Horn Book

In this future-set graphic novel, Earth has been invaded by a hostile alien species. Drones known as “pipers” ruthlessly harvest technology, metals, and other resources, decimating civilization and forcing most humans to band together in marauding clans for survival. Strata and her family are part of the Caravan, “a moving town” whose inhabitants (including sentient robots) are committed to preserving “computers and data—possibly all that’s left of thousands of years of human culture.” This gripping science-fiction saga plays out in expertly paced and varied comic panels rendered in black, white, and gray with effective yellow accents. The story centers on Strata and her fierce, unwavering devotion to a robot horse she excavates on a salvage expedition with her brother and a friend. Her discovery sets off a terrifying chain of events that ultimately threatens not only Strata and horse Kleidi but also Strata’s family, the Caravan’s electronic cultural relics, and humanity’s very existence. With an engaging, racially diverse cast, this high-stakes epic adventure should have wide appeal: the fast-moving plot features a brave and principled heroine battling a hostile alien enemy in a bleak dystopian landscape. Hale shepherds this complex narrative with the same sure hand as his graphic novel series of real stories from history (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy, rev. 9/12, and sequels), showing that he’s equally at home in a speculative future as he is in the past. kitty flynn