Mike CavallaroReseñas

I couldn't finish this graphic novel fast enough--it's a lot of "witty" dialogue. Could have been much shorter!

Girl has sword, Defender. She has a cute boy, who is not a boy; he's a troll; the troll is pledged to defend girl. They talk back and forth. Trolls go after girl. Big scene at the end with surprises about girl's family. Ugh!½

This series is still a lot of fun, and I'll never stop loving gritty Buck. It's looks like we're getting a spin off series, y'all.

3.5

I really have no idea why this book didn't do it for me -- I love Jane Yolen's writing, I like magic, I'm a girl fencer, you'd think... but meh.

Great fun, a bit predictable, best to read Foiled first.

Aliera is back, with her foil, to battle the powers of darkness. Great illustrations, good plot, with a few mysteries thrown in.

The plot twist totally confused me, but otherwise this was pretty fun.

Aliera Carstairs is a loner in school, colour blind, Her greatest joy is fencing, her life revolves around it and everything changes when her mother picks up a new practice foil with a gem at the base of the pommel along with a fencing mask. It isn't until she meets with a new classmate that she sees through this mask, sees some things in colour, nothing is as it seems and her life changes. Instead of role-playing a swordswoman, it appears that she is destined to wield this sword for something special.
It's an interesting story and I'm curious about where its going. The ideas are interesting and her family is complex.

Still, a lot of riveting fun, but the Unicorn War business gets super confusing. It's on its alternate timeline type of stuff.

In addition to that, we get some backstory on Nico. This volume had a lot of action in it, so it's sure to hold kids' interest. As always, every character is like a Easter egg for different mythologies (I learned about African God Absonsam from this one!). I look forward to the next one.

“There are all kinds of monsters […] Don’t be one. (pg 173)”

So much fun! The world’s really imaginative with lots of lore and mythology. Nico, a normal boy, a war-veteran unicorn, Buck, and an Egyptian pyramid-cat, Lula all work in a magic-RPG-adventure quests warehouse store. I thought Buck was majorly fun.

Adventure, mythology, and war-weary unicorn veterans. For the right reader, this book will be an instant success - I only hope the promised sequels arrive in timely fashion!

The story opens with a mysterious figure paddling across the ocean in a giant pot. What are they searching for? Readers won't find out until later, as first they have to meet the characters of Vulcan's Celestial Supply Shop. Nico Bravo is an ordinary kid who likes to make marshmallow lasagna. Lulu is a sphinx and Buck is a veteran of the Unicorn Wars (Although nobody else has ever heard of them - or of any other unicorns.) The three of them run a shop in an odd corner of a hidden dimension where gods and other mythological and celestial beings come for their supplies.

Things are no more exciting than usual until the mysterious figure reappears and turns out to be a descendant of the great hero Beowulf. They're determined to prove their worth as a monster-slayer by slaying the terrible Hound of Hades. Nico is horrified - not only is Cerberus the only thing holding back the masses of undead in the underworld, its also a pretty decent dog. But Beowulf's descendant, Eowulf, doesn't care about any of that. On top of everything, Vulcan gives them the most amazing, magical sword he's ever made! Nico decides to set out, with just his wits, a magic backpack, and a few helpings of marshmallow lasagna, to try and stop Eowulf - and try to explain that just because something is a monster doesn't mean it needs to be killed.

Humor, peril, and adventure ensue. Buck and Lulu get caught up in their own crises, ranging from time travel to falling through dimensions. Some of Buck's mysterious history comes to light and readers will get to meet some really monstrous monsters. The book ends on a surprising cliffhanger, with hints of Nico's secret past while at the same time resolving Eowulf's plot line.

Cavallaro's art wasn't very familiar to me, but others may recognize him from his work on Jane Yolen's Foiled duology. His characters are short and stocky, with stick-like legs and arms and cartoon-wide eyes. As much of the action takes place in the underworld, there's plenty of opportunity for melting red and orange scenery, goo-dripping monsters, and piles of skeletons, but there's little to no actual gore and kids who are reading Bone, Amulet, and other fantasy adventures should have no problem with it.

Verdict: A funny, exciting, and interesting start to a new series. Hand this one to fans of Percy Jackson, Bone, Dream Jumpers, and other fantasy adventure verging on creepy stories.

ISBN: 9781626727519; Published April 2019 by First Second; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

I liked this book, but didn't love it. for once I actually think this might've been more interesting as a contemporary fiction about fencing rather than a fantasy novel.

I enjoyed this one more than book 1. The fantastic elements felt more naturally incorporated here, and though the story has a satisfying enough conclusion we are left with some intriguing questions at the end for the next one. There is a synopsis of the previous book at the beginning of this one, which I actually found explained some things in the last book I didn't quite get.

Pretty true to the novel, though parts were missing. Still, an interesting take on things.

I was disappointed in this. Jane Yolen's a great author but this story was a little random for my taste. Also, it's a fantasy story, but the fantasy parts don't actually start until more than halfway through. So up until that point you think that, despite the fantastical creatures on the cover, it's going to be realistic fiction. I hate that in books. The art was okay but not stunning.

The Wizard of Oz tells the story of Dorothy Gale who land in the land of Oz, killing the wicked witch of the east. The book follows her journey down the yellow brick road where she meets three friends on her journey to see the Wizard and ask him to return her to Kansas. In this version of the classic tale, the story line is the same as the original but the pictures of the graphic novel are modernized. For example, Dorothy wears a hoodie and jeans and has blue hair. This book is a great tool in the classroom. Reccommended for upper elementary or middle school.

I really enjoyed the artwork in this graphic novel. In my opinion, First Second Books has the nicest graphic novel illustrations and I’m always impressed by books they release. Aliera is an interesting character and I liked her perspective of the world. Her character did come off a little young and I felt it would have been more realistic to portray her as a middle school student rather than in high school. I did not like Avery very much in Foiled, I found him to be a bit obnoxious, but if you continue the series and read the second book, Curses! Foiled Again you really begin to understand why Avery is the way he is. I didn’t realize the twist this book was going to take, but by the second book I felt the author really embraced the fantasy elements of the book and the overall tone of the book was much more appealing. These books are meant to be a series and this is a case where the books get better as you go. If you are unsure after the first book I recommend reading the second. There will be more adventures to come.

I really enjoyed the artwork in this graphic novel. In my opinion, First Second Books has the nicest graphic novel illustrations and I’m always impressed by books they release. Aliera is an interesting character and I liked her perspective of the world. Her character did come off a little young and I felt it would have been more realistic to portray her as a middle school student rather than in high school. I did not like Avery very much in Foiled, I found him to be a bit obnoxious, but if you continue the series and read the second book, Curses! Foiled Again you really begin to understand why Avery is the way he is. I didn’t realize the twist this book was going to take, but by the second book I felt the author really embraced the fantasy elements of the book and the overall tone of the book was much more appealing. These books are meant to be a series and this is a case where the books get better as you go. If you are unsure after the first book I recommend reading the second. There will be more adventures to come.

I really enjoyed the artwork in this graphic novel. In my opinion, First Second Books has the nicest graphic novel illustrations and I’m always impressed by books they release. Aliera is an interesting character and I liked her perspective of the world. Her character did come off a little young and I felt it would have been more realistic to portray her as a middle school student rather than in high school. I did not like Avery very much in Foiled, I found him to be a bit obnoxious, but if you continue the series and read the second book, Curses! Foiled Again you really begin to understand why Avery is the way he is. I didn’t realize the twist this book was going to take, but by the second book I felt the author really embraced the fantasy elements of the book and the overall tone of the book was much more appealing. These books are meant to be a series and this is a case where the books get better as you go. If you are unsure after the first book I recommend reading the second. There will be more adventures to come.

Cute and quick

So thankfully there is a brief reminder in the beginning of what happened in the previous book. This book continues the series and wraps up the beginner story line started in the previous book. (i.e. while the series continues, this at least feels like I completed story.) I also felt like this volume had a more grown up vibe. Even Aliera felt more grown up looking to me.

There were some unexpected betrayals and there was some unexpected help. I am definitely curious to see where the rest of the series will end up. I also want to see where the strange relationship between Aliera and Avery goes, while romance has been hinted at I am hoping for a sibling type relationship. I'm also curious about what Caroline's part in all of this will eventually be.

I liked this although I felt a little disappointed about how quickly it was over. This one was a ton of set up and very little plot moving forward type stuff. I feel like that happens a lot when a novel writer writes a graphic novel series. But it was still fun and I loved the illustrations and the integration of black and white and color. The story looks like it's going to be an interesting one and I can't wait to see what happens next.

So thankfully there is a brief reminder in the beginning of what happened in the previous book. This book continues the series and wraps up the beginner story line started in the previous book. (i.e. while the series continues, this at least feels like I completed story.) I also felt like this volume had a more grown up vibe. Even Aliera felt more grown up looking to me.

There were some unexpected betrayals and there was some unexpected help. I am definitely curious to see where the rest of the series will end up. I also want to see where the strange relationship between Aliera and Avery goes, while romance has been hinted at I am hoping for a sibling type relationship. I'm also curious about what Caroline's part in all of this will eventually be.

I liked this although I felt a little disappointed about how quickly it was over. This one was a ton of set up and very little plot moving forward type stuff. I feel like that happens a lot when a novel writer writes a graphic novel series. But it was still fun and I loved the illustrations and the integration of black and white and color. The story looks like it's going to be an interesting one and I can't wait to see what happens next.

So thankfully there is a brief reminder in the beginning of what happened in the previous book. This book continues the series and wraps up the beginner story line started in the previous book. (i.e. while the series continues, this at least feels like I completed story.) I also felt like this volume had a more grown up vibe. Even Aliera felt more grown up looking to me.

There were some unexpected betrayals and there was some unexpected help. I am definitely curious to see where the rest of the series will end up. I also want to see where the strange relationship between Aliera and Avery goes, while romance has been hinted at I am hoping for a sibling type relationship. I'm also curious about what Caroline's part in all of this will eventually be.

I liked this although I felt a little disappointed about how quickly it was over. This one was a ton of set up and very little plot moving forward type stuff. I feel like that happens a lot when a novel writer writes a graphic novel series. But it was still fun and I loved the illustrations and the integration of black and white and color. The story looks like it's going to be an interesting one and I can't wait to see what happens next.