The Daughters of Ys by M.T. Anderson & Jo Rioux
Synopsis:
Ys, city of wealth and wonder, has a history of dark secrets. Queen Malgven used magic to raise the great walls that keep Ys safe from the tumultuous sea. But after the queen’s inexplicable death, her daughters drift apart. Rozenn, the heir to the throne, spends her time on the moors communing with wild animals, while Dahut, the youngest, enjoys the splendors of royal life and is eager to take part in palace intrigue.
Review:
The Daughters of Ys was a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with an amazing story. While I was reading this, I couldn’t help but pause and just marvel at the artistry. I absolutely loved the artist’s style and it really matched well with how most of this story took place around an ocean. Although the illustrations were awesome, I felt like something was missing from the story. I loved the whole concept and idea of the story, but I feel like it wasn’t well translated into this book. Everything felt a little sudden and if the flow of this story was a car ride, there would be a lot of bumps and sudden turns. The idea of this graphic novel is amazing, but the writing execution didn’t quite reach the mark.
Characters:
I don’t think I have a least favorite character, but my favorite would have to be Rozenn. She seemed like such a free spirit and she also seemed to be the only one to see past Ys’ beautiful disguise. Her pet bird was also adorable and I’m so glad they were incorporated into scenes.
I would just like to say, every character was illustrated so beautifully! Everyone’s appearance somehow matched their personality and that was amazing. Also, the last page Dahut was in was so amazing I’m still going back to look at it.
Conclusion:
Although the delivery of the story was not as great as I would’ve liked, the art saved this graphic novel. I love Jo Rioux’s style so much it’s crazy.
Cover Art:
This cover was illustrated by Jo Rioux!
Let’s Talk:
- Have you read this graphic novel? If so, did you like it?
- Do you enjoy reading graphic novels?
- What is your favorite kind of graphic novel (genre)?
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