Quirky and fast-paced. I liked the premise of a weird house that leads to all types of worlds, and the foolhardy treasure-hunters running amok in there. I'll definitely read the next book to see where this leads. ( )

The story opens with Henrietta locked in a dark room, in the middle of a climactic battle, as her mother leaves to save her father. Fast forward to the present, ten years later, and Henrietta, now a young woman, is traveling with Renault the lawyer to the town of Malrenard, where the uncle she never knew existed has left her a legacy.

It turns out to be a very troubling legacy; a magical house. The townspeople of Malrenard have tricked her, as the last living relative (they think) of the wizard Ornun Zol, to take responsibility for the house and the magical destruction it is producing. Not to mention the treasure rumored to be hidden inside, which has caused an increasingly violent series of clashes between soldiers, rebels, and magical creatures who have entered the house.

Henrietta is reluctant to get involved in this dangerous and confusing adventure; she's still battling the fears of her childhood and grieving for her parents and she's not even sure Ornun Zol was a relative! The soldiers have decided she's part of the rebel group, the house itself is actively putting her in danger, and the "treasure" appears to actually be a dangerous magical power that may or may not exist. In the end, as the story opener ends on a cliffhanger, Henrietta must make a decision to take responsibility for the house and its deadly treasure or flee back to life at the orphanage.

Most characters present as white and the setting appears to be a kind of Victorian/Medieval alternate universe. There are bombs and guns, but also swords and magic. The art is digital and slick with most expressions being exaggerated and lots of action and gloomy shadows, but little actual signs of blood or visible death.

The publisher and the one review call this teen, but it looks to me perfectly acceptable for middle grade, similar to Kibuishi's Amulet series. However, this is a series opener and is clearly meant to introduce the characters and give a brief set-up of the events and history to prepare for future volumes.

Verdict: I liked this enough to wonder what will happen next and although it's a bit intense in spots it seems perfectly acceptable for a middle grade audience. Purchase if you have fans of fantasy-adventure graphic novels but be prepared to move this to teen if it does become more graphic in later volumes.

ISBN: 9781541586925; Published April 2020 by Lerner/Graphic Universe; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

The Accursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles is the first installment of this series. It follows Henrietta, an orhpan, who inherits a house from her uncle who passed away. When she gets there, she discovers that theres something more in the house.

I thought this book was okay. I liked the humor and the story line. I wanna see more about Ornun Zol, Henriettas uncle, in the next installment as well as the magical aspects of the story. ( )