Nico Bravo and the Trial of Vulcan

Gr 3-6–In this third installment of the “Nico Bravo” series, Vulcan sends Buck, Nico, and Lula to help the unicorn colony in Agaartha. Turns out that’s just cover for something major: Vulcan must stand trial in front of the gods. If Vulcan doesn’t collect and return five ancient artifacts, the gods will strip him of his powers and possessions. Worst of all, Ahriman (god of evil) will take Nico. Meanwhile, Nico’s pretty confident about his own mission, but—“Great Gula’s ghosts!”—further disaster is brewing. Awesome fight sequences, imaginative onomatopoeia, and nonstop hilarity make for a brightly colored, fast-paced saga. The multiple side quests converge in a pretty epic—and off-the-wall—overarching plot that introduces more magical creatures and deities than ever before. Vulcan has brown skin; Nico’s is pale.