The Hunt is On is a graphic novel based in Silk Road. In Silk Road, a rare being called the chadolo. The chadolo produces a rare thing that looks like a plant in summer, and a worm in winter: the Aweto. The Aweto is rumored to cure the ill, and the rarer Celestial Aweto is rumored to grant people eternal life. Xinyue, his brother Qiliu and their mother are Aweto seekers, people who hunt the Aweto and sell them to the highest bidder. But when Xinyue finds a baby chadolo, he has to change his priorities. What will happen next?

Can I just talk about how stunning the art is? I have never seen a graphic novel with art that beautiful. But, to be fair, I haven't read many graphic novels yet. To story was good to follow and not all over the place. There's not only character growth and a clear plot, but also good backstories that explain character's motivations. I couldn't put the graphic novel down!

I can't wait for the next graphic novel in the Seekers of the Aweto series!

I read and received this book for free through the publisher and NetGalley. Thank you so much! The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Seekers of the Aweto breathes in gentle watercolors and breathes out a poetic splash of adventure. What a gem.

The moment I saw the cover, Seekers of the Aweto: The Hunt is On reminded me of the Studio Ghibli spirit, particularly Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke. This fantasy graphic novel is about seekers who travel on the legendary Silk Road in medieval China hunting down the aweto. An aweto is a rare plantlike treasure that can cure the ill and can be sold for a fortune. There is the case of a rare aweto as well, a celestial aweto, that can grant eternal life. The two brothers, Xinyue and Qiliu, discovered an earth diety inhabiting an aweto during one of their outings at a village. But when the younger brother Xinyue found out a adorable diety child is hidden inside the parent diety and reluctantly becomes the caregiver, what will come of the relationship between the diety child and the seekers? And why are the diety’s village warriors trailing the family down?

This dream-like art style is amazing as it blends in well with the setting’s atmosphere, time period, and the themes of familial and environmental issues. There is a wonderful balance between the dark and light colors to emphasize which character is speaking or feeling in certain situations and how they interact with other characters. The characters are charming and not only do their personalities drive the story forward, but their backstories are incredibly compelling to get a sense of what they fear and what they desire. The stakes are visible and evident, intriguing the reader of what is going to happen next.

As this is the first book of the Seekers of the Aweto series, I really cannot wait for the next one! This is appropriate for young adults due to the sensitive nature of blood and violence.

Xinyue, his brother, and his mother are seekers hunting aweto, a rare plant-like treasure, on the Silk Road. He finds a baby creature that creates aweto and reluctantly becomes its caretaker, but others are after this creature too.