SPACE ELVES REBUILD THEIR LIVES

Space Elves come into conflict once again when two civilizations attempt to resettle on the same world in Lamar Golden and Liana Golden’s picture book.

This sequel to Space Elves Defend Their Planet (2023) finds the citizens of Planet Rain and Planet Doom searching for new homes following the wartime destruction of their respective planets during a conflict between their peoples. Planet Rain’s elves, a science-based society ruled by the kindly Lord Ruffles, land on Planet Hope, but so do their rivals from Planet Doom, ruled by the tyrannical Lord Droxy, who soon demands that his troops reignite old grievances. Just as another war seems inevitable, a lost tribe with mysterious powers enters the fray and demands that both sides answer for their crimes of “war, building weapons, and malice against thy neighbor.” Andreu’s cartoon-style illustrations feature bold lines and bright colors in their creation of sleek, cinematic characters and battle scenes. The authors effectively touch on serious themes, as when they compare Lord Droxy’s authoritarianism with Planet Rain’s democratic voting council, while never neglecting the plot’s nonstop action. Despite all the battling, there’s no graphic violence, and the phrase “The destruction of Planet Rain has caused his demise” is the only allusion to death and dying.

A fast-paced, eventful SF tale with a touch of real-world education.