AVATAR
THE LAST AIRBENDER
Book 2
Michael Dante DiMartino • Bryan Konietzko
(2006)
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished…
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER: Book 2 (Earth)” picks up where Book 1 (“Water”) left off. Aang, the Avatar, and his friends, Katara and Sokka, along with their flying bison, Appa, continue their journey to master the elements. Their quest leads them to seek out skilled teachers, master benders, who can help Aang hone his control over the elements.
Along their journey, they encounter a young, blind earthbending prodigy named Toph and recruit her as their teacher. Together, they continue their journey towards the lost Spirit Library in the desert, which is said to hold all the world’s knowledge. Their goal is to find information that could lead them to the Fire Nation’s weakness. However, the Fire Nation reaches the library first and destroys all the information regarding themselves. Undeterred, Aang and his team discover another crucial piece of information that might hold the key to victory, but time is of the essence. They must seek the support of the Earth King in Ba Sing Se, the last remaining free city on Earth.
Book 2 boasts a significantly more intense and engaging narrative compared to Book 1. This sense of growth extends to the characters, who demonstrate increased maturity, experience, and combat prowess. My personal favorites are the final three episodes (18-20), packed with exhilarating action sequences.
