*I received a digital copy from Europe Comics via NetGalley. All views are my own*
I find turning to comics and graphic novels after reading mountainous books soothes my spirit and gives me a fresh palette of what’s coming next off of my TBR. I grabbed a Free Read from NetGalley entitled, Fierce by Geoffroy Monde & Mathieu Burniat. It’s a spin-off from the Arthurian legend King Arthur and Excalibur. Fierce is based on the daughter of the dim-gloried King Arthur, who runs away from home to escape an arranged marriage and forges her adventure and free will.
"The legendary King Arthur is now an old drunkard who spends his days slouched on his throne. He owes his former glory to the magic sword the wizard Merlin forged for him in order to slay the hordes of demons who came to invade the kingdom of Pendragon. The enchanted weapon now suffers from a bad case of boredom, while Arthur's daughter, the Princess Ysabelle, is wondering how to flee the marriage her father has arranged with the vile Baron of Cumber. Both Ysabelle and the sword are determined to change their fate, and to do so they must become allies on a long journey. But the wide world can prove much harsher than life at the palace, and the sword's intentions may not be as noble as they seem... Mathieu Burniat is at it again with "Furieuse," a work of pure fiction scripted by Geoffroy Monde."
I usually don’t care about medieval writing, but I felt good about this story. This graphic was fun. I can imagine the staff in the drawing room asking a series of “What ifs” while creating this novel. What if the King fell out of glory and was a shell of himself? What if we gave him a daughter, and she took over the story instead? What if we can make the sword have a mind of its own? Fierce had plenty of well-placed humor and twists nobody could have imagined coming. Who would’ve thought a sword would have so much hilarious anger issues?
Overall I rated this book 5-stars. I enjoyed myself. I loved the adventure the young Princess, and the sword embarked on. Their banter would remind you of the angel and devil on your shoulder messing up your decision-making. The art style paired well with the story. I especially liked the expressions Burniat influenced. Though this story is in the realm of fairytales, this book is not for children! I’m unsure why the age recommendation is so low, but please heed the warning. Don’t be that parent shocked to see a dick print or a titty randomly floating in the comic bubbles. You have been warned!
Fierce is available now.
