A Review of Kazu Kibuishi’s Waverider (Amulet #9) (Scholastic, 2024)

[lsobiesk]

Written by Stephen Hong Sohn

Edited by Lizzy Sobiesk

For a moment there, I was worried that Kazu Kibuishi might never finish this series. I actually didn’t expect that Waverider, which is #9 in the Amulet series, would be the conclusion. I figured that it might be #10, but hey, when a story ends, it must end =). In any case, the short marketing description can be found here: “After her confrontation with Ikol, Emily finally understands the stone's power and what she must do to defend Alledia from the shadows. As she travels to Typhon to help her mom and Navin, Prince Trellis returns to the Kingdom of the Elves to save his countrymen — and confront the fraud who has seized power in the absence of a king. The threat of darkness follows all Stonekeepers closely, and it will take the strength of both new friends and old foes to conquer it... and survive.”

 

I’ve always loved this series; it’s primarily high fantasy, as it takes place in other magical locations that include animals that speak, strange creatures, sentient AI, among others. As with many other texts (including The Lord of the Rings, which Kibuishi must have been a fan of), the power that comes with something magical is an ambivalent one. The stonekeepers can help advocate for others or they might fall prey to the desire to dominate. Emily herself must figure out her own path. As the description mentions, Emily’s unraveling of IKOL’s background is crucial, as it provides her with the information she needs to confront the larger menace facing Alledia. I’ll provide my short spoiler warning here to give some time to look away if needed. What Emily finds out is that IKOL is a kind of rogue program designed by sentient artificial intelligence, so she begins to realize that the enemy did not come out of some magical vacuum. The final installment also really becomes a family-friendly affair, as various characters have to work together to dispense with the shadows and enable these magical locations to be free. The quest arc, while being wrapped up more quickly than I would have liked, is nevertheless fittingly and logically closed, with Emily being the kind of heroine any reader would want to root for. She takes up the incredible responsibility she has in order to protect others and rises to the challenge to be a leader in dark times. Certainly, a fictional character we can aspire to be, as we move forward in such turbulent moments in our own so-called reality. I’ll miss Kibuishi’s series and the lovely drawings, but I’m sure there’ll be lots more to see from him.

 

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