Sparkling characters highlight this diverting illustrated fantasy tale.
The Jewel Riders protect their kingdom from wild magic and a villain’s resurgence in Bellaire’s YA graphic novel, a tie-in to the mid-1990s American television series.
Princess Gwenevere is the future queen of Avalon. But she doesn’t wish to marry her fiance, Drake, even if their union would guarantee stability for the kingdom—not if that means she’ll no longer be a Jewel Rider. Gwenevere and her Jewel Rider friends wield magic stones and ride on winged unicorns, like purple-haired Fallon’s purple-maned companion, Moondance. Something is amiss in Avalon—creatures suddenly attacking the kingdom only mark the beginning. Gwenevere’s fellow Jewel Rider Tamara worries about the wizard Merlin, who’s giving her magic lessons, as his atypical grumpiness seems to be hiding an unexplained resentment. At the same time, there’s a potential wild-magic outbreak starting in the forest. When a dark-magic-using villain makes a shocking return, Gwen may once again have to don her helmeted Jewel Rider ensemble and join Tamara and Fallon in defending Avalon from evil (“There was no telling what measures we’d need to take”). Bellaire develops the cast exceedingly well as the females take the story’s reins, with Gwen craving independence and Fallon leading “the Pack” of wolf-riding warriors. The male characters, including Drake, the king, and the entertainingly unpredictable Merlin, shine just as brightly. This story captures the animated television series’ essence while making subtle contemporary updates, such as the king learning to greet with fist bumps. There’s an unmistakable positivity to the narrative, which encourages openness and demonstrates that vulnerability isn’t always a weakness. Tamara, who catches on to the kingdom’s general unease faster than anyone else, easily steals this opening volume. There’s plenty more for future books to explore, like Fallon’s duties as Pack leader and the villain’s origin. Carreon’s illustrations portray characters in the style of Japanese anime, with doe eyes and exaggerated facial expressions. The images deftly exemplify character, like the persistent clutter in Merlin’s isolated cottage, and are rendered in lavish pastels.
Sparkling characters highlight this diverting illustrated fantasy tale.Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781960578921
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Maverick
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions.
A teenage girl refuses a medical procedure to remove her heart and her emotions.
June lives in a future in which a reclusive Scientist has pioneered a procedure to remove hearts, thus eliminating all “sadness, anxiety, and anger.” The downside is that it numbs pleasurable feelings, too. Most people around June have had the procedure done; for young people, in part because doing so helps them become more focused and successful. Before long, June is the only one among her peers who still has her heart. When her parents decide it’s time for her to have the procedure so she can become more focused in school, June hatches a plan to pretend to go through with it. She also investigates a way to restore her beloved sister’s heart, joining forces with Max, a classmate who’s also researching the Scientist because he has started to feel again despite having had his heart removed. The pair’s journey is somewhat rushed and improbable, as is the resolution they achieve. However, the story’s message feels relevant and relatable to teens, and the artwork effectively sets the scene, with bursts of color popping throughout an otherwise black-and-white landscape, reflecting the monochromatic, heartless reality of June’s world. There are no ethnic or cultural markers in the text; June has paper-white skin and dark hair, and Max has dark skin and curly black hair.
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions. (Graphic speculative fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780063116214
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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