Amulet series book 1 and 2: The Cloud Searchers and The Last Council
Note this may contain spoilers to previous books in the series
Summary
Ever since Emily, Navin (her brother), and their mother have entered the magical world where Emily's equally magical amulet originated from, they've learned a lot about their grandfather and the rest of the world itself. They've even met people that help them along the way. Under the tutelage of Leon Redbeard, a man cursed, like many others, to take on the form of an animal, Emily learns about her new abilities with the amulet and how they can protect her and her friends.
In order to defeat the evil Elf King, Emily and her friends seek out the help of the legendary city of Cielis, the birthplace of stonekeepers and the home of the famous Guardian Council. Not only does finding the city seem impossible, but she's now being intensely hunted by the Elf King's minions. It doesn't help that she's now allied herself with his son, the Elf prince, Trellis, who's trying to kill his father.
Will the group be able to make it to Cielis? If they do, what answers will they find there?
Opinion
Scale of 1-10:
9
One thing I have just always admired about Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series is the artwork. There are so many pages in these books that are just full-page works of art. These books have set my expectations for graphic novel art so high that it's a real struggle!
I really loved the characters that were introduced in these two books. They all have a history connected to the amulets that used to govern the society and it's really interesting to see how they all play a part in Emily and Navin's destiny. I just felt so immersed in this fantasy world that it sometimes get hard to resurface.
I think my one hang-up is some of the corny dialogue and Emily's mother's behavior in the whole situation. I guess I'm just used to being around parents who are naturally suspicious of people because for some reason, I could not wrap my head around how trusting Emily and Navin's mother was with some of the people they were meeting!
Other than that, this is such a beautiful fantasy world that I've fallen in love with, even over just the first four books! I think that you should definitely continue the series if you haven't already.
Age Rating
9+
This is a very appropriate book for this age range. There isn't any cursing or sexual references whatsoever. While there is some scenes that may be kind of creepy. There's one scene where Emily's in these sort of catacombs and there are creatures that may be frightening to some readers. There's also fighting and violence throughout the book.
Again, I do believe that these books are perfect for kids in fourth and fifth grade. Despite this, I also believe that teens and young adults could enjoy the story and adventure of the Amulet series!
Here are the links to the books on Goodreads:
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