Graceling: The Graphic Novel

 Graceling: The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore, adapted and illustrated by Gareth Hinds (2021) 272 pages

Solid fantasy story. I have not read the novel, but was intrigued to experience it in the graphic form. Certain people have special abilities called "Graces." Otherwise it is a realistic Medieval world. Katsa and Po, our heroes who both have Graces, are fierce as a duo. Hinds, the adapter/illustrator, provides a note at the end. "Charismatic figures who can make masses of people believe outright lies will always be among us." Besides the action and romance in the story, I also find this version of evil resonates.

Magic Has No Borders

Magic Has No Borders by Samira Ahmed, Sona Charaipotra, Saba Tahir, Sayantani DasGupta, and eleven more authors  348 pp.

This collection of short stories takes stories of ancient Southern Asian gods, goddesses, and spirits and reimagines them for a modern audience. The stories are rich in detail and characterization. They include many of the lesser deities of the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and other diaspora of the region. Each tale is of empowerment over some evil, though not all are tales with happy endings. The settings and situations are captivating, giving incite into some of the spiritual beliefs of the area. I am not a fan of short stories but this one is so richly done it was irresistible. I listened to the audiobook which was performed by several narrators. Most were excellent with a couple of them less so.  

The Books of Earthsea

The Books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (2018) 1008 pages

This edition contains illustrations by Charles Vess. There is also an Introduction, multiple Afterwards, a "historical" Description of Earthsea, and a lecture edited into Earthsea Revisioned that allow us to understand Le Guin's creative process. 

I dove deep into this series these first four months of 2024 by reading the double trilogy and all the additional short stories. I loved the philosophical nature of the stories. The legends and culture Le Guin has created for the different people living on the islands of Earthsea brings it all to such vivid life. 

Books One (published 1968) and Three (1972) deal primarily with Ged. In A Wizard of Earthsea we have a hero's journey with Ged, also known as Sparrowhawk, becoming a wizard. I liked the twist concerning how he has to face the shadow monster. In The Farthest Shore a couple decades have passed and Ged is accompanied by a young Prince to stop a dark force working in the world. They spend a lot of time on a boat travelling from island to island in their investigation.

Books Two (1971) and Four (1990) deal primarily with Tenar. In The Tombs of Atuan we spend time on a Kargish island, which has a very different culture than the islands of central and west Earthsea. Tenar is selected very early in her life to be the reincarnated high priestess of the Tombs. She grows up practically a prisoner until Ged shows up and they help each other escape. In Tehanu, following the events of The Farthest Shore, Ged is no longer the Archmage. Tenar becomes the carer and protector of the title character, who is a young girl who has been badly burned. Focusing on the female characters Le Guin gives us something different than the traditional hero's journey. Tehanu is a character with a mysterious power and so much potential.

Book Five (2001) is Tales from Earthsea, a collection of five short stories. This also happens to be the name of the Studio Ghibli film released in 2006, which I thought was ok, but not great. The movie is not an adaptation of these short stories, but borrows and changes things from the first four books. The short stories had some great moments, even though I liked them less than the full-length novels. And yet, they do add more depth to the world of Earthsea. The fifth story "Dragonfly" falls directly between 
Books Four and Six and is particularly great.

Book Six (2001) wraps up the story threads of the double trilogy. The Other Wind is marvelous. It is about diplomacy between the Hardic people and the Kargish people, as well as between humans and dragons. Again I loved the philosophical discussions the characters have. It shares themes with The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, the third book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, regarding the border between the living and the dead.

Then there are four additional short stories included, which, again, deepen the world of magic in Earthsea. The final one, "Firelight," is a sweet and profound sendoff of Ged as he remembers his life and drifts off to the seas of the other wind.

 

Yellow Brick War and The End of Oz

Yellow Brick War and The End of Oz (Dorothy Must Die #3 & #4) by Danielle Paige (2016 & 2017) 270 & 277 pages

I listened to the audiobooks on Hoopla narrated by Devon Sorvari. It was back in 2020 when I listened to part two of this YA series. This year I've been continuing many series I read years ago. I remember the main cast of characters and generalities, but find that I have forgotten many specifics. I wasn't acclimated for several chapters of Yellow Brick War. Ultimately I thought #3 was a weaker entry in the series. Even though I needed reminders of certain things, I thought this one became repetitive by going over plot points from books #1 and #2 too many times. The objective for Amy Gumm is the same as it has been through the first two books. She is working with the Order of the Wicked, who are the "good guys," to kill the tyrant Dorothy. Amy spends a good portion of the story back in Kansas reconnecting with her mom and getting to know her "reformed" bully. The Nome King, who appears several times in Baum's adventures and in the movie Return to Oz, is introduced, but his impact on the plot here is hazy. When Amy returns to Oz there is a bit of strategizing for the upcoming battle amidst her blossoming love for Nox. This epic war was not very exciting despite Amy turning herself into a dragon-like monster at one point. It was long and pointless. I don't mean in the sense of the futility of war. I mean that the battles have very few consequences on the plot and central characters. 

Book four was better. Dorothy is still not dead. Amy has a supernatural meeting with Lurline the past fairy queen of Oz, and that is a deep cut for Oz fans. About half the chapters are from the point of view of Dorothy as she is saved, imprisoned, and engaged to the Nome King. The threat of Dorothy's power combined with the Nome King's is more consequential. There are so many plans at cross-purposes. The other half involves Amy, Nox, and Amy's former bully Madison travelling from Oz to Ev, where the Nome King rules. Characters are introduced that people would recognize from the movie Return to Oz, but of course Ms. Paige adds a twist. The romance between Amy and Nox is taken to the next level. Amy and Madison clear the lingering tension between them further. The showdown and resolution between Amy and Dorothy is creative. The epilogue is fun too.

The Sword of Summer

 

The Sword of Summer, Rick Riordan, 497 pg.

The Sword of Summer is the first book in Riordan's Norse mythos series, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. I really, really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of Norse mythology, and found the way that Riordan melded modern society and mythology together. A thing I find I really enjoyed with this book is how Riordan treats writing characters who are deaf. There is a character who communicates through ASL, and the character being deaf is not treated as a character flaw/crippling problem. When there are communication failures because he is deaf, it is shown as an external problem with how our society is not as accessible to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Though he is not the main character, he is a central character, and the interactions between him and the protagonist are really well written. The plot is fun and engaging, and even the parsing out of terms and names from Norse mythology are helped by having a glossary in the back to help explain them. For the intended audience, pre-teens and young adults, this has a great balance between familiar words/language constructs and introducing new words/language constructs. I'm excited to read the rest in this triliogy, as well as starting to dive into other books written by him and under his "Rick Riordan Presents" series.