Brimming with action, fun, and breathless intrigue.
This second graphic adventure installment finds an uncertain young hero a step closer to fulfilling his prophecy.
Jumping in where Travis Daventhorpe for the Win! (2023) leaves off, Travis and BFF Juniper Reyes continue their training with Belazar, a mage from another dimension, who’s here to help Travis overthrow evil king Nol Invictus from the throne of Solusterra. Travis struggles with the long hours of instruction, seeming to trust in technology over believing he can develop the necessary skills. When a blizzard is forecasted to hit Travis’ and Juniper’s town of Hopeton, Ohio, Nol sees this as an opportunity to strike. He sends out his warrior Rogue and an army of Velociborgs, or weaponized dinosaurs. Can Travis save not only Hopeton but the multiverse at large before it’s too late? Molebash’s sophomore offering is utterly delightful, skillfully blending an array of themes from middle school friend drama to questioning one’s faith, giving this work surprising depth and accessibility. Cleverly plotted nuances aside, the story never takes itself so seriously that it risks tipping into didacticism. As with its predecessor, an edge-of-your-seat cliffhanger ending promises more action—and answers—in later volumes. Some giggle-worthy bonus material helps lessen the sting. Travis is white and has a large birthmark; Juniper is Mexican American, and Belazar has brown skin. The secondary characters represent a diverse spectrum of skin tones and gender identities.
Brimming with action, fun, and breathless intrigue. (map, player guide, side quest) (Graphic science fiction. 7-12)Pub Date: March 19, 2024
ISBN: 9781250801432
Page Count: 288
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Thought-provoking and charming.
A sophisticated robot—with the capacity to use senses of sight, hearing, and smell—is washed to shore on an island, the only robot survivor of a cargo of 500.
When otters play with her protective packaging, the robot is accidently activated. Roz, though without emotions, is intelligent and versatile. She can observe and learn in service of both her survival and her principle function: to help. Brown links these basic functions to the kind of evolution Roz undergoes as she figures out how to stay dry and intact in her wild environment—not easy, with pine cones and poop dropping from above, stormy weather, and a family of cranky bears. She learns to understand and eventually speak the language of the wild creatures (each species with its different “accent”). An accident leaves her the sole protector of a baby goose, and Roz must ask other creatures for help to shelter and feed the gosling. Roz’s growing connection with her environment is sweetly funny, reminiscent of Randall Jarrell’s The Animal Family. At every moment Roz’s actions seem plausible and logical yet surprisingly full of something like feeling. Robot hunters with guns figure into the climax of the story as the outside world intrudes. While the end to Roz’s benign and wild life is startling and violent, Brown leaves Roz and her companions—and readers—with hope.
Thought-provoking and charming. (Science fiction/fantasy. 7-11)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-38199-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
