Ratings17
Average rating3.5
Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab and torn from the universe of the Shades of Magic sequence, this all-original comic book prequel to A Darker Shade of Magic is perfect for fans of bloody, swashbuckling adventure and gritty fantasy! As V.E. Schwab says, "the comics are going to bridge the space between Shades of Magic and Threads of Power." Delve into the thrilling, epic tale of the young and arrogant prince Maxim Maresh, long before he became the king of Red London and adoptive father to Kell, the lead of A Darker Shade of Magic! The youthful Maresh is sent to a violent and unmanageable port city on the Blood Coast of Verose, on strict orders from his father, King Nokil Maresh, to cut his military teeth in this lawless landscape. There, he encounters an unruly band of soldiers, a lawless landscape, and the intoxicatingly deadly presence of the newly returned pirate queen, Arisa... Collects Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince #1-4.
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Here's the thing: 1) I'm a big fan of Schwab and the “Shades of Magic” series, but 2) I'm not a fan of graphic novels. Even though I like Japanese manga, I've always had a hard time getting into heavily coloured and stylized graphic novels. That being said, this GN was very beautiful to look at, and the story was interesting, but I found the pacing to be too fast for such a short amount of pages. I would have expect the fight between Arisa and Maxim to drag out over several volumes, so I was surprised by how quickly everything was resolved. As much as I enjoyed the art in this GN, I don't think I'll be reading the next volumes in this series.
Featured Series
3 primary booksShades of Magic comics (Collected Editions) is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2016 with contributions by V. E. Schwab.
Series
11 primary booksShades of Magic comics (Single Issues) is a 11-book series with 11 primary works first released in 2016 with contributions by V. E. Schwab.
Series
1 primary book2 released booksThe Shades of Magic Universe is a 8-book series with 1 primary work first released in 2015 with contributions by V. E. Schwab.
Series
3 primary booksShades of Magic: The Steel Prince is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by V. E. Schwab.