In a world threatened by the imminent death of its sun, young Yama lives a relatively happy and peaceful life as the daughter of the chief of the village. But everything changes the day a sword of glass falls from the sky, just as the prophecy had announced. Anyone who touches the sword is instantly turned to glass and dies. Orland, the local lord of war, comes to take possession of the unique weapon but fails to retrieve it. In the process, Yama’s father is killed and her mother taken away. Yama, however, escapes and survives with only one thought: when she grows up, she will return to get the sword of glass, and avenge her parents.
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A lot of people thought this graphic novel was so, so, but I LOVED IT! Perhaps because it is so very my kind of thing. Fantasy worlds complete with strange creatures - check, vast empires that aren't a carbon copy of European medieval cities of our past - check, adventure - check, mystery and magic - check, check. I'll admit that the characters aren't the greatest, but among everything else that was so wonderful, I easily let it go in favour of enjoying this fantastic world that Sylviane Corgaiat & Laura Zuccheri made. The artwork!!! It is beautiful and vivid and imaginative. Every frame is a smorgasbord of things to look at, from vast cities to lush forests and desert landscapes to snowy ones, it is a feast for the eyes. I want to re-read it and just take five minutes for each panel - its that detailed and beautiful. The imaginative world-building is top notch here too. Something that felt like it was somewhere between a Studio Ghibli film, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, among many other sci fi and fantasy out there. Although it had a lot of obvious influences, it still manages its own unique world and story. I truly appreciated its effort to honor the fantasy and sci fi that has come before, but also forge its own path. Easily going to be among my favourites and I look forward to seeing what else these two ladies have to offer (at least the ones that have been translated).
