Siegel, Mark and Alexis Siegel. The Sand Warrior. Illus. by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun. (5 Worlds series, book 1) Random House, 2017. $18.99. 249p. ISBN 9781101935866. Ages 10-13. P8Q8
Three young people—wealthy but inept sand dancer Oona Lee, street urchin An Tzu, and famous sports figure Jax Amboy—find themselves together trying to save the Five Worlds from extinction by lighting five ancient beacons. It’s epic fantasy with flowing bright colors and non-stop action after their world of Mon Domani is attacked. The format moves from the traditional by bleeding dialog bubbles to the edge, and the vivid palette of colors is inviting.
Verdict: Characters develop into a greater understanding of themselves and acceptance of others, and the authors deal skillfully with income inequality and the shortage of resources on the world, even water. Illustrations of the female form are not stereotyped: although Oona is graceful, she isn’t a standard slim gorgeous girl found in many graphic narratives. The busyness of the plot sometimes makes it hard to understand, but the plot keeps readers moving.
May/June 2017 review by Nel Ward.
Advertisements Share this:
