In volume three of this series, Haru Book 3: Fall, our hero Haru must follow one of the last troupes of mythology and the journey of the hero. Haru is a non-binary blue-colored bird (with a younger sibling, a pig best friend, and a ghost robin mother) that has in volumes one (Spring) and two (Summer), traveled and fought the evil of the land, but in three we must take the trip to the Afterlife to be reborn. Joe Latham’s characters continue the journey started in Haru Book 1: Spring, then Haru Book 2: Summer, having learned and grown greatly.
The pacing felt much faster than the other two volumes, but still takes its time with much conversation and narration. Things are intense, edgy (particularly the villain of the story) and yet the action is not “too much” for the right reader. I have seen as young as seven give testimony to the enjoyment of Joe Latham’s trilogy, but I would aim older just to be on the safe side as death and ghosts are a part of things and these elements and others might make it not for the sensitive reader of any age. If your reader likes fantasy, this is a Lord of the Rings meets Odyssey.
The colors are unusual in the illustrations as they are both bright but can be slightly muted. They set a darker tone, but there is usually light on the page to allow it not to be hopeless. One must look at the little things as well as the big ones as there are clues to a side story happening as well. And there were a few bumps for me with the series overall, and a few in volume three, the biggest issue is that it is not due until late October/early November 2025 unless you can locate an online edition like I did. But at least that is shorter than the wait I had from volume one in March 2024 to this one. 