A young explorer and his friends search for a long-lost treasure in the boisterous, bouncy middle-grade graphic novel The Moonlit Spiral by Mike Maihack (Cleopatra in Space series).
In the land of Helix, "treasure hunting was once a way of life." Explorers "unearthed the artifacts of past civilizations," and magical creatures known as guardians protected "treasure and sacred places." Then the guardians disappeared. Years later, Orion Flynn, the most famous treasure hunter in Helix, also vanished after venturing out to find a "final, mysterious discovery." And thus the "great era of exploration" came to an end.
Punky blond-haired, brown-skinned Orion "Rion" Corsair grew up hearing stories about his namesake from his treasure-hunter parents. Rion lost interest in exploration and the possibility of magic after his parents died searching for Flynn's treasure. However, when his parents' old journal reveals clues hidden on previously empty pages, Rion is burdened with new information about Flynn's lost treasure. He sets out with two friends to travel "in the same footsteps of Orion Flynn and [Rion's] parents," solving puzzles, fighting beasts, and rediscovering magic.
The Moonlit Spiral is a zany, earnest story of adventure and friendship set in an elaborate, whimsical fantasy world filled with creatively imagined fauna. Maihack's eye-popping illustrations brim with color and detail as Rion and his companions trek through mountainous cities, verdant jungles, and spiny caverns. Although some of the novel's plotlines become muddled, the focus on the trio's evolving friendships shines bright. Fans of detailed world-building and offbeat humor should enjoy this inventive romp. --Alanna Felton, freelance reviewer