Wingbearer Review written by the Hobbit on April 29th, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read
Book: Wingbearer
Author: Marjorie Liu
Illustrator: Teny Issakhanian
Genre: Graphic novel, fantasy
Length: 203 pages
Age suggested: 8+
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Themes: Love, found family, adventure, identity
Warnings: None
Quick Summary of Wingbearer
Zuli lives with mystical bird spirits in the branches of the Great Tree, where birds spirits come when they die. One day they stop coming, and Zuli, with her guardian owl, Frowly, must leave the tree to find out what has happened. She will face challenges and find new friends as she journeys to find the answers.
Wingbearer Review: (Contain Some Spoilers)
Zuli lives in a world tree with a few birds and the guardian spirits of birds. Each day the souls of birds come to the tree to be renewed and reborn. Then suddenly the bird souls stop coming. This means no new birds are being born, and Zuli accepts the challenge to go into the world and find answers. She is sent with an owl, Frowly.
They are immediately attacked, and a young goblin, Orien, helps here scape. She learns of an old race – the Siric – who looked somewhat like her, but vanished years ago. To find out what is happening to the souls of the birds, she and Orien start an epic adventure.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, and there are questions that are just beginning to be answered – and new questions about who Zuli is.
The book moves quickly, and the various denizens of the fantasy realm – fyrefox, dragons, griffins, among others – are all very well done. Pieces of the background of the world are gradually revealed, and the world building in this works well.
–Why Read Wingbearer-
First, the beautiful graphics. The story is intriguing, and will keep you hooked throughout. Wingbearer is a well done story. There are some hints to understanding prejudice (winged vs. non-winged, how the goblins have been treated as second class). The various denizens of this world are not always who you think they are, and this is perhaps the biggest lesson in the story. It appears that this, and discovering who you are, will play a continuing role in the story.
Favorite Wingbearer Quotes
Adventures are good for making our worlds bigger… And our hearts, too.
Every end is a beginning…
After all, four heads are better than just one, right? Except when they’re not.
We are all born at a crossroads, with many paths before us. And always there is a choice. We can choose to kneel down, or stand. We can choose to hide, or fight.
Wingbearer Discussion Questions
- Which of the characters in this family realm would you like to meet and why?
- What does Zuli learn about herself?
- If you could talk to birds, what would you say?
- Who in the story is giving? Who cares more about their own safety? What do you think of them?
- Is there a bigger danger than the witch-queen? Do you think she is telling the truth?
Thanks for reading our Wingbearer Review. Check out these related posts.
–Lightfall: A graphic novel of adventure and pig wizards
–Ghostopolis: The story of a young boy is thrust into the afterlife
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