Atana: Atana and the Firebird
A Graphic Novel
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“A charming magical adventure.” — Lily LaMotte, author of Measuring Up
A mermaid, a firebird, and a witch become entangled with the mysterious and powerful Witch Queen, who may hold the key to each of their past in this epic middle grade fantasy by debut author Vivian Zhou.
Atana’s island may be quiet and peaceful, but mostly, it’s lonely. With the outside world full of magic hunters who would stop at nothing to capture a mermaid like her, Atana has never been brave enough to swim far from her island’s shores and seek the answers to her mysterious past—until a firebird named Ren unexpectedly crashes into her life.
Ren’s arrival does not go unnoticed, as it has been hundreds of years since a firebird last landed on Earth. Determined to both protect Ren and finally chase the answers she’s longed for, Atana embarks on an adventure that takes her and the firebird to strange new islands and entangles them with the powerful yet secretive Witch Queen.
Generous though the Witch Queen’s offer of protection may be, an invitation to the Blue Palace can’t come without a price. And while the Palace’s splendid halls and library might hold the key to Atana’s past, will she be willing to pay the cost when it risks her chance of a bright new future?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Zhou's alluring graphic novel debut, the first in a duology, Atana, a tan-skinned mermaid, lives alone on an island. Having been banished from her merfolk community because of her part in a mysterious prophecy, she hopes to be brave enough to explore the world alone. While salvaging ship remains from a small outcropping, Atana—who can shift between her mermaid form and a two-legged human appearance—encounters Ren, a brown-skinned firebird, who crashes into the ocean just beyond Atana's camp. Eager Ren soon persuades Atana to leave her encampment and travel to the places that she's seen in her salvaged maps and books. After escaping human hunters, the two are found by a member of the Witch Queen's guard, who brings them to meet the Witch Queen, a powerful clairvoyant who hopes to study Ren's abilities. When a visit to a local festival turns perilous, Atana uncovers a greater treachery that threatens the entire magical order. Dynamic action sequences are rendered via deceptively simple linework and a vibrant color palette, and an engaging magic system paired with an endearing and plucky cast make for a quick-paced adventure. Ages 8–12.
