Customer Reviews

God Save The Queen

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an interesting book that goes in many directions at once. The subject matter is grim, the protagonist has lost her father and is adopted by a group of junkies who use her blood to shoot up. She is drawn into a violent struggle between two queens of the Faerie kingdom at a tremendous personal cost. Moments of levity are interspersed, to varying degrees of success, between action sequences and introspection. Similarly, the art veers from the grotesque to the sublime, following the tone of the narrative. Unfortunately, the story often moves too fast and becomes forced. Overall, while it certainly isn't for everyone due to the subject matter but fans of the authors should give it a read.

John Bolton's stylish art adds a much-needed breath of life and drama to this otherwise uninspiring tale of a modern-take infestation of fairies in north London.

The plot is a bit jumpy - a lot of things happen very quickly and with a great deal of melodrama. Perhaps if this were twice the length, Carey would have had the time to build a little more empathy. But as it is, he's forced to hit the reader with the drama bat at every turn.

The main character's angst is irritating and her inevitable redemption is entirely unearned. An attempt at crazy/beautiful/gothic/angst, she's actually self-absorbed throughout - even her moments of clarity and self-realization come across as self-pitying.

Although it tries to combine the majesty of Faerie with the grittiness of London noir, it falls short on both counts. If angsty teenagers getting involved in the Faerie civil war is really your thing, I'd recommend McKelvie's Suburban Glamour instead.

At heart, this graphic novel is a wonderful fable about growth, maturing, and truly discovering one's parents in the process of discovering oneself. Neither the Brothers Grimm nor their predecessors could have composed a better backstory.

The look and language instilled in this graphic novel, by Mike Carey and John Bolton, will put off many who aren't already familiar with "Books of Magic" or the "Sandman" graphic novels. That's a shame, because "Goth" is more than appropriate attire for the dangerous and duplicitous Faerie world and its denizens. Indeed, the image of Puck has barely been altered from certain "classical" depictions, giving this book a familial tie to the tradition of faerie illustration.

Even if some portions of the story seem rushed, particularly the final battle, the central conflict between Linda and her mother is the true heart of this story. This is a tale about moving from faux sophistication to compassionate adulthood, and it deserves a large readership.

I am generally a huge fan of Mike Carey and John Bolton individually - so a collaberation between them is always a treat. Though cunningly told and lushly rendered, it is a bit difficult to follow at points. The story has a few jagged edges that may be hard to assimilate into the story on your first go, and some of the panels tend to get a bit blurry, making it difficult to be sure of what exactly is happening.

Bottom Line: this work gets 4 stars despite it's flaws because it has a lot of re-readable value.