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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Gorgeous and fun and incredibly inventive. I would love to see more stories from this world and these characters.
Yeah! A fun, fantastical, all-ages adventure as a young Prince, wishing to be a hero, runs away from home and starts a musical troupe with fellow bards that he meets in his travels. Wholesome and exciting, with gorgeous illustrations throughout - this is a joy to read!
Extremely fun and cute! 4.5!
Now that we live in a post-D&D-is-mainstream world, it's been lovely to get these occasional pieces that kind of assume you're on board with the idea of a magical bard and tell a sweet story in that framework. (Not that ANY familiarity with D&D is necessary for this, I just thought it was a neat little thing to see the DNA of the game seep into other things even more than before.
The art is beautiful and dreamy, the visual manifestations of the magical music is very cool, and the story is direct and heartfelt and easy to follow. I thought the characters were especially well-rendered given the short space that they're given. Little details like Ebbe saying that she doesn't like physical violence despite being a big muscly person and then later in the book her subtly finding alternate solutions to things other than punching, etc. Alto is a lovely main character whose journey and challenges are fun to watch. He isn't perfect and has an arrogance and a sense of privlelge that gets him into trouble, but I enjoy that kind of thing in a main character. I would read a spin-off about the elder bard woman! She was rad. I also really liked the dynamic between Queen Brightblade as a mother and ruler and how that didn't always gel with being a parent. Their interactions in the third act made me tear up a little! I do think that the leaning on fantasy tropes dwindled its uniqueness just a tiny bit, and if it were for a slightly older audience I would have asked for a bit more bite, an extra little twist to differentiate it, but since it's an all ages book, I thought that it was fine. Also appreciated the general anti violence vibe, which dodged one of my major problems with D&D and fantasy stuff.
A lovely read for all ages, with little spices of Ghibli and 80's energy in a soft, sweet box.
Now that we live in a post-D&D-is-mainstream world, it's been lovely to get these occasional pieces that kind of assume you're on board with the idea of a magical bard and tell a sweet story in that framework. (Not that ANY familiarity with D&D is necessary for this, I just thought it was a neat little thing to see the DNA of the game seep into other things even more than before.
The art is beautiful and dreamy, the visual manifestations of the magical music is very cool, and the story is direct and heartfelt and easy to follow. I thought the characters were especially well-rendered given the short space that they're given. Little details like Ebbe saying that she doesn't like physical violence despite being a big muscly person and then later in the book her subtly finding alternate solutions to things other than punching, etc. Alto is a lovely main character whose journey and challenges are fun to watch. He isn't perfect and has an arrogance and a sense of privlelge that gets him into trouble, but I enjoy that kind of thing in a main character. I would read a spin-off about the elder bard woman! She was rad. I also really liked the dynamic between Queen Brightblade as a mother and ruler and how that didn't always gel with being a parent. Their interactions in the third act made me tear up a little! I do think that the leaning on fantasy tropes dwindled its uniqueness just a tiny bit, and if it were for a slightly older audience I would have asked for a bit more bite, an extra little twist to differentiate it, but since it's an all ages book, I thought that it was fine. Also appreciated the general anti violence vibe, which dodged one of my major problems with D&D and fantasy stuff.
A lovely read for all ages, with little spices of Ghibli and 80's energy in a soft, sweet box.
Read for Popsugar: A book with magic
And the magic is music! This is the all-bard adventure you've been waiting for! The art is a really lovely vibrant watercolor style, and the magic of our bard team is gorgeously rendered on the page. Our MC isn't the most sympathetic, and the villains are a bit one-note, but I love the character diversity, and it's overall a great story about finding your purpose and your people.
And the magic is music! This is the all-bard adventure you've been waiting for! The art is a really lovely vibrant watercolor style, and the magic of our bard team is gorgeously rendered on the page. Our MC isn't the most sympathetic, and the villains are a bit one-note, but I love the character diversity, and it's overall a great story about finding your purpose and your people.
Lovely art, but the story is very shallow. Fine for a kids book, but if I had a limited budget to select books to add, this would not be one of them.
The protagonist reads very young (self-centered, does not attempt to build feelings of empathy for the majority of the story), so I would recommend the text for students who are in 6th grade or below.
The protagonist reads very young (self-centered, does not attempt to build feelings of empathy for the majority of the story), so I would recommend the text for students who are in 6th grade or below.
*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Super cute! I absolutely love the art style of this graphic novel - it's whimsical, has a gentle, cozy vibe, and is bursting with color. Each page was such a joy to look at. I really enjoyed the characters and story as well. Alto is a relatable protagonist - longing for his own adventure, feeling cramped by his royal position, and eager to prove himself. I liked that he got a chance to learn about the world and gain perspective, ultimately leading to character growth. Ebbe is probably my favorite character! I love a buff troll bard! This is a really great read for younger kids and middle grades, but I think all ages will be charmed by the art and story. I would recommend to fans of She-ra and the Princess of Power, The Tea Dragon Society, Howl's Moving Castle (Studio Ghibli), and The Witch Boy.
Super cute! I absolutely love the art style of this graphic novel - it's whimsical, has a gentle, cozy vibe, and is bursting with color. Each page was such a joy to look at. I really enjoyed the characters and story as well. Alto is a relatable protagonist - longing for his own adventure, feeling cramped by his royal position, and eager to prove himself. I liked that he got a chance to learn about the world and gain perspective, ultimately leading to character growth. Ebbe is probably my favorite character! I love a buff troll bard! This is a really great read for younger kids and middle grades, but I think all ages will be charmed by the art and story. I would recommend to fans of She-ra and the Princess of Power, The Tea Dragon Society, Howl's Moving Castle (Studio Ghibli), and The Witch Boy.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another great book from Ethan Aldridge! I loved the characters and their development, the magic, and adventure!