A demon and a hero forge an unlikely association.Once a peaceful pastoral kingdom overseen by a benevolent monarch, Valcrest is now ruled by the villainous Lady Renova, Mother of Evil, and her demon son and heir, Maelstrom, who has limited magic but can shape-shift. Valcrest's denizens live a miserable, impoverished existence, suffering at Renova's hand and waiting for the prophesied Hero of Virtue to arrive with the aptly named Sword of Virtue to end Lady Renova's nefarious rule. Brown-skinned Twigs, a new Hero, seeks to assassinate Maelstrom, but it all goes awry, Maelstrom infiltrates the resistance (claiming to be on their side), and the two end up on the run from Renova's soldiers together. As fate would have it, the improbable pair become close during their journey, which is replete with a glamorous ball (and the lush accompanying costuming), thrilling battles, double-crosses, and heart-fluttering romance. As feelings-and secrets-grow, Twigs and Maelstrom, who has pale peach-toned skin and blue hair, must confront their own truths before the kingdom disintegrates under Renova's command. Fans of ND Stevenson's Nimona will adore Merriman's graphic novel debut, which is a sheer delight that mixes a wholly original and cleverly wrought fantasy with deeper issues of self-acceptance, friendship, found family, and identity. The book's illustrations are striking, with a muted palette using splashes of color for dramatic, cinematic effect.Sweet, exciting, and immersive: This exceptional fantasy has it all. (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)

A demon and a hero forge an unlikely association.Once a peaceful pastoral kingdom overseen by a benevolent monarch, Valcrest is now ruled by the villainous Lady Renova, Mother of Evil, and her demon son and heir, Maelstrom, who has limited magic but can shape-shift. Valcrest's denizens live a miserable, impoverished existence, suffering at Renova's hand and waiting for the prophesied Hero of Virtue to arrive with the aptly named Sword of Virtue to end Lady Renova's nefarious rule. Brown-skinned Twigs, a new Hero, seeks to assassinate Maelstrom, but it all goes awry, Maelstrom infiltrates the resistance (claiming to be on their side), and the two end up on the run from Renova's soldiers together. As fate would have it, the improbable pair become close during their journey, which is replete with a glamorous ball (and the lush accompanying costuming), thrilling battles, double-crosses, and heart-fluttering romance. As feelings-and secrets-grow, Twigs and Maelstrom, who has pale peach-toned skin and blue hair, must confront their own truths before the kingdom disintegrates under Renova's command. Fans of ND Stevenson's Nimona will adore Merriman's graphic novel debut, which is a sheer delight that mixes a wholly original and cleverly wrought fantasy with deeper issues of self-acceptance, friendship, found family, and identity. The book's illustrations are striking, with a muted palette using splashes of color for dramatic, cinematic effect.Sweet, exciting, and immersive: This exceptional fantasy has it all. (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)