THE WITCH'S THRONE

A series built on battles is ready to go all out for its tournament arc.

Are you ready to rumble? Reksha the Breaker is, with her bout in the Citadel’s tournament matching her against a massive, armored foe. It’s the first of several fights in this third volume, all of them serving flashy, hyperkinetic attacks that returning fans will have come to expect by now. As familiar as characters like Reksha, Grom, and Agni may seem, this book shows that they still have mysteries yet to be uncovered. Flashbacks reveal motives and revelations, usually at the most dramatic possible moment, so that both sides of each lethal matchup end up being sympathetic to some degree. Agni, who serves as the heart of the story, searches for a way to win the tournament without having to kill anyone. There’s still plenty of room for humor, such as in the running gag of tournament advertisements (“Have stray harpies taken roost on your roof? Get rid of them now with the help of…”) that hide an important detail in plain sight. Gaming logic continues to apply, from job types to hit points and damage totals that actually matter in combat. Caballes is more than inspired by shōnen manga and fantasy game tropes; they are his tools to twist and subvert, and he’s using them to build a series that’s worth following.

Fun action scenes with compelling characters and tragic consequences make for a thrilling fantasy brawler.