Graphic Novel — Blog

Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer and December! The final month of 2021 has terrifyingly arrived, but with constant stress brought on by the fact that it’s almost 2022, it is also a festive time for love, laughter and general merriment. So, lets have a look at what I read during the second last month of 2021!

The first book I finished this month was Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, the second booking the Farseer Trilogy (find my review for Assassin’s Apprentice here). Royal Assassin follows on from the end of Assassins Apprentice in the eyes of Fitz, a bastard son to one of the late kings-in-waiting to the throne of the Six Duchies. This second instalment of the series was not only a lot longer, but quite a lot more brutal too. Just when you think Fitz has been through enough for a boy so young, yet another event puts him in the thick of things. As the Six Duchies continue to be ravaged by the Red Ships, it is also being poisoned from within which makes Fitz even less safe than before. I loved the addition of Nighteyes the wolf, and getting to know more about the Wit, and the way it is received in the community. A wonderful continuation to the series and I am looking forward to seeing how this trilogy will end!

Book two for November was the audiobook of Graevale by Lynette Noni. Graevale is book 4 of the Medoran Chronicles, a YA fantasy series that just keeps getting better with each book. To think that some people had to wait between the end of this book and the beginning of the next stresses me out - I love having every single book available for me to devour as quickly as possible. This series is like a combination of Harry Potter, Covenant and something else I can’t put my finger on in the absolute best way possible, and this one really hit me in the feels. Graevale introduces us to a number of other mortal races in Medora and gives more time to some of the teachers which I loved. The ended absolutely ripped out my heart and I genuinely had no idea what to do with myself. If this series continues to be this wonderful, it will definitely become one on my favourite YA series, and most likely a comfort series that I will read over and over again.

The next book I finished in November was Lore Olympus (volume one) by Rachel Smythe. If you’re not already familiar with Lore Olympus, it’s a webtoon that is updated weekly by Rachel and can be found for free online. This graphic novel only covers the first 25 episodes or so of the ongoing tale, but it hooked me in so quick I then couldn’t help but binge read the rest of the story for the few days following my finishing volume one. Lore Olympus is a reimagining/retelling of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone which has unique artistic style and doesn't shy away from sensitive topics. This is a brilliant amalgamation of ancient and modern, with Olympus being a modern world, and the real world set in Ancient Greece. The graphic novel introduces all of your major Olympians (although some only feature later in the webtoon), and incorporates a number of myths and aspects of Greek mythology into the story, whilst still feeling like a brand new tale. It is truly wonderful, and I would recommend it for all lovers of Greek mythology.

The final book I finished this month was another audiobook, and that was We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni. This book is actually three novellas, one from D.C.’s point of view, one from Jordan’s perspective and one from Bear’s. It doesn’t follow on from Graevale but there were a few really important aspects from these novellas that you probably want to know about before jumping into Vardaesia (I know it’s hard but it’s worth it). I wasn’t as much of a fan of the three narrators for these stories, and D.C.’s novella was a bit repetitive and slow, but it was really redeemed with Jordan and Bear’s stories. Both of them had a lot of grief to work through, and being able to read some scenes from previous books but from their perspectives was truly wonderful, and it would be remiss of me to mention that there are SO MANY heartfelt scenes in these novellas. I literally couldn’t handle it sometimes, my emotions were all over the place! This book really got me ready for the final instalment of this series (even though I’m gonna be so sad when it’s over).

It was a tie between Lore Olympus and Graevale for my favourite read of this year, let me know what your favourite read of the month was in the comments or on my wrap up post on Instagram! ✨

★★★★★ - if you haven’t read this, take this as your sign to start the webtoon (for free!) right now!

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe is different to my usual reads, and yet it is very VERY on brand as well. Lore Olympus is a graphic novel that was initially published on WEBTOON and is now being published in physical format. Volume One only includes episodes 1-25 but Rachel is continuously uploading new episodes online (and is currently at episode 181). Lore Olympus is a contemporary retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone from Greek Mythology, in a stunning and unique graphic novel format. Let me tell you, it is absolutely wonderful.

Okay, lets start with a recap on the myth of Persephone and Hades (remember, there are a bunch of different sources all with contradictory information, this is just a quick rundown of the general myth). Persephone (initially known as Kore) is the daughter of the Olympian goddess of Agriculture, Demeter. Persephone is the goddess of spring, but one day she is abducted by Hades (the god of the underworld) who has fallen in love with her when he saw her picking flowers in a meadow, and eventually becomes the queen of the underworld and wife of Hades. In some versions, Zeus gives permission for the abduction… During her abduction, Demeter is going crazy looking for her, and enlists the help of a number of gods (including Helios, sometimes Hermes and Hecate who gives her torches to help find Persephone). Demeter finds her daughter, but Persephone has eaten a pomegranate seed from the underworld and the rule is once you eat something from the realm of the underworld, you can’t leave. So, Hades and Demeter strike up a deal that Persephone will spend either a half or a third of the year (depending on your source material) in the underworld, and the other portion in the upper world. It is widely accepted that this myth was the explanation of the changing of the seasons - with the time Persephone as in the underworld as the time of Autumn and Winter when the crops die.

Okay, back to Lore Olympus. Rachel Smythe has put the Ancient Greek gods into a semi-contemporary world, with Olympus being very modern, and the mortal realm (Earth) being very Ancient-Greek-esq in style. This first volume follows Persephone and Hades meeting for the first time, and introduces many central events, relationships and characters like Minthe, Demeter, Hecate, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, Zeus and Hera. The art style is absolutely breathtaking, each god/goddess has it’s own colour, with Persephone being pink, Hades as blue and Artemis (and her twin brother Apollo) as purple etc. It is a really distinctive style, and is a really unique way to differentiate characters (and I can only assume would make it easier for readers who aren’t familiar with Greek mythology to keep the characters straight). The story is a wonderful combination of the Ancient Greek myth in a modern setting which includes scandal, gossip and wild parties but also facets of Ancient Greek myth and culture. There is some potentially triggering content in this first volume which continues through the WEBTOON, by Smythe has added a content warning tp the beginning of the book ad adds content warnings prior to potentially triggering episodes online which is really great to see.

So basically, I love this graphic novel. It is such a wonderful combination of old and new in a really beautiful art style - once you start reading you will not be able to stop. I literally cannot believe it took me so long to start reading this, but you can best believe I’ve been reading it whenever I’ve had the chance since finishing this book.