Lightning Review

Fangs by Sarah Anderson

A

Fangs

by Sarah Anderson

I have read this webcomic on Tapas several times now. Whenever I want a quick read that’s visually adorable and emotionally sweet, I re-read it. When I learned there was a print version and there were extra panels within, I borrowed the book from the library.

It doesn’t take long to read this book, in print or online, but I’m so happy I borrowed it. My intention was to read it while still in the library and then return it same day, but I brought it home and I’ve already read it through twice. The print version has a gorgeous red cloth cover and the edges are dyed black, so it’s a visually stunning book.

Inside, there are indeed extra comics, and I loved them, but the fact that I’ve enjoyed the print edition so much is more intriguing to me than the extra images. I don’t have special attachments to most print books, and almost always prefer digital reading over print. But Fangs was a pleasure to read in every format, and the hardcover version accentuated that pleasure in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I like holding the book, and looking at it, and seeing the cover on my table makes me smile.

Elsie the vampire and Jimmy the werewolf don’t endure any substantial romantic tension or interpersonal manipulation. There’s no Will they? Won’t they? push or pull, and no equivocating about whether to head directly to bone town. The question is more, How is this going to…work?

a four panel illustration beginning with the moon and a speech bubble where Elsie is saying It's Not Easy being a monster. Elsie then says People think it's cool but I feel alone. no one in this world is like me. And jimmy replies, Girl I'm a werewolf. there's a panel where she's looking at him with her arms crossed, and then she is kissing him full on the mouth, both arms around his shoulders.
Elsie and Jimmy meet at a bar and have an…instant connection.

The tension between them is subtle, and mostly found in how very different they are. Because they both accept each other because they themselves are “monsters,” their courtship is so cute, and extremely charming.

A two panel illustration of Elsie looking at an open book beside an ornate lamp with both hands pressed to her forehead deep in thought the next panel shows her book with two pages EAT HIM PRO/CON and then DATE HIM PRO/CON - the pro list under date him is much longer than the con list

I won’t spoil them, but my two favorites are the panels about consent, and the one where they’re reading vampire fiction together. Oh, and the moon cycle misery one.

The story inside Fangs is for me the perfect blend of supernatural creatures in mundane situations: what happens if a vampire wants to date a werewolf? How do they work out their differences when some of them are rather major? What’s in the fridge?  Why do his friends think his “girlfriend” isn’t real? How do they go out on dates together during the day? If you, like me, enjoy the more mundane aspects of extraordinary lives when you read paranormal romance and urban fantasy, you’ll probably really like this, too.

Fangs is a paranormal romance confection that I might have to own for myself, because re-reading it and looking at my favorite pages is giving me repeated hits of adorable joy.

SB Sarah

A New York Times bestselling love story between a vampire and a werewolf by the creator of the enormously popular Sarah’s Scribbles comics.

Elsie the vampire is three hundred years old, but in all that time, she has never met her match. This all changes one night in a bar when she meets Jimmy, a charming werewolf with a wry sense of humor and a fondness for running wild during the full moon. Together they enjoy horror films and scary novels, shady strolls, fine dining (though never with garlic), and a genuine fondness for each other’s unusual habits, macabre lifestyles, and monstrous appetites.

First featured as a webcomic series on Tapas, Fangs chronicles the humor, sweetness, and awkwardness of meeting someone perfectly suited to you but also vastly different. This deluxe hardcover edition of Fangs features an “engraved” red cloth cover, dyed black page trim, and 25 exclusive comics not previously seen online. Filled with Sarah Andersen’s beautiful gothic illustrations and relatable relationship humor, Fangs has all the makings of a cult classic.

Horror, Graphic Novel, Paranormal, Romance
This book is available from:
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Add Your Comment →

  1. Darlynne says:

    Something I’d never heard of and now WANT. Thanks, SB Sarah!

  2. hng23 says:

    I reread it so many times I bought the book when it finally came out.
    It also makes a great gift/stocking stuffer.

  3. HeatherS says:

    I read this one from the library, too. It was very cute and low-stakes (LOL, unintentional pun!) and if you’re feeling stressed or struggling to focus, it makes a quick and easy read.

  4. Sue says:

    I just went and read the whole thing and have requested it from the library. Just what I needed on a somewhat stressed and rainy day.

  5. Misti says:

    I love this one. I also bought the book so I’d just have it.

  6. marjorie says:

    Such a good point, the appeal of the physical volume!

    I too had read the webcomic before I bought the book; I’d really bought it for my kid, but like you, I found myself utterly charmed by the book design. Small, square, minimalist, delightful texture. The red cover and black and white comics are such a sweet pairing.

  7. Karlanne says:

    After reading the review I borrowed the book from my local library. When I went to pick it up the librarian told me that they were all obsessed with the book cover! This book is charming and I agree the panel on consent is hilarious along with the eat him vs date him. I try very hard to buy actual books because I have little room to store them but this is going to have to be an exception. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention!

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