Written and Illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi
208 pages, full color
Published by GRAPHIX
Amulet 5: Prince of the Elves is to the Amulet series what The Half-Blood Prince was to the Harry Potter series. It’s a mixture of flashbacks, albeit cleverly done, and set up for book 6. Now, don’t misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with this book at all. But it is different than the other books. We have sympathy-inducing villain backstory, we’ve got explanations into why the Elf King is like he is, and by the end of the story we even learn the dark secret of Emily’s amulet “friend”.
Basically, this is the book that ties everything from the previous 4 books (read my reviews from the beginning) together, and says, “Now get ready for the finale.”
There’s so much packed into this book that I’m surprised that Kazu and his team were able to pack it all into 208 pages without making it feel like a text book. Kibiushi takes all of the lessons from the first books and keeps hammering them home. The villain’s backstory gives you a sense of understanding for why he’s doing what he’s doing. And personally, I thought the way the Elf King’s story is told more fully was wonderfully masterful. They used a great bit of storytelling they had introduced in Book 4 to really get us into the moment that I won’t reveal.
And one of the best setup moments for me was the introduction of a mountain giant, a spider-like monstrosity, named Chronos. We’d seen lumbering mechanical houses walking around, but in this book, we’re introduced to their fighting counterparts, the Colossus. I love giant robots fighting giant monsters—it’s why I love Pacific Rim so much—and Kibiushi has managed to work them perfectly into his story that I already loved. He’s only introducing them here though. Like a tease for an awesome battle that’s coming…
And in each book, the truth of Emily’s amulet… and the voice that’s constantly asking for control. Pushing harder and harder to take over. Well Amulet 5: Prince of the Elves finally answers the questions you’ve been asking and and really sets the board (literally) for Book 6.
The art in this book has been some of the best of the series. Each page, heck each panel, has been rendered so beautifully. If you only ever look at one of the Amulet series, pick this one up. It’s truly just a fantastic-looking book that I think you’ll want to read all of them. Kibiushi’s has assembled a team of artists at Bolt City that is just continually improving. They are a force to be reckoned with, and I cannot wait for Book 6.
And we’ll all be waiting on that one for a little while.
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Next week: Drama by Raina Telgemeier!