The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2) [Paperback]

Kazu Kibuishi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 340L (What's this?)

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi returns with his mysterious world full of new allies . . . and old enemies!

Emily and Navin's mother is still in a coma from the arachnopod's poison, and there's only one place to find help: Kanalis, the bustling, beautiful city of waterfalls. But when Em, her brother, and Miskit and the rest of the robotic crew aboard the walking house reach the city, they quickly realize that seeking help is looking for trouble, dangerous trouble.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Amulet

New York Times Bestseller

"Five—no, three pages into Amulet and you'll be hooked." — Jeff Smith, creator of BONE

"[The] action-packed adventure sequences move at an exciting clip . . . Part fantasy . . . and part manga, this volume has much to appeal to readers." — Booklist

"A richly drawn graphic-fantasy series following in the footsteps of BONE and a must for all fantasy fans." — Kirkus Reviews

"Stellar artwork, imaginative character design, moody color and consistent pacing." — PW Comics Week

About the Author

Kazu Kibuishi is the founder and editor of the critically acclaimed Flight anthologies, as well as the creator of COPPER. He lives in Alhambra, California, with his wife and fellow comics artist, Amy Kim Kibuishi, and their son. Visit him online at www.boltcity.com.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: GRAPHIX (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439846838
• ISBN-13: 978-0439846837
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Children's Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Spine-Chilling Horror
  • #40 in Books > Children's Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Comics & Graphic Novels

More About the Author

Kazu Kibuishi is the writer and artist of the New York Times Bestselling AMULET graphic novel series, published by Scholastic. He is also the editor/art director/cover artist of the EXPLORER and FLIGHT Comic Anthologies. His debut graphic novel, Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, won a YALSA Best Books for Young Adults Award.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kazu moved to the U.S. with his mother and brother when he was a child. He graduated from Film Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara in 2000, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He currently works as a full-time graphic novelist. Kazu lives in Alhambra, California, with his wife, fellow author Amy Kim Kibuishi, and their children, Juni and Sophie.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Fantasy January 3, 2010

By Mel Odom TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The Stonekeeper's Curse is book two in Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series of graphic novels. I enjoyed the first book recently and decided to go ahead and pick up the second one. The story's pacing in the second novel is frenetic and moves quickly, introducing new characters and new geography almost with the turn of every page.

The story picks up where it left off in the last volume, with Emily and Navin staying one step ahead of the elves that are trying to catch them and use the Amulet for their own purposes. I still love the way the house has come to life and is walking from one place to another. The battle at the end reminded me a lot of the Japanese giant robot stories, but I love the house and hope they manage to hang onto it. But the way has gotten a lot tougher.

Emily is forced to learn a lot more about the amulet in this graphic novel, and what she learns isn't all good. Evidently the amulet wants to use the user even as much as Emily needs the powers it provides her. This type of relationship with weapons and powers has been explored several time throughout fantasy stories and remains a constant, but I like the way it's presented here, and I like Emily's innocence while facing it.

We also get to see a bit of Trellis character this time out that makes me want to believe he's going to come around to the good side before it's all over. Of course, he could also become an even worse threat than his father. I'm waiting to see how that develops.

One of the most interesting characters this time out is Leon Redbeard, who knows a lot about the amulet and isn't telling everything at this point. However, he seems bound and determined to protect Emily and warn her against the dangers of the amulet, as well as bringing to her attention the greater task she has lying ahead of her. Leon is a great warrior, and the pictures hold a lot of action and fun for those wanting martial arts in the series.

The mythology behind the story is building up quite nicely as well. There's definitely more to see - and more to be afraid of in this volume. Miskit ends up being Emily's companion throughout most of her adventures with Leon, and serves well as a comic relief.

I don't know exactly where the author is going to end up in this series, but I'm definitely along for the ride. If you have kids (or even adults) who love to have their imaginations fired up, this is a series that will definitely do it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 3.1yr old daughter loved it October 19, 2009

By Stephen Prather

Format:Paperback

We read it over around 6 nights. As soon as the last page was finished, she instantly asked me to read it to her again. I'm finding it a great way to introduce her to complicated topics like death.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed reading this one just as much as the first April 11, 2011

By J. Maxon VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This is the second book to the Amulet Graphic Novel series. I also plan on reading and reviewing the third book soon, so stay tuned. A fourth book is scheduled for release on September 1, 2011, and I have it on my to-acquire list already. How many total books there will be, I have yet to find out.

Story overview:
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After having rescued her mother, Emily travels in her great-grandfather's portable house to a local town. Her aim is to find a doctor that can remove the poison, which put her mother into a coma.

Soon after docking in the waterfall town of Kanalis, the elves track down Emily, Mavin, and Miskit. Thankfully, for them, a stranger in the form of a human-like fox comes to their rescue. This fox, Leon Redbeard, safely takes them to the best doctor in town. There they learn that the only antidote for the poison is found in the treacherous Demon's Head Mountain.

Escaping an elf segue against the hospital, our adventurers come across a secret hidden base for a group of rebels. These rebels were put in place for the day she and her brother arrived. As Emily embarks on a journey to find the cure for her mother, Navin takes on his new position as leader of the rebel army and heads out to recover their house from the elves.

My thoughts:
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I enjoyed reading this one just as much as the first. Finished it in two sittings, but would have probably done so in one had it not been for the NyQuil I downed an hour before (head cold). I'm looking forward to reading Book 3 in the next week or two.

Things to consider:
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Appropriately aged for preteens and older, this book maintains the same standards as the first: no sexual situations, foul language, or gore-there's no need to shock the audience with these things when there's enough mystery and adventure to keep the reader going. I can see both girls and boys enjoying this tale.

James D. Maxon
Author of Traphis: A Wizard's Tale