Review by Frank Plowright
In Alpi’s world spirits walk the Earth spreading goodness, but when they die, they become corrupt and unless rapidly dealt with can blacken the surrounding land. That’s why Soul Senders are necessary, able to temporarily absorb the corruption via ritual and ensure the spirit passes on to its final rest. Those with the capabilities to be Soul Senders are relatively rare, and greatly necessary, which accounts for Alpi numbering among them despite her young age.
This follows the format of Vol. 1 by featuring five stories, but this time with a greater connection between them. The opener features a new challenge for Alpi as the dead spirit is floating in the sky, leading to the arrival of a more experienced Soul Sender, Sersela, who doesn’t hold back her criticisms of Alpi’sHi, Frank Plowright technique undermining her self-confidence. It’s a brutal sequence from creator Rona, yet also couching the message in a way that makes sense.
Sersela is a great creation for being insufferable. She’s not necessarily wrong, but is true to life in the way of a smug, manipulative work colleague, and also has a role in the plot of Alpi’s desire to reconnect with her parents.
Inbuilt from the beginning was Alpi featuring fully detailed art rather than concentrating primarily on figures and expressions. It’s the work intensive option, but makes Alpi stand out. Yes, you’ll want to rush to the end as the story captivates, but you’ll also want to take in the surroundings, especially in the final two chapters. The variety of the spirits seen so far also impresses. They’re complex designs, creations vaguely resembling familiar forms of life, but on balance otherworldly.
Rona brings all threads together in a thrilling final chapter where Alpi is well beyond her comfort zone, yet in true heroic fashion steps forward to meet the threat anyway. The volume ends on a cliffhanger leading into Vol. 3 leaving us wondering if Alpi’s about to bite off more than she can chew. Vol. 1 was promising, but Vol. 2 is impressive.
