Rising star author-illustrator Ethan M. Aldridge delivers a fantasy adventure with all the makings of a classic. Illustrated with over two-hundred pages of watercolor paintings, this epic graphic novel is perfect for fans of Amulet.Edmund and the Childe were swapped at birth. Now Edmund lives in secret as a changeling in the World Above, his fae powers hidden from his unsuspecting parents and his … World Above, his fae powers hidden from his unsuspecting parents and his older sister, Alexis. The Childe lives among the fae in the World Below, where being a human makes him a curiosity at the royal palace.
But when the cruel sorceress Hawthorne seizes the throne, the Childe and Edmund must unite on a dangerous quest to save both worlds–even if they’re not sure which world they belong to.
“A splendid tale of faery magic and adventurous siblings, all told in gorgeously rendered watercolor panels: this is exactly my kind of thing.” –Ben Hatke, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Zita the Spacegirl trilogy
“It’s got dragons. It’s got drama. It’s got depth. And it’s got me impatiently awaiting Ethan M. Aldridge’s next eye-popping adventure.” –Tim Federle, award-winning author of Better Nate Than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate
“A compelling story about finding identity in a world where magic dangers lurk just around the corner. I loved Estranged ” –Molly Ostertag, author-illustrator of The Witch Boy
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I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
This is a story about 2 boys. 1 is Fae and the other is a human.
The sorceress Hawthorne takes his parents away and takes over the World Below, so the Childe must find the changeling who replaced him in the human world. When the Childe finds Edmund, he also finds out about the life he’s missing, the life with his real parents.
The Childe joins Edmund and travels to the World Below. Together they have to save the throne, Thankfully they also have the help of Whick and their human sister Alexis. In the end they must decide what a family is. Is it blood or the people they choose.
Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge is a quick and easy read with fantastical illustrations highlighting the story.
Will the Childe and Edmund figure out what world they belong in?
The Human Childe – Edmund
We start this story with the Human Childe as the fairies have called him since he was taken as a baby. He is a fascinating character that is trying to fit into this world that he has grown up in, but he feels off from everyone else. It also doesn’t help that everyone thinks of him more for their amusement than anything else. He has a significant role in this book, and I thought he did an excellent job in it.
The Changeling – Edmund
Now for the Changeling, the fairy child that is living among humans is having a bit of a hard time still fitting in. Sure he has grown up there and has done an excellent job with blending in, but he doesn’t feel like he belongs there. It showed a lot throughout the story when it was above ground. Things don’t get better for him until they get him underground and among others, like him. Then he feels like he belongs somewhere. Just like with the human child, he has a significant role in this book as well since he is the only one who can defeat Hawthorne.
Hawthorne
Hawthorne is the main evil in this book and takes the kingdom back from the king and has sent her cronies to guard the castle. She makes an appearance at the start and then not again until the climax of the book. There is a lot of backstories that we learn about Hawthorne, with the old King and Queen, and of course the Changeling.
Five Stars
Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge is the first book in this awesome new world that I love the fairies and how close they are to us. It is different than others that I have read about fairies, and this one is very entertaining. I never thought of them living underground in the subway tunnels before. This book is getting five stars by me, and I am highly recommending it to anyone that graphic novels with a fabulous fairy story.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
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