The Merlin Prophecy (Meg Cabot)

Having fallen completely in love with 'Avalon High', I couldn't wait to get my hands on this sequel, despite the bad reviews. I was determined to like it anyways, to really feel like I was journeying back on that fantastic journey I so loved in the first book. Sadly, I was gravely disappointed. The art reminded me more of cheap comic books than a well done graphic novel. The art was incongruous with the descriptions given in the first book, and there was an overall feeling of clutter in the pages. The storyline was... uninspiring. So much of the book was spent reviewing what the original plot, and every other sentence was a flashback. The idea of Elaine running for homecoming Queen was uninspiring, Will seemed very out of character the whole time, and while one page Elaine would believe the Order of the Bear, the next she was making fun of it. I truly felt that only ten or so pages were really original plot - the second new things really start to happen, it ends. Als... Read more

The Merlin Prophecy is a continuation of Avalon High in manga form, but even if you haven't read the book, it's doubtful that you'll get lost. There's a recap of pertinent events at the beginning, so any new-comers to the series won't be confused -- too bad it takes an ample portion of the graphic novel to do so. This plus the fact that the manga is already on the shorter-side makes the To Be Continued page even more dreadful, for it ends just as the plot really starts to move forward. The back-history, while interesting, slows down the action too much. There are redeeming qualities for Meg Cabot fans, however. Her trademark writing style isn't lost in the change of format, and Jinky Coronado's illustrations liven up the story in a fresh, quirky, and sometimes mesmerizing way. Despite its faults, The Merlin Prophecy is a fun, promising start to a trilogy, the King Arthur-reincarnation concept leaving me intrigued enough to read the next two volumes.

I've not read any of the original novels, so one could say this manga was my maiden voyage into the Meg Cabot writing world. Abridged Opinion: -> understandable with no Cabotism back knowledge -> I'll read the second, given I can find it at a library -> manga should be MANGA, even when drawn by a westerner Unabridged Opinion: Good writing. I was entertained. Sadly the art made me flinch. I did eventually get over it, but from the perspective of a manga fan I didn't really enjoy myself. The art is very "American" but toned. Part of the joy of American comics is that they're colored, often beautifully, but tones just don't work. The drawing style was also not to my taste, but that's a personal bias.

Manga version of Avalon High. Ellie is a normal high school girl attending a normal high school where many of the students just may be reincarnations of the big players in the King Arthur legend. The book has promise, but just as I was getting interested, it ended on a cliffhanger with nothing resolved. Kind of a waste of time unless you have the next book at hand!

Fans of Meg Cabot are treated to a change in style by the author. Paired with artist Jinky Coronado, Ms. Cabot retells AVALON HIGH in a comic/manga style. Readers do not have to have read AVALON HIGH to follow this new version of the story. Elle Harrison has just moved to Annapolis with her history buff parents. Almost immediately weird things start to happen. Her history teacher, Mr. Morton, explains it as the return of King Arthur and the Age of Enlightenment. Apparently Elle is the Lady of the Lake and the football star, Will Wagner, is Arthur reincarnated. Elle's parents totally believe the story. Will thinks it's all a joke. And Elle, she doesn't know what to believe. The pieces all seem to fit together perfectly. Is it too much of a coincidence? What takes 300 pages to be told in the original young adult story is told in just over 100 pages via the comic version. Of course, many of the details are left out. But the drawings reveal the story beautifully. Elle has to try to ... Read more