The Witch Owl Parliament (Clockwork Curandera, Volume I): (Clockwork Curandera, Volume I)

by David Bowles (Created by), Raúl the Third (Created by), Stacey Robinson (Colorist), Damian Duffy (Letterer)

Overview

Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee 2022

Discover a graphic novel unlike any other--a brilliant steampunk reimagining of Frankenstein set in colonial Mexico.

In the Republic of Santander, non-Christian magic is frowned upon, if not outright prohibited. But when Cristina Franco, an apprentice shaman, is killed by witch owls, her brother Enrique cannot let her go. With forbidden alchemy and engineering, Enrique brings her back to life: part human, part machine. Though her very existence is an abomination to Santander's citizens, Cristina vows to use her new abilities to protect her country from attack.

With help from a handsome skinwalker named Mateo, Cristina and Enrique track down the witch owl coven and uncover a sinister plot to bring Santander under the rule of the Witch Owl Parliament, whose legendary cruelty would dismantle the country's hard-won freedoms. At the same time, Indigenous folks and immigrants are disappearing from Santander--including Enrique's beloved, Gaspar. Could the attacks and the disappearances be related? As the witch owls attack more trains and more refugees go missing, the trio must uncover the witch owls' origins to understand their weakness.

Energetic illustrations by Pura Belpré Award winner Raúl the Third bring to life the words of award-winning author and poet David Bowles. Don't miss this amazing first volume of the Clockwork Curandera trilogy!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620145937
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	10/19/2021
Series:	Clockwork Curandera , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	282 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from South Texas, where he teaches literature and Nahuatl at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. Among his forty published books are the multiple-award-winning They Call Me Güero, The Prince & the Coyote, and Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico, as well as the series Garza Twins, 13th Street, and Clockwork Curandera. He is the current president of the Texas Institute of Letters.

Stacey Robinson is an assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Illinois and an Arthur Schomburg Fellow with an MFA from the University at Buffalo. As part of the team "Black Kirby," he works with fellow artist John Jennings to create graphic novels, gallery exhibitions, and lectures that deconstruct the work of comic book legend Jack Kirby into re-imagined Black resistance spaces inspired by hip-hop, religion, the arts, and sciences. Robinson lives in Illinois and can be found on Twitter (@ProfSARobinson) and Instagram (@StaceyARobinson).

Damian Duffy is a cartoonist, scholar, writer, curator, lecturer, teacher, and a Glyph Comics, Eisner Comics, and Bram Stoker Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novelist. He holds a MS and PhD in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he teaches courses on computers & culture, and social media & global change. Find him online at damianduffy.net and on Instagram at @DamianD2Duffy.

David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from South Texas, where he teaches literature and Nahuatl at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. Among his forty published books are the multiple-award-winning They Call Me Güero, Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico, and The Prince & the Coyote, as well as the series Garza Twins, 13th Street, and Clockwork Curandera. He is the current president of the Texas Institute of Letters.

Raúl the Third is the two-time Pura Belpré award-winning author/illustrator of Lowriders to the Center of the Earth and Vamos! Let's Go to the Market. His work centers the contemporary Mexican American experience and his memories of growing up in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with artist Elaine Bay and their son Raul El Gonzalez IV. Find him online at raulthethird.com and on Instagram at @raulthethird.info.

Editorial Reviews

"With gorgeous, action-packed illustrations and evocative, thought-provoking prose, Clockwork Curandera delivers a must-read, magical adventure!" — Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Pura Belpré Author Award Winner

"David Bowles and Raúl the Third's dynamic Clockwork Curandera Vol. I: The Witch Owl Parliament is a decolonial breath of fresh air where Indigenous belief systems are centered in a visual otherworldly alternate historical narrative. . . This is an important, impressive kickoff to a series that resurrects notions of good and evil, nature versus the unnatural and unknown, the world of science and the spiritual realm, environmental corporate thievery encroaching upon the elemental." — Tony Medina, author of I Am Alfonso Jones

"Combine David Bowles's storytelling prowess with Raúl III's earthly yet hauntingly otherworld art and you get an alchemical explosion of mythic magnificence. . . this is Latinx futurism at its most exhilaratingly sublime and imaginatively epic." — Frederick Luis Aldama, distinguished university professor & award-winning author of 40+ books, including The Adventures of Chupacabra Charlie and Latinx Superheroes of Mainstream Comics

"Clockwork Curandera is a manga feverdream steampunk lovechild born of Promethean nightmares and Mexican legend. IT'S ALIVE and it's a smash!" — John Picacio, Hugo Award-Winning Artist

"Electric. . . Set in a steampunk-inspired nineteenth-century Mexico, the story draws on Indigenous folklore and other traditions, in a fascinating blend of magic and culture." — Booklist

"This visually stunning graphic novel delivers on all fronts." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A fast-paced genre mashup sure to find a cult following." — Kirkus Reviews

"Leaves readers with much to ponder, setting up a historical and magical steampunk world that can only grow from here. For teens who enjoy intellectually stimulating, action-packed tales." — School Library Journal

"Featuring a limited palette with pops of brilliant orange-red and forest green by colorist Stacey Robinson, stylish lettering by Damian Duffy, and Raúl the Third's well-placed panel breakouts and signature kinetic style, each page buzzes with life. . . The siblings' compelling dynamic will leave readers awaiting the next installments." — Publishers Weekly

Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee 2022

Best Books for Teens - New York Public Library
Great Graphic Novels for Teens Nominee 2022 - American Library Association (ALA)
International Latino Book Award Silver - Empowering Latino Futures
Jean Flynn Award for Best Young Adult Book Winner - Texas Institute of Letters (TIL)
Locus Awards Finalist - Locus Publications
MISelf in Books - Michigan Association of School Librarians
Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List - Texas Library Association (TLA)
Whippoorwill Book Award Winner - Whippoorwill Award Committee

From the Publisher

2021-07-08
Mix Fullmetal Alchemist with steampunk in a fictionalized version of 19th-century Mexico, and you have Bowles and Raúl the Third’s new graphic series.

It’s 1865, and Cristina Franco is an apprentice curandera, or healer. The witch owls lay siege to the East Laredo train depot in the Republic of Santander, where she awaits her brother Enrique’s return, and despite the best efforts of her green magic, she is fatally wounded. All is not lost, however, as Enrique has been studying alchemy and engineering while he was away at university. He uses his new skills to bring Cristina back and creates mechanical limbs for her. Yet Cristina struggles with this blasphemy, knowing it will result in her expulsion from her curandera community just as the witch owls are rising to terrorize Santander. The pace is fast and clipped, with little time for worldbuilding; even brief flashback scenes can cause more confusion than clarity. Nevertheless, the combination of steampunk and cyberpunk genres in such a novel setting will appeal to many. Readers lacking a familiarity with the mestizo and Indigenous cultures of Mexico may be inspired to learn more in order to fully appreciate this work. Illustrated in black, red, and, occasionally, green ink on a background that mimics the sepia tones of old paper, the dramatic and expressive artwork and creative use of panels greatly enhance the reading experience.

A fast-paced genre mashup sure to find a cult following. (maps, author's note, sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews