In the Highlands of the Middle Kingdoms, where witches and warlords vie for power, a warrior-priestess named Artesia fights for her King against the rules of rival citadels. The Highlands of Daradja are dotted with ancient citadels and castles, held by petty kings and clans that war against each other and the brigand bands that plague the bleak mountains and valleys. Artesia, once a concubine to King Branimir of the Citadel of Dara Dess, has in time risen to become one of his chief war captains; a priestess to dread goddesses; and a magician like her mother once was, controlling warlike spirits. She and her captains carry the cause of their King against his enemies in the field, but afraid of her growing power, her King betrays her and takes new allies: knights from the neighboring Middle Kingdoms, who follow a foreign god, the Divine King, and persecute witches. And in the middle of betrayal and tragedy comes word that the Middle Kingdoms have been invaded by an ancient enemy to them all, the Empire of Thessid-Gola...
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bold, complex, and stirring!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Artesia Volume 1: The First Book Of Dooms (Book of Dooms 1) (Paperback)
Perhaps "complex" should have been listed first in the title. I first read Artesia in the singles format, waiting a month or more for each issue to come out. The story was so complex, the characters so numerous, that I found it difficult to follow. I loved the art, though... and each issue left me intrigued to continue buying it. Once all six issues had been released, I read them together and things became more clear: characters stood out, I began remembering what they looked like. On the third read (the trade paperback version, which I'm reviewing here), I was very comfortable with the material and enjoyed it immensely. I was able to find depth and meaning on several layers, with each read showing me more than I had caught previously.For the story and setting, I originally thought that this series reminded me of the movie Braveheart. Certainly, the setting is a fantasy world that is similar to the Middle Ages. Power is obtained, and kept, through force. This translates to lots of medieval combat, which personally, is not my forte. But on further reads, things became clearer and I started picking up on the politics, magic/religion, and spirituality of the series. Artesia herself is a strong female character, and yet sensual when she wants to be. The magic is low key, consisting mostly of blessings and runes/sigils, and not pyrotechnics. This is obviously not Dungeons & Dragons. The writing is intelligent, and it's here that I really began to enjoy the book. Characters are written with motives, not as good or evil. In Artesia's fully-developed world, there is political conflict not only due to physical boundaries (such as land disputes, or relations with other kingdoms), but also due to belief systems (old beliefs vs. newer ones). Characters plot and scheme and it leaves me with the feelings that this could easily be real. Visually, I immediately loved the painted landscapes and the details of the character's armor and heraldry. It is simply beautiful and amazing. I can't imagine what it takes to draw & paint such art. The more I became familiar with the characters, the more I appreciated the way the faces & bodies of the characters were drawn as well. (Originally, I thought their features only mediocre.) I also appreciate the way magic effcts are handled; I almost didn't notice them. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys "realistic" fantasy novels, as this is as close as you can get to a novel and yet remain a work of graphical fiction. If you like medieval warfare, there is plenty for you here; if you like the scheming and politics of kings & queens, then you'll also be happy. Artesia is a book you can read several times and find new things each time.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Original and captivating.,
By Greeko (Italy) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Artesia Volume 1: The First Book Of Dooms (Book of Dooms 1) (Paperback)
It's really hard to take this book on its own, being that's it's intended to be part of a 22-book series (which, by now, has seen 3 books finished). Smylie's art obviously evolves during the series, starting with pencils and ending with a combination of (more) watercolors and (less) pencils. Truthfully, the art is not the book's strongest feature, though most of it stands above the majority of today's titles. Additionally, it's obvious Smylie has put in a lot of work researching armor, weapons, etc.It's the world that captivates though. Smylie has come up with a mythology at once original and familiar to anyone with passing knowledge of the Celtic and Judeo-Christian religions. As the story progresses (and this becomes more evident when one reads the second and third books after this one), one also gets to travel through the broader world Smylie has constructed. You get to see different, realistic cultures--many reminiscent of our own--with different (and often conflicting) views on life and morality. There are "good" guys and "bad" guys, but, mercifully, Smylie avoids the cliche generalization of "good" and "bad" countries, focusing instead on individual virtue, honor, and merits. Artesia herself is larger than life to the Daradjans allied to her, but is in turn viewed as less than virtuous to their neighbors. Best of all, the book is written intelligently. The dialogue is layed out in the same way that people speak. The characters assume that you have become familiar enough with them that (after their introduction) they don't necessarily exclaim each others' names every other sentence. Also, the author assumes that you read the nice essays on the mythos, history, religion, etc., so that when a character invokes a deity or a historical figure, he does so in a matter befitting his person, and not in a way that obviously caters to an invisible audience. I would reccommend this book to someone who wants to invest some time in following a long-lasting story. If you are not familiar at all with Artesia, the collected trade paperbacks are a great way to catch up and to read the story as I truly think they were meant to be. Unless this is definitely not your cup of tea (and I don't think you'd be dropping $25 if this was the case), you'll probably find yourself waiting for the next collection to arrive as well. A trully engrossing read and well worth the money.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling, Detailed, Beautiful!,
By
This review is from: Artesia Volume 1: The First Book Of Dooms (Book of Dooms 1) (Paperback)
Mark Smylie's Artesia is the perfect combination of compelling lead character, richly detailed setting and absolutely beautiful artwork that marks the best epic fantasy tales.
I picked up Artesia: Besieged #1 (the first chapter of what will be the Fourth Book of Dooms) on a lark last week, having enjoyed several of the other titles Smylie's Archaia Studio Press has recently released -- The Lone and Level Sands, Robotika and Mouse Guard -- and was totally captivated by it. I bought this last week and devoured it on the train ride home, not the least bit concerned about anyone catching a glimpse of the not-so-occasional panel of nudity (male and female, including full frontal) because the presentation is so clearly artistic, and the overall tone of the series is refreshingly mature. Even my wife noted the beautiful artwork while flipping through it briefly, especially impressed with Artesia herself. If you enjoy the fantasy genre at all, then you should give Artesia a look-see, because Smylie has created an immersive world that will absolutely suck you in. There's even a role playing game based on it, the highly regarded Artesia: Adventures In The Known World.
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