Digger is the story of a shrewd, sensible wombat engineer who finds herself stranded in a fantasy world that is far from sensible. Thrust into the middle of a puzzling and often perilous situation involving gods, demons, destiny and redemption, she finds her way based on a pragmatic honesty and the sincere belief in doing the right thing. Her only wish is to return home, but along the way she makes enemies into friends, friends into heroes, the weak into warriors, and monsters into ...better monsters.
Digger is a serious fantasy tale that manages to be both meaningful and light-hearted. It explores complex themes of honor, responsibility, and the gray areas between right and wrong, but it does so with a frequent application of humor, wit and absurdity that keeps the story lively. It is an adventure story that can be fully enjoyed by young adult readers, but it also has levels of complexity in its humor and themes that become deeper and more meaningful with age and experience.
Originally created and released as a web comic, Digger ran for eight years and collected widespread acclaim for both its unique woodcut-inspired art style and depth of story.
2012 Hugo Award Winner "Best Graphic Story"
2013 Mythopoeic Award Winner "Adult Literature"
Volume Five contains chapters nine and ten of the twelve-chapter story. Our wombat heroine embarks on a journey accompanying Murai towards a monastery in the Morrakgon Mountains that once had connections to the god shackled underground. Along the way, they meet up with Grim Eyes, who had been sent to join them by Boneclaw Mother, and of course Shadowchild, who has been trailing them all along. One of the Oracular Slug's prophesies comes true with nearly disastrous consequences; but they finally reach the now-deserted monastery where they encounter Murai's destiny and the ghost of one of Digger's distant relatives who fill in the gaps in the ancient tale. Their path forward becomes clear, but Shadowchild has an encounter of his own that may end in one of them not returning to the temple as planned.