Thursday, December 28, 2017

5 Worlds: The sand warrior by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun

Star Wars meets Avatar in this new graphic novel series introducing a sprawling world of magic, intrigue, and danger. The first title pours in a dizzying array of history, legends, political intrigues, and a whole fleet of characters, but the bright personalities and fast-paced action will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Oona Lee, a disgraced student at the Sand Dancer Academy, is the last person anyone expects to save the world. She has limited abilities and her older, more talented sister ran away when she was chosen for the yearly honor of attempting to light a beacon. But the five worlds are under threat and when the academy and its most sacred treasures are destroyed and stolen, Oona goes on the run. With the help of An Tzu, a boy from the slums with plenty of tricks, friends, and unfortunately a deadly disease up his sleeve, and the mysterious celebrity athlete Jax Amboy, Oona must decide whether she can trust her faulty power or if only her vanished sister can save the 5 worlds.

The art is colorful, with lots of pastels, pinks, greens, and blues. Unlike most action heroes in the comics, Oona Lee and An Tzu are both plump, stockily-built characters. All of the people show a wide variety of skin colors, from warm brown to turquoise, and there are plenty of humanoid creatures as well. There are plenty of hints of other fantasy worlds, from the arguing delegates of the 5 worlds to the mystical power of sand that flows through the summoning dances. But this is a wholly original story, packed full of thought-provoking instances of prejudice and environmental catastrophe as well as heart-pounding action.

Verdict: This is blurbed by Kibuishi and Amulet fans are just a few of the kids likely to grab this off the shelf. Recommend to fans of Amulet, Zita the Spacegirl, Avatar, and Cleopatra in Space as well as any readers who like epic graphic fantasies. Sure to find an audience in any library, I strongly recommend adding this series to your graphic novels.

ISBN: 9781101935880; Published 2017 by Random House; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

No comments: