Review: Iron Magicians: The Search for the Magic Crystals by Cetrix and Yuio

IRON MAGICIANS

The Search for the Magic Crystals

Comic Quests, Book #5

by Cetrix 

Illustrated by Yuio

Quirk Books

Middle Grade Graphic / Adventure

184 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...
AUGUST 6th, 2019!!!

This middle-grade graphic novel series makes YOU the hero of a fantasy quest—pick your panel, find items, cast spells, defeat enemies, solve puzzles, and play through new storylines again and again!

Step inside a steampunk re-imagining of nineteenth-century Paris, where magic and machines exist in harmony. The Eiffel Tower—a secret weapon built with magic—is almost complete, but the crystals that power the structure are missing! Find the hidden crystals and survive your dangerous mission.

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY:
• Select your character and begin your quest.
• Numbers are hidden in every panel. Decide where you want to go next, and then flip to the panel with the matching number.
• Solve puzzles, cast spells, and defeat enemies in your quest for success. Only after you’ve collected all the crystals will your journey be complete.
• If you fail your mission, just start again from the beginning! You can play the book again and again, making different choices every time.

Remember, this is no ordinary comic book—what happens next is up to you! 

MY TIDBITS

This was a fun mix of mystery solving, graphic novel, and a bit of a choose your own adventure feel, while incorporating even more. In other words, a book to really dive into.

I've heard that this was a novel in France in 2014 and was translated. I have not read the other books in the series, but that is not an issue. This adventure surrounds the hunt to restore the power to the Eiffel Tower to keep Paris safe. It's set in a steampunk world around the end of the 1800's. There are downloadable pages to help keep track of progress while solving the mysteries, but these are also in the book. In other words, this is an active read on many levels.

The story is fun, keeps the reader guessing and has unexpected twists and turns to guarantee a return to try the adventure again. The graphic novel style fits wonderfully—something I've never seen in this form, but really enjoyed. The wording is just right for ages eight to twelve, and even slightly older readers will get caught up in the fun.

I recommend this one for all fans of graphic novels, a little steampunk and an adventure which the reader can steer.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and was surprised at how fun a read it was!