by Jen Xu and Kate Rhodes
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Review copy provided by the publisher
Release date: June 16, 2026
Content: There are some depictions of violence and some intense moments. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Haven has grown up outside the town of Raqmu in the desert. She’s never been unhappy with her life, even though she has to sneak into the town to get at the parts she needs to sell her wares. As she is scavaging, she finds an ancient relic – but the Guardians of the town are after her. The majority of the book is her running through the town’s festival evading the Guardians, but she isn’t alone: a town girl, Lin, helps her out. It sounds unintersting, but believe me: it’s not.

While I liked the plot – Xu and Rhodes deal with the class issues between the city-dwellers and the desert-dwellers – it was the art that took my breath away. I haven’t seen a graphic novel this beautiful since Amulet, and I don’t say that lightly. there’s a spread near the beginning, as a young Haven sees a Giant, that is absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to see this in print. And while the book ended in a bit of a cliffhanger – it captivated me enough that I’m going to be invested in this series as it comes out.

It’s one of the best graphic novels I’ve seen in a long time.