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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
challenging
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This made quite a few top of the year lists, and I can see why. The character arcs are good, the illustrations are excellent, and it has an important message told through a non-western-centric point-of-view. It is an underdog story about othering and propaganda and history, imperialism. It accomplishes quite a bit in a short time.
It also could have used a bit more time to really make every aspect of it sing, I think. Time and place, or worldbuilding beyond the necessity of the central themes being communicated, aren’t a concern. And so as a result, a lot of things that feel like it should take a while to feel really earned, end up feeling like they’re accomplished immediately. Especially the battle prowess of the protagonist. Then, when things do come to a head, it was difficult to ascertain how large a victory it actually was, because the unit they trained in and under was never slotted into worldbuilding. Basically, the predominate concern was character arcs and themes, and that’s fine. I was just expecting maybe a bit more meat on the bone for a fantasy story as long as this. But it also seems like possibly more is coming, though that’s not clear. There’s room for a sequel but I didn’t see a to be continued or anything either.
It also could have used a bit more time to really make every aspect of it sing, I think. Time and place, or worldbuilding beyond the necessity of the central themes being communicated, aren’t a concern. And so as a result, a lot of things that feel like it should take a while to feel really earned, end up feeling like they’re accomplished immediately. Especially the battle prowess of the protagonist. Then, when things do come to a head, it was difficult to ascertain how large a victory it actually was, because the unit they trained in and under was never slotted into worldbuilding. Basically, the predominate concern was character arcs and themes, and that’s fine. I was just expecting maybe a bit more meat on the bone for a fantasy story as long as this. But it also seems like possibly more is coming, though that’s not clear. There’s room for a sequel but I didn’t see a to be continued or anything either.
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I really appreciated the story, the world, and the meaning. It's a different sort of graphic novel that feels both familiar and different.
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Bit of fun brain candy. Character development felt a bit rushed and I didn't feel like reactions were always logical, but I loved the message about undoing colonialism and questioning cultural stereotypes.
adventurous
fast-paced
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated