Bea Reviews The Mystery of the Moon Tower by Francesco Sedita & Prescott Seraydarian and Illustrated by Steve Hamaken

Series: The Pathfinders Society #1
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Viking
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Format Read: Print ARC
Release Date: April 21st, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Summer camp just became a whole lot more interesting when five curious kids accept a mysterious project: work together as a team to uncover a series of strange clues, reveal a secret path—and follow its twists and turns to a legendary treasure!

Join in the fun in this lively, clever debut graphic novel sure to appeal to fans of the Last Kids on Earth and Lumberjanes series.

Kyle is a new kid in town who likes to draw. Vic is a cool cheerleader who’s secretly a math whiz. Quiet Beth is a history buff, while goofball Harry likes performing magic tricks, with the help of his patient wingman, Nate. Five kids unlikely to form a team, for sure.

But then they’re thrown together at summer camp, where they watch a grainy old movie about the history of their town, Windrose, and one of its illustrious citizens of a bygone era: the intrepid explorer-inventor Henry Merriweather. He’s the one who established their camp. Merriweather’s Camp Pathfinders’ motto? Plus Ultra: more beyond!

The five kids soon find there is indeed “more beyond” in their pokey town with its weird weather and sudden geysers of smelly air. Deciphering a route of historical markers leads them to Merriweather’s old castle, which is lined with ornate, beautiful tiles in hallways that lead to secret rooms full of odd objects—and where time itself is warped!

Kyle, Vic, Beth, Harry, and Nate witness scenes from Merriweather’s past and realize his experiments and eccentricities are pointing toward a path—that could lead to the rumored lost treasure of Windrose.

This is the path our heroes are meant to follow, on a journey that will take them back and forth through time, through woods, and across waterways revealed by moonlight, right up to the looming Moon Tower itself—which holds Merriweather’s secret . . . and the treasure!

Bea Reviews Hermes: Tales of the Trickster by George O'Connor

Series: Olympians #10
Publisher: First Second
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Volume 10 of O'Connor's Olympians series delves into the myth of Hermes, the trickster god. From his infancy, when he bewitches animals and bends them to his will, to his adolescence and adulthood, Hermes' story is wildly entertaining as he brings a little bit of chaos to everything he touches or creates.

Bea Reviews Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie by Anthony Del Col, Werther Dell'edera

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: November 28th, 2017
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | iBooks* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Volume collects issues 1-6

A Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery unlike any other you've ever read! When the teenage brothers Frank and Joe Hardy are accused of the murder of their father - a detective in the small resort town of Bayport - they must team up with Nancy Drew to prove their innocence (and find the real guilty party in the process) in a twisting noir tale, complete with double-crosses, deceit, and dames.

Writer Anthony Del Col (Assassin's Creed, Kill Shakespeare) and artist Werther Dell'Edera (Batman: Detective Comics, House of Mystery) bring the iconic teen detectives into the modern age, and redefine noir for a new generation of readers!

Bea Reviews The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

Publisher: Oni Press 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 31st, 2017 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble | web comic | Comixology
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own.

Bea Reviews Little Tails in Prehistory by Frederic Brremaud, Illustrated by Federico Bertolucci

Series: Little Tails
Publisher: Magnetic Press
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: July 11th, 2017 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Chipper and Squizzo are a precocious puppy and squirrel who love to explore new and exciting environments, flying their cardboard box airplane to wondrous worlds full of fascinating animals and creatures. In each volume of this fun, educational series, they tour a different location, encountering the real-world animals found there in beautiful illustration and fun cartoon strip antics.

This exciting volume sees our adorable nature guides traveling back in time (in their cardboard time machine) to view the dinosaurs up close!

Bea Reviews Little Tails in the Savannah by Frederic Brremaud & Illustrated by Federico Bertolucci

Series: Little Tails Wildlife Adventures #3
Publisher: Magnetic Press 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 23rd, 2017
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Chipper and Squizzo are a precocious puppy and squirrel who love to explore new and exciting environments, flying their cardboard box airplane to wondrous worlds full of fascinating animals and creatures. In each volume of this fun, educational series, they tour a different location, encountering the real-world animals found there in beautiful illustration and fun cartoon strip antics.

This third volume sees our adorable nature guides exploring the wild African Savannah!

Bea Reviews Star Trek: Manifest Destiny by Mike Johnson & Ryan Parrott, Art by Angel Hernandez

Series: Star Trek
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date:  July 5th 2016
Challenges: I Love Libraries |
NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository*  | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the STAR TREK franchise with this all-new adventure! At the edge of explored space, Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise come face to face with a new Klingon threat... with the fate of the galaxy at stake! Also includes the Klingon Language version of issue #1!

Bea Reviews Love: The Lion by Frédéric Brrémaud & Federico Bertolucci

Series: Love #3
Publisher: Magnetic Press 
Source: eGalley - the publisher in exchange for an honest review & Hardcover - the library 
Release Date: July 12th, 2016
Challenges:
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository*  | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The third volume in the lavishly illustrated series of wildlife graphic novels, each following a single central animal through an adventurous day in their natural environment. Each tale depicts genuine natural behavior through the dramatic lens of Disney-esque storytelling, like a nature documentary in illustration.
Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this volume focuses on a solitary Lion as it wanders the plains of Africa, handling the daily hunt, and vicious rivalry, without a Pride of its own. The circle of Life takes center stage in a world where predator and prey trade places on a regular basis, and Family is something worth fighting -- and dying -- for. This exciting tale, written by Frederic Brremaud, is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci.
A beautiful, powerful tale of survival in the animal kingdom that explores the all-too-identifiable, universal concepts of Life, Courage, Aging, and ultimately Love.

Bea Reviews The Tiger by Federico Brremaud, Illustrated by Federico Bertolucci

Publisher: Magnetic Press
Series: Love Volume #1
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 1, 2015
Challenges: NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge | What An Animal
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A day in the life of the king of the jungle, this lavishly illustrated story follows a single majestic tiger through a wordless adventure of survival as it hunts prey and defends itself from other would-be killers defending their territory. This exciting tale is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci. A beautiful, all-ages title that explores genuine natural behavior through the dramatic lens of Disney-esque storytelling. Like a nature documentary in illustration. 

Quote-Tastic & Review: Star Trek Vol 9 The Q Gambit by Mike Johnson

Publisher: IDW Publishing
Series: Star Trek: Ongoing
Format Read: eGalley
Challenges:  NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository*  | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The crew of the new Star Trek film franchise encounters the classic villain Q for the first time in this galaxy-spanning adventure developed in association with screenwriter/producer Roberto Orci! The mischievous Q sends James T. Kirk on a quest that will see the Enterprise joining forces with familiar faces from Star Trek lore. Collects issues #35–40.

ARC Review of The City on the Edge of Forever by Harlan Ellison, Scott Tipton, David Tipton, J.K. Woodward (Illustrations)

Publisher: IDW publishing
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: February 3, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

For the first time ever, a visual presentation of the much-discussed, unrevised, unadulterated version of Harlan Ellison's award-winning Star Trek teleplay script, "The City on the Edge of Forever!" See the story as Mr. Ellison originally intended!

Review of Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf: Volume Two by Patricia Briggs, et al.

Publisher: InkLit
Writers: Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence
Illustrators: Todd Herman, Jenny Frison
Series: Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf
Format Read: Hardcover Graphic Novel
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon  Barnes & Noble  The Book Depository


Blurb from Amazon:
 A world of shapeshifting wolves comes vividly to life in this collection of four comics based on Cry Wolf, the first book in Patricia Briggs’s #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series.

Charles and Anna are on the hunt for a rogue werewolf in the Montana mountains. The creature has morphed into something so dark that it kills everything in its path: deer, elk, grizzlies…humans.

But the wolf is the creature of something far more powerful. One of Charles and Anna’s own pack harbors a centuries-old secret that has come back to haunt him—and wreak vengeance on those around him.

Charles and Anna—unaware of the truth—are two innocents who stand in the way. But even as members of their pack rally around them, Anna’s rare power comes into its own—and is unleashed…

Bea's Thoughts: 

I gobbled this up as soon as I got it then I pulled out volume 1 and re-read them both, back to back. I reviewed volume 1 back in October. I'm still not thrilled with the art but at least in volume 1, Charles looked like an American Indian while in volume two he looks white. It's the same illustrator so I don't know why his look would change so dramatically but it was disappointing. Additionally, his wolf looks drastically different and Anna's freckles disappeared. As before, the facial expressions are someties odd and Anna's arms have a tendency to be extra-long and skinny, like a Gumby doll. Despite that, the art as a whole works with the text and moves the story along. The colors are gorgeous and the shading is at times exquisite. 

The story moves along quickly and is a good adaptation of the novel. As always, there have been cuts. I particularly miss the scene back at Charles's house where Charles and Bran are talking and we don't get Anna's family at the wedding nor do we get the hunt after the bonding ceremony. But, the story ends with a nice tribute to Walter, who was one of my favorite characters. We also get a brief flashback scene of Bran's mother who is one mean-looking, and just plain mean, woman. 

There a a few panels where, if you haven't read the original book, you may be confused but overall, this volume and its predecessor work well as a cohesive story that can be read independently of the book. I enjoyed reading, and re-reading it.

Review of Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf Vol.1

Publisher: InkLit
Writers: Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence
Illustrators: Todd Herman, Jenny Frison
Series: Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Buying Links:  Penguin US **As of when I wrote this post none of the major book vendors had updated their information to reflect this new edition.


Book Blurb (from goodreads):

The long-awaited collection-the first four issues of the graphic novel adaptation of the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author's novel "Cry Wolf".

"Cry Wolf" is Patricia Briggs' "New York Times" bestselling novel about the werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham. Now, these characters come alive in full-color graphic novels. 

Anne never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack...and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. 

Then Charles Cornick-the son of the leader of the North American werewolves-came into her life. He insists that not only is Anne his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And Anna may be the key to stopping a rogue werewolf that threatens the entire pack.

This is a re-issue of Ace's compilation of the Dynamite Entertainment Cry Wolf graphic series. It contains new artwork and a never-before published version of issue #1. It is NOT identical to the Ace edition though it does have the same ISBN.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I love Anna and Charles' romance. From the novella that started it all to the newest book, Fair Game", I think they are a wonderful pair. When this series was first issued I waited too long and it sold out. Then I waited too long for the original compilation. But now, now I have it!

Briggs was involved with adapting the story and, while necessarily condensed due to the different format, it's well done, with nothing crucial missing, and some of my favorite lines and scenes remained intact. The story flows and makes sense, though if this is your introduction to the series, there might be some mild confusion.

The artwork, I'm not so in love with. Mostly, it has to do with how the characters look. Sam and Charles fit the descriptions given in the original books AND they pretty well match my mental images of them. Bran, in my opinion, does not match. He is repeatedly described as slender, pleasant looking, and nondescript in the books but here he's muscled, and gives off a bad ass vibe. Anna fits the book description but I think I've been strongly influenced by the book covers; she looks different from those and to my mind, looks wrong. Obviously, that and the others are a matter of personal taste and your opinion may vary wildly. Additionally, some of the facial expressions on Anna and Charles are just plain weird. As far as supporting the text and working with it to tell the story, the art does that very well.

In all, it's a well done adaptation and I'm looking forward to the second volume.

I received this hardcover from the publisher.

Review of The Last Dragon Graphic Novel by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Release Date: September 27, 2011

More Info: Amazon   The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):

Master storyteller Jane Yolen ("Owl Moon" and "Sword of the Rightful King") and celebrated fantasy artist Rebecca Guay ("Swamp Thing" and "Magic: The Gathering") weave a textured and lyrical tale of adventure, homelands, and heroism the hard way. Two hundred years ago, humans drove the dragons from the islands of May. Now, the last of the dragons rises to wreak havoc anew - with only a healer's daughter and a kite-flying would-be hero standing in its way.

My Thoughts:

The illustrations in this graphic novel are amazing, perhaps my favorite part of the whole novel: Lush yet with a beautiful, delicate simplicity, imaginative, captivating; the images bring the story to life. There is a vaguely Japanese feel to the illustrations, reminiscent of Japanese paintings and scrolls with the spare, clean, evocative lines and the gentle shades of color. Despite the Japanese influence, it was never clear what background the people had - some looked Oriental, some Caucasian, while the names of people and places were clearly of British derivation. The dragon too blended characteristics of both Oriental and European dragons. 

Like the artwork, the story is a mishmash of myths, fairy tales, and folk tales, blended into an all new story that has the look and feel of a classical myth. The setting appears to be Europe in the Middle Ages, but again, the details are vague. At times, the landscape resembles Japan. The dialogue too is a mix of contemporary American and a cleaned up, modern version of Middle English.

The story is fairly simple, and utilizes classical tropes, it's a modern take on a classic hero's quest. But the "hero" is a coward and a liar; he's more interested in taking the reward and leaving before he has to actually face the dragon. Still, he works with Tansy, the daughter of the town's healer, who was also a victim of the dragon. Tansy is both smart and clever and in conjunction with Lancot, (reminiscent of Lancelot from the Camelot myths) come up with a plan that relies on cunning and reflexes more than strength. Tansy and her sisters are a female version of the traditional three brothers leave home and set out to find their fortunes. In this story, though, it's daughters and they don't leave home to find their fortunes or happy endings but find them in their village. There were a few nice little twists and turns and yes, there's a happy ending, unlike most myths.

The text was sparse yet evocative:

"dragons slept by the ocean's edge, in the green shade of trees that wept their leaves into the water.";

"At sunset the low tide scrapes the beach, pulling cold fingers the sand and rock." 

It worked well with the artwork, not overwhelming it, but adding to it. Both Yolen and Guay had a good feel for when to let the artwork speak and when to add text. They makes full use of the graphic novel format and it works beautifully. The art is crucial to telling the story. The story itself could have used a bit more fleshing out; Tansy and her sisters sometimes felt like cardboard figures, with not much to distinguish them. The story is aimed at younger readers, approximately Middle Grade, or 8 to 13 years. There's enough meat to the story to hold the attention of the younger readers, maybe not the older ones. It will likely encourage some readers to seek out some of the older versions of fairy tales, or classical Greek and Roman mythology or look up Chinese and Japanese fairy tales, and that's an awesome thing as far as I'm concerned.

Whatever your age, this is well worth your time, if only for the illustrations.

I received this eARC from NetGalley.

Review of Grave Sight Book One by Charlaine Harris & William Harms, art by Dennis Medri

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Release Date: June 14, 2011

Series: #1 of Grave Sight Graphic Novel Adaptation

More Info:  Amazon   The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

Acclaimed New York Times Bestselling author Charlaine Harris, the writer of the Sookie Stackhouse series, has joined the Dynamite Entertainment family with the first book of her hit Harper Connelly series, Grave Sight. 

For the past five years, readers have been thrilled by the Harper Connelly series which follows a woman who has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living - but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her step-brother, Tolliver, as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent - even if the dead can wait forever.

At the age of 15, Harper Connelly was struck by lightning, an event that gave her the ability to find the dead and see how they died. Since then, Harper's scratched out a living selling her services to anyone with a checkbook. It's not the best life, but it beats the alternative - at least until Harper and her brother Tolliver roll into Sarne, Arkansas and find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery!

Paperback, 64 pages

My Thoughts:

I read the novel when it first came out but not since then. Despite that, the story came right back to me as I read the adaptation and so far, Harris and her co-writers have done an excellent job. The pace is good, the story flows and makes sense, and it stays true to the original in tone and substance while managing not to be cluttered up with extraneous details that fill out a text only book but clutter up a visual book. 

The story is not an easy one to adapt to a visual form, being primarily plot and character driven. There's not a lot of action, and much of the book's dialogue was kept. I didn't mind it but if you are used to action oriented graphic novels, you'll need to re-adjust your expectations.

Tolliver and Harper are step-siblings who live and work together, traveling around the country finding dead people for a living. Harper was hit by lightning as a teenager and ever since, she can find bodies and relive their last moments, seeing, feeling and hearing what they did as they died. It doesn’t bring her much comfort but since she’s drawn to dead bodies regardless of what she wants, she might as well put it to use. 

Understandably, people are distrustful or scared of her ability, even the ones who hire her.  We see her under attack, literally, by people who think she is evil or an agent of the devil; we also see her treated with suspicion and distrust by people who are sure she’s a con artist. Through it all, Harris balances showing us Harper’s reactions without manipulating our emotions. 

The story in Book One ends on a cliffhanger (unless you have read the original).I believe that there are two more installments planned.

The art is dark in tone and color but it perfectly suits the story and the lines are clean. I prefer a clean, non-cartoony style and I’m glad that the artists chose to use it. I think anything else would have undermined the story and detracted from it. Medri has a challenging job in showing us how Harper's ability works; it's not flashy or obvious. He opts for dream-style flashbacks; a few times the transition from present to "seeing" was not obvious but I imagine that might be true if such an ability actually existed.

You can easily read this if you have not read the original material and I recommend it. 

NOTE: There are at least two different covers for this edition. 

I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.