The Explorers Guild: Volume One: A Passage to Shambhala by Jon Baird with Kevin Costner & Steven Meyer, illustrated by Rick Ross

The Explorers Guild marks an imaginative return to old time adventure stories. It is told partly through dense journal prose and partly through the style of a graphic novel. The incredibly creative meeting of the two distinct styles weaves a story of the mythical traveling city of Shambhala against the backdrop of World War I. This novel is not for everyone. It’s dense, archaic writing and length are difficult to maneuver at times and I felt myself wanting more of the graphic novel portions because most of the action happened there, but I have to say that I enjoyed it overall. The story is filled with adventures in far-flung places of the Earth and the characters are memorable. However, it is the beautifully rendered illustrations that really stand out. If you like good adventure stories, check out the unique novel that is The Explorers Guild.