On the edge of the Gearian Salt Flats lies the fortified city of Kiessil, a thorn in the side of the Emperor's Second Army's advance. Established by treaty, the country of Gearia was supposed to be a buffer between the Great Southern Empire and its blood enemy, the Great Northern Empire. For 15 years, the non-aggression pacts held, but when rich mineral deposits are discovered in the newly created territories, both empires mobilize to claim the prize. War spreads like wild fire. The smaller empires must choose their allies carefully or perish. Kiessil is the bottleneck that has prevented the GSE from punching into the underbelly of its enemy. Laura Stone has only recently gained control of her small country. As the leader of a nation beholden to the GSE, she has been allowed a chance to prove her worth and to gain victory, where the stubborn Imperial Generals have failed. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, Laura is determined to gain the reputation and prestige she needs to keep her people safe.
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alpha Shade - You gotta read this!!!,
By herbkir (mid-Michigan) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Alpha Shade, Chapter 1 (Paperback)
It's hard to imagine that the previous reviewer read the same book I did, because I absolutely loved it. It's an outstanding first volume of a grand graphic novel epic of worlds in conflict. The story revolves around a group of friends caught up in the storm of war and this first volume serves mainly to introduce principal characters and the parallel worlds they live in. And what a set of worlds they are!
Technologies clash as flying big-gun battleships vie with airplanes for command of the skies. Sentient cats with psychic powers scheme with human politicians behind the scenes. Warbirds are literally that, huge flying avians that carry out military missions. Heroism and villainy stand side by side on the battlefield. The characters are engaging people we get to know well enough that we cheer when they triumph and mourn when they are killed. For this is war, after all, and those serving on the side we readers are allied with are as much at risk as their enemies. I'm not going to go into the plot here. For that, you should go buy this book and read it. ASAP. The story is told through beautifully rendered, highly-detailed, multi-paneled full-color pages in a large 9X12 format. The illustrations are so detailed that you can identify makes and models of vehicles, read text on computer screens and tell which Earthly weapons systems were the prototypes for the Alpha Shade military equipment. Action scenes vividly capture the stress combat has placed on the characters. The characters show many nuances of expression that are captured perfectly on the pages. My copy of this book was an exceptional example of printed comic art, done on heavy glossy stock and sturdily bound. I found none of the flubs typical of printed full-color comic art. I'm anxious for release of Vol. 2 of this series. Which I intend to buy the minute it's available. (^_*)
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prepare yourself for something new and unexpected.,
By Brian "Brian" (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Alpha Shade, Chapter 1 (Paperback)
"Alpha Shade" is a highly-unique comic experience that challenges its readers by defying typical expectations. Those that hurriedly flip through the book's pages or skim them on the official website seem equally quick to dismiss it as some sort of American poseur manga clone. Words like "steampunk" or "anime style" are casually thrown around with the arrogant faux-authority of a person basking in a self-proclaimed and presumptious sense of "expertise." All these comments do is prove that such people haven't actually read it.
This is a shame, because this book is operating on a completely different artistic and storytelling level. "Alpha Shade" is *not* manga, and shouldn't be dismissed as a deritative attempt to ape that particular style. For those that can appreciate the graphic novel as a distinct medium, this book is worth your valuable time. Those that actually take the time to carefully read this book (as opposed to those that lazily form an opinion based on pre-formed assumptions) will be rewarded with a story that credits the reader's intelligence. The authors have created a fascinating world where military technology and supernatural animals co-exist, using it as the backdrop to detail an assassination attempt in the middle of a warzone. Rather than burden the audience with endless exposition, the story presents its fantastical details very matter-of-factly. We're ushered through the first chapter without immediately knowing every character's motivation, much less the "rules" of this strange world, which makes a change from traditional storytelling. This has the unusual effect of not only throwing the reader off-balance, but encouraging them to turn the page in order to learn more. It can be unsettling, and perhaps off-putting to those that aren't able or willing to think critically while reading. Alan Moore's "Watchmen" is often hailed as a groundbreaking and defining entry in the world of graphic novels, but it's hardly an easy read. "Alpha Shade" aspires to similar heights, in that it's attempting to forge new territory in its approach to storytelling. The conclusion will undoubtedly throw the reader for a loop, while the words "End Chapter One" remind them that this is only the first entry in what promises to be a highly-detailed and epic multi-volume saga. The art is astonishing, with action sequences in particular being beautifully rendered. Characters and settings are carefully detailed, while the intense color has the images practically bursting off of the page. Every panel looks as if it could be a still frame from a fully animated feature. The creators continue to offer their work for free on their website (www.alpha-shade.com), posting pages as they are completed (meaning that the beginning of Chapter 2 can be enjoyed, although it too defies expectations). While the website is a fascinating way to observe a work-in-progress, it can admittedly make for a frustrating reading experience - it isn't designed or intended to work as a "daily web strip." The story is best served by having access to the entire collection of pages in print form, making Chapter 1 of "Alpha Shade" an essential purchase if one is to enjoy it in its full glory. The narrative pace is better served as well, as there is a definite "calm before the storm" flow to the proceedings that's more easily appreciated in print form. While we're all entitled to our opinion, I find that the tone of the first reviewer's writeup highly suspect (it seems unnecessarily venomous and doesn't elaborate on any of its "points"). It should be noted that this softcover book is printed on 100 lb glossy paper (60 lb paper is magazine stock) and is sturdily bound (a good thing, since you'll be reading it many times to take it all in). Contrary to what the first reviewer suggested, these pages are *not* going to fall out. Production is top-notch and the price is well within reason, considering the exceptional quality of the book. Then again, that particular reviewer might know all that if they actually had a copy. In an age where our entertainment is spoon-fed to us, it is absolutely refreshing to come across a story that asks its audience to become actively involved and ask questions rather than leading them like sheep through a predicatable narrative. "Alpha Shade" has plenty of curve balls to throw at you, and is a breath of fresh air in a medium that has seen its fair share of stagnancy. A worthwhile purchase.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This kind of dedication is hard to find in webcomics,
By
This review is from: Alpha Shade, Chapter 1 (Paperback)
Alpha Shade is one of the few webcomics out there that has a plan. They know exactly where they're going with the story, they have a long-term plan to turn their comic into a profitable business, and they strongly believe in quality over quantity (consider that the material in this book took 20 months to complete.) Some people say that this chapter, the first of more than 30 that they have planned, doesn't have much story, but that is mostly incorrect. This chapter was meant to be an "action intro", something that all forms of media have employed, and successfully at that. These 90 pages are meant to get you to ask questions, like "Why is the flyer rider so passionate about killing Laura?" and "Why is the gold watch so important to Laura?" This is exactly what action intro are supposed to do; get you interested. In this case, such an intro works to great effect, at least for me.
Aside from the comic, the Brudlos brothers also post audio commentary on their website, www.alpha-shade.com. They talk about the most recent pages, not just the story being told but problems that may have come up in production, things that they're particularly proud of, comments they've gotten (the good, the bad, and the downright moronic.) People who allege that the brothers are just making up the story obviously have not heard the whole story behind the comic, and if they're calling it a Last Exile ripoff, they probably haven't read the comic very well either. All in all, Alpha Shade chapter 1 is a high quality product. The content is richly detailed and the print quality is higher than any other print version of a webcomic that i have seen (that includes Megatokyo.) I look forward to years of purchasing new chapters of this story and seeing the direction in which the brothers take this story Harry Z
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
