Get ready to switch things up with this author and illustrator’s debut! Hyo the Hellmaker by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh is an illustrated novel brimming with elements of action, dark fantasy, and mystery.
Imagine a world where people have the ability to create artisan hells and customized tortures for a price. Hyo the Hellmaker follows Hyo and her brother Mansaku, who come from a cursed family of hellmakers. They flee to Onogoro, an island where gods live among humans.
Hyo soon finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery involving Onogoro’s most revered gods. We surprised ourselves with how quickly we finished this book. So, allow us to give you our three favorite things about Mina Ikemoto Ghosh’s Hyo the Hellmaker!
Book Overview: Hyo The Hellmaker
Content warnings: murder, death, bodies and corpses, skulls, gore, decapitation, violence, poisoning, self-harm (Please read at your discretion!)
Summary: Hyo Hakai is a hellmaker, hired to create customized hells and unlucky days for your worst enemies.
When a demon destroys her village, Hyo and her brother flee to Onogoro – an island where the gods of their land live among humans. The hellmakers’ hereditary curse, however, won’t allow Hyo to settle in quietly.
Hyo is curse-bound to investigate the deaths that come her way and avenge them. As she’s pulled deeper into a tangled web of dark secrets, Hyo must navigate the intricate rules of Onogoro’s gods without becoming their pawn. She’ll quickly realize that murderers and gods have one thing in common – they always think they can get away with it . . .
At least, that was before Hyo arrived.
The Japanese-Inspired Fantasy
Hyo the Hellmaker is filled with elements of Japanese folklore. It draws inspiration from the Heian, Taisho, Meiji, and Edo periods in Japanese history. It incorporates the concept of en, or a fateful connection made between people and anything they might encounter. Although some of the gods share names with those in real myths, the author breathes new life and backgrounds into her characters. We loved the worldbuilding in this novel and couldn’t put it down once we started!
All The Art
Another one of our favorite things about Hyo the Hellmaker is all of the manga illustrations and panels woven into the story. (Even the corner and edge designs) We’re also huge fans of the two-page spreads. It made the book so much more immersive and interactive. Some of the pages were inverted to black with white text, creating a dark and foreboding atmosphere about it. Every piece of the layout was carefully thought-out, and we need a moment to appreciate how much work went into it.
Hyo’s Investigation
One thing about Hyo the Hellmaker: it is a trip! Because from Hyo’s arrival in Onogoro to the end, she doesn’t know any peace. She investigates who could’ve cursed her friend Jun to his death, only to meet multiple gods in all their forms. Hyo unwittingly befriends a pair of brothers and gods. Her family’s curse and special ability as a hellmaker ultimately allows her to solve the murder mystery while also helping other victims along the way.
Rich with Japanese-inspired folklore and atmospheric illustrations, Hyo the Hellmaker by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh creates a dark, immersive fantasy we couldn’t put down.
Hyo the Hellmaker by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh comes on April 15th, and you can order a copy of it here!
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