The Wormworld Saga: The Shelter of Hope

Wormworld Saga #2

by Daniel Lieske

Jonas' fantastic journey leads him to the sunken city of Ankal Aasha where the mysterious master Janaka Jiiva introduces him to the ancient legends of the Wormworld. Jonas learns that he himself plays an important role in them and that the fate of the Wormworld lies in his hands. Together with Raya, Jonas sets out on an adventurous quest on the River of Life which leads our heroes straight towards the mystic Worm Mountain.

This volume contains chapter 4 and 5.

Genres: Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Collections, Childrens, German Literature

96 pages, Hardcover

First published July 14, 2014

About the author

My name is Daniel Lieske and I was born in 1977 on the edge of the Teutoburger Forest in Germany. I started my 'art career' quite early by selling my first comics on the schoolyard. Since then my passion is to entertain people with stories and artwork.

My wife, my son, our two cats and I settled down in the small German city of Warendorf. There we live in a historical frame house in the old town. In a secluded corner I built my studio in which I work on my projects.

Reviews

[Shai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the first installment of this graphic novel series so I was hoping that this second volume is on a par with its predecessor. Janaka Jiiva's vision and Jonas' mission were explained here, thus there are too many dialogues or exchange of conversations between the characters. I was even looking forward to more of the adventure or fight scenes, but I guess that would be available in the succeeding volumes.

There are two chapters in this installment, but I love more the additional chapter entitled, "A Premature Adventure," because it shows the origin of the painting that was created by Jonas' great-grandfather. Jonas' grandmother, Laura, was included in the story, therefore, it shows that she is aware that there's a magical world behind that painting.

Hope that the third volume will show more exciting adventures of Jonas and Raya. I will still be following this series because I want to know how the story will conclude.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume was a bit of a letdown after a great intro in the first book. I expected fantastical worlds of adventure, what I got was an enormous info dump and a float trip down a river. The book still looks gorgeous. It's visually stunning with a lot of influences from southeast Asia. The bright spot was the prequel that was included where we get to see where the painting came from. That story was fun! Hopefully the story picks up again in volume 3 as they reach their destination.

Received a review copy from Lion Forge and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

Jonas is struggling with his school work and his dad is on his case... but that won't dampen his excitement for the summer holiday since he gets to be at the best place on earth... Grandma's house in the country. Are you ready to enter the Wormworld?

GAHHHHHHH! I was so disappointed in this volume... Honestly NOTHING HAPPENED! Seriously we go visit a guy who blathers on about fixing the world and here I am a middle grader (just imagine it like i did!) who has met two new boys in this gorgeous city and nothing... There are literally 2 pages of them meeting and then its off to ride a boat... Certainly a gorgeous boat with beautiful scenery but I came here for a story!! Literally a 2 star story... its obviously stuff we need but why is it told to us in the most boring way possible?! Why aren't the kids we meet a part of it?! Where is the adventure?! The saga...?

So why the heck is the ratings so high?! Well at the end of the short pages about the main story we get a comic story of how the world was created! GAHHHHH now this story was super cute and is sure to excite any middle graders going to read this volume... AND the creator shares many details of how he goes about creating his panels! Perfect for kids who want to get into comic! I seriously wanted to follow the creation story kids as that bug wrecks havoc on their world! It just added so much to this volume...

There is zero tension in this part of the story... I felt more tension about what was potentially coming next! I suspect the story will get better from here (or at the very least am hoping really hard) but so far this is quite run of the mill and NOT told in a compelling way. I am waiting for Jonas to get separated from this woman so its not quite so like he's traveling with his mommy. This is an adventure story and we aren't getting the action that was promised in the first volume. I didn't even get the sense that this city they visited was a shelter of hope... it felt more like a way station on the way to someplace better.

Now for the best part and why I keep hanging in there... THE ART IS GORGEOUS! I kid you not I'm loving the scenery and find plenty of gorgeous places that I want to have an adventure in... but alas this boy is just clinging to this woman like she's his mom and they are really traveling to a safe haven (which is NOT the case!) BUT I have high hopes... there is certainly talent here... if we can get the story going with some compelling events this is sure to be backed up by the art.

What did I expect from this volume? As a storyteller I wanted to see us arriving in the city with ZERO travel... I liked meeting the twin boys at the entrance and then Jonas gets separated from his traveling companion, Oh no!! An animal could be rampaging and the boys help Jonas escape from being trampled... They see something and sneak off to see whats what! They are seen and given chase, they stumble onto the old man who shares the news that Jonas is stuck there until he fixes things and seeing what he had seen he realizes he must stay! They board the boat...

See?! Plenty of chances to see the city, have a riotous run with the boys, making them Jonas' new friends AND we got the more boring info we needed (hopefully more succinctly) and we still end up on the boat. Yes, we need to distill information to the reader but give it to us as an adventure, not like we are sitting in school being lectured at and told we have some hard studying ahead of us.

I still believe The Worldworld Saga has potential. The art is where its at! The locations are thought out and the world building has an excellent slice of life aspect to it that is compelling... But give us adventure! We need chases, bad guys and rampaging monsters in the Wormworld Saga vol 2, not more lectures... I'll check in on vol 3 and see if our journey to another city will be more action packed... But be sure to check out the Wormworld Saga vol 2 for the painting creation story and the graphic novel art techniques in the back.

⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐ Tension
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

After stumbling across Wormworld Saga Vol 1: The Journey Begins , I very quickly looked for this second part at my local library, and very happily discovered that it was available.

The narrative continues the story (and journey) begun in the first volume, and our narrator and protagonist, Jonas, discovers more about the Wormworld and its mysteries. As readers, we are also treated to an early treatment of the Wormworld storyworld in the extra material, and both that (as well as other extras) and the main narrative leave me wanting to read the continued story. So, here's hoping the next volume appears in English rather soonish.

[Shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das war super.

[Shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world building of this novel is just amazing. The art style is fabulous.

[Cristina Alves · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://osrascunhos.com/2018/05/08/th...

The Wormwold Saga começa com um rapaz, Jonas, que odeia matemática, e que se refugia, sempre que pode, num local secreto, a que acede pelo seu quarto na casa da avô. Aqui, neste local, inventa belíssimas aventuras onde enfrenta tudo e todos com a sua poderosa espada de madeira.

Órfão de mãe, que terá morrido num incêndio, encontra-se em vias de ir para um colégio interno por conta das más notas – e é, ao saber desta possibilidade, que resolve seguir uma estranha criatura que encontra no local secreto, um seguir que o leva a um mundo fantástico dominado por uma força negra. Neste mundo tem faculdades diferentes dos restantes, dado ter origem na nossa realidade – neste mundo poderá fazer a diferença se conseguir enfrentar a sua maior fobia, o fogo!

Mais voltado para um público juvenil, o que mais surpreende The Wormworld Saga é o visual, com belíssimas páginas centradas nas aventuras na floresta, onde se mostram estranhas mas fantásticas criaturas. Jonas encontra uma amiga na floresta que sabe como evitar a maioria dos monstros e que lhe dá a conhecer as limitações do mundo em que se encontra.

Alternando páginas de poucas falas (onde se destaca o ambiente) com episódios de maior acção (seja por fugir aos monstros, seja porque está implícito que os restantes humanos se podem tornar perigosos) estes dois volume de The Wormworld Saga destacam-se pelo visual cuidado e pela qualidade da edição. O resultado são páginas graficamente envolventes numa história onde se denota a necessidade de escapar dos eventos reais.

Este livro foi adaptado para jogo de tabuleiro, A Floresta Misteriosa. Este jogo está a ser lançado em Portugal este mês pela MEBO e será o jogo de tabuleiro escolhido para o próximo Sábado.

[Mladoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un second tome passionnant où Jonas est accueilli à Ankal Aasha, un somptueux refuge spirituel dirigé par le guide Janaka. Le lecteur en découvre plus sur les divinités de ce monde et sur son histoire mythique. Et la prophétie...
J'ai adoré une fois encore les couleurs et les paysages qui jalonnent cette histoire, grandioses. On a envie de rester des heures à contempler les planches du firmanent des mondes lointains, la demeure de Janaka et ses mandalas de couleur.
La cérémonie et le périple le long du fleuve lancent vraiment l'aventure.
Les inventions et références mythologiques sont vraiment intéressantes, même s'il faut vraiment se concentrer pour en mémoriser tous les détails. Devant le sombre dénouement, le public pour cette BD apparaît de plus en plus comme adolescent voire adulte, malgré les couleurs vives qui pourraient évoquer une BD jeunesse, voire enfantine. Une lecture vraiment très agréable où l'on savoure chaque planche et où se cache des références de lecture divers et variés.

[Robert Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

In "The Shelter of Hope," Jonas continues his journey with his new friend Rays to find out about his "Destiny." Jonas has a long journey before they reach their destination, but will they get there before something bad happens.

I never read the first book, of the WormWorld Saga but this series is definitely something I am already coming to love and enjoy. I just hope they can accomplish there mission before anything bad happens.

I would recommend this book to kids who or have enjoyed books like, "Narnia and The series of unfortunate events. This is a great new series, everyone needs to have their eyes on.


[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Wormworld Saga Vol. 2: Shelter of Hope' with story and art by Daniel Lieske continues the story of Jonas in the weird world he has found himself in.

Jonas has been found by Raya and she is going to help him get home. They go to her village and speak to a holy man, who tells Jonas he has been chosen to fight against the fire god Unurtha. Jonas is terrified of fire, but also quite small. Maybe too small to take on such a large enemy.

I liked the first volume a bit more, perhaps because there was more introduction to the world and things were newer. This time around, it feels like the exposition takes the forefront, which is probably good to advance the story arc. The digital art style is still lush and really pretty to look at.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Paul Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this book as an eARC from Lion Forge and Diamond Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

The Wormworld Saga is a beautifully drawn comic book series following a young boy exploring a new, fantastical world. This second volume includes the third and fourth chapter as well as the Free Comic Book Day issue. I wish the story arcs in these volumes were more complete stories. This is the second volume of the saga and I still feel like not much has happened. There's a lot of extensive worldbuilding in this volume that feels like info dumping.

The Chosen One trope is used in this story. So far, there hasn't been a fresh take on this trope. I'm hoping the saga shows a new and interesting take as it continues.

I give this second volume a 2.5/5. The art is wonderful, but the story is lacking.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

5 stars!

I can not begin to say exactly how beautiful this book is! The illustrations alone are enough of a reason to purchase an actual physical copy of this. I have to say, I LOVED IT! The story picks up from where book 1 ended and just like the first book this one also did not dissapoint. Raya and Jonas are once again, setting off on an adventure, quest, together while Jonas must learn to believe in himself and be the boy that others seem him as. A coming of age story that is a must to read. Highly recommended for all ages, not just middle grade readers, but anybody who lacks the ability to have faith in themselves.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second time round, I found all my doubts about the series compounded. The look remains wonderful, the situation reasonable – even if it is a bit too much hippie-dippy Indian mystical fantasy for my taste. But the problem remains that this is another light-on-drama, heavy-on-exposition, episode, where the padding really shows much more than the springs. This is a mattress of immense size, by the look of it, and I don't fancy having to see just how big it actually will end up. It's a comfy mattress, but boy – few will be the people actually around to witness the end of it, at this rate. Then the prologue here, and the copious design sketches and behind-the-scenes pages show there may be a whole bed showroom to get through.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the second volume of Wormworld isn't nearly as special as the first. Oh, we still get the absolutely gorgeous art depicting a well defined and interesting world. But even moreso than in the first book, nothing happens here. I mean, we're two books in and this point we've gotten to "a boy goes on a journey". Oh, there's some infodumped prophecy, and an indication that our boy is on a major quest, but that's all pretty darned standard. We don't even get much characterization of anyone in this book, other than a revelation of some pyrophobia.

The only thing that saves the book is a "prequel" at the end that reveals a history and thus a larger story.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im Vergleich zu Band 1 ein wenig zu kurz für meinen Geschmack.
Immernoch wunderschön gezeichnet - die Story wird allerdings auch nicht sehr viel weiter voran getragen, außer das uns ein wenig über die Götterwelt des Landes erklärt wird. Daher ein wenig schade, da ich ein wenig mehr Plot erhofft hatte.
Ich find es besonders schön, dass es am Ende ein kleinen Blick hinter die Kulissen der Weltentstehung etc gibt - ich habs persönlich nicht gelesen x,D aber für Leute, die den Comic mega toll finden, ist sowas wirklich super. Ich wünschte sowas gäbe es bei viel mehr Comics.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure or why we went down the philosophical road that we did but once again, the artwork is breathtaking! I’m pretty sure children would become bored with the amount of philosophical theory presented here and honestly not much happened in this volume. While beautiful to look at, I’m not sure my interest is there for Volume 3.

[Dine · Rating 4 out of 5]

schöne Geschichte, der vierte und letzte? Band liegt auch schon bereit

[Mompop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read an ARc copy of this title. Beautiful illustrations/color. Hmmm, a bit of Hindu mysticism? and perhaps readers will find similarities to "eye of Sauron"?

[PageGoblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5 🌟

[Eugenie Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations are fantastic....great message to overcome fears to help others...

[Éliane Boulanger-Racine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un magnifique voyage !

[Andre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deutsche Rezension:
Tja, was kann ich dazu sagen? Die Geschichte hat mein Interesse nicht wecken können. Es gibt keine Probleme damit, es war nur halt einfach nicht mein Fall.
Was mein Fall war, und was mich angezogen hat, war die Kunst. Ob man diesen Zeichenstil mag ist eine Sache aber ich denke die meisten würden zustimmen, dass die Farben und die Bilder insgesamt ein echter Augenschmaus sind. Ich zeige unten ein paar Beispiele.

Englisch Review:
Well, what can I say? The story was not able to wake my interest. There were no problems with it, it just wasn't something for me.
What was something for me, and what had drawn me to it, was the art. Whether you like the drawing style is one thing but I think most would agree that the colors and the pictures all in all are a real feast for the yes. Below I will show some examples.

Examples of pictures:

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've followed The Wormworld Saga ever since Daniel Lieske published it as a comic online. The breathtaking art is the main reason why you'd want to read this.

Both volumes 1 and 2 ended just as the story was starting to get really interesting, and that is my only qualm with this comic. At two chapters per book, no matter how arresting the art is, the content leaves something to be desired because the story is so brief.

However, volume 2 made up for it since it includes a bonus chapter showing an earlier generation of children who travel through the painting just like Jonas did; plus, a tiny bit of information about why these magical portal paintings exist in the first place. If that extra little backstory hadn't been there, I was ready to rate this 4 stars instead of 5, so I'm definitely looking forward to more of those!

The end of the book contains behind-the-scenes info on Daniel Lieske's artistic process. It is very detailed and has useful tips for both budding and professional artists.

I received an advance reader's copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

In the last installment, Jonas inadvertently ended up in Wormworld after climbing through a painting. Raya discovered him there. In this new book, she takes him back to her village to meet Janaka Jiiva. Janaka tells Jonas of the how Unurtha, god of fire, was overcome and trapped by the other gods of Wormworld ages ago, but since, one of the bonds has come loose. It has been prophesied that Jiiva, god of XXXX, would send someone to defeat Unurtha, and Janaka believes Jonas is that person. Despite Jonas's reservations, he and Raya travel toward Wormworld Mountain to fulfill this prophecy. At the end of the volume, there is a short story about the origins of Wormworld and other behind-the-scenes information.

I still love how beautiful this world is and that we got to see more of it in the second volume. The plot expanded well on what happened in the first volume. I also really like how Lieske includes information about how he creates the series at the end of each volume; to me, that adds to the depth of the book. I can't wait to see how this series concludes!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd volume of the Wormworld Saga.

Raya and Jonas are on a quest to defeat the fire god, Unurtha and save Wormworld. I loved the atmosphere and the scenery while Raya and Jonas were aboard the transport ship.

I thought the gorgeous illustrations of this fantasy world of Jonas and Raya were beautifully rendered. The sunlight filtering through windows, the lush forests and jungles, and stunning vistas easily transport you to this world. Looking forward to the next volume.

At the end of this book, the author includes detailed notes on how he created his subjects and the concepts he employs in rendering his images. Also included are short and interesting stories behind the drawings in Janaka's mandala.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize I'd read volume 2 already until I was traveling around the website and realized the last few posted chapters are V2! I'm silly. I'm new to this comic book world okay you gotta give me a break people.

Jonas is deep in this new and enchanted world with evil lurking around every corner. He's learned that he's very important to the survival of this great world and he must help it before leaving for home. He's made some great friends also though in this new world that are helping him when needed.

[Freelfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mon article : http://freelfe.blogspot.fr/2015/05/mi...

Le refuge de l’espoir, le second tome, fait 96 pages et nous apportent quelques réponses. J’ai trouvé cette suite à la hauteur de mes attentes. Ne pas oublier qu’il s’agit d’une BD à destination jeunesse. Cependant, l’univers proposé est bien approfondit et saura aussi convaincre les plus grands.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author was a total surprise and I love his drawings and the atmosphere that he is able to create.

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon 3 February 2019.

[Kurage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathtaking graphics!

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

With book two, we get a better understanding of the plot of the series though unfortunately it does fall into the typical 'chosen one questing through strange fantasy world' that we have seen so often. New cities are introduced and more of the world is revealed. But each volume is so short (though correspondingly inexpensive) that I still wish there were more in each volume and a bit higher price. It's just not enough - more like a chapter out of a book rather than a volume.

Story: Jonas is taken to Raya's city - and is told he is part of a prophecy to help fix a broken seal that could release a vengeful god of fire on the world. Jonas just wants to go home but he will have to fix that world first before he can return.

The art is, as always, quite beautiful. It's more the raison d'etre for reading the series than the story itself. In this volume, we have a beautiful sunken city, lanterns on rivers, and plenty of gorgeous forests and jungles to enjoy as Jonas goes on his quest.

Also included in this volume are: a short story of how the magic picture was created as well as several pages where the author/artist discusses his concepts, how he visualizes them, and his computer graphic modeling for several scenes. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.