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A review by meganac
Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis
5.0
I don't read graphic novels very often, but this one came highly recommended and I was so excited to have it at the library that I read it myself so I can recommend it others with full confidence. It did not disappoint.
The art in this graphic novel is incredible - you feel like you're there. And even though the story has a lot of deeply serious elements, the format gives it a bit of humour here and there that I appreciated. Because of this I expect it will hold the attention of younger readers all the better.
It's more alternate history than historical fiction, loosely based on the youth of Queen Elizabeth I. This novel follows young Margaret, an orphan girl living in an island convent with nuns of St. Elysia (I'm not Catholic, but I found all the Catholic elements in this book intriguing and they would pave the way for soooo many good discussions with middle graders). She has a noble spirit, always wrestling with herself as she tries to do the right thing. Her life is disrupted when the king dies and Princess Catherine siezes power, forcing her sister, Princess Eleanor (formerly the queen) into exile. There's a lot of court intrigue even though the setting is quite removed, made all the more interesting as we only learn what's overheard or told to Margaret. Throughout the book she must make a series of decisions based on her principles that will force her farther from innocence and deeper into the political web, begging the question: can ignorance protect us from duty?
The art in this graphic novel is incredible - you feel like you're there. And even though the story has a lot of deeply serious elements, the format gives it a bit of humour here and there that I appreciated. Because of this I expect it will hold the attention of younger readers all the better.
It's more alternate history than historical fiction, loosely based on the youth of Queen Elizabeth I. This novel follows young Margaret, an orphan girl living in an island convent with nuns of St. Elysia (I'm not Catholic, but I found all the Catholic elements in this book intriguing and they would pave the way for soooo many good discussions with middle graders). She has a noble spirit, always wrestling with herself as she tries to do the right thing. Her life is disrupted when the king dies and Princess Catherine siezes power, forcing her sister, Princess Eleanor (formerly the queen) into exile. There's a lot of court intrigue even though the setting is quite removed, made all the more interesting as we only learn what's overheard or told to Margaret. Throughout the book she must make a series of decisions based on her principles that will force her farther from innocence and deeper into the political web, begging the question: can ignorance protect us from duty?