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Book Review of Scion Volume 6: Royal Wedding

Scion Volume 6: Royal Wedding
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Book Description:

SCION is the story of Ethan, youngest prince of an ancient empire locked in an uneasy truce with its eastern rivals. In an age in which ritual combat has taken the place of real war, Ethan prepares to mark his passage into manhood by participating in his first tournament. Then an incident occurs which changes his life forever and leads to the first open warfare in generations. Young, headstrong, and somewhat naïve, Ethan embarks on a quest to avenge his brothers death that takes him deep into the heart of the Eastern lands. This is a world where dragons are scientifically engineered creatures with on-board computers, hovercraft are decked out like tall ships, and Lesser Races are bred for toil. Part fantasy, part science fiction, SCION is at its heart a coming of age story, featuring some of the most dynamic artwork of the CrossGen line.

The young, blond, good-hearted Prince Ethan finds himself caught within a war between his family, the Heron Dynasty and the Raven Dynasty (led by malevolent Bron). Simultaneously, Ethan obtains a small island as a free refuge for members of the Lesser Races. Conflicts of attitudes and values are settled by hand-to-hand combat, but this time the outcome feels important, as if these fictional characters embody issues that matter...

After failing to get permission to use the underwater city of Haven as a sanctuary for Lesser Race refugees, Raven Princess Ashleigh and Heron Prince Ethan conquer Tournament Isle, the only available land not part of the two warring kingdoms. However, trouble is on the horizon as the Raven and Heron fleets converge. Ethan uses his power to separate them, but the effort leaves him exhausted, and Ashleigh's wicked brother Bron forces a confrontation. The chance to end things conclusively slips away from Ethan due to the intercession of Mai Shen, the mysterious woman who gave Bron his power. Most of the developments in this fourth entry in the series are emotional. Ethan's close relationship with Ashleigh drives a wedge between him and his family. He also realizes that his decision to help the Lesser Races has great consequences. The responsibilities of founding a nation land on his shoulders and test his idealism.