librarianryan 's review for:

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith
4.5
adventurous challenging inspiring mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

 
WOW! I hate I waited so long to read this book. This is a high fantasy graphic novel. Hawke and Grayson are twins. They are grandchildren to the ruler of their land, and cousin to Reyden, who is next in line for the thrown. On the night of the blessing, a rarely seen militant cousin Mirelle, invades and kills grandfather and Reyden. The boys run and find a hiding place in the wind. This world has a “nun” like society called the Communion of Blue. These are the ladies who spin the blue that make the tapestries, that keep track of all the ruling families. Each year after the night of the blessing, they take in new initiatives, and that is where the boys hid, as initiatives, as girls of the communion. The thing is, for Grayson, it is not hiding. Grayson loves life in the communion, and knows that they are Grayce, not Grayson. The Twins hatch a plan with help of another cousin, who is a member of the communion, to take back their land, their, thrown, and to let the world know that Reyden was NOT a traitor. That Mirelle, was not only a traitor, but that she had help from a member of the communion. This was a fantastic book. Not just for the fantasy elements, and adventure, but for the story of Grayce’s transition, and how easy and accepted it was. There is everything to love about this book. It is sure to go into history and become and new classic, and a staple of children’s collections for a long time to come.