In Defense of the Realm

Gr 4—8—The Akkadians of Central Iraq, hungry for new lands to conquer, have set sail for the great cities of Sind, in what is now southern Pakistan. Prince Meluha and his teacher Chandrayaan are out hunting when the invaders launch their assault upon Meluha's city, and so it becomes the prince's responsibility to rally the other Indus Valley cities to stand together against them. There's a treasonous minister, a poison ring, a beautiful princess, ambush, and even a dance number, all drawn in a heroic comic realist style, using glowing, brilliant colors-golds, olives, rich purples. Exotically costumed royals and courtiers are distinguished visually by their headgear, hairstyles, jewelry, and facial hair as well as their features and build, giving readers a fighting chance at keeping all the Rajas straight. The smartly paced story takes an occasional breather so that the travelers have a chance to check out their magnificent surroundings, including the gigantic public baths in Mohenjo Daro and a royal funeral in Harappa. Chandrayaan explains some of the region's impressive administrative accomplishments to his princely student, injecting this fun story with a little educational content. An introduction and brief appendix make clear that while much is known about the Indus Valley civilization, much also remains tantalizingly undeciphered. In Defense of the Realm has all the drama and excitement of a Bollywood action film in graphic-novel form.—Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD