AURORA

Two magical beings embark on a journey to rescue a stolen god’s soul in this collection from a webcomic.

Called to end the resistance against a monthlong siege on his city, the god Lord Vash, who has tan skin and yellow hair, loses both the city and his soul in an ambush by the Collector, who has light skin, green eyes, and black hair. Wounded blue-eyed Kendal, who’s born from Vash’s remaining essence, is left for dead but saved by purple-skinned, pink-haired Alinua, a self-exiled cloud elf with a curse—or maybe a gift. With no way of knowing which she bestowed on Kendal, the two decide to travel together to rescue Vash’s soul. Meanwhile, a great mage, who’s light-skinned and brown-haired and has power over all the elements, accidentally springs a trap that was millennia in the making. Fighting for control of his body, he’s saved by Kendal and Alinua and agrees to assist them—if they help him find a means to expel the malevolent spirit before it implements its plans. The plot-driven story balances action sequences with intriguing plot developments and extensive worldbuilding. Red renders her full-color illustrations in a clean style that effectively conveys dynamic moments. However, information is too often introduced well in advance of its relevance, interrupting the pacing and creating information overload. This disjointed approach makes it difficult to ground oneself within the story or fully connect with the characters.

A packed but overall promising start.