THE UNRAVELING

Black-capped chickadee Twig, like others in his village, is taken by surprise when the Fortress Crows attack. During their rampage, they seem to specifically target Twig, who narrowly evades their clutches. Unexpectedly, it’s another crow (who goes by “Scarecrow” and is not currently associated with the marauders) who provides refuge. He hides away with Twig in a scarecrow’s head that’s magically bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside. It’s there that Twig learns some of the history of this world, which was once overrun by cruel bipeds. The figure allegedly behind the bipeds’ ultimate extinction is Koshmara, a sorceress crow with various animals at her rancorous command. Elsewhere, a trio of traveling performers make their way to Sky Village. Bozwell the Bard, a groundhog, along with twin-sister acrobats Eca and Ayu, who are sugar gliders, witness a vicious strike against the woodland creatures of Sky Village by the Fortress Crows. While Bozwell prefers feasting over fighting, he still offers to help rescue Sky Village’s abducted queen. He joins Evelyn, captain of the Sky Guard, and the twins, who are usually armed to their tiny teeth (and revel in combat), to travel across the Woodland Realm to Koshmara’s Fortress. Along the way, they encounter all sorts, including a warmhearted family and an outright creepy individual. They might even get a helping talon from Twig, as Scarecrow teaches him the martial art of Clawgra. But will they all be enough against Koshmara and her massive, seemingly unstoppable army? There’s a lot of information to absorb in Buechner, Mueller, and Ward’s enthralling tale—Twig eases readers into it, as he doesn’t know much more than they do. He picks up details about the bipeds as well as the enigmatic crystal shard in the scarecrow, which grants certain powers and enhances others. Twig is even shocked to learn that he apparently has magical abilities of his own—he’s able to communicate telepathically and see played-out events from the past. The characters are sensational, from the irresistible Eca and Ayu to the callous Fortress Crows’ General Traeton. Koshmara is just as ruthless as the vanished bipeds, but a glimpse into her past gives her a touch of sympathy, too. There’s impressive nuance to the storytelling, most noticeably the intermittent signs of the bipeds’ tenure in the world. Full-bodied descriptions enhance the narrative, particularly the environment: Scarecrow flies over “gently rolling hills” and the rocky terrain of the Saber Claw Mountains, and Koshmara’s “ghastly” throne is “composed of the bent metal bars of cages, chains, collars, wire snares, and the jagged jaws of metal traps.” Similarly, Rachman’s crisp black-and-white artwork depicts unforgettable imagery throughout, from the Fortress Crows’ assault midthunderstorm to Bozwell and company in various stages of peril and ever-diabolical Koshmara on her throne. This series-starting installment ends on a worthy cliffhanger.

May 20, 2025 - 05:26

Black-capped chickadee Twig, like others in his village, is taken by surprise when the Fortress Crows attack. During their rampage, they seem to specifically target Twig, who narrowly evades their clutches. Unexpectedly, it’s another crow (who goes by “Scarecrow” and is not currently associated with the marauders) who provides refuge. He hides away with Twig in a scarecrow’s head that’s magically bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside. It’s there that Twig learns some of the history of this world, which was once overrun by cruel bipeds. The figure allegedly behind the bipeds’ ultimate extinction is Koshmara, a sorceress crow with various animals at her rancorous command. Elsewhere, a trio of traveling performers make their way to Sky Village. Bozwell the Bard, a groundhog, along with twin-sister acrobats Eca and Ayu, who are sugar gliders, witness a vicious strike against the woodland creatures of Sky Village by the Fortress Crows. While Bozwell prefers feasting over fighting, he still offers to help rescue Sky Village’s abducted queen. He joins Evelyn, captain of the Sky Guard, and the twins, who are usually armed to their tiny teeth (and revel in combat), to travel across the Woodland Realm to Koshmara’s Fortress. Along the way, they encounter all sorts, including a warmhearted family and an outright creepy individual. They might even get a helping talon from Twig, as Scarecrow teaches him the martial art of Clawgra. But will they all be enough against Koshmara and her massive, seemingly unstoppable army?

There’s a lot of information to absorb in Buechner, Mueller, and Ward’s enthralling tale—Twig eases readers into it, as he doesn’t know much more than they do. He picks up details about the bipeds as well as the enigmatic crystal shard in the scarecrow, which grants certain powers and enhances others. Twig is even shocked to learn that he apparently has magical abilities of his own—he’s able to communicate telepathically and see played-out events from the past. The characters are sensational, from the irresistible Eca and Ayu to the callous Fortress Crows’ General Traeton. Koshmara is just as ruthless as the vanished bipeds, but a glimpse into her past gives her a touch of sympathy, too. There’s impressive nuance to the storytelling, most noticeably the intermittent signs of the bipeds’ tenure in the world. Full-bodied descriptions enhance the narrative, particularly the environment: Scarecrow flies over “gently rolling hills” and the rocky terrain of the Saber Claw Mountains, and Koshmara’s “ghastly” throne is “composed of the bent metal bars of cages, chains, collars, wire snares, and the jagged jaws of metal traps.” Similarly, Rachman’s crisp black-and-white artwork depicts unforgettable imagery throughout, from the Fortress Crows’ assault midthunderstorm to Bozwell and company in various stages of peril and ever-diabolical Koshmara on her throne. This series-starting installment ends on a worthy cliffhanger.