Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian

by Tim Probert, Tim Probert (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The first of six installments in a richly imagined and deftly executed fantasy realm written and illustrated by Tim Probert. You’ll immediately be hooked by the dynamic duo of Bea and Cad and the hilarious and heartfelt banter they share on their journey to save their world.

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 Lightfall

Kirkus Best Books of 2020

Fall 2020 Indie Next List

Junior Library Guild Selection

2021 Texas Library Association’s Little Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List Selection

Nominated for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062990464
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Series:	Lightfall , #1
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	36,692
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Tim Probert is an author and illustrator whose work is made of equal parts wonder, magic, and adventure, with a dose of monsters and the occasional dinosaur. In addition to making books, he is an art director at Aardman Nathan Love, working on projects for Nickelodeon, Kellogg’s, Coca-Cola, Candy Crush, and more. Tim lives in New York City with his wife and two cats. 

Tim Probert is an author and illustrator whose work is made of equal parts wonder, magic, and adventure, with a dose of monsters and the occasional dinosaur. In addition to making books, he is an art director at Aardman Nathan Love, working on projects for Nickelodeon, Kellogg’s, Coca-Cola, Candy Crush, and more. Tim lives in New York City with his wife and two cats. 

Editorial Reviews

07/20/2020

When Beatrice sets out to collect elixir ingredients for her grandfather, Alfirid the Pig Wizard, she crosses paths with good-natured Cadwallader, the last of the presumed-extinct Galdurians. Over 500 years ago, the Galdurians suspended large lanterns in the sky to light Irpa following the sun’s disappearance, allegedly at the claws of the Bird and feathered Tikarri, who ravaged the world before they, too, disappeared. Cad believes that Bea’s grandfather can help find the Galdurians, but when they return to Bea’s home, Alfirid has left to perform a neglected duty. A wondrous quest to find him follows, anchored in friendship: Bea protects the mythical and sought-after Endless Flame, and Cad encourages Bea to overcome her anxiety, which manifests visually around her in dark swirls (“It’s okay if you’re scared,” Cad says). Probert’s debut combines engaging fantasy elements: mysterious enemies, fateful responsibility, and death-defying action against a variety of foes. Detailed, jewel-colored art illuminates Irpa’s radiance as Bea’s journey unveils sweeping landscapes, Ghibli-esque character design, and luminous architecture. Worried Bea and enthusiastic Cal quickly become a team that readers can root for, and compelling unsolved mysteries demand a follow-up. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Probert’s cinematic, full-color artwork is packed with inventive creatures and vivid landscapes perfectly in keeping with the fantasy adventure atmosphere.

Booklist

Probert’s debut graphic novel is both inventive and familiar, with unique characters in a fresh fantasy world embarking on a classic quest.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Beautifully drawn. Tim Probert has created a world readers will want to visit.

Kazu Kibuishi

Probert’s cinematic, full-color artwork is packed with inventive creatures and vivid landscapes perfectly in keeping with the fantasy adventure atmosphere.

Booklist

08/21/2020

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

School Library Journal

Beautifully drawn. Tim Probert has created a world readers will want to visit. — Kazu Kibuishi, author of Amulet

Thoroughly satisfying, with a cliffhanger ending that’s sure to hook readers.  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Probert’s cinematic, full-color artwork is packed with inventive creatures and vivid landscapes perfectly in keeping with the fantasy adventure atmosphere. — Booklist

Probert’s debut graphic novel is both inventive and familiar, with unique characters in a fresh fantasy world embarking on a classic quest. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Probert’s debut combines engaging fantasy elements: mysterious enemies, fateful responsibility, and death-defying action against a variety of foes. Detailed, jewel-colored art illuminates Irpa’s radiance as Bea’s journey unveils sweeping landscapes, Ghibli-esque character design, and luminous architecture. Worried Bea and enthusiastic Cad quickly become a team that readers can root for, and compelling unsolved mysteries demand a follow-up. — Publishers Weekly

Majestic artwork, a burgeoning friendship, and the promise of adventure keep the pages turning in this to-be-continued tale. — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 2020-06-30
A chance meeting between Bea, a fiercely loyal human girl, and Cadwallader, a lost Galdurian, ignites a friendship that could change them—and their world—forever.

This lively graphic novel introduces readers to Irpa, a world in which humans live and work alongside anthropomorphic animals, the sun no longer exists, and an ancient, forgotten terror is stirring. When the sun was extinguished 500 years earlier, the Galdurians invented and built floating Lights to ward off the overwhelming darkness, and now, though the Galdurians are believed to be extinct, the Lights shine on. Beatrice lives in the forest with her porcine adoptive grandfather, Alfirid, better known as the Pig Wizard. Their predictable life of studying, foraging, and potion-making is upended when forgetful Alfirid takes off to fulfill a risky commitment, leaving a worried Bea to bring him home. She is not the only one seeking the Pig Wizard: Cad, who resembles a bipedal, gray-skinned axolotl, believes Alfirid can translate information written in Galdurian that may help him find other Galdurian survivors. The immersive, full-color illustrations employ a range of perspectives and angles to reflect Bea’s awe and delight as she travels beyond her home as well as her recurring anxiety, which is thoughtfully and effectively depicted as dark ribbons twining around her body. Bea is White; other human characters have varying skin tones.

Thoroughly satisfying, with a cliffhanger ending that’s sure to hook readers. (map) (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews