by Tim Lebbon and Daniele Serra

PS Publishing, out May 27

Ten year old Jasmine lives in the house. It provides everything she could need, except human company. But one day, Jasmine meets another little girl…

There’s a haunted feel to Tim Lebbon and Daniele Serra’s new story, out at ChillerCon later this week. It feels like the start of a modern-day fairy tale, but maybe one being told by a spiritual descendant of Mervyn Peake, and certainly one that leans into the de-Disneyfied aspect of such stories. We get to know Jasmine, and the layout of the house, with Serra’s illustrations hinting at dark corners (and some moments that are just that little bit off-kilter – such as when Jasmine reveals her age), but once she meets the house’s other occupant, the style changes and we move between illustrated text and graphic novel, Lebbon using whichever is the more appropriate. As with the best fairytales, Lebbon doesn’t spend ages on world-building beyond what we as readers need to understand and empathise with Jasmine’s situation, which leaves plenty of surprises (pleasant and unpleasant) to be unveiled as things progress.

Serra’s monochrome artwork complements Lebbon’s words well – there’s almost a dollhouse feel to the main characters and their environment, and the constantly varying size and shape of the art reinforces the atmosphere.

There are plenty of interpretations to be read into this (which would require going into spoilery territory that I don’t want to do in a pre-publication review) and it’s one of those stories that you simultaneously want to know what happens next, and would prefer to remain ignorant.

Verdict: A haunted and haunting tale that will nestle at the back of your mind. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to pre-order from PS Publishing