, but I can see where the fantasy elements and the political backstabbing could become more mature. Therefore, just know your reader and how sensitive they are.