Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of the Storm - Phil and Kaja Foglio

   2010; 144 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 9 in the “Girl Genius” series.  Full Title : Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of the Storm – A Gaslamp Fantasy with Adventure, Romance & Mad Science.  Genre : Graphic Novel; Gaslamp Fantasy.  Overall Rating : 8½*/10.

    We’re going to eschew most of the format we usually use in these reviews, since this is essentially a reread of one of the Agatha H novelizations that I finished a short time ago.  That review is here, and Agatha H. & the Heirs of the Storm constitutes the last third of that book.

    I’ve been wanting to compare the Graphic Novel format to the Novelization format for some time now, and felt that this was a good opportunity to do so, since the storyline was fresh in my mind.  I also just recently figured out where my local library has been stashing these graphic novels; there is a small “Teen Library” section tucked away on the fourth floor of the main branch that I was hitherto unaware of.

What’s To Like...

    The artwork is stunning.  The book’s credits list Phil & Kaja Foglio as creating the story, Phil for the “penciling”, and Cheyenne Wright for the colors.  It is all a visual treat.

    There is a handy, 1-page “The Story So Far” section at the very beginning.  The novelizations cover the entire Graphic Novel series, three per volume, and I’ve read them all, so  it’s hard for me to judge how helpful this brief backstory is.  It felt very “bare bones”, but perhaps it’s like picking up a comic book; say, Wolverine Issue #88.  You don’t really care much about all that went before.

    There are no page numbers.  Amazon says Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of the Storm has 144 pages, and that feels accurate.  The storyline in the two formats seemed to jive closely, so I don’t think you’re missing much by choosing one or the other.  There’s a way-kewl “Jagermonster Comics” section at the end.

    There’s nothing R-rated at all in the graphic novel.   I had heard rumors to the contrary.  The worst that can be said in this regard is that all the girls are “buxom”, but that’s standard fare in any comic book series.

Paperback Details...

    Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of the Storm sells for $21.48 at Amazon.  There appear to be 13 volumes in the Girl Genius Graphic Novels series, and they all in the $15-$25 price range.  This feels steep to me, but I know very little about pricing graphic novels.  The only other graphic novel I’ve read is Watchmen, which sells for $11.99.

The verdict…

    I had a bit of trouble determining who’s who in the graphic novel, which inherently does not occur in the novelization.  OTOH, you have no trouble envisioning the people, the environs, etc. in the graphic novel; there is much more inherently left to the imagination in the novelization.

    So it’s a toss-up.  You basically can’t lose no matter which format – or both – you select to follow this series with.  Reading the graphic novel was a delight, but I will probably continue to wait for the novelizations to come out.  This is mostly due to my reading habits; even as a kid, I preferred books to comics.

    8½ Stars.  Listen, Girl Genius is still a fantastic series, and I highly recommend it no matter what format you read it in.

Agatha H. and the Voice of the Castle - Phil and Kaja Foglio

   2014; 481 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 3 (comprising of Volumes 7-9 of the graphic novel editions) in the “Girl Genius” series.  Genre : Comic Novelization; Gaslamp Fantasy.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    It is the moment of reckoning for Agatha.  Now that she’s discovered her true lineage – she’s both a Heterodyne and a Spark, it’s time to claim her rightful place as the ruler and master of Castle Heterodyne.

    Of course she still has to prove to the rest of the world that she’s not a pretender.  That’s easily enough done; she just has to enter Castle Heterodyne and have it accept her.  Which may sound strange, but the castle is a sentient …er… being, and will exterminate all false claimants as soon as they pass through the front gate.

    So it is rather curious then, when another girl, Zola, sashays up to the castle door and enters without any terminally dire consequences.   Surely there is only one Chosen One, and that’s Agatha.

    Hmm.  It’s enough to make a girl think twice about entering Castle Heterodyne.

What’s To Like...

    Agatha H. and the Voice of the Castle is the third “novelization” of Phil and Kaja Foglio’s fabulous Girl Genius graphic novel series.  As before, the book encompasses three issues of the graphic novels, meaning this book covers Volumes 7 through 9.  I’ve read the two previous novelizations; they are reviewed here and here.  to read this trilogy in order.

    If you liked the first two, you’ll enjoy AH&tVotC as well.  It has the same wit and humor, and is another fine piece of literature for inspiring girls to become scientists and engineers.  The scene where Agatha is determined to improve the coffee brewing process was hilarious.  So are the multitude of footnotes, which will remind you of the late great Terry Pratchett.  And I’m very intrigued by Airman Higgs.

    The authors work a fairly long and detailed backstory into the beginning chapters, which slows things down.  However, since it’s been more than a year since I read Book Two, I was glad they did.  And once that’s gotten out of the way, things hum along nicely.

    Everything builds to a tense climax, but unfortunately, it has a cliffhanger ending, something that I detest.  I’ll forgive it here, only because the primary source of the storyline is the graphic novel, and we all know comic books are notorious for ending with a cliffhanger to get you to guy the next issue.  Still, it sucks.  I’m glad I got this as a library book, not a purchase.

Kewlest New Word ...

Bindi (n.) : a decorative mark worn in the middle of the forehead by Indian women..

Others : Raconteur (n.).

Excerpts...

    Gil cleared his throat.  “The very trait that allows Sparks to apparently warp the laws of physics seems to affect probability and statistics within their vicinity as well.  Every visible action will be open to misinterpretation and their motives can easily be misconstrued.”

    Klaus looked startled.  Gil leaned in.  “Your words, Father, used to explain a rather catastrophic incident in your father’s laboratory when you were eleven, if I remember correctly.”

    Klaus glared at his son.  “I was lying.  I knew the cat was there.”  (pg. 84)

    Mr. Oilswick piped up.  “They’re still gaining, sir.”

    The captain thumped a fist down on a bulkhead.  “Blast!  There’s got to be something we can toss!”

    “You scum!”  The voice caught everyone by surprise.  It was Duke Stinbeck.  He had pulled himself up to a sitting position.  “You dare to strike my royal personage?  I’ll have every member of your crew flayed alive!  I’ll see to it that you never collect a pfennig of your pensions!  You’ll never fly again!”

    Lieutenant Lorquis exchanged a glance with the captain.  Occasionally, problems solved themselves.  (pg. 223)

“Whenever he goes on like this, I just think of how many different ways I can spell ‘eviscerate’”.  (pg. 283)

    Agatha H and the Voice of the Castle is another solid installment in this novelized series, but I found it just a bit “off” from the two earlier books.  It seemed like the cause was nothing major, just a combination of several little things.

    First, there aren’t a lot of locations to explore – just Castle Heterodyne and the town below it, Mechanicsburg.  Second, there were a slew of characters to meet, remember, and/or keep track of.  Also, the tone seemed darker and more serious, and Agatha’s side-endeavors into chemistry and engineering, which I find particularly entertaining and motivational, seemed fewer and further between.  Lastly, it just felt longer and slightly “draggy” due to the need for an extensive backstory.

   I suspect this is mostly because the stories were originally visual, in boffo comic book style.  Perhaps it all works better in graphic novel format.  I intend to find out, as my local library carries a lot of the newer graphic novel issues (to be eventually made into Book 4, I’m sure) and I’m going there this weekend.  If I can find where they stash these, I’ll bring one home.

    8 Stars.  Add 1 star if you’re a YA girl and Agatha H. inspires you to set your sights on becoming a scientist, instead of a princess.

Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess - Phil and Kaja Foglio

    2012; 481 pages.  New Author? : No.  Books #4-#6 (kinda) of the Girl Genius series.  Genre : Gaslamp Fantasy; Graphic Comic Novelization.  Overall Rating : 8½*/10.

    Agatha H. is fleeing from the Baron Klaus Wulfenbach.  In an airship.  Just her and a cat.  Some might say it’s a stolen airship.  But as of now it’s a crashed stolen airship, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

    Like running away with (and hiding in) a traveling circus.  But what acrobatic or entertainment skills can Agatha offer them to earn her keep?  Well for one thing, she has a pretty decent Talking Cat routine.

What’s To Like...

    Agatha H & the Clockwork Princess is a novelization of the immensely popular graphic comic series Girl Genius, penned by the husband/wife team of Phil and Kaja Foglio.  ANAICT, the series is up to #12 now, and the Foglios are gradually converting the graphic novels to Kindle books, three GN's per novel.  I read the first novelization back in 2012; its review is here.

    Frankly, the story here starts out slow, with Agatha traipsing around in the woods after crashing the blimp, then joining the circus and doing menial tasks.  The “Talking Cat” shtick got tossed when it was discovered that the cat really could talk.

    However, the pacing gradually gains steam, and by the halfway point, the action is nonstop.    You will meet a slew of new characters, especially in the circus, but just a few of them need to be kept track of.  The three Jagermonsters, Maxim, Ognian, and Dimo, are a great addition to the storyline’s main cast.

    There are a bunch of kewl Discworldian footnotes, although it might have been better to put the links/notes at the end of the book instead of at the end of each chapter.  I also encountered quite a few typos for a non-self-published book.  Whoever converted/proofed this book should return his fee.

    There were a couple instances of mild cussing, and a few “adult situations”.  They were tasteful, but still surprising, given that the target audience of the graphic novels is teenage girls.  But little Agatha is growing up, and passion and romance are in the air.

    The ending ties things up nicely, while of course still leaving you hungering for the next installment.  Some characters – both good ones and bad ones - die along the way.  I like that.  I grow tired of the Star Wars/Battlestar Galactica mentality that heroes should only kill robots, droids, or mechanized insects.

Kewlest New Word. . .

Obstreperous (adj.) : Noisy and difficult to control; unruly; disruptive.

Excerpts...

    Agatha lowered her voice.  “We’re the good guys, remember?  We do not eat children.  We do not even threaten to eat children.  He is not ‘Provisions.’”

    Krosp’s ears flattened.  “Whaaaat?!  Why not?  It’s up a tree Maybe it’s a bird!”

    “He talks!”

    “Lots of things talk!  Maybe it’s a parrot!”

    “He’s not a bird!”

    Krosp looked back up at the now fascinated boy.  “Squirrel?” he hazarded.  (loc. 616)

    “So he’s not much for intellectual discussion?”

    Agatha shook her head.

    “Good kisser though, eh?”

    Agatha had blushed and nodded.  Even though all they had done was kiss once a night onstage, those kisses had been getting better and better.

    “So kiss him enough that he doesn’t have a chance to mess things up by talking.”

    Agatha frowned.  “That seems like an extremely poor blueprint for a long-term relationship.”  (loc. 5438)

Kindle Details...

    Agatha H & the Clockwork Princess sells for $13.67 at Amazon.  The first book is currently selling for the low, low price of $1.99, so this is a good time to try out the series.  The third book (presumably covering Graphic Novels #7-#9) is due out in January 2015, and will sell for $13.99.  For whatever reason, the present book is twice as long as either of the other two.

It was said that if you interrupted a Jager at dinner, you’d be the dessert.  (loc. 7888)

    As an adult reader, what impressed me the most about AH&TCP was the strength of the main characters.  Naturally, Agatha is the most impressive one.  When she’s not running around being the Chosen One, she is busy being one heck of a mechanical engineer.  There are other books that have strong female characters of course, but usually it’s at the expense of some pretty wimpy male counterparts.

    Here, *all* the main characters – good and bad, male and female, human and otherwise – are strong. Heck, even the talking cat is a strong character.  Furthermore, nobody finds it strange or exceptional that Agatha is, and excels at being an engineer.  This makes Girl Genius a truly amazing series.

    Similarly, none of the characters are pure good or pure evil.  Honestly, I’m still not sure which side of the moral compass has the greater influence on Klaus, Gil, Othar, or Bangladesh Dupree.

    8½ Stars.  If you have a teenage or tweenage daughter, I highly recommend this series, although in truth, they may enjoy the graphic novel format better.  But adults reading the novelized version will be entertained as well. 

Agatha H and the Airship City - Phil and Kaja Foglio

2011; 264 pages.  New Author(s) ? : Yes.  Genre : Webcomic Action; Gas Lamp Fantasy.  Overall Rating : 8½/10.

    What's the matter with Agatha Clay?  Despite trying her hardest, she's the worst student at Transylvania Polygnostic University.  If you gave her two pieces of wood and a tube of glue, I'm still sure whatever she'd make would fall apart.

    But Agatha's life is about to get upheaved.  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach is going to forcibly take over Beetleburg, where TPU is located.  And take some "sparks" as hostages back to Castle Wulfenbach, which is really a giant dirigible.  Now what possible havoc could one girl wreak upon a great big airship?

What's To Like...
    AH&TAC is a novelization of a webcomic called Girl Genius, (the link is here) which has won all sorts of awards - Hugos, Eisners, Squiddlys, etc.  The book is a faithful rendering of the first three episodes of the webcomic.  As such, you get lots of action right away and all the way thru.

    The characters are ...well... comic, but there is a surprising depth to them.  Agatha has her foibles, and the bad guys all have redeeming traits.  Indeed, it is hard to tell exactly who's wearing the black hats and who's wearing the white ones.  Agatha is a strong female lead, but that doesn't mean the males in the story are pansies.

    There is some romance (at this point, mostly hinted at), and a little bit of violence (rather mild), but no sex or "adult situations".  And it's a steampunk setting.

Kewlest New Word...
Gravitas : dignity, solemnity, or seriousness in manner.

Excerpts...
    "Fuel here.  Spark here.  Main shaft.  Boosters."
    "Interesting.  Should this be loose?"
     "Yes, it's a balance arm."
    Agatha glared at him.  "A balance arm?  You're wasting space in a flying machine with a balance arm?"
    "Well... yes, you still need -"
    Agatha pushed him aside and reached into the engine compartment.  A quick wrench and the small device was flung out into space, where it hung in front of Gil's face.
    "And this!"  Another part was ripped loose.  "This is a heat pump!  Superfluous!"  (pg. 96; 36% on the Kindle)

    "Fine.  So what you're telling me is that you - Gilgamesh Wulfenbach - the person next in line to the despotic, iron-fisted rule of the Wulfenbach Empire - have no deadly, powerful weapons lying around whatsoever!  That's just great!  What kind of an Evil Overlord are you going to be, anyway?"
    "Apparently a better one than I'd thought," Gil said, suddenly thoughtful.  (pg. 214; 82% on the Kindle)

Kindle Details...
    The Kindle version of Agatha Clay and the Airship City is available at Amazon for $7.99, although it was a free download for a limited time when I ran across it.  It isn't available at the Mesa library, but the Phoenix Library has several "real" copies, and a number of books with the comic themselves.  Most of these were available when I checked.

Adventure.  Romance.  MAD SCIENCE!  (the Girl Genius motto)
    The neatest thing about AH&TAC is the "spark", which is a inherent talent for intense concentration (sometimes hereditary, but not always), which enables the person with it (also called a "spark") to create some remarkable inventions.

    It's not a super-power.  The only way Agatha will climb walls is if she applies herself and figures out how to make Velcro.  I think it is utterly kewl that the heroes here are Mad Scientists.  Kids reading AH&TAC will be inspired to become Chemists, Biologists, Mechanical Engineers, etc.   Not to ride magical ponies or get bit by radioactive spiders.

    8½ Stars.  I'd rate it higher, but the actual webcomic is even kewler than the book  And the novelization of Episodes 4-6 is due out in April.