The Witch Owl Parliament

(Clockwork Curandera, Volume I)
By David Bowles, Raúl the Third, Stacey Robinson, Damian Duffy
Paperback: $18.95

Discover a graphic novel unlike any other–a brilliant steampunk reimagining of Frankenstein set in colonial Mexico.

Front cover for El Parlamento de Lechuzas by David Bowles; Raúl the Third and Stacey Robinson; Damian Duffy
This book is also available in Spanish
El Parlamento de Lechuzas
By David Bowles, Raúl the Third, Stacey Robinson, Damian Duffy

Description

In the Republic of Santander, non-Christian magic is frowned upon, if not outright prohibited. But when Cristina Franco, an apprentice shaman, is killed by witch owls, her brother Enrique cannot let her go. With forbidden alchemy and engineering, Enrique brings her back to life: part human, part machine. Though her very existence is an abomination to Santander’s citizens, Cristina vows to use her new abilities to protect her country from attack.

With help from a handsome skinwalker named Mateo, Cristina and Enrique track down the witch owl coven and uncover a sinister plot to bring Santander under the rule of the Witch Owl Parliament, whose legendary cruelty would dismantle the country’s hard-won freedoms. At the same time, Indigenous folks and immigrants are disappearing from Santander–including Enrique’s beloved, Gaspar. Could the attacks and the disappearances be related? As the witch owls attack more trains and more refugees go missing, the trio must uncover the witch owls’ origins to understand their weakness.

Energetic illustrations by Pura Belpré Award winner Raúl the Third bring to life the words of award-winning author and poet David Bowles. Don’t miss this amazing first volume of the Clockwork Curandera trilogy!

About the Creators

David Bowles

David Bowles is a Mexican American author from south Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. He has written several award-winning titles, most notably The Smoking Mirror and They Call Me Güero. His graphic novels include the Clockwork Curandera trilogy and the Tales of the Feathered Serpent series, based on stories from his critically acclaimed Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky. His work has also been published in multiple anthologies, plus venues such as The New York Times, School Library Journal, Strange Horizons, English Journal, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children's Literature. In 2017, David was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters. He is online at davidbowles.us and on Twitter at @DavidOBowles.

Raúl the Third

Raúl the Third is the two-time Pura Belpré award-winning author/illustrator of Lowriders to the Center of the Earth and Vamos! Let's Go to the Market. His work centers the contemporary Mexican American experience and his memories of growing up in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with artist Elaine Bay and their son Raul El Gonzalez IV. Find him online at raulthethird.com and on Instagram at @raulthethird.info.

Stacey Robinson

Stacey Robinson is an assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Illinois and an Arthur Schomburg Fellow with an MFA from the University at Buffalo. As part of the team "Black Kirby," he works with fellow artist John Jennings to create graphic novels, gallery exhibitions, and lectures that deconstruct the work of comic book legend Jack Kirby into re-imagined Black resistance spaces inspired by hip-hop, religion, the arts, and sciences. Robinson lives in Illinois and can be found on Twitter (@ProfSARobinson) and Instagram (@StaceyARobinson).

Damian Duffy

Damian Duffy is a cartoonist, scholar, writer, curator, lecturer, teacher, and a Glyph Comics, Eisner Comics, and Bram Stoker Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novelist. He holds a MS and PhD in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he teaches courses on computers & culture, and social media & global change. Find him online at damianduffy.net and on Instagram at @DamianD2Duffy.

Awards

  • Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee 2022

    Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

  • Great Graphic Novels for Teens Nominee 2022

    American Library Association (ALA)

  • Locus Awards Finalist

    Locus Publications

  • International Latino Book Award Silver

    Empowering Latino Futures

  • Best Books for Teens

    THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY.

  • MISelf in Books

    Michigan Association of School Librarians

  • Jean Flynn Award for Best Young Adult Book Winner

    Texas Institute of Letters (TIL)

  • Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List

    Texas Library Association (TLA)

  • Whippoorwill Book Award Winner

    Whippoorwill Award Committee

Reviews

  • "Featuring a limited palette with pops of brilliant orange-red and forest green by colorist Stacey Robinson, stylish lettering by Damian Duffy, and Raúl the Third's well-placed panel breakouts and signature kinetic style, each page buzzes with life. . . The siblings' compelling dynamic will leave readers awaiting the next installments."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "With gorgeous, action-packed illustrations and evocative, thought-provoking prose, Clockwork Curandera delivers a must-read, magical adventure!"

    - Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Pura Belpré Author Award Winner
  • "David Bowles and Raúl the Third's dynamic Clockwork Curandera Vol. I: The Witch Owl Parliament is a decolonial breath of fresh air where Indigenous belief systems are centered in a visual otherworldly alternate historical narrative. . . This is an important, impressive kickoff to a series that resurrects notions of good and evil, nature versus the unnatural and unknown, the world of science and the spiritual realm, environmental corporate thievery encroaching upon the elemental."

    - Tony Medina, author of I Am Alfonso Jones
  • "Combine David Bowles's storytelling prowess with Raúl III's earthly yet hauntingly otherworld art and you get an alchemical explosion of mythic magnificence. . . this is Latinx futurism at its most exhilaratingly sublime and imaginatively epic."

    - Frederick Luis Aldama, distinguished university professor & award-winning author of 40+ books, including The Adventures of Chupacabra Charlie and Latinx Superheroes of Mainstream Comics
  • "Clockwork Curandera is a manga feverdream steampunk lovechild born of Promethean nightmares and Mexican legend. IT'S ALIVE and it's a smash!"

    - John Picacio, Hugo Award-Winning Artist
  • "Electric. . . Set in a steampunk-inspired nineteenth-century Mexico, the story draws on Indigenous folklore and other traditions, in a fascinating blend of magic and culture."

    - Booklist
  • "This visually stunning graphic novel delivers on all fronts."

    - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
  • "A fast-paced genre mashup sure to find a cult following."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Leaves readers with much to ponder, setting up a historical and magical steampunk world that can only grow from here. For teens who enjoy intellectually stimulating, action-packed tales."

    - School Library Journal

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620145920
  • Publication Date Oct 19, 2021
  • Trim Size 9.5 × 7.25 in
  • Weight 0.75 lbs
  • Page Count 112
  • Interests

  • Audience Young Adult
  • BISAC Category 1 YAF / Comics & Graphic Novels / Fantasy
  • BISAC Category 2 YAF / People & Places / Mexico
  • BISAC Category 3 YAF / Alternative History
  • Themes Conflict resolution, Coping with Death, Courage, Families, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novel, Heroism, Latinx / Latino / Hispanic, LGBTQIA+, Overcoming Obstacles, Paranormal, Science Fiction / Fantasy, Spanish, STEM / STEAM, Teen Interest, YA interest
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 12 - 18
  • Grade Range Grades 6 - 12
  • Guided Reading Z+
  • Lexile Code HL
  • Lexile Level 370
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