atana and the firebird

I can’t remember now how I heard about Vivian Zhou’s middle grade fantasy graphic novel Atana and the Firebird, but I was halfway to loving it by reading the title.Then I took a look at the cover art, and it was all over. Zhou’s cover is one of the most stunning I’ve seen – with beautiful color and a clear nod to its fantastical characters and setting. Luckily, the story inside the cover is an excellent adventure to match!

Atana’s island may be quiet and peaceful, but mostly, it’s lonely. With the outside world full of magic hunters who would stop at nothing to capture a mermaid like her, Atana has never been brave enough to swim far from her island’s shores and seek the answers to her mysterious past—until a firebird named Ren unexpectedly crashes into her life.

Ren’s arrival does not go unnoticed, as it has been hundreds of years since a firebird last landed on Earth. Determined to both protect Ren and finally chase the answers she’s longed for, Atana embarks on an adventure that takes her and the firebird to strange new islands and entangles them with the powerful yet secretive Witch Queen.

Generous though the Witch Queen’s offer of protection may be, an invitation to the Blue Palace can’t come without a price. And while the Palace’s splendid halls and library might hold the key to Atana’s past, will she be willing to pay the cost when it risks her chance of a bright new future?

Atana is a mermaid, but a strange one: she lives alone, on land, and is exiled from her people. It turns out that is because she is a subject of prophecy. The titular firebird, Ren, is adventurous and independent, and runs away from her flock to explore earth rather than watch it from afar (firebirds are from space, apparently). The two meet mid-ocean, Atana offers her services as a guide to libraries, palaces, and wherever Ren wants to go… and from there it’s action, action, action!!!

Atana and Ren are big-hearted heroines, but not everyone around them has such pure motivations. They meet Cosmos, a palace witch guard in training, who wants to find her sister, adults with murky motives, and are chased at multiple points by guards/pirates/etc. who use interesting magic-fuelled tech. Atana and Ren’s story is an exciting, travel-filled narrative with a bit of a twist, and the start of a fun adventure series, with a sprinkling of mythology and legend mixed in. It briefly explores ideas about belonging, personal autonomy, and friendship, but as a series-starter is focused on action over deep conversation in dialogue.

Zhou created her illustrations in Adobe Photoshop, and they do have that digital-drawn feel. Unfortunately, the bright, layered, and saturated art of the cover is a one-off – the book’s color palette is pastel with only a few pops of color. Most pages contain several small panels, so the narrative feels fast-paced and urgent. Only a few page spreads focus on landscape – the focus of the art is on figures/characters and their interactions with each other. While the art of course is central to the story, it is simple and a bit stark.

In all, Atana and the Firebird is a sweet and enjoyable fantasy adventure story for young readers, with hints of an interesting series to come. Its sequel, Atana and the Jade Mermaid, is next on my to-read list!

Recommended for: fans of Kate Wheeler's Goat Magic and Kat Leyh’s Snapdragon, and readers who are into adventurous and magical middle grade books.