In a time of tenuous peace, Prince Alto longs to be a hero like his mother before him, but she won't allow him to practice magic on his mandolin and become a bard. Instead, she insists he focus on his political responsibilities, so Alto runs off into the lush countryside in search of adventure. When he overhears a villainous troupe of bards planning to throw the kingdom into chaos, Alto forms a troupe of his own and races to defend his mother and her hard-won peace. Aldridge paints a beautiful medieval fantasy here, and fans of the genre will instantly be engaged by the rich world map, which gives scope and beauty to the story before even the prologue. Bright watercolors bring energy to the elegant designs tailed enough for rich world building, simple enough for young readers d the magic system based on making music, no small feat for a graphic novel, really shines, literally and figuratively. An excellent option for budding fans of fantasy, especially young musicians.

Gr 58 Alto, a prince living in a land where ballads played by bards wield magic, is more interested in perfecting his music skills than in his princely responsibilities. His mother, Lady Toril Brightblade, along with bard Eluvian and weaponsmith Calder, slew a dragon and brought peace to their kingdom. Toril is now in the midst of negotiating a peaceful alliance with the neighboring trolls' kingdom, working to overcome distrust from their earlier conflicts. During sensitive negotiations, Alto's fledgling musical magic goes awry and almost derails things, so Toril ends his lessons, demanding he focus on being a prince. Instead, Alto runs away and meets Ebbe, a troll bard who, like Alto, had to leave her community to pursue music. While traveling together they encounter the Discords, bards who use their music to create conflict among listeners. Alto is frightened to discover the Discords' eventual target for their chaos. Alto and Ebbe, joined by young bard Clarabel, must overcome their youth and inexperience to figure out how to stop them. Relying on a soft yet vibrant palette, the gorgeous hand-painted watercolor illustrations lend the story a dreamy quality while still showing the intensity of action scenes and the power of the musical magic. The characters include diverse humans and members of various fantasy races; Alto, his family, and Clarabel are brown-skinned. Themes of friendship, following dreams, and relationships with blood and chosen family are deftly woven into the narrative. VERDICT Beautiful artwork and an exciting, heartfelt story make this a winner. Carla Riemer