Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil

When Lady Renova, a regent to the throne and a powerful necromancer, slays the foretold Hero of Virtue, the kingdom of Valcrest loses all hope of eradicating her villainous reign. Years later, Lady Renova’s half-demon son Maelstrom has grown bored of his mother’s unchallenged rule. So, when a rebel assassin named Twigs, the reborn Hero of Virtue, attempts to kidnap Maelstrom, he allows her to escape and seizes the opportunity to create a much more exciting origin story for himself: allying with his prophesied nemesis to help her take his mother down—and to double cross her at the opportune moment. But as Maelstrom’s multiple schemes and misdirections become increasingly complicated—and as he and Twigs settle into their banter-filled camaraderie—he learns that his new ally isn’t all she seems to be—and neither is Lady Renova, nor her plans for him. Via sprightly character designs and poppy full-color spreads, Merriman deftly subverts well-trod fantasy tropes to craft an engaging tale full of dry humor and simmering romance. Merriman’s zesty graphic novel debut is a thrilling fantasy adventure ideal for fans of Nimona or Dimension 20’s Fantasy High series. Characters are portrayed with varying skin tones. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (May)

Correction: This review has been updated to reflect a character's name.