School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up-A complex quest story full of magic and mystery. Inez travels with her grandfather, a 200-year-old wizard, and her canine companion to offer their services to the Emperor. From the beautiful opening scene in which she first encounters snow to the surreal dream sequences scattered throughout the book, Lee's melodramatic fantasy tale is short on explanations but never on style. The art is beautiful, with delicate lines and art nouveau-inspired backdrops and patterns. To add to the mystery, which involves Inez being able to communicate with animals and an epic quest to find a dragon, the characters all look very similar, with long, androgynous limbs and faces. This is a step above the usual manga sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Although there are immediately recognizable characters, such as wizards, demons, and talking animals, the gentle plot and loving relationships make the book unique. Arcana will certainly have cross-over appeal for kids who enjoy fantasy novels like Philip Pullman's âÇ£His Dark MaterialsâÇ series and Christopher Paolini's âÇ£InheritanceâÇ trilogy.-Steev Baker, Kewaskum Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This fantasy manga follows the adventures of Inez, a young adolescent who wanders with her ancient grandfather through a lushly illustrated world of castles, pageantry, mystical wonders and age-old blood feuds. This landscape is seen through the wondering eyes of a girl on the verge of womanhood, who is also blessed with the unexplained ability to communicate with all species of animals. When Inez's gift becomes known to the local powers that be, she is pressed into reluctant service to attempt to lure a guardian dragon to protect the people as the delicately balanced peace with a malevolent race of demons hangs in the balance. With all of those elements in place, a reader could expect a compelling first installment in a fantasy epic of thrilling scope and spectacle. Alas, this is a slow-moving festival of androgynous figures whose genders are undiscernible unless they are referred to by name, and a lengthy backstory that tries but fails to provide depth and intrigue. Perhaps the story will take narrative flight in subsequent volumes, but it's slow going for both fantasy enthusiasts and manga fans in this first volume. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
