Graphic Novel Review of Korgi Book 5: End of Seasons by Christian Slade

 

Read for: Anticipated Release/Graphic Novel/ Love the Series!

Previous Books in Series:

Sprouting Wings

The Cosmic Collector

A Hollow Beginning

The Problem with Potions

Short Tails

Synopsis: "The beloved wordless fantasy graphic novel series reaches its stunning conclusion -- with plenty of thrills, laughs, and exquisitely illustrated animal magic.

Winter has arrived in Korgi Hollow... and with it, the end of the Korgi story. As Ivy and her Korgi pup Sprout frolic in the frozen weather, an ancient power is stirring. At long last, saddle up for the conclusion of this "silent" epic fairytale told entirely through detailed pen-and-ink drawings. Fire and ice will collide in a timeless battle between good and evil. Will the residents of Korgi Hollow survive the harsh cold? One thing is for sure: nothing will ever be the same."

My Review: It feels like I have been waiting ages for another Korgi book and am beyond happy to finally have it but at the same time kind of sad it has come to an end. I really like the way Slade brought the series to a satisfying end and also managed to do it with pictures. It was a lot of fun to be able to have my son read it with me this time around, in fact he finished before I did! I love the complexity of the world, a wealth of characters and a good amount of magic, and once again all shown to us with simple ink drawings. This is a story readers of all ages can enjoy, but especially those animal lovers! I am happy to have this whole series gracing my shelves!

My Rating: I thoroughly enjoyed this series and really loved the way this last book brought it all to close. It was beautifully illustrated with unique characters and a fun connection to our world.  I give it a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!

Review of The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

 

Read for: TBR Book/ Audio/ Dragons!

Synopsis: "The debut novel from the acclaimed illustrator—a high fantasy adventure featuring dragons and deadly politics.

Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she anticipates a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon—one of the rare and mythical High Dragons—makes an appearance in her quiet valley. Political factions vie for control of the implied message, threatening her aspirations, her aerie, her entire way of life.

The bond between dragons and their riders is deep and life-long, and Maia’s desire for a dragon of her own to train, ride, fly, and love drives her to take a risk that puts her life at stake. She is swept into an adventure that pits her against the deathless Horrors, thralls of the enemy, and a faceless creature drawn from her fear. In her fight to preserve everything she knows and loves, she exposes a conspiracy, unearths an ancient civilization, and challenges her understanding of her world—and of herself."

My Review: I have had this book on my TBR for a couple of years now, intending to read it in the summer and I finally managed. I have to say that this book is stunning physically, the illustrations are absolutely amazing! I was immediately drawn into the is story with the idea of riding and breeding dragons, clearly they were going to have an active role in the story. This book runs from one action packed moment to the next, I kind of feel bad for the poor characters, they never seem to have a moments rest. With that said it was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I loved the bits we get to see of Maia learning to interpret dragon language and all the growth she has as a character in these difficult situations. On the other hand it turns into a lot of theological debate, not all of which is easy to understand because we don't quite have the full picture. It really felt like common sense was bowled over in favor of theology and religion which then takes on a more political angle as well. I don't mind these aspects in a book if I get a bit more of the picture. And maybe that was coming in future books but this one is now 5 years old, are we going to get another book? I may continue on with the series if it comes out in the near future, otherwise it might just go down as a good book but a lost cause series.

My Rating: This one definitely feels like we just saw the tip of the iceberg and that there is so much more to see, a lot more world to explore.  I am super curious but at the same time hesitant if too much time passes before the next book comes out, if at all.  I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag.

Review of Hush by Dylan Farrow

 

Read for: Requested Review/ Netgalley/ Audio

Synopsis: "They use magic to silence the world. Who will break the hush?

Seventeen-year-old Shae has led a seemingly quiet life, joking with her best friend Fiona, and chatting with Mads, the neighborhood boy who always knows how to make her smile. All while secretly keeping her fears at bay… Of the disease that took her brother’s life. Of how her dreams seem to bleed into reality around her. Of a group of justice seekers called the Bards who claim to use the magic of Telling to keep her community safe.

When her mother is murdered, she can no longer pretend.

Not knowing who to trust, Shae journeys to unlock the truth, instead finding a new enemy keen to destroy her, a brooding boy with dark secrets, and an untold power she never thought possible."

My Review: I was initially drawn to this book by the stunning cover and then the tag line that it was for fans of Graceling by Kristin Cashore, one of my all time favorite series. Sadly, I really, really struggled with this one. I feel like I have been reading it forever. I tried reading the ebook but it just wasn't working for me, I could not stay focused on this story. It hooks you a bit with the first chapter but after that it is a very slow build up. You don't really get into the meat of the story until about half way through, then if finally starts to make progress. I eventually had to purchase my own audio book to try listening to the story and still I found myself putting it down for a month or more. The story gets very confusing in the later part, both for the character and the reader and we just don't know enough to make much sense of it. This one just really did not work for me, maybe it would have been better if I was a younger reader just getting into fantasy or YA books but I expect quite a bit more out of my books at this point.

My Rating: I struggled so much with this one and honestly maybe should have given up on it but wanted to get caught up on past requested reviews. I really can only give this one a rating of One Paw.

 I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. The above is my honest review and opinion.

You can find out more about Dylan Farrow and her books on her Goodreads Page.

Hush has been available through all major booksellers for quite some time now so you can pick up your own copy in print or digital format or request it at your local bookseller or library and give it a try for yourself.