City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

After the death of her father from cancer, a young girl named Grace and her family move to Hong Kong for a new start. Her stepfather is a researcher studying ways to lengthen one's lifespan and was the head of the clinical trial that Grace's father partook. Hong Kong also happens to be her dad's birthplace. Enrolled at a prestigious international academy of students, Grace learns about the cultural history of her father's homeland, in particular the mythos of dragons.

Hong Kong has a rich history and unique reverence for dragons. For example, many of the modern skyscrapers have holes designed in them so that dragons can safely fly through them. However, it's the landscape of Hong Kong where the real legends rest. The mountains that make up the landscape of the Chinese Special Administrative Region are known as the 9 dragons. Although Hong Kong actually only has 8 mountains. The 9th is actually an Emperor who was told to be a decedent of mixed bloodline of humans and dragons.

That's where Grace comes in. In her first real exploration of the cityscape, Grace meets a mysterious blue eyed elder who gifts her with an egg. Grace thinks that the egg is just a trinket. That is until the next morning when she finds the egg broken and a tiny blue dragon living in her toilet.

With a trio of new friends, Grace will uncover the secret of not just her dragon, Nate, but of her true Hunxue (mixed blood) heritage. Her journey will put her in considerable danger, introduce her to an inebriated shop captain who can predict the weather and take her on a journey to find the missing gem stones of the Dragon Kings. Perhaps the most shocking revelation of them all; Grace will learn that her father's death was not from cancer but from medical testing conducted by her new stepdad!

2021's City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm is the first book in a series that promises to span the globe in search of answers behind Grace's father's death as well as dragons from other cultures. Written by Jaimal Yogis, the next chapter of City of Dragons takes place in Paris. A regular contributor to ESPN Magazine and The Washington Post, this is Yogis' first graphic novel. The artwork of 'The Awakening Storm' was by London based cartoonist Vivian Truong. A frequent artist for Riot Games, Troung is also the illustrator of Cooking With Monsters, a graphic novel series about culinary students who learn the art of cooking from the dangerous and delicious creatures that they battle in the wild.

Book 2 of the City of Dragons series, 'Rise of the Shadowfire' debuted in print in October, 2023.

Completing this review completes Task #43 (A Fantasy with Dragons) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.