Review by Booklist Review
With Northwest Passage (2007), Chantler proved he could balance great cartooning with a layered historical adventure. Here, he sets his sights a little lower with an appealing but incomplete-feeling first book in the Three Thieves graphic-novel series. A young tightrope walker named Dessa joins up (somewhat reluctantly) with two circus mates to stage a raid on a store of royal treasure. What follows is a nice trap-evading infiltration sequence and daring escape, but this book mostly serves to introduce the main players, including Dessa's companions a blue-skinned, gnomish pickpocket and a huge one-headed Ettin (multiheaded Ettins unseen) and a few adversaries. Chantler displays a nice grasp of visual pacing for both humor and action sequences, and his artwork is clear, confident, and richly colored. Although Dessa and her mates are only outfitted with the somewhat standard rapport of squabbling fantasy-adventure heroes, deeper character issues are hinted at. A promising start; with the groundwork now laid, we'll see where the real story goes.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Dessa, a 14-year-old acrobat, struggles with her values as they are compromised by the pressure of her traveling circus peers. Hugo, her mean and domineering master, refuses to pay anyone after a show, and troupe members are forced to find their own means to get money and food. Topper, a sky-blue eel-like creature destined to be the world's greatest thief, pickpockets peasants for money to buy food, but recruits Dessa and Fisk the strong man to help break into the queen's treasury using a map he found. Things don't go well, and the struggle to find money and nourishment quickly turns into an escape for survival and many unanswered questions. Told in three acts, the story uses medieval slang sporadically without being overbearing. Chantler effectively presents action and adventure, with atmospheric coloring to convey the mood. It's an entertaining and action packed new fantasy-adventure series that will appeal to fans of the genre. Ages 8-12. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4 Up-Fourteen-year-old Dessa is an orphan who witnessed her brother's kidnapping years earlier. Now she is working as an acrobat in a traveling circus, but she still continues to search for her twin and the man who took him. She hopes that she will find them in the royal city of Kingsbridge. Topper the juggler and Fisk the strongman plan to rob the royal treasury, and because Dessa is also desperate for money, she reluctantly joins them. Little does she know how much this one decision is going to change her life. This book contains a lot of action, but there are also numerous instances where readers will want to slow down and think about the story more deeply, as when Dessa has flashbacks about her family. Chantler's illustrations range from sepia-toned images to bright and colorful drawings that are full of life and action. The fantastic cover, featuring the three thieves leaping over rooftops as they try to avoid the arrows being fired at them from below, will definitely draw many readers into this engaging book. The exciting story and excellent illustrations will make Tower of Treasure an especially good choice for reluctant readers.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Orphaned acrobat Dessa hopes to find her long-lost twin brother when her traveling sideshow arrives at the royal city. After raiding the treasury with friends Topper and Fisk and narrowly escaping, the trio sets out on an adventure. This well-paced graphic novel with varied cartoon-panel illustrations is an engaging series opener. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Three young friends work together to break into the queen's treasure tower in Chantler's fantasy graphic novel. Dessa, Topper, and Fisk work together in a traveling circus, and while they may not be related by blood, they are a family all the same. When entering Kingsbridge, the Royal City, Topper tells Dessa and Fisk his plan to break into Queen Magda's tower and steal some of the gold and treasure that she's hoarded for years. When Dessa fails to perform her tightrope act because she thinks she sees someone from her past, her boss decrees that Dessa is not allowed to return to the circus without bringing food or money to make up for the lost profits. While wandering the streets trying to come up with a plan, she runs into Topper and Fisk, who are initiating their break-in plans at the tower. Somehow, the three manage to survive the booby traps set to keep thieves away from the treasure, but Topper's inability to wait for Dessa to finish searching for any final traps springs the biggest one of all, and they're caught by the palace guards. While Captain Drake warns them that they will each lose a hand for thievery, the queen's chamberlain, Master Greyfalcon, sentences them to death instead ("We'll display their heads in the courtyard as a warning to others"). Now, the three must escape and figure out why the chamberlain is so eager to be rid of them. In this thrilling and colorful graphic novel, suitable for a middle-grade audience, readers will enjoy the mystery and excitement of Dessa, Topper, and Fisk's adventures. The three young heroes are easy to root for, and the dilemma Captain Drake faces, caught between his empathy and his duty to the queen, makes him an intriguing possible anti-hero. Overall, this is an enjoyable read that is sure to please its audience. A colorfully illustrated, thrilling fantasy yarn perfect for middle-grade readers and up. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
