[note note_color=”#3f6eb6″ text_color=”#ffffff”]The Cobalt Prince (5 Worlds #2) by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, & Boya Sun • May 8, 2018 • Random House Books for Young Readers
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Oona Lee surprised everyone–including herself–when she lit the first beacon to save the Five Worlds from extinction. Can she light the other four beacons in time? Next stop, Toki! On the blue planet, Oona must face the sister who left her, and bring to light the Cobalt Prince’s dark secrets.
Meanwhile, An Tzu is fading away as his mysterious illness gets worse. Will it stop him from joining the fight? Or will his unique magic be just what the team needs?
And Jax Amboy is a hero on the starball field, but in a moment of real danger, will he risk everything to save his friends?[/note]
[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from Random House for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]
First, you must read The Sand Warrior, the first book for the wonderful 5 Worlds series.
After lighting the beacon in their home of Mon Domani, three young kids—Oona, the clumsy sand dancer; An Tzu, a kid from the slums who’s fading away; and Jax Amboy, all-star Starboy android—travel to other struggling planets to light their beacons and hopefully saving them. Their next stop is Toki.
In The Cobalt Prince, these heroes have to be careful as they travel—there are always hidden enemies willing to call the Toki on them. They must rely on each other because that’s who they can trust. It’s hard to trust who is really on their side when the Mimic, the big bad, can be anybody and anywhere.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
- How the different relationships are explored.
You get these three kids who have to rely on each other to survive; you can feel the strength of their friendship in the writing and the way they look at each other. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do for each other, and that is friendship.
I love that we finally get to see Jessa and Oona’s relationship—you get flashbacks of how they loved each other so deeply, and the present of Oona feeling so betrayed by Jessa’s abandoning her for the enemy and such. You can feel the love and the hurt.
- It gives you background on why Jessa, Oona’s older sister left.
If you wanted to know why Oona left her sister to go with the Toki, The Cobalt Prince shows you why and how right at the start. I appreciated that because it didn’t drag it out. You know what’s at stake for her and Oona, and sets up what’s to happen later in the book that’s just heart wrenching.
- You’re surrounded by these beautiful atmospheric colors.
What sets this series apart from other graphic novels are the colors. It does so well to accentuate the characters and the setting. The colors used aren’t vibrant; they’re pale and dull, which works so well to create this fantastical, mysterious atmosphere. I appreciate this comic even more, seeing and experiencing these colors (especially because I received a black and white copy of the first book, The Sand Warrior, and didn’t get to see these lush colors).
- The action scenes are “I can’t put it down” level.
I really couldn’t. I can’t even begin to describe them because you have to experience it on your own. It’s full of beautiful movement like watching a well-choreographed dance. I love it.
Who should read The Cobalt Prince? Everybody. Readers who read the first book. Fans of Amulet! Lovers of fantasy + kids graphic novels.
Should you read The Cobalt Prince? Yes. If you read The Sand Warrior, you MUST read this second book.
