an ultra imaginative, perfectly scary, sublime read with great drawings
The Inkberg Enigma
The Inkberg Enigma is a graphic-novel mystery adventure for eight- to twelve-year-olds in which a girl and boy uncover the secret that has corrupted a town.
NZCYA 2021 Book Awards Finalist.
White Raven 2021 selected title.
Written and illustrated by Jonathan King
Click here to see the trailer.
Ebook available wherever you buy your ebooks
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Description
Miro and Zia live in Aurora, a fishing town nestled in the shadow of a mysterious castle. Miro lives in the world of books; Zia is never without her camera. The day they meet, they stumble on a secret.
With Zia determined to discover more, a reluctant Miro is pulled into a real-life adventure.
The Inkberg Enigma is an exciting adventure with a strong filmic narrative. Jonathan King’s ligne claire drawing style nods to the Belgian and French classics alongside a modern storytelling sensibility drawn from his background in film.
NZCYA 2021 Book Awards Finalist
White Raven 2021 selected title
Selected for the Children’s Books Ireland Reading Guide 2022
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Book Details
Country of Origin New Zealand Reader Age 8-12 year Book Size ISBN
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Reviews
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Reviews
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This is a fun mystery for readers looking for supernatural adventure.
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Jonathan King’s glorious graphic novel tingles with tension, intrigue and contemporary cool.
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This brilliant Kiwi graphic novel employs a classic illustration style to spin a very mysterious tale of magic books, deep sea creatures and dastardly villains.
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A beautifully illustrated graphic novel with an exciting plot.
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I loved this book! The characters, the interesting plot, and the world-building are all excellent…The artwork is fantastic. I really loved the art style and the coloring. The panels tell the story clearly and show the energetic action. The coloring does a wonderful job of displaying the mood and enhancing the creepiness of the plot. Each character is unique and expressive. The art brings forward the suspense and emotion in the story!
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In the best tradition of classic comics, the baddies get their comeuppance in this tale of an endearing couple of oddball kids
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If you like mythical creatures and mystery, this book would be great for you. It’s well worth the read.
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Reminiscent of a Scooby Doo episode, it’s perfect for 8 to 12 year olds that are into graphic novels.
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An exciting graphic novel…At times dramatic, sinister, tense and magical, this is an enjoyable read for children.
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the story is more thrilling than frightening, thanks to the light dialogue and Tintin-style illustrations.
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A brilliant graphic novel illustrated in the style of ‘Tintin ‘for 7 to 12-year-olds, Jonathan King’s The Inkberg Enigma is a wonderful adventure with plenty of twists and just enough scares to please. Here’s hoping for more adventures with this excellent duo from the pen of this comic artist.
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This is a good mystery adventure. It has so many compelling things for me: a main character who loves books, dangerous sea monsters and dark secrets. It somehow has a Tintin feel with its old timey illustrations and intriguing plot. It is accessible for children from eight years old, but all ages will enjoy this graphic novel, in particular the fans of Tintin or Jules Verne.
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Driven by a powerful narrative, exciting, humorous and scary in parts, this plot twisting page-turner is skilfully delivered in graphic novel style by Jonathan King who has a background in film making; indeed it would make a smashing film. What’s not to love, especially since, for one of the characters, books play a vital role in the story. KS2 readers and beyond, especially those with a preference for visual story-telling will simply gobble it up.
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Kids of any age can read and enjoy this book. The art is good and the story is exciting. Miro and Zia make an incredible team!
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A gripping mystery set in a sleepy fishing town with dark secrets…With stylish graphics and fast-moving dialogue, this is ideal for years 5 & 6.
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Toby – “The story is fantastic – there’s a town with secrets, sea creatures, an overbearing mayor, and a whiff of the supernatural in the air. King builds a great world and the story is pacy with some excellent twists and turns.”
Max – “I thought it was SO good. It’s a mystery … adventure … a bit of a mix. It hooked me in and I wanted to keep reading.”
Iggy – “It had the best twist at the end” -
An original and impressively interesting graphic novel that will be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to elementary school, middle school, and community library collections for young readers ages 7-11
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Vivid artwork reminiscent of the Tintin comics makes for a detailed setting
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This is an ultra imaginative, perfectly scary, sublime read with great drawings, especially when you need a gloomy day diversion. Imagine a big road sign: take the paths in this book if you want time out from boredom or anxiety, or if you are a fan of graphic novels and slightly scary stories.
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There are so many elements to love in this fast-paced, contemporary read that is full of adventure and heart… I would confidently place this in the hands of bookish 8 year olds to reluctant teens, and any adults that enjoy a graphic novel.
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The Inkberg Enigma is a great New Zealand comic, able to bridge the generations and bring reading enjoyment to young and old alike.
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Reading this made me feel like I was 10 years old again, devouring Tintin and wanting to be him…The Inkberg Enigma is filled with adventure, mystery, and secrets. It’s also just the right amount of spooky and sinister that keeps you turning the pages. I flew through the story the first time and have since read it again to fully appreciate the story and the artwork.Jonathan’s illustrations are fantastic…[he]doesn’t let the panels limit the story either, with some really clever sections where the illustrations move out of the panels.The Inkberg Enigma is one of my favourite kids graphic novels of 2020 and I’ll be recommending it to everyone. I really hope there will be more stories with Miro and Zia.
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While the two kids get support from a community of helpful adults, the real stars of the story are the books that drive the action, as the protagonist expands his life both beyond and deeper into the world of books. The narrative itself swings back and forth from the present to the past, making full use of the flexibility of the graphic-novel format to help the reader navigate everything from historical documents to edge-of-your-seat action sequences. With an array of blended, multilingual, and multiracial families and diverse gender representation, this book is beautifully inclusive … Villains, magical books, and creatures from the deep combine for a fast-paced, rollicking graphic mystery.
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King’s dramatic poses and square jaws recall the golden era of pulp action comics but with a modern feel and diverse cast; the purely black-and-white sections denoting flashbacks are some of the most dynamic art in the whole story…a diverting tale and an interesting pair of odd-couple kid detectives. Hopefully there will be more opportunities for Miro and Zia to uncover mischief in the future.
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a lovely well told story that is reminiscent of Tintin but with a Lovecraftian twist. It will be on my recommends list for my library’s Teen Graphic Novel book club.
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This thrilling middle-grade graphic novel by New Zealand author Jonathan King will appeal to readers of all ages.
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Available worldwide from your local bookstore or online.
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White Raven 2021 –
Selected by the International Youth Library in the field of international children’s and youth literature.