From my teenage daughter:

In The Mythmakers, John Hendrix mingles illustrative storytelling, dialogue, and actual quotations from Lewis and Tolkien with conversations between a wizard and a lion. These outside narrators add to the story with their commentary and explanations of complicated topics, like the history of myth.

Hendrix begins with the two separate stories of Lewis and Tolkien, leading up to their first meeting on May 11th, 1926. From there, he describes the delightful comradery of the Inklings, the writing of The Hobbit and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and the sundering of Lewis and Tolkien’s fellowship.

The Mythmakers will, of course, delight any lover of Lewis and Tolkien. But you don’t have to love C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien to enjoy Hendrix’s book. Authors and artists—those who write myths because their hearts were written by a Mythmaker—will also enjoy this story…and perhaps discover a new enjoyment of Lewis and Tolkien as well.

I knew by the time I got to page 3 that I was going to adore this book. It’s a must-read for any fan of Tolkien and/or Lewis. Yes, this book focuses much on their friendship, but it also explores the connection between stories and joy, belief and reason. The artwork is absolutely stunning and meaningful, and even though I have a bad habit of just blowing through graphic novels, I didn’t have to force myself to really take my time and enjoy the details of each panel. I also appreciated the fact that the book wasn’t just panels with dialogue - there was plenty of exposition included that made for fascinating reading.

This book was marketed towards children, but I think that’s a mistake - it’s very much a book for a lover of literature. The language and themes are pretty complex, as is the subject matter, as it deals with war, depression, death, and abuse. I learned so much in this book, and the bibliography has spurred me onto further research. If you cherish the works of Tolkien and Lewis, if you've ever dreamed of stepping into a story, or if you find joy in meaningful, artful expression, this is a book you simply cannot miss.

What an interesting and refreshing read! I’ve never read anything about the friendship of authors, let alone such renowned authors like Tolkien and Lewis. Somehow it never even occurred to me that they existed in the same time and could have been friends!

The author presents the information of their overlapping lives and ideas in a really cool way. The illustrations were nice and I felt that the info was mostly concise and well-balanced.

I really enjoyed the insight I received from this book. It added to my favorable opinion of the authors and opened up a new line of thinking when it comes to them each.

As a last thought - I’m not sure the age range on this one is super accurate since I feel like it’s so information heavy and may bore or confuse younger readers.

A book where Tolkien meets Lewis: and this one is born, and it is going to be awesome! Engaging, fun, with unique art.

The Mythmakers is a graphic novel that follows the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. It examines both of their back stories as well as their fellowship.

I loved this graphic novel. These are two of the greatest writers of all time and it was interesting to see their stories in graphics novel format. I loved the illustrations as well. I think a lot of people will enjoy this graphic novel. It also explores myths and story telling in general. This nonfiction was told in an interesting way and I think kids will find it enjoyable! I can't wait for it to come out and see it in full color.

Thanks so much to netgalley and ABRAMS | Abrams Fanfare for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love getting to read about the Inklings and then men that formed the group! This was such a unique way to tell their stories. Love me some Tolkien lore.

This looks and sounds so interesting! Tolkien and Lewis are such famous literary giants. I can't wait to read the full-color version once it is published.