The Thief and the Sword (Cleopatra in Space, Book 2) by Mike Maihack
Graphix, 2015. 978-0545528443
Synopsis: A mysterious thief has stolen the ancient sword Cleo recovered in Book One: Target Practice, and she’s determined to get it back. But her teachers at Yasiro Academy forbid her from risking her life, so she’s stuck at school, trying to adjust to her newfound popularity and responsibility. And when she learns more about the prophecy that names her the savior of the galaxy, she must go on a dangerous journey to find the time tablets that could decide her fate… before they fall into the wrong hands! – from Amazon.com
Why I picked it up: I was eager to read more about Cleo’s adventures.
Why I finished it: Cleo has certainly turned into one of the popular kids at Yasiro Academy, which on the one hand is pretty cool, but on the other it means there’s more pressure for her to perform; being a show-off both is and isn’t Cleo’s thing. Plus, it seems like she’s sort of over this story about her being the one that will save the galaxy. Maihack is doing more character building in this volume, continuing to flesh out our heroine and her friends; plus, this is our first peek at Octavian, the evil dictator that Cleo will eventually have to battle. The reader gets a little bit more background about Cleo’s friend and roommate Akila. What I liked about Akila’s story is that not only is she trying to prove herself just like Cleo, but because she grew up with stories of the prophecy, she seems to be fully invested in helping her friend reach her full savior potential. Zaid still seems to be sort of a wild card and I have yet to figure out if he has a larger role to play; he and Cleo seem to have bonded on their outcast status so I have a feeling we will be seeing more of him. There is a mention of the fact that all archives and current data are either in the process of being converted or are in a paper format, which obviously contrasts from the rest of the highly technological tools that are used in the far future. This book takes us into the library for the first time and Cleo gets a glimpse at books that hold all of the recovered knowledge that was almost lost. I like to think that perhaps this is a reference to the debate of paper versus e-books and possibly Maihack’s belief that paper books will always have a place and a use. The colors in this volume continue to be fun and bright, even in the red palate Maihack uses to define Octavian’s lair. There’s a unique palate for each setting in the book that helps the reader be able to define the different parts of the academy and the galaxy. It’s another fast-paced adventure that will have you eager for more.
Other related materials: Target Practice (Cleopatra in Space, Book 1) by Mike Maihack; Secret of the Time Tablets (Cleopatra in Space, Book 3) by Mike Maihack; The Golden Lion (Cleopatra in Space, Book 4) by Mike Maihack; Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke; Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke; The Return of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke; Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi; Phoebe and Her Unicorn books by Dana Simpson; Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson; Explorer books by Kazu Kibuishi; CatStronauts series by Drew Brockington