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This is a spoiler free review

Overview:
Houseki no Kuni is a riveting story from start to finish. What begins as a lighthearted journey following our main character Phosphophyllite as they try to find their place amongst their eclectic companions does not stay that way for long. Not everything is as simple as it seems and as Phosphophyllite investigates the true nature of their world they may be forced to come face to face with some ugly truths. As the story unfolds it explores the ideas of human nature and what it means to be truly all the while exploring how we are shaped by our bonds ... with those around us.

Story:
The story does an excellent job keeping the reader engaged from start to finish. Through all the twists and turns this story will almost always leave you on a cliffhanger eager to learn what comes next and what is really going on. The story does a good job developing upon itself in a cohesive way and the humor is fluidly mixed in with the stories somewhat darker themes while still maintaining its impact. The story deals with a fair few philosophical topics with the main one being existentialism. All of these topics are introduced and handled well, encouraging the reader to really stop and think.

Characters:
The cast is both extremely diverse and well fleshed out. While the cast is constantly expanded upon over the course of the series it, for the most part, still does a good job of showcasing not only their strengths but their flaws as well. None do so better than our main character, Phosphophyllite, who is shown to develop and change in many ways whether it be for better or worse.

Art:
The art in this series is, while not overly complicated, very well done. However,there are several times where it is hard to follow what is happening during action sequences. The use of space is excellent and page composition is done in a way that only enhances this fact. The only real problem I would say that I have is that at first it is somewhat difficult to differentiate characters as many have a similar appearance.

World:
The world of Houseki no Kuni is beautifully made with both a sense of mysticism and melancholy that it is so rare to find. The setting does an incredible job of coaxing the reader to ponder its nature only to floor them when their questions are answered. The hauntingly beautiful and mysterious setting is one of the best parts of this series and is an incredible backdrop for the story.

Conclusion:
If any of this sounds interesting then I would highly recommend reading Houseki no Kuni as it is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking read from start to finish that will keep you turning pages.