The King's Dragon

March 1, 2014
Chantler puts his ongoing tale of magic, treachery, kidnapping and hot pursuit largely on pause to fill in some back story on the chief pursuer. In previous episodes, royal knight Capt. Drake has shown himself to be as noble at heart as he is persistent in the chase. Here, he briefly catches up with his quarry, Dessa, a young circus acrobat hobbled (but not much) by a broken leg, and also looks back on his early days as a member of the elite but corrupt Dragons. Panels, pages and even sections in full color alternate with passages in monochrome, which signify these flashbacks. In his cleanly drawn action sequences, Chantler ingeniously links present and past with parallel acts or dialogue as Drake searches for Dessa in a castlelike "house of healing" while recalling the terrible night in the palace of North Huntington when heroic action saved Princess--now Queen--Magda but her father was assassinated. The author barely advances his main storyline about Dessa, but he does throw in several new clues and twists while giving readers even more reason to admire this scarred, intelligent, fundamentally decent character. Just a quick side jaunt in the journey, but it's a diversion that adds further depth to a particularly well-wrought tale. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12)

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May 1, 2014

Gr 6 Up-The fourth volume in the series, this title nicely weaves the tale of an honorable knight's search for three fugitives. Chantler, a Joe Shuster Award-winning cartoonist, amusingly captures the adventures of Captain Drake, an idealistic knight in service to his monarch. In black-and-white flashbacks neatly interspersed with the current narrative, readers witness the protagonist's initial knighting. He then learns that not every King's Dragon (knight) is truly in service to the crown. The color panels reveal that Drake is now operating without formal guidance. His search brings him back in contact with his former leader, and the hero must confront some of his concerns and issues with trust. Prettily drawn, in a style reminiscent of the "Prince Valiant" comics, The King's Dragon can almost stand alone. Still, those who wish to read the whole tale will need to order the first three installments and commit to purchasing future volumes. Given the popularity of complex monarchal stories for adults-such as Game of Thrones-this series serves middle and high school students interested in the same genre.-Sarah Knutson, American Canyon Middle School, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2014
Grades 4-6 The fourth book in Chantler's fantasy-adventure epic, Three Thieves, dives unexpectedly into deeper waters, as the focus falls on series antagonist Captain Drake. In hot pursuit of the three thieves of the series' title, Drake finds himself held up outside a house of healing where he suspects his quarry is hiding. While weighing his options, the captain recalls his early days as the young idealist of the King's Dragons and how he slowly began to uncover corruption at the highest levels. Black-and-white flashbacks share equal time with the colorful main narrative, and the contrast emphasizes how Drake, now rougher and more jaded, struggles with what he has become as well as the return of the insidious evil that eluded him in the past. Chantler's cartooning remains sharp, lively, and inviting, and his eye for rousing action sequences is top-notch. It's his skill as a writer that shines through, as he creates a riveting character study of a complicated, difficult, noble, and conflicted man, the likes of which one seldom sees in genre graphic novels for this age group.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
While he and the other men of the King's knights, known as the Dragons, follow clues to find three young thieves, Sir Drake reminisces about the fatal events that led to their present day. Black-and-white art among color signifies the flashback scenes, making the transitions easy to follow. The backstory will be satisfying to fans of this graphic novel series.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)