Meet Prince Alto, the wayward son who longs to be a bard, but must perform royal duties instead. In this fairytale land bards can wield magic through their playing and Alto is blessed with this gift. His mother, the queen, also so blessed, once had adventures keeping the kingdom safe from evil magic and Alto longs for similar exploits. One fateful day Alto leaves home to seek his destiny, picking up two like-minded friends with musically magical abilities along the way. When the three play together, their magic is powerful. Unfortunately, evil is afoot, as nefarious bards abuse their talents to hypnotize the people seeking to gain control of the kingdom. When they play their instruments, everyone in earshot begins to fight with each other. It is up to Alto and his pals to play their music to combat the evil sounds. Can Alto keep the kingdom safe, all while staying out of sight of his powerful mother, who will most certainly shut down his endeavors?
Aldridge, author/illustrator of the Estranged duology, offers a fresh fairytale of magic coming from unexpected places. I love that magic takes the form of music and is wielded by musicians. Having long believed in the power of music, it is great to see it literally manifested. Alto is a likable and believable character who must go on quest to find his inner courage and come of age. His best friend is a troll, which adds interest, and all of the side characters are distinctive and eye-catching. The illustrations are well drawn and saturated in color. The artist manages to capture the magical music and conveys whether the power is evil or good. This is an original story and a cut above the usual fare for this age group. I would recommend it to the Amulet crowd and readers of the 5 Worlds series. I am sure that it will connect with an audience and is already checked out at my library, having been released just this month. The publishers lists this title as a stand alone book, but I would not be surprised to see a sequel-or prequel featuring the adventures of the Queen and her pals in their youth.
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