Amelia Cole and the Unknown World
Paperback
Written by Adam P. Knave and D.J. Kirkbride
Art by Nick Brokenshire
Colors by Ruiz Moreno
Letters by Rachel Deering
Cover by Nick Brokenshire
IDW Publishing
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Cover Price: $14.99

Amelia Cole and the Unknown World is about a young woman with magical powers who can travel between dimensions. Living in the Non-Magical world but working in the Magical one, she travels back and forth through a portal that opens up in her Aunt Dani’s house. Everything is going well until a Demon from the Magical world shows up in the Non.

After fighting the Demon Amelia realizes that something is very wrong. She travels to her Aunt’s house only to realize that the portal her and her Aunt has been using is deteriorating, allowing more than just the two of them to travel. The only way to solve the problem is to destroy the portal. But in the rush and commotion, Amelia stumbles upon another door. Going through Amelia finds a world where both Magical and Non-Magical exist together. The problem is, just because they exist in the same world doesn’t mean they do it harmoniously.

Fun and light-hearted, this book is an enjoyable read. Amelia is a strong, no nonsense character with a strong moral ethic. Some of it is a bit cheesy, but given that it is written for a younger audience, it feels appropriate. Throughout the book the focus is more on her self-discovery. The story focuses on several themes appropriate for a tween to teen age. Coming to understand her past and where she came from, learning to fit into a new environment that is confusing and overwhelming, making new friends and choosing to do the right thing, even when the wrong thing would be less trouble.

What is especially fun is how the relationships are portrayed. It is purely friendship, and her relationship with her Golem is genuinely sweet. The dialogue almost reads like it’s out of a episodic TV show, but that is part of the charm.

The art is pretty and light. Bright and colorful, the characters pop off the page. Though there is plenty of fight scenes, it is kept more cartoonish than realistic and gritty. This allows for it to not become to heavy a read.

This book would be a great read for a middle schooler or early high schooler, especially if they find reading boring. It is the type of book where the reader can put themselves in the world and easily relate. As an adult, it might be too light of a read for some, but it is still worth it.