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Above the Timberline
From renowned artist Gregory Manchess comes a lavishly painted novel about the son of a famed polar explorer searching for his stranded father, and a lost city buried under snow in an alternate future.
When it started to snow, it didn’t stop for 1,500 years. The Pole Shift that ancient climatologists talked about finally came, the topography was ripped apart and the weather of the world was changed—forever. Now the Earth is covered in snow, and to unknown depths in some places.
In this world, Wes Singleton leaves the academy in search of his father, the famed explorer Galen Singleton, who was searching for a lost city until Galen’s expedition was cut short after being sabotaged. But Wes believes his father is still alive somewhere above the timberline.
Fully illustrated with over 120 pieces of full-page artwork throughout, Above the Timberline is a stunning and cinematic combination of art and novel.
When it started to snow, it didn’t stop for 1,500 years. The Pole Shift that ancient climatologists talked about finally came, the topography was ripped apart and the weather of the world was changed—forever. Now the Earth is covered in snow, and to unknown depths in some places.
In this world, Wes Singleton leaves the academy in search of his father, the famed explorer Galen Singleton, who was searching for a lost city until Galen’s expedition was cut short after being sabotaged. But Wes believes his father is still alive somewhere above the timberline.
Fully illustrated with over 120 pieces of full-page artwork throughout, Above the Timberline is a stunning and cinematic combination of art and novel.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2017
19 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Manchess
29 books13 followersGregory Manchess is a self-taught artist whose paintings have been seen in such magazines as NEWSWEEK, TIME, ATLANTIC MONTHLY, READER'S DIGEST, and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. He has received gold and silver medals and the coveted Hamilton King Award from the New York Society of Illustrators for NANUK: LORD OF THE ICE by Brian J. Heinz. About GIVING THANKS, he says, "This story is a timeless expression of the love for nature and understanding our place in the realm of life . . . an understanding that children develop so quickly."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
November 20, 2017
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/11/20/...
I’d never read a “painted novel” before, but I think I like it—especially if it means getting to enjoy my stories with such jaw-droppingly stunning artwork. It certainly doesn’t get better than Above the Timberline by Gregory Manchess, a lushly illustrated experience that is truly a feast for the eyes. And if you can somehow tear your eyes away from the artwork long enough to read the text portion of the novel, there’s also an adventurous pulp-inspired tale to go with it too.
Told mostly through journal entries, the story follows a young pilot named Wesley Singleton who leaves the flight academy for the frozen wastes, determined to find his missing father, Galen. We are more than a thousand years into the future, following a cataclysmic pole shift that resulted in the continents tearing themselves apart, and now most of the Earth’s surface is covered in snow. The elder Singleton, a famed explorer and prominent member of the Polaris Geographic Society, was carrying out his lifelong quest to find a legendary lost city said to be buried beneath the ice, when all communication was suddenly lost on his latest expedition. Everyone had already given him up for dead except for Wes, who now has no choice but to turn to a corrupt former friend of his father’s named Braeburn Wilkes in order to get the funds he needs for his solo rescue mission.
But of course, there’s also more to Wes’s motivations than meets the eye. He knows his father is a experienced explorer, with the skills to survive the wastes. Galen also has reason to hide his discoveries from the unscrupulous PGS, and he so has adopted a means of transmitting coded coordinates of his locations that only his family can decipher. His instincts telling him that his father might have found something out on the ice, Wes takes along Galen’s most prized possession—a mysterious piece of old technology called the Arktos Device.
What comes next is an intense adventure through the snowy wilderness as Wes attempts to retrace his father’s steps, using Galen’s notes to guide him. Chronicling his own expedition in his journal, Wes faces his own challenges, from stampeding wooly rhinos and hungry snow cats to vehicle crashes and hostile encounters with the Tukklan people. All the while, Wilkes is also on his tail, suspecting that Wes knows more than he lets on.
Due to the journal format, you can expect the writing to be on the sparser side, comprising meager descriptions, choppy transitions between scenes, as well as other stylistic quirks like line-by-line dialogue without tags. Fortunately for us, every entry is accompanied by detailed artwork, which helps us fill in what the text doesn’t show. By doing this, Manchess manages to presents the full story by supplementing his writing with the cinematic quality of his beautiful paintings, and sometimes vice versa.
But let’s face it; if you pick up this book, it’s going to be for the irresistible visuals. The story itself, while fun, is nothing too special by itself and almost incidental compared to the incredible artwork. Unlike a traditional novel, it’s the paintings that bring the story to life and not the writing, and I found Manchess’s art style particularly well suited to the task. Every piece is rendered in vivid, bold colors creating luscious textures and dramatic shadows, with even the bleakest winter landscapes coming off as vibrant and alive, not to mention how scenes depicting dynamic action looked so realistic that their subjects practically seemed to leap off the page.
At the end of the day, Above the Timberline is a masterpiece no matter how you look at it. The story is decent enough, but the superb visual component is what everyone should be talking about. Without a doubt, it’s Manchess’s majestic, glorious artwork that will make this one stand out and become a treasured possession in any fantasy literature or art lover’s library. I could spend days with this book just marveling at the paintings alone. Highly recommended.
I’d never read a “painted novel” before, but I think I like it—especially if it means getting to enjoy my stories with such jaw-droppingly stunning artwork. It certainly doesn’t get better than Above the Timberline by Gregory Manchess, a lushly illustrated experience that is truly a feast for the eyes. And if you can somehow tear your eyes away from the artwork long enough to read the text portion of the novel, there’s also an adventurous pulp-inspired tale to go with it too.
Told mostly through journal entries, the story follows a young pilot named Wesley Singleton who leaves the flight academy for the frozen wastes, determined to find his missing father, Galen. We are more than a thousand years into the future, following a cataclysmic pole shift that resulted in the continents tearing themselves apart, and now most of the Earth’s surface is covered in snow. The elder Singleton, a famed explorer and prominent member of the Polaris Geographic Society, was carrying out his lifelong quest to find a legendary lost city said to be buried beneath the ice, when all communication was suddenly lost on his latest expedition. Everyone had already given him up for dead except for Wes, who now has no choice but to turn to a corrupt former friend of his father’s named Braeburn Wilkes in order to get the funds he needs for his solo rescue mission.
But of course, there’s also more to Wes’s motivations than meets the eye. He knows his father is a experienced explorer, with the skills to survive the wastes. Galen also has reason to hide his discoveries from the unscrupulous PGS, and he so has adopted a means of transmitting coded coordinates of his locations that only his family can decipher. His instincts telling him that his father might have found something out on the ice, Wes takes along Galen’s most prized possession—a mysterious piece of old technology called the Arktos Device.
What comes next is an intense adventure through the snowy wilderness as Wes attempts to retrace his father’s steps, using Galen’s notes to guide him. Chronicling his own expedition in his journal, Wes faces his own challenges, from stampeding wooly rhinos and hungry snow cats to vehicle crashes and hostile encounters with the Tukklan people. All the while, Wilkes is also on his tail, suspecting that Wes knows more than he lets on.
Due to the journal format, you can expect the writing to be on the sparser side, comprising meager descriptions, choppy transitions between scenes, as well as other stylistic quirks like line-by-line dialogue without tags. Fortunately for us, every entry is accompanied by detailed artwork, which helps us fill in what the text doesn’t show. By doing this, Manchess manages to presents the full story by supplementing his writing with the cinematic quality of his beautiful paintings, and sometimes vice versa.
But let’s face it; if you pick up this book, it’s going to be for the irresistible visuals. The story itself, while fun, is nothing too special by itself and almost incidental compared to the incredible artwork. Unlike a traditional novel, it’s the paintings that bring the story to life and not the writing, and I found Manchess’s art style particularly well suited to the task. Every piece is rendered in vivid, bold colors creating luscious textures and dramatic shadows, with even the bleakest winter landscapes coming off as vibrant and alive, not to mention how scenes depicting dynamic action looked so realistic that their subjects practically seemed to leap off the page.
At the end of the day, Above the Timberline is a masterpiece no matter how you look at it. The story is decent enough, but the superb visual component is what everyone should be talking about. Without a doubt, it’s Manchess’s majestic, glorious artwork that will make this one stand out and become a treasured possession in any fantasy literature or art lover’s library. I could spend days with this book just marveling at the paintings alone. Highly recommended.
December 5, 2017
Thank you so much to Wunderkind PR and Saga Press for providing my free copy - all opinions are my own.
This book is GORGEOUS!! ABOVE THE TIMBERLINE by Gregory Manchess is a STUNNING and cinematic combination of art and novel. Fully illustrated with over 120 pieces of artwork along with a great story - I LOVE IT! I think this would make a perfect gift for the holidays!
Book Blurb:
When it started to snow, it didn’t stop for 1,500 years. The Pole Shift that ancient climatologists talked about finally came, the topography was ripped apart and the weather of the world was changed—forever. Now the Earth is covered in snow, and to unknown depths in some places.
In this world, Wes Singleton leaves the academy in search of his father, the famed explorer Galen Singleton, who was searching for a lost city until Galen’s expedition was cut short after being sabotaged. But Wes believes his father is still alive somewhere above the timberline.
This book is GORGEOUS!! ABOVE THE TIMBERLINE by Gregory Manchess is a STUNNING and cinematic combination of art and novel. Fully illustrated with over 120 pieces of artwork along with a great story - I LOVE IT! I think this would make a perfect gift for the holidays!
Book Blurb:
When it started to snow, it didn’t stop for 1,500 years. The Pole Shift that ancient climatologists talked about finally came, the topography was ripped apart and the weather of the world was changed—forever. Now the Earth is covered in snow, and to unknown depths in some places.
In this world, Wes Singleton leaves the academy in search of his father, the famed explorer Galen Singleton, who was searching for a lost city until Galen’s expedition was cut short after being sabotaged. But Wes believes his father is still alive somewhere above the timberline.
May 7, 2018
I really enjoyed this graphic novel as the full page spreads were beautiful and it tells a great story about a man going into the futuristic Arctic to hunt for his lost father.
The pages are stunning and the polar bears were my favourites. I found it a great adventure, and would give it 4*s
The pages are stunning and the polar bears were my favourites. I found it a great adventure, and would give it 4*s
June 1, 2019
Every so often there comes a book that totally blows me away not only for the fact it was such a fun and enjoyable read but that it was totally unexpected - well Above the Timberline was the latest book to achieve that with me.
I cannot remember where I saw it first - I think it may have been an Amazon recommendation while I was searching for something else. Anyway its cover caught my eye and the unconventional format. However the more I read about the book the more intrigued I became. It was written and illustrated by a high accomplished and gifted artist who decided it seems to turn his hand to writing too.
What you have is very reminiscent of Doug Chiangs Robota - A amazingly illustrated story book. This book is on a par if not more to that.
The story in hindsight is pretty straight forward however the format and the illustrations make it come alive - it feels like I am reading a movie than a story book (if that makes sense) and you can certainly see Mr Machess's experience and abilities shine through.
However what is more you can actually relate to the characters - so rather than it being some sort of star vehicle or personal project you actually have a book that is fun to read. So much so that I would love to see more in this series although I suspect the work put in to it would dictate a more focused output - after all there is at least a single illustration on every page.
Really I cannot praise this book enough I loved it - now I guess I have to settle for something else to read.
I cannot remember where I saw it first - I think it may have been an Amazon recommendation while I was searching for something else. Anyway its cover caught my eye and the unconventional format. However the more I read about the book the more intrigued I became. It was written and illustrated by a high accomplished and gifted artist who decided it seems to turn his hand to writing too.
What you have is very reminiscent of Doug Chiangs Robota - A amazingly illustrated story book. This book is on a par if not more to that.
The story in hindsight is pretty straight forward however the format and the illustrations make it come alive - it feels like I am reading a movie than a story book (if that makes sense) and you can certainly see Mr Machess's experience and abilities shine through.
However what is more you can actually relate to the characters - so rather than it being some sort of star vehicle or personal project you actually have a book that is fun to read. So much so that I would love to see more in this series although I suspect the work put in to it would dictate a more focused output - after all there is at least a single illustration on every page.
Really I cannot praise this book enough I loved it - now I guess I have to settle for something else to read.
February 11, 2018
3/5
Amazing art . One of the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen . The setting was right down my alley : snow , snow and some more snow combined with huge polar bears and some steampunk elements .
Unfortunately the story itself was a bit predictable and the characters one-dimensional; but don’t let that stop you from picking up this novel of you have chance . I would still recommend it nevertheless .
Amazing art . One of the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen . The setting was right down my alley : snow , snow and some more snow combined with huge polar bears and some steampunk elements .
Unfortunately the story itself was a bit predictable and the characters one-dimensional; but don’t let that stop you from picking up this novel of you have chance . I would still recommend it nevertheless .
October 1, 2018
“Ancient knowledge is still--more ancient than knowledge.”
Mediocre short story; marvelous illustrations.
“When nothing is easy, everything is possible.”
Steam punk, so presumably a different world. Given the tectonic and polar shifts, everyone should be dead, not just frozen. Yes the poles may now be at the equator, but the equator--not all of it--cannot be at the poles. Where did Wesley store the fuel for his various machines?
“The quest is worth more than the find.”
Mediocre short story; marvelous illustrations.
“When nothing is easy, everything is possible.”
Steam punk, so presumably a different world. Given the tectonic and polar shifts, everyone should be dead, not just frozen. Yes the poles may now be at the equator, but the equator--not all of it--cannot be at the poles. Where did Wesley store the fuel for his various machines?
“The quest is worth more than the find.”
November 25, 2018
Not a graphic novel ...more A painting book? Huge gorgeous oil paintings of an interesting SFF setting.
Story has some cliches but the art makes this fully worth it. So pretty
Story has some cliches but the art makes this fully worth it. So pretty
March 6, 2018
It was a decent story and a good one considering that this is technically Manchess’s debut novel. Gregory Manchess both wrote and painted the pictures for this book. He is an award-winning painter and freelance illustrator whose paintings have appeared in several magazines, such as the National Geographic and the Atlantic Monthly. He has also done illustrations for several books as well, such as Day of the Kraken by Michael Swanwick
I’m not a big fan of science-fiction novels, so if Manchess’s Above the Timberline hadn’t been described as a painted novel, the story wouldn’t have appealed to me much and I probably wouldn’t have read it. But the paintings got me interested and as I read, I became curious about how the story would end: Would Wesley find his father? And did his father find the lost city? Is there something supernatural going on here?
Apart from the painting’s influence, the story is okay and becomes more interesting as the plot progresses. I was surprised that I got hooked on it because despite the cool airship battle at the beginning, I was a bit bored. I think my interest in the story perked up when Wesley had his first crash soon after starting out on his quest. I thought it was hilarious because he’s too damn cocky. And that’s another thing that surprised me, the story has some funny moments, which helped to make it an entertaining read.
Much of the story is narrated through Wesley’s or his father’s journals, which I didn’t mind, but there were some interactions and mentions that made me question the narration format because I’d wonder if someone would really be able to reproduce certain interactions and dialogues in their journals in their entirety. But that was just me nitpicking again. Overall, I didn’t have any problem with the narration format.
However, there were some awkward moments in the story. I was willing to overlook most of them, but the most annoying one to me was the love interest that developed later. I don’t think it was needed and it was odd that we are able to read the love interest’s journal too. It made me wonder if Wesley gained access to her journal since he’s the main character and the one either reading or writing in a journal up until then. It just made me a little confused about who exactly is reading the journals.
My thoughts…on the art:
Stunning, breathtaking paintings (122 oil paintings total) occupy every page helping to bring alive the frozen post-apocalyptic world Manchess has created in Above the Timberline. Usually when I review comics and graphic novels, I first discuss the story then move on to the art, but I’m unable to do so with this book. It’s the description “painted novel” that captured my interest in it and the beautiful paintings that incited excitement and curiosity in me as I read.
Before reading, I assumed there would be nothing but an expanse of white on all the pages to portray the frozen landscape mentioned in the synopsis. But I was way off there. White is indeed used a lot, but there’s also a variety of blues mixed in to give the impression of ice and browns used for the interior of buildings. We even see a bit of the aurora borealis whose ethereal green glow is complemented by the stark dark blues of thick ice formations out in the frozen wastes that seem to stand in awed admiration of the eerie light.
The story mostly takes place out in the open, frozen wild as our protagonist, Wesley Singleton, searches for his father. However, we get glimpses of buildings in the city where Wesley lived as well as a town (I call it a town) he visited while out in the Waste. I love illustrations of buildings and appreciated the design of the ones Manchess included in this book. My favorites of these is a painting of a building partially covered in ice while airships fly overhead. I believe it is the Singleton residence.
Much as I admire the paintings, I must admit that this isn’t my favorite art style. The figures in the paintings are detailed, but aren’t precise. There’s some fuzziness around the edges of some figures because the brushstrokes are noticeable, but that’s just me nitpicking at things because I prefer when there’s a sense of smoothness in an illustration or painting. I don’t like to see the strokes.
But, for an art style that I typically don’t like, I sure love what Manchess has accomplished in this book, especially with a limited color palette because of the setting. Other paintings I love include the airship battle (it’s pretty cool), the polar bears (they’re cute but totally badass), any and every fight scene, and the large ice formations that are clear and with light reflecting off them when portrayed at day but have a dark blue cast with hints of white at their tips when portrayed at night with the aurora borealis stretching across the sky.
Overall: ★★★☆☆
Maybe even 3.5 stars because the story is good and the paintings are absolutely wonderful. I’m glad I received a copy of this book and that I read it. I love this format and I hope that more painted novels will be published. I think the format will work well for fantasy and sci-fi stories as this one did.
P.S.:
Because of the format and story — full-page paintings and an explorer searching for something that probably doesn’t exist or cannot be found, — I couldn’t help thinking of In Search of Lost Dragons by Elian Black’Mor and Carine-M as I read. (See my review here.) It’s about a journalist documenting his search for dragons.
As posted on Zezee with Books.
I’m not a big fan of science-fiction novels, so if Manchess’s Above the Timberline hadn’t been described as a painted novel, the story wouldn’t have appealed to me much and I probably wouldn’t have read it. But the paintings got me interested and as I read, I became curious about how the story would end: Would Wesley find his father? And did his father find the lost city? Is there something supernatural going on here?
Apart from the painting’s influence, the story is okay and becomes more interesting as the plot progresses. I was surprised that I got hooked on it because despite the cool airship battle at the beginning, I was a bit bored. I think my interest in the story perked up when Wesley had his first crash soon after starting out on his quest. I thought it was hilarious because he’s too damn cocky. And that’s another thing that surprised me, the story has some funny moments, which helped to make it an entertaining read.
Much of the story is narrated through Wesley’s or his father’s journals, which I didn’t mind, but there were some interactions and mentions that made me question the narration format because I’d wonder if someone would really be able to reproduce certain interactions and dialogues in their journals in their entirety. But that was just me nitpicking again. Overall, I didn’t have any problem with the narration format.
However, there were some awkward moments in the story. I was willing to overlook most of them, but the most annoying one to me was the love interest that developed later. I don’t think it was needed and it was odd that we are able to read the love interest’s journal too. It made me wonder if Wesley gained access to her journal since he’s the main character and the one either reading or writing in a journal up until then. It just made me a little confused about who exactly is reading the journals.
My thoughts…on the art:
Stunning, breathtaking paintings (122 oil paintings total) occupy every page helping to bring alive the frozen post-apocalyptic world Manchess has created in Above the Timberline. Usually when I review comics and graphic novels, I first discuss the story then move on to the art, but I’m unable to do so with this book. It’s the description “painted novel” that captured my interest in it and the beautiful paintings that incited excitement and curiosity in me as I read.
Before reading, I assumed there would be nothing but an expanse of white on all the pages to portray the frozen landscape mentioned in the synopsis. But I was way off there. White is indeed used a lot, but there’s also a variety of blues mixed in to give the impression of ice and browns used for the interior of buildings. We even see a bit of the aurora borealis whose ethereal green glow is complemented by the stark dark blues of thick ice formations out in the frozen wastes that seem to stand in awed admiration of the eerie light.
The story mostly takes place out in the open, frozen wild as our protagonist, Wesley Singleton, searches for his father. However, we get glimpses of buildings in the city where Wesley lived as well as a town (I call it a town) he visited while out in the Waste. I love illustrations of buildings and appreciated the design of the ones Manchess included in this book. My favorites of these is a painting of a building partially covered in ice while airships fly overhead. I believe it is the Singleton residence.
Much as I admire the paintings, I must admit that this isn’t my favorite art style. The figures in the paintings are detailed, but aren’t precise. There’s some fuzziness around the edges of some figures because the brushstrokes are noticeable, but that’s just me nitpicking at things because I prefer when there’s a sense of smoothness in an illustration or painting. I don’t like to see the strokes.
But, for an art style that I typically don’t like, I sure love what Manchess has accomplished in this book, especially with a limited color palette because of the setting. Other paintings I love include the airship battle (it’s pretty cool), the polar bears (they’re cute but totally badass), any and every fight scene, and the large ice formations that are clear and with light reflecting off them when portrayed at day but have a dark blue cast with hints of white at their tips when portrayed at night with the aurora borealis stretching across the sky.
Overall: ★★★☆☆
Maybe even 3.5 stars because the story is good and the paintings are absolutely wonderful. I’m glad I received a copy of this book and that I read it. I love this format and I hope that more painted novels will be published. I think the format will work well for fantasy and sci-fi stories as this one did.
P.S.:
Because of the format and story — full-page paintings and an explorer searching for something that probably doesn’t exist or cannot be found, — I couldn’t help thinking of In Search of Lost Dragons by Elian Black’Mor and Carine-M as I read. (See my review here.) It’s about a journalist documenting his search for dragons.
As posted on Zezee with Books.
January 8, 2018
A tale of a young man's quest for his archeologist father in another, polar world.
The clues that this is post-apocalyptic are light, because that it is our world is not that important. What is important that when the father's expedition to find a city is lost, and his message returns, the son can not get help for a rescue operation.
Indeed, he faces both troubles -- burglars beat both his mother and his dog when trying to find something in their house -- and demands -- claims on his father's discoveries for supplies. The adventures after include a test with a sword, many bears, a woman who used to find her way through a maze with string, the Device that the robbers had not found, an avalanche, a tribe living in a harsh land, a father and daughter where the father did not raise her, and more.
The clues that this is post-apocalyptic are light, because that it is our world is not that important. What is important that when the father's expedition to find a city is lost, and his message returns, the son can not get help for a rescue operation.
Indeed, he faces both troubles -- burglars beat both his mother and his dog when trying to find something in their house -- and demands -- claims on his father's discoveries for supplies. The adventures after include a test with a sword, many bears, a woman who used to find her way through a maze with string, the Device that the robbers had not found, an avalanche, a tribe living in a harsh land, a father and daughter where the father did not raise her, and more.
December 8, 2017
Reading this book gave me the same kind of warm fuzzies that the Dinotopia books did. I enjoyed the setting and story and the art is wonderful. I look forward the next one (please).
November 3, 2020
Beautiful paintings make this a incredible read. the story is told as much through the paintings as the words. Very different and enjoyable read. Very recommended
December 30, 2017
If I was only reviewing the story component of this book I'd be like, "Well, it's good but..." but this book is not just about the story. In fact, I'd say that it's not even mostly about the story. It's mostly about the art, and the art is amazing.
This is self-contained but also potentially the beginning of a series and there's no question that I will pick up the second book when it comes out and re-read (or at least re-view) this one several times.
This is self-contained but also potentially the beginning of a series and there's no question that I will pick up the second book when it comes out and re-read (or at least re-view) this one several times.
May 10, 2019
The gorgeous illustrations and arctic future-dieselpunk genre meant that I couldn't give this any less than three stars (again: Arctic. Dieselpunk.).
But the story (more a novella than a novel), while it was a quick read and a fun adventure, just was too reliant on tropes for me. While I can usually overlook this if the story is excellent enough, there were just too many opportunities to break tropes that just ended up heavily reinforcing them.
There were also some points in the narrative that jumped around too much--some bits were reliant on the illustrations to bridge the gap, which made sense, but other jumps just were... jumps, and the illustrations didn't correlate to any unwritten bits.
Also, why the frost was Linea cut from the cover illustration?
But the story (more a novella than a novel), while it was a quick read and a fun adventure, just was too reliant on tropes for me. While I can usually overlook this if the story is excellent enough, there were just too many opportunities to break tropes that just ended up heavily reinforcing them.
There were also some points in the narrative that jumped around too much--some bits were reliant on the illustrations to bridge the gap, which made sense, but other jumps just were... jumps, and the illustrations didn't correlate to any unwritten bits.
Also, why the frost was Linea cut from the cover illustration?
May 17, 2018
Above The Timberline by Gregory Manchess is a unique book, that isn't quite a graphic novel, instead it is a highly illustrated book, a so-called "painted novel". Very reminiscent of the
Dinotopia
book series (minus the dinosaurs but add polar bears) by James Gurney, this large sized book has 240 pages of lush paintings that transport you to another time and place.
Set in the year 3518, a cataclysmic event approximately 1500 years ago (that just happens to match our current date!) caused the Earth's mantle to spin faster than it's crust, resulting in huge tectonic shifts. Continents broke away and collided with others destroying cities and plunging them underground, with the original equator thrown towards the poles, and the poles at the new equator. Society was disrupted and much technology was lost as a new extreme ice age descended upon everyone. Now the current population seems to be in the early 20th century with British overtones, but bits and pieces of past mechanization such as airships remain so the entire setting has a steam punk vibe.
Polar bears as pack animals and allies
The premise of this alternate future has the son of a missing famed explorer searching for his father who had been seeking a lost city under the snow. We have past journal entries from the father, Galen, that provide clues for Wes to follow. Soon into his journey through the Phantom Waste he meets up with some nomads and it just so happens that a lovely young woman of the tribe, Linea, helps him escape. Her knowledge of the terrain is invaluable as they work together to find Wes's father, ahead of a former friend now turned villain who wants the glory for himself.
Rhinos had to adapt and now have furry coats!
The artwork is exquisite. Manchess is known for his art in Newsweek, Time, Atlantic Monthly, and National Geographic and the beauty of his work can not be understated. He vividly creates a believable tundra landscape, and paints his characters, animals and interior backgrounds with precision. Although Manchess has contributed art to other books, this is the first he has authored, and at times the characterizations were thin. However, the narrative is set up for more adventures so I'll definitely check out what further exploits await Wes and Linea!
Set in the year 3518, a cataclysmic event approximately 1500 years ago (that just happens to match our current date!) caused the Earth's mantle to spin faster than it's crust, resulting in huge tectonic shifts. Continents broke away and collided with others destroying cities and plunging them underground, with the original equator thrown towards the poles, and the poles at the new equator. Society was disrupted and much technology was lost as a new extreme ice age descended upon everyone. Now the current population seems to be in the early 20th century with British overtones, but bits and pieces of past mechanization such as airships remain so the entire setting has a steam punk vibe.
Polar bears as pack animals and alliesThe premise of this alternate future has the son of a missing famed explorer searching for his father who had been seeking a lost city under the snow. We have past journal entries from the father, Galen, that provide clues for Wes to follow. Soon into his journey through the Phantom Waste he meets up with some nomads and it just so happens that a lovely young woman of the tribe, Linea, helps him escape. Her knowledge of the terrain is invaluable as they work together to find Wes's father, ahead of a former friend now turned villain who wants the glory for himself.
Rhinos had to adapt and now have furry coats!The artwork is exquisite. Manchess is known for his art in Newsweek, Time, Atlantic Monthly, and National Geographic and the beauty of his work can not be understated. He vividly creates a believable tundra landscape, and paints his characters, animals and interior backgrounds with precision. Although Manchess has contributed art to other books, this is the first he has authored, and at times the characterizations were thin. However, the narrative is set up for more adventures so I'll definitely check out what further exploits await Wes and Linea!
May 16, 2018
Above the Timberline is a science-fiction, alternate reality novel, written and illustrated by Gregory Manchess. It follows Wes Singleton, a 17 year old boy who goes on a quest to retrieve his father, Galen Singleton, an archaeologist for the PGS who disappeared on his latest adventure, trying to find a fabled City in the Clouds in what is now the remains of North America.
This is a beautiful book; the illustrations are gorgeous, detailed and absolutely necessary to tell this story. Manchess has a very Leyendecker, old-timely illustration style common in the 20's, 30's and 40's, which works perfectly for the time period of this novel. It reminded me of the illustrated version of Around the World in Eighty Days, and since both are set in roughly the same time frame, it was a joy to read. It helps that the format of the book works perfectly to set the vastness of the snow covered landscapes and mountains; the page where Wes gets to the Barrier (or the wall from ASoIaF) was one of my favorite in the book.
The story itself is a pretty straight forward treasure hunt; Wes is committed to finding his father, even though they have a strained relationship. He suffers many setbacks, meets a nomadic tribe, the requisite temple in the mountains and the of course necessary love interest. However what made the book interesting for me was the setting and the dual perspective between Wes and Galen's journals.
The setting is beautiful and fascinating; it takes place on this post apocalyptic Earth where shifts in tectonic plates have ushered into a new Ice Age, and entire civilizations were lost to the snow. At first I thought the city Galen was looking for would New York, since he's searching in North America. If we get a sequel, that's the part I'm most interested in; how this new society functions and where locationally is it set vs our current landscape.
Every character here is an archetype; Galen is no different, the single-minded, obsessed archaeologist who needs to find the City to prove to himself and everyone around him (especially the PSG) that he was right. His obsession drives him to be a terrible father and husband, and while I do like that he came to a realization late in life that he was wrong, and Wes did confront him, I didn't really like that he was still justified in his search for the City in the end.
Linea is the love interest, and as far as generic love interests go, she was fine. I didn't like that she was basically Pocahontas in this, but at least she didn't need to be rescued and the romance was at best a mild subplot.
The villains were all archetypes as well and I didn't much care for any of them personally. I feel like the fight between Sol and Tau should have been explored more since that was the most interesting part, but they were all still pretty bland.
Wesley reminded me of a more competent, daddy instead of grandpa issue Milo Thatch. He is feisty, angry, whiny and can be kind of annoying, but I still loved him. I didn't understand why he was acting the way he was in the middle of this book, especially in the Temple, because I don't think we ever really found out what caused his crisis of faith. He seemed pretty determined to find his father and then suddenly he wasn't and wanted to go home. Ok?
I had a blast reading this book, even if the plot is rather worn and the characters are types we've seen before. The art, the setting and the thrill of adventure are what makes this book for me, and I would love to see what else Manchess comes out with.
This is a beautiful book; the illustrations are gorgeous, detailed and absolutely necessary to tell this story. Manchess has a very Leyendecker, old-timely illustration style common in the 20's, 30's and 40's, which works perfectly for the time period of this novel. It reminded me of the illustrated version of Around the World in Eighty Days, and since both are set in roughly the same time frame, it was a joy to read. It helps that the format of the book works perfectly to set the vastness of the snow covered landscapes and mountains; the page where Wes gets to the Barrier (or the wall from ASoIaF) was one of my favorite in the book.
The story itself is a pretty straight forward treasure hunt; Wes is committed to finding his father, even though they have a strained relationship. He suffers many setbacks, meets a nomadic tribe, the requisite temple in the mountains and the of course necessary love interest. However what made the book interesting for me was the setting and the dual perspective between Wes and Galen's journals.
The setting is beautiful and fascinating; it takes place on this post apocalyptic Earth where shifts in tectonic plates have ushered into a new Ice Age, and entire civilizations were lost to the snow. At first I thought the city Galen was looking for would New York, since he's searching in North America. If we get a sequel, that's the part I'm most interested in; how this new society functions and where locationally is it set vs our current landscape.
Every character here is an archetype; Galen is no different, the single-minded, obsessed archaeologist who needs to find the City to prove to himself and everyone around him (especially the PSG) that he was right. His obsession drives him to be a terrible father and husband, and while I do like that he came to a realization late in life that he was wrong, and Wes did confront him, I didn't really like that he was still justified in his search for the City in the end.
Linea is the love interest, and as far as generic love interests go, she was fine. I didn't like that she was basically Pocahontas in this, but at least she didn't need to be rescued and the romance was at best a mild subplot.
The villains were all archetypes as well and I didn't much care for any of them personally. I feel like the fight between Sol and Tau should have been explored more since that was the most interesting part, but they were all still pretty bland.
Wesley reminded me of a more competent, daddy instead of grandpa issue Milo Thatch. He is feisty, angry, whiny and can be kind of annoying, but I still loved him. I didn't understand why he was acting the way he was in the middle of this book, especially in the Temple, because I don't think we ever really found out what caused his crisis of faith. He seemed pretty determined to find his father and then suddenly he wasn't and wanted to go home. Ok?
I had a blast reading this book, even if the plot is rather worn and the characters are types we've seen before. The art, the setting and the thrill of adventure are what makes this book for me, and I would love to see what else Manchess comes out with.
November 11, 2017
Received in exchange for a honest review.
Gregory Manchess as an artist is amazing. The illustrations are so detailed and just gorgeous. The artwork alone tells a story and sometimes that is a wonderful thing. It is here because it helps to enhance the tale that is being written about. It puts the words in visual and more. I can say I don’t think this would translate to looking at it on a e-reader that well unless it is one like the fire or the nooks that are color because I believe the illustrations and story from them will be lost.
The story itself is interesting. I think some of the detail is not in the words only because we get the illustration and that takes a large portion of the page. To me though it didn’t hurt the story being told. I felt more into the use of my imagination for what wasn’t told but what was seen on the pages. It allowed me to create my own thoughts on the gaps in detail most stories have.
The premise of this story is a young man’s father, Galen, is a explorer and he goes missing. This young man,Wesley, goes after his dad and gets caught in the crossfire of a society’s and another man’s greed and desire to one up the man’s father. It is a dangerous trek into a very cold world he goes. Wes is confronted with things he didn’t expect but also is intrigued by the culture of some.We have animals that seem more cognitive, a prophecy sort of and a group of people that are intriguing who test the young man and help him see more into who he is and where he belongs. Wes is also in danger that he didn’t expect or count on but sees more and more as he reads his father’s journal and discovers more.
It takes place in the future and we see that not all is as it appears. On his journey he finds himself and learns more about his father and exploration. He finds love to but not sure where that will go. What Wes finds more is a way to confront his anger to his father’s constant absence in his childhood and a way to forgive it and go on. He learns more about himself and his father as well.
It is a good intriguing fast paced story that deals with past thoughts from a journal that helps the man find his way and the young man himself which gives insight as to what is happening in the moment. Again the story does lack some details that I believe is due to the illustrations but you do get to use your imagination and help fill in the gaps.The story is one that you can get lost in especially because of the absolutely gorgeous illustrations that we are given.
Gregory Manchess as an artist is amazing. The illustrations are so detailed and just gorgeous. The artwork alone tells a story and sometimes that is a wonderful thing. It is here because it helps to enhance the tale that is being written about. It puts the words in visual and more. I can say I don’t think this would translate to looking at it on a e-reader that well unless it is one like the fire or the nooks that are color because I believe the illustrations and story from them will be lost.
The story itself is interesting. I think some of the detail is not in the words only because we get the illustration and that takes a large portion of the page. To me though it didn’t hurt the story being told. I felt more into the use of my imagination for what wasn’t told but what was seen on the pages. It allowed me to create my own thoughts on the gaps in detail most stories have.
The premise of this story is a young man’s father, Galen, is a explorer and he goes missing. This young man,Wesley, goes after his dad and gets caught in the crossfire of a society’s and another man’s greed and desire to one up the man’s father. It is a dangerous trek into a very cold world he goes. Wes is confronted with things he didn’t expect but also is intrigued by the culture of some.We have animals that seem more cognitive, a prophecy sort of and a group of people that are intriguing who test the young man and help him see more into who he is and where he belongs. Wes is also in danger that he didn’t expect or count on but sees more and more as he reads his father’s journal and discovers more.
It takes place in the future and we see that not all is as it appears. On his journey he finds himself and learns more about his father and exploration. He finds love to but not sure where that will go. What Wes finds more is a way to confront his anger to his father’s constant absence in his childhood and a way to forgive it and go on. He learns more about himself and his father as well.
It is a good intriguing fast paced story that deals with past thoughts from a journal that helps the man find his way and the young man himself which gives insight as to what is happening in the moment. Again the story does lack some details that I believe is due to the illustrations but you do get to use your imagination and help fill in the gaps.The story is one that you can get lost in especially because of the absolutely gorgeous illustrations that we are given.
November 5, 2018
This is a story about a young man going into the arctic wastes to try to find his father, who has gone missing while searching for a mythical city. Our focus is on Wesley, who is angry at his father for abandoning the family while also wanting to prove himself. The story moves from the city he lives in and through the arctic wastes, brilliantly illustrated by the author.
The book plays a balancing act between Wesley's emotional journey and his physical one. I have to admit I was much more drawn to the physical world; it's set in a future where environmental calamity has left most of the world covered in ice and people scrambling to find old cities and old technology to help them survive and grow.
It's hard to pin down a genre for this; it's a steampunkish post-apocalyptic future with science fiction and fantasy elements. I can't think of anything like this. :)
The art itself is beautiful! I think the book is worth reading for the art itself. The world is also fascinating and I'd love to see more set in here. I think it only falls short on the characters; but not so short I wouldn't gladly read whatever Manchess does next.
The book plays a balancing act between Wesley's emotional journey and his physical one. I have to admit I was much more drawn to the physical world; it's set in a future where environmental calamity has left most of the world covered in ice and people scrambling to find old cities and old technology to help them survive and grow.
It's hard to pin down a genre for this; it's a steampunkish post-apocalyptic future with science fiction and fantasy elements. I can't think of anything like this. :)
The art itself is beautiful! I think the book is worth reading for the art itself. The world is also fascinating and I'd love to see more set in here. I think it only falls short on the characters; but not so short I wouldn't gladly read whatever Manchess does next.
April 9, 2020
This was a gift to one of my friends from another, and I asked to borrow it because I like the art--and polar bears.
At first glance, it looks as if it might be sort of a WWI/steampunk hybrid, but the story is actually set about 1500 years after present day. It’s a kind of science-fiction, in a world where continental plates have shifted and the climate has drastically changed. The plot is a pretty basic adventure story: a quest for a lost city with setbacks and betrayals, family-centred emotional baggage, fierce and fantastic animals (the polar bears are intelligent and understand sign language), and a bit of cross-cultural romance.
The art is beautiful. It’s worth a read for the art alone.
At first glance, it looks as if it might be sort of a WWI/steampunk hybrid, but the story is actually set about 1500 years after present day. It’s a kind of science-fiction, in a world where continental plates have shifted and the climate has drastically changed. The plot is a pretty basic adventure story: a quest for a lost city with setbacks and betrayals, family-centred emotional baggage, fierce and fantastic animals (the polar bears are intelligent and understand sign language), and a bit of cross-cultural romance.
The art is beautiful. It’s worth a read for the art alone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2021
Illustrations - 5 stars
Story - 4 stars
Set in a far future earth changed by polar reversal leading to a new ice age, a young man sets off on a quest to search for his missing father who was on an expedition to find a lost city.
The art is really beautiful and stunning and the story was pretty good too, if somewhat underdeveloped. It was basically like experiencing an action movie in text and paintings. With a little bit of steampunk, and a little bit of pulp, and of course riding domesticated polar bears. You can't forget that. It was a fun time. It would be great as a movie.
Story - 4 stars
Set in a far future earth changed by polar reversal leading to a new ice age, a young man sets off on a quest to search for his missing father who was on an expedition to find a lost city.
The art is really beautiful and stunning and the story was pretty good too, if somewhat underdeveloped. It was basically like experiencing an action movie in text and paintings. With a little bit of steampunk, and a little bit of pulp, and of course riding domesticated polar bears. You can't forget that. It was a fun time. It would be great as a movie.
September 15, 2018
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this is a worthy story. Describing a son finding his lost father, who is in turn hunting for a fabled lost city, it's mostly journal entries. The entries are terse, but they provide the backbone for the pictures and the plot. Don't skim over these gorgeous illustrations, give them your attention, too. They deserve it.
February 8, 2022
2.5 stars
Above the Timberline is set in a snow-covered, dystopian future where climate change has ravaged and drastically changed the world. The chilly atmosphere made it a fun winter, but the story telling could have been better.
While I liked the concept of the climate-changed, winter world and the adventure to find a lost city, I wasn't expecting the book to be steam punk, a genre I dislike. The world strayed too far to impossible fantasy instead of possible scifi for my preference. While I found the adventure fun, the story-telling was clumsy, and the ending left much unresolved.
My enjoyment of the book was saved by the gorgeous snowy paintings that accompanied the story. However, with the grandiose adventure plot, the sporadic scenes with halting story-telling, the illustrations to accompany it all, this felt like a movie pitch instead of a fleshed out novel.
I was also disappointed that every single character was male except for 1) the romantic interest and 2) the mother. I am over the Madonna-whore complex in fiction: I want fully-fleshed out female characters who are people.
Above the Timberline is set in a snow-covered, dystopian future where climate change has ravaged and drastically changed the world. The chilly atmosphere made it a fun winter, but the story telling could have been better.
While I liked the concept of the climate-changed, winter world and the adventure to find a lost city, I wasn't expecting the book to be steam punk, a genre I dislike. The world strayed too far to impossible fantasy instead of possible scifi for my preference. While I found the adventure fun, the story-telling was clumsy, and the ending left much unresolved.
My enjoyment of the book was saved by the gorgeous snowy paintings that accompanied the story. However, with the grandiose adventure plot, the sporadic scenes with halting story-telling, the illustrations to accompany it all, this felt like a movie pitch instead of a fleshed out novel.
I was also disappointed that every single character was male except for 1) the romantic interest and 2) the mother. I am over the Madonna-whore complex in fiction: I want fully-fleshed out female characters who are people.
August 30, 2025
A steampunk inflected adventure in a snowy wasteland. A young man searching for his lost explorer father. And polar bears!
Gregory Manchess shows that he can do more than illustrate other people's stories. This is a lushly illustrated yarn that harkens back to the adventure tales of the late 19th century.
Gregory Manchess shows that he can do more than illustrate other people's stories. This is a lushly illustrated yarn that harkens back to the adventure tales of the late 19th century.
August 3, 2018
Beautiful artwork!
January 29, 2020
Sublime.
July 15, 2018
The art in this book is amazing, I think I would have enjoyed it even if the story was so-so... but I would have actually enjoyed the story without the pictures as well. The sparse text combined with the art made the story "feel" Polar to me.
After reading the book myself I actually sat down with my four year old daughter and let her make up a story about the pictures. She was completely enthralled and art inspired her to make her own story.
After reading the book myself I actually sat down with my four year old daughter and let her make up a story about the pictures. She was completely enthralled and art inspired her to make her own story.
July 5, 2020
Reading this adventure of the far future, felt as if watching a still motion movie unfold on glossy, luxurious pages... The art is amazing, the story second to it. In a way, it reminds me of Glacial Period
June 26, 2018
Five stars for the art. Oh, what a beautiful book. A painted novel, they call it; 120 full page oil paintings. The characters, animals and backgrounds are stunning.
Three stars for the story. It's... ok. Nothing amazing, a bit difficult to follow in some places, and occasionally things happen because it's time for that thing to happen now in plot structure.
A note on format: it's difficult to read. I don't mean difficult in emotional tone, I mean it's physically awkward. The book is big, wide and heavy, with tiny little typeface that sometimes doesn't contrast strongly enough with the background. I'm sure these are a stylistic choice but it makes it kind of hard.
Find an empty table with a good light, and enjoy this masterpiece of illustration.
Three stars for the story. It's... ok. Nothing amazing, a bit difficult to follow in some places, and occasionally things happen because it's time for that thing to happen now in plot structure.
A note on format: it's difficult to read. I don't mean difficult in emotional tone, I mean it's physically awkward. The book is big, wide and heavy, with tiny little typeface that sometimes doesn't contrast strongly enough with the background. I'm sure these are a stylistic choice but it makes it kind of hard.
Find an empty table with a good light, and enjoy this masterpiece of illustration.
December 21, 2017
A beautiful book (a graphic novel) and a good story. Would really appeal to any fans of Philip Reeve or Philip Pullman. Very original, deserves to be a best seller
January 27, 2020
amazing artwork!
January 18, 2023
Beautifully done! There should be more illustrated novels for adults, this reminds me of how much the artwork contributed to my love of reading when I was younger.
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