The Accursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles: Book 1 (A House Divided)

Review\n"An absolute delight."―Entertainment Weekly\n"A whole lot of charm... The perfect slice of escapism during these trying times."―AIPT\n"Orphan Henrietta Achilles inherits a magical house in this action-packed graphic novel. A war 9 years ago left Henrietta an orphan, so she's surprised when Renault, a gentleman in a top hat, takes her on a carriage ride to the mysterious town of Malrenard. She learns she's the last living relative of an uncle she never met--and he's died and left her an estate with treasure allegedly hidden all over the house. Upon arriving, Henrietta quickly gets pulled into a battle with two groups racing to search for a secret vault hidden inside the house. Cannons boom and swords flash, and dashing blond bandit Nate Flemming and his crew come to Henrietta's rescue. Humor abounds with witty banter, quiche thievery, alienlike creatures riding giant rats, and unexpectedly helpful stone statues that give either directions or riddles. Henrietta's hesitant to share that she's the owner of the estate--and when she's captured by the rival crew, they laugh at her and lock her in a cupboard.
The plot is heavy with setup and brief introductions to numerous characters, laying the foundation for the mysteries of the estate to be revealed in future installments. Pawlitza's breathtaking illustrations of the skyscraper-sized house will delight while darker, claustrophobic scenes provide a nice emotional balance. Renault is black, and the majority of the cast appears to be white. An entertaining adventure."―Kirkus Reviews\nHenrietta Achilles inherits the home of her uncle, a notorious wizard, only to discover it's filled with feuding bands of thieves, soldiers, and monsters that refuse to leave. Now she must unite rivals, fend off supernatural threats, and uncoil many mysteries. A House Divided is a fantasy adventure series with humor and intrigue behind every door.
"Beautifully drawn, great facial expressions, great humor and mystery and fun, all the things you want an adventure fantasy comic to be!" —Kate Beaton
The life of Henrietta Achilles is about to change. After years of living as an orphan, she receives a summons to the strange town of Malrenard. To her surprise, she's the only living relative of Ornun Zol—a notorious wizard, now deceased, who leaves Henrietta with his house and everything in it.
With Ornun Zol gone, escaped creatures and misfired curses have been spilling out into Malrenard. If that's not enough, Henrietta will discover countless squabbling squatters inside her uncle's abode: soldiers, bandits, tiny monsters, and more. Then there's the matter of the strange black cat following Henrietta around . . .
"An absolute delight." —Entertainment Weekly
"This story is full of adventure and is perfect for those that enjoy role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons...a joy to read." —Comicbuzz.com