In the tradition of The Arabian Nights, a beautifully illustrated tapestry of folk tales and myths about the secret legacy of female storytellers in an imagined medieval world.
In the Empire of Migdal Bavel, Cherry is married to Jerome, a wicked man who makes a diabolical wager with his friend Manfred: if Manfred can seduce Cherry in one hundred nights, he can have his castle--and Cherry. But what Jerome doesn't know is that Cherry is in love with her maid Hero. The two women hatch a plan: Hero, a member of the League of Secret Story Tellers, will distract Manfred by regaling him with a mesmerizing tale each night for 100 nights, keeping him at bay. Those tales are beautifully depicted here, touching on themes of love and betrayal and loyalty and madness. As intricate and richly imagined as the works of Chris Ware, and leavened with a dry wit that rivals Kate Beaton's in Hark! A Vagrant, Isabel Greenberg's One Hundred Nights of Hero will capture readers' hearts and minds, taking them through a magical medieval world. This was my first graphic novel read of 2021, and I couldn't be happier with it! Both the frame narrative of Cherry and Hero, and the stories Hero told had a wonderfully folklorish feel to them. It's a story about stories, love, loss, and what it means to be human in all the best ways. I'm a couple years late to the fanclub, but I'm eagerly awaiting my library hold of The Encyclopedia of Early Earth so I can find out more about the world. The whimsical worldbuilding was easily my favorite part of the story. The Empire of Migdal Bavel is only one part of Early Earth, and Hero tells stories from a few other places, which only made me more excited to explore. It's a medieval world, with tall stone towers, patriarchy, sea travel, and religion (Birdman, and his children Kiddo and Kid), so Cherry and Hero's story became all the more personal for its beautiful queerness. Two women standing against the entitlement of Cherry's husband, and loving each other fiercely throughout. That is exactly the energy I want to start off this year! Since this is a graphic novel, I of course have to touch on the artwork. A subtle but consistent color palette and bold lineart really allow the stories to shine. I enjoyed the organic form of the art, and the symbolism of not limiting the panels with borders. The splash illustrations especially drew me in. A starry night sky, boats swimming across a pond, sisters diving into books in a cozy room. They are so beautiful, and I kind of wish Greenberg had prints available! My only quibble: sequencing wise, the novel is easy to follow, but I could have done without the "chapter" divisions--the plot flowed seamlessly without them. If you haven't already read The One Hundred Nights of Hero, I *highly* recommend it. 4.5/5 stars.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
Categories
All
Archives
June 2023
|