#took me so longnto answer this because every time i remembered i was already incoveniently in bed so i couldnt take pictures

[slagathorius-maximus]

ooooo tell me about squire by sara alfageeh

OK so first thing u gotta know is its a graphic novel and the art is super duper cool i absolutely love the character designs. its a fantasy novel and its setting is based off like. the middle east but you also have elements from the ottoman empire and like. not a standard european fantasy setting so its very fun. similar concepts translated into different cultures

here’s some art from the end (like comcept art/character design pages)

anyway i really enjoyed the art and i think it made the plot even better.

and speaking of the plot — plotwise, it’s not new or anything, and it’s actually maybe — not simplistic, but at least not as deep as it could have been? but i think that the characters were really well done, the relationships were interesting and fun (especially the friendships) and you have a very different setting to what you see in standard fantasy peasant-to-knight sort of novels. so those things make up for any lacking plot anyway.

i had to reread to remember what actually happens in the plot, which is basically that the main character aiza signs up to train to become squire, which is like a knight. problem: she is ornu. they’re part of the bayt-sajji empire but comsidered second class because racism and recently conquered etc etc. now in the army she deals with training, making friends, and figuring out what she really wants to fight for, while also trying to keep her being ornu hush-hush

because its a graphic novel it is a bit faster to read which is why i think it doesnt go into as much detail as a uhh words book on certain plot points, especially if you sort of skim read like me, but homestly its so fun,, so worth it,, i also liked the thought that went into the main side characters, they’re not , like. flat (husni is GREAT).

it’s also a Thick and Big Book so it feels nice :>