Tag: graphic novel

Caramel has been reviewing the Cleopatra in Space graphic novel series by Mike Maihack, and he has already reviewed the first three books. (You might find it useful to check out his reviews of the first book Target Practice, the second book The Thief and the Sword, and the third book Secret of the Time Tablets before continuing on.) Today he talks about the fourth book in the series: The Golden Lion. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel tell me about this book.

Caramel: The book is about Cleopatra and the Golden Lion. The Golden Lion is a star that fell on to a distant planet and Cleo wants to find it. But I am not sure it is really a star, because a star could not really fall on a planet and both still continue to be.

S: I understand. You are right. Stars are also almost always bigger than planets. Maybe it was a comet–

C: Or maybe it is a neutron star. Those can be smaller.

S: Good point! So why does Cleo want to find this Golden Lion?

C: I am not sure. I think it is in the prophesy about Cleo. But if you want the general summary of the book, let me read you the description at the back cover of the book:

Cleo is back at Yasiro Academy, recovering from the tragic events that occurred on planet Hykosis. She feels responsible for the death of her friend Zaid, and trains nonstop. And when she learns that the Golden Lion — a star with immeasurable energy that could destroy them all if weaponized — has been located, she goes alone to the snowy, icy planet Cada’duun to find it. There, she faces off with a new enemy who has been instructed to destroy the Golden Lion…and her.

S: Hmm, that sounds interesting, so she is trying to protect her friends and the Yasiro Academy, right?

C: I think so.

S: Apparently some aliens in the book speak in equations. What did you think of that?

C: I am not sure it makes any sense.

S: Why not? A lot of people say math is a language.

C: But there are so many things you cannot say with equations.

S: Like?

C: Like, where is the pizza?

S: Hmm, maybe there is a variable for pizza and the question template “where is …” is a function w(..), then you could say w(Pizza)?

C: I don’t think that makes sense.

S: That is probably because you do not know algebra yet so algebraic notation seems confusing.

C: That is true. I do not know algebra. But coming back to the book, Antony is back and he is a litter bug.

S: Who was Antony? Is this the Antony who marries Cleopatra in the real history?

C: But this is millions of years in the future, that does not make sense.

S: But I mean you told me earlier that there was a character named Antony who was a thief, right?

C: Right. That was in The Thief and the Sword. It is the same thief.

S: I see. I understand there is a surprise twist at the end?

C: Yes, but I’m not going to tell you about it. You need to read it yourself.

S: So what do you think of Cleo? Do you find her relatable? Do you like her? Do you understand how she feels when you read her thoughts and actions?

C: Yes. I like her. But I think she does not always make the right decisions. Kind of like Harry Potter who also makes wrong decisions, and she goes off to do things on her own without getting help from friends.

S: I know, right? But if the main character always did the right thing, the stories would be less interesting and much shorter I think. So some readers say that this was the most intense book of the series so far. What do you think?

C: I think so. She is in big trouble here, someone is trying to kill her. And it gets a bit tense.

S: I see. So what are your three words to describe the book this time?

C: Colorful, exciting, and fun.

S: Are you looking forward to the fifth book?

C: Yes, but it will have to wait till next year. I do not have the book yet.

S: I know. And we are wrapping up this year, you have only one more review to do, and then we take off for January.

C: Yes.

S: Okay, so this is your penultimate review for 2021. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel recently discovered the Cleopatra in Space graphic novel series by Mike Maihack, and he has already reviewed the first two books. (You might find it useful to check out his reviews of the first book Target Practice  and the second book The Thief and the Sword before continuing on.) Today he talks about the third book in the series: Secret of the Time Tablets. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel you know what I am going to ask you.

Caramel: Yes, I know you will say: “So Caramel, tell me about this book.”

S: Do you not want me to say that then?

C: I don’t know. I guess it is a reasonable way to start our reviews.

S: Okay, let us start differently this time. How do you want to start?

C: I don’t know. I guess I can still tell you about the book.

S: I think that would be nice.

C: Well, in this book we find the startling truth about the true identity of Xaius Octavian!

S: That sounds kind of ominous.

C: Well, Xaius Octavian is the villain of the book, so it is kind of ominous to find out that he was all along–

S: Wait, that sounds awfully like a spoiler. So let us stop right there. Don’t tell me who he turns out to have been all along. I think I can wait.

C: Okay I won’t tell.

S: Instead tell me about the secret of the time tablets. Are these the tablets that brought Cleo to the future from all the way back in Ancient Egypt?

C: Yup. But I think the tablets do not play a big role in this book actually. They give Cleo a ton of power, but other than that, i’m not sure if we learn the secret or anything. It is kind of like in the How to Train Your Dragon series, you do not really learn about how to train your dragon. I mean, there are pages of the books that look like the could be parts of a manual, but mostly there are stories about dragons and their Vikings.

S: Hmm, will you read me out loud what it says in the back of the book?

C: Okay, let me read:

Cleo and her friends journey from Yasiro Academy to the city of Hykosis, where some of the most notorious thieves and assassins live. They’re in search of information about the time tablets that could determine Cleo’s fate — whether she wants them to or not. But the group is separated when Xaius Octavian’s fleet attacks their ship, and Cleo and Akila are on their own until they run into an old nemesis. Will Cleo find the information she needs and get out of Hykosis alive?

C: Did you like my dramatic voice?

S: I did. And I could also see a bit how the tablets come into play in this book. It seems to me that they are important, but then Cleo and her friends have a lot of other things to worry about through the book.

C: I guess you could say that.

S: Okay, so it seemed like you read through this book very quickly, and then turned over to the first page and began rereading. I’m guessing this means you liked it.

C: Yup.

S: So tell me your three words to describe it then.

C: Colorful, adventurous, and funny. <switches to dramatic movie trailer narrator voice, as much as a little bunny can do it> Danger awaits them in Hykosis!

S: Oh, that sounds mysterious! And exciting!

C: And dangerous! But then that would make four words. So I cannot say it.

S: I think you can say it if you want to.

C: Okay, I want to. The adventure is dangerous.

S: So are you excited about the fourth book?

C: Oh yes. I actually got both of the books from the library at the same time. So I will dive into the fourth book right after this review.

S: Hmm, so we should probably wrap things up then.

C: Yes, I definitely think so.

S: Do you think there will be a review of that fourth book too?

C: Yes, I am quite sure.

S: Okay then, what do you want to tell our readers as we wrap things up?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!