Posted in: Boom, Comics | Tagged: a thief among the trees, an ember in ashes, Nicole Andelfinger, sabaa tahir, sonia liao
Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes Gets a Brand New Series of Prequel Graphic Novels
Explosive publisher BOOM! Studios has announced a graphic novel prequel to the bestselling novel series by Sabaa Tahir, An Ember in the Ashes. Called A Thief Among the Trees, this OGN will be written by Nicole Andelfinger with art by Sonia Liao, and is set to be the first of a three-volume prequel series exploring the history of the characters from the books.
From the press release:
BOOM! Studios is proud to announce A THIEF AMONG THE TREES: AN EMBER IN THE ASHES GRAPHIC NOVEL, the official prequel to the New York Times bestselling series of novels from creator Sabaa Tahir, writer Nicole Andelfinger (Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal:Age of Resistance) and artist Sonia Liao (Kulipari: Heritage). A THIEF AMONG THE TREES will be the first graphic novel in a three volume prequel series that will explore the pasts of beloved An Ember in the Ashes series characters.
Elias, Helene and Tavi are Fivers — in training to become elite military recruits for the Martial Empire at Blackcliff Academy. When they're sent on a dangerous mission to steal a heavily-guarded poison on Isle South, they soon find themselves up against surprising enemies — including other recruits! As the true horror of their assignment is revealed, these three will begin to confront the harrowing realities of Martial rule, their place in the system . . . and the choices they must make to survive.
And Tahir, a longtime fan of comics starting with Sandman, explains:
I've loved graphic novels and comics since I was a kid thieving The Sandman from my older brother. It's an absolute joy to use this medium to explore the life-altering events that helped shape EMBER characters like Elias and Helene. And working with Nicole Andelfinger, Sonia Liao and the team at BOOM! Studios to bring these characters to life has been an inspiring and joyful collaboration. I'm so excited for readers to discover this new piece of the EMBER world.
Andelfinger adds:
Sabaa has created something truly inspiring with her An Ember in the Ashes series. Relevant and thought-provoking, the story is one that continues to stick with me. It was an honor to work on A THIEF AMONG THE TREES and to help Sabaa bring this story not only to long time Ember lovers but also introduce this deep and poignant world to new readers as well.
And Liao says:
An Ember in the Ashes has such a rich world and history — truly the best part of any fantasy story! Elias's, Helene's and Tavi's different worldviews give their interactions dimension as they strive for the same goal. The setting may be restricted to a single island, but from the characters and story you can tell there's a greater world beyond.
Look for the first volume, A Thief Among the Trees, in stores in July 2020 under BOOM!'s Archaia imprint.