New York Times bestselling author Kazu Kibuishi says of Lightfall: ?Beautifully drawn. Tim Probert has created a world readers will want to visit.?For fans of Amulet and middle grade readers who love sweeping worlds like Star Wars, the first book of the Lightfall series introduces Bea and Cad, two unlikely friends who get swept up in an epic quest to save their world from falling into eternal darkness.Deep in the heart of the planet Irpa stands the Salty Pig?s House of Tonics & Tinctures, home of the wise Pig Wizard and his adopted granddaughter, Bea. As keepers of the Endless Flame, they live a quiet and peaceful life, crafting medicines and potions for the people of their once-prosperous world.All that changes one day when, while walking through the woods, Bea meets Cad, a member of the Galdurians, an ancient race thought to be long-extinct. Cad believes that if anyone can help him find his missing people, it?s the Pig Wizard.But when the two arrive home, the Pig Wizard is nowhere to be found?all that?s left is the Jar of Endless Flame and a mysterious note. Fearing for the Pig Wizard?s safety, Bea and Cad set out across Irpa to find him, while danger fights its way out of the shadows and into the light.Will these two unexpected friends find the beloved Pig Wizard and prevent eternal darkness from blanketing their world? Or has Irpa truly seen its last sunrise?Praise for LightfallKirkus Best Books of 2020Fall 2020 Indie Next ListJunior Library Guild Selection2021 Texas Library Association?s Little Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List Selection\From School Library Journal\Gr 4?6?Beatrice lives in a small, isolated town in the woods with her forgetful grandfather and potions shopkeeper, Alfirid the Pig Wizard. While out collecting ingredients, Bea happens upon Cadwallader (Cad), a tall, brown, animal-like creature who may be the last of the Galdurians, a race thought to be extinct. Cad needs Alfirid's help to translate a document that may lead Cad to other Galdurians, but Alfirid is missing, and Bea and Cad find a note that sends them on the adventure of a lifetime. Sweeping scenery and exquisite setting detail, combined with intriguing dialogue, contribute to impressive world-building. Pages are usually awash in the light of a perpetual sunrise or sunset falling on a range of earthy tones, but when the evil Tikarri appear, this palette changes to a mix of crow black and pewter gray with a celestial and hazy purple-pink blend. While Cad is humorous and daring, Bea is cautious and appears to suffer from anxiety, depicted as black tendrils that wrap around her. She is often unhelpfully told to put things in perspective, which may sound familiar to readers who relate to her. Characters are a mix of human and anthropomorphized animals; Bea is a beige-skinned human girl, while Alfirid, her adopted grandfather, is a pig. Fights, weaponry, and explosions are all depicted, as is a minimal and strategic amount of destruction and death; darker tones are present, but outright gore is avoided. VERDICT Majestic artwork, a burgeoning friendship, and the promise of adventure keep the pages turning in this to-be-continued tale. For readers who enjoyed Ryan Andrew's This Was Our Pact and Kazu Kibuishi's "Amulet" series.?Alea Perez, Elmhurst P.L., IL