Squire

Plot-wise and pacing this was wonderful but the artwork was inconsistent at times (our protagonist had two completely different noses on the same page, for example).

Quick and easy read with a good message, was my first graphic novel in awhile and I think it's a good one to start with!

Finished! Very fast read, really adored the characters. I did feel rather empty(?) at the end. I thought there would be much more, it finished almost abruptly for me. I even searched if it's part of a series but no :c. It's a solid 3.5 stars. I liked it yes, will I ever think about it again? Probably not and the ending was meh for me soo not a 4 star.

This is one that's going to stick with me.

I LOVED it. Not only is the art gorgeous - I want to live in those color palettes - but the story is excellent. I think it's a great interrogation of heroism, war, and violence. I was reading another review where the person said they wanted to know what the Ornu had “done” to be treated as enemies or second-class citizens. The answer is, like so many real-life examples, that they did nothing. Their “crime” was being in the way of colonization and power and empire.

The authors clearly took so much care into all the details of this work and it is exceptional. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever wanted to be a hero.

ok so everyone kept telling me this book was great and I was like, I believe you guys but IDK books about knights and stuff aren't really my jam. But then the good buzz hit kind of a tipping point and I was like, fine, I'll check it out. And it is great, I love Aiza and I love the anti-colonialist narrative here. And the art is gorgeous.

Art, gorgeous. Colours 💯, character design 💯, style 💯.

Story was good but it really suffered being a oneshot. It did not have the space or time to tell the story the way it deserves to be told. But I do understand the constraints of a graphic novel, so I’m still impressed at what they did with what they had to work with.

🍉

4.5 rounded up

Great story and art was mostly fantastic. I was a little annoyed that the bandage was not consistently drawn; occasionally no bandage was drawn and at other times it was drawn on the wrong hand. Additionally during a ‘big reveal' the left hand was drawn rather than the right even though it was culturally significant that her tattoo be on the right arm. I'm gonna blame the editor rather than the artist.

Also at least twice I had to go back and check to see if it was the main character or her new friend that was in the panel.

Thought it was super odd that the barracks were co-ed.

Great themes about identity, (racial & national), belonging, and commitment.

I always love seeing amazigh tattoo's. Otherwise this was kind of disappointing.