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Hyo the Hellmaker
A breath-taking Japanese inspired YA fantasy, highly illustrated with stunning Manga art, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Xiran Jay Zhao and R. F. Kuang. Meet the Hakai Family Purveyors of artisan hells and unlucky days to inflict upon your enemies.
They'll make it personal... But for a price!
Hyo Hakai is a hellmaker. But when a curse destroys her village, she and her brother are forced to flee to the Island of Onogoro - a place where Gods live among humans.
Hyo expects the bodies when they show up, but as she invetigates she is drawn into a tangled web of ens, death, conspiracy and secrets.
A unique YA debut from author and illustrator Mina Ikemoto Ghosh. This beautiful package is highly illustrated with Manga style art. Drawing on Japanese traditions and classic mystery storytelling, Hyo's world will captivate readers from start to finish. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, Iron Widow and Spirited Away.
They'll make it personal... But for a price!
Hyo Hakai is a hellmaker. But when a curse destroys her village, she and her brother are forced to flee to the Island of Onogoro - a place where Gods live among humans.
Hyo expects the bodies when they show up, but as she invetigates she is drawn into a tangled web of ens, death, conspiracy and secrets.
A unique YA debut from author and illustrator Mina Ikemoto Ghosh. This beautiful package is highly illustrated with Manga style art. Drawing on Japanese traditions and classic mystery storytelling, Hyo's world will captivate readers from start to finish. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, Iron Widow and Spirited Away.
544 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2024
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5292 people want to read
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April 3, 2025Need to ruin your enemies and spoil all their fun? Hire a hellmaker, who can create customized hells on earth for them. Hyo is one such hellmaker, who has had to flee her village after a demon attack and has been cursed to avenge the deaths she encounters. But these deaths are suspicious, and as Hyo investigates, she uncovers a plot that involves the gods, and she might be the only one who can stop it. This high fantasy YA debut is also illustrated throughout by the author!
—Liberty Hardy, 11 Awesome New SFF Books Out April 2025
—Liberty Hardy, 11 Awesome New SFF Books Out April 2025
did-not-finish
October 16, 2024DNFed at 40%
I wonder if I have read the same book as the others, or if people are just judging the illustrations.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get through it any more.
After a prologue that was a bomb, everything was chaotic, lacking structure. Information about the world, its magic and the plot were given in flashes, difficult to put together. Each chapter felt like a flash, telling a piece of information about the world that I had a hard time connecting to the previous information. At one point, there were even too many words in Japanese with no explanation to even make sense of the sentences. The plot lost its direction right after the prologue. Hyo and her brother Mansaku arrived on the island and I could not understand how they moved from one place to another and how the meeting with several dead people had anything to do with the original mission, which was to bring hell to an island where demons could not go.
Also, the characters (especially Hyo) lack characterisation. They just do things. Because of this, I could not connect with the characters and there was nothing left for me to motivate me to continue reading.
I wonder if I have read the same book as the others, or if people are just judging the illustrations.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get through it any more.
After a prologue that was a bomb, everything was chaotic, lacking structure. Information about the world, its magic and the plot were given in flashes, difficult to put together. Each chapter felt like a flash, telling a piece of information about the world that I had a hard time connecting to the previous information. At one point, there were even too many words in Japanese with no explanation to even make sense of the sentences. The plot lost its direction right after the prologue. Hyo and her brother Mansaku arrived on the island and I could not understand how they moved from one place to another and how the meeting with several dead people had anything to do with the original mission, which was to bring hell to an island where demons could not go.
Also, the characters (especially Hyo) lack characterisation. They just do things. Because of this, I could not connect with the characters and there was nothing left for me to motivate me to continue reading.
May 2, 2024
First of all, I adored ale very single page of this book, both the text and the wonderful illustrations. This is the first book with this combination I’ve read (it’s mostly text with the main characters receiving an illustration each, sometimes more) and I think the approach works wonderfully. It’s a novel (and not even a young adult novel at that necessarily - the themes are too dark and mature, although it’s 100% “clean” as in no naughty bits), not a comic book but having the author’s imagination be given life helped me immerse myself that much more deeply - you get the lived-in feel for the world and the characters literally jump off the page. It certainly helps that the illustrations are gorgeous and the art style is right up my alley.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
This book is like a Hell Girl Movie - it gets the tone, the grimness, the feel of the supernatural elements exactly right and just so while being something completely different.
This has implications for the way the plot progresses and for the decisions of the protagonists and antagonists. To put it bluntly, they follow the conceptions of actions and consequences in Hell Girl and other similar media (XX Holic comes to mind) and not the pattern western YA has conditioned us to expect. And that’s something I enjoyed because it makes the plot much less predictable.
But if you’re coming here looking for YA or NA you will be sorely disappointed - by more than the lack of a love interest or spice in that sense but by the nature of the protagonist and her arc in the plot. This isn’t a YA protagonist on a quest to save the world / the kingdom / whatever while becoming queen bitch (uh, “bee”, I mean “bee”) of the realm. This is a narrative about a young professional who is dedicated to her craft and has come to do her fucking job.
What it actually is genre-wise is therefore hard to describe. Given the nature of the protagonist and her quest and the mystery elements, I would have to go with urban fantasy in that it takes place in a fantastical world and involved solving a self-contained case which has hooks for a sequel. However, as opposed to urban fantasy there are more significant differences between this world and ours than the existence of magical beings. The technology is fundamentally different. It’s hard to grasp as of yet though because we haven’t yet gotten an in-depth description, but to the best of my understanding it’s Japanese hydrogen-punk. Meaning the world is ‘modern’ in the late 19th early - early 20th century sense as far as ideas, work patterns, concepts of states and conflicts and such are concerned (although the author freely admits that clothing and such is a mix of real eras and idiosyncratic) but with technology that is markedly different - they have flying craft based on hydrogen instead of cars and hydrogen-based cooking and heating as far as I can tell (there are ‘hydrogen mains’ instead of ‘gas mains’). Nevertheless, it does feel authentic to actual Japanese life styles - the distribution of cooking duties, bath houses, food items etc.
I’ll add one more thing: this is spice level 0. There aren’t any actual or intended ships. That doesn’t mean that the characters aren’t extremely shippable (they’re awesome and they still live rent-free in my head!) just that that’s not part of the text per se.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
This book is like a Hell Girl Movie - it gets the tone, the grimness, the feel of the supernatural elements exactly right and just so while being something completely different.
This has implications for the way the plot progresses and for the decisions of the protagonists and antagonists. To put it bluntly, they follow the conceptions of actions and consequences in Hell Girl and other similar media (XX Holic comes to mind) and not the pattern western YA has conditioned us to expect. And that’s something I enjoyed because it makes the plot much less predictable.
But if you’re coming here looking for YA or NA you will be sorely disappointed - by more than the lack of a love interest or spice in that sense but by the nature of the protagonist and her arc in the plot. This isn’t a YA protagonist on a quest to save the world / the kingdom / whatever while becoming queen bitch (uh, “bee”, I mean “bee”) of the realm. This is a narrative about a young professional who is dedicated to her craft and has come to do her fucking job.
What it actually is genre-wise is therefore hard to describe. Given the nature of the protagonist and her quest and the mystery elements, I would have to go with urban fantasy in that it takes place in a fantastical world and involved solving a self-contained case which has hooks for a sequel. However, as opposed to urban fantasy there are more significant differences between this world and ours than the existence of magical beings. The technology is fundamentally different. It’s hard to grasp as of yet though because we haven’t yet gotten an in-depth description, but to the best of my understanding it’s Japanese hydrogen-punk. Meaning the world is ‘modern’ in the late 19th early - early 20th century sense as far as ideas, work patterns, concepts of states and conflicts and such are concerned (although the author freely admits that clothing and such is a mix of real eras and idiosyncratic) but with technology that is markedly different - they have flying craft based on hydrogen instead of cars and hydrogen-based cooking and heating as far as I can tell (there are ‘hydrogen mains’ instead of ‘gas mains’). Nevertheless, it does feel authentic to actual Japanese life styles - the distribution of cooking duties, bath houses, food items etc.
I’ll add one more thing: this is spice level 0. There aren’t any actual or intended ships. That doesn’t mean that the characters aren’t extremely shippable (they’re awesome and they still live rent-free in my head!) just that that’s not part of the text per se.
June 22, 2024
can we take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous art work spotted throughout this boon and how it just made everything even more beautiful and really helped immerse us into the world?
I had SO much fun with this, I won’t lie I did spend the first 25% slightly confused because of the complexity of the world building and all of its language/history but once I’d became accustomed to it, it really was such a fun and entertaining piece!
I adored the characters and their found family bonds, loved the mystery throughout and the ending has me hoping that a second book will be in the works ASAP👀
I had SO much fun with this, I won’t lie I did spend the first 25% slightly confused because of the complexity of the world building and all of its language/history but once I’d became accustomed to it, it really was such a fun and entertaining piece!
I adored the characters and their found family bonds, loved the mystery throughout and the ending has me hoping that a second book will be in the works ASAP👀
March 25, 2024
FIVE STARS, TEN STARS, INFINITE STARS
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WO
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WO
July 27, 2025
Maybe 2.5.
Love a murder mystery any day of the week, and the book is rich with interesting concepts, world building and authentic Japanese culture. Perhaps too rich. Characters have multiple names making them hard to keep track of and the book is cluttered with opaque Japanese wording, lore-dumps that never amount to anything, and frustrating hints at its apparently steam-punk setting.
Meanwhile the protagonist’s are shallow one-note plot witnesses. Their means of investigating is mostly letting clues and characters come to them, so it feels like they lack agency and momentum.
Reading it was a slog, most of it felt like a chaotic meandering ramble and it’s only at the end you see what was actually important. There were so so many elements set up or introduced that never get paid off. It’s pacing finally picks up in the last 25% and i guess the main central mystery is satisfactorily answered (I dug the fresh twist on the whodunnnit) even if a few too many conflicts are bloodlessly resolved.
It’s an exercise in frustration, not just for its flaws, but for all there is to love about it too. Conceptually it’s cool as hell. So much potential. Great beats of horror, Spirited Away setting, and a wonderfully unique premise. Would read a sequel just because there so much interesting shit left unexplored, and maybe our MCs could grow a personality with enough time.
A lot of reviews talk about the ‘beautiful’ artwork.
Yeah they’re fine? Pretty good manga illustrations. The fact they do a better job of evoking a tone than the text is kinda telling.
Love a murder mystery any day of the week, and the book is rich with interesting concepts, world building and authentic Japanese culture. Perhaps too rich. Characters have multiple names making them hard to keep track of and the book is cluttered with opaque Japanese wording, lore-dumps that never amount to anything, and frustrating hints at its apparently steam-punk setting.
Meanwhile the protagonist’s are shallow one-note plot witnesses. Their means of investigating is mostly letting clues and characters come to them, so it feels like they lack agency and momentum.
Reading it was a slog, most of it felt like a chaotic meandering ramble and it’s only at the end you see what was actually important. There were so so many elements set up or introduced that never get paid off. It’s pacing finally picks up in the last 25% and i guess the main central mystery is satisfactorily answered (I dug the fresh twist on the whodunnnit) even if a few too many conflicts are bloodlessly resolved.
It’s an exercise in frustration, not just for its flaws, but for all there is to love about it too. Conceptually it’s cool as hell. So much potential. Great beats of horror, Spirited Away setting, and a wonderfully unique premise. Would read a sequel just because there so much interesting shit left unexplored, and maybe our MCs could grow a personality with enough time.
A lot of reviews talk about the ‘beautiful’ artwork.
Yeah they’re fine? Pretty good manga illustrations. The fact they do a better job of evoking a tone than the text is kinda telling.
June 12, 2025
Huh, the whomaker?
The entire book is brimming with really cool concepts and imagery, but is extremely light on characterisation. Part of it could be that this is a YA book, so the narrative expectations are different to what I'm looking for. My biggest problem was really that I never got any sense of who Hyo is as a character. Or any of the players to a degree. Narratively the core sort-of-murder-mystery investigation is a very interesting conceit, but was hard to get drawn into when there was no character to connect with, and when I was buffeted with breakneck worldbuilding every chapter. There's so many rich, vibrant names, places, concepts, archetypes, and ideas but they're introduced with no sense of conceptual pacing. One idea will be name dropped and then never mentioned again, another will be brought up at the tailend of the story but have huge implications, and we're constantly peppered with magic rules, worldbuilding lore, and intricate nomenclature but given no room to breath and take any of it in before we're moving on to the next lot of extremely rad concepts. I really wanted to like it, and I suspect maybe at a younger age I would have enjoyed it more. I would recommend it to a reader in its target audience. The writing is technically fine, just stylistically not for me.
2 Hitodenashi Pears out of 5
🍐🍐⬛⬛⬛
The entire book is brimming with really cool concepts and imagery, but is extremely light on characterisation. Part of it could be that this is a YA book, so the narrative expectations are different to what I'm looking for. My biggest problem was really that I never got any sense of who Hyo is as a character. Or any of the players to a degree. Narratively the core sort-of-murder-mystery investigation is a very interesting conceit, but was hard to get drawn into when there was no character to connect with, and when I was buffeted with breakneck worldbuilding every chapter. There's so many rich, vibrant names, places, concepts, archetypes, and ideas but they're introduced with no sense of conceptual pacing. One idea will be name dropped and then never mentioned again, another will be brought up at the tailend of the story but have huge implications, and we're constantly peppered with magic rules, worldbuilding lore, and intricate nomenclature but given no room to breath and take any of it in before we're moving on to the next lot of extremely rad concepts. I really wanted to like it, and I suspect maybe at a younger age I would have enjoyed it more. I would recommend it to a reader in its target audience. The writing is technically fine, just stylistically not for me.
2 Hitodenashi Pears out of 5
🍐🍐⬛⬛⬛
August 15, 2024
the books i read usually reflect my mood for the week and this book affected my mood greatly. like baaaad. bruh how long u gonna drag this for.
the whole concept of the world was intriguing. the story became very aimless once the main characters reached the island (?). i couldn't keep track of the names and the events became a blur.
reading became a chore =.=
the whole concept of the world was intriguing. the story became very aimless once the main characters reached the island (?). i couldn't keep track of the names and the events became a blur.
reading became a chore =.=
December 9, 2025
Mám ráda asijské příběhy, knihy a mytologii. Tahle kniha pro mě byla zvlášť neprobádaným územím. Vyprávění bylo zajímavě spletité, ale nevím jestli to není tím, že jsem se snažila pochopit japonské smýšlení a přitom se v něm neztratit :-D
Po dlouhé době jsem se musela hodně soustředit na čtení, abych náhodou něco špatně nepochopila nebo aby mi něco neuniklo. U příběhových knih se mi to moc často nestává (pokud nejsou v jiném jazyce) - o to víc mě to bavilo.
Jen mě trochu mrzí, že konec knihy nabádá k možnému dalšímu pokračování příběhu ostrova Onogoro a našich hrdinů Hjó, Mansakua, Nacumiho a Tokifujua, ale další díl je zatím v nedohlednu...
Po dlouhé době jsem se musela hodně soustředit na čtení, abych náhodou něco špatně nepochopila nebo aby mi něco neuniklo. U příběhových knih se mi to moc často nestává (pokud nejsou v jiném jazyce) - o to víc mě to bavilo.
Jen mě trochu mrzí, že konec knihy nabádá k možnému dalšímu pokračování příběhu ostrova Onogoro a našich hrdinů Hjó, Mansakua, Nacumiho a Tokifujua, ale další díl je zatím v nedohlednu...
July 10, 2025
This book was really good and the art inside was also phenomenal
December 7, 2024
5 🌟
This stunning YA debut novel has traits to it that felt like I was reading anime, and I absolutely loved it. The style and writing were very descriptive, and I devoured every minute of it. The characters are so vivid and the locations incredible. The two main characters are siblings Hyo and Mansaku. Wonderful descriptions bring life to them, as well as the illustrations.
Having the images adds a wonderful visual experience as opposed to just reading. I wish all books would use illustrations. I really hope there is more, and I will be following Mina Ikemoto Ghosh's work closely.
This stunning YA debut novel has traits to it that felt like I was reading anime, and I absolutely loved it. The style and writing were very descriptive, and I devoured every minute of it. The characters are so vivid and the locations incredible. The two main characters are siblings Hyo and Mansaku. Wonderful descriptions bring life to them, as well as the illustrations.
Having the images adds a wonderful visual experience as opposed to just reading. I wish all books would use illustrations. I really hope there is more, and I will be following Mina Ikemoto Ghosh's work closely.
February 10, 2025
Thanks to Scholastic for the ARC of this book!
I liked this one a lot! It was a really unique concept and I think the illustrations did a lot of enhance the story. The book follows Hyo and her brother, Mansaku. Hyo is a Hellmaker, someone who has control of "unluck" which she can manipulate to create artisan hells for those who commission her for a price. In the very beginning of the book, Hyo and Mansaku flee their village because of the mysterious "hitodenashi pear," which causes humans to turn to demons. They go to the island of Onogoro, the last place in the world where gods and humans live together in peace. However, once they arrive they are immediately thrown into a mystery full of fantasy and political intrigue.
I got a little lost in the details in the first 100ish pages. There are a lot of characters and words that, without knowledge of Japanese, are hard to remember. Once I stopped trying to understand every single thing and go just off of my best guess with context clues, I got more into the story. I do wish that the glossary at the end was more fleshed out, though. I found myself checking it often but the words I was searching for were not there.
I liked the characters a lot, especially Hyo and Natsaumi. I think Ghosh excelled in revealing to us plot points and character traits little by little. We start the book with a very incomplete picture and finish it with a somewhat put together puzzle, with hints at a sequel. Looking forward to another book that takes place in this awesome fantasy world!
I liked this one a lot! It was a really unique concept and I think the illustrations did a lot of enhance the story. The book follows Hyo and her brother, Mansaku. Hyo is a Hellmaker, someone who has control of "unluck" which she can manipulate to create artisan hells for those who commission her for a price. In the very beginning of the book, Hyo and Mansaku flee their village because of the mysterious "hitodenashi pear," which causes humans to turn to demons. They go to the island of Onogoro, the last place in the world where gods and humans live together in peace. However, once they arrive they are immediately thrown into a mystery full of fantasy and political intrigue.
I got a little lost in the details in the first 100ish pages. There are a lot of characters and words that, without knowledge of Japanese, are hard to remember. Once I stopped trying to understand every single thing and go just off of my best guess with context clues, I got more into the story. I do wish that the glossary at the end was more fleshed out, though. I found myself checking it often but the words I was searching for were not there.
I liked the characters a lot, especially Hyo and Natsaumi. I think Ghosh excelled in revealing to us plot points and character traits little by little. We start the book with a very incomplete picture and finish it with a somewhat put together puzzle, with hints at a sequel. Looking forward to another book that takes place in this awesome fantasy world!
March 23, 2024
This was like reading anime and I mean that in the best way possible because I enjoyed every minute of it.
Everything about this was delightful. I adored both Hyo and Mansaku and all the sibling relationships in here.
The illustrations were excellent and really added to the story. I really loved how involved they were in the story of each page.
I really hope there is more of this
Everything about this was delightful. I adored both Hyo and Mansaku and all the sibling relationships in here.
The illustrations were excellent and really added to the story. I really loved how involved they were in the story of each page.
I really hope there is more of this
November 10, 2025
honestly not expecting much
ok so after spending over a month SLOGGING through this i can confidently say i did enjoy it and it was fun to read but it wasn't that great of a book. im fluctuating between 3 stars and 4 stars for this because in the end i had a fun time with it but also i hated it half the time.
what i liked:
- its a very unique story. it doesn't follow any sort of formulas and isn't overly trope-y. the world was SUPER interesting and extremely different from any sort of magic system or religion ever written before. once i wrapped my head around all the terminology and the "unluck" stuff and the gods and how the gods get their power and what the hell hitodenashi actually is (i still don't really know...) i saw it for just how well thought-out and unique it was. like genuinely ive never read a story like this before.
- i liked hyo a lot! she's not overpowered but she's far from useless. and despite the whole en thing and fate and stuff playing a part in the story, she still drove a lot of the plot through her actions. and she wasn't annoying at all
- i also looved natsuami and tokifuyu. i love a good hot-headed younger brother character. tokifuyu was really funny like i genuinely was like yeah i love this guy the very first time he appeared. and natsuami grew on me after a bit, i really liked his friendship with hyo and mansaku.
- generally i enjoyed all the characters. even the ones with limited time were full of personality.
- the plot was good (eventually)
- i had a fun time with it in the end also i liked the illustrations
what i didn't like:
- ITS SO. FUCKING. LONG. IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO READ THIS. IN THE BEGINNING ITS LIKE A FUCKING TEXTBOOK. just infodump after infodump after infodump like omg let us breathe. i was soo confused during the beginning that it took me upwards of two weeks to get through a third of the book. and then the plot draaags it takes so long to get to them finding out what happened to jun and then actually doing something about it. like why did they get his dying words to his younger brother THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE BOOK SHOULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN THE FIRST THING YOU DID??? and the worldbuilding was really confusing at the beginning i still dont know what the fuck hitodenashi pear does.
- there really wasn't any character developement on anyones end. like hyo already was a very skilled hellmaker so she was just doing her job. natsuami ended up like getting friends but he himself didn't change at all. the only tidbit i could think of would be tokifuyu deciding to tell natsuami what he was hiding from him.
- mansaku was extremely neglected in the last bit of the book. he had really good potential and i liked him, and then he gets sent away and is just straight up not there for the remainder of the important parts. like he's supposed to be one of the main characters hes literally hyo's brother where did he go??? and then the paddywatcher is like mansaku i can free you from your curse and then literally nothing else is done about that. like did we forget.
anyways a solid 3.5 i think. it took me way to long to get through this but it was worth it in the end.
ok so after spending over a month SLOGGING through this i can confidently say i did enjoy it and it was fun to read but it wasn't that great of a book. im fluctuating between 3 stars and 4 stars for this because in the end i had a fun time with it but also i hated it half the time.
what i liked:
- its a very unique story. it doesn't follow any sort of formulas and isn't overly trope-y. the world was SUPER interesting and extremely different from any sort of magic system or religion ever written before. once i wrapped my head around all the terminology and the "unluck" stuff and the gods and how the gods get their power and what the hell hitodenashi actually is (i still don't really know...) i saw it for just how well thought-out and unique it was. like genuinely ive never read a story like this before.
- i liked hyo a lot! she's not overpowered but she's far from useless. and despite the whole en thing and fate and stuff playing a part in the story, she still drove a lot of the plot through her actions. and she wasn't annoying at all
- i also looved natsuami and tokifuyu. i love a good hot-headed younger brother character. tokifuyu was really funny like i genuinely was like yeah i love this guy the very first time he appeared. and natsuami grew on me after a bit, i really liked his friendship with hyo and mansaku.
- generally i enjoyed all the characters. even the ones with limited time were full of personality.
- the plot was good (eventually)
- i had a fun time with it in the end also i liked the illustrations
what i didn't like:
- ITS SO. FUCKING. LONG. IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO READ THIS. IN THE BEGINNING ITS LIKE A FUCKING TEXTBOOK. just infodump after infodump after infodump like omg let us breathe. i was soo confused during the beginning that it took me upwards of two weeks to get through a third of the book. and then the plot draaags it takes so long to get to them finding out what happened to jun and then actually doing something about it. like why did they get his dying words to his younger brother THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE BOOK SHOULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN THE FIRST THING YOU DID??? and the worldbuilding was really confusing at the beginning i still dont know what the fuck hitodenashi pear does.
- there really wasn't any character developement on anyones end. like hyo already was a very skilled hellmaker so she was just doing her job. natsuami ended up like getting friends but he himself didn't change at all. the only tidbit i could think of would be tokifuyu deciding to tell natsuami what he was hiding from him.
- mansaku was extremely neglected in the last bit of the book. he had really good potential and i liked him, and then he gets sent away and is just straight up not there for the remainder of the important parts. like he's supposed to be one of the main characters hes literally hyo's brother where did he go??? and then the paddywatcher is like mansaku i can free you from your curse and then literally nothing else is done about that. like did we forget.
anyways a solid 3.5 i think. it took me way to long to get through this but it was worth it in the end.
October 26, 2024
Interwoven with gorgeous illustrations to fully immerse in, and a detailed, slow burn mystery to solve. Mina Ikemoto Ghosh’s Hyo The Hellmaker was an entertainingly plot twisty read that manga-loving, high fantasy lovers should definitely consider picking up!
I found the lore surrounding Gods, Demons and curses was incredibly intriguing and I loved delving into the details around how the curses and magic system worked. Especially when it involved our protagonist Hyo, whose family carry a generational curse.
The illustrations definitely capture the magic of Ikemoto Ghosh’s prose which was both richly complex and full of humour. However, I was a teensy bit disappointed we didn’t get to explore Hyo’s backstory (or that of her family’s cursed legacy) in very much detail (but we did learn was really interesting and I have high hopes for a sequel.)
The action, mystery and plot twists we encounter within the pacy narrative, did make up for it though, and kept me on the edge of my seat for all 500+ pages.
The ensemble cast was marvellously impressive too! They were all really well written, endearing and soo much fun to explore (Particularly Natsuami, Tokifuyu and Hyo’s brother Mansaku —all of whom had such amazing, whimsical personalities.)
There are quite a lot of interactions between Gods and humans in this, so watching the stark cultural differences and customs between humans and their immortal counterpoints was pretty fascinating.
The God’s lack of interest/ opinions when it came to humans reminded me a little of the wealth/class divides seen in our own societies. Where the richest 1%ers live such vastly different lifestyles they become almost detached from the struggles most people face.
Here the Gods are soo emotionally detached from humans, their fragility and very short lifespans are almost incomprehensible to them. Something that I found super intriguing —and isn’t really explored as much you’d think in a genre (fantasy) that celebrates soo many different types of immortal beings (gods, demons, vampires, fae, etc.)
Overall, an intricately crafted and atmospheric read that has definitely made Mina Ikemoto Ghosh an author to watch out for.
Also, thanks to Scholastic & Lorraine Keating PR for the finished PB copy.
I found the lore surrounding Gods, Demons and curses was incredibly intriguing and I loved delving into the details around how the curses and magic system worked. Especially when it involved our protagonist Hyo, whose family carry a generational curse.
The illustrations definitely capture the magic of Ikemoto Ghosh’s prose which was both richly complex and full of humour. However, I was a teensy bit disappointed we didn’t get to explore Hyo’s backstory (or that of her family’s cursed legacy) in very much detail (but we did learn was really interesting and I have high hopes for a sequel.)
The action, mystery and plot twists we encounter within the pacy narrative, did make up for it though, and kept me on the edge of my seat for all 500+ pages.
The ensemble cast was marvellously impressive too! They were all really well written, endearing and soo much fun to explore (Particularly Natsuami, Tokifuyu and Hyo’s brother Mansaku —all of whom had such amazing, whimsical personalities.)
There are quite a lot of interactions between Gods and humans in this, so watching the stark cultural differences and customs between humans and their immortal counterpoints was pretty fascinating.
The God’s lack of interest/ opinions when it came to humans reminded me a little of the wealth/class divides seen in our own societies. Where the richest 1%ers live such vastly different lifestyles they become almost detached from the struggles most people face.
Here the Gods are soo emotionally detached from humans, their fragility and very short lifespans are almost incomprehensible to them. Something that I found super intriguing —and isn’t really explored as much you’d think in a genre (fantasy) that celebrates soo many different types of immortal beings (gods, demons, vampires, fae, etc.)
Overall, an intricately crafted and atmospheric read that has definitely made Mina Ikemoto Ghosh an author to watch out for.
Also, thanks to Scholastic & Lorraine Keating PR for the finished PB copy.
February 20, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Scholastic for this ARC.
Hyo the Hellmaker is a pleasant surprise and a fun romp. Judging on the cover alone, there isn't really much to give away, other than you know it will be a Japanese inspired fantasy at the very least. Which Hyo the Hellmaker is, and I've read other reviews that compare it to an anime. I disagree on that front.
If you're a fan of murder mysteries, Hyo the Hellmaker will be right up your alley. However, one needs to push past the introductory chapter as you will feel confused rather than enlightened as to where the plot will go. In short, our main character, Hyo, is requested to go to an island blessed by the gods to find a... unique pear.. that when consumed curses humans. I'll admit when the mystery was starting to unfold I finally was able to grasp the meat of the story and settle in for the ride.
This book is primarily plot based, with a little focus on character growth which in my mind is a O.K. in a murder mystery. The problem mostly stems in that due to this being a fantasy novel, a lot of the worldbuilding was not done naturally but rather in infodump chunks throughout the story. They can be difficult to parse out, but I feel on a reread they will be more welcoming.
Focusing on characters, I found that I didn't really grow super attached to any of them, nor was I concerned about their safety in the perils of their quest. Not only is Hyo fairly nonchalant, she puts all the pieces together way too quickly for me, the reader, to follow along. She made it feel like everything was oh so obvious when I didn't feel it was, albeit I wasn't really invested in the clues but just enjoying the story.
All in all, Mina Ikemoto Ghosh's writing flows so smoothly that I look forward to reading more by them in the future.
Hyo the Hellmaker is a pleasant surprise and a fun romp. Judging on the cover alone, there isn't really much to give away, other than you know it will be a Japanese inspired fantasy at the very least. Which Hyo the Hellmaker is, and I've read other reviews that compare it to an anime. I disagree on that front.
If you're a fan of murder mysteries, Hyo the Hellmaker will be right up your alley. However, one needs to push past the introductory chapter as you will feel confused rather than enlightened as to where the plot will go. In short, our main character, Hyo, is requested to go to an island blessed by the gods to find a... unique pear.. that when consumed curses humans. I'll admit when the mystery was starting to unfold I finally was able to grasp the meat of the story and settle in for the ride.
This book is primarily plot based, with a little focus on character growth which in my mind is a O.K. in a murder mystery. The problem mostly stems in that due to this being a fantasy novel, a lot of the worldbuilding was not done naturally but rather in infodump chunks throughout the story. They can be difficult to parse out, but I feel on a reread they will be more welcoming.
Focusing on characters, I found that I didn't really grow super attached to any of them, nor was I concerned about their safety in the perils of their quest. Not only is Hyo fairly nonchalant, she puts all the pieces together way too quickly for me, the reader, to follow along. She made it feel like everything was oh so obvious when I didn't feel it was, albeit I wasn't really invested in the clues but just enjoying the story.
All in all, Mina Ikemoto Ghosh's writing flows so smoothly that I look forward to reading more by them in the future.
April 29, 2024
hyo the hellmaker: ★★★★.5
thank you to scholastic for sending me a copy of this!! was so happy when i received it + it did not disappoint!
this book was so immersive and interesting - it really made you feel like you were transported to another world full of Gods, demons + curses. the illustrations were so amazing because they made everything feel so real! it really makes me wish most books were illustrated.
for me this book was a mixture of fantasy, mystery + horror. i found it quite unique in the way the story developed, and the world-building was so good - it built up slowly + i just loved learning about all the different characters + stories.
i really adored the main characters, especially mansaku. he was so funny + and i just loved him. and i adored the small intimate moments between all the different characters.
i loved the way the book illustrated that every life does matter + does make a difference in a subtle way.
i know anime lovers would absolutely eat this book up!! it's inspired by japanese mythology + was so fun and full of brilliant descriptions.
thank you to scholastic for sending me a copy of this!! was so happy when i received it + it did not disappoint!
this book was so immersive and interesting - it really made you feel like you were transported to another world full of Gods, demons + curses. the illustrations were so amazing because they made everything feel so real! it really makes me wish most books were illustrated.
for me this book was a mixture of fantasy, mystery + horror. i found it quite unique in the way the story developed, and the world-building was so good - it built up slowly + i just loved learning about all the different characters + stories.
i really adored the main characters, especially mansaku. he was so funny + and i just loved him. and i adored the small intimate moments between all the different characters.
i loved the way the book illustrated that every life does matter + does make a difference in a subtle way.
i know anime lovers would absolutely eat this book up!! it's inspired by japanese mythology + was so fun and full of brilliant descriptions.
November 22, 2024
Waar moet ik beginnen, eerst en vooral keek ik er heel hard naar uit om dit boek te lezen. I had high hopes!
Het begin van de boek, I had no clue what was going on. De world building en de namen waren heel verwarrend en ik had het gevoel dat dit tot 50% van de boek zo was. Nadien werd het interessanter, maar je voelde de plottwist ook wel aankomen.
De story had me ook niet echt vast, pas de laatste 100-200 pagina’s was ik wat invested in het verhaal omdat voordien het gwn wat random dingen waren precies. Naar het einde toe begon het veeeel interessanter te worden en was ik wel exited om het terug op te nemen.
De art maakt het wel meer de moeite waard om te lezen, ik had wel meer een manga vibe verwacht. Er mocht nog net iets meer art in zitten.
Het einde tied alles mooi samen, maar het maakt het ook complexer dan het moet zijn en heeft een duidelijke verwijzing naar een tweede boek (don’t know of het echt moet tho). Op zich ben ik wel blij deze boek gelezen te hebben.
Het begin van de boek, I had no clue what was going on. De world building en de namen waren heel verwarrend en ik had het gevoel dat dit tot 50% van de boek zo was. Nadien werd het interessanter, maar je voelde de plottwist ook wel aankomen.
De story had me ook niet echt vast, pas de laatste 100-200 pagina’s was ik wat invested in het verhaal omdat voordien het gwn wat random dingen waren precies. Naar het einde toe begon het veeeel interessanter te worden en was ik wel exited om het terug op te nemen.
De art maakt het wel meer de moeite waard om te lezen, ik had wel meer een manga vibe verwacht. Er mocht nog net iets meer art in zitten.
Het einde tied alles mooi samen, maar het maakt het ook complexer dan het moet zijn en heeft een duidelijke verwijzing naar een tweede boek (don’t know of het echt moet tho). Op zich ben ik wel blij deze boek gelezen te hebben.
March 23, 2025
Hyo The Hellmaker is such a fun albeit heartbreaking at times read. The layers of character depth are as stunning as the art, as you embark upon this journey. I would buy (and have pre-ordered) this book after reading. I think it is appropriate for ya and adult readers. While there are some adult themes, I feel it's a great book for a mature teen. This book is a visual delight, the concept is unique , I honestly have nothing but praise for this ! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I am enamored completely
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2025
This book was a wild ride in the best way. While the start was confusing - to me as a white European (?) - with a lot of words being thrown around without explanation. But it was done in a way that just made me curious to figure out what's going on.
The Plot was great: What's better than a murder mystery? A murder mystery involving gods, curses and vengeance!
The pacing felt slow at times but it was always done in service of character depth and exploring the relationships between characters.
Just an awesome read!
The Plot was great: What's better than a murder mystery? A murder mystery involving gods, curses and vengeance!
The pacing felt slow at times but it was always done in service of character depth and exploring the relationships between characters.
Just an awesome read!
May 6, 2024
Okay this was my first book of this Author and I love it!!
I honestly loved every relationship and the developments! I can't wait for more! I mean, there has to be more because this story isn't finished at all!!
The sibling relationships were on point, the characters were lovely, and I have so many questions that I can't wait to have answered!
The illustrations were outstanding, and it gave the story a deeper impact.
I honestly loved every relationship and the developments! I can't wait for more! I mean, there has to be more because this story isn't finished at all!!
The sibling relationships were on point, the characters were lovely, and I have so many questions that I can't wait to have answered!
The illustrations were outstanding, and it gave the story a deeper impact.
July 25, 2024
It's a detective/mystery book set on an island with gods and humans. The main character is a hellmaker, cursed with unluck and can take commisions to get revenge on people. Based on the cover, I thought it would be a bit more action packed so I felt a little bit misled.
The book wasn't bad, but it was kind of a slog. I can't explain why - I found it very hard to be excited about reading the book, but when I was reading it I didn't hate it. I think this book could have been half the length. The art was a cool touch atleast. I think the main issues for me were that the plot was very weak, and each progression in the plot was kind of boring.
I don't have that much to say about it. Based on my own experience with it, I don't recommend it but it is kind of cool.
2/5
The book wasn't bad, but it was kind of a slog. I can't explain why - I found it very hard to be excited about reading the book, but when I was reading it I didn't hate it. I think this book could have been half the length. The art was a cool touch atleast. I think the main issues for me were that the plot was very weak, and each progression in the plot was kind of boring.
I don't have that much to say about it. Based on my own experience with it, I don't recommend it but it is kind of cool.
2/5
November 18, 2024
i liked it but i think i liked it because of the illustrations
September 26, 2025
it felt like u needed a lot of knowledge on japanese mythology and terminology… bonus points tho bc i really liked natsuami
June 25, 2024
I was confused in the beginning but once I was able to remember the names it was sooo sooo good! And the Art ommgg. We need more drawings in adult literature tbh.
November 24, 2024
I loved everything about this book. The worldbuilding, the lore, the characters, the illustrations. J'adore.
July 21, 2024
*4.5 stars*
Fantasy books as of late have had one thing in common for me, and that is that they all feel exhaustive, not unenjoyable but overdone and repetitive to a degree when it comes to the tropes and setting. Hyo The Hellmaker, however, came in like a whirl of smoke and whisked me away to an illustration-driven story that started with a bang and never let up on the adventure, following a Japanese-inspired legend across lands of Gods and curses. Hyo, our main character, is a Hellmaker, an architect of crafted hells and ominous, bad luck-motivated powers to unleash upon whomever she chooses. But when a demon tunnels through her village and abolishes everything she loves through a deadly curse, she and her brother escape to Onogoro.
But Onogoro is a place where Gods live amongst humans, a rare and distinctive place that comes to life through Mina’s art and poignant way of describing the storyworld. Hyo doesn’t quite settle in as homely as can be, her Hellmaker’s plague too strong to allow for a smooth transition. It’s in her nature to investigate the new pile of bodies stacking up upon her arrival, and to point the way to avengement. Only, as Hyo is drawn into treacherous situations, ens and layered secrets, careful not to become the God’s puppet, she’s learning that underestimating her might be their last mistake.
Overall, Hyo The Hellmaker was visually and literally spectacular, formidable enough to transport my mind to a faraway land where legendary magic comes to life through salient writing and graceful Manga art. I’ve always been a fan of Japanese culture, especially the food, music and literature, so getting to read Mina’s book felt more than just a regular reading experience for me, special on lots of levels. I adored Hyo’s character development, and the opportunity for future books (please!) even if just to see more beautiful art and read about this fascinating world that was larger than life. I did find it required some world-building so was a slow-build to begin with, but when that magic kicked in, it was a frontrunner in any category it demanded. A truly unputdownable book!
Fantasy books as of late have had one thing in common for me, and that is that they all feel exhaustive, not unenjoyable but overdone and repetitive to a degree when it comes to the tropes and setting. Hyo The Hellmaker, however, came in like a whirl of smoke and whisked me away to an illustration-driven story that started with a bang and never let up on the adventure, following a Japanese-inspired legend across lands of Gods and curses. Hyo, our main character, is a Hellmaker, an architect of crafted hells and ominous, bad luck-motivated powers to unleash upon whomever she chooses. But when a demon tunnels through her village and abolishes everything she loves through a deadly curse, she and her brother escape to Onogoro.
But Onogoro is a place where Gods live amongst humans, a rare and distinctive place that comes to life through Mina’s art and poignant way of describing the storyworld. Hyo doesn’t quite settle in as homely as can be, her Hellmaker’s plague too strong to allow for a smooth transition. It’s in her nature to investigate the new pile of bodies stacking up upon her arrival, and to point the way to avengement. Only, as Hyo is drawn into treacherous situations, ens and layered secrets, careful not to become the God’s puppet, she’s learning that underestimating her might be their last mistake.
Overall, Hyo The Hellmaker was visually and literally spectacular, formidable enough to transport my mind to a faraway land where legendary magic comes to life through salient writing and graceful Manga art. I’ve always been a fan of Japanese culture, especially the food, music and literature, so getting to read Mina’s book felt more than just a regular reading experience for me, special on lots of levels. I adored Hyo’s character development, and the opportunity for future books (please!) even if just to see more beautiful art and read about this fascinating world that was larger than life. I did find it required some world-building so was a slow-build to begin with, but when that magic kicked in, it was a frontrunner in any category it demanded. A truly unputdownable book!
March 26, 2024
Even though there’s a lot of curses and unluck in the story, this book warms the heart. Characters are all greatly portraited and I just cared for all of them. I’m wishing for more of this world and characters. Book 2 maybe? 🥹
Definitely 5-star!
And also, the illustrations are top-tier! I did not expect it to have that much of illustrations. I’m in love!
Definitely 5-star!
And also, the illustrations are top-tier! I did not expect it to have that much of illustrations. I’m in love!
December 1, 2024
4/5🌟 !
.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑ —— .𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑ —— .𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 exposition: at first, I was honestly struggling to stay engaged. among other things, the prologue was:
-hard to understand
-improperly distinguished names and pronouns, making the dialogues super confusing
-felt like a huge info dump on the hellmakers
to an extent, I understand it needs an introduction, but personally, the way it was executed is just not for me.
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 plot: in itself, it was 🔥 ! I saw a comment on here that said the numerous deaths were not correlated to their main objective, and I honestly agree to an extent. while the deaths were relevant to what they were meant to do, they, especially hyo, were aware that they *weren’t* actively fulfilling that main objective, but instead were mainly focusing on investigating the deaths. it just felt too convenient for them that both were related. +I felt like the true plot only began about 40% into the book.
↑ hopefully I didn’t give away any spoilers 🙏
the world was very immersive, I really loved the whole concept of gods living among humans, but it was just frustrating to constantly switch between the glossary and the main story when I came across an unfamiliar jp term 😵💫 perhaps if you read the glossary first and then start reading the main story, it would be more enjoyable, but be warned the glossary is quite long and most words are mentioned only once or twice.
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 illustrations: <3 i was so in love with them throughout the novel! i admit, it didn’t make the experience more immersive for me, but they truly were very pleasing to look at and I was happy to have an illustrated version of my imagination on paper!
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 characters: overall, interesting af and in-depth characters! (mostly)
⋆｡˚ 🍓⟢ hyo: apologies, I really do have to say it—her character is so flat! although the book was written as such that the main perspective was hers, her emotions are abrupt and disconnected from her thought process and from one scene to the next. her thought process was so vast and far-reaching, and yet the approach the writer has taken to keep it vague to keep the mystery does not do it justice.
⋆｡˚ 🫖⟢ mansaku: he was so sweet and funny throughout :) I definitely see him being the fan favourite aha though I wish the book delved deeper into his past experiences.
⋆｡˚ 🎬⟢ natsuami: my true favourite❣️ everything about his character is just so lovable and that one scene (actually, there were multiple) where he was questioning himself and his worth, abilities, and heart, I really started to tear up. his character is so complex, and I really wished there were more glimpses of his thought process throughout from start to finish.
(+other characters that didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. except tokitokii and koushiro. 🥹)
unfortunately for majority of YA/NA readers, this is has 0% spice. there was a hint at a potential ship, but even that felt like it was lacking in chemistry. despite the lack of romance, which I personally enjoyed, it is a good read.
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 conclusion: worth the read? yes! do give it a read! though there are some dark topics that are covered…they may be potentially triggering, but if you’re able to handle gore well, I definitely recommend this book. 💞
Happy reading~! .𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑
.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑ —— .𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑ —— .𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑
”…is this flame of life truly beautiful?”
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 exposition: at first, I was honestly struggling to stay engaged. among other things, the prologue was:
-hard to understand
-improperly distinguished names and pronouns, making the dialogues super confusing
-felt like a huge info dump on the hellmakers
to an extent, I understand it needs an introduction, but personally, the way it was executed is just not for me.
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 plot: in itself, it was 🔥 ! I saw a comment on here that said the numerous deaths were not correlated to their main objective, and I honestly agree to an extent. while the deaths were relevant to what they were meant to do, they, especially hyo, were aware that they *weren’t* actively fulfilling that main objective, but instead were mainly focusing on investigating the deaths. it just felt too convenient for them that both were related. +I felt like the true plot only began about 40% into the book.
↑ hopefully I didn’t give away any spoilers 🙏
the world was very immersive, I really loved the whole concept of gods living among humans, but it was just frustrating to constantly switch between the glossary and the main story when I came across an unfamiliar jp term 😵💫 perhaps if you read the glossary first and then start reading the main story, it would be more enjoyable, but be warned the glossary is quite long and most words are mentioned only once or twice.
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 illustrations: <3 i was so in love with them throughout the novel! i admit, it didn’t make the experience more immersive for me, but they truly were very pleasing to look at and I was happy to have an illustrated version of my imagination on paper!
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 characters: overall, interesting af and in-depth characters! (mostly)
⋆｡˚ 🍓⟢ hyo: apologies, I really do have to say it—her character is so flat! although the book was written as such that the main perspective was hers, her emotions are abrupt and disconnected from her thought process and from one scene to the next. her thought process was so vast and far-reaching, and yet the approach the writer has taken to keep it vague to keep the mystery does not do it justice.
⋆｡˚ 🫖⟢ mansaku: he was so sweet and funny throughout :) I definitely see him being the fan favourite aha though I wish the book delved deeper into his past experiences.
⋆｡˚ 🎬⟢ natsuami: my true favourite❣️ everything about his character is just so lovable and that one scene (actually, there were multiple) where he was questioning himself and his worth, abilities, and heart, I really started to tear up. his character is so complex, and I really wished there were more glimpses of his thought process throughout from start to finish.
(+other characters that didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. except tokitokii and koushiro. 🥹)
unfortunately for majority of YA/NA readers, this is has 0% spice. there was a hint at a potential ship, but even that felt like it was lacking in chemistry. despite the lack of romance, which I personally enjoyed, it is a good read.
જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 conclusion: worth the read? yes! do give it a read! though there are some dark topics that are covered…they may be potentially triggering, but if you’re able to handle gore well, I definitely recommend this book. 💞
Happy reading~! .𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑
April 13, 2025
A fun read with amazing illustrations, but very confusing at times.
We follow Hyo, a Hellmaker, and her brother Mansaku as they travel to Onogoro, where gods and humans coexist, in search of an 'orchard'.
The story itself is extremely entertaining, but I found the jargon and world-building super messy. Girrrrl, I cannot remember half the god names or the new vocabulary that was thrust upon me. There is a glossary at the end, but that didn’t help much. The description of Onogoro seemed like an afterthought, making it slightly difficult to picture. I also found it odd that the story strays from the path the prologue seemed to want to point us towards.
Anyway, I’m all for books inspired by non-Western cultures, but I’d rather be led into it at an appropriate pace instead of being bombarded. The Green Bone Saga did it very well, and maybe my downfall was comparing these two works.
The book is definitely an original idea, and for that, I give it three stars.
We follow Hyo, a Hellmaker, and her brother Mansaku as they travel to Onogoro, where gods and humans coexist, in search of an 'orchard'.
The story itself is extremely entertaining, but I found the jargon and world-building super messy. Girrrrl, I cannot remember half the god names or the new vocabulary that was thrust upon me. There is a glossary at the end, but that didn’t help much. The description of Onogoro seemed like an afterthought, making it slightly difficult to picture. I also found it odd that the story strays from the path the prologue seemed to want to point us towards.
Anyway, I’m all for books inspired by non-Western cultures, but I’d rather be led into it at an appropriate pace instead of being bombarded. The Green Bone Saga did it very well, and maybe my downfall was comparing these two works.
The book is definitely an original idea, and for that, I give it three stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews