God's Acre Book One, The Ravens & the Rhyme Horror Book Review

The first book of God’s Acre is a full-color, 96-page illustrated storybook for adults whose macabre overtones encourage the seeking of truth through discovery.  With artists & writers from the UK and US, this collaboration is available in a limited edition of 300 hand-numbered books. 

In God’s Acre the mature narrative of modern graphic novels combines with the non-sequential artistry of the coffee table books in the storybook format of children’s literature to successfully create a new genre of storytelling. 

At its heart, God’s Acre is a tale of two children who wander into a graveyard full of secrets, eventually unearthing the lessons buried within. There is much more to this book than meets the eye however. God’s Acre could be a book for children, but like the imagery that fill its pages, the layers of subtle meaning and complexity are bound to be appreciated more so, by its intended audience of adults. It is not by accident then, but by careful and subtle design that the choice of construction perfectly echoes the child-like innocence and enthusiasm for mystery that is gradually revealed in the story. 

Neither a graphic novel nor an art-book, at times it could be both. The strange and fragmented world that is presented is reminiscent of a reality that might be seen through the eyes of a child. This is a world where what is real and unreal is a matter left decided by the power of imagination. The push and pull between the detail and abstraction, between deliberate sculpture and sketch reflects and enhances the experience of the characters in their own search for solidity and truth in the world around them. 

The story within the story, illustrated by a separate artist, evokes a shift in perspective from the teller of one story versus the other, and in doing so, creates more depth than many single-narrative stories are able to achieve. Watching the stories twist and turn around each other adds an extra layer of intrigue. 

This first book contains enough substance and resolution that it can be enjoyed in isolation. It does, nevertheless, lead the reader into the next story of the series.  Given Omnibucket’s growing reputation for quality production, it is not surprising to see that it is wonderfully crafted.  The attention to detail, in conjunction with a sublime handling of both material and subject, immediately brings to mind childhood fairy tales and storybooks of youth.