God Save the Queen

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.

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.