Maithili and the Minotaur: Dolls of Despair
Series: Maithili and the Minotaur
MY THOUGHTS
Book 3 in the glorious Maithili and the Minotaur series is finally here, and I am here to bring you all the inside news!
Yes, this is a self-imposed holiday in my household, and the third book, like 1&2, definitely did not disappoint! Though I must say, it has moved away from the weird and outlandish to a rather dark, noir-ish space. Any thoughts on this, CG Salamander?
Our favourite characters, Maithili, Minotaur, Wolfhound, Nagesh, and Anjali return in Book 3, and this time, they are looking for Maithili’s mother with a map. Maithili has been having strange nightmares, and as she searches for clues, the crew find themselves in the Cave of a Thousand Eyes. Who is the strange boy she is seeing in her visions, and why has her mother left her Limiter Bangles? There are so many questions in this book, and we hope we inch closer to getting an answer.
I loved the use of colour to tell the many stories within stories in this book. Salamander and Eipe use colour to toggle between times. Red and pink pages show the present time in which Maithili and her gang battle the demons. The yellow and brown pages are for a flashback to the village of Keeladi. The black and grey pages are for a flashback featuring Maithili and her parents, and so on. One of the joys of reading a Maithili and the Minotaur book for me is stumbling upon pop culture references and Tamil puns. This book too starts with a dark being, the Odiyar, talking about the Pogai Pandigai, where he tries to sit in a bonfire to repent his sins. Nagesh adds the much-needed humour to the story with his bravado. There is magic, fantasy, and suspense setting the stage for Book 4.
Reading a graphic novel trains a reader to think about incidents in a sequential manner by looking at illustrations. This book, with its multiple timelines, allows the reader to go back and forth, all while following along with the story. When the same thing happens in movies, the viewer is bombarded with images without being able to take a break. The graphic novel allows the reader to understand the story at their own pace, go back if needed, and then proceed. CG Salamander’s story is gripping, and there is never a dull moment. With each book, he introduces new characters and new powers, keeping the reader hooked, all while forcing them to follow along with his vision. Rajiv Eipe brought the forest alive in Book 2, and now in this book, he gives us the heebie-jeebies with illustrations of monsters that may appear in our nightmares!
If you have a middle grader who loves graphic novels like Tintin, Asterix and Obelix, or the Hilda series, this is the book series you should be gifting them, now!
If you are new to this graphic novel series:
1. Read the review of Book 1 and listen to the podcast
2. Read the review of Book 2 and listen to the podcast on how the story arc has grown
If you think your child would enjoy this book, you can buy it here →
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