Cottons Book 1: The Secret of the Wind By Jim Pascoe

Summary from Goodreads:

In the first volume in the epic Cottons trilogy, rabbits and foxes inhabit a world where magic, technology, and art are used as weapons of war.

To her neighbors in the Vale of Industry, Bridgebelle is an ordinary rabbit. All day long, she toils at the carrot factory. After a hard day, she returns home to care for her ailing auntie. And whenever she's out, she's watchful of the murderous foxes who prey on her kind.

But Bridgebelle is not ordinary—she's a rabbit with talents beyond her own understanding. Using cha, the mysterious fuel that powers her world, she can change everyday objects into thokchas—magical, transforming works of art. Bridgebelle makes thokchas because they're beautiful. But there are those in her world who want to harness her powers and turn her art into a weapon.

Review:

I’m not normally a huge fan of books about talking animals, but wow this one was stunning. You can tell just by the cover that this is going to be one of those graphic novels with amazing artwork inside and you won’t be disappointed. Think Amulet mixed with The City on the Other Side mixed with 5 Worlds. I received this one for review from Macmillan, and I don’t think I ordinarily would have picked it up otherwise. I’m so glad it reached it my hands –and now I can make sure my library gets this and I can put this in the right kids’ hands.

The story is dark. Right off the bat, a fox kills a rabbit. There’s hunting, overworking in a factory, power hungry political grabs, kidnappings, and death. But, there’s also love, family, art, and magic. Pascoe has created an almost Tolkien-esque world layered with history, terminology and depth. It’s hard to believe this is the first book in a series. It almost reads as if the author has been writing books in this world for years.

Kids who love the Erin Hunter books and the books by Tui T. Sutherland will eat this up. I can already imagine them asking me when book 2 is coming out.

My only qualm really with the story was that some plot points didn’t really get explained. Things would happen, and I’m not sure if was I meant to question them or not, but I did. And then the story never circled back…I don’t want to spoil anything and say what I’m talking about. Maybe this will get addressed in the later installments. I’m also excited for book 2.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, more than I was expecting to. It was an action packed fantasy adventure. It’s dark, but also full of hope. The artwork is stunning. The world is fascinating. And I know the right kids will devour this. I give it an 8/10.