Sorceline, Book 2

June 1, 2023
A group of teenagers unravel intertwined mysteries on a magical island. Sorceline begins the second installment of her titular series in an incapacitated dream state, while eccentric Professor Balzar recounts the strange particulars of her parentage to his attentive adolescent apprentices. There are vampires involved and dark and stormy nights. But that story is superseded by current crises as an unseen villain plots to gain complete control of the Isle of Vorn and its many mystical creatures. The book heads down many narrative paths, mixing fantasy, mystery, and horror with family drama and teenage angst. To pack so much action into a brief graphic novel, however, entails more telling than showing, and characters frequently impart backstory and worldbuilding details in unintegrated expository text boxes. Though the tale feels overstuffed at times, the visual world of Vorn is stuffed with otherworldly delights. Gnomes, dragons, gargoyles, and chimera inhabit fantastical landscapes and imposing buildings; cryptid creatures buzz through the air and congregate beneath floorboards. A blend of jewel tones and autumnal hues evokes a comfortable mood that tempts readers to linger in the island's secret spots even if there might be danger lurking around the corner. With thoughtfulness and teamwork, Sorceline and her peers face their foe in a manner that sets them up quite transparently for future quests. Sorceline has dark hair and pale skin in subtly vampiric style, while Professor Balzar presents White and the apprentices are diverse. A dynamic series installment sparkling with visual invention. (profiles of featured mythical creatures) (Graphic fantasy. 9-14)

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