More legendarious feats and fun.
Learning to be a Sneaker (not that kind but “one who sneaks”) helps a young archer save her town from a dazzling trickster and to let a broken friendship go in this video game–based spinoff following the 2023 series opener.
Red-haired, green-eyed archer Jane is crushed when her once-tight friend, Angie, takes up with new BFF Janice. But she’s even more upset when the two girls join new arrivals Kellen the Magically Handsome Archer and his flashy Ultra-Cucumbers to push her and her loyal Cucumbers teammates right out of Jazzypickleton. As it turns out, Kellen is actually in the pay of a rival kingdom, and it’s all part of an evil scheme to steal all of Jazzypickleton’s elixir and Royale trophies. Fortunately, Jane enters a secret cave, where she meets the mystic Order of Sneakers—and though she can’t get them to change their name to something less dorky (like Sneakists or even Sneaketeers), they do teach her the art of becoming invisible by mystically letting unnecessary attachments go. Jane returns just in time to save the town and send Kellen the Magically et cetera packing. Even non-gamers will find the typecast characters—ranging from green goblins and brown-skinned Hog Riders to blond armored warriors with “big metal balls”—amusing and easily identifiable, and if the melees tend to be massively violent, no one is ever actually hurt.
More legendarious feats and fun. (Graphic fantasy. 10-15)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781250816283
Page Count: 144
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wonderful, whimsical winner.
Beetle and Kat return in another gloriously imaginative adventure.
In this follow-up to Beetle & the Hollowbones (2020), green-skinned goblin Beetle and necromanced skeleton Kat anticipate Carnival Night, when the Great Dragons will arrive with the lighting of a magical beacon. When the dragons fail to show, Kat and Beetle seek help from another dragon, physician Evelyn Drake, and her vampire companion, Dr. Delia Darlingtonia. Involved in planning aspects of the carnival, Kat’s overbearing parents pit her against another magician in a winner-takes-all competition that could see Kat lose her own abilities. Kat grapples with balancing her family’s crushing expectations and her authentic self. Beetle has her own troubles: She feels herself changing into something unrecognizable as her goblin magic grows, leading her to great lengths to repress it. As their relationship deepens, Kat and Beetle struggle with their own comings-out and redefining their move from friendship to something more. Avoiding any second-book slump, Layne’s phenomenal sequel mixes fantasy, social themes, and an inclusive and unforgettable cast with a gentle, swoonworthy romance. The worldbuilding and magic systems are complex but accessible, brought to life with stunningly rendered, vibrant illustrations. The book opens with a brief recap for those unfamiliar with its predecessor. This volume makes a fine jumping-in point, but readers would be remiss to lose out on a single minute in this world.
A wonderful, whimsical winner. (dramatis personae, magic systems, creature guide, character designs, promo art, mini comic) (Graphic fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781665907484
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Briskly paced, expertly crafted, and stocked with surprising twists and nuanced characters.
A young warrior battles inner ghosts and a rival to the throne in this series kickoff.
Switching to a graphic format, Myklusch returns to the elusive island of Imagine Nation, the setting of his Jack Blank novel series, where belief is the ruling principle. Dreaming of measuring up to his dead parents, Skerren takes center stage in a battle for the crown of Varagog, where it’s always 1404. He faces Zorn, the son of a displaced ruler who fled years ago following the cybernetic Rüstov’s invasion attempt. Orlando’s art effectively showcases Imagine Nation’s racially and culturally distinctive residents and settings as the high-action plot shifts scenes beyond Varagog to Faerie and futuristic Hightown—until an evil alliance in the Night Lands that threatens everyone on the island is revealed. In combat scenes, the artist also substitutes sprays of black Night Lander goop for red blood, rendering swordfights somewhat less gory. To the pleasure of returning fans (and comics readers in general), Jack and his fantastically rubbery-blue friend Allegra step in to help, and in a Marvel Universe–style twist, a conflicted older retainer nursing a devastating secret later plays a crucial role. Happily, for those readers who aren’t fans of never-ending plotlines, this volume offers enough of a resolution to work as a stand-alone.
Briskly paced, expertly crafted, and stocked with surprising twists and nuanced characters. (Graphic fantasy. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781665928182
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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