Can We Talk About Consent? By Justin Hancock - Book Review

 

'What exactly is consent? Why does it matter? How can you negotiate your place in the world while respecting other people’s boundaries, and have them respect yours?

'Can We Talk About Consent? breaks down the basics of how to have healthy relationships in every aspect of life for readers aged 14 years and older. Consent is a powerful word, but not everyone understands exactly what it means. This clearly written, stylishly illustrated guide explains clearly what consent means and why it matters—for all of us. 

'With honest explanations by experienced sex and relationships educator Justin Hancock, children will learn how consent is a vital part of how we connect with ourselves and our self-esteem, the people close to us and the wider world. Readers will uncover how to develop and maintain relationships, how to manage and avoid negative relationships, and will learn more about equality and respect.

'Covers a broad range of topics, including: how we greet each other; how to choose things for ourselves; how we say no to things we don't want to do; communicating and respecting choices in sexual relationships; the factors that can affect a person's ability to choose; and how to empower other people by giving them consent.'

Consent is an incredibly important topic, and one that should be taught to all people, especially in schools where children and teens develop interpersonal skills that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, I can't remember consent ever really being talked about when I was in school. Yes, there was the basics like 'rape is bad', but that's really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to consent, and doesn't really cover how broad and important an issue it is. This is something that Can We Talk About Consent? is trying to address.

The book is aimed at the teen and young adult market, having been marked as suitable for 15+, and its written in such a way that it feels really easy to pick up and understand, and seems like the kind of book that would fit well in any classroom or school library. 

Justin Hancock has tried to make the topic as easy to understand as he can, and one of the ways that's been done is to relate consent to everyday scenarios and situations that young people will recognise. Not only does this help to make consent easier to talk about, as it's often included in conversations about sex, but also illustrates how consent matters in situations that don't have anything to do with sex. There's examples in the book how things as simple as greeting people ties into consent, and how the choice of shaking someones hand, giving them a hug, or not touching them at all falls into the conversation about consent, and how simple everyday interactions can force people into scenarios that they don't feel comfortable in.

The book acknowledges these situations in a number of ways, and often shows readers 'should stories', showing how things should be, but how that doesn't always line up with peoples lived experiences. These are incredibly useful moments, and helps to break down what could be something of an intimidating subject.

One of the things about the book that doesn't quite work for me, however, was the illustrations that accompanied the text. Now, there was nothing wrong with the quality of the artwork, and it was very well done, but the bright. bold, and sometimes simplistic images sometimes made the book feel like it was being aimed at a much younger audience than teens. There were times where the images bordered of humerus, and whilst this might make some people feel more relaxed about the subject they did sometimes make me feel like not enough weight was being given over to what's an incredibly important issue. And sadly I can't help but feel that the illustrations will put adult readers off the book, an audience who probably never had consent covered with them when they were the age of the book's target audience, and who could really benefit from this book too.

Despite these few small issues I found the book to be incredibly well informed, and it make a big and sometimes intimidating topic easy to understand. Like I said before, I can easily see this book being used as a teaching resource, and I think that that's where it will excel for sure.

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Generations Shattered #1 - Comic Review

 

Generation Shattered was a book that had my attention as soon as it was announced. The idea of a team of heroes coming together from various timelines to battle a threat to reality itself just sounded like a DC version of Exiles, a book I love, so I was sold on the concept straight away; but the I saw the line-up for the team and it became so much more intriguing.

The story begins in the distant future, where Kamandi, the last boy on earth, is fleeing from a wave of 'goneness' that's spreading across the world, erasing everything it touches from existence. Rescues at the last second by an elderly Booster Gold and Skeets, who is now a snazzy gauntlet like device that you can wear, Kamandi is sent back through time with the android to recruit a team of heroes to stop this wave from erasing every period of history.

Over the first half of the book we follow Kamandi and Skeets as they try to recruit an army of heroes, something that proves harder than expected as the nothingness wave keeps erasing times and places, and Kamandi makes a few wrong rescues along the way. However, over the course of his travels Kamandi is able to recover seven others to help him on his mission, Super-boy from his time with the Legion of Super Heroes, Starfire from her early days with the Teen Titans, Steel from the Reign of the Supermen era, Booster Gold from when he first came back in time to become a hero, Doctor Light shortly after she became a hero during the first Crisis, Sinestro when he was still a Green Lantern, and Batman from his very first appearance in 1939.

This probably isn't the kind of team that most people would build if given the free reign to do what this book does, and certainly isn't what I'd come up with, but it definitely makes for a very interesting group of people. We have a Batman who is straight out of the pages of his very first appearnace, who's a fish out of water because he's used to the technology of the 1930's. There's a Sinestro who is still a hero, though probably still battling with his own internal demons and his mistrust of the Gauradians of the Universe and their way of doing things. Starfire is still new to Earth and hasn't yet made those friendships and connections that helped to ground her to life on our planet. Booster is an arrogant dick who's only around to make a name for himself and become famous, and isn't the selfless hero that he will one day become.

This is a team of people who are new to what they do, who are heroes, but are inexperienced and unsure, who haven't grown as people, and whilst this means that they might not be the best group of people to set out to try and save reality itself, it does make for some interesting moments.

Sadly, we don't get much time to slow down and really spend time with the characters, despite the issue being 80 pages long. So much of the bulk of the issue is spent with Kamandi gathering his team, and then once they're together they're quickly beset by the villain. Despite the length of the book it really doesn't feel like an 80 page read because of the pace it moves at, and you'll end up getting through it much faster than you realise. Whilst this is good in some ways, as it makes the story move with a sense of urgency, it does leave it feeling lacking in the character development department; but hopefully this is something that will be given more time in later issues of the story.

The book has three writers working on it, Dan Jurgens, Andy Schmidt, and Robert Venditti, and you don't really get much sense of who wrote what parts of it, probably in part due to the fast pace of the narrative. But the book also has twenty artists working on the book. At first glance this seems pretty extreme, and you'd think that this would make the book feel unruly or hard to follow, especially as some of these artists have very different art styles, but the book uses its artists well. Every time the book moves to a different era to see different heroes the art style changes, both to signify that these are different places, but also to act as a nod to the art styles of the times these eras were set. The art styles suit the places where they are used, and really helps to sell the idea that we're travelling through multiple times and places.

Generation Shattered proves to be something of a love letter to the history of the DC Universe, and takes readers on a breakneck roller coaster ride across the comics of the past, filled with nods to things that readers will love. However, its fast pace does act a bit to its detriment as we're never given a chance to slow down and appreciate what we're reading, or to see the characters do much; but as the start of something it's a hell of a first issue, one that definitely gets you pumped to see what comes next.

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Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp #4 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Thanks to stunning revelations in the last issue of Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp, and a cliffhanger that promised excitement to come, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this issue, and the team on this book have certainly not let me down, delivering what might be one of the best issue of Goosebumps yet.

Thanks to the werewolf’s secret hideaway having been discovered by the vicious wolf hunters in the final moments of the last issue, the heroes of the book are facing some serious danger here, and it’s up to Bree to step up and take responsibility for her part in things. I won’t say what she does, because seeing her come up with a plan is a good portion of the fun of this issue, but I will say that her decisions are a brilliant character moment for her, and really feels like it’s what the whole series has been building towards.

Having spent all her free time fighting monsters in video games Bree is having to face the reality that not only are some monsters real, but they can be good people. This change to her world view could have rocked her to her foundations and left her unable to do anything, but instead she gets to step up and prove herself. It’s a wonderful moment of development for her.

As normal, the art provided by Yasmin Florez Montanez is simply gorgeous, and really makes the characters come to life, especially the werewolves. Whether they’re in their human form or their wolf form they’re all instantly identifiable, and they all stand out from each other and look unique; where it could have been easy for her to simply make generic werewolves that all looked the same she took the time to give each of them character. The panels where they’re mid-transformation, with fur growing out of their skin and their limbs changing shape, are some of my favourite parts of the book, and she manages to make these mid-transformation moments bold and striking.    

Where other Goosebumps series have ended with their third or fourth issue this story is getting to continue, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m excited by the way this issue ends, and am really looking forward to seeing what comes next. Hopefully the book will get more than five issues too, as I’d love to spend more time with these characters, and feel that this is one of the stories where writer Marieke Nijkamp could really deliver some great moments if allowed the space to spend time with the characters and develop them out even more. Whether or not the next issue is the last it looks set to be an explosive one.

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Star Wars: The High Republic #1 - Comic Review

 

The High Republic has been coming for a while now, teased with some amazing artwork and brief glimpses of the story, this new age for the Star Wars universe has been one of the more anticipated parts of the franchise for a while now, and this month it finally arrives. As well as Light of the Jedi, a new prose novel by Charles Soule, readers also get to step into this new era in comics too, with Star Wars: The high Republic #1, written by Cavan Scott.

This first issue introduces new readers to the Stalight Beacon, a huge space station built by the Republic in the outer rim of the galaxy in the wake of The Great Disaster. The station will act as a beacon to those in this distant part of the galaxy, and will hope to bring the light of the High Republic to these remote systems.

We're also introduced to a number of new characters, the main one being Jedi Padawan Keeve Trennis, a young woman who has travelled to a remote planet with her master, the Trandoshan Jedi Sskeer, to perform her trial in order to prove herself ready to become a fully fledged Jedi Knight. Unfortunately, thing's don't go quite so smoothly for her, as disaster strikes the planet and its inhabitants.

Scott drops readers into a first issue that already has a lot of backstory to it, thanks to the aforementioned novel Light of the Jedi, and we see the High Republic dealing with the fallout of the events of that book. Despite this being a follow on from what came in that book it never feels absolutely necessary that you have to have read it going into this issue, and despite all of the stuff that's happening it feels really easy to slip into this new place, with these new characters. There are mentions of things that came before this, but the book manages to give enough context to those events for new readers to be able to follow along, without it feeling like he's going out of his way to explain things. It's very natural feeling, and because of this we're never bogged down in trying to catch up if you've not read the novel yet.

The book manages to balance the world building and construction of this exciting new era with characters and action really well too, and an issue that could easily become bogged down in world building and scene setting is actually a really fun adventure story too, one where we get to see Keeve shine, and she quickly becomes a character that you'll like and want to spend more time with.

There are a number of characters like this in the issue, people like Sskeer, who ends up becoming one of the more mysterious and intriguing characters by the end of the issue, and Estan Maru, the Jedi who seems to be juggling a lot of balls by acting as a facilitator on Starlight, keeping track of everything that's going on. Both of these Jedi really fascinated me, and I'm hoping that they both get more of a chance to shine in upcoming issues of the series. The High Republic also features, briefly, a very recognisable character in the form of Yoda, who is much younger here, and not on the Jedi Council. Seeing just one familiar face in this new time really helped to ground the book, and reassure that this is a part of the ever expanding Star Wars universe, and it really helped to make this book feel like a part of the franchise even when doing bold new things.

The artwork for the issue is provided by Ario Anindito, Mark Morales, and Annalisa Leoni, and it all looks gorgeous throughout. The three of them really help to sell the idea that this is the Republic, and the Jedi, at their height, and the Starligh Beacon and its inhabitants all look grand and elegant, and have a sense of beauty and wonder to it that is sometimes missing from later eras of the Star Wars franchise. It wasn't until I came to look at the people working on the book come having finished reading it that I even realised that there was more than one artist on the book, because the three of them work so well together that it all flows beautifully together. Sometimes when a book features multiple artists it can be really obvious where the change over happens, and it can throw you out of the book, but that was never the case here; the whole thing looked wonderful.

If this first issue is any indication of the quality of the series going forward then this is one of the most exciting and engaging parts of the Star Wars universe in a long time, and one that holds so much promise. This is a time and place where anything can happen, where any type of character can turn up, where any of the heroes could die, and where some true wonders can happen. I can't wait to see what happens next!

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Star Wars Adventures: Smuggler’s Run #1 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

There have been a lot of great issues of Star Wars Adventures this year, and as we close out 2020 IDW have given readers a special treat with this double length issue that kicks off an adaptation of one of the recent, but sometimes overlooked, Star Wars novels, Smuggler’s Run. I reviewed this book in the build up to the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story, and am pleased to see that it’s being given another chance to shine, this time in comic form.

The story picks up shortly after the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, where the Rebel Alliance has managed to destroy the deadly Death Star. The Rebels are busy packing up their base on Yavin 4, and are getting the hell out of dodge before the Empire turns up looking for retribution. It’s here that we find Han Solo, and see that despite having come back to save the day in the film, he isn’t quite ready to sign up with the Rebellion just yet.

I love that the book is exploring Han at this point, where he’s still the scoundrel and rogue who only cares about money, and his coming back to help Luke was a moment of weakness for him, rather than a change of heart. He’s a good guy, but he’s stuck in his old ways, he’s out to make money, and he’s worrying about Jabba the Hut sending bounty hunters after him. As such, when Princess Leia asks him to help them out by going and picking up a Rebel agent being hunted by the ISB (Imperial Security Bureau). Can Han put his doubts and old ways aside and step up to be a hero once again, or will he fall back on his old ways? Well, anyone who’s seen the films will know how this ends up, but it’s still fun watching Han make this journey.

The original book was written by Greg Rucka, the famous comic writer responsible for the creation of Batwoman, and it’s surprising that he’s not been brought in to adapt the book himself. Instead, Alec Worley, who’s worked on franchises such as Judge Dredd and the Warhammer universe, lends his talents to the adaptation, something he’d previously done for the Weapon of a Jedi comic.

Worley proves pretty early into the issue that he’s more than up to the task of adapting another writer’s work, and the comic manages to feel fresh and exciting throughout, and if you’ve read the original you can see where Worley is choosing certain action in panels to enhance the action of the story, bringing a new comic book flair to the narrative. Speaking of the artwork, Ingo Romling has done some superb work here, and it looks pretty spectacular. The characters all look bold and smooth, and straddle the line well between realistic and cartoonish. There have been some issue of Star Wars Adventures that fail at this, and end up looking too much like a cartoon, and lose a little something, but here it feels like the world of the original films, rather than something trying to recreate that magic.   

Thanks to the extra length of the issue there’s a lot on offer here, and the story very quickly sucks you in, and despite being twice the normal comic length it soon comes to an end, leaving you eager for the next issue. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of this adaptation next year, even though I know how the story ends already, because this version is just so damn good!

Star Wars Adventures: Smuggler’s Run #1 is out now from IDW Publishing.

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Animal Farm By George Orwell - Book Review

 

'Orwell's powerfully unnerving and enduring allegory of oppression and rebellion, brought to life for a new age of readers in a stunning dyslexia-friendly edition. "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others ..." When the lazy and drunken Mr Jones of Manor Farm forgets to feed his livestock the down-trodden and over-worked animals unite to take back their freedom. Led by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball they imagine this rebellion as the start of a life of prosperity and plenty. But as a cunning, brutal, hidden elite begins to take control, something new and unexpected emerges ...'

Animal Farm has always been one of those books that I've meant to try and find the time to read but never managed to. There's always been something new that I've had to read, so the classics tend to keep getting pushed to the back of the pile, with me thinking 'I'll get round to it some day'. As such, I was really happy to see that Barrington Stoke were producing a Super-Readable edition of the book, and one that looks absolutely gorgeous too.

I don't know what I can really say about Animal Farm that hasn't been said a thousand times before by different people, but I enjoyed the book. It was a story that had a strong central message about how power can corrupt, and how blind obedience to a leader can be a bad thing, and these lessons were given over in a very understandable way thanks the Orwell choosing to tell the tale through animals rather than people. It made it so that narrative felt more accessible, so that anyone from any walk of life could pick it up, recognise that these are animals on a farm, and just take it in, rather than being worried about where and when it's set, or who these people are.

The book felt very timeless, and other than a few points in the book that made it clear that it was written in a time passed, it could easily be seen to be happening in any time or place. It certainly felt like one of the few classics I've read where it doesn't feel tied to the time it was written in, and that people could pick it up in any decade and get a lot out of it and not feel like they're stepping backwards in time.

This edition is even more accessible, thanks to the team at Barrington Stoke. Every part of the book has been designed to make it easier to read, and to be more inclusive. The book is printed in a very large, clear font, one that has been designed to be easier for people with dyslexia, it's also been printed in a yellow toned paper, to help reduce the contrast between the text and the page so that visual stress will be eliminated.

The book also has thick paper stock, which eliminates bleed through of text printed on the other pages. Thanks to this the book feels a lot bigger and weightier than other editions of the book I've seen, and it physically feels more like a novel than a novella. Now, this might at first glance put people off slightly thanks to the sheer size of the book, but most people will find themselves breezing through it quite quickly, and pages will start flying by. 

Whilst the book is designed to be super-readable for those who have difficulties with books it's not just designed for that one demographic, and anyone can pick this up and enjoy it. There's no sense that things have been  simplified in any way, and this means that its accessible to so many people without you feeling like you're missing out on anything. Whether you're someone who has difficulty with reading or not, this book would be perfect for you if you've never read Animal Farm before, and its larger text and longer page count would make it the perfect edition to pick up if you find yourself or anyone you know studying it in school, as there's a lot more room to break down the content and annotate the book.

I love what Barrington Stoke have done with this edition, and would love to see this done with more of the smaller classic books. There are so many stories that I'd love to read that are shorter in length, that either come as small and flimsy books or packed into big collections to bulk them out. If I had a chance to have more of them like this, given room to feel like a book worth noticing all on their own, with gorgeous cover artwork, and having been made accessible to more people, I'd certainly snap them up. 

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Albert Johnson And The Buns of Steel by Phil Earle - Book Review

'Dad is a Master Baker and Albert is expected to one day follow in his footsteps. There's just one problem ... Albert doesn't care about baking, he only cares about football, tennis, cricket and any other sport you can think of. When his dad invents The 'Doughmaster 5000' to help out around the bakery, it seems all their problems have been solved. But disaster is never far away and soon Dad's miracle solution is a rampaging nightmare! With just a pair of football boots, a tennis racket and a cricket bat to hand, can Albert really come to the rescue and fix this mess?'

Albert Johnson And The Buns of Steel is the latest book in the Barrington Stoke 'Little Gems' line, books designed for kids aged between 5 and 8. Written by Phil Earle, who has produced a number of books for the company before, it follows Albert Johnson, the son of a baker who wants to pursue sports instead of going into the family business.

The Johnsons have been bakers for generations, and his father is one of the best around, so is heartbroken when his son tells him that he doesn't want to follow in his footsteps. However, he's determined to help his son, so builds the Doughmaster 5000, a robot that will be able to help him around the bakery, giving him more time to help Albert with his sports. Unfortunately, when an accident sends the robot on a rampage it's left up to Albert to try and save the day.

This book isn't massively long, clocking in at just under 100 pages with large print and illustrations, which meant it's a quick read, and most parents will be able to get through it in a single sitting with their kids; which is good because the action moves at a breakneck speed, and younger readers will be left wanting to find out what happens next. 

Despite being relatively short, and not getting a whole lot of time to spend with characters before the adventure really kicks off Phil Earle is able to establish the characters really strongly early on, and it's easy to identify the characters and what makes them tick. They have big, broad characteristics that not only makes understanding them easy, but allows kids to get to like them really quickly too.

The book is also packed with illustrations from Steve May, and every single page has something on it to grab children's attention, whether its a doughnut or a sports ball, there's something lurking on the pages that will quickly attract the kids eyes. The best pages, however, are the ones that show what's happening in the story. These illustrations are big and bold, and have a beautiful colour pallet to them. The artwork feels really crisp and clean, and stands out as some of the nicer work I've seen in a children's book for a while.

Whether reading it on their own or with a parent taking them through the story there's a lot to this book to keep them entertained, and capture their imagination.

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The Sword of Surtur by C.L. Werner - Book Review

 

'Envy drives the God of War into a realm of fire to reclaim his glory, in this epic fantasy novel of Odin’s greatest heroes, in Marvel’s Legends of Asgard

'Tyr, God of War, elder brother of Thor, embarks on a quest to regain his honor and place at Odin’s side. Spurred on by loyal young Bjorn Wolfbane and the bewitching Lorelai, the trio set out to steal a sliver of Twilight, sword of the fire giant Surtur, who will one day bring about Ragnarok and destroy Asgard. But the fiery realm of Muspelheim is fraught with volcanic trolls, lava kraken, and Surtur’s brood of murderous warriors. Tyr must overcome his own feelings of inadequacy and the motives of his allies or risk triggering the apocalypse and cursing his name forever.'

The Marvel Legends of Asgard range is one of the more interesting series that Aconyte Books is producing, due in large part to the fact that I have to keep reminding myself when reading them that these stories are actually taking place in the Marvel Universe. The Sword of Surtur, and the previous book in the series the Head of Mimir, feel like more than simple super hero stories, stories about larger than life costumed heroes fighting criminals; these books are huge, sweeping fantasy epics that stand out from the rest of the Marvel novels the company are producing, and are ideal for anyone unsure if they'd get on with a comic novel.

The Sword of Surtur follows one of the less features sons of Odin, one of the brothers that never gets as much time in the spotlight as the heroic Thor, or the duplicitous Loki; this book centres of Tyr, the God of War. I'd only seen Tyr in the Marvel comics once of twice, and then not for very long, and whilst the character did feature in one of the Marvel movies it's not made clear exactly who he is, as such, I honestly didn't know that he was one of Odin's sons before I started to read this book, believing him to just be another one of the gods.

This familial connection, and the fact that Tyr is often overlooked and forgotten in the place of Thor is one of the main themes of the book, and is a major driving force for everything that happens here. Thor is being celebrated for his brave feats, even though what he did was foolish and reckless, whilst Tyr is left feeling forgotten. He was the god who bravely gave up his hand to bound Fenrir, the giant wolf who would play a part in Ragnarok, who allowed the great beast to bite off his hand in order to secure Asgard's safety; yet here is Thor being called a hero for needlessly putting his life at risk for glory.

It's a situation that I think we can all identify with, though I hope none of us have had to let a wolf eat our hand. It's the kind of scenario we've all been a part of before. We've done something because it was the right thing to do, or because it helped people and we've had to watch others who have done a whole lot less get heaped with praise. It's the kind of jealousy that we've all experienced, and that apparently even gods are susceptible to.

Rather than wallow in his jealousy Tyr decides that he needs to do something that will eclipse Thor's deeds, something that is not only brave and daring, but will benefit people. As such, he sets out to travel to the fiery land of Muspelheim in order to steal the sword of the fire giant Surtur. Not only is this a task that will put Tyr against almost insurmountable odds and foes worthy of song, but if he succeeds he will be able to steal the weapon meant to play a part in Ragnarok, therefore ensuring the end of times can't come to pass. It's a mission he'll need help with, however, so he's joined by the brave warrior Bjorn Wolfsbane, and the enchantress Lorelai.

The trio proves to be an interesting team, especially thanks to Lorelai's abilities to bewitch men and make them fall in love with her, which creates some tense moments when the two men begin to fall victim to her enchantments and their friendship is put to the test. Despite having seen Lorelai played as a villain in the past, thanks to an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I enjoyed seeing her played as something of a hero, though one you never trust one hundred percent. She gives the team a different kind of energy, especially as she brings magic and spells to a group that would otherwise rely on brute force to achieve their goals.

I also really enjoyed how The Sword of Surtur felt in relation to the other Marvel Legends of Asgard book that Aconyte have released, and how the two novels work well together. At first glance they're both pretty similar, following a small group of heroes travelling to another realm to get their hands on a mystical artefact and bring it to Asgard. However, they're quite different, and can act as mirrors of each other. The Head of Mimir follows a couple of people of who aren't lauded heroes, who no one will listen to, as they travel to a realm of ice and snow to retrieve something stolen from Asgard that's being used to put the kingdom in peril; meanwhile The Sword of Surtur sees characters who are well know, celebrated heroes in Asgard travelling to a realm of fire in order to steal something that doesn't belong to them to prevent a future attack on Asgard. The two books seem to be flipped scenarios of each other, but instead of feeling similar they're both so different, and show different sides to the world of Asgard, and the heroes that live their.

The Sword of Surtur is, at its heart, a fantasy novel. It's a book about brave heroes clashing with forces of evil, fighting against monsters and devils, with swords and sorcery being used as weapons. It's the kind of fantasy you don't see get the limelight much anymore, where things don't have to feel too grounded, where the fantastical isn't hidden away or explained as something else, but is embraced. This is a story that doesn't just take inspiration from the myths and legends that inspired the Marvel books, but celebrates it. If you've never picked up a comic before, if you're not sure you'd like heroes fighting costumed villains with over the top plots, this is the kind of book that can show you that there's more to comics than that, and that those universes can easily make the jump to prose without losing any of their magic.

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Dryad Volume One by Kurtis Wiebe - Book Review

 

'Best-selling writer Kurtis Wiebe (Rat Queens) and newcomer artist Justin Osterling launch a new fantasy saga!

'The Glass family has spent thirteen years hiding peacefully in the sleepy forest settlement of Frostbrook where Morgan and Yale planted roots and raised their twins, Griffon and Rana. But secrets never stay hidden, and the entire Glass family find themselves the target of an unearthly attack on Frostbrook.

'Now on the run from Muse Corp., they must flee to the massive city of Silver’s Bay to hide in plain sight. Rana and Griffon find themselves uprooted and answering for their parents' mistakes. But, they’ll soon find that the past has a way of finding you, no matter where you run. '

I'd had some experience with Kurtis Weibe's work before, having read the comic series Rat Queens, so was looking forward to another fantasy series helmed by him, but got so much more than what I was expecting in this first volume of what I hope goes on to be a long running series.

The story follows Morgan and Yale Glass, a young couple who begin the book travelling through a forrested wilderness with their twin infant children. We don't get a huge amount of information here, other than they're trying to get away from 'the city', and that they've been through fights to protect their children, with Morgan having lost part of an ear in the process. Eventually, after discovering some ancient ruins, the two of them find the small village of Frostbrook, and believe that this could be the safe haven they've been looking for.

Jumping forward fifteen years and we find that the Glass family have become well respected members of this small society, with Yale taking on the position of a teacher for the children of the village, whilst his wife Morgan acts as something of a protector, fighting of monsters that cause the inhabitants harm. Despite having a good home Morgan seems somewhat restless, and this seems to be echoed a little in their children, who have now grown into teens.

Griffon and Rana are now much older, and don't always enjoy the confines of the village, so when their friends decide to sneak away one night to explore the ruins on the outskirts of the town they jump at the chance, wanting to do something exciting for once. However, when a mysterious door is opened inside these ruins a group a hostiles are able to enter Frostbrook, and it changes the lives of the Glass family forever.

I have to admit, I loved the first issue, and thought that it was a great, entertaining fantasy setting with some interesting mythology and characters that immediately grabbed my attention. In some ways the fist few pages, with the clearly battle hardened parents trying to find a new home for their young children reminded me of Saga, and this got me excited for the series. Whilst this search for a home didn't really last, the jump forwards in time wasn't disappointing, and I enjoyed seeing how the family fitted into this village.

Despite enjoying this fantasy setting, I was given something of a surprising change when the book suddenly started introducing sci-fi elements to the story. Yep, it turns out that whilst there elves, orcs, magic, and monsters, this isn't your typical fantasy setting, and that Frostbrook is nothing more than an isolationist village that shuns the technology of the outside world. Yep, the book pulled out the twist from M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, but did it so much better.

After a couple of issues the book takes a sharp turn and starts introducing science fiction elements, essentially making a surprise chance to the books genre as the Glass family are plucked from their quiet life and thrown into a huge city filled with flying vehicles, holograms, and augmented people. Turns out fantasy and cyberpunk mix really well together.

Not only does the reader learn that the world the twins grew up in was a lie (and that through only being shown certain things the audience has been lied too as well), but that there are much deeper conspiracies at work too. This volume doesn't answer every question, but it does reveal to the readers that Morgan and Yale were involved with some dangerous people, and that escaping with the twins made them some dangerous enemies.

The book is a great introduction to this new world, and the sudden shift in expectations was both unexpected and brilliantly done. Whilst I'm a little sad that this isn't a more conventional fantasy world I'm extremely interested in the one that Wiebe has created, and can't wait to find out more in the next volume. I was also hugely impressed by the artwork by Justin Osterling, who's a new, uo-and-coming artist. Not only was every panel just superbly drawn, but the designs for the characters and environments were unique and interesting. This is definitely an artist worth watching.

Dryad is one of the more impressive first volumes in a graphic novel series that I've read in a while, and I think its one that deserves both attention and note as an exciting series that's doing some great new things.

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The Ghost Garden by Emma Carroll - Book Review

 

'SUMMER 1914. When Fran unearths a bone in the garden of Longbarrow House on the same afternoon that Leo breaks his leg, it must surely be just a coincidence. But Fran can't shake the uneasy feeling that the events are somehow connected, and there is a shift in the atmosphere that leaves her troubled and anxious. Roped into keeping wheelchair-bound Leo company, Fran is forced to listen to his foolish theories about the looming threat of war in Europe. But as the pair start to uncover more secrets buried beneath the garden, they dredge up threatening shadows of the future, and Fran begins to fear that Leo's dire predictions might be coming true ...'

There are a good few books that take place during the first world war, even if they don't necessarily deal with people involved in the war it's still not hard to find stories of people getting by with loved ones off fighting, trying to keep their lives together as the conflict rages on. But I'm not sure if I'd read a book that deals with the build-up to the war, especially one designed for children.

The Ghost Garden is set in the summer of 1914, as tensions build in Europe and Britain faces the prospect of having to send its men off to fight and die. It's during this period that we meet Fran, a young girl who's the daughter of the groundskeeper and gardener of Longbarrow House, a large stately home. She spends her days following her father around the grounds, helping him with his jobs.

This all changes when the grandchildren of the owner, Mrs Walker, come to spend their summer holidays at the house. Fran doesn't really like the Walker children much, and is used to being alone much of the time. However, the same day that Fran discovers a strange bone in the potato patch, accidentally breaking it with her gardening fork, Leo Walker is injured by his younger sister, breaking his leg.

At first Fran thinks this is a strange coincidence and thinks nothing more of it, until she finds something else buried in the garden, something else that seems to predict the future. Now Fran begins to think that there might be something strange about Longbarrow. When she gets roped into helping Leo around, who is now stuck in a wheelchair whilst his leg heals, she discovers that Leo believes their might be an ancient burial mound on the property. Does this connect to the strange things that Fran has been experiencing, and what could happen if the two of them actually find it?

The Ghost Garden is a short but sweet novella, and uses its limited page count well, and every scene feels like it serves a purpose, with their the story being driven forwards, or readers being given the chance to spend some time with Fran and really getting to know her. Fran is a very likeable protagonist, and I came away with a good sense of who she is and what motivates her over the course of the book, and quickly came to like her.

Leo, on the other hand, definitely feels a bit more mysterious to begin with, and it takes you a while to understand him and come to like him, but very quickly you see that not only is he much more likeable that you first expect, but he proves to be a great counterpart to Fran. The two of them work really well together, and I'd love to see more stories with the two of them solving more mysteries, and discovering more secrets.

The book deals with the looming threat of the war well, and very slowly reveals to the reader the events that are happening in Europe, using Leo's interest in global politics to let the reader in on these things without it feeling overwhelming, or like an info dump. It also does a good job of exploring the very real fears that people would have had at the time, particularly the worries children would have had about loved ones going off to fight. They're quite grim moments, with the weight of those emotions having great effect on the characters, yet Emma Carol never allows these dour moments to overwhelm the scenes, and the book ultimately has a feeling of hope and grim determination for the younger characters.

I think that this is a book that younger readers will definitely enjoy, there's a good mystery going on, some spooky happenings that will have readers on their guard for much of the book, and it gives some great insight to how people felt during this frightening period. Plus, the book has some wonderful illustrations by Kaja Kajfez, who really manages to bring the characters to life. 

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