Wrack & Rune

Gr 7 Up–A story about the lingering effects of colonialism wrapped in a magic fantasy setting. Rory, a white college student, meets Tyson, a Black 19-year-old musician, and the two begin to date. However, Rory has a secret: he’s part of the Translators, a ­secret society of magic casters who use their power and influence to make their own lives easier, while ignoring the issues faced by the rest of the world. This introduction is very brief, and while the story ultimately fails to develop Rory, the rest of the cast, particularly Tyson, are slowly fleshed out into complex characters. Although the book sets out to be an epic about magic, family, and budding LGBTQIA+ romance, it only manages to create a thinly veiled allegory about colonialism and wealth disparity. ­However, packed with action, this comic may best serve readers who enjoy excitement over plot. The classic comic book art style uses cel shading and fine linework to add a dash of realism to character models and backgrounds alike. Readers who enjoy the art of the video game series Borderlands or who are drawn to fantasy comic characters, such as Doctor Strange or Loki, are the ideal audience for this new series.