KINGDOM OF WATER

Following the events of Realm of the Blue Mist (2022), Tabby confronts family secrets.

While trapped on Rema, light-skinned, black-haired Tabby has a dream that directs her to seek out Cenri Helvir. Her ghostly guide delivers a history book to her that explains the fall of the royal family of Cerey; the heir to the throne, Prince Cenri, was a superpowered geist. (Exposition through books allows large amounts of information to be conveyed quickly, before the main plot resumes.) But first, Tabby must attend the Flood Festival, which kicks off with an opening ceremony involving an induced sleep in which pairs of people share dreams. For Tabby, who has a crush on pale, blue-haired Phillip, this has swoony implications (their romance is mild, consisting mostly of gazes and blushes). A geist attack against Priestess Hiida at the ceremony sends Tabby on a desperate, time-sensitive mission. In the process, she uncovers more information about Cerey’s royal family—and her own. Tabby barely has time to reckon with these revelations before she experiences more betrayals and a climactic fight. The denouement sets Tabby on a new path, one with dangerous stakes should she fail. Kim’s stylish, full-color manga-style art provides fluid action and gives the fictional world depth. The color palette goes beyond decorative to skillfully assist with the storytelling. The supporting cast is fantasy diverse.

Strong aesthetics and a fast plot will carry readers over to the next installment.