Title: DeadEndia: The Broken Halo
Author: Hamish Steele
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publisher: Union Square and Co.
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Norma Khan has been split in two . . . literally! Dead End, the haunted hotel attraction at Phoenix Parks, has been rebuilt following the epic destruction that occurred there when Norma and her friends Barney and Pugsley saved the world. Unfortunately, Norma can’t keep herself together as a result. Not only is her friendship with Barney on the rocks, but she can’t seem to keep her own ghost inside her body. When Norma feels like she’s about to lose it all, her irksome friend and demon, Courtney, steps in to provide some unexpected support—though they are battling their own issues with identity and sense of belonging.
Meanwhile, Barney can’t face going back to Phoenix Parks and is mourning the loss of his beloved friend Pugsley. When his boyfriend, Logan, urges him to get a job, an opportunity from the demon planes comes knocking, and soon Barney is climbing the ladder of success in the Demon Wrestling Federation. Barney’s glory in the ring quickly comes crashing down when the friends discover they’ve stepped into an eons old battle between the demons and the angels. Can they keep their relationships and sense of self intact while doing battle with the forces of good AND evil?
Part workplace comedy, part supernatural horror adventure, with a splash of LGBTQ+ romance, The Broken Halo is perfect for fans of author Hamish Steele’s TV series Dead Paranormal Park who are in search of more adventures, for graphic novel lovers who want more diversity in their reads, or for anyone who has finished The Watcher’s Test and is ready for the next entry in the zany, creative, and laugh-out-loud funny world of DeadEndia.
Review:
Dead End, the haunted house at Phoenix Parks, was rebuilt after the tragic end of The Watcher’s Test. Norma can now split into a ghost and her relationship with Barney is still rocky. Barney isn’t ready to return to Phoenix Park yet, but he becomes a fighter in the Demon Wrestling Federation which earns him a lot of money. His success comes to a crashing halt when he’s set up for a dangerous fight. Norma, Barney, and their other friends must reunite to save the multi-planes of angels and demons.
This was a great second book in the DeadEndia series. I really liked seeing the characters again. Barney is trans, but that wasn’t as big of a plot point in this book as in the first. When the story went to the multi-planes and the battles between the angels and demons, the story drifted away from the main plot of Barney and Norma dealing with demons at the haunted house. I would have liked to see more of the fun stories that were in the first book. However, I loved the cliffhanger ending. I hope there will be another book in the series!
DeadEndia: The Broken Halo is a great graphic novel!
Thank you Union Square and Co. for sending me a copy of this book!
Have you read DeadEndia: The Broken Halo? What did you think of it?
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