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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Roll for Danger
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://ethanaldridge.weebly.com/
CITY: New York
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 388
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Sequim, UT; married; husband’s name Matthew.
EDUCATION:Snow College, degree.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Illustrator and graphic novelist. Illustrator for magazines and publishers, including Electronic Arts Games.
AWARDS:Great Graphic Novels for Teens listee, American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association, 2019, for Estranged.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Ethan M. Aldridge became captivated by fantastic stories while growing up in small-town America, and he spent his free time drawing the dragons and monsters conjured by his vivid imagination. Aldridge’s talent for illustration eventually took him to New York City, where he has continued to develop his art, working for video-game developers as well as a range of other publishers. His fantasy art takes center stage in his debut graphic novel, Estranged, its sequel, The Changeling King, and The Legend of Brightblade. Aldridge discussed LGBTQ+ representation in his work in a We Need Diverse Books interview with Michele Kirichanskaya: “It’s extremely important to me to have queer representation in stories, especially stories for young readers. There have been great strides made in the last few years in having great, diverse stories on shelves and on screens, but there’s still a long way to go. … For me, I’m a queer creator, so everything I make is a queer book. My experience is threaded through even my most fantastical stories. I hope that, through those stories, young readers see a world that they want to be a part of.”
First published as a web comic in bi-weekly installments, Estranged is a fantasy epic about a changeling—a faerie child switched at birth with a human infant and raised in a human family. While the fay Edmund Carter is cared for by humans above ground, the human infant, the Childe, is treated like a coddled pet in a royal faerie household, and he knows for certain that the World Below is not his true home. When the armies of the evil faerie Queen Hawthorne attack the fortress where he is kept, the Childe escapes and begins the search for his birth parents. Aided by a wax golem named Whick, he locates both Edmund and his true human sister, Alexis. Meanwhile, when Queen Hawthorne learns of the Childe’s escape above ground she threatens the boy and his human family. Soon the three young people are in a fight for their lives, a fight that draws them back down into the dark faerie world where evading dragons are the least of their problems.
Estranged is “Refreshingly free of even a whisper of romance,” according to a Kirkus Reviews writer, Aldridge’s “richly imagined” graphic-novel epic “gives a nod to many well-loved fantasy tropes.” A Publishers Weekly critic compared Estranged to the work of fantasists Michael Ende and Neil Gaiman, praising Aldridge’s “beautifully toned watercolor art [and] … the interdependence of and tension between the two protagonists.” Thomas Jonte recommended the work to preteen fantasy fans, concluding in School Library Journal that “themes such as finding one’s place and meeting friends and family in unexpected ways will speak to middle grade readers.”
In The Legend of Brightblade, Prince Alto loves using music for magical purposes, but his mother, Lady Brightblade, feels learning diplomacy would be more practical. After Prince Alto’s music disturbs a diplomatic event, he is cut off from the music lessons he takes from a bard. The prince runs away, and while on the road he meets like-minded bards Ebbe and Clarabel. After learning of a plan to overthrow Lady Brightblade, Prince Alto’s musical collaborations come in useful and might be able to prevent the conspirators from doing damage. “A nimble pace, light approach to worldbuilding, and sprightly hero lend a welcome air of effortlessness to this blithe adventure,” remarked a Publishers Weekly critic. Reviewing The Legend of Brightblade in School Library Journal, Carla Riemer appreciated the “diverse humans and members of various fantasy races.” Overall, Riemer felt that “beautiful artwork and an exciting, heartfelt story make this a winner.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2018, review of Estranged.
Publishers Weekly, May 28, 2018, review of Estranged, p. 102; January 10, 2022, review of The Legend of Brightblade, p. 64.
School Library Journal, May, 2018, Thomas Jonte, review of Estranged, p. 89; January, 2022, Carla Riemer, review of The Legend of Brightblade, p. 72.
ONLINE
Ethan M. Aldridge website, https://ethanaldridge.weebly.com (June 13, 2022).
We Need Diverse Books, https://diversebooks.org/ (February 28, 2022), Michele Kirichanskaya, author interview.*
Ethan M. Aldridge is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. He is the creator of the gothic mystery novel DEEPHAVEN (A New York Public Library selection for Best Books Of 2023, A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, nominated for the Mythopoeic Award), the fantasy graphic novel duology ESTRANGED (a JLG selection, Indie Bestseller, and YALSA Great Graphic Novel For Teens), THE LEGEND OF BRIGHTBLADE (an American Library Association pick for Best Graphic Novels For Children), and more.
Ethan was raised in a small town in Utah. Growing up, his favorite things to draw were monsters and whatever dinosaur he liked most that week. He now does more or less the same thing for a living. He lives in New York City with his husband, Matthew, and their dog, Kitsune.
Ethan has had the pleasure to create work for HarperCollins Publishers, Marvel Comics, Abrams Books, and Penguin Random House.
Ethan M Aldridge
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Ethan Aldridge is an author and New York Times bestselling illustrator living in New York City. He is the creator of the ESTRANGED, an urban fantasy graphic novel (to be published by HarperCollins in Fall 2018, currently a webcomic).
Ethan was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas and raised in the small town of Moroni, Utah, where his parents read him books about dragons and ghosts. He studied art at Snow College, where he learned how to better draw things both real and imaginary. Growing up, Ethan’s favorite things to draw were monsters and whatever dinosaur took his fancy that week. He now does more or less the same thing for a living.
Ethan has had the pleasure to create work for HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Random House, EA Games, Snowflake Press and Weeds Literary Magazine, among others.
Genres: Children's Fiction
Series
Estranged
1. Estranged (2018)
2. The Changeling King (2019)
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Deephaven
1. Deephaven (2023)
2. Scrimshaw (2024)
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Novels
The Pale Queen (2024)
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Graphic Novels hide
The Legend of Brightblade (2022)
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Aldridge, Ethan M. DEEPHAVEN Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Children's None) $18.99 9, 5 ISBN: 9780063283169
A student at a mysterious boarding school faces a supernatural mystery.
Guinevere "Nev" Tallow is a first-year student at Deephaven Academy, which they had never heard of before receiving a mysterious pamphlet and letter inviting them to attend. As they attempt to settle into their new life, they discover that the locked east wing of the dormitory harbors a secret, as does the seemingly flawless prefect, Patience Sleepwell. Nev, who is minimally described but appears white in illustrations, is a clever, self-reliant main character who's easy for readers to relate to. Despite the evocative atmosphere--the story is set in the 1940s in a remote part of New England--the magical worldbuilding is frustratingly vague. The school may or may not teach magic, and it's unclear exactly how the universe of Deephaven works or why Nev was invited there. This and many other questions, including character motivations, are left unanswered, which makes it hard to feel satisfied with the otherwise enjoyable, spooky main plotline. Nev's nonbinary identity as well as the racial diversity of the supporting cast are non-issues, and readers may enjoy this escape from historical transphobia and racism. The illustrations are a highlight: reminiscent of etchings in an old storybook but with a modern graphic-novel flavor.
Readers will hope the second volume delivers after this partially successful opener. (Supernatural. 8-13)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Aldridge, Ethan M.: DEEPHAVEN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A756872102/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=28aa9a94. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Deephaven. By Ethan M. Aldridge. Sept. 2023.288p. illus. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, $18.99 (9780063283169). Gr. 4-7.
Welcome to Deephaven, where the east wing is off-limits, secrets lurk behind every door, and there's always a chance you'll be sent back home. Nev Tallow, our nonbinary tween protagonist, begins the novel with excitement for Deephaven, an exclusive school that prioritizes odd areas of scholarship. The Depression is finally over, Nev's father has been hauled away by debt collectors, and now Nev has to make their home at Deephaven. Quickly they learn the school is not exactly what it seems and that darkness lurks in the shadows. When Nev uncovers a monster living in the east wing, their entire trajectory changes, hurtling them into danger to try to save who the monster used to be. For fans of light horror, gothic literature, and school stories, this will invite readers into its clutches, and Nev's unique perspective allows them to hurtle toward the climactic end alongside them. The prose is quick-moving, black-and-white illustrations give the story ambiance, and readers will be clamoring to find out what happens next to Nev Tallow.--Aryssa Damron
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Damron, Aryssa. "Deephaven." Booklist, vol. 119, no. 22, 1 Aug. 2023, p. 72. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A761981809/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e09a8116. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Aldridge, Ethan M. THE PALE QUEEN Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Children's None) $24.99 6, 25 ISBN: 9780063247215
Bookish Agatha lives in a pastoral village where a silky-furred black dog lurks in the shadows.
The dog's slitted yellow eyes follow Agatha as she moves through the peaceful pastel tones and rounded edges of her everyday world; the illustrations evoke a Victorian English village. Agatha tutors a brown-skinned boy named Peter Garcia, helps her parents with the upkeep of their modest cottage, and fends off unwelcome advances from shop owner's son Claude. All the while, she dreams of studying astronomy but despairs of the barriers she faces. Agatha steps into a trap laid by the dog, who transforms into the Lady of the Hills (a dapper, pallid woman with the dog's yellow eyes and flowing black locks), who claims that Agatha owes her a favor. Despite Agatha's sweet developing romance with Heather Garcia, Peter's blond cousin, she's still enchanted by the Lady, who pulls her into magical adventures that are by turns dreamy and upsetting. While Agatha loves the Lady's starlit dance party in a stone circle, she abhors the consequence she metes out in response to Claude's persistent attentions. When the Lady's antics affect Heather, Agatha must take the initiative. Agatha's curiosity makes her an engaging hero, and the tale's events unfold at a satisfying pace. The story tempers genuine fear and horror with lighthearted gentleness. Agatha is biracial, with a white father and a brown-skinned, black-haired mother.
An enchanting spin on the proverbial cautionary tale of Faerie. (character sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 9-14)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Aldridge, Ethan M.: THE PALE QUEEN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A789814760/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=321e537d. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Aldridge, Ethan M. SCRIMSHAW Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Children's None) $18.99 9, 3 ISBN: 9780063283213
Nev Tallow returns for another adventure at Deephaven Academy.
Immediately following their previous adventure, Nev finds themself alone (but for one of the prefects) at the academy over winter break. It's the perfect opportunity to explore the school's spooky subbasement, which is full of strange magical items. Nev finds a human skull with scrimshaw etchings in its front teeth, but they also discover that they can't get rid of it, no matter what they do. On top of that, bad things begin happening that seem to have been foretold by the images on the teeth. This second series entry is both tighter and scarier than the first, building on the spooky atmosphere and characters developed in the earlier book and written in the same quick-moving prose that's full of evocative imagery. Notably, though the story revolves around the supernatural, Aldridge takes a pragmatic approach toward practices that occur in the real world, such as prophecy and astrology. Nev, who presents white, is a clever protagonist, relatable for readers who feel a little bit like outcasts. Their best friend, Danny, who reads Black, is a likable supporting character who deserves more page time. As in the first book, there are illustrations throughout that recall gothic etchings but in a modern, graphic-novel style. Though this mystery is resolved, we're lucky that Nev has a number of school years left at Deephaven as well as a basement full of unexplored occult artifacts.
Good, spooky fun.(Supernatural. 8-13)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Aldridge, Ethan M.: SCRIMSHAW." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804504584/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a0cb075a. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Roll for Danger: The Cursed Catacombs. By Nick Eliopolus. Illus. by Ethan M. Aldridge. July 2025. 272p. Disney/Hyperion, $17.99 (9781368083898). Gr. 4-7.
In a "Pick Your Path"--style adventure that requires using a six-sided die to fill out a character sheet and make ongoing choices, wizard Bristleboor sends his untried apprentice, Seth, deep underground in search of a rare elixir ingredient. Though the ensuing tale's flowchart forks 233 times, Eliopulos keeps things simple, mostly by repeating passages virtually verbatim so that there isn't much flipping back and forth needed--and by reducing the number of endings to a bare minimum. In deference to more sensitive readers, he keeps the level of violence low in both events and language; only twice is blood actually shed, and though the evil wizard winds up dead in every plotline, Seth's inexplicitly described demises are neither frequent nor final. Also, the challenges he faces on his quest run as much to puzzles or logical posers as to giant spiders and like horrors. Aldridge's inky sketches supply atmospheric portraits and spot images to this projected series opener that younger gamers should navigate with ease.--John Peters
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Peters, John. "Roll for Danger: The Cursed Catacombs." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 19-20, June 2025, pp. 109+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A847198242/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4ea89a75. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.