Adventurous Alidade Rose and her best friend, kind, sensible Lewis, are caught by the Night Coats - an ominously tall, slim, dark-clothes-wearing, rules-enforcing body in their town of Alden. But when Alidade returns to the forest she was exploring, she finds a door in a tree, and the door leads to a lodge, which is the home of the Mapmakers - only, something has gone wrong. Alidade discovers a hidden map that has Alden on it, but also a river - and she has never seen this river. A Memri in the form of a bird called Blue emerges from the map and serves as a guide so that Alidade, too, can become a Mapmaker, and restore Alden to the way it used to be, before the Night Coats came and the river was forced underground. Likeable Lewis helps by rallying the townspeople to their cause, rising up against the Night Coats. With the river restored, Alidade has her mother's blessing to go off mapmaking with Lewis and Blue. Sequel to come....

Quotes

"But...how could the Night Coats have done this?"
"The way people have always divided one another: lies and power." (Alidade and Blue, 71)

"We are not merely drawing a picture. We are casting a spell. A lot of things must go right for a spell to work. For mapmaking, there are three tenets...[ingredients, artistry, accuracy]." (Blue, 81-83)

"Don't [Mapmakers always know where they're going?"
...
"Mapmakers thrive because they are comfortable not knowing where they are going. Everyone is lost, in a way. Embracing the challenge - that is the key to being a Mapmaker." (Blue and Alidade, 111)

"[That spark of energy inside you is] the reward for facing the world with humility. For knowing there is still so much you do not know. That feeling...is the joy of understanding something new. Hold on to it so you can pursue that spark in all you do." (Blue, 118)

"The world will always be full of dangers....All we can do is face them bravely...alongside those we care for." (Blue, 207) ( )

Palette is ugly and the story is tedious. Stopped about halfway through cause I truly didn't care (but skipped to the end so I could confirm it was as predictable as I expected). ( )

This YA graphic novel is beautifully illustrated and shares a story about a young child, Alidade, born to explore, but stuck in an oppressive town. During her prohibited adventures, she stumbles across a secrets sanctuary in the forest. Inside she learns that once there were Mapmakers - people who used to protect the lands and keep peace in her valley. Alidade decides she's the only one who can save her home, and to do that she has to become a Mapmaker. ( )

I wished there was more explanation for the world/worldbuilding like who/what/where/how about the Night Coats. Who is y'all? Why does the Constable have a vested interest in Alidade? Are these hooks for the next book?

But I enjoyed the world, the artwork, and the flamboyant birdie Blue the Memris. ( )