Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu and Teny Issakhanian - HIGH

 Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Teny Issakhanian, 204 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Quill Tree Books (Harper Collins), 2022. $13

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Zuli is a young girl raised by mystical bird spirits among the branches of the Great Tree, which houses dead bird spirits until they can be reborn back into the world. She loves it there until one day the bird spirits quit arriving. Together with her guardian owl, Frowly, Zuli sets out to find what is going wrong. Zuli soon finds that life outside the tree is fraught with danger as she encounters sinister magic and discovers her true identity. 

The art is amazing and will lure you into the story. Zuli’s quest turns dangerous almost from the get go and you will wonder along with Zuli who you can trust. This is the first in a series, and the ending will leave you wanting more. Zuli is an intriguing character and her allies and enemies come from a wide variety of species, which make the interplay more interesting. The magic and the politics of her world mesh well together.

Michelle in the Middle