March 1, 2023
Grades 5-7 Lonely 12-year-old gamer Ben thinks he's been recruited for a particularly good RPG, right up until he looks into a mirror in an old mansion and finds himself in the two-sun realm of Lux, where knights on flying narwhals swoop with lightning lances and the spells he records in his tattered notebook (sometimes!) actually work. Or, as he puts it with mingled terror and excitement: "Real. It was all real." Actually, Lux is not quite what it seems, but on the way to discovering that and having adventures in promising locales, like a Forbidden Library (with a "tiny graphic novel section"), Ben acquires a squad of new friends, including shape-changing nonbinary thief Merv and scary, purple-haired teen assassin Niara--not to mention a new attitude toward life with his divorced, loving mother on the (or, at least, this) Earthly plane. Threat ratings, chapter titles like "Battle Noob," and breakdowns of various "boss level" challenges add further gloss to the scenario, as do Weber's map and sheaf of character cards. To use the local parlance, a "ridonkulously" entertaining kickoff.
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April 15, 2023
A lonely tabletop role-playing game fan gets a quest in a real magical world. Ben is constantly writing in his notebook, daydreaming up new games for his adventuring party to play in Dungeons & Dragons analog Kingdoms of Forever. His divorced mother moved him away from his friends, leaving him bored and alone. After being stood up by his party at the con they'd always attended, he's discovered by purple-haired, awesomely costumed Niara. She's on a mission to retrieve the Chosen One for a quest. Ben assumes she's a con-goer inviting him to a game and follows Niara to Lux, where he's plopped into the middle of a conflict between the Elders, who are devoted to an ancient prophet's writings, and the king whose knights riding flying narwhals contribute to the ridonkulous comedic tone. Ben finds a magic of his own--what he writes in his notebook comes true (within reasonable limits). Ben's sure he's not the actual Chosen One, but he enjoys living the fantasy until he's in too deep. The Lux storyline's stakes are a little slow in coming, but once they do, the revelations come alongside reveals of Ben's real-world struggles. While the writing could sometimes be tighter, the themes of interpersonal relationships and change give the work emotional heft. The ending teases a sequel. Spotlight art emphasizes game-guide-style profiles and sidebars. On the cover, Ben's White and Niara has brown skin. A love letter to escapism and writing one's own destiny. (Fantasy. 8-14)
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April 24, 2023
An RPG-playing seventh grader is whisked away to a land of real magic in this memorable tale by Auseon (Freak Magnet). While attending a gaming convention, Niara—a cool, purple-haired teen—approaches tween Ben Whitlock to take on the role of the Chosen One in what Ben assumes is an elaborate live-action role-playing game. Eager to play along, Ben believes her claim that it’s his destiny to save Lux, her fantastical home world, until following Niara through a magical portal transports them to the real-life land of Lux. Though Ben feels he’s not the actual Chosen One Niara was looking for, he’ll happily pretend if it means he can be the hero of a grand adventure. And in Lux, he realizes that he has magical powers of his own, uncovering new possibilities. Through subversions of familiar fantasy tropes and a thoroughly engaging plot, Auseon conjures an idiosyncratic realm replete with endearing characters, madcap humor, and hijinks-filled adventure. Sketch-like b&w illustrations by Weber (the Museum Mysteries series) depict NPC-style character profiles reminiscent of D&D campaigns. Ben and Niara read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Erica Bauman and Jennifer Gates, Aevitas Creative Management.