- Fantasy
- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
The shape of it
The shape of this universe.
Rune is Carlos Sánchez's warm, Welsh-mythology-flavoured fantasy graphic-novel collection about best friends Chiri and Dai, who stumble through a magical portal from dreary Little Valley into the strange kingdom of Puddin'. Across three volumes they face the Shadow King, the Obsidian Maze and a spreading darkness, building a found family of adventurers along the way. The books balance cosy, pastel-toned charm, rounded character design, plenty of magic and delicious dessert, with genuine quest stakes and gradually darker peril. What sets the series apart is its thoughtful, unforced Deaf representation: Chiri is Deaf, and sign language, lip-reading and communication are woven into both her character and the magic system. Fast, funny and full of heart, it is a distinctive bridge from gentle visual storytelling into more adventurous middle-grade fantasy.
A cosy-yet-adventurous fantasy graphic-novel series with magic, food, found family and unusually thoughtful Deaf representation.
Primary themes
Tone palette
- Adventurous
- Warm
- Funny
- Whimsical
The series
One way in.
Cultural footprint
A shelf of evidence.
Cultural ubiquity
2/ 5A working classic for readers in the know.
Sensitivity
Moderate, and collection-wide.
Content notes
- Scary imagery
- Violence
Across the collection
All 3 books.
About the creator