Nordic Manga Spring 2025 by Bonnierforlagen

Nordic Manga Books Spring 2025

Madelene Hovstadius

Literary Agent, Children’s Books & YA madelene.hovstadius@bonnierrights.se +46 76 526 11 23

Tonje Tornes Editorial Director, TNT

TNT is a newly launched comic imprint at Bonnier Norsk Forlag. Experienced comics editors Tonje Tornes and Tormod Løkling have worked with just about everything in the Norwegian comics industry, from Donald Duck and Pondus to Nordlys. Their comics are loved by readers around the world, and they really help to inspire a love of reading in children and young people.

Cover: Illustration by Malin Falch from Nordlys. Graphic Design: Anna-Karin Sundin

NORDlyS

Northern Lights

Sonja, a Viking girl, is mysteriously visited one night by a boy who feels oddly familiar. He comes from a magical realm and invites her through a portal into his world. Together, they travel on the Northern Lights to a Norway unlike any you’ve ever seen – a land of wonder, adventure, and magic.

Sonja teams up with new friends Espen and Lotta for an epic, dangerous quest through the troll mountains. As they face giant trolls and uncover ancient secrets, they must rely on their courage and unexpected allies to survive. Will their combined strength be enough to save their world?

Reminiscent of Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet series, Falch’s vibrant illustrations bring Norway’s stunning landscapes and mythical creatures to life, making each page a work of art. A must-read for fans of fantasy!

Original series name Nordlys • Author & illustrator Malin Falch • Publication TNT, 2018–2024, 144–192 pages, 7 books • Rights sold series Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Faroese, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, Swedish, Ukranian

Harukkas ønske

Malin Falch

Malin Falch (b. 1993) in Trondheim, Norway. She studied and worked in video game concept art in San Francisco for five years before moving back to Norway to be a full-time comic book creator. Northern Lights is her debut series, for which she has won awards including The Pondus Price 2018 and the Ark Children Book 2018. This modern-day fairytale by Malin Falch has captivated readers worldwide, selling over 300,000 copies in Norway. Planned to span ten books, the first seven are already out in Norway with the 8th chapter in the series coming 2026.

© Kari-Anne Toth

Malin Falch

Cha Sandmæl (b. 1992) is a comic creator and illustrator living in Oslo, Norway. Eye of the Dragon is their first published graphic novel, published January 2021 with Egmont. Their books have been translated into three languages and counting.

Before making this book series they worked as a freelance illustrator while they also made a webcomic. They have both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Fine Art from Aberystwyth University in Wales.

Eye of the Dragon

Eye of the Dragon is an epic fantasy book series by Cha Sandmael, set in an immersive and visually stunning universe that draws you in, and its own, modern twist. It is centred around the ash elf Kha and their unlikely friend Ranja, dragon by day and woman by night, offering large-scale drama, perilous quests and true friendship.

Planned to be six books, the story of Eye of the Dragon begins when ash elf Kha is forced to leave their world under ground – a world which worships the moon and fosters a tight-knit community – to go to the surface above for a chance for a new beginning. Dark forces are conspiring against them, when they find an unexpected source of friendship in Ranja, and the adventure begins. Will they be able to overcome the obstacles in their way?

Original series name Dragens Øye•Author & illustrator Cha Sandmael • Publication TNT, 2021–2024, 142–166 pages, 5 books • Rights sold series Danish, French, Swedish

© Fartein Rudfjord

Cha Sandmael

Ragnarok

Ragnarok is an exciting graphic novel series set in a Norse fantasy universe. We meet the young Viking boy Ubbe Gunnhildsson who has everything he could ever wish for, and who lives a fun-filled, adventurous life filled with joy. But when mythological monsters and gods decide to intervene, Ubbe realizes that he has to grow up and change overnight: he must become a true Viking. Over six books, Odin Helgheim tells a saga about losing all control to forces much stronger than yourself and about the journey to take it back. With Odin’s enormous talent for storytelling, and with humour as a sharp weapon, Ragnarok has become an immediate favourite among children, who simply cannot get enough of Ubbe’s world.

Odin Helgheim (b. 1996) is from Sandefjord, Norway but spent a few years in the US as a kid, where he discovered comics and started honing his drawing skills. His debut book, Ragnarok – Fenrir won ARK’s children’s book prize in 2020. There is a total of six titles in the popular children’s book series. Odin lives in Oslo and works full-time creating graphic novels.

© Christopher Helberg

Odin Helgheim

Original series name Ragnarøk

Helgheim

Victor Sotberg (b. 1991) is from Steinkjer but now lives in Oslo. He is a well-known media personality, producer, and content creator in Norway, but also writes the script for Valiant, which is his first graphic novel series.

Odin Helgheim (b. 1996) spent a few years in the U.S. as a child, where he developed a deep passion for comics. His debut book, Ragnarok – Fenrisulven, won the ARK Children’s Book Prize in 2020. Originally from Sandefjord, Odin now lives in Oslo and works full-time as a series creator.

Valiant

Step into Valiant – a virtual fantasy world where you can live exactly as you want, finding your true self. You have adventures, battle monsters, and fulfill all your dreams, and if you’re strong, you can even be popular in the real world. When we meet young Victor, however this is not his experience. At school, he’s bullied and feeling lonely, but in the fantasy world he has two best friends, and together they embark on a quest to become the strongest players ever. Valiant is a Nordic manga series set in a future where the virtual world is more important than our own. Life on the screen goes hand in hand with life at school. But this also means that people who would have remained strangers in real life actually get to know each other. Some even fall in love…

Original series name Edelmot •Author & illustrators Odin Helgheim & Viktor Sotberg•Publication TNT, 2023–2025, 192 pages, 3 books•Rights sold series Danish, German

© Tormod Løkling

Viktor Sotberg & Odin Helgheim

9–12 Years

Arkin

Arkin is a beautiful portal fantasy series where dreams come true, where loneliness and longing saves lives, and where the smallest person casts the biggest shadow. Arkin is a lonely, creatively gifted and anxious boy who has always felt like an outsider, and since the death of his mother, loneliness threatens to devour him completely. Everything changes one day, when a mysterious older caretaker at his school leaves him with a strange riddle. As the clever Arkin solves the riddle, a magical world unravels before him. The Arkin series, planned to be four instalments, is a stunningly illustrated epic for children and adults ages 9 and up. The first three books in the series, The Secret, The Hope and The Choice are already published, and book four is planned for autumn 2025.

NÅR DU MISTER ALT, HAR DU IKKE LENGER NOE Å TAPE.

Arkin er klar til å gå i krigen for sin venn Melion og den nye verdenen han har blitt kjent med. Og Arkin beviser at pennen ikke bare er mektigere enn sverdet, men at den til og med kan skape et!

Magiske våpen trengs virkelig i bokens actionfylte avslutning, når Arkin må stå opp mot trusselen fra Nemeroth og måneulven Svartvarg.

om å være vår egen helt. Mesterlig.» – Anja Hammerseng-Edin

H. L. Phoenix (b. 1982) is an awardwinning author, illustrator and comic book artist who grew up in a suburb outside Oslo. Arkin is his first graphic novel series, a portal fantasy series which won the inaugural Raven Rings Prize in 2022 with the nomination below.

Vinner av Ravneringeneprisen 2022!

“Arkin is gorgeous, with worldclass illustrations. Captivating and emotional, like beloved animated movies… But Arkin is so much more than beautiful, it’s a life raft… It goes to the very core of what fantasy can be: Stories that provide meaning in meaninglessness. Hope, when everything seems hopeless.”

ISBN: 978-82-429-7847-9 Varenummer: 55084

Original series name Arkin • Author & illustrator H. L. Phoenix • Publication TNT, 2021–2024, 215–233 pages, 4 books • Rights sold series Danish, Swedish

© Marianne Wåhlberg H. L. Phoenix

Wild Paws

A new Norwegian children’s series for ages 6 and up, Wild Paws is a gripping saga about foxes Lukas and Ty, which delves into themes of being different, mental illness and the journey of self-discovery. The wild fox Ty has never felt like the other foxes in the clan, shying away from fighting, being bullied by crows and dependent on family to be fed and protected. One day, it all becomes too much, and Ty runs away to prove to the others that he can catch his own prey. Instead, he winds up being caught on a fox farm. There he meets Lukas, whose sheltered life couldn’t be more different from Ty’s, and together they decide to see the world. Humorous and warm, Wild Paws is a stand-out children’s book series that impresses with its gripping storytelling.

Original series name Ville

• Author & illustrator Victor

• Publication TNT 2022–2024, 130–184 pages, 3 books

• Rights sold series Danish ©

Victor Nordahl

VICTOR

Revefarmen

Poter

Nordahl

Hedda Kverndalen

Victor Nordahl

Victor Nordahl (b. 1990) lives in Oslo and has been working on the Wild Paws-series for many years. This is his first children’s series to be published, and Wild Paws was nominated for the ARK Children’s Book Prize in 2022.

Victor Nordahl

VICTOR NORDAHL

Skogen SKOGEN

søsteren

«Fabelaktig god tegneseriedebut!»

– Elin Brend Bjørhei, VG, om «Mia Myhr og barna som forsvant»

Mia Myhr

The Mia Myhr series is a thrilling portal fantasy with a dose of humour and mystery. When Mia moves with her parents and sister Hanna to the edge of a forest, she begins to look into the mysterious disappearance of her grandmother five years ago. As she takes her drawing pad into the woods she finds a tarn that wasn’t there before, and catches a glimpse of a terrifying animal within it. When her sister also goes missing, she must find out what happens beneath the surface – and dives into the terrifying water to an eerie world beneath. What creatures live below? And will she be able to find and save her sister? A Stranger Things

Mia blir satt på en farlig prøve når hun og Ekko må komme seg gjennom det råtne vannet. Særlig siden krystallen hennes hele tiden prøver å ta kontroll over Mias sinn. Den hvisker skremmende tanker, og Miavet knapt hva som er løgn eller sannhet. For om Mia ikke engang kan stole på sin eneste venn, Ekko, hvem kan hun da stole på?

Mia Myhr will send chills down your spine, make you laugh, and be blown away by the immersive world and amazing drawings.

Samtidig begynner Mias søster, Hanna – som er Rotheksas fange – å høre en rar stemme kalle på

«Historien om Mia Myhr er like skummel som den er vakker! Helt umulig å legge fra seg!»

- Malin Falch , skaperen av «Nordlys»

Original series name Mia Myhr • Author & illustrator Sara Hjardar

• Publication TNT, 2022–2024, 162–192 pages, 3 books

• Rights sold series Danish

Sara Hjardar (b. 1998) is born and raised in Fredrikstad, Norway. She completed a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and illustration in the spring of 2021 at the University of the Arts in Oslo, but now lives again in her hometown. The publication of the first Mia Myhr book came after Sara won a talent competition in 2021, and since then she has published three books in the series: Mia Myhr and the missing children, Mia Myhr and the Chaos Crystal and Mia Myhr and the Rotten Water. The fourth book in the series will be published autumn 2025.

Sara Hjardar

The Snowcat Prince

Immerse yourself in this enchanting fairytale, a stunning fantasy novel about bravery, overcoming shame and confronting one’s own prejudices. The Snowcat Prince is a beautifully illustrated tale of bravery and honour.

Syv is a snowcat and the youngest in a family of princes. When his father dies, Syv and his brothers are all in line for the throne. Eager to become kings themselves, Syvs brothers send him on a dangerous quest to find the long-lost magical crown that once belonged to their royal ancestor, the Eldking. Legend says that the snowcat who finds the crown will break the curse on their land and bring great honour to the family. Along his journey, Syv will face dangerous beasts, dark powers, and the everlurking sandfoxessworn enemies to the snowcats.

The Snowcat Prince was a 2023 ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children.

Original series name Snøkattprinsen • Author & illustrator Dina Norlund • Publication TNT, 2021, 140 pages, 1 book • Rights sold Danish, English, French, Swedish

Dina Norlund (1995–2023) was a concept artist, fantasy novel author and illustrator. Growing up in the lush forests of Norway, she took inspiration from the culture and folklore when writing and illustrating her stories. The Snowcat Prince began as a crowdfunded project, but was later picked up for publication, and sold internationally. It received a starred review for exceptional merit from Kirkus magazine after the US publication by Oni Press, and was nominated for the ARK Children’s Book Prize in Norway.

© Private

Dina Norlund

Girls

Eli has recently moved to a suburban town just outside of Oslo. At first, she feels like a fish out of water, but when she finds a group of girls who love manga and admire her for her drawing skills, things begin to look up. This is also when Eli meets Nina, and when Eli kisses Nina as a joke at a birthday party, something happens in her. She can’t stop thinking about the kiss, and wonders if this could be a crush? Because what is it really like to have a crush on someone? And did Nina only kiss back as a joke, or was it serious? Girls is the funny and poignant coming-of-age first part of a series about nerdy girlhood, friendship as a life raft and discovering who you are – and who you can become. Original series name

Cathrine Sandmæl (b. 1991) is an illustrator and author living in Nordre-Follo. She has a bachelor’s degree in Illustration from the University of Wolverhampton and another in visual communication from the University of SouthEastern Norway. As an illustrator, she has been professionally active since 2013 and worked on several books for Cappelen Damm and Gyldendal. This is her first graphic novel. The second book in the series is planned for next year.

Jenter • Author & illustrator Cathrine Sandmael

Catherine Sandmael

The Dark Elf

The Dark Elf is an epic manga for young adults, and a visceral tale about not belonging. We follow Caim, a little dark elf who is the last of his kin after all others have been exterminated following a great war between dark and white elves. He grows up among the white elves, and is destined to have a hard life, treated with contempt and wished to be dead by the elves around him. One day, he learns of a place called Joker where everyone is rumoured to live in peace, regardless of who they are. But can this place be real? Joker begins to loom large in his head, and he decides that he must get there, whatever the price may be. The Dark Elf is hailed to be Norway’s first manga, with book four published in April 2025.

Helen Kaldheim (b. 1995) was raised in Odda, Norway but now resides in Oslo. Today, she makes a living as a lecturer, cosplayer, and manga artist. With The Dark Elf, she aims to contribute to spread manga among the youth in Norway. The first book in the series, Alone was published in 2022, and book two and three soon followed. Her style is firmly within the Japanese manga tradition, and when she is not writing on The Dark Elf she travels around libraries, schools and festivals to teach the art to young children.

Original series name Mørkalven • Author & illustrator Helen Kaldheim

• Publication TNT, 2022–2025, 160–196 pages, 4 books • Rights sold series

Danish

Helen Kaldheim