Published
June 16th, 2020
JY, the Yen Press imprint dedicated to middle grade readers, introduced the leading
characters of The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods, the
first volume in a brand new series by Svetlana Chmakova, the creator of the
best-selling graphic novels Awkward, Brave and Crush. Svetlana Chmakova was born and raised in Russia until the age of 16, when her family immigrated
to Canada. She quickly made a name for herself with graphic novels such
as Dramacon, Nightschool, the manga adaptation of James
Patterson's Witch & Wizard and the webcomic Chasing
Rainbows. Widely
praised for creating fun and relatable characters that appeal to readers of all
ages, The Weirn Books are sure to become favorites among Svetlana Chmakova’s
many dedicated fans in a new series that has all the fun of Berrybrook
Middle School with a supernatural twist!
“In the Night Realm: Shifters, Vampires, Weirns, and other night things passing for human may prowl the streets, but school is still in session and you still have to do your homework!”
Our story begins in the town of Latham, a New
England coastal town that is home to Mermaids, Vampires, Werewolves,
Shape-Shifters, and Weirns. What really sets Latham apart is that it coexists
on the same plane as the night realm. The night realm is a place where things
that go bump in the night will gladly eat you for dinner or take a piece of
your soul and sell it at the night market. Weirns are described as witches born
with a powerful demonic guardian spirit that is bound to them for life known as
an astral. Every weirn’s astral has their own unique personality that can be
reflective of their own personality or the completely opposite of it. The first
weirn and main character that we are introduced to is Ailis Maeve Thornton as
we see her grandmother yell to wake her up for school. Ailis is a 12yr old girl
with messy red hair and best described as an adventurous introvert, her astral
while somewhat behaved likes to dig up the ground and shed like crazy. It is through
Ailis that we learn where our story takes palce, what weirns & astrals are,
and through a broken window who are the other cast of characters.
We start with Jasper Whittle (12 yrs old), the
weirn boy who broke Ailis’ window by hitting a baseball into it. He is a
somewhat timid boy with glasses and short blonde hair; for the most part he is considered
the thinker of the group. As timid as he may be his astral is more of a wild
type and has a tendency to throw things randomly. Playing baseball with Jasper
is Russel Wiske (15 yrs old) a werewolf who used to pick on Ailis but now makes
her blush whenever he is around. He can be described as a handsome & tall
lad with black wavy hair, and a perfect smile. Through this interaction we
learn that the first spell all weirns learn from kindergarten is a fix-it spell
due to the fact that when you mix kids with magic things tend to go boom… a lot.
After making her way downstairs to the kitchen we meet Ailis’ grandma Julia
Thorton, who runs a magic supply shop/bakery and takes care of Ailis when her
parents are away. She can best be described as a tough, sarcastic, and loving
old woman who runs a tight ship and doesn’t take any lip. As Ailis heads for
school she makes a stop to make at a local veterinary clinic, it is here we are
introduced to her cousins Na’ya (12yrs old) & D’esh (5yrs Old)
Leiburne-Thornton who are also weirns. Na’ya can be described as a
sharp-tongued young girl who considers herself dragon in training and her
brother D’esh is an energetic and excitable young boy who constantly fights
with her sister. Na’Ya’s astral is considered to be about even tempered and
D’esh’s astral is very shy & tends to hide in D’esh’s coat whenever they
are out.
 |
| Ailis, D'esh, & Ny'ya |
In case you thought this was the typical early
morning running late for school type situation, it’s not. The school for the
magical takes place at night at the same school for the normal kids; the twist,
the school transforms at night expanding in size. The way Svetlana illustrates
her words to demonstrate the expansion of the school is as magical as the
school itself. Classrooms come equip with crystal caves, swamps are and
mini-lakes for Cryptozoology are formed, and of course the walls become more
durable for spell practice. And like any school you got your bully/rival; meet
Patricia Chow (12 yrs old) former friend now bully/rival in Ailis’ school life.
Patricia is the all around popular kid with a mean streak and the friends to
match; always sparkles when she enters a room, good grades, amazing style, and
of course teachers love her. After we’re initiated with Patricia we quickly
learn that Ailis and Ny’ya are on the opposite side of the popularity spectrum,
especially when you consider their nickname “loser cousins”.
As the kids help Grandma Thornton with inventory
one night, they find old photos of her and another child who looks like her,
her twin brother Jacen. Jacen was one of the many students who disappeared in
that old school house in the woods and was never seen again along with the head
mistress. In the Silent Woods the kids pass by the old school house every night
on their way to school. It is here that legend has it that something so horrible
happened that the animals in the forest have even gone silent and this is where
our mystery begins. A mysterious creature that has been following Ailis for
some time, the old school house that it isn’t as abandoned as previously
thought, and a spell so devastating that if used on any magic user they could
cease to exist.
The Weirn Books, Vol. 1 can best be described as a
light hearted adventure with some minor horror elements thrown in. It’s a fun
story that kids and even adults can enjoy without being scarred for life. You
could put this on the level of a ‘Goosebumps’ and the ‘Are you afraid of the
dark’ series. It’s also a great story of family and friendship that everyone
can enjoy greatly. The enigma surrounding the old school house will give
readers chills and gasps as the mystery becomes unraveled. The art all through
the book is beautifully done. Soft and vibrant colors with simple line work that
help create the story and fit the image that the author/artist was going for.
It even makes the book feel like it’s in the fall season with the way the town
is depicted that makes you wish for fall weather and it’s perfect for the fall
season. While the line work was simple, the details in clothing, hair, and background
scenes are noteworthy and work for the storytelling. The use of typography for sound effects throughout
the book are astounding; really conveying actions and giving scenes that magic wonder
all the way through the book.
The characters throughout the book are well thought
out, can stand on their own, and are greatly diverse. Ailis and Ny’ya feel like
a dynamic duo feeding off of each other, Jasper doesn’t feel like the typical
nerd, I feel like we needed more Russel because he was kind of cool, seeing
what happens with Patricia in the next book will definitely peak your interest,
and Grandma was just the greatest in my opinion. Svetlana Chmakova takes her
audience on a magical journey that will have you wanting to revisit Ailis and
her friends over and over again until the next book. I highly recommend this
book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
