Review: Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian

By Tim Probert

New York, NY: HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020. Graphic Novel. 246 pages.

In The Girl and the Galdurian, we're first introduced to a pig wizard and his adopted granddaughter Bea who run a tonic and tinctures shop deep in the forest. This stunningly creative adventure begins to take shape as Bea is rescued by Cad, an axolotl-type Galdurian, who is on his way to speak with Bea's grandfather. Upon reaching the shop, the two new friends discover the forgetful pig wizard has wondered off on a mysterious yet dangerous errand. They team up, determined to find him. Their quest leads them across the world of Irpa, through one beautifully imagined landscape after the next. Along the way, a complex back story is hinted at as they are pursued by shadowy bird creatures who seem to be after the endless flame lantern Bea was gifted from her grandfather. Bea and Cad are a engaging duo who will have you cheering for them from the first page, and this compelling mystery with a cliffhanger ending will have you scrambling to pick up its newly released follow-up, Shadow of the Bird.

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