Bone, Vol. 9: Crown of Horns [Paperback]

Jeff Smith (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up

BONE is more thrilling, adventurous, and hilarious than ever in this conclusion to Jeff Smith's bestselling comic book saga!

It's full-fledged war as Briar, the rat creatures, and the Pawan army storm the city of Atheia. The Bone cousins, Thorn, and Gran'ma Ben are all there to defend the Valley and stop the return of the Lord of the Locusts. When Thorn goes inside a ghost circle, she hears a voice urging her to seek the Crown of Horns. What follows is another dangerous journey for Thorn and loyal Fone Bone as they race to the sacred grounds of the dragons, searching for the one thing that may save them all. This is the breathtaking conclusion to Jeff Smith's nine-book graphic novel series.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In this ninth and final volume of Smith's award-winning Bone series, Thorn and her loyal friends must defeat not only the evil Briar Rose but also free the land and its inhabitants from the Locust spirit. Beaten by tyrant Tarsil's soldiers, Thorn and faithful Fone Bone are locked in the dungeon, as Briar Rose and her army storm the castle. Spurred on by a recurring dream, Thorn is determined to break free and find the Crown of Horns, which will destroy the nightmare spirit known as the Locust but may also kill Thorn herself. The Locust was imprisoned within the legendary dragon queen Mim, whose body was encased in stone but who now threatens to break free. With the help of Gran'ma Ben and Fone Bone's cousins, Smiley and Phoney, Thorn is able to escape and make her way to Tanen Gard, the dragon burial ground, where she hopes to find the Crown of Horns. Smith expertly combines all the best elements of fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings—a plucky hero(ine), all manner of creatures and a kingdom rich in mythological history—with enough humor to appeal to readers young and old. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

The colorization effort of Smith’s epic comic Bone reaches its culmination with this final volume in the nine-book series. There really aren’t any superlatives left to lay at Smith’s feet for his timeless achievement, but now that the entire work is available in gorgeously rendered color, it is an even more attractive offering. The story concludes Fone Bone’s saga in the Valley with a full-scale battle and a touching farewell to his friends Thorn and Gran’ma Ben. There may be a few purists who will liken this to Ted Turner colorizing classic films or George Lucas’ digital fiddling with the Star Wars franchise, but they’ll be a tiny minority. Even though the black-and-white artwork of the originals was spectacular in its own right, the color versions offer so much more to look at in every panel, bringing many of the details that might have gone unnoticed to the forefront without losing any of the subtlety of Smith’s impeccable line work and juxtapositions of humor and drama. A masterful rendering now fully ready for a whole new generation of readers. Grades 6-12. --Ian Chipman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Graphix (January 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439706327
• ISBN-13: 978-0439706322
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Children's Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Comics & Graphic Novels

More About the Author

After four years of drawing comic strips for Ohio State University's student newspaper, Jeff Smith launched the comic book Bone in 1991. Between Bone and his other comic book projects, he now spends much of his time on the international guest circuit, promoting comics and the art of graphic novels.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Graffic Novel, May 14, 2009

By 

Wixom "ISME" (Wixom, MI United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bone, Vol. 9: Crown of Horns (Paperback)

Love the Bone series. My son is not the best reader. Getting him to read anything is a painful task. I saw the "Bone" books at a sale and on a whim bought volume 1 and 2. Let me just say that he became ravenous for these books. I was at the store or at Amazon as soon as the next one was released. The story line is fantastic. The drawings are beautiful. These books have spread throughout our family. I'm sorry the series is over. But I'm sure to re-read them soon! I can't wait to see what Jeff Smith comes up with next. He truly is a master with this genre!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story and Great Art, May 11, 2009

By 

A Runner - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Crown of Horns (Bone, Volume 9) (Hardcover)

This is a good series that adults and children can both enjoy. There are many funny moments and a compelling storyline, but it might be a little too scary for very young children.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Both my Boys Loved this Book, July 28, 2010

By 

AJ - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bone, Vol. 9: Crown of Horns (Paperback)

Both my boys (11 and 9) sat down and read this in one day.

Pros:
Keeps their attention
They loved it and read it from front to back in a few hours.
More in the series

Cons:
Lots of pictures (con for the parents)
Lots of slang words, not bad words but just makeup slang that does not really help the kids learn.
Your kids will want the other books in the series