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Dam Keeper #2
Un monde sans ténèbres
Beyond the dam lies certain death—this is something every citizen of Sunrise Valley knows well. Yet, when a poisonous black tidal wave carries Pig, Fox, and Hippo over the dam and into the wastelands, they don’t find death. Instead they find bustling cities, each with their own dams. Pig can't help but wonder, who is the mysterious dam keeper behind it all?
But he doesn't have time to unravel this mystery. The wave of deadly black fog will return to Sunrise Valley in four days, and its dam can't withstand another assault. In a stolen truck and with a deranged lizard leading the way, Pig and his friends are in a race against the clock. but can they reach home in time?
But he doesn't have time to unravel this mystery. The wave of deadly black fog will return to Sunrise Valley in four days, and its dam can't withstand another assault. In a stolen truck and with a deranged lizard leading the way, Pig and his friends are in a race against the clock. but can they reach home in time?
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2018
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368 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
September 4, 2018
I loved the first book in this series. The art was stunning and the story had me in it's grip. The mystery was intense. With this second book, the art is beautiful, but it feels less crisp and the story was not as solid. It's good, but this second book let me down. I wonder if this is simply the set-up for the 3rd book. I don't know how many there will be. There is still mystery, but it is not as well sculpted and doesn't hold me as well as the first. Of course, I need to continue this and see where it goes, but I hope the story comes back into focus. I feel a little let down by this one after the stunning debut of the first one.
January 19, 2025
جلد دوم از سه گانه نگهبان سد، نقاشی ها همچنان جذاب و هیجان انگیز بودن، و داستان کمتر جذاب ولی واضحه زمینه چینی شده برای جلد سوم و آخر
March 8, 2019
The second volume of a graphic trilogy based on the authors' Oscar-nominated film. Both of the authors are former Pixar artists who have begun their own multi-media production company, and this is their first graphic novels series, which some say is YA, but I think is really middle level, a pretty simple allegorical tale about a Pig who was trained to be a dam keeper, keeping out the darkness, until he and two other animals go over to the dark side to explore it. As everyone knows, beyond the dam lies certain death, but. . .that doesn’t happen.
And just who is the damn dam keeper?!
The second volume, as is typical, advances the story a bit and sets up volume three, but there wasn’t much that happens in this volume—they went to the dark side and now they need to get back! A lot of traveling. Not that much intrigue, frankly. Cute animals in peril in a dark watercolor Pixar world. But you know? Because I haven’t yet seen the film, I will still probably read the last volume.
And just who is the damn dam keeper?!
The second volume, as is typical, advances the story a bit and sets up volume three, but there wasn’t much that happens in this volume—they went to the dark side and now they need to get back! A lot of traveling. Not that much intrigue, frankly. Cute animals in peril in a dark watercolor Pixar world. But you know? Because I haven’t yet seen the film, I will still probably read the last volume.
November 5, 2017
I still don't have a clue what's going on but it's pretty to look at.
August 13, 2018
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first installment. It's still a beautiful-looking graphic novel with a unique style, dreamy and colourful. But this one felt a little more aimless. I couldn't remember what the three friends were supposed to be doing, and the story didn't really remind us. They're trying to get back home, yes... but I can't really remember why they left in the first place. This book ends with a tantalizing hint of what's to come, but getting to that point felt like slogging through a whole lot of nothing. The mole princess (who's a rhino... I don't get it) and her weird little cult felt juvenile; that whole sequence was just a setup for the next installment in the series, and I could've done without it. Van the lizard is probably my favourite character, but he wasn't used as much as he could've been.
Overall, I was a bit disappointed. I've just come off of reading the first two books in the 5 Worlds series, and their complexity makes this one look weak in comparison. It's a pretty book to look at, and I'm sure when the series is complete it'll fit in nicely with the rest... but, on its own, it just doesn't seem like quite enough.
Overall, I was a bit disappointed. I've just come off of reading the first two books in the 5 Worlds series, and their complexity makes this one look weak in comparison. It's a pretty book to look at, and I'm sure when the series is complete it'll fit in nicely with the rest... but, on its own, it just doesn't seem like quite enough.
October 18, 2018
The first volume didn't do much for me, but it was a quick read, and I had this second volume on hand from the library, so I just went ahead and slammed through it on a walk during a break at work. It was just more of the same: generic young adventurers meet what are supposed to be colorful characters and hit several detours during a quest to return home. The murky coloring may set a tone for this series, but I still find it a hindrance to appreciating the art.
I could almost see checking out the third book if it is the conclusion, but if I never come across it I certainly won't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Maybe it would help to watch the short film this is based on?
I could almost see checking out the third book if it is the conclusion, but if I never come across it I certainly won't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Maybe it would help to watch the short film this is based on?
July 10, 2018
I can't believe that I failed to write an actual blog review for the first entry in this series, because I fell for it hard. Kondo and Tsutsumi have created this beautiful world that is also filled with darkness. It's a world that pits cute, sometimes fuzzy, lovable characters against an entity that is so mysterious that it's terrifying. I never thought I could have as many feelings about a pig as a main character as I do now. It's absoutely wonderful.
Before anything else, I have to commend the illustrations in both these books. They are more of a watercolor style, so everything is gorgeously blended and has a mystical feeling. I fell in love with the art style before, and I fell in love with it all over again this time around. It sets the mood beautifully, especially as this particular volume is very much about the journey these characters are part of. Kondo and Tsutsumi have captured my heart fair and square. I'm all in.
As for the story of The Dam Keeper: World Without Darkness, Pig, Fox, and Hippo ended the last book lost and on a mission to get back home. The huge cliffhanger ending of the last book had me ravenous for more, and so I was more than eager to get started with this installment. Although I had an inkling at the back of my mind that this book would be a little slower than the first, it still set me back for a bit. As I said above, this book is very much about the journey. A lot of traveling, a lot of discovery, and only a little of the intrigue that I loved the first time around. This installment takes patience to get through, although the illustrations definitely help.
I warn you all, there is another massive cliffhanger ending. Be prepared now, and then settle in with me to wait for the next part of the story! Was this installment perfect? Perhaps not, but that doesn't negate the fact that I am utterly in love with this whole story. When Pig, Fox and Hippo are ready to move on to their next adventure, I'll be here waiting.
Before anything else, I have to commend the illustrations in both these books. They are more of a watercolor style, so everything is gorgeously blended and has a mystical feeling. I fell in love with the art style before, and I fell in love with it all over again this time around. It sets the mood beautifully, especially as this particular volume is very much about the journey these characters are part of. Kondo and Tsutsumi have captured my heart fair and square. I'm all in.
As for the story of The Dam Keeper: World Without Darkness, Pig, Fox, and Hippo ended the last book lost and on a mission to get back home. The huge cliffhanger ending of the last book had me ravenous for more, and so I was more than eager to get started with this installment. Although I had an inkling at the back of my mind that this book would be a little slower than the first, it still set me back for a bit. As I said above, this book is very much about the journey. A lot of traveling, a lot of discovery, and only a little of the intrigue that I loved the first time around. This installment takes patience to get through, although the illustrations definitely help.
I warn you all, there is another massive cliffhanger ending. Be prepared now, and then settle in with me to wait for the next part of the story! Was this installment perfect? Perhaps not, but that doesn't negate the fact that I am utterly in love with this whole story. When Pig, Fox and Hippo are ready to move on to their next adventure, I'll be here waiting.
December 29, 2017
Review with pictures and the link to watch the animation here: http://vanillamoonbooks.blogspot.com/...
The Dam Keeper: World Without Darkness is the second book in a graphic novel series for children, something I wish I had researched before requesting an e-book copy to review from NetGalley. I must admit, I was drawn into it by the amazing artwork on the cover - something which can be said about the graphics of the inside of the book as well.
However, that is the only aspect I enjoyed about it. Despite having not read the first volume, I managed to grasp the story from reviews. This book continues the adventures of Pig, Fox and Hippo after they got lost in the mysterious fog, who are trying to get back home. The story is fast-paced, with scenes running one after another with little to no explanations, and you are left to wonder what is happening now. I am not a fan of the characters' names, but must admit it made it easier to remember who is who, since everyone is named after their species.
I learned this was based on a short animated film, and this makes me wonder why I've even bothered to read this confusing graphic novel when the animation might've been a lot more easier to follow.
The story will definitely continue in a follow-up volume, as this book ends in a cliff-hanger. Not a fan of that either. I guess this could prove to be a lot more enjoyable for a child who needs to be constantly entertained and gets bored easily, since everything happens so fast and there are a lot happening at once.
I really hoped this would prove to be more original than it was - I was disappointed by the superficiality some themes were dealt with, such as sacrificing live beings, pollution, theft, disability (the blind creature).
The Dam Keeper: World Without Darkness is the second book in a graphic novel series for children, something I wish I had researched before requesting an e-book copy to review from NetGalley. I must admit, I was drawn into it by the amazing artwork on the cover - something which can be said about the graphics of the inside of the book as well.
However, that is the only aspect I enjoyed about it. Despite having not read the first volume, I managed to grasp the story from reviews. This book continues the adventures of Pig, Fox and Hippo after they got lost in the mysterious fog, who are trying to get back home. The story is fast-paced, with scenes running one after another with little to no explanations, and you are left to wonder what is happening now. I am not a fan of the characters' names, but must admit it made it easier to remember who is who, since everyone is named after their species.
I learned this was based on a short animated film, and this makes me wonder why I've even bothered to read this confusing graphic novel when the animation might've been a lot more easier to follow.
The story will definitely continue in a follow-up volume, as this book ends in a cliff-hanger. Not a fan of that either. I guess this could prove to be a lot more enjoyable for a child who needs to be constantly entertained and gets bored easily, since everything happens so fast and there are a lot happening at once.
I really hoped this would prove to be more original than it was - I was disappointed by the superficiality some themes were dealt with, such as sacrificing live beings, pollution, theft, disability (the blind creature).
August 6, 2018
Beautifully drawn but incredibly slow. One volume a year, which takes about 15 minutes to read, is not enough to build an engaging story.
July 24, 2022
Beautiful art.
October 24, 2025
Oh poor Pig, you are so young to be dealing with all this grief. Also, I hope Frida's pillow is always hot at night and that she stubs her toe on every corner because she sucks.
January 7, 2020
Secondo volume della trilogia sul piccolo maiale custode della diga eolica che con le sue pale respinge l’oscurità che minaccia la città.
Tra improbabili alleati, minacce inaspettate e sfide da superare, i tre amici - Maiale, Volpe e Hippo - capiranno che esistono altre città con altre dighe costruite da un enigmatico guardiano... forse la chiave di tutti i misteri che stanno affrontando.
Ancora incantevoli i disegni, un po' meno emozionante la storia rispetto al primo volume.
Tra improbabili alleati, minacce inaspettate e sfide da superare, i tre amici - Maiale, Volpe e Hippo - capiranno che esistono altre città con altre dighe costruite da un enigmatico guardiano... forse la chiave di tutti i misteri che stanno affrontando.
Ancora incantevoli i disegni, un po' meno emozionante la storia rispetto al primo volume.
August 6, 2018
Just as beautiful and engaging as the first one.
But the next one isn't coming out until next year ;-; *grabby hands*
But the next one isn't coming out until next year ;-; *grabby hands*
September 25, 2018
World Without Darkness is definitely a middle book. The art is still beautiful, but our characters are travelling at a brisk pace, making it hard to sink into the mystery of the series until the very end. Still a fun adventure, but lacking the dark atmosphere of the first book.
November 7, 2017
The Dam Keeper: World Without Darkness isn't as strong as the first part, but it's still good in its looming darkness. I'm so amazed how well Kondo can pull this off and combines cute animals with such a heavy feeling. You can taste the sadness and peril while reading this and it's plain amazing. Pig, Fox and Hippo are travelling and going through cities just as their own only to notice they have experienced the same fate. The fog is back and our trio has to save Sunrise Valley and everywhere Pig sees these dam keeper markings and the mystery just thickens. The reason why this isn't as strong is mostly because we don't get anything out of our characters here. It's as if they are on the sidelines, which is a bummer, since they surely are the heart. The atmosphere is the same though, and overall this is a good continuation, even if falling somewhat flat.
The art is still great and how it combines candy colors and cute animals to this doomsday feeling and Kondo is a master at that. The comic is slow and suffocating, but still light in a weird way. I love it how this makes me feel, I've never encountered anything like it. I really enjoy this mystery and I hope it will be something awesome, since The Dam Keeper series deserves nothing less. I still give this four stars, since albeit the content is three, everything else is four and the series is awesome and Kondo still has time to make this better (like it was).
The art is still great and how it combines candy colors and cute animals to this doomsday feeling and Kondo is a master at that. The comic is slow and suffocating, but still light in a weird way. I love it how this makes me feel, I've never encountered anything like it. I really enjoy this mystery and I hope it will be something awesome, since The Dam Keeper series deserves nothing less. I still give this four stars, since albeit the content is three, everything else is four and the series is awesome and Kondo still has time to make this better (like it was).
December 31, 2020
(DEC. 2020)
Same thoughts still stand upon a second read. The artwork really is incredible!
(AUG. 2018)
Some of the plot in this volume danced on the edge of unbelievable, but heck, the art is still top-notch and I’m still quite invested in this story. I’m definitely pre-ordering Vol. 3!
Same thoughts still stand upon a second read. The artwork really is incredible!
(AUG. 2018)
Some of the plot in this volume danced on the edge of unbelievable, but heck, the art is still top-notch and I’m still quite invested in this story. I’m definitely pre-ordering Vol. 3!
February 28, 2019
The art is beautiful but I found some of the action a little hard to follow this time. And the repeated hints of Pig’s missing father do create interest, but I expected a little more resolution or clarification of where we’re going than this volume provides.
December 3, 2019
This took us forever to finish- primarily because of other things going on at home. The kids liked it- they think it’s a 4. I still think it’s a bit dark and am not really sure what the point of the story is. I would’ve given it a 2. So, we’re meeting in the middle.
January 31, 2018
We make leaps of progress from book 1 (re-read before starting this one). Again - the stand out of this book is the art. Its soft, its hard, its bright, and its fluid.
September 3, 2018
The Dam Keeper is such an intriguing series and features some of the most appealing, unique art I've seen in a long time. But each individual volume barely stands on its own. Here we have Pig and friends stealing a van with a crazy lizard and booking it across the desert to find the lizard's people. A ghostly dam keeper frequently appears to Pig, reminding the reader that there's a greater mystery here. But since each volume includes a tiny portion of the story, it's safe to say that most readers will have forgotten what that greater mystery is unless they read volume one moments before reading this second volume. I guess I shouldn't complain about how the story is broken up since that might not be an artistic decision, but The Dam Keeper strikes me as a series that really needs to be read in one go.
August 19, 2020
The story in book two went a little off the rails. The author tried to tell too much story with too little space. Either the story needed to be streamlined, or this book should have been expanded into three or so other books rather than one. One review I read described this book as aimless, and I think that is a good description. The art is still top-notch, though, and I hope the story gets back on track for the third book.
December 22, 2018
Oh yes, this is definitely the book you give to the 'Amulet' readers who need something for their to-read pile. In book 2, we get to explore the world along with Pig, Fox, and Hippo. Things get creepy but also there are several surprises that make you wonder where this whole story is going!
July 4, 2019
Pig, Fox, and Hippo find themselves on the other side of the dam of Sunrise Valley, but what they discover challenges everything they were taught about the mysterious and certain death that awaits. As the trio explore the country side they find themselves in an adventure that will test their very survival.
December 30, 2019
This is a pretty simple story but still quite engaging, and I'm curious about the mystery. I read the first two rather quickly - they're not long, and you really want to know what's going on with the fog and Pig's father! The artwork is really beautiful too.
April 15, 2019
I needed a good cry today, I guess. Good gracious.
April 6, 2021
I don't like the hippo
July 8, 2021
Gorgeous art with a steampunk-flavored fairy tale. Very fun!
May 7, 2024
I do love the "everything I thought I knew and based my whole life on is a lie" plotline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews