Title: Quid Pro Crow
By: Bill Slavin
Published: 2024 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
Quid Pro Crow is the second book in a planned trilogy that began with Secrets of Jarrow. If the first volume introduced readers to an intriguing post-collapse mystery world, this sequel expands that setting in rewarding new directions.
One of the immediate strengths of the series remains Slavin’s artwork. His visual style evokes an earlier era of comics—clean, expressive, and story-driven. Rather than chasing hyper-detail, the art embraces clarity and charm, recalling the kind of comic storytelling that captivated readers decades ago. That classic sensibility gives the book a distinctive warmth and personality.
Where Secrets of Jarrow leaned heavily into mystery, with shades of Sherlock Holmes in its investigative structure, Quid Pro Crow shifts gears into a quest narrative. The result feels broader and more adventurous, carrying the spirit of tabletop fantasy journeys and classic role-playing campaigns. There is a definite Dungeons & Dragons energy in the way the story unfolds through dangerous landscapes, uncertain alliances, and escalating stakes.
Set one hundred years in the future, the story follows Mordecai Crow as he continues searching across a climate-ravaged world for his lost family. Accompanied by his young companion Podd, Crow ventures into hazardous Luddite territory, where the promise of new allies comes hand-in-hand with serious danger. Beyond the physical threats of hostile forces and treacherous terrain, the emotional core of the story lies in the strain placed on Crow and Podd’s friendship.
There is also a subtle nod to classic buddy-adventure films in the relationship between the two leads, adding another layer of familiarity and heart to the narrative.
For readers unfamiliar with Slavin, he was born in Belleville and is already well known for his illustration work on the Stanley’s Party series with Linda Bailey, as well as many beloved children’s books including Drumheller Dinosaur Dance and his own Who Broke the Teapot?!.
With Quid Pro Crow, Slavin proves the world introduced in Jarrow has plenty more to offer. A third volume is already anticipated, but readers may well hope the trilogy becomes something larger. The setting is rich, the characters engaging, and the possibilities feel far from exhausted.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
REVIEW: Quid Pro Crow
By: Bill Slavin
Published: 2024 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
Quid Pro Crow is the second book in a planned trilogy that began with Secrets of Jarrow. If the first volume introduced readers to an intriguing post-collapse mystery world, this sequel expands that setting in rewarding new directions.
One of the immediate strengths of the series remains Slavin’s artwork. His visual style evokes an earlier era of comics—clean, expressive, and story-driven. Rather than chasing hyper-detail, the art embraces clarity and charm, recalling the kind of comic storytelling that captivated readers decades ago. That classic sensibility gives the book a distinctive warmth and personality.
Where Secrets of Jarrow leaned heavily into mystery, with shades of Sherlock Holmes in its investigative structure, Quid Pro Crow shifts gears into a quest narrative. The result feels broader and more adventurous, carrying the spirit of tabletop fantasy journeys and classic role-playing campaigns. There is a definite Dungeons & Dragons energy in the way the story unfolds through dangerous landscapes, uncertain alliances, and escalating stakes.
Set one hundred years in the future, the story follows Mordecai Crow as he continues searching across a climate-ravaged world for his lost family. Accompanied by his young companion Podd, Crow ventures into hazardous Luddite territory, where the promise of new allies comes hand-in-hand with serious danger. Beyond the physical threats of hostile forces and treacherous terrain, the emotional core of the story lies in the strain placed on Crow and Podd’s friendship.
There is also a subtle nod to classic buddy-adventure films in the relationship between the two leads, adding another layer of familiarity and heart to the narrative.
For readers unfamiliar with Slavin, he was born in Belleville and is already well known for his illustration work on the Stanley’s Party series with Linda Bailey, as well as many beloved children’s books including Drumheller Dinosaur Dance and his own Who Broke the Teapot?!.
With Quid Pro Crow, Slavin proves the world introduced in Jarrow has plenty more to offer. A third volume is already anticipated, but readers may well hope the trilogy becomes something larger. The setting is rich, the characters engaging, and the possibilities feel far from exhausted.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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