JAN073854
(W) Mishio Fukazawa (A/CA) Takao Otokita
Duan's adventures continue in volume 2! Duan and Olba are on their way to Ruka Island, where the dragon's treasure is allegedly hidden. But when their ship is suddenly attacked by a pack of monsters, the journey to Ruka Island suddenly goes way off course!
Key Selling Points:
A launch title for TOKYOPOP's Pop Fiction line
A thrilling series created for RPG fans that will appeal to fans of ".hack" and "Saiyuki"
An offshoot of the hugely popular Fortune Quest franchise (novels, comics, OVA, a TV series, video games, Tabletop RPG, and more)
Consumer (Girl's Life, Teen) print and online (Xanga.com, GL.com) advertising totaling over 6 million impressions
Online grassroots marketing efforts led by the founder of Teenreads.com, a leading resource for YA booksellers and librarians. It is also the only book website directed expressly at a teens, with 250,000+ book-reading teen visitors per month.
Trade (Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, School Library Journal) print and online advertising campaign
Direct mail campaign to the top 450 independent bookstores through BookSense
Promoted through TOKYOPOP's monthly consumer newsblast (100K subscribers) and in-manga ads (500K per month), as well as through an exclusive website at www.TOKYOPOP.com/popfiction
"If you like RPGs, you ll love this fantasy quest with enchanted forests, assassins, mythological monsters, witches, and a great ragtag team of adventurers." - Kristin Fletcher-Spear
Blurbs:
Duan Surk, accompanied by his tiny winged lizard, Check, finds himself completely lost in the dark and scary Witches' Forest. In the forest the duo find two other companions, Agnis, a very pretty teenage witch and Olba a wise older woman, who is a very skilled fighter. Together the group ventures out on an exciting adventure. By pulling all their powers and talents together the team battles fierce nonhuman creatures as well as magical wizards and sorcerers as they set out on the journey of a lifetime. With a 'Mini-Pocket Monster Encyclopedia' in the back, defining all of the forest's creepy inhabitants as well as recipes, catalog mail order items and character profiles, Witches' Forest is a fun, adventurous, interactive read. Great for girls who enjoy magical adventures, riveting duals, fights and mythical creatures, Witches' Forest is a book that's hard to put down.
- Girl's Life reader
By the end of the first chapter of Witches' Forest, it becomes evident to the reader that Mishio Fukazawa's Adventures of Duan Surk quartet is based on a game " the computer RPG (role-playing game) Fortune Quest, to be exact. This may seem like an odd concept for a book, but it works surprisingly well and fits in with Tokyopop's goal of bringing Asian entertainment to North America. Duan Surk is a sixteen-year-old Level 2 Fighter eager to follow in his big brother's footsteps. Unfortunately, Duan is his sibling's physical opposite and thus is stuck on KP duty while his brother is off fighting who-knows-where. Soon, though, Duan sets out on his own adventure after he returns from collecting wood one morning to find his entire unit has upped and moved without him. Left only with his pet grinia, Duan begins roaming the Witches' Forest trying to find his way out. After passing out from lack of food, he meets Olba October, an older, Level 13 Fighter on a quest to find the treasure of the twin witches, Ogma and Samra, who live in a mansion deep in the heart of the forest. After battling a huge Cyclops marionette, the trio becomes a quintent, as Angis Link - a Level 3 Sorceress who is Duan's age - and her pet snow leopard tag along to the witches' house to get her revenge (the twin witches turned her mother into a bird). Of course, there are many monsters and mishaps along the way and the three Adventurers must learn to work together if they are going to take on Ogma and Samra and live to tell the tale. While the reader won't find stellar writing in Witches' Forest, there is plenty of fun and adventure, with a little humor thrown in as well. Throughout the book, there are plenty of sidebars and even Adventurer cards, explaining the main characters, Adventurer gear, and local delicacies " tidbits common in RPGs. At the end, there is a glossary of the monsters encountered. All of these elements combine with the plot to form a fast-paced fantasy novel that younger teens - especially boys who would rather be playing an RPG - will want to read.
- Bookloons.com
"Written in a wry, lively, upbeat anime style, Witches' Forest is shamelessly fluffy entertainment geared especially for the young video gamer on your gift list. Recommendation to parents: Witches' Forest gets a light PG rating for combat and occasional mild profanity. It's light and easy reading and may even distract your 11-year-old GameBoy addict from Pokemon for a few hours. Worth a try, right? "
- TheHarrow.com
"Psst, Yu-Gi-Oh fans, get your nose out of those cards. I've got a book for you! The moment I opened Witches' Forest and saw the first chapter's title, I knew I would love this book. And that title was "Why Being Lost in the Forest Sucks." And, heck yeah, I loved this book. Like the chapter titles, the story bounces along with a light-hearted, good-natured spunk. It's a spunk that makes for a charming atmosphere and will give you a grin long after you've finished the book. I'm still grinning! Where else can you find a book where the heroes and the villains come off as complete dorkwads? Duan's next adventure will take place in The Two-Headed Wizard (to be released next spring). Hmm...I wonder what else is in store for our boy hero." Grade: A+
- FantasyNovelReview.com
"If you love the supernatural, then Witches' Forest is the book for you! This outwits the movie "Silent Hill". There is a cool sword fight with a Cyclops and find out who falls, the hero or the Cyclops? There are witches that turn puppets into monsters. There is a seasoned assassin, that is disturbed by a horrific sight, in which the creature he is dealing with has a head that is fleshless, exposing a bare white skull with 2 flickering red flames that stand at the eye sockets, a red tongue drooped out from between long yellow fangs and this creature makes a pitiful sound that makes your teeth rattle and your body shake. Witches' Forest is spellbinding, fascinating and irrestible entertainment! "
- JazmaOnline.com
In Shops: Mar 28, 2007
SRP: $10.99
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