James Nicoll Reviews

2025’s Scarlet Morning is the first volume of ND Stevenson’s Scarlet Morning middle-grade secondary-world fantasy duology.

Orphans fifteen-year-old Wilmur and fourteen-year-old Viola live together in the tiny, declining island of Caveat. Caveat has little to recommend it. Whatever interest it might have had to the shipping trade has evaporated, thanks to the ongoing apocalypse¹. Ships no longer put in at Caveat. Escape appears impossible.

One day, the Calamary Rose arrives under the command of Cadence Chase.

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Nimona is a stand-alone science-fantasy graphic novel by author/artist ND Stevenson. First serialized online between 2012 and 2014, Nimona was published in book form in 2015. 

Lord Ballister Blackheart dreamed of becoming one of the kingdom’s heroes. After he lost an arm during a joust with Ambrosius Goldenloin, he also lost all hope of becoming a duly appointed hero. The Institution that rules the kingdom (de facto, but powerful nonetheless) used the injury as a pretext to eject him. 

Blackheart believes his maiming to be no accident and has devoted himself to opposing the Institution. Thus far, his schemes have been marvelous in every respect … save that of actual success.

Enter Nimona, aspiring sidekick. 

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