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jess_mango's review
4.0
3.5 stars
In the land of Arcana, small tin men (and women) work as slaves. The tin men's hearts have been replaced by clocks and when their clock stops working, they pass on. They are forbidden from having love or names. One tin man alone has been given a name by his peers, Canto. When the object of Canto's affection's time runs out, Canto embarks on a quest to free his people and to find their hearts.
This graphic novel had wonderful illustrations and told a tale of fantasy/adventure akin to the Wizard of Oz or The Labyrinth. This book would be a good fit for people who enjoy those kids of quest adventures with all sorts of creatures encountered along the way.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In the land of Arcana, small tin men (and women) work as slaves. The tin men's hearts have been replaced by clocks and when their clock stops working, they pass on. They are forbidden from having love or names. One tin man alone has been given a name by his peers, Canto. When the object of Canto's affection's time runs out, Canto embarks on a quest to free his people and to find their hearts.
This graphic novel had wonderful illustrations and told a tale of fantasy/adventure akin to the Wizard of Oz or The Labyrinth. This book would be a good fit for people who enjoy those kids of quest adventures with all sorts of creatures encountered along the way.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
cake_tin_09's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
geekwayne's review
4.0
'Canto, Vol 1: If I Only Had a Heart' by David M. Booher with art by Drew Zucker is the story of a small mechanical knight on a quest to find a heart.
Canto is a windup knight in the land of Arcana. His people have been enslaved for years, but when a tin girl's clock heart is damaged, Canto builds up the courage to venture out in to the world. There he meets strange allies, travels along a yellow brick road to an emerald tower to face off against an enemy that holds the world in power.
I really liked this story of a little hero with huge determination. I liked the unusual allies he made along the way. I also liked the sly references to the Wizard of Oz. The art is fun with unusual creatures and a worn down world.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Canto is a windup knight in the land of Arcana. His people have been enslaved for years, but when a tin girl's clock heart is damaged, Canto builds up the courage to venture out in to the world. There he meets strange allies, travels along a yellow brick road to an emerald tower to face off against an enemy that holds the world in power.
I really liked this story of a little hero with huge determination. I liked the unusual allies he made along the way. I also liked the sly references to the Wizard of Oz. The art is fun with unusual creatures and a worn down world.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
andhochmuth's review
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kayharkness's review
5.0
Very quick read.
Great world building. Makes me want to dive deeper into this fantasy world.
Labyrinth vibes for real.
Great world building. Makes me want to dive deeper into this fantasy world.
Labyrinth vibes for real.
saramarie08's review
5.0
Canto is a charming fantasy that is 1 part Labyrinth, 1 part Wizard of Oz, and 2 parts entertaining hero's journey. In this story, Canto is part of a race of beings enslaved by another race to continuously chop down fuel for the mighty furnaces. Canto's people are bereft of their hearts as babies so that they cannot feel. In their place, they are given a clock that winds down to their inevitable deaths. However, Canto finds himself falling in love with another of his kind. She gets injured, and the only way to save her is to undertake a journey to recover her stolen heart. Canto makes friends on his journey who help him come face to face with the Shrouded Man, the being at the center of the enslavement of the world.
Canto certainly tugs at the heartstrings (pun intended). He is small but mighty, and his courage is certainly inspirational. Though he faces many set backs, he continues to persevere to save the one he loves. The story weaves in the only "tale" that has survived generations -- that of a knight questing to save a princess atop the tallest tower on the tallest mountain. The tale has no ending, and Canto discovers why when he gets atop his own tallest tower on the tallest mountain. While the repetition of this story throughout can be a little monotonous, it is a nice through-thread to the very end of the volume. The art of this book is whimsical and perfectly complements the fantasy elements throughout. The colors are mainly soft and often pastel, which also lends itself perfectly to the story.
I would rate this story for older elementary and up, owing to a slight bit of fantasy violence (no blood), and some serious elements, such as slavery and death, that might not suite younger readers.
Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability level: Grades 5-12
This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.
Canto certainly tugs at the heartstrings (pun intended). He is small but mighty, and his courage is certainly inspirational. Though he faces many set backs, he continues to persevere to save the one he loves. The story weaves in the only "tale" that has survived generations -- that of a knight questing to save a princess atop the tallest tower on the tallest mountain. The tale has no ending, and Canto discovers why when he gets atop his own tallest tower on the tallest mountain. While the repetition of this story throughout can be a little monotonous, it is a nice through-thread to the very end of the volume. The art of this book is whimsical and perfectly complements the fantasy elements throughout. The colors are mainly soft and often pastel, which also lends itself perfectly to the story.
I would rate this story for older elementary and up, owing to a slight bit of fantasy violence (no blood), and some serious elements, such as slavery and death, that might not suite younger readers.
Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability level: Grades 5-12
This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.
capannemazing's review
4.0
Canto is a refreshing take on fairy tales and specifically The Wizard of Oz. The art is beautiful. Canto takes the tropes of fairy tales and spins them to show how one person's courage can create change.
Initially I was confused by the twin plots that were being told but as they started to coalesce the story became clearer and took on heart and depth.
Initially I was confused by the twin plots that were being told but as they started to coalesce the story became clearer and took on heart and depth.
a_erives17's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
thebeardedpoet's review
3.0
In David Booher's Canto, the concepts and themes are charming. Like the Tinman in the Wizard of Oz Canto is on a quest for a heart, but not his own. There are several heartwarming incidences here. Where the story falls down is in the development and details. The battles resulted in too easy victories, and there were several too convenient assists to the little hero. As a result, I never fully believed in the story, even though I liked the ideas.
crookedtreehouse's review
2.0
The art on this book is gorgeous. It looks like an modern epic adventure story should. A dark fantasy rather than just a dark fairy tale. Vittorio Astone's colors set precisely the proper tone.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the story. I enjoyed the concept of telling a complete fairy tale in the first few pages and having it be a legend to our protagonist and other characters, but once we got to the characters, I lost interest. Replacing a heart with clockwork just feels like too trite a trope for the 21st century. You have to really add some intriguing character designs for that to work. And, unfortunately, having all the slave race in the same armor but with slightly different colored sashes didn't work for me.
I ended up skipping entire sections of the book due to a lack of interest. And then I found the afterword where the author first explains why he thinks L Frank Baum would like his story. Ummm. That has no place in your published book. Talk about the process of creating your book, and the books that inspired you, don't theorize which dead writers would be fans of yours. It's pretty gross.
If you're super into fantasy comics, this might be worth checking out, especially if you enjoy familiar tropes. It's also definitely worth checking out for the art.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the story. I enjoyed the concept of telling a complete fairy tale in the first few pages and having it be a legend to our protagonist and other characters, but once we got to the characters, I lost interest. Replacing a heart with clockwork just feels like too trite a trope for the 21st century. You have to really add some intriguing character designs for that to work. And, unfortunately, having all the slave race in the same armor but with slightly different colored sashes didn't work for me.
I ended up skipping entire sections of the book due to a lack of interest. And then I found the afterword where the author first explains why he thinks L Frank Baum would like his story. Ummm. That has no place in your published book. Talk about the process of creating your book, and the books that inspired you, don't theorize which dead writers would be fans of yours. It's pretty gross.
If you're super into fantasy comics, this might be worth checking out, especially if you enjoy familiar tropes. It's also definitely worth checking out for the art.