cover image The Invincible Kingdom

The Invincible Kingdom

Rob Ryan. Crocodile, $19.99 (64p) ISBN 978-1-56656-020-7

Ryan concludes the trilogy that began with The Invisible Kingdom as John, the king who fled his throne, attempts to outwit Lord Von Dronus, who has replaced him with an imposter. This circuitous installment follows John and his friend June as they grow closer while contacting a plan to take down not just Von Dronus but the monarchy itself. Ryan attempts to fit quite a bit of story into this final volume, and the drawn-out and sometimes repetitive text crams the pages, often pushing his trademark cut-paper artwork to the sides. Fans of the previous books, though, will be glad to see John’s long quest reach a happy conclusion. Ages 8–up. (Dec.)