Reviews - Waverider | The StoryGraph

297 reviews for:

Waverider

Kazu Kibuishi

3.83 AVERAGE

vulfvolki's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I started reading this series as a kid when the third book had released, and I have really grown up with this series. The world of Amulet is so rich and engaging , that saying goodbye to it in this volume felt bittersweet. It is a wonderful conclusion with so much heart and emotional depth, reminding the reader that no one is a hero on their own and the importance of community. Not all questions get an answer, but it didn't feel necessary, as the point is the characters' emotional journey. I wish the wrap up at the end was a little slower, I wanted more time to say goodbye to the characters, but I understand that this book is already quite long in comparison to the previous entries in the series. Overall, gorgeous artwork, heartwarming plot, and a story that raised me and was an invaluable contribution to my life.

leahquay's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This novel was SUPER philosophical, lowkey too much to take in. I LOVED IT THO! But like wow. Would have popped off at like age 10. But none the less loved it as a 23 year old too! sad to see the series come to an end. I don’t like having to leave creative worlds behind. Must read some more from this author.

cara_08's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous inspiring fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

missflyer's review against another edition

3.0

   So I probably should have reread the rest of the series before jumping in to this final volume. Instead, I read summaries of books 7 & 8. But either way, other than the large cast of characters, I think it would have been ok to jump into Waverider. Having read some (negative) reviews of Waverider, I can see how my approach helped me enjoy the final installment possibly better than someone who has recently re-read the whole series/has a more solid memory of the characters/plot arc.
   Having just a loose memory of the most recent books, or of clues and directions from them, means that I was able to appreciate this installment nearly as a stand-alone, or at least as a book which presumably takes up earlier mantles to tidy them off. Emily is back to herself, and seems sure of her path forward. Of course, when she says that she’ll be able to readjust to a life on Earth after all is settled, let’s just say my reaction was more of a “Uh-huh, sure – that’s never going to happen, you’ve gone through too much.” But her reaction, as well as many other moments and statements throughout the book, came across as very concise and pointed statements of wisdom given directly to the characters and therefore readers. So much of this book contains lines of wisdom, that when coupled with the reactions of others about continuity, makes me wonder what the intersection was of imparting these nuggets of wisdom and finding a way to tie up all the loose ends neatly and succinctly in this one volume.
   I remember a couple years ago when participating in a book club meeting (Cookies and Comics) where Mr. Kibuishi joined us, he mentioned how much material he had for this book, and that he was having trouble getting it down to the page count the publisher/editor/whoever wanted. Similarly, how he wanted the characters to start a couple years older than they actually do in the published book from the beginning of the series, at the publisher’s/whoever’s insistence. Therefore, taking all that in to account, I wouldn’t be surprised if any qualms or shortcomings or retcons or revisions in this book are directly due to the publisher’s demands as to what the final form of a book should be. Some authors need a guiding editor to keep a story/series on track. Others just need someone to sit back and support. I think Mr. Kibuishi falls in to the latter category, but he experienced the former.
   Anyways, back to Waverider. There were a lot of parts in motion, much as on a chessboard – a theme which had been present throughout much of the story. Some moves seem inconsequential – Navin bringing a Gadoba sapling to plant – but serve to bring him to somewhere he needs to be: a witness to the shadows taking over an elven resistance general instead of being taken over himself right away. Or Trellis abdicating the throne in favor of someone who is working to help, instead of just claiming it as his birthright, as skill, ability, and vision should be more important than a bloodline when ruling. Then there’s Vigo’s present and past, and the new Stonekeepers and Council. If taken somewhat separately from what had been established/hinted at, then the ending that comes manages to more or less stand for itself (though even I didn’t really get the new young Stonekeepers were jack-knifed into becoming the new Guardian Council over the characters we’ve been following and watching mature presumably into the new Council members). So I guess things weren’t really as tidy as they should have been, but they weren’t as untidy as they could have been, either, if a little misaligned.
   All in all, I rather enjoyed this final installment, though that is probably at least in part due to my great appreciation of nuggets of wisdom and well-phrased lines. The artwork itself maintains a high quality, with images and scenes flowing well from one to the next and speaking to what is going on quite clearly.