Amulet is a popular graphic novel series written and illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi. The series follows the adventures of Emily Hayes as she discovers a magical amulet and enters a new fantastical world. The story combines elements of fantasy and adventure, making it appealing to young readers. The series is divided into several books and each book builds on the events of the previous one. In the first book, "The Stonekeeper," Emily and her brother Navin move to an old family home after their father's death. While exploring the house, Emily finds the amulet and unlocks its power.

Mystic Matter: Catching Up with Mansy Abesamis and Wiji Lacsamana

I don’t know how I would have gotten through this covid-19 catastrophe without my fire sign friends, Wiji and Mansy. Over the last three months, we’ve kept each other entertained with gifs, jokes, and the occasional chat about big magic—energy, healing, signs, and the kind of fire that fuels change.

Mystic Matter, the pop-up we cooked up two years ago, hasn’t just made us closer, but I think it’s provided a safe space for us… to be as weird, enchanting, embarrassing, excited about life, and enthralled about possibilities as we wish to be.

These two artists are a huge inspiration to me—I love their passion for their individual pursuits and I’m constantly in awe of how they bring their ideas to life, whether in 2D or 3D forms. If you haven’t met them yet (I highly doubt it though!), Mansy is a potter, crafter, paper cut artist, jewelry designer, and entrepreneur. She’s also an Aries sun like me. Wiji, on the other hand, is mom to insta-famous little kid Rocco, a tattoo artist, illustrator, and author. Wiji is a Leo sun (and I’m a Leo moon!).

Just a few months ago, the three of us had the privilege of gathering together in one of our favorite Poblacion haunts, Commune, with Tricia Gosingtian and my sister-in-law Pierra Labrador, to talk about mystic matters for Tricia’s website and brand, Hinhin.

Tap or click to read through our feature on Hinhin’s The Trove.

In Pierra’s interview for Hinhin’s blog, The Trove, we talked about our dreams for 2020, mindfulness practices, and how we find quiet in our busy lives. Little did we know then that a huge pandemic was going to actually hit us, and blow all our plans up to pieces, right? The piece seemed like a real relic from way, way, waaaay back in the past, but I recently looked back on what we said and felt that it would be fun to go back to our conversation from the start of this year.

So last Monday (June 1), in the middle of all the craziness going on here in the Philippines and all around the world, I called the three of us together for a Zoom call to take a break from the news and real life, and revisit Pierra’s questions from the Hinhin article. It was a chance for us to see each other’s faces and talk, real time, about how life has changed for all of us.

I chat with tattoo artist and illustrator Wiji Lacsamana and potter and crafter Mansy Abesamis about life during quarantine. Wiji, Mansy, and I formed Mystic.

If you care to eavesdrop on our conversation, I’ve put our (clumsily edited) chat up on YouTube. We don’t actually have an official end to this Zoom conversation… because I did not know how to end our chat and much less, end a YouTube video lol. Watch for laughs, if you need some tips on how to find some grounding, and how to find your inner fire these days. (Or watch if you’re our friend and miss hanging out with us… because we miss hanging out with you too!)

If you’d rather skip over and just get the highlights, here are some nuggets I picked up from these dear friends of mine:

• Tumatakbo pa ang mundo pero wala ako nung mga kailangang bagay para sumabay sa race or sa life. (The world keeps on spinning, but I realized I didn’t have everything I needed to be part of this race). —M
• Ano’ng gagawin ko dito sa fire ko—sa ball of fire—nasa akin lang siya? Walang outside world na puwedeng tumanggap sa energy! (What do I do with this fire—this ball of fire—growing in me, when I’m just by myself? There isn’t an ‘outside world’ that I can throw my energy to!) —M
• Leos are fiery but we’re pretty lazy, geographically. I was left with my own thoughts and after the panic and initial shock, I had all this fire in me. I wanted to come up with something that could possibly help. Something for my sanity too. —W
• I’m definitely more prolific now because I really have all the time in the world. I’m trying to change my style—it’s the perfect time to learn other mediums. —W
• I don’t have the constant things in my “creative life.” But when you say creative, puwede rin siya sa kung paano ka mag-isip and in the way you change. (Creativity can be applied to the way you think too, and the way you change). —M
• People online have been so understanding. —M
• I feel I have to wait more than a year before I get back to tattooing, so that’s the little heartbreak I have to tend to right now. —W
• I miss painting all the time and drawing all the time, so that’s where I’ll be spending my energy this year. —W
• The trauma I went through in 2019 prepared me for 2020. —M
• Creativity comes out when you have limits and boundaries. —W

While exploring the house, Emily finds the amulet and unlocks its power. As the stonekeeper, she gains magical abilities and must protect her family from dark forces. In the second book, "The Stonekeeper's Curse," Emily and Navin journey to the city of Cielis to find a cure for their mother, who has been poisoned.

“For us to survive, we have to be a little crazy.” —Mansy

I hope you guys enjoyed listening to our chat and picked up a little bit of inspiration.

This is totally unfamiliar territory to me, but I figured that if this brain fart could allow me to reconnect with some of my smartest, most mystical / magical friends, then why not? :) Here’s to still having the gumption to try new things, to find joy, to use our voices, and to speak as authentically as we can.

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I will never stop lusting after the life this movie presented.

They encounter new allies and face dangerous challenges as they search for the antidote. The third book, "The Cloud Searchers," follows Emily, Navin, and their friends as they navigate the floating city of Cielis and uncover a plot by a group called the Elf King's Shadow. In the fourth book, "The Last Council," Emily attends the Council of Kings to represent the resistance against the Elf King's Shadow. The council proves to be a treacherous place, and Emily must use her wits and powers to navigate political intrigue. In the fifth book, "Prince of the Elves," Emily and her friends return to Alledia and discover an impending war between the elves and humans. They must find a way to prevent the conflict and unite the two factions. The sixth book, "Escape from Lucien," sees Emily and her friends trapped in the city of Lucien, under the control of the Elf King's Shadow. They must find a way to escape and continue their mission to defeat the enemy. The seventh book, "Firelight," takes Emily and her friends into the heart of the Elf King's Shadow's lair as they search for a way to save Alledia and defeat their enemies once and for all. The eighth and final book, "Supernova," concludes the series as Emily and her friends face their greatest challenge yet. They must confront their fears, make sacrifices, and ultimately bring an end to the Elf King's Shadow's reign of terror. Overall, the Amulet series is a captivating and thrilling adventure for young readers. With its stunning artwork and compelling storyline, it has become a beloved series for fans of graphic novels..

Reviews for "Inside the Mind of Kazu Kibuishi: The Creator of the Amulet Book Series"

1. Mary - ★☆☆☆☆

I was really disappointed with the Amulet book series in order. The storyline was confusing and hard to follow, and the characters were flat and uninteresting. The illustrations were also not very impressive and didn't add much to the overall experience. I was really hoping to enjoy this series, but it just fell flat for me. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating and well-developed graphic novel.

2. John - ★★☆☆☆

While I understand that the Amulet book series in order is aimed at a younger audience, I found it to be too simplistic and lacking depth. The writing felt rushed and the plotlines were predictable. Additionally, the artwork, while detailed, didn't have the impact I was hoping for. Overall, I think there are much better graphic novel series out there that offer a more engaging and imaginative experience.

3. Sarah - ★★☆☆☆

I really wanted to like the Amulet book series in order, but I found it to be quite underwhelming. The characters were one-dimensional and hard to connect with, and the plot felt disjointed at times. The illustrations, while colorful, didn't capture my attention like I had hoped they would. Overall, I think this series is better suited for younger readers who are just getting into graphic novels, as it lacks the complexity and depth that would appeal to older audiences.

The Influence of the Amulet Book Series on Young Readers