A review by annamickreads
The Dark Room by Gerry Duggan

5.0

This! Was! So! Much! Fun!

"The Dark Room" is set in a contemporary fantasy world where our protagonist, Dounia Mahoney, is a private curator living in New York City. When a mysterious (and clearly demonic) stranger visits her asking after a cursed camera, she embarks on a quest to find the camera before he does.

Dounia's journey takes her to elf kingdoms, secret clubs for the supernatural, and even the bottom of the Hudson River with her collection of charming companions. First, there's Walt, a skeleton that used to be a boy who made extra cash dancing in Times Square. Then, there's her werewolf sometimes-boyfriend Aaron, who shares an equal fascination with historical objects. Not to mention a wide range of supernatural friends they meet up with on the way!

While some people might find the plot simplistic, the characters were all super charming, the world building was kickass, and the character designers were interesting and lovely. Honestly, this story reminded me a lot of Zatanna and "Hellblazer" stories with less grit and more heart, so if you liked those you should definitely check this one out!!