ALA Booklist (Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2009)

The colorization effort of Smith's epic comic Bone reaches its culmination with this final volume in the nine-book series. There really aren't any superlatives left to lay at Smith's feet for his timeless achievement, but now that the entire work is available in gorgeously rendered color, it is an even more attractive offering. The story concludes Fone Bone's saga in the Valley with a full-scale battle and a touching farewell to his friends Thorn and Gran'ma Ben. There may be a few purists who will liken this to Ted Turner colorizing classic films or George Lucas' digital fiddling with the Star Wars franchise, but they'll be a tiny minority. Even though the black-and-white artwork of the originals was spectacular in its own right, the color versions offer so much more to look at in every panel, bringing many of the details that might have gone unnoticed to the forefront without losing any of the subtlety of Smith's impeccable line work and juxtapositions of humor and drama. A masterful rendering now fully ready for a whole new generation of readers.

Horn Book (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

This final volume in the popular graphic-novel series takes Bone and his companions on one last journey: to seek out Thorn's vision, a "Crown of Horns," in the hopes that it will return peace to the kingdom. As all parties converge on the royal city for battle, Smith packs the pages with action, adventure, and a satisfying conclusion.

Voice of Youth Advocates

This colorized reissue of a previously self-published, critically acclaimed, and superbly popular series is full of high adventure, suspense, and great mythology. Readers find Fone Bone and Thorn in prison with the war between the Locusts, Rat Creatures, and people of the valley just beginning. Gran'ma Ben has entered Atheia and is doing her best to defend the city. Fone and Thorn want to help her and believe that finding and using the Crown of Horns will destroy the Locusts along with the Hooded One, who wants to conquer the people of Atheia and use her dark power for evil purposes. The illustrations are fabulous and tell the story well. There are some funny moments on the part of Smiley and Phoney Bone when treasure hunting, but this volume has a more intense and serious good-versus-evil focus because it covers the end of the series and the final battle. It is an essential purchase for graphic novel collections and will be popular among high fantasy readers and those looking for adventure and humor. The quality and consistency of both artwork and story makes this series and its climatic conclusion, one of the best graphic novel series for readers of all ages.-Karen Sykeny.