Darkly She Goes
A princess and a disgraced former knight find love despite dark magic, family secrets, and tragedy in the graphic novel Darkly She Goes.
Islen is a beautiful princess trapped in a foreboding castle full of monsters. When Arzhur is asked to rescue her, it seems like the perfect opportunity to regain his once-honored status. To escape from the true threat, the two set off together for Islen’s father’s land. There, they face the trickery of supernatural agents; Arzhur is sent to prison, and Islen faces the difficult truth about her ancestry. A final confrontation with their enemies resolves Islen and Arzhur’s issues, but not in the ways they expected.
A sword-and-sorcery tale of epic scale, the book takes the time to get into the psychology of its heroes. No character is without flaws; Islen’s changing relationship with her parents is a fascinating element throughout the book. But Islen and Arzhur try to do what’s right, and they are an appealing pair, despite their imperfections.
The art is wondrous, the work of a master of the form. From the intricate opening pages with their artful compositions of Islen surrounded by the rats and creatures that do her bidding, to the near-opposite toward the end of the book when Islen stands alone against a bare white background, every page is meticulous in terms of its design, linework, and colors.
Darkly She Goes is an exciting, engaging, and emotional grand graphic novel fantasy about self-discovery, romance, and redemption.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
