Ying's City of Secrets is a stunning, earth-toned graphic novel with elaborate mechanical drawings and limited text. Spies in cloaks roam the Switchboard and you don't know who to trust. Soon the city is on the brink of war with its neighboring government. His mission is to protect the city, but protect it from what? Set in a steam-punk-esque world where the city operates on gears and the center hub is known as the Switchboard, an orphan boy guards a safe that no one knows what's inside. Gorgeously illustrated graphic novel with creative world building. Will I be reading the sequel though? Absolutely, this story is just so magical and the friendship between Ever and Hannah is just too wholesome, I loved them a lot and I can't wait to see where their next adventure leads!! <3 <3Ĭity Of Secrets is a wondrous, cinematic graphic novel set in a steampunk world! As Ever and Hannah team up to solve a conspiracy, they embark on a adventure of epic proportions! The enchanting art and immersive story fuses with intrigue, mystery and is an absolute delight to read from start to finish! You'll adore these characters and the unique world, eager to see what's next! Again, I think just on the first read I wasn't entirely sure how I felt because while lots of threads wrap up nicely, it feels rather abrupt because it comes rather quickly. I definitely love the unique way Ying wraps it up to hint at more to come and the more I let the wonder of this book simmer I really do appreciate the surprising end. Also, while there may be some foreseeable plot points, my only issue was that it felt rushed at points and the ending caught me off guard because I wasn't entirely expecting it. My only issues which make me kind of lean towards a 4 (though I adored this graphic novel a lot) was the fact that the panels do jump very quickly from scene to scene, so there were multiple times I had to reread pages because the pacing was very quick. There's a nice mix of political intrigue and dark moments while its got a very light-hearted feel to it overall! Its just such a fun story that layers in themes of friendship, conspiracy, adventure, and lots more! Its nice to see what seems to be an ensemble cast, so there's always a new character to learn about! Ying's art is both lively and captivating, that's what originally drew me to this graphic novel and it will not disappoint! Although for me it felt like at some points the paneling cut rather quickly to the following scenes, each page was like a work of art. The art is magnificent, almost cinematic with how quickly the pages fly by! Its use of a warm, almost cozy fall color palette bring a sense of wonder as you immerse yourself in this fascinating world. We learn a mysterious guild of assassins are trying to get rid of Ever and uncover the secrets of the building! There's a lot of mystery and while some of the major plot points come at you quickly, your left shrouded in secrecy as to what could possibly be in the safe!! Hannah is the daughter of the building's owner and is prone to adventure, when she learns of Ever, though he's hesitant at first, the two slowly build a lovely friendship! That was another one of my favorite parts of the story, just seeing it develop over the course of the book!! Right away what makes this world standout is the heavy steampunk elements with gears, mechanisms, and introducing a world divided by levels! This was such a fast-paced and cinematic graphic novel! I loved the main characters, learning about the mechanical city of Oskar and all the mystery envelops this vibrant world!Įver is an orphan who lost his father and now lives alone traversing the depths of the city's renowned Switchboard Operating Facility, managing the levers/mechanisms of the building, and protects a rather elusive safe hidden within its depths. Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★ (maybe 4.5? Still deciding on a rating!)Ĭity Of Secrets is a steampunk graphic novel that tells the story of a shy orphan and an upper class girl named Hannah who embark on an adventure to uncover the secrets of a safe within their city! Friendship, adventure, followed by magnificent artwork bring this world to life!
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