- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
- Fantasy
Amulet: The Stonekeeper's Curse
Book 2 of 9 in AmuletView the full series
A darker and more expansive sequel that turns the rescue story into a larger fantasy quest. It deepens the danger of the amulet itself, making the series feel more morally complex and compelling.
- Best for8–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length224 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr45 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
- Dark
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Emily and Navin's mother is still dangerously ill, and the only hope lies in the city of Kanalis, a beautiful but perilous place of waterfalls, strange creatures and hidden threats. As Emily learns more about the amulet's power, she also begins to sense that using it may come at a cost.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: illness or disability, violence, scary imagery.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
4 / 5 · Notable
Best for
- Fantasy graphic novel
- Series continuation
- Dark magic
- Middle grade adventure
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Has not read book 1
- Very sensitive to ill parent
- Wants light comedy
- Wants low peril
Particularly good for children who are…
- Illness in family
- Reluctant reader
- Anxiety and worry
- Struggling with reading
In the classroom
How it works in school.
An epic, cinematic fantasy-adventure series that hooks reluctant readers and keeps them racing through the saga — a classroom-library staple.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific tension is the amulet itself — the magic object Emily was given starts pushing back, whispering, demanding things. A nine-year-old reading it feels the comfortable rescue-mission of book one give way to a much more complicated story about power and what it costs. The Amulet that earns its weight.
- Going on a quest
- Having a wise mentor
- Magic powers
- Making a difference
- Secret world
Why parents love it
The Amulet where the series tips from rescue-mission into proper fantasy — the amulet itself becomes dangerous, the 'magic with a cost' theme arrives, and the moral spine of the next seven books is set. Read straight after book one; the world expands too fast to skip.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Great writing
- Conversation starter
In the series
Amulet.
9 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Kazu Kibuishi.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
When you buy through the links above, we may earn a small commission — it never costs you more, and it never changes the books we choose. How we’re funded →