Ada and Safi live in a city where magic is not common but is used to fuel the kingdom and defend it in wars. While details like lightbulbs will feel familiar, this fresh system of magic will spark readers’ imaginations.
Focusing on themes of family, the impact of war, and the search for one’s place in the world, Paulsen blends cozy cottagecore fantasy with instances of high-stakes adventure. -Publishers Weekly
Bree Paulsen is a SoCal writer and illustrator who loves spooky monsters, fashion history, and all things autumnal. After graduating from the Laguna College of Art and Design with a BFA in animation, she freelanced on a few independent animation and illustration projects before tuning her focus toward comics. She started her webcomic, Patrik the Vampire, in 2013 and self-publishes its printed volumes. Her first middle grade graphic novel, Garlic and the Vampire, received a starred review from The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, which called it “folkloric…a down comforter of a graphic novel.” Garlic’s adventures continue in Garlic and the Witch.