The first volume in "A Kingdom of Quartz" follows a young orphan girl named Blue, who longs to be an angel. She has been "cursed" with black wings, and everyone bullies her and thinks she's a demon. When a real demon attacks, Blue watches as her orphanage crumbles, and people she loves die. This sparks her "dark power" and she is able to defeat the demon that even the archangels could not beat. The prince then asks her to one day train to be an angel so she can help protect the realm.

I enjoyed this novel enough, but for me personally it was too dark. There was a lot of bullying and putting Blue down because she was born different. I assume that in later volumes she will prove to everyone that being different doesn't mean you're not good enough, but I think her power will also prove to be a challenge as it tries to pull her to the dark side.

The art was sometimes really detailed and in some panels really plain, and that was a bit jarring. Usually in manga there is a bit more consistency. I did like the more detailed panels, it reminded me of "Witch Hat Atelier".

Overall, I think if you enjoy darker fantastical stories featuring angels and demons and coming of age stories, you will enjoy this novel. I won't be continuing on with the series, but enjoyed trying this first novel.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

"Kingdom of Quartz - Book One" introduces the tale of Blue, an orphan with distinctly dark angel wings. While the manga's art style took some getting used to, the narrative proved to be solid, hinting at intriguing developments. Although the manga didn't completely sweep me off my feet, I am looking forward to its continuation and eagerly anticipate delving further into Blue's internal conflicts and the unfolding storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me this e-ARC.

This was a very interesting read. First off, the art: Absolutely gorgeous. I love how eyes are drawn here with an emphasis on the lower lashes, it just looks so good. And then to round it off there is that overall soft and squishy look to everything that enhances the cuteness and angelic nature of everything, which then throws the absolutely DARK things that happen into a full contrast. It’s pitching itself as being for fans of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 1 and yeah for sure that is definitely the vibe we have going here with the tonal shift. But I will also say that the opening felt very The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1 and towards the end, it was very Little Witch Academia, Vol. 1, so we are touching on a lot of familiar places in a very interesting way. A lot of intrigue is brought up in regards to our main character from the get-go and I am so interested in learning more about her. And I think that is all I can say without delving into spoiler territory so definitely check this one out.

I went into this expecting a light hearted ready read, and I was totally blown away. A classic angel and demon story and a girl trying to find the balance and embrace who she is and who she wants to be. I can't quite place my finger on why but it feels very aligned with The Promised Neverland and the tonality. If the vibes from this book persist, this could easily be a 5 star series for me.

This was a great first volume! It gave me similar vibes as Witch Hat Atelier. Beautiful art and I really like the main character Blue. I look forward to following her journey and hopefully learning more of her background and why her wings are black. The setup with Celes (Angels) and Demons being is light/dark worlds was intriguing along with the 4 different areas that the population lives in surrounding the royal family. Overall this is a definite recommendation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A strong start to this series! I was instantly hooked from the beginning, seeing as this story reminded me of parts of Witch Hat Atelier, Land of the Lustrous, and Final Fantasy XIV. The story follows an orphan named Blue, who is rumored to be cursed, because of her pitch-black wings. Her goal in life is to one day become an Archangel, but after a horrific attack on the orphanage, she has a dark power awakened in her. I will be honest, the biggest thing I love about this manga is the art style. It's very similar to Witch Hat Atelier, with the style being reminiscent of woodcut art style. It's honestly gorgeous and I'm so in love with it. The story also has a good start, with unique world-building and story elements. The story does a very good job of explaining the kingdom of Quartz and how everything works, but they do have a few moments that get turned into a small exposition dump. But this is the first volume, so they have to establish as much about the world as they can, so I can forgive this. The concept of an Angel being an earned position to be a protector of the realm is very interesting to me! It is, so far, pretty disconnected from any Biblical or Christian mythos. Yes, the story uses the aesthetics of traditional Angels and other Christian elements, like Nuns, but beyond that, no connection. The story keeps a steady pace, but I will say the chapters feel slightly disconnected from one another. There is the setup chapter, but then right after there's a years-long time jump. I understand why it had to be done this way, but it's still a little off-putting. The volume ends on a cliffhanger, but I am very interested in reading the next volume. This series really has the potential to be something amazing!

What a great first installment to this manga series! Right away the art style captivates the reader while the story unfolds. It creates a charming atmosphere around our main character and her wholesome innocence. As the story unfolds, darker elements are introduced that create an compelling tension within the angel society's power structure. Overall, a very compelling read that I am eagerly waiting the sequel to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review!

So we know that Blue isn't the typical Celes and I feel bad for her already for how she is being treated. I'm hoping it gets into the main plot point a little more in the second volume, but I will definitely continue reading it as it's a very interesting concept! Just wish it showed a little more depth to really catch my attention faster.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read the first volume of this manga!

Wowza the artstyle is so literally stunning like my god, Blue is such a cute character like the amount of detail the artist has put through in this manga, it’s like fine wine 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌

Action scenes are also gorgeous too, this manga reminds me of Haibane Renmei a bit!

I want to say a big thank you to Netgalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

Reading this book was allot of fun and I cannot wait to read more, I love the character blue and I am rooting for her to achieve her dreams 💙

Kingdom of Quartz is a graphic novel about a world where angels protect the kingdom from demons. The protagonist is Blue, a young, orphan girl whose is often ridiculed for her strange black wings. Despite being bullied by the villagers she wishes to become an angel so as to protect and help people.
It is during a demon attack that Blue exhibits a strange power- a power that even she did not know she had. It is left to be seen if that power helps her to become an angel and protect her people or if it is a dark power that makes her a demon that destroys the kingdom.
The art style is amazing and I love how the demons are portrayed. This is a series worth reading. Can not wait to read the rest.

Ahhhhh, finally- a book that lives up to the comparisons made in the description. This manga definitely has "Witch Hat Atelier" vibes, especially in regards to the art style. I cannot say that it matches up to "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" or "Made in Abyss" because I haven't read them, but it does have dark tones to it.

A young, orphan girl with black wings wants to become an Angel who protects the Quartz Kingdom against demons. Her black wings are unusual, though, and she is heavily shunned and bullied by the townspeople because of it. During a demon attack that wipes out her friends she discovers a dark power inside her. Will she be able to become the Angel she so desperately wants to be? I'm really interested in seeing where this goes.

I was a little concerned at first, since Witch Hat is a really hard title to live up to, but after a few pages I realized that is the perfect comp title. This is a beautiful story that I can't wait for more from! The idea of angels and demons was incredibly interesting and I can't wait to see the twists and turns this story will take. A great set up to a new series.

4.5 stars

The art on this one is quite good, with an interesting whimsical style in spite of the occasionally bloody content.
I do hope Blue, the MC ages up a bit more sooner rather than later, because even by the end of the book when a few years have passed? (It’s a little unclear, but she is apparently 13 at that point) she still reads as a bit younger. Which, I believe is meant to showcase her purity of spirit, but will make certain potential character developments feel a bit off.

Definitely worth reading future volumes though. The storyline and world building is intriguing.

A beautiful art style reminiscent of Witch Hat Atelier and Children of the Whales, also starring a child suddenly saddled with responsibility beyond her understanding, and set in a fantasy world whose rules (and magic) are so different from our own.

Right from the first volume, we meet characters with only one wing and one character wearing prosthetics shown in positions of power or authority - while also giving nods to the kind of hateful rhetoric that disabled people can face.

I also appreciate that we got a snapshot of what normal looked like before all hell broke loose. It helped us get an immediate handle on who Blue is and why we should be interested in her story.

A Kingdom of Quartz is an interesting manga, since it's about angels. Blue is an orphaned girl with black wings and she gets bullied due to it. She wants to become an angel and happens to meet an Archangel, who's loved by everyone and helps her. But, soon demons attack the orphanage and Blue's secret power helps her defeat them. The power is just black, oozes with it. There's something alive inside Blue. I really liked the manga and how it didn't feel biblical at all. The setting is super interesting and how the Archangel needs Blue so that he can become the king. There's so much potential in this and basically the series can go anywhere. Somehow this reminded me of Witch Hat Atelier in a way, but this is definitely darker.

The art looks really nice, the combination of sweet angels with nasty demons and the blood is great. Sometimes the panels are a bit stuffed, but it doesn't bother that much. I so need to keep reading this, since the mystery is intriguing and the darkness surely calls, haha.

A very captivating graphic novel - it's rare that I get hooked into the plot of a manga series after the first volume only. Highly recommend if you like fantasy with demons and angels with a bit of action, and if you want escapism!