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A review by ayaha
Compass, Vol. 1: The Cauldron of Eternal Life by Dave Walker, Robert MacKenzie
4.0
I really enjoyed this creative graphic novel with a pretty cool Muslim heroine! Set right before the fall of the Abbasids to the Mongols in the 13th century, this historical fantasy imaginatively draws on the histories of the Mongols, Abbasids, and the Welsh.
As it was marketed and as other reviewers mentioned, it is definitely an Indiana Jones-style adventure, complete with mythical monsters, relics, and themes of curiosity, bravery, and betrayal.
Shahidah is a young scholar from Baghdad's House of Wisdom, sent by the Caliph as an explorer of the world's mysteries. Her adventure here is to find a magical cauldron in Wales before the Mongol enemy gets to it. I absolutely love that Shahidah is not just culturally Muslim. Her character is shaped by her faith in Islam--adamantly making it clear that she doesn't drink, reciting ayat ul-kursi when she's scared, etc.
However, I do wish I got to know her as a character better. Sure, she has pretty cool titles--scholar and explorer from the House of Wisdom, "Compass" of the Caliph, etc.--and skills and even weaknesses. But I don't feel like I totally understood her *personality.* What's her motivation? What's her back story? How did she get to where she is now, and why does she have the strengths and weaknesses that she has? Even though it's the first volume I feel like I missed significant details in her origin story. I would've liked to see more inner conflict rather than outer conflict.
Other than that, I found the plot, worldbuilding, and other characters really intriguing and I'd definitely read the sequels if/when they're released.
As it was marketed and as other reviewers mentioned, it is definitely an Indiana Jones-style adventure, complete with mythical monsters, relics, and themes of curiosity, bravery, and betrayal.
Shahidah is a young scholar from Baghdad's House of Wisdom, sent by the Caliph as an explorer of the world's mysteries. Her adventure here is to find a magical cauldron in Wales before the Mongol enemy gets to it. I absolutely love that Shahidah is not just culturally Muslim. Her character is shaped by her faith in Islam--adamantly making it clear that she doesn't drink, reciting ayat ul-kursi when she's scared, etc.
However, I do wish I got to know her as a character better. Sure, she has pretty cool titles--scholar and explorer from the House of Wisdom, "Compass" of the Caliph, etc.--and skills and even weaknesses. But I don't feel like I totally understood her *personality.* What's her motivation? What's her back story? How did she get to where she is now, and why does she have the strengths and weaknesses that she has? Even though it's the first volume I feel like I missed significant details in her origin story. I would've liked to see more inner conflict rather than outer conflict.
Other than that, I found the plot, worldbuilding, and other characters really intriguing and I'd definitely read the sequels if/when they're released.