A Song for You and I, by K. O’Neill

A Song for You and I, the enchanting new graphic novel by K. O’Neill, is now available! As in O’Neill’s previous graphic novels, such as the Tea Dragon trilogy and The Moth Keeper, lush and quiet worldbuilding is balanced with characters who are searching for meaning in their own lives, finding connection with each other and the natural world.

In A Song for You and I, we meet a novice ranger named Rose, who is absolutely at the top of the class. We learn pretty early on that this novice ranger would prefer to be called Rowan, so that’s what I’ll call them for the rest of the review, even though that shift doesn’t happen immediately in the book.

As the novice rangers are assigned their final postings before inscribing their names on the gate and becoming full rangers, Rowan chafes a bit to be assigned an easy posting—because unlike the rest of the class, Rowan doesn’t really need to prove anything at this point.

Rowan’s job is to soar around a beautiful meadow on their flying horse, keeping an eye out for any dangers. It’s a sweet gig, and Rowan is very bored with it. It seems a young shepherd in the meadow is also bored with his own duties, as he frequently ignores them to play his violin instead.

One day, when a dangerous storm threatens them, Rowan’s flying horse is injured while rescuing the shepherd, and Rowan is reassigned to assist the shepherd’s wool deliveries while the horse heals. One thing I appreciate about K. O’Neill’s work in general is that while the main characters are young adults coming of age, the adults in the story are still full people. They present a range of lifestyles, generally well-meaning and kind, whether they are in positions of authority or not.

Rowan and the shepherd travel around the country for the rest of the book, learning from and about each other, and encouraging each other to be their own authentic selves.

It is nice seeing how O’Neill’s art style has evolved since their earlier work. There are still a lot of beautiful, wordless pages, with sweeping landscapes and a watercolor effect achieved through Procreate. Readers still see the characters themselves appreciating the world around them, engaging with the natural world, and the themes of inheriting a world from the past and making a world for the future. K. O’Neill’s linework, however, is more expert, and I personally think their color work is more dynamic with each book.

A Song for You and I (aside: WHY isn’t it called A Song for You and Me? Is there wordplay or an allusion I’m missing??? Tell me in the comments, if so!) reminds me of the Monk and Robot books by Becky Chambers in that it tells the story of two people who come together to support each other’s different goals, in a world that seems pretty darn good already. I would wholeheartedly recommend A Song for You and I to anyone who enjoyed those books, as well as to existing K. O’Neill fans.

A Song for You and I came out from Random House Graphic on March 4th, 2025.