I'm using this to meet the 2015 Read Harder Challenge under the Indie Press category. I had a lot of trouble discerning what was and was not a small/indie press but saw TokyoPop referred to as such on some web sites. That's good enough for me. I came across this used, and it's currently out of print. It's available for as little as $2.50 on Amazon.com, and I'd have definitely sought this series out when my kids were of an appropriate age.
Sea of Shadow is the 1st volume of The Twelve Kingdoms, a series written by Fuyumi Ono and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. I find in distinctly young-adulty, but I enjoyed it even so. I'd definitely recommend it for young people who like adventure stories that feature magic and other worlds, especially for females seeking a female protagonist. It's a quick, easy read with striking black and white full-page illustrations. Here's a sample picture:
from the back of the book:
More than just a fantasy story filled with horrific monsters, half-beasts, and magicians, The Twelve Kingdoms centers around a world reminiscent of Chinese mythology and rife with political and civil upheaval. Sea of Shadow, the first volume of this ongoing seven-volume epic, takes you on a wild ride that leaves you questioning the bounds of reality and fantasy.Wikipedia has this plot synopsis:
Yoko Nakajima's life had been fairly ordinary until Keiki, a young man with golden hair, tells her that she is his master, and must return to their kingdom. With the help of a magic sword and a magic stone she fights against the demons on her trail. Yoko begins her quest for both survival and self-discovery in her new land.
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This looks like something I would have read as a teen. I'm delighted it was an easy read because the illustration you shared was worth the price of the book alone!
ReplyDeleteI agree about the illustrations. It wasn't published in English til 2007, so that's pushing it even for my daughter, but I'd have loved it as a teen, too.
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