SPELLBINDERS

A lonely tabletop role-playing game fan gets a quest in a real magical world.

Ben is constantly writing in his notebook, daydreaming up new games for his adventuring party to play in Dungeons & Dragons analog Kingdoms of Forever. His divorced mother moved him away from his friends, leaving him bored and alone. After being stood up by his party at the con they’d always attended, he’s discovered by purple-haired, awesomely costumed Niara. She’s on a mission to retrieve the Chosen One for a quest. Ben assumes she’s a con-goer inviting him to a game and follows Niara to Lux, where he’s plopped into the middle of a conflict between the Elders, who are devoted to an ancient prophet’s writings, and the king whose knights riding flying narwhals contribute to the ridonkulous comedic tone. Ben finds a magic of his own—what he writes in his notebook comes true (within reasonable limits). Ben’s sure he’s not the actual Chosen One, but he enjoys living the fantasy until he’s in too deep. The Lux storyline’s stakes are a little slow in coming, but once they do, the revelations come alongside reveals of Ben’s real-world struggles. While the writing could sometimes be tighter, the themes of interpersonal relationships and change give the work emotional heft. The ending teases a sequel. Spotlight art emphasizes game-guide–style profiles and sidebars. On the cover, Ben’s White and Niara has brown skin.

A love letter to escapism and writing one’s own destiny.