With Thought Bubble 2021 now in our rearview mirror, it’s time to start shifting through the myriad of gems that the masses no doubt picked up. First up is Candles, a Fantasy Graphic Novel from relative newcomers Cast Iron Books, which sees characters begin a quest to defeat a deadly curse plaguing the land. Written and drawn by Lyndon White, will this title illuminate many a fan’s to read list or will it end up leaving people in the dark?

Publisher: Cast Iron Books
Writer: Lyndon White
Artist: Lyndon White
Price: £15.99 from Cast Iron Books

Candles tells the story of Grace, a young woman whose village of Ashenville is besieged by a deadly ailment known as Dark Bark. When Grace’s parents are afflicted with this disease (which transforms all it infects into tree-like dryads) she begins a quest to enter the mysterious nearby dark forest to seek out the witch believed to be responsible. Meanwhile, sorcerer Idris and his ward Ava find themselves chased from town to town thanks to Ava’s magical mishaps. However, the pair soon find themselves in the same dark forest as Grace and begin their own quest to quell the disease. But can any of this trio save the day or will the monsters this curse creates be the end of them?

Lyndon White, whose previous works include The Mind of James Svengali and Mandy the Monster Hunter: The Legend of the Spindly Man, tells a lovely, heartfelt story which focuses on the notions of the importance of family (however it is made), as well as the idea that different doesn’t always mean bad (well, certainly in the case of magic). White has produced a well written pair of plots which, while both head towards the same destination, the journeys are beautifully interwoven as all of the protagonists are given equal focus.

As a result, this allows the story to pull off some truly incredible twists as it progresses, one of which really threw me for a loop when I reached it. All three lead characters of Grace, Idris and Ava are really well written, with their respective goals and personalities all shining through and feeling very unique, as were their voices. If there is any one flaw to this series, it’s the feeling that expositional material had been left on the cutting room floor, as questions arise as to the origins of some things which may have made for a deeper, more complete story. As a result, I had some trouble getting invested in the early pages as I began reading, but it all paid off in the end.

However, the real star of this show is without a doubt White’s artwork, which could possibly be one of the most beautiful works I’ve ever seen. White’s visual style here is absolutely phenomenal with the entire comic having this very dreamlike vibe which really sells the fantasy aspect of the story. This thought is solidified by the creature design, with many of them really having this nightmarish quality to them. There is then the colour palette which White employs, which further enhances the book’s gorgeousness as he utilises deep, rich colours which have a real vibrancy to them. As a result, the panels really pop as well as the magical moments being given a truly otherworldly look which is similar to Black Magick in the magic’s visual contrast to the real world.

Candles is, without doubt, a truly gorgeous title, both in its writing and in its art. Our Editor Alex (who reviewed Lyndon’s previous work) reckons that this is the best work of Lyndon White’s career so far and, after reading it, I can’t see any reason to dispute that. Cast Iron Books may only have a small collection of comics to their name so far (including the wonderful Future), and Candles is an impressive new feather in their cap. This is a book which is well worth taking the time to read and really invest yourself in. This book has been a long time in the development stage and Lyndon has clearly put a huge amount of time and effort into and it has been well worth the wait!