Today's review is of the graphic novel series, Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi. In honour of book seven being release only a couple of months ago, I figured now would be a great time to review each book for you all. So today, I will be reviewing the first 3 books in the series. I have however read up to book 6 and so another review will come out soon for the rest of the books that are out. Now let's get into the review.
Series Title: Amulet
Author: Kazu Kibuishi
Illustrator: Kazu Kibuishi
Number of Books: 7 (Currently)
Series Summary: A children’s adventure series that follows the main character Emily Hayes (“Em” for short) as she embarks upon a magical journey through the world of Alledia. As Emily (with the company of her brother and mother) move into her late grandfather’s old house, she discovers a magical amulet whilst exploring and puts it on. Immediately her life is turned upside down as the family discovers that there is more to their grandfather than they thought. After her mother is brutally taken away by a strange creature, it is all up to Emily and brother, Navin to venture into a strange world to find and save her.
Title: Amulet Book 1: The StonekeeperPublication Year: 2008
Publisher: Graphix
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1394491.The_Stonekeeper
Review: I was introduced to this series by Regan from PeruseProject on Youtube. I had been watching her booktube channel for a while when I heard her first mention this graphic novel series. I thought that it sounded really interesting and so when I saw it in a local bookstore, I knew that I needed to pick it up and I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed this first book. I thought it was a great introduction to the series and really gave a good back story to the main character, Emily. There is a lot of different things going on within this book, whether it be a personal memory of Emily’s or the building of the world, Kibuishi was able to connect everything together which made the story flow more easily. There is a huge fantasy aspect to the story which comes into play quite early in the book but you begin to see more of the action happen towards the end of the book which I felt gave time for the reader to grow more connected to the characters as well as leave them with just enough information to want to continue to the next instalment. The illustrations were also absolutely beautiful and really told a story of its own as this is a book that did not have much words or dialogue. This is a great series for anyone to start getting into graphic novels as it is simple and intriguing. The perfect way to start a new series.
Star Rating: 4 Stars!
Title: Amulet Book 2: The Stonekeeper's CursePublication Year: 2009
Publisher: Graphix
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6277410-the-stonekeeper-s-curse
Review: As soon as I finished the first book, I jumped straight into the next book which I had bought at the same time as the first one. This was a great follow up book to the series as it was action packed from the very beginning. I found myself really invested in the characters’ stories that it really got me rooting for them whenever they battling other people. The fantasy within this series is so fantastic, yet so simple which I really liked since I don't read a lot of fantasy. I loved seeing the growth of Emily and Navin throughout this book as well. Despite this only being the second book in the series, you can already see how much they have changed from the first book into this one. I loved seeing that they are starting to discover who they are and who they want to be. It is great to see that self-identity is a big part of the story as they started off as these lost kids to now becoming ambitious and strong individuals. By the end of this book, I became so curious to see where the story would go next as a whole bunch of new characters started coming into the mix. It also ended at quite a good point in the plot that it made me want more. Again I love the illustrations as they fit so well with the story. I loved this book so much more than the first book and was eager to continue to on with the series.
Star Rating: 5 Stars!
Title: Amulet Book 3: The Cloud SearchersPublication Year: 2010
Publisher: Graphix
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7955881-the-cloud-searchers
Review: As soon as I finished the second book, I knew that I needed the rest of the series and so I picked up the rest of the books that were out like the day after I finished book two. I got straight into the third book and I must say that it was SO DAMN GOOD! This book is definitely my favourite instalment so far in the series as it had everything I was wanting from the series. It again was so action packed from the very beginning but the thing that makes this book stand out more from the other two was that it also gave me all sorts feelings during particular events. I found myself to be really attached to these characters and invested in their stories that at particular moments I was starting to really feel for them emotionally. I am also really enjoy the whole range of whimsical characters that are in this series. I feel like each character adds an important part to the plot and the overall direction of the story. So I am loving watching everyone work together and learning more about them and how they came about in this world. The magic is also building more strongly in the series especially in this book which I am really enjoying. It really has surprised me how much I am enjoying this series as I’m not usually a fan of fantasy type stories but I am truly loving this one. I also seriously can’t get enough of the illustrations as they are so amazing and definitely add more to the story itself which is great in graphic novels. This book was amazing and ended at the right moment that made me want to pick up the next book as soon as I can.
Star Rating: 5 Stars!
OVERALL: I am really loving this series as it is filled with action, magic and a little bit of mystery. As soon as I started reading this series, I began to check out more of Kazu Kibuishi’s work and I must say that he is definitely now one of my favourite authors and illustrators and I will probably pick up everything he ever publishes. I highly recommend this series as it is so easy to get into and has amazing art work which is a huge part of the story as there isn't a large amount of words or dialogue throughout each volume. I have read the next three book as well in this series and I should have a review up for those soon. I can’t wait to see where the series is headed to next as it just keeps getting better and better with each book. The growth of these characters is so noticeable and amazing. They are very easy to relate to despite the story being set in a magical world. A must read series for any graphic novel reader.
Hope you are all having a wonderful day!
~Louise
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