River Readers

Milo is the adopted son of the owners of Greenglass House, an old hilltop inn with a reputation as a refuge for smugglers. When Milo's hope for a quiet winter break is interrupted by the arrival of several mysterious lodgers, he and the cook's daughter, Meddy, take it upon themselves to determine why each stranger is there, and to unveil the identity of a thief.

Young Kano Murasaki's nickname is Risuko (Squirrel), earned by the strength of her climbing abilities. When the rich, elderly Lady Chiyome arrives at her village, Risuko is whisked away to be trained to be kunoichi, a term the girl doesn't understand. Put to work with other trainees in the kitchen at Lady Chiyome's remote compound, Risuko balances work with her desire to discover her purpose for being there.

Elfin Brangwain Spurge is catapulted into goblin territory in order to present an artifact to their leader as a peace offering. At least that's what he believes. In reality, the artifact is a bomb, and he the unwitting bomber. Why would elves offer peace to such a brutal society?

A year has passed, and the crew has separated. Catrin follows a signal that will lead her to a reunion and a chance to take the battle to Earth.

A fitting end to the story arc, but wrapped up oh so quickly. It still packs plenty of emotional punch, though, and the art is wonderful.

It's time for Uma and crew to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, the universe has other plans. The characters and plot grow in this second volume, slamming through odd alien encounters and personal revelations, ending on a great cliffhanger.

Uma wants off this oppressive Earth, so joining forces with her friend, Dewydd, the teens steal a ship and head for space. Catrin, a guard who was chasing them, is aboard when they leave, and soon the three are on the run from the World Government Alliance.

This opening volume is more setup than anything else. The art and writing is compared to Saga with good reason, but it's the adventure to come that makes me want to read the next volume.

Delilah Dirk's adventures with her companion, Selim, continue with a search for a lost city that has them bouncing back and forth across the Mediterranean and beyond. This time, they are joined by Dutch journalist intent on giving Delilah's exploits a mythical edge. Excellent artwork as always, with an even better adventure. Delilah is a fantastic character, especially when dealing with her enemies, both by sword and word.

Egyptian creation myth is given a graphic novel twist, filled with modern dialog and art that stays true to the source, no matter how we may react to it. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it all.

Veteran starliner pilot Priscilla Hutchins is taking the chance to be part of a first-contact mission, despite the efforts of the government to stop it. The team had to leave before fully prepared, and judging by the age of the alien transmission that triggered the mission, there is no guarantee they will find anything when they arrive. The mission will test the team in ways they didn't anticipate.

When Sophie spots a giant one night in the streets outside her orphanage window, he kidnaps her, and sets off on an adventure of mistaken assumptions, the delivery of dreams, and even a visit to the Queen of England.

It takes a writer like Dahl to successfully weave kidnapping into a tale like this. Add a few stitches of groan-worthy puns on the international flavors of humans, head-scratching giant speak, and social commentary, and the resulting tapestry is a children's classic.