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Wrassle Castle #3
Wrassle Castle Book 3: Put a Lyd On It!
It’s the end! And it’s time for Lydia to step into the ring for a slam-to-the-mat finish … something that she has trained for her entire life. For fans of The Nameless City, Lumberjanes, and She-Ra!
THE FINAL SHOWDOWN IS HERE! IT’S THE CHAMPIONSHIP: FOR FREEDOM (HER BROTHER’S) and GLORY (HER OWN)!
Lydia Riverthane readies herself for the finals of the Wrassle Castle tournament, hoping to win her brother’s freedom and get back his good name. But Lydia and her diverse group of friends, Chelsea, Nyle, and Dee, discover that the plot against the Riverthane family goes deeper than any of them thought. Lydia will have to dig deep and unlock the secrets behind her own wrassling if she wants to have any hope of saving her home and family.
Book 3 of the three-book original graphic novel series.
"A rock 'em sock 'em hum-dandy knock-out of a graphic novel!"
Shannon Watters, Co-Creator of "Lumberjanes"
THE FINAL SHOWDOWN IS HERE! IT’S THE CHAMPIONSHIP: FOR FREEDOM (HER BROTHER’S) and GLORY (HER OWN)!
Lydia Riverthane readies herself for the finals of the Wrassle Castle tournament, hoping to win her brother’s freedom and get back his good name. But Lydia and her diverse group of friends, Chelsea, Nyle, and Dee, discover that the plot against the Riverthane family goes deeper than any of them thought. Lydia will have to dig deep and unlock the secrets behind her own wrassling if she wants to have any hope of saving her home and family.
Book 3 of the three-book original graphic novel series.
"A rock 'em sock 'em hum-dandy knock-out of a graphic novel!"
Shannon Watters, Co-Creator of "Lumberjanes"
- GenresGraphic Novels
96 pages, Paperback
Published September 6, 2022
6 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Paul Tobin
919 books409 followersPaul Tobin is the Eisner-award winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Bandette, Colder, and many other comic books and graphic series.
Bandette, drawn by Colleen Coover, was awarded the Eisner Award for Best Digital Series in 2013, 2016, and 2017; and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award for Graphic Literature in 2016. His original graphic novel I Was the Cat was nominated for an Eisner in 2015.
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat , first in his five-book series of middle-grade books, came out in 2016 from Bloomsbury Kids. It was followed in 2017 by How To Outsmart A billion Robot Bees , and How To Tame A Human Tornado in March 2018.
Bandette, drawn by Colleen Coover, was awarded the Eisner Award for Best Digital Series in 2013, 2016, and 2017; and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award for Graphic Literature in 2016. His original graphic novel I Was the Cat was nominated for an Eisner in 2015.
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat , first in his five-book series of middle-grade books, came out in 2016 from Bloomsbury Kids. It was followed in 2017 by How To Outsmart A billion Robot Bees , and How To Tame A Human Tornado in March 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 1, 2023
For the full review: https://reviewthickandthin.com/2023/0...
Wrassle Castle tells the story of Lydia Riverthane and her passion for Wrassling. Built on themes of friendship, family, patriotism, and sports – the Wrassle Castle series is an absolute recommendation for readers of all age groups.
There are three books in the series, and they fit in the genres of Juvenile Fiction, Comics and Graphic Novels, and Fantasy. The illustrations are beautifully done, and the text fits in perfectly with them. The flow of the story through the illustrations is perfect, and easy for children to understand and grasp.
The story has multiple relatable elements – friends who lie to parents on your behalf, sibling rivalry, while sharing deep respect and love for your sibling, and parent pressure. The series serve as a wonderful foundation to share with children and discuss the various themes elaborated through the story.
An absolute recommendation for comics and graphic novel lovers!!!
Wrassle Castle tells the story of Lydia Riverthane and her passion for Wrassling. Built on themes of friendship, family, patriotism, and sports – the Wrassle Castle series is an absolute recommendation for readers of all age groups.
There are three books in the series, and they fit in the genres of Juvenile Fiction, Comics and Graphic Novels, and Fantasy. The illustrations are beautifully done, and the text fits in perfectly with them. The flow of the story through the illustrations is perfect, and easy for children to understand and grasp.
The story has multiple relatable elements – friends who lie to parents on your behalf, sibling rivalry, while sharing deep respect and love for your sibling, and parent pressure. The series serve as a wonderful foundation to share with children and discuss the various themes elaborated through the story.
An absolute recommendation for comics and graphic novel lovers!!!
November 6, 2022
What Worked For Me:
- There's lot of interesting characters on offer, even if most only appear for a panel or two.
- As with volumes 1&2, "wrasslin'" is basically another way to say "super powers." I don't mind this at all, though, since it's a relatively fresh take.
- The work includes lots of LGBTQ representation, though it is less in the forefront than in volume 1. The main character's older brother is in a relationship with another man and has two adopted children, for example.
- Much of the main cast is treated to a "trading card" style stat block that pops off the page and provides interesting tidbits about the featured character.
- The work evolves beyond a relatively rote coming of age story to include political shenanigans, secret histories, and a world that's bigger and more complex than it initially appears. With that said, Lydia is still very much the focus of the work, so folks hoping to go far beyond her family and circle of friends are likely to be disappointed.
What Didn't:
- The art style was hit-or-miss for me. While it's energetic, it didn't always provide the level of detail or consistency I look for in works that become my favorites.
- I was disappointed that Lydia, the protagonist of the work, never really got a costume more complex than a tank-top and loose pants. Even one-page throwaway characters had better style, which was a real shame.
- For a story that seems well and truly aimed at a YA audience (and is specifically marketed towards readers age 8-12), the work contains a surprising amount of death. Not only that, but it is explicitly called as such, rather than using euphemism or leaving a character's fate to the reader's imagination. In short, the tonal whiplash that bothered me.
- Lydia was portrayed as an unstoppable wrasslin' machine by the third volume, which I had mixed feelings about. On one hand, it was cool to see her grow from an untested newbie to powerful warrior in her own right. On the other hand, it really took the tension out of her wrasslin' scenes, as I had no fear she would be lose a match or be defeated.
- [nit-pick] This is a major spoiler, but .
- [nit-pick] Lydia's romance subplot was fine, and was alluded to over the course of the work. With that being said, Lydia revealed her feelings in a single panel text-dump, which felt like a less-than-ideal capstone to the subplot.
Conclusion:
Wrassle Castle is both a light-hearted coming of age story and a comic that includes espionage, political intrigue, and secret histories. It can also get a little dark at times, considering its target audience (readers age 8-12). While I may be well beyond the recommended age group for this comic, I still found plenty to like. Ultimately, if you want a self-contained superhero-adjacent story with a flair for the dramatic, Wrassle Castle might just be for you.
- There's lot of interesting characters on offer, even if most only appear for a panel or two.
- As with volumes 1&2, "wrasslin'" is basically another way to say "super powers." I don't mind this at all, though, since it's a relatively fresh take.
- The work includes lots of LGBTQ representation, though it is less in the forefront than in volume 1. The main character's older brother is in a relationship with another man and has two adopted children, for example.
- Much of the main cast is treated to a "trading card" style stat block that pops off the page and provides interesting tidbits about the featured character.
- The work evolves beyond a relatively rote coming of age story to include political shenanigans, secret histories, and a world that's bigger and more complex than it initially appears. With that said, Lydia is still very much the focus of the work, so folks hoping to go far beyond her family and circle of friends are likely to be disappointed.
What Didn't:
- The art style was hit-or-miss for me. While it's energetic, it didn't always provide the level of detail or consistency I look for in works that become my favorites.
- I was disappointed that Lydia, the protagonist of the work, never really got a costume more complex than a tank-top and loose pants. Even one-page throwaway characters had better style, which was a real shame.
- For a story that seems well and truly aimed at a YA audience (and is specifically marketed towards readers age 8-12), the work contains a surprising amount of death. Not only that, but it is explicitly called as such, rather than using euphemism or leaving a character's fate to the reader's imagination. In short, the tonal whiplash that bothered me.
- Lydia was portrayed as an unstoppable wrasslin' machine by the third volume, which I had mixed feelings about. On one hand, it was cool to see her grow from an untested newbie to powerful warrior in her own right. On the other hand, it really took the tension out of her wrasslin' scenes, as I had no fear she would be lose a match or be defeated.
- [nit-pick] This is a major spoiler, but .
- [nit-pick] Lydia's romance subplot was fine, and was alluded to over the course of the work. With that being said, Lydia revealed her feelings in a single panel text-dump, which felt like a less-than-ideal capstone to the subplot.
Conclusion:
Wrassle Castle is both a light-hearted coming of age story and a comic that includes espionage, political intrigue, and secret histories. It can also get a little dark at times, considering its target audience (readers age 8-12). While I may be well beyond the recommended age group for this comic, I still found plenty to like. Ultimately, if you want a self-contained superhero-adjacent story with a flair for the dramatic, Wrassle Castle might just be for you.
August 18, 2022
Lydia faces off with her newest competitor in the last round of the competition. She has been training for this moment her entire life. As Lydia prepares for her final battle for her brother's freedom, she realizes that someone is plotting against her family and that everyone she knows might be in danger.
This was final book in the series and I thought this book was the best one out of the series. The book did have some fluffy parts and used the word "wrassle" a lot but, compared to the other two books, it tapered out with this one. The book did have a tied up ending but, the author did leave it up for additional story lines. Overall, it was a fun and unique story.
This was final book in the series and I thought this book was the best one out of the series. The book did have some fluffy parts and used the word "wrassle" a lot but, compared to the other two books, it tapered out with this one. The book did have a tied up ending but, the author did leave it up for additional story lines. Overall, it was a fun and unique story.
June 28, 2023
I started the last book with hope for a satisfying conclusion for Lydia, her friends and her brother. Got all of that, along with a deepening mystery and some great wrestling moves.
The title says it all. Good clean fun.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
The title says it all. Good clean fun.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
December 22, 2022
Great conclusion, lots of fun wrassling moves.
January 7, 2025
A very satisfying ending to a strange trilogy of fantasy wrestling.
February 8, 2025
Eh, it was a cute kids series.
September 17, 2022
I was lucky enough to receive all three of these graphic novel and I really enjoyed reading them. I enjoyed watching Lydia trying to win her brothers freedom to her and her friends trying to save her home and family. I think these are perfect for kids anywhere from 10 and up. This is the last book of this series. It can be read as a standalone but I would recommend reading all three of them
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews