Amulet Volumes 1-4 Review

Amulet Volumes 1-4 Review
By Kazu Kibuishi

Amulet Volume 1: The Stonekeeper Summary from Goodreads

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot---and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

My Review

I normally don't read graphic novels. I've just never been one of those people who are drawn to them. Other than this series, I have read one graphic novel, and that was Blankets, which was completely different from the Amulet series. Even though this isn't the type of book I would usually read, after reading the first volume, I will find myself drawn to these books and I always look forward to picking them up and reading the next one. I really liked the first four books I've read, and I can't wait to keep reading them.

This map is found in the back of Volume 3, The Cloud Searchers, and it so beautiful.

The artwork in this series is so beautiful and I love the use of color in this series. Their are some really beautiful full-page drawings that can be found throughout the series and they are all so detailed and so well done (some of these will be placed throughout the review, as you may have already noticed).

Volume 4, The Last Council, p. 21

In this story, a really strong aspect is the presence of family. Family is what started this entire series from the first fifteen pages and it continues to drive and motivate the characters. The love that Emily and Navin have for their mom is so sweet and touching, and their mom is so protective and supportive of them. Emily and Navin also have a really good relationship, especially since they have to stick together to survive in this foreign world that they were thrown into, and it's nice to see such a solid sibling bond in a series.

Volume 3, The Cloud Searchers, p. 31 

Emily and Navin are also exceptionally strong characters. They were thrown into this entirely new world, with magic systems and creatures and dangers that would never be found on Earth, and they take everything with a grain of salt. Emily and Navin accept a lot of responsibility and some powerful leadership roles in this series, and they have really grown up in just the four volumes I've read. 

The villains and magic system are really intriguing in this series. The magic system takes a little while to learn about, and it confused me at first, but over time, things start to make more sense. The villains are also all so complex and they all have so many layers to them and so much mystery surrounding them, which I really want to learn more about. All of the characters, curses, and magic, in general, are just so cool and whimsical.

Volume 3, The Cloud Searchers, p. 1

Overall, this series is just so much fun and, like I mentioned before, the artwork is just so beautiful and full of color and detail. My favorites of this series so far are probably Volume 1, The Stonekeeper, and Volume 4, The Last Council, but I think Volume 4 might pull a little bit further ahead and claim the sole spot as my favorite. I would definitely recommend this series, especially if you've never read a graphic novel or haven't read many before (like me), since it's pretty easy to follow. I gave Volumes 1-3, The Stonekeepers, The Stonekeeper's Curse, and The Cloud Searchers all 4 out of 5 stars. I gave Volume 4, The Last Council, 5 out 5 stars.