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Verse Book 1

The Broken Half

Book #1 of Verse
Illustrated by Sam Beck
Published by Wonderbound
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

Nimona meets Wynd in VERSE Book 1: The Broken Half, where magic and mystery changes the world in a flash!

EVERYONE KNOWS MAGIC DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE, UNTIL MAGIC CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Fife is your typical apprentice blacksmith and he knows one thing for certain. Magic doesn’t exist anymore. Sure, there’s the Verse, but that’s not the same thing at all. Then he meets Neitya, who isn’t your typical girl, and everything he knows changes in a flash of…well…magic.

Fife's plans to become an expert swordsmith are interrupted when he meets Neitya, an extraordinary girl unlike any he's ever met before...primarily because of her horns and amnesia. Worryingly, she seems akin to the monstrous Vel who roam the countryside. but when Fife is attacked by the Vel, Neitya saves him by using a skill thought to be forever lost to everyone: Magic. Fife and Neitya decide to journey together, seeking the guidance they need to unravel the mystery of her origin.

Read the entire VERSE saga!

Verse Book 1: The Broken Half

Verse Book 2: The Second Gate

Verse Book 3: The Song

For fans and readers of Snapdragon (Kat Leyh); The Witch Boy, The Hidden Witch, The Midwinter Witch (Molly Knox Ostertang); Mooncakes (Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu); The Prince and the Dressmaker (Jen Wang), The Legend of Korra, and the books of Tamora Pierce.

“Verse's rich drawings and colours beautifully illustrate a complicated, engaging fantasy world filled with sympathetic characters. I can't wait to learn more about them as their journey continues!" - Faith Erin Hicks

About The Author

Sam Beck is a writer and illustrator living in Toronto. She likes to explore themes of identity and relationships through the lens of fantasy. Sam has done work with Dark Horse, Vault Comics, and BOOM! Studios. When she's not drawing, find her admiring the forests of northern Ontario or playing the ocarina and guitar.

About The Illustrator

Sam Beck is a writer and illustrator living in Toronto. She likes to explore themes of identity and relationships through the lens of fantasy. Sam has done work with Dark Horse, Vault Comics, and BOOM! Studios. When she's not drawing, find her admiring the forests of northern Ontario or playing the ocarina and guitar.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Wonderbound (September 28, 2021)
  • Length: 176 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781638490258
  • Ages: 12 - 18

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Raves and Reviews

“Verse's rich drawings and colours beautifully illustrate a complicated, engaging fantasy world filled with sympathetic characters. I can't wait to learn more about them as their journey continues!"

– Faith Erin Hicks, "The Nameless City" - Comics Creator, Writer, Artist

"An intricately woven tale of magic and mystery, Sam Beck has written and illustrated an unforgettable story."

– Victoria Ying, Illustrator - "Diana Princess of the Amazons," "I Kissed Alice," and more!

"VERSE is an intricately woven story of magic, mystery and unforgettable characters with lushly illustrated worlds. You’ll want more and more."

– Victoria Ying, Illustrator - "Diana Princess of the Amazons," "I Kissed Alice," and more!

"Verse is the sort of book you spend hours pouring over, even after the first read. Every single page is a visual delight – I lingered on every panel and relished every page-turn. Sam expertly crafts a sprawling world full of gripping characters and thrilling stakes that transported me to another dimension– it's the kind of book I would have devoured as a teenager, and certainly still love now."

– Hannah Templer, Artist - "Cosmoknights"

"Verse is the sort of book you spend hours pouring over, even after the first read. Every single page is a visual delight – I lingered on every panel and relished every page-turn. Sam expertly crafts a sprawling world full of gripping characters and thrilling stakes that transported me to another dimension– it's the kind of book I would have devoured as a teenager, and certainly still love now."

– Hannah Templer, Artist - "Cosmoknights"

"Verse is the sort of book you spend hours pouring over, even after the first read. Every single page is a visual delight – I lingered on every panel and relished every page-turn. Sam expertly crafts a sprawling world full of gripping characters and thrilling stakes that transported me to another dimension– it's the kind of book I would have devoured as a teenager, and certainly still love now."

– Hannah Templer, Artist - "Cosmoknights"

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More books from this author: Sam Beck

More books in this series: Verse