A Kingdom of Quartz Vol. 1

クオーツの王国 [Quartz no Ōkoku] #1

by Bomhat

An orphaned girl named Blue has always dreamed of joining the ranks of the noble Angels, servants of the floating palace who protect the Quartz Kingdom against demons. Yet, Blue is not like the other children at the orphanage. Where their fledgling angel wings are downy white, Blue's are pitch black, giving rise to whispers that she is cursed. One day, the orphanage comes under attack by a host of demons. Angels swoop down from the palace to drive the demons back, but Blue watches in horror as they are cut down one after another. Just when all seems lost, Blue feels a dark power welling up inside of her. It may be enough to avenge her friends…but will the cost prove too great?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Seinen, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Angels, Comics

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely stunning from the artwork to the character personalities to the plot, as well as the religious aspects.

i’m especially eager to see how quickly this becomes dark, considering there has already been such an incredible amount of loss in just one volume, and yet our fmc blue is so cheerfully optimistic. i’m very excited to see her character further develop!

my only con?? there’s only three volumes currently translated 😭

——

i’ve seen so many amazing reviews for the volumes that are out! i’m excited to dive in

[Mika · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*



Cover: Sooo good. I scroll quite fast most of the time and this made me stop. It really catched my eyes!

Drawings: I think it's quite lovely drawn. As always it's black-white as it's a manga, but the drawing style is really good. Especially the prince of Quartz. He looks so good!

Review

Nice drawings. Almost every third page has a big drawing and I personally like them a lot. The hair was also drawn really well from each character. The feathers are drawn with so much detail. And there are sometimes small stars around the drawings, I think that's cute.

Get to know the main character Blue quite fast. We get an insight of the life of Blue and how she has a hard time interacting with other's based on her wings. I can relate to her on many ways and I think showing her insecurities is a great way of making a reader connect more with the characters.

Every few pages happens a new event and it makes the reader excited to read more.


End note/Final thoughts:


Thank you for the advanced reader copy of A Kingdom of Quartz 1 by Bomhat.



Started the book: 20. March 2024
Finished the book: 20. March 2024
Wrote the review: 20. March 2024

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not stop reading this! If you love things like Beyond the Clouds, or Witch Hat Atelier, this is the series for you. The politics are coming through, and are going to be a strong player. We have characters that are easy to root for. We have a gorgeous Ghibli-style art, and I just can't wait for the next volume. This one is truly brilliant, and I need to see more people reading this one.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! This is so good! I need the book version! I want to read it all….know the world more and the characters! I need a never ending series! Wow!

This is the story of an orphan girl Blue whose dream is to become an Angel in the world of angels who protect people against demons. Well, she doesn’t have the perfect features of an angel as everybody else thinks and with what she has would make others see her as a demon.

She’s an outcast and doesn’t seem to belong. She gets bullied but she has a good heart and good intentions. Who knows this is her secret of making herself become better and her unknown power to become stronger!

I can’t wait to read the next volume!

Thank you, Kodansha Comics, for the advance reading copy.

[Amy ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful manga - the artwork was gorgeous and the storyline hooked me from the beginning. In my own well I felt Blue is one of those characters I just hit it off with and see a tiny part of myself reflected back. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about Blue and this world.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


I had NOT expected this one to go so dark. I could have guessed given the manga the blurb references, but still… In this one we meet a girl named Blue, an angel with big big plans but one problem.. her black wings. She is shunned by people, ridiculed by others, and I just wanted to slap some people for acting this way towards her. Blue is such a sweet girl and I love that she has these big dreams. That she looks forward to the day she can become an Arch Angel. To help out people, kick demon butt.

But things go wrong first, the blurb already spoils it, but things go dark. I am so glad I only read the first bit of the blurb and not the rest because now I was shocked and surprised by what happens and at how really dark things got. I would also recommend you just read the first sentences (aka the references) and then just go into this book. Believe me, it is worth it.

I won’t say much more but dang, I am very curious about Blue. About her powers and what those dark wings of hers really mean. I hope that she is able to gain control over them, though as she herself says she has no clue how they work, so I hope she gets help in that regard first. I mean, that is the first step to controlling and not having them explode out, learning what it is.

I loved how the manga ended with it being a few years later and Blue going for that school. I hated quite a few of the characters she met on the way though, so I am a bit worried about later volumes. The ending was another OHHHHHH. So despite the unlikeable characters we may meet, I am still into going for the next volume.

Cassian was such a wonderful character and I loved how sweet and strong he was. I would love to get to know him better. Find out more about him.

Oh, and the art, guys, the art. HOLY WOW it is so pretty. I absolutely LOVED every bit of the art and I just wish it was all in colour because HOT DANG that cover.

All in all, a very dark manga but one with also some hope and while I am not looking forward to several characters popping up next time, I am going to read on. I need to know more about Angels, about Blue, about Cassian. And I want more of that GORGEOUS art.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A strong start to this series! I was instantly hooked from the beginning, seeing as this story reminded me of parts of Witch Hat Atelier, Land of the Lustrous, and Final Fantasy XIV. The story follows an orphan named Blue, who is rumored to be cursed, because of her pitch-black wings. Her goal in life is to one day become an Archangel, but after a horrific attack on the orphanage, she has a dark power awakened in her. I will be honest, the biggest thing I love about this manga is the art style. It's very similar to Witch Hat Atelier, with the style being reminiscent of woodcut art style. It's honestly gorgeous and I'm so in love with it. The story also has a good start, with unique world-building and story elements. The story does a very good job of explaining the kingdom of Quartz and how everything works, but they do have a few moments that get turned into a small exposition dump. But this is the first volume, so they have to establish as much about the world as they can, so I can forgive this. The concept of an Angel being an earned position to be a protector of the realm is very interesting to me! It is, so far, pretty disconnected from any Biblical or Christian mythos. Yes, the story uses the aesthetics of traditional Angels and other Christian elements, like Nuns, but beyond that, no connection. The story keeps a steady pace, but I will say the chapters feel slightly disconnected from one another. There is the setup chapter, but then right after there's a years-long time jump. I understand why it had to be done this way, but it's still a little off-putting. The volume ends on a cliffhanger, but I am very interested in reading the next volume. This series really has the potential to be something amazing!

[BookForAHeart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Kingdom of Quartz by Bomhat


"Light and Dark. Celes and demons.

A Kingdom of the light and the dark. Pitch black wings as dark as the night itself, everyone else's wings as white as falling snow.

I was pleasantly surprised by the terrifying biblically correct angels taking the place of terrifying, murderous monsters.

When a young girl who dreams of being an angel attempts to protect those she loves, others call her a demon because of her black wings.

She protects them anyway. A girl with the power of overwhelming darkness struggles to maintain the good and the better, even while that dark power is what gives her purpose and keeps her friends and loved ones safe.

I adored Blue. My heart always aches for the black sheep MC, one mocked and hated for her difference. The prince, as weak as he is, asks for her assistance.

I loved this story because "the cursed one" is the one they need to keep that Quartz kingdom safe. Even as the Prince says he'll kill her, I do hope this series ends is her burning him and his kingdom to the ground.

They do not deserve her. Her ambition to keep her people safe, they should be happy she worked so hard to keep them safe; yet they want to kill her for the power that saved them.

But, I digress. The storyline is beautiful. The concept is amazing. The character digs at my heart. Readers, this is a must read 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

[angela lectoravoraz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reseña en IG @angela.lectoravoraz

Blue sueña con ser un ángel, pero hay un problema: tiene las alas negras. Lo que la lleva a sufrir la desconfianza y el miedo de la gente, pues la creen un demonio. Y eso, en el Reino de Quartz, donde los ángeles velan por la seguridad de sus habitantes, supone una amenaza, aunque una vez que el príncipe Cassian entra en su vida... todo cambia.

𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙟𝙚𝙨: tenemos a Blue como principal protagonista de la historia. Blue es una huérfana que tiene muy claro su destino: ser un ángel. Y por mucho que la gente la desprecie por su aspecto, no merma su ilusión y entusiasmo. Me ha encantado, es una niña de lo más encantadora y tierna, además de valiente y bondadosa, incluso con quienes no lo merecen.

𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜: tenemos una historia de ángeles y demonios, donde los primeros son los encargados de proteger a los habitantes del Reino de Quartz de las fuerzas malignas. Al principio el manga parece una historia bonita e incluso tierna, pero en determinado punto hay un giro que lo cambia todo. Se vuelve una historia mucho más oscura, con acción y plot twist que no te esperas; me dejaron con la boca abierta.

𝙍𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙤 𝙙𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖: si ya de por si los mangas duran poco, este además es tremendamente adictivo. No podía parar de leer.

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣: si te gustan los mangas, las tramas con ángeles y demonios, que tengan varios giros sorprendentes y una protagonista adorable: tienes que leerlo.

[Ella :3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good!! I immediately love Blue’s character and design. She’s adorable and I hope she achieves all her dreams! The story was super interesting and captivating to me, and I want to learn more about the world Blue lives in. The art is gorgeous and I love the character designs. The angles are beautiful and I love the demons. They look pretty creepy and I’m loving it! I am a huge fan of Madoka Magica, so when I saw that this story was like it was so so excited (and it definitely didn’t disappoint!) I can’t wait to read more.

[* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Ankonina · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨4.5

[Irene ➰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

- Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me a copy through NetGalley. -

This little hidden gem gets a beautiful full score!
I will find the way to continue this series because this was hands down the best read I have had on the netgalley manga section so far.

I went through this one completely blind and I couldn't have done a better choice.
The drawings are absolutely eye candy, they are so full and busy, in a good way! They are so detailed, even the brackgrounds.

The story was absolutely a favorite since page one. Clear but not simple, with a touch of darkness and mystery.

A beautiful fantasy I will recommend to anyone.

[Jess | jadecanread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh hello, I like this art style! It's very pretty.

Our main character, Blue, has this innocent optimistic view of her life that makes it easy to root for her.

The world building is still taking off but from what I'm seeing, this is interesting so far.

Story wise, I found it to be a liiiiittle disjointed, but still relatively easy to follow. I don't love the fact that volume one is only three chapters, I feel like that's not a fun place to leave off of, especially for a series opener, but I'll give this a couple more volumes to make a decision to continue or not.

[Emma (littledollreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley

This was a very interesting read. First off, the art: Absolutely gorgeous. I love how eyes are drawn here with an emphasis on the lower lashes, it just looks so good. And then to round it off there is that overall soft and squishy look to everything that enhances the cuteness and angelic nature of everything, which then throws the absolutely DARK things that happen into a full contrast. It’s pitching itself as being for fans of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 1 and yeah for sure that is definitely the vibe we have going here with the tonal shift. But I will also say that the opening felt very The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1 and towards the end, it was very Little Witch Academia, Vol. 1, so we are touching on a lot of familiar places in a very interesting way. A lot of intrigue is brought up in regards to our main character from the get-go and I am so interested in learning more about her. And I think that is all I can say without delving into spoiler territory so definitely check this one out.

[Cloude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is set in an 'angels vs demons' world, and follows a young orphan named Blue who dreams of one day fulfilling her potential of becoming an angel. Her wings are black instead of white, however, and because of this she is constantly bullied and labelled as a 'demon'. When her orphanage is one day violently attacked, she is horrified to feel a welling of dark power inside her as she fights desperately to hold the demons back and to defend the ones she loves.

I love going into a book blind, so I was sitting here kicking my feet and enjoying how breathtakingly adorable this was and then did NOT expect the tonal shift into violently dark territory. Suffice to say that I was very pleasantly suprised and was immediately messaging friends that they need to read this. I am so invested in Blue's journey. She is an unwavering ray of sunshine and relentlessly fights towards her goals despite everyone around her trying to tear her down. The world building and general story telling and tone is really engaging and i'm really excited to learn more about the angels and demons lore.

The illustration style is so beautiful and at times a little surrealist. I love the way that the demons are illustrated, and how it borrows from the bibles descriptors of what angles look like (we're talking wheels and eyes, baby.)

This is an instant five star for me and i'll be eagerly awaiting the second volume!

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful art style reminiscent of Witch Hat Atelier and Children of the Whales, also starring a child suddenly saddled with responsibility beyond her understanding, and set in a fantasy world whose rules (and magic) are so different from our own.

Right from the first volume, we meet characters with only one wing and one character wearing prosthetics shown in positions of power or authority - while also giving nods to the kind of hateful rhetoric that disabled people can face.

I also appreciate that we got a snapshot of what normal looked like before all hell broke loose. It helped us get an immediate handle on who Blue is and why we should be interested in her story.

{Thank you to Kodansha for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, well drawn graphic novel. The story was easy to read and follow, the characters well defined. I cannot wait till I have my hands on the next volume (2).

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Thanks to Kodansha and Netgalley for an ARC of this volume.]

Blue is blue because she’s the only black-winged Celes (read: angel) in the entire kingdom of Quartz and people treat her like she’s a demon. When actual demons invade, she manifests some wild powers that may prove the people more right than they think.

If I threw Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII, some Witch Hat Atelier, and a chunk of Harry Potter into a blender, I might get something closely approximating this story, which is basically ‘orphan goes to wizard school but it’s for angels’. There’s even a flipping train with an elitist bully!

This volume’s critical flaw is that it talks too much and shows too little and what it does show it doesn’t show very well. It has a massive, massive amount of lore and terminology to inflict on the reader and none of it was especially interesting.

Sometimes, sorry not sorry, Celes really is more.

Which is a shame because Blue might be cut from the cloth of plucky orphans everywhere, but she’s still trying to do her best and has a pure heart to contrast with her black wings and whatever happens to her during the shocking opening scenes.

I will give the story some credit for having the stones to not only let actual children die, but to also introduce characters that seem like they’re here for the long term and wipe them out early on. It cuts through the talking parts to firmly declare that there will be some stakes maybe.

There’s definitely a lot of prejudice and scorn being worked through here as well, although it is pretty ham-fisted, though having a character with black wings is putting a pin on it anyway, I suppose.

The action is not terribly interesting, honestly, and the demon designs are really… underwhelming. The art is actually pretty good for the most part, although there are some questionable choices with regards to feet at some points.

There’s just a feeling of ‘been here, done that’ to it that I couldn’t quite get past. If you have room for another one of these stories, I don’t think this is a total waste of time, but I wouldn’t reach for it first either.

It jumps around in time a little too much and focuses on characters versus info dumps too little. The character work is much stronger the lore, honestly, especially once we see a new group of cast members coming in towards the end.

But even there, the ending to the volume is moderately ridiculous, pitting a wee girl against a seasoned soldier with the former’s dreams on the line. Even if it’s more than likely the girl succeeds, it’s pretty thin.

I read a fair bit of Witch Hat Atelier and that had both art and a strong story. This has some alright stuff, but lots of creaky and otherwise meh bits to accompany it. Blue is great, but I think she deserves a better story.

3 stars - not my cup of tea, and if you wanted only one book in this genre there are better ones to reach for. More for genre fans than anybody else, honestly.

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Ahhhhh, finally- a book that lives up to the comparisons made in the description. This manga definitely has "Witch Hat Atelier" vibes, especially in regards to the art style. I cannot say that it matches up to "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" or "Made in Abyss" because I haven't read them, but it does have dark tones to it.

A young, orphan girl with black wings wants to become an Angel who protects the Quartz Kingdom against demons. Her black wings are unusual, though, and she is heavily shunned and bullied by the townspeople because of it. During a demon attack that wipes out her friends she discovers a dark power inside her. Will she be able to become the Angel she so desperately wants to be? I'm really interested in seeing where this goes.

[Varsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kingdom of Quartz is a graphic novel about a world where angels protect the kingdom from demons. The protagonist is Blue, a young, orphan girl whose is often ridiculed for her strange black wings. Despite being bullied by the villagers she wishes to become an angel so as to protect and help people.
It is during a demon attack that Blue exhibits a strange power- a power that even she did not know she had. It is left to be seen if that power helps her to become an angel and protect her people or if it is a dark power that makes her a demon that destroys the kingdom.
The art style is amazing and I love how the demons are portrayed. This is a series worth reading. Can not wait to read the rest.

[Sharlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this eARC in exchange of an honest review.

The art in this manga is absolutely beautiful, Blue is an extremely lovable protagonist with the quest of becoming an Angel (the equivalence of a knight in this story). They are direct similarities to Black Clover:

- A kid raised in an orphanage who wants to become a knight
-This kid is different from everyone else (Asta being powerless, Blue having black wings)
-Will soon discover that the kid has powers related to demons
-Kingdom separated in districts
- There was a big war in the past against the demons

The first volume was okay and I will read volume 2 to see how the story develops.

[Cecille · Rating 3 out of 5]

In spite of what the copy might say, I got more Naruto vibes from this as opposed to Madoka. Somewhat simple shounen-esque premise aside, though, the illustrations are incredible. It's here that a comparison to Witch Hat Atelier is quite apt, because Bomhat's style reminds me quite a bit of Shirahama's. The world built around this story - little tidbits of which are shared between chapters - also invites quite a bit of intrigue. I'm tempted to give this one 4 stars, but I do feel like the story could do a bit more to grab me than just be pretty.

[✨jillian✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you for my copy NetGalley! all opinions are my own.

i LOVED this manga and think the author has a pretty unique world created. so much has been done before with angels/demons that it’s rare to find something new but this brings a few new elements to it that i love. i really like the way the demons are drawn and am excited to read about the challenges people must go through to become actual angels. the artwork is so cute! the characters are likable and interesting as far as introductions go. there’s a few holes that i’m hoping are filled in the future releases, so i’ll be on the lookout to read them!

[Joana Bookneeders · Rating 3 out of 5]

*book received from NetGalley, my opinion is my own*
3.5 stars
First of all the art of gorgeous! And I’m really interested in the world and in Blue. There’s a lot I’m waiting to know more of, although it was slightly confusing at times with some jumps, I think there’s potential in this. Also, it kind of reminds me of Witch Hat Atelier

[Crimson Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to say a big thank you to Netgalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

Reading this book was allot of fun and I cannot wait to read more, I love the character blue and I am rooting for her to achieve her dreams 💙

[Emma]

C’était trop bien !!
Visuellement c’est une folie je suis archi fan de l’univers et l’histoire m’a l’air très intéressante aussi !
+ ça me fait un peu penser à Beyond the clouds que j’avais adoré (et c’est aussi que 5 tomes !)

[Flavescente · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai été surprise de la violence (blind pick) alors qu'elle a du sang sur le visage en couverture. Jsp mais des fois j'ai la perspicacité d'un papillon

PS ça veut pas dire que c'était pas bien, 9/10, très cool

[Rea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a little hesitant when series are compared to Witch Hat, but in this case, I'll accept it! Excited to continue. More thoughts to come.

E-arc received in exchange for an honest review.

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely art style and an intresting story