The Chancellor and the Citadel

by Maria Capelle Frantz

Overview

"Just try to put it down.” — KIRKUS

The world is over. All that remains is the Citadel, and the Chancellor who protects it from the hostility beyond its walls. But what can she do when a fearful and angry mob is convinced she brought the world to ruin in the first place, and are determined to make her pay for it by destroying the one bastion of hope the world has left?

In her dramatic, richly imagined graphic novel debut, cartoonist Maria Frantz has created a brisk fantasy tale about the fears that lead to war, and the bonds that can keep a stronghold standing against the darkness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945820267
Publisher:	Iron Circus Comics
Publication date:	02/19/2019
Pages:	120
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.12(h) x (d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Maria Frantz is a cartoonist, illustrator, and animator who is very fond of the mystical and the fantastical. She was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, where she spent the first years of her life playing in the woods, making up stories, and regularly perusing the local comic shop. She won a Scholastic Art and Writing Awards gold medal for her short comic, “Death Wish.” She currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon, where she spends her days baking, sewing, and drawing a ridiculous amount of comics.

Editorial Reviews

Frantz immerses readers in a world that feels so much bigger than the brief glimpse readers get here, prompting them to hope for more. It is no small talent to so effectively deploy the unknown and the unseen in a narrative to create such visual and textual richness. . . . The world Frantz creates is a racially diverse one. Just try to put it down.” — KIRKUS (Starred Review)

"A potent but kid-friendly look at how people become divided, the book is painfully relevant in today’s political climate." — FOREWORD REVIEWS

"A complex and thought-provoking story." — ICv2

From the Publisher

11/01/2018

Gr 6 Up—When human beings infiltrate the magical city known only as the Citadel, the Chancellor, its sole protector, wipes them out. Convinced that humans will retaliate by devastating their world, as they did once before, the once-peaceful city gives way to fear and aggression. Wracked with guilt, the Chancellor battles an existential crisis while relying on friend Olive's gentle solace. Those who revered the Chancellor now regard her with suspicion, and few speak out in support. So when it is discovered that the Chancellor rescued a human survivor (whom Olive has been using her magic to heal), the Citadel dwellers demand action to safeguard their home. Taking sides with the Chancellor against her people could end everything for Olive. This snapshot tale of good vs. evil is not initially what it seems; ultimately, right and wrong are never black-and-white. The chiaroscuro artwork emphasizes the moral dilemma of the varying characters, with light and dark shading highlighting the literal right and wrong choices that each are poised to consider as the plot builds. VERDICT Thematic elements will lend themselves well to book discussion groups. Recommended for large collections where fantasy is popular.—Elise Martinez, Zion-Benton Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

★ 2018-10-15

Frantz introduces readers to a world of spirits suffused in tension and magic in her debut solo graphic novel.

The citadel is a tightly guarded spirit fortress. The world outside is full of chaotic human unrest. Between them stands the chancellor—a cloaked figure whose face is perpetually hidden in the shadows of a hood. Sometimes called a witch, sometimes a "window walker," the chancellor's true identity is unknown. Her powers are all but limitless, to the benefit of those she protects and the detriment of those who threaten her and her people. But that kind of power comes at a cost; it breeds fear among those who don't understand it, and innumerable atrocities have been committed in the name of fear. Frantz immerses readers in a world that feels so much bigger than the brief glimpse readers get here they will dearly hope for more. It is no small talent to so effectively deploy the unknown and the unseen in a narrative to create such visual and textual richness. Even with an inviting and masterfully paced art style, the exploration of violence begetting violence cannot help but be heavy, but the added questions of magical powers, the origin of a city of spirits, and the chancellor's role in it all break up the density. The world Frantz creates is a racially diverse one.

Just try to put it down. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews