This was a fun, fast paced, sci-fi book. That being said, this is marketed as a graphic novel and it is definitely not. I thought be the description and the cover that this would be mostly a graphic novel but it's mostly a chapter book with a few pages of illustration thrown in. Those pages were fine (I actually liked them more than the regular pages) but they felt out of place. This felt like a book that couldn't decide between being a chapter book and a graphic novel. I think they need to figure that out before book 2 comes out.

Alice and Elias have two things on their mind – stealing a maths paper from school offices so that Alice can pass the test easily, and the fact that the night before their parents had a blazing row, their mother left and their hotheaded father says she never went to the remote scientific test site she was expected to be at. Things come to a head when the police come to check up on the missing person case. But surely this can't have anything to do with the prologue, which features an SOS from Earth, received on a starship the sender used to cross the galaxy on before she bailed out some time ago? Surely this panicked message about alien warriors finding her is nothing to do with a humble researcher in Sweden of all places?

This proved to be a decent launch of what seems a decent series – I'm told there will be seven volumes, with three out as I write and the fourth due in English later in 2025. It doesn't labour the world-building, preferring to do it through action, and the present tense only adds to the immediacy of it all, the narrative focus spinning from one character to the next every chapter for the most dramatic point of view. There's no telling how wacky or cleverly the diverse alien worlds will be used in future volumes, but this one tightly conveys the drama of the two kids finding they're actually half-alien and the mother has been living a double life.

Of course, this is unusual as it is a prose effort from a comics publishing house. Well, fear not – every chapter has illustration, generally in the wordless comic form, showing multiple snapshots of one event in the chapter. The art has the world's least Vietnamese-looking Vietnamese person, but again adds impact and makes the pages turn quickly. This already was no plod – the speedy drama showing action, wonder and more in most suitable fashion. It promises much, as I say, from future episodes, and it would be rather jolly to keep up with them all, especially if they manage greater surprises than the code here. A healthy four stars.

This isn’t a graphic novel. It is an illustrated story. I do think books should be categorised properly otherwise there will be a mix match with the reviewers. In any case this was really nicely illustrated with bright colours and it is a good adventure story but just not for me.

This was advertised as a graphic novel, which is the main reason I picked it up. Turns out that it isn't a graphic novel (it has some illustrations throughout it). Wasn't as interested anymore since finding out it was a regular novel, so unfortunately I decided to not pick this one up.

When Elias and Alice’s mother disappear, a journey to find her starts. But when the come face to face with aliens they learn way more about their family then they already knew.
Will they find their mother?

I really loved the art between the chapters. It was beautiful and very detailed.

This is a children’s book. It was a bit disturbing and creepy. And I really could feel how scary it was. So it’s not for the softies.

The older I get, the more I start to love science fiction. Even more than fantasy now I think.

I had this book for a long time already, but I was postponing. And I regret that decision. What an adventure this book was!
I would love to read part 2 as well. Really liked it!

I had a hard time putting this graphic novel down. This tale starts simple enough with two teens worried about where their mom might be. They decide to head into the woods hoping to find them. Instead a strange looking creature attacks one of them and things only get weirder from there. Alice wakes up on a spaceship, and her and Elias learn some surprising truths about their mother. As this graphic novel comes to a close, it is apparent this adventure is far from over.

This is a fun, fast-paced novel with a space and aliens theme. Elias and Alice are typical kids, living with their parents and going to school. Their parents have a fairy typical fight, their mother leaves to do work for her science-based job, and disappears; the police take their father in for further questioning, and the pair decide to go looking for their mother instead of staying with social services. When they reach their mother's work site, they encounter an alien, and then things get weird. Their mother, it turns out, is an extraterrestrial - and so are they, at least in part - or so they're told by the crew of the starship their mother used to command, as they leave on a journey to find and save their mother. This middle-grades novel is a quick, enjoyable story, and the illustrations add to it in a meaningful way. The novel ends on a cliffhanger, in anticipation of the sequel due out in the summer of 2024, and I look forward to reading that one too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was advertised to me as a graphic novel, which is why I picked it up. It turns out that it was not a graphic novel, so I decided ultimately to not read it. I just found myself not as interested in the content when it wasn't a graphic novel, and so it became a DNF for me.

Once again, I have discovered a newfound favorite from the very same publisher who brought us the remarkable digital lizards. This particular creation is a magnificent departure from the usual repertoire of picture books, comics, or graphic novels that rely on minimal text. What captivated me most are the extensive dialogues and the profoundly moving narrative. While the story possesses a timeless quality reminiscent of classic 19th-century tales, its presentation is refreshingly more akin to a novella. Although it may be more suitable for slightly older readers than the recommended age range, it remains an absolute delight to read. Without a doubt, this marvel shall find its rightful place among the other treasured books in my library.

This just became my favorite middle-grade sci-fi series, can't wait for the next episode.

A classic style format graphic novel like some collectibles such as Stardust and The Sandman by Neil Gaiman where we have full chapters mixed with graphic novel pages or full illustrations. Makes the perfect mix and it's the best format for reluctant readers who just started with full comic page format to transition into full prose. I love it. To have the novel and be rewarded with awesome high-quality art of the characters and action.

It gives us short chapters and different POVs that plunge right into action. The kid's mom is gone and there is an alien ship on its way to Earth following a distress signal. When the cops take their dad in for questioning the kids take control of the search and rescue mission and find more than they expected. They end up teaming up with space travelers/bounty hunters, learn the truth about their mom, and start a journey to save her.

Under 200 pages, this is the jumping start of a great rescue mission in space and is perfect for sci-fi and superhero fans of Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Trek.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this e- ARC.

Thanks netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
So, this was promoted as a graphic novel but it is actually a book.
The story was okay, but the marketing not really.
I was disappointed when I downloaded the file and it was different from what I expected and what I've been told.
Anyway this is a good 3 stars book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This one was an odd duck. It’s marketed as a graphic novel but only has sparse illustrations here and there. Instead, this is really a chapter book. Usually, these illustrations are a sort of comic-style summary of the chapters but not always. Sometimes the pictures cut off sentences, which is just a formatting issue for the ebook. But it’s odd that the chapters read very simply. It’s almost like they’re outlines for a graphic novel rather than an actual fleshed out chapter. There is little detail or description and the illustrations are to be relied on for those visual elements of the story.

The plot is okay, nothing super special that I can tell. I would have liked to see more sword and planet elements added if that is what the cover is offering. Or if the author wasn’t aiming for that, then stick with the hard sci-fi. It will be interesting to see where we go from here but the world building was so limited I’m not sure I want to go back to a book two.

Overall, it’s an interesting concept that I’m not sure it even knows what it is. I’d much rather have seen a full on graphic novel or much more richly detailed children’s book rather than this mish-mash.

This is marketed as a graphic novel, but it is not formatted as one. That is the biggest issue which would solve multiple smaller issues within the story. It is slow moving which could be adjusted through reformatting to a graphic novel where you naturally would not have all the exposition in multiple chapters that you can get in a few pages instead.
The story line itself is fun as we leave Earth with the children in pursuit of their mother and the aliens who kidnapped her. The alien marrying a human situation has a large amount of willing suspension of disbelief where the details aren't completely believable, but we can move on with the story.
I would say it's a fun story for upper grades due to the violence and graphic details, but be prepared for a slower moving beginning before you can get into the action.

I enjoyed this tale of two children trying to reunite their family and their unexpected journey through the stars. I’m excited to see where Elias and Alice’s space adventures with the alien crew of the Phoenix takes them next. The art and comics in this book are amazing, though at times the comics felt a little out of place. For anyone thinking this is a graphic novel, it’s not. It’s a chapter book with the occasional page of comic panels thrown in. I’d still recommend this story for sci-fi and adventure readers wanting to experience something a little different.

1.5/5

This was really not for me.
First of all this is NOT a graphic novel, even if it's marked as one, at least on Netgalley.
It's a standard almost 200 pages book with an art page here and there and nothing else (and even put in weird moments of the story). I was so disappointed when I saw basically non-existent art content.

Despite this, I decided to give it a go no matter what, but I was so bored and confused throughout the
first part of it.
Half of it is like a super long character intro and then the story finally starts to pick up.
I won't honestly continue with this series, but if it fully turns into a comic, I may give it a second chance.

This Advanced Reader’s Copy was provided by Papercutz via NetGalley. Children of the Phoenix Vol. 1 will be released on December 12th, 2023.

Also, there will be SPOILERS, so I’m letting you know in case you didn’t see the spoiler tag.

Children of the Phoenix Vol. 1 by Oskar Källner and Karlo Johnsson is a fun read that combines the beginning of a space adventure that’s centered around family and gorgeous art that elevates the prose. This new middle-grade series tells the story of the disappearance of siblings Alice and Elias’ mother. Their father is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, and while searching for their mother they find their extended familiar from a galaxy far far away with the crew of The Phoenix. Formally commandeered by their mother, The Phoenix hosts a tight-knit of bounty hunters that are wonderfully designed by artist Karlo Johnsson. Brok (a giant lizard with a heart of gold), Farei (a majestic bird that pilots the ship with her brain), Syndra (a tough but kind bounty hunter with a cool metal arm), Arisa (the synthetic being that’s the literal heart of the ship), and Kapa (the ship’s mechanic who’s hibernating during all the action). The book is rather short and it is structured like a light novel (a short novel that’s accompanied by art that depicts key moments in the story) so I don’t want to say too much.

But since this is the beginning of a space epic, the book takes the time to understand our core cast of characters, their problems, and their joys, all the while keeping the action you expect from a space story. The crew of The Phoneix are the kid’s family and you can see how much they respect their mother by how they treat the kids. We get to see their relationship with one another and It allows the reader to have a grasp on the entire cast as the story is ongoing. I’m interested to see where it goes from here and I really loved the art. The story was good but the art blew me away. Not only is the art, fully colored and shaded but the paneling is amazing. The alien designs are creative and expressive. I hope these characters get merchandise or at least a tv show because the designs are fun and interesting. I would love to see a whole book with just Karlo Johnsson’s gorgeous art. There were some pages that were empty and I wonder if it was on purpose or there is missing art and I hope that there’s more art. The only setback is that they mention that the mother was gone from the crew for 15 years but in the beginning, Brok states that they haven’t heard from the mom in 2 years. Is that a continuity error? Or context we’ll be clued in, in future installments?

Overall, I had a great time with Children of the Phoenix Vol. 1. The story is fun and the art is spectacular. Children of the Phoenix Vol. 1 gets a 4 out of 5.

First I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC.

Written in third person perspective, the story takes place when Alice and Elias' mother goes missing. They soon embark on a journey to find their mother and are thrown into an adventure they couldn't even begin to imagine.

The first chapter was especially well done and drew me right into the action and kept me reading. The characters were really fun to read about. Their dynamic and dialogue felt natural and was well written.

The world building was fine but I wish there was more. The story starts out with almost immediate action and the adventure starts soon thereafter. I would have liked some more time before their mother went missing to see what their regular day was like.

I enjoyed the writing style. It doesn’t have as much detail as I would like but the author does a good job at describing action and keeping the reader engaged.

The illustrations were well drawn and I liked the style. The art helps to add a visual representation of the characters and of the events happening to assist the reading in picturing the event.

I overall enjoyed reading this book quite a bit. It was a fun and quick read with plenty of action and lots of aliens. I recommend this book not just to middle graders but also to anyone who enjoys reading an action packed sci-fi adventure.

Thank you @‎ Papercutz for the ARC. I could not stop reading this book, so good. I am not a Sci-Fi reader but this story captivated me. The pictures throughout the book added to my enjoyment. A must read for grades 3rd on up.

First of all a huge thanks to netgalley for this ARC!
I actually enjoyed reading it, though I’m not part of the right target group haha
It was a fast and easy read and I really liked the graphic novel elements at the end of chapters. But it would be nice to really put those at the end of the chapter and not on the second last because sometimes the sentences were cut off🤭
Also, I really hope there will be more chapter summaries in form of comics!!
The storyline is pretty interesting and catching, though the introduction of characters and stuff took up half of the book haha.

All in all I really recommend this book to young readers that just start to discover the Sci-fi genre✨

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for a review.
This was quite the middle school space adventure! Alice and Elias' mother goes missing and when they go off to find her they discover she has been kidnapped by aliens! They team up with the crew of the Phoenix to try to save her.

So many elements of this story were so well thought out and the character building was really well done.
I loved that the 2kids were equal parts scared, brave, and determined.
The crew of the Phoenix were fierce, but nice enough that the children were able to trust them.
The illustrations were very nicely done and really helped bring the book to life.
Overall I enjoyed this book and feel like the target audience would as well. I will read this with my 5 and 7 year old nephews too.