Tellos, vol. 1: Reluctant Heroes
Tellos involves things familiar to all readers of sword and sorcery tales: honorable thieves, loyal companions, threatening adversaries, and a young boy destined to be a hero. The great thing about Tellos is that it makes every single one of these tropes feel new and vibrant. Young outlaw Jarek, accompanied by his faithful friend Koj, a tiger-man, stumbles into an elaborate and desperate mission to save his world. Suddenly pushed into the role of savior, Jarek gains an amulet that will raise the god of good to fight an encroaching evil. Fated to be a hero, he has little choice about his path. Happily, Koj is close by his side, and his newest ally, pirate captain Serra, is invaluable for her fighting skill, her guts, and her quick thinking. Add into the mix a truly terrifying villain, the team of bumbling thieves Hawke and Rikk, and a wondrous landscape, and you have some of the best action fantasy around. Illuminated like the best animated films, the visuals are rich with color and movement, and the dialogue is a separate feast of classic fantasy prose and witty repartee.
Tellos, vol. 2: Kindred Spirits
First things first: do not, I repeat, do not peek at the end of this title! The twister at the end of this tale is such a wonderful, wrenching treat that any preview will kill your enjoyment. If you peek, I will track you down and whap you on the head. Really. Rejoin Jarek, Koj, Serra, Hawke and Rikk on their journey to save their world. Despite the best intentions, these comrades are facing some terrible losses despite the two groups finally finding each other. Koj, once a slave, longs to discover his homeland and people again. Jarek instinctively knows his place as hero, but finds it hard to grasp that one small boy could be so important. Serra finally tracks down her wandering love Hawke, only to be once again frustrated by his secrets. None of our heroes, however, have much time to rest before the evil that is still storming across their home will strike and rip them all apart. A truly satisfying conclusion to a major storyline awaits, once again with the humor, drama, and derring-do of the first volume of Tellos. The buckle and swash are here in spades.
Tellos Colossal, vol. 1 (contains both Reluctant Heroes and Kindred Spirits)
ISBN: 9781582409405
by Todd Dezago, Mike Wieringo, and Paul Mounts
Image 2008
