2 stars
This is a tricky one to rate. It tells the story of Tom Token being accepted as the first black student at a historically white mage school, St. Ivory Academy. I personally enjoyed the word play involved. Tom has a crow named Jim and the higher-ups in the school like Headmaster Lynch walk around in full Klan garb. It was clever and weird in a self-aware way that called out some important symbols in American’s racist history (and sadly, our present).
The artwork is colorful and lively with an anime style to it. Lots of epic magic scenes complete with sounds effects and shouting magic spells and attack moves like “Firaga Fist!”, “Blizzaga!”, and the intense “Earth Shatter!”
However, by the end I found the book to be too heavy-handed. It slaps its reader in the face with all its messages and commentary without giving them an actual story. None of the characters are fleshed out. There’s no world development outside of “this is a magic school for white people and it floats”. I know absolutely nothing about Tom as a person before he got to the academy. Instead of developing anything, the book often just devolves into fight scenes. There are a ridiculous number of fight scenes in this. That in itself isn’t bad, but it comes at the expense of actually doing anything and learning about the world and characters. It relies too heavily on the fight scenes and doesn’t develop a full story.
Also, the plot holes. So many plot holes. I don’t even understand what’s going on half the time. I can only suspend my disbelief so much.
SPOILERS AHEAD
How has no one noticed that Tom isn’t the first black student who’s been invited there? How does no one care that a black student disappears there every ten years? (Maybe a commentary of the loss of black life, but it really takes you out of the story.) Why did the headmaster slip Tom the last black student’s ID when he’s supposed to be the “first” one there? How does Lindsay not know about the whole sacrifice thing? It seems like all the other students are aware and are just okay with it? (Maybe that’s a deeper commentary on institutionalized racism, but it sure makes the story confusing.)
END SPOILERS
Most of the time I was very confused because things didn’t seem to piece together just right. There’s some great commentary and I did enjoy the humor of it, but as a whole I just don’t think it was a successful story. Some great elements that just didn’t come together well.
A unique tale filled with historical and legend characters, epic battles, and humorous references, but lacking in development of both the world and of the characters.