Curse of the Chosen Vol 1 : A Matter of Life and Death & A Game Without Rules

As the great chief matriarch lay dying, she gave one final decree: Upon her death there would be a contest. Having no heir of her own blood she called on the Gods. Let fate decide the one truly worthy to rule in her place. The rich, the strong, the wise, the powerful; many put forward their names in hope of being chosen. But when the night came... only fifty souls alone were chosen. Join our cast of characters in a spell-binding journey of betrayal, magic and tragedy as they battle their way through a series of tasks set by a sorceress of unimaginable power, all with the purpose of discovering who will be the next ruler. As our protagonist, Io, fights for her life and faces horrifying consequences, will her fellow chosen souls band together to defeat evil, or is it every soul for themselves?

Reprinting Alexis Deacon''s Geis Vol. I: A Matter of Life and Death and Geis Vol. 2: A Game Without Rules in a brand-new format with a stunning new cover.

"Fans of high fantasy, especially those who have read the adventures of a certain boy wizard and now want something with more teeth to it, will enjoy this book."
—STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

“Tangled forests, deserts, bat-filled caverns, rivers, and medieval towns are rendered in loose brushwork with clumps of gorgeous detail, a meeting of Maurice Sendak and Pieter Bruegel.”
—Publisher’s Weekly


“Readers will give themselves over to the dreamlike, immersive narrative.”
—Kirkus Reviews


“Utterly fascinating.”
—Youth Services Book Reviews

“Gorgeously drawn and full of characters to root for—and against.
—Slate, Slate''s 10 Favorite Comics of 2016

“An engrossing fantasy tale that manages the neat trick of seeming both familiar and fresh.”
—The AV Club

“This first volume in an anticipated trilogy is a lightning paced, tragic, and gripping start; readers will eagerly await the next outing.”
—STARRED REVIEW, Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books



"a genuinely exciting fantasy book, with interesting characters and plot...I was turning every page as fast as I could just to see whatever happened next!"
—Comics Vs. The World

"Easily the best thing I’ve read all year without doubt....you will lose all sense of time and place while reading."
—11 O''Clock Comics

“The best thing published this year […] Like Squid Game in a fantasy setting.” —11 O’Clock Comics podcast



After an evil sorceress casts a spell, a community is sent into a tailspin, fighting for survival. Book one of the mind-bending graphic novel series, featuring gripping action, supernatural mystery, and magical fantasy worlds where fifty souls battle in a contest to become the ruler of an island. A stunning fantasy epic unlike any other!