Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Mera is teenage
royalty, heir to the throne of Xebel, the other not-so-lost colony under
the sea. But Mera is destined to wear a different crown, that of
Atlantis. When the inhabitants of Xebel plot to overthrow their homeland
of Atlantis, Mera is sent to kill the heir to the throne, Arthur Curry.
As the unrest between their colonies grows, Mera and Arthur
unexpectedly fall in love...will Arthur Curry be the king at Mera's side
in Atlantis, or will he die under her blade?
Mera by
Danielle Paige is an astonishing story that explores themes of duty,
love, heroism and freedom, all through the eyes of readers' favorite
undersea royalty.
Review:
I am not normally a fan of graphic novels. But with a daughter as an artist, I am gaining an appreciation of this genre. Mera: Tidebreaker, is very well done. Beautiful art work by Stephen Bryne and solid writing from Danielle Paige come together to create an enjoyable book. It was the perfect way to dip my toes into graphic novels.
What I Liked:
Illustrations:
The star of this book really is the beautiful artwork. The Illustrator use of a muted palette, punctuated by Mera's fiery red hair, creates a dreamy quality. The undersea scenes are haunting with the many details of sea creatures in every panel.
Characters:
I did not see the Aquaman movie, so my only knowledge of Mera is through this graphic novel. That being said, I could easily understand her character. She wants to be a warrior like her mother. She bristles when her suitor, Larken, shows marrying her is a means to his becoming the king. Everyone is making decisions for her. All she wants is a choice.
Larken is Mera's childhood friend and suitor. He is not a two-dimensional character. Although he can't see why Mera won't marry him, he does actually care about her. He really doesn't understand that Mera doesn't want to be taken care of. Also, he has no moral issue with killing Arthur if it will help him become king. While I didn't admire this about him, I also felt he was willing to be a killer so Mera wouldn't have to.
Moral Dilemma:
Choices, though, are not so easy. At first, she sees killing the heir to Atlantis as a simple matter. After all, it's easy to hate your oppressors from afar. But when she goes on land and finally meets Arthur, she realizes he doesn't even know who he really is. Can she kill an innocent person, just to become a ruler? It's the classic choice characters must make: are they villains or heroes?
What I Didn't Like:
I know this is a graphic novel so everything has to be packed in a short story. But I am just not a fan of insta-love. I thought throwing around the L word so quickly between Mera and Arthur was unnecessary. She didn't need the stakes to be so high in order for her to do the right thing.
Rating:
Release Date: April 2nd, 2019
Author: Danielle Paige
Illustrator: Stephen Bryne
Publisher: DC Ink
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 192 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: PDF
Recommendation: A beautifully illustrated graphic novel with a strong female character. Very entertaining.
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Synopsis:
I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?
Sure,
I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the
rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look
like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked
Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed
for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even
that's crumbling.
What happened? Dorothy.
They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.
My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission.
Review:
I read this book at the recommendation of a teen I know. He has very eclectic tastes, so I was curious about this book. Plus I loved The Wizard of Oz, so I thought "Oh, this is going to be great!" While the writing was strong, and the characters well developed, I was still left scratching my head. What was the point?
The story begins in modern times with Amy Gumm, a rather wimpy teen in Kansas, being bullied and/or ignored by nearly everyone. I did think the main character's name was rather clever because Judy Garland's (who played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz movie from 1939) real name was Frances Gumm! The story follows the original in that there is a tornado and Amy's house (a trailer) is carried away and blown to Oz. But that is where the similarities with The Wizard of Oz ends.
Everything from the original is turned upside-down. Dorothy, Glinda, The Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow, and The Tin Man are now evil. There is a vague explanation that Dorothy is addicted to magic and so has turned into a power hungry dictator. But that is putting her behavior mildly. The book seems to relish in tearing down beloved characters and turning them into cruel, torturous caricatures of their former selves.
via GIPHY
via GIPHY
I did enjoy the character of Amy. I thought she was appropriately skeptical about what was happening. She can't seem to fathom how she is in the middle of all of this, and why SHE must be the one to kill Dorothy (or why that will help). I loved how she used her wits to survive all these scary situations. Glimora (Glinda's twin), and the other "wicked" witches were all complex, interesting people, as well.
But I still can't get past how incredibly violent and sadistic the story is. If there is a way for Dorothy or the others to be horrible, trust me, it will happen. The only person to show even a micron of their original personality is The Wizard. He may, or may not, be a good guy. But he definitely is a huckster. I found him to be a breath of fresh air in an otherwise putrid tale.
I am still going to give this story three stars due to the face-paced writing and action. There was plenty of tension in the plot enough to keep the reader interested throughout the novel. But I just didn't see the point of trashing revered characters from our youth to make a point that everyone can turn evil? Could that be the depressing message?
Don't know. Don't care.
Rating:
Release Date: April 1st, 2014
Source: Public Library
Format: Hardcover
Recommendation: If you enjoy twisted fairy tales, you will like this action-packed book. But don't read it if you want to keep your dreams of a sweet, safe haven "over the rainbow"alive.
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