By Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds 

Etch, 2021. 257 pages. YA Comics 

Katsa is a Graceling, one of the rare people born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she lived a life of privilege until the day her ability to kill a man with her bare hands revealed itself during a royal banquet. Now she acts as her uncle's enforcer, traveling the kingdom and threatening those who dare oppose him. Everything changes when she meets Po, a foreign prince Graced with combat skills who is searching for the truth about his grandfather's disappearance. When Katsa agrees to help him, she never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or a terrible secret that could destroy them all. 

I remember liking the Graceling series as a teen so I was excited to read the graphic novel version. This adaptation stays true to the novel while adding more context, such as with the many illustrated maps. Those are helpful to reference throughout the book as Katsa and Po go on their journey. I also liked that the diversity hinted at in the novels is fully realized in this adaptation. I hope to see the rest of the series adapted into graphic form, and only wish that the book was longer! 

Girl From the Sea 

By Molly Ostertag 

Graphix, 2021. 245 pages. YA Comics 

Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: she can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She's desperate to finish high school and escape her family and friends who don't understand Morgan at all. Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore. But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they're each trying to hide will find its way to the surface, whether Morgan is ready or not. 

Monstress 

By Marjorie Liu 

Image Comics, Inc., 2019. 505 pages. Graphic Novels 

Maika Halfwolf lives in a world gripped by war--an alternate, matriarchal 1900s Asia brimming with arcane dangers. As she struggles to overcome the trauma of violence and regain knowledge of her past, she becomes inextricably linked to an eldritch monster of tremendous power. This link will transform them both, and place them in the crosshairs of deadly powers both human and otherworldly. 

Nimona 

By Noelle Stevenson 

HarperTeen, 2015. 266 pages. YA Comics 

As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit. 

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