I got an ARC of this book.

I am not exactly a fan of metaphors in general, just say what you mean. Hiding behind some flowery language doesn’t make it clearer and can just make it difficult to understand. Yet, this comic was just a giant metaphor about healing and love and I liked it. It is a bit wild.

The plot was interesting. The way that the curse worked, the way that the hearts worked, the different elements really sold it. I loved that there were hearts of gold, bleeding hearts, broken hearts, you get the idea. There was a role for every type of heart. The idea that someone can be stagnant in their pain and cruel in their desire to only have love was fascinating. I really can’t say enough about the plot and the mechanics of the hearts.

The art was ok. There were times I wasn’t impressed with it. There were other times when the art was perfect. I think it just wasn’t an art style that meshes well with me. Others have praised it for being breathtaking and I guess I can sort of see it. I picked up this book for the plot though. The art doesn’t carry the story. Often times it felt like the art didn’t live up to the greatest parts of the story.

Overall, this was a wonderful book. I read it in one sitting and felt satisfied with it. The ending was a little bit cheesy, but also the only ending that really made too much sense. I would have liked a polyam situation, but I don’t often get what I want. I did love that the soulmates did not have to be lovers, that was a really nice detail. That detail alone would be enough for me to recommend this book to people.

Well, this was interesting for real!! The story was really cool and the prologue really had me wanting to read more. The problem was the art. I mean, it was beautiful but I felt that most actions were missing and sometimes I felt lost while reading. And I hate when that happens 😭 yet the characters were so worth it and my fave thing 💕

The Heart Hunter by Mickey George was a fantastical tale in which a kingdom was cursed with immortality and their hearts in jars until the time they meet their soulmate. This graphic novel expressed some really interesting and thoughtful points about our emotions and mental health inside the guise of a fairy tale-type story. It was fast-paced, moving, and had bold colors in the art. I thought it very well done.

Everyone on the island of Envecor is cursed to wear their hearts literally on their sleeves (or in jars) outside their bodies. They cannot die, age, have children, change or leave the island unless they find their soul mate. When soul mates meet, they are freed from the curse and can leave. Heart hunters helped people to locate their soul mates but some want to remain immortal and use them to eliminate their matches. Psyche, the top Heart Hunter on the island, is hired by King Marius to locate and assassinate his soul mate but as she sets off to accomplish another mission, Psyche must deal with her own broken heart and learn to trust other people again.

Loved the storyline by George which draws inspiration from traditional expressions used when discussing love and soul mates. These are brought to life by the very talented V. Gagnon. Imaginative and richly illustrated, your eye is drawn across each of the pages to focus on all of the beautiful details within the imagery. The heart which features predominantly in the illustrations is anatomically correct and adds a very realistic feel to an otherwise imaginary setting. I really got a sense that the author and illustrator were influenced by Greek mythology and classic fairy tales in terms of how the story is brought to life on the pages. The work of Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin is definitely called to mind (and confirmed in interviews by Gagnon) and I also see similarities to the work of Alphonse Mucha and Aubrey Beardsley (Art Nouveau style) in terms of the richly ornate filigree and decoration on the frames surrounding the illustrations in the beginning of the graphic novel.

The story’s key theme is the idea of change. Underneath the surface of the main story, there are also abstract feelings and concepts being discussed so the graphic novel works on a number of levels depending on the reader’s interpretation.

I loved the character Psyche and her vulnerability and also stubbornness in dealing with her own broken heart. I felt that she was very much brought to life on the pages. And trust me, you are going to love to hate King Marius who holds the title of the King of Hearts. Marius is definitely the archetypal villain within this story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Legendary Comics for the ARC in exchange for my review!

I loved this comic! It was so original and unique. I found the plot to be unpredictable. The characters were interesting and likable, even (and especially) the villain. I loved the level of diversity, with gay couples and even a nonbinary character. The artwork is gorgeous. It seemed like the font was also a little different than I've typically seen in comic books, and it was very easy on the eyes. I only wish The Heart Hunter were an ongoing series so there were more to enjoy! Maybe in the future the author could create a prequel? I'm a bit obsessed with King Marius and would love to see how he wrested power from the people and put himself on the throne, in detail.

If I had any critique, it would be that sometimes I was a little confused by the mechanics of the world the author has created. For example, by the end I still wasn't sure where the king was getting the arrows that can pierce hearts and kill people. It was actually explained at least twice in the story, but I didn't understand it, I just rolled with it and went on with the story. I think reading the comic again would help my understanding, because the worldbuilding is really inventive and complex in the best of ways. This is definitely a story I would enjoy reading again and again. I'm buying this comic right now!

A heart-warming (wink wink nudge nudge) novel with flowing illustrations and a bordering-on-indecent amount of heart-related wordplay. The illustrator had to draw so. many. hearts. they must be an expert at this point. It's beautifully rendered and achingly told—a story that explores how people stagnate, and people can always, always change. I particularly enjoyed exploring different types of soulmate relationships. As partial as I am to romantic soulmates, I love seeing friend and family soulmates as well. After all, exploring the bonds between people is about intimacy, in all its many and varied forms.

On the island of Envecor, everyone is cursed to be stuck on the island and immortal until they find their soulmate. I loved this book so much! The storyline is amazing. There was so much character development. The art work is amazing!! I would definitely recommend to a friend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Heart Hunter by Mickey George is an amazing fantasy graphic novel about love, time, death, magic, good, and evil. It will appeal to fans of M. Alice Legrow's Bizenghast and the Fables graphic novel series. The story revolves around a magical island where everyone has to wear their hearts on their sleeves - literally. People who find their soulmates are able to become mortal and leave. Those who don't remain immortal. In this world, “Heart Hunters” find people's soulmates and kill them for a price. The main character is Psyche, a Heart Hunter who is hired by the king to destroy the heart of his soulmate. Will she succeed in her quest? And what happened in her past that caused her to pursue this evil way of making a living?

Overall, The Heart Hunter is a stunning fantasy graphic novel that will transport you to a magical world. One highlight of this book is the great art style. I'm reminded of the fairy tale art of Kay Nielsen and Virginia Frances Sterrett. The colors are gorgeous. Although the characters are drawn in a cartoonish way, the style works for the story that the book is trying to tell. Another highlight of this book is the amazingly original story. This fantasy world has been intricately created for us, and I enjoyed every moment that I spent reading this book. I can see this becoming a classic of fantasy graphic novels like Neil Gaiman's Stardust. If you're intrigued by the synopsis, or if you're a fan of graphic novels, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available in bookstores now!

I enjoyed this story. I thought the idea was very interesting and unique, and I really enjoyed the character arcs throughout, specifically Psyche. The art style was also very enticing, I just wish the epilogue were a little longer so I could see what happened to the characters more.

I liked the overall art-style of this, but wasn't a big fan of the coloring or the color scheme. I thought the story was okay and there were some interesting themes explored. I love that it has queer representation, without that being the whole plot of the story, because the story takes place in a world where being queer is just as normal as being straight. I also really loved that the story talked about how soulmates don't have to be romantic partner. Your soulmate can be a friend or family member; someone who completes you. Again, the story was good and interesting overall, but it felt like something was missing. I didn't have enough background knowledge about Jez to care about them that much.

Truly beautiful. The Heart Hunter is a graphic novel that will remind you exactly what graphic novels should be. A story full of emotion and art that will astound you,.

"The Heart Hunter" has the potential to be a powerful introduction to media (graphic novels)or genre (fantasy) for teen or adult readers. It presents powerful themes and allegory in a palatable way that doesn't feel force fed, and diverse design and layout in a way that shows of how much more than comic strips modern graphic novels have become with out being unreadable to the uninitiated. The linework is a little rough, but combined with the deliberate color pallet and subject mater the resulting artwork is indeed beautiful and graceful.
This story could be valuable addition to a collection striving for inclusion and diversity.
I would positively compare this to works like "Stardust" (either the novel or the comics), "Nimona", "Kill the Farm Boy", or "Ladyhawke".

The reader of this book is not going to have much question about the intent of the story. The metaphor is pretty blatant. Hearts are literally broken, hardened, made of gold, and worn on sleeves. It's certainly a unique way to explore these ideas. Very expressive.

I received an e-book copy of The Heart Hunter through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story was intriguing. The use of heart-related sayings intertwined together to tell a dark tale was ingenious (bleeding heart, broken heart, heart to heart, pouring one’s heart out, wearing one’s heart on a sleeve, heart of steel, heart of gold etc). The legend behind the curse was a bit hard to comprehend but the curse itself was well crafted and the story was captivating from the start. 😉
The art was at times a bit too complex and thus I needed to read parts of it several times but mostly it was vibrant and beautiful. 😊
Overall a well-done graphic novel! 🙂

I loved this graphic novel! I'm always interested in quirky fantasy stories about hearts being worn outside the body and this is a gem. I loved all the intricate folklore, including having a heart of gold, wearing your heart on your sleeve, the concept of heart hunters, everything! The story is full of adventure but at the centre it has - you guessed it, heart. Was that too cheesy? But really, it does, and it's not cheesy. I loved all of the characters and their own personal journeys. There's LGBTQ+ rep and it doesn't feel out of place or forced. Some books feel like they're just going down a list and checking off the boxes of stuff they want to include - this isn't one of those stories. The artwork was amazing. I hope to read more by this team.

Thank you Net Galley and Legendary Comics for letting me read this amazing book.

Oh. Wow.
The storyline. Amazing. The characters. Realistic. The artwork. Colourful and fun. What’s not to like about this novel.

I thought the concept was unique. A curse that makes your heart beat outside the body. There are so many complications, I could only imagine. But it has cunning characters, and superb plot.

I felt this need to follow everyone around, know their story. I wanted to know more.

The graphics for this novel are so pretty. The only thing slowing me down was the need to sit back and admire the colour palette and designs. So beautiful.

I would urge everyone to read this amazing fantasy book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book reminded me so much of Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, it has the same vibes. The story was inventive with some great figurative imagery related to the heart, love and soul mates. It was smart and so interesting with an amazing world building that you can see with your own eyes because the artist has done such a great work into making the story alive, you are submerged in each panel with colors and art so vibrant and you don't want to miss a thing.

The story is about this cursed island called Envecor where its inhabitants are doomed to wear their hearts outside their bodies also this curse unable them to die, change or have children until they find their soul mates, so they could become mortals, but there are those who love being immortal and in order to remain this way, they send Heart Hunters like our heroine Psyche who is paid to kill those people's soulmates.

At first, I had some difficulty to immerse myself in the story but then it got so much fun and interesting to follow the misadventures of the characters. It was funny crazy with some sad moments that could be difficult for some readers (TW: suicide), the part that I didn't really enjoyed in the story.

General Impressions

Oh my god, I loved, loved, loved the premise and this story never disappointed.

If you like your protagonists to be anti-heroes with a dark past and unresolved trauma you just hit the motherload, my friend! The only book I can compare to this is Nimona, except with a lot less humour and a bit darker.

If you are looking for a graphic novel with a great, original story and beautiful art, this is it: the writing is beautiful, there's LGBTQ+ representation and diversity of bodies and cultures across the pages. I particularly enjoyed all the word plays involving hearts.

If you are afraid of this being too romantic-centred, be assured that the story takes that into consideration in ways that will please all the ace/aro folks as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Legendary Comics for this DRC.

Rating: 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review

This graphic novel is about the island of Encevor, where people are cursed to wear their hearts outside of their bodies. People are immortal, until they find their soulmate and they will grow old together. Psyche is a heart hunter, she kills other people's soulmates so that they can live forever. When she is tasked to kill the king's soulmate, she finds herself on an unexpected quest.

3,5 stars rounded up! The concept of this graphic novel was so cool! I love stories about soulmates, and this was such a cruel twist on it. The art was beautiful, very detailed and lot's of colour use and it also was quite graphic at times (which I love). I really appreciated the LGBTQ+ characters and the fact that soulmates didn't have to be romantic! It also had some funny metaphors about people "who wear their heart on their sleeve" and "pouring their heart out to someone". Overall a good read that I would definitely recommend to people who love soulmate AU.

3.5/5
I loved the concept of this graphic novel. The idea of there being an island where everyone is cursed and has to wear their hearts outside their bodies is such a fun idea that gives amazing illustrations. I really liked the twists and plot but the characters felt a bit basic to me and it was hard to connect with them. Overall this was a good graphic novel and I would recommend this if you're into it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.