This graphic novel is a beautiful tribute to magic, power and friendship. Atana's life is changed when Ren, a firebird, falls to earth. Atana doesn't hesitate to help the firebird escape the clutches of witch hunters. But can Atana keep Ren safe when she's fighting a doomsday prophecy of being the cause of the downfall of the merfolk? Maybe they have a chance once they team up with Cosmo, a witch in training.

This is magically illustrated and each character takes on the shape and grace of their unique powers.

I went into this expecting it to be a stand-alone graphic novel, but apparently, it's going to be the first book in a series! The world is of Atana and the Firebird is a fascinating one; it's full of magic with witches, mermaids, and firebirds! After their eventful first meeting, Atana and Ren go on an adventure to meet the Witch Queen. The story was excellent, I found myself fully absorbed in reading this book. The art style is excellent! The style is very clean and at times could be considered simplistic, but it works amazingly with the story. I also loved the action scenes, they had me on the edge of my seat! I'm looking forward to reading more volumes in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Now that I know it’s a duology, I feel a little better with the open questions left to be answered!

But I enjoyed this! I love this firebird and mermaid friendship. And now that they added a witch?! I can’t wait to see where this goes! And what happens to the queen.

The artwork in this graphic novel didn't blow me away but I quite enjoyed the story and the characters. It felt a lot like a Miyazaki and that is never a bad thing. It did take me some time to get into the story and sort things out, and I do think that there were some pieces - like the hidden islands - that didn't mesh well. I'm assuming that there will be a bit more around these pieces in the next book, although I find that a two-book series may not be enough to do this story justice.

The way that magic is handled like a resource that is not renewable or that isn't anymore was an interesting approach, because it then turns this into a book about the environment. I'm very intrigued by what will happen next and looking forward to the continuing story of the three characters who come together in this book. And also some of the folks floating around the edges of their story.

All in all, a good fantasy graphic novel. Mermaids. Firebirds. Magic. Intrigue. What's not to like?

The art style of this graphic novel is very simple but colorful. Each of the characters has beautiful individual characteristics to their style that differentiate what type of character they are, Firebird, Mermaid. Or Witch.

This story is about finding friendship and comfort in unexpected people. Learning to love and grow. Learning to let go of past hurts. This was truly an experience to read and brought me immense joy. I can't wait to see what Cosmo, Atana, and Ren get up to next.

I received this book for free to review by the publisher through Netgalley.

This is such a lovely and gentle graphic novel for middle grade readers even though it addresses some very serious issues. A warning at first: it is book 1 of a duology and you will be asked where book 2 is as soon as the back cover closes! A fire bird visits earth where she meets a mermaid. They decide to see the world together but are almost immediately brought to the witch queen. Whether that is a good or bad thing isn't clear at first. Together they team up with witches in training to learn of the forces draining earth's magic and to fight for their freedom from the forces that would use them. The art is gorgeous, the friendships are really supportive, and the struggle to create your own destiny is real. So excited to read the next one. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read early!

CONTENT NOTE: While age appropriate, this story contains the loss and death of a loved one, involuntary confinement, violence, estrangement/ostracization, manipulative authority figure

Atana and the Firebird is a magical tale that explores the many ways we are connected to one another. It's filled with enchanting landscapes and mesmerizing characters that whisk you away to a world both familiar and new.

What Worked for Me:
✦ I loved the story! I thought Vivian Zhou did an amazing job at weaving in complex narratives exploring identity in an age-sensitive way. For example, they tackled topics of estrangement from your roots in a way that addresses both family estrangement and diasporic experiences; I thought that was beautifully done. As an adult estranged from their family myself, I was moved by a book that discusses such a strong topic in such a relatable and validating way that doesn't blame the children for the things others have done to them and on behalf of them.
✦ The art is so joyful and so rich, and I enjoyed the ways Zhou plays with geometric shapes in subtle and not so subtle ways throughout. I like that the illustrations of the characters themselves are not super refined and maintain a loose movement to the line art. It's very charming!
✦ The colors she used were light and often delicate in a way that belies the serious themes in the book. It was a very appealing mix that served the story well.
✦ I loved the inclusion of queer and nonbinary characters! It always makes me happy to see positive representation in comics, especially for younger audiences who can see themselves in ways that I didn't as a child.
✦ I thought Zhou did a great job at showing instead of telling for most of the book. I liked the subtle ways that they demonstrated certain characteristics of the people in the story both in text and visually, like the queen, for example. A cool detachment was indicated both in the queen's speech and in the character design with a literal barrier between the queen's face and the other characters.
✦ I know I mentioned the geometric shapes already, but I really need to bring it up again lol. I think Zhou has an amazing eye for environments, as well as character design. The characters all matched their environments, giving us hints at the expansiveness of the world overall without having to explain things with text. That's excellent craftsmanship!
✦ I loved the magic and fantasy in the story, too! While there wasn't a hard magic system laid out for us, it very much felt like there were rules that we don't know about, and the few bits that were explained to us made sense and were interesting!
✦ The world feels very full and well developed, and it makes me imagine that there are so many more stories that can come from it. I hope we get a sequel to see more of them!
✦ I really liked the lettering in here. It has a cozy feeling with the handwritten style, and the speech bubbles were very nicely drawn.

What Didn't Work for Me:
✦ The middle of the book did slow down a bit for me. While the world is clearly full of rich and detailed backstory, it did get a bit expository for me at a few points, even with the beautiful visuals and attempts to use narrative within the story to tell it.
✦ I didn't care for some of the ableist language included in it.
✦ I do wish we had been able to see more of the character Suah! They were quite delightful, so I was a little sad that we didn't get to see more of them.

Overall
I give Atana and the Firebird 4 out of 5 speech bubbles: This was a wonderful story about complex and difficult topics handled in an endearing way. I think kids and adults alike will enjoy their time visiting the fantastical world in this beautifully illustrated comic.

How to Read It
Atana and the Firebird comes out November 7, 2023, and you can pre-order a copy through HarperCollins, Bookshop, or Barnes & Noble.

Hardcovers provide higher royalties for writers and illustrators, but a royalty is a royalty, so go forth knowing your purchase will support them either way!

Read This Next
If you liked this, check out Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries, Snapdragon by Kat Leyh, The Magic Fish by Trung Lê Nguyễn, and Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden

If you enjoyed this review, I have a monthly comic review series called More Comics Please! on my website with interior page excerpts and additional information not shared here on NetGalley. You can sign up to receive them in your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter Into the Bramble at jbeoin.com/newsletter.

This was a treat and a delight!! I got sucked into the world, especially by the AMAZING art of each panel!! I am going to eagerly anticipate the second installment, because I simply need to know more! Especially about our main characters!!! They were so wonderful! And curious! I loved it so much!!

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
For shy mermaid Atana, being all by herself on her island is pure boredom, and she's lonely. When a firebird collides with Atana's world, everything changes. The firebird Ren becomes fast friends with Atana, but others out there in the world want both for their horrendous ends. Then the famous Witch Queen invites them to her palace, but with sinister secrets and questionable means; it's up to the two to save themselves.
Beautifully written and gorgeous artwork, Atana and the Firebird are mythical as it is magical. The friendship grows, and the worlds they visit are highly interesting. For Atana, she wants to know more about her mermaid past; for Ren, she wants to know more about Earth from her firebird family in the skies. A library for Atana and magic for Ren, these two start an adventure that leads to book two...

I absolutely loved this fantasy graphic novel. The story is engaging and so beautifully drawn. It might be the first book ever that I read where all characters seem to be female. I loved their names! The story of strong friendships, magic and some mystery, accompanied by the stunning art, made it a winner for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my free review copy. All thoughts are my own.

So easy to fall in love with this story. The world, characters, magic, and storytelling is beautiful and imaginative and the illustrations are absolutely phenomenal. This was a delight.

I immediately need the next book! This one blew me away with it's excellent and original worldbuilding, character development, and the illustration style! It was so good!

Wow I LOVED this book. It was such a beautiful story with such complexity given such little dialogue. It's a rare skill to be able to take the reader on a ride like that with so few words.

The illustrations are beautiful and I found myself looking them over for minutes on end, just soaking up all the details. Vivian Zhou is full of heart and you could really feel the love and care both in the images and words in this book. I will definitely be re-reading this one quite often.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful debut graphic novel with clean lines and art style with a story that will please many including the fans of Studio Ghibli. This smooth story with pastel colors presents us with a fantasy world where humans and magical people share festivals, prophecies, and magic. The hunters seem to be after magical creatures such as firebirds and merfolk, but there are other dangers in disguise. The magic system is simple and in harmony with the planet, like the water cycle.
Atana is a mermaid in hiding and connected to the mystery of a prophecy. She meets Ren, a firebird who descends to Earth to learn more about it. She discovers more about her people and the past. Friendship, betrayal, rediscovery of self, self-acceptance, LGBTQIA.
Sometimes things are not what they seem and a villain can be blinded by bitterness and a broken heart.
Medium pace. There is more to be said and discover about the character Atana and that will be for book two.
At the end of the book, we can see some first concept art sketches for character design.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the arc. My opinions are my own and honest.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this graphic novel.

This simple, but beautiful, artwork helps create a world filled with magic, mermaids, and firebirds. For an introduction novel, there was a decent plot in addition to good world building.

While the story was pretty straightforward, some children will be surprised by the events that unfold, leading to a memorable experience. I don't want to give too much away.

Middle grade children who are hesitant to read longer books would find this one easy to read. Since it is longer than some other graphic novels, it will help them feel a bit more confident in independent reading.

Atana is a mermaid, exiled from her people, living on a small island, all alone, until Ren, a firebird, lands on her island, and decides to not go back with her space fairing people. But firebirds are rare, and now she is being hunted.


So Ren and Atana escape to the land of the Witch Queen, where they think they are safe, but of course, what story would this be if that were true.


There are palace guards and witches in training, Cosmos, and sisters that have escaped, and all sort of things going o.


Nicely drawn graphic novel, but it is only volume 1, so the story goes on, after this, but at least it is a whole story. The world building is quite nicely done, with the witches,firebirds and mermaids being a trifecta of power balance, until the firebirds escape to outer space.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 7th of November 2023.

Atana, a mermaid who has been forced to grow up on a island alone, has a chance encounter with Ren, a firebird who has flown down to earth. The girls become quick friends and decide to travel the world together. On their travels, they meet the witch queen and her followers, who offer them sanctuary from the cruel world. Along the way, they also become friends with Cosmo, a female witch, who is searching for her missing sister. As the friends become closer, they realize their paths may be leading them in different directions. But the witch queen has mysterious plans of her own.

"Atana and the Firebird" is the first in a new graphic novel series. Atana is a story of friendship. I loved getting to see the characters grow in their relationships with one another. I think this story would be relatable for middle grade readers, and the illustrations would be appealing towards that target age group.The artwork was simple, similar to Adventure Time. There was not much shading or details, but the entire novel was in color, which is always impressive. The art style wasn't my personal taste, but I still appreciated how hard the illustrator worked to create each beautiful panel.

I would rate this 3.5/5 stars, but I think middle grade readers would love this more because the story is more suitable for their age range. I would love to continue on with the series and see where Atana and friends end up on their next adventure!

Such a beautiful and fun story. It has great characters and dynamics, an interesting world and magic system, and an engaging plot that I can see will evolve further in the next volume. It's never boring, we get to see different kinds of magic and how they work, and there are also slight mysteries here and there, which adds to the plot and intrigue of the story. The art style is gorgeous, the colors and illustrations bring the characters to life and make it unique. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc!

What a lovely little story :) The art is really fantastic, especially the colors and character designs. Each character had a unique look and feeling. Looking forward to recommending this to the library.

WOW!!! I really really loved this. I cannot wait to read more!! I enjoyed the art, the story, and the pacing.