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hideyourspoons's review against another edition
5.0
Friendship, Adventure, and Magic ✨️ A curious Firebird, a comet-like being who may take a human form, strays from her orbiting flock/family to visit Earth. Her first encounter is with Atana, a mermaid living on an isolated island keeping her identity & magic a secret. The two bond instantly over a desire to see the world. But the Firebird's arrival has drawn the attention of both Magic Hunters & the Witch Queen herself. They'll need to rely on friendship to navigate a big wide world and learn quick who deserves their trust.
Character, costume, and color stories all support the adventure of Atana and the Firebird. The architecture is also very precise in that its part ancient, part advanced tech, and wholly magical. Book 2 When?
Character, costume, and color stories all support the adventure of Atana and the Firebird. The architecture is also very precise in that its part ancient, part advanced tech, and wholly magical. Book 2 When?
mariahistryingtoread's review
4.0
An intriguing first entry to a duology.
The art was gorgeous, very loose and whimsical.
The casual inclusivity was lovely. I loved how the look of the characters did not always reflect their pronouns or presumed gender. The point of the spectrum is for people to be able to look however they want and it have as much or as little bearing on their gender identity as they choose. This graphic novel embraced that wholeheartedly.
I liked the mystery of what the Witch Queen was really up to. I like how her motivations were both practical and impractical - she was seeking to fix an issue, however, it can only be theorized how much of her perspective is skewed by past heartbreak. I enjoyed the prophecy set-up as a tease for the next book, but I like that this book ended in a complete enough way to leave me wanting more without feeling it ended too early. Atana and Ren's friendship was very sweet. I loved how the defining trait was complete faith in one another.
I look forward to the sequel. I'm very curious about how the magic crisis will be fixed without the sacrifice the Witch Queen demanded.
The art was gorgeous, very loose and whimsical.
The casual inclusivity was lovely. I loved how the look of the characters did not always reflect their pronouns or presumed gender. The point of the spectrum is for people to be able to look however they want and it have as much or as little bearing on their gender identity as they choose. This graphic novel embraced that wholeheartedly.
I liked the mystery of what the Witch Queen was really up to. I like how her motivations were both practical and impractical - she was seeking to fix an issue, however, it can only be theorized how much of her perspective is skewed by past heartbreak. I enjoyed the prophecy set-up as a tease for the next book, but I like that this book ended in a complete enough way to leave me wanting more without feeling it ended too early. Atana and Ren's friendship was very sweet. I loved how the defining trait was complete faith in one another.
I look forward to the sequel. I'm very curious about how the magic crisis will be fixed without the sacrifice the Witch Queen demanded.
ivypoo1's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
gregoryreadscomics's review
5.0
This is a fun little adventure fantasy read with magic and friendship and just warm feelings of happiness. Sometimes it’s nice to read something that isn’t super poetic but is just fun!
apologiesforeverything's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kelkelkelhart's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
amethystarchild's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the advance copy!
“Atana and the Firebird” was lovely and epic! Vivian Zhou has created a beautiful and magical world filled with interesting characters. The twist at the end was a bit obvious, but I still found it effective. There were at least two tragic sapphic relationships in the text and a cute visually hinted relationship between side characters as well! Reminded me of the kind of tragic romance you find in a Chinese fantasy drama, so I was very pleased. The few romantic bits were of course appropriate for middle grade readers, and the friendship between the three central characters was the main focus of the story. Atana the mermaid, Ren the firebird, and Cosmos the witch guard in training are all on different paths of exploration and growth and I look forward to seeing them further develop. I enjoyed the story's themes of identity, fate, and friendship. There were interesting threads that can be followed up on in the future book two, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next when it comes out!
“Atana and the Firebird” was lovely and epic! Vivian Zhou has created a beautiful and magical world filled with interesting characters. The twist at the end was a bit obvious, but I still found it effective. There were at least two tragic sapphic relationships in the text and a cute visually hinted relationship between side characters as well! Reminded me of the kind of tragic romance you find in a Chinese fantasy drama, so I was very pleased. The few romantic bits were of course appropriate for middle grade readers, and the friendship between the three central characters was the main focus of the story. Atana the mermaid, Ren the firebird, and Cosmos the witch guard in training are all on different paths of exploration and growth and I look forward to seeing them further develop. I enjoyed the story's themes of identity, fate, and friendship. There were interesting threads that can be followed up on in the future book two, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next when it comes out!