When I Arrived at the Castle

I was so excited when this arrived! The story is very tense and doesn't reveal itself right away. I found myself thinking about the characters and how I interpreted their ending long after I turned the last page.

Perfect condition

This was such a unique story, the art inside was absolutely beautiful.

The artwork is surreal and grotesque, though I didn't like the aesthetic of the anthropomorphic main character. The majority of Carroll's stories tend to involve human characters who succumb to horrors unspeakable, while this story turns the tables on the antagonist and reads like the author's working through some issues. This is great for Emily Carroll, though not so much for the reader. The story doesn't end with an unknowable existential horror, or sinister conclusion, but something akin to self-empowerment. The story and art tells a very abstract tale of vampires, erotica, and death. The bold art uses black and white with flourishes of red, which unnerves through nightmarish imagery while also being gorgeous in a grotesque way. Emily Carroll is easily on par with the likes of Junji Ito in conveying a sense of creeping dread. As she evolves and grows as an artist/writer I only hope she doesn't lose what makes her work truly shine: Endings which are pitch-black and unknowable.

A beautiful work of art, the only possible flaw would be that the story is shorter than expected. I will definitely be buying more from this artist in the future!

On top of having the level of art you'd expect from such an experienced and powerful artist, the level of layering in the story, the background details on the pages, it all comes together to make a story that's both eerie and intriguing. I enjoy especially a horror story that leaves to with puzzles to muddle over, and ideas to untangle. I also enjoy when an author writes in such a way that the second reading is entirely different from the first--that a twist makes it so you can't help yourself but have to flip back to the beginning again and experience it in a whole new, equally intriguing way

I love the art and style- Emily's use of color is brilliant- but the book is very short with a fairly confusing plot. The little details in the art and wording is amazing, though.

I love other works by this author. Sexy, creepy story that I like to pour over again and again; each time learning something new from the story and pictures. Great addition to my collection! Check out her website for more of her work and buy the books to support great comic book artists and writers!