Talli, Daughter of the Moon Vol. 2

Talli, fille de la Lune #2

by Sourya Sihachakr, François Vigneault (Translator)

A fugitive princess. A deadly pursuit. A dangerous secret.

On the run from the ruthless forces of Lord Ulric and Captain Nina who seek the extermination of the magical women known as Summoners, Princess Talli and her motley crew of companions find themselves cut off from their chosen route of escape and forced to traverse the deadly Forbidden Forest. Can Talli and her team make it to the other side without getting eaten by wild animals? Will they find refuge in the kingdom of Lady Sybbyl? And can Talli perfect her control of her incredible powers in her moment of need?

The second installment of Talli, Daughter of The Moon from French-Laotian cartoonist Sourya brings together the best of manga and bandes dessinées in one sweeping narrative.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics Manga

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2019

About the author

Sourya est né en 1986 et vit aujourd’hui à Angoulême. Diplômé de l’Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués de Paris, et de l’École des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation Angoulême, il a notamment assuré la réalisation et l’animatique du pilote d’El Sistema pour Prélude Animation, et travaillé comme animateur sur Les Mondes de Pahé (Blue Spirit Animation). Il a reçu en 2009 le prix du public au concours Canal J : Les Espoirs de l’Animation pour La Leçon de Piano. Rouge est son premier album de bande dessinée.

Reviews

[KSena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one got a higher rating than part one. Because I like some darkness in my stories, and this sure had it!

Also, the higher rating is for the huge battle scene in the cursed forest. That was REALLY cool! And one of the reasons I really like manga style comics. The fights are just that much cooler in them.

And I FINALLY found out some background stories about the characters. I thought Alan was just a comic relief. A skilled knight, but hopeless in social situations. He still is that, but now I found out what drives him. It was really cute and sure gave some debt to the character.

And I FINALLY FINALLY found out why Lelo doesn't sleep at night. And HO BOY! That got dark REAL quick! I knew he and Pavel once was a part of a thieves guild. And those tend to be harsh and scary, sure. But damn, girl. That was... another level. Yes, it was HORRIBLY dark. But it's over quickly, and since it's black and white artwork, it's not too bad. So I'll keep them in the all-ages-shelf at the library. Because I think a lot of what happened to Lelo as a little kid goes right over the small kid's head. And it adds to the adventure in a HUGE way.

Personally I just want to cuddle the poor boy...

Anyhoodle, we find out more about Talli's powers and the religion that surrounds it, which was quite interesting too. It's quite an interesting and cool fantasy world this writer and artist has built around this story. Truly enjoy digging my teeth into it.

Only one part left now!

[Therese Sedin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riktigt spännande!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This forest. Something's off about it. The knee-deep snow? The inscrutably dangerous cliffsides? The paw prints of a massive wolf? Yes. Something's wrong with this forest, presumed off-limits to most human-folk and which climbs the mountains and swallows all who enter.

TALLI: DAUGHTER OF THE MOON v2 is as beautiful, adventurous, and dynamic as its initial volume. A crew of stubborn individuals, each with their own quirks, pushes into a dark forest to avoid pursuit from the testy Lord Ulric and his Special Brigade of warriors. But this forest is unforgiving. Will the elements take their toll? Or will older, wilder, more ancient creatures emerge from the shadows? Pavel and Lélo. Lady Talli and Sir Alan. Captain Nina. No matter how wedded these fighters are to ensuring the safety of a certain white-haired summoner of historic heritage, the mission means nothing if they fall to tooth and claw and cold in this dreaded forest.

TALLI v2 is well-structured and well-paced. One can easily be put off at the prospect of learning three backstories, surviving multiple fights with ensorcelled wolves, and trudging through a mysterious forest and all in the same volume. And yet, somehow, Sourya does this with incredible finesse. Good storytelling informs readers (and other characters) of what they need to know, when they need to know it. Patience is a virtue, yes, but so also are prudence and discretion. Why does Lélo refuse to sleep at night? Why is Captain Nina so unfailingly devoted to Lord Ulric? Why is Sir Alan so oddly rational?

Part of what makes this graphic novel so fantastic is that its characters know they're missing certain pieces of the puzzle as they actively solve it. For example, Lady Talli busily reads an old tome on a defunct sect of believers who yield to Meness, the goddess of the moon, but at the same time, the young woman is well aware of the fate of every summoner before her: war, violence, and sacrifice. Lady Talli is fearless, and that could well get her killed.

Readers who adored the creator's magnificent background artwork from the previous volume will find more details to drool over in the current book. Glimpses of giant, "legendary" beasts take up whole pages; kinetic action sequences follow multi-strike encounters between the hero group and their foes; and a change in weather shifts the character-environment dynamic in unexpected ways. For example, when a pack of wolves attacks the group, the author offers readers multiple wide-angle shots, very carefully keeping track of who was attacked and where, and positioning them accordingly in the broader camera shot.

The artist's use of sunlight offers another example. On a mid-morning jaunt, sunlight knifes through tall, snow-covered conifers on an otherwise dim forest path; dawn overlooks a chain of nameless valleys, also beset with snow; and elsewhere, on the eve of a seasonal festival, Dame Sybbyl, previously mentioned as a safe harbor for Lady Talli and her group, takes bread and wine with a council of townsfolk as the morning sun pushes through ornately speckled windows. TALLI v2 is a beautiful book, and when one isn't preoccupied with the details of cloaks, sword hilts, table décor, hair jewelry, battlefield wounds, and more, one can sit back, relax, and take in the scenery.

TALLI: DAUGHTER OF THE MOON v2 is full of the good stuff. The action is extensive but well-organized, the characters are chatty but conscientious of their station and influence, and the number of external conflicts are proportionally exposed. Indeed, how desperate is Lord Ulric, and what was with that throwaway quip about Talli's mother? Who are the adventurer twins Max and Maddie, and do they really owe allegiance to the goddess of the moon like they say? How much is Lady Talli willing to sacrifice to ensure her friends stay safe against darker, more nefarious, magical foes?

[Bel ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

A fast paced, adventure story continuing the adventures of volume 1. If you read and enjoyed Vol. 1, this is an easy recommendation. This tale shines more light on the main characters strengths and weaknesses, while also exploring some of their background.

Volume 2 is a lovely addition introducing new enemies, a heated pursuit, as well as showcasing the importance of trust and the possibility within the unknown.

A great addition to the series, I am intrigued to see where to adventure leads in Vol. 3!

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for the complimentary e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

CW: animal death, blood

[Štěpán · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biggest issues with Talli are that it moves very slowly and that the main character is the least interesting part of the whole story. The lack of character voice is dragging the whole comic down. The art is gorgeous, playful and really cool. The monsters are monstering, and the splash pages are awesome. But what would be a much shorter escapade in manga, here is very long and slow. Generally, I do not mind it, but the author's enthusiasm to write and draw these characters slows everything down and shows things which do not move the story forward. If the series were finished and one were to read it from the beginning to the end, the story would probably benefit a lot from that.

[Evee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

5⭐ for a compelling sequel.

Talli, Daughter of the Moon Vol 2 is a French medieval fantasy comic about a young woman named Talli being hunted down by a rival of her father's, Lord Ulric, and the forces he's sent after her.

Talli's story continues on as she and her companions race their way to sanctuary at Dame Sybbyl's keep. Chased by the persistent Captain Nina, Talli and her crew of misfits soon find themselves battling the captain and her soldiers. The battle ends with Nina held hostage and the ragtag group fleeing with her into the Forbidden Forest.

Forced to join Talli's group for her own survival (and the ability to capture Talli once they're free from the forest), Captain Nina bides her time, but the longer she is with them, the more she begins to question what she was raised to believe about Summoners--especially when they all are met with the threat of death by the Forest King.

The second volume is a really solid continuation of the series, and I read through it so quickly that the ending came before I expected it to. Impatiently waiting for the English release of volume three and recommending books one and two to my friends!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't say much since it's a direct continuation from the previous volume. but this title continues to be full of action and great characters. Just a gem.

[Casey Halvorsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much NetGalley and Oni Press for access to this arc!

5/5 stars!

I really really enjoyed this second volume of Talli! It was so exciting, so much happened that it went by so quick, when I got to the end I was like WHAT TO BE CONTINUED WHAT DO YOU MEAAANNN 🤣 I am liking the story and character development a lot! The art is just as lovely as the first volume as well. I can't wait to read what comes next!

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Oni Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. The story continues as lady Talli and her crew continue their journey full of danger and battles big and small. We also learn more about the characters. Can’t wait to see how the story continues! Highly recommend!

[Jenna Wine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting for volume two for forever!! My library got the first volume last year and I absolutely fell in love with Talli and her story. I am so pleased to see it continue and watch her and her bad ass friends take down spooky demon wolves. The story was WAYYYY too short and I need more!! Cannot wait for this to be published to buy for my library :) love love love

[Sunread26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2025/...

Extrait :
Je continue encore un peu cette nouvelle série, je ne sais encore pas comment la suite va se passer niveau publication. J’avais plutôt bien aimé le premier tome, mais pas au point d’en être tombée sous le charme non plus. La lecture de ce nouveau volume devrait donc m’aider à mieux percevoir les possibilités de la série et une potentielle appréciation de ma part. Après tout, un seul tome pour se faire un avis sur une série entière, c’est selon moi un peu léger, donc je continue souvent un peu plus loin. Bien sûr, il m’arrive aussi de ne pas du tout aimer dès le premier et dans ce cas, je ne continue pas, mais si mon avis est plutôt neutre, je continue.

On reprend le tome avec un flashback concernant Nina, dans le présent, elle vient d’être capturée par le groupe de Talli et se trouve inconsciente. Dans son passé, on apprend qu’elle a été recrutée après avoir été capturée pour avoir pillée la troupe du Lord Ulric. C’est assez peu comme information, mais on peut imaginer que si elle volait, c’est parce qu’elle est livrée à elle-même. Donc soit elle a été abandonnée, soit elle est orpheline. Elle se décrit comme une chasseuse et non comme une guerrière, donc peut-être qu’elle savait déjà manier l’arc, mais comment, ça aucune idée. En tout cas, le Lord a vu en elle un certain talent et l’a donc recruté dans son groupe. Je suppose qu’elle le voit réellement comme une figure paternelle, ce qui pourrait la rendre plus difficile à amadouer… Au moins, cela explique son fort caractère et le fait qu’elle semble sous le commandement de personne au sein du groupe du Lord. Lui-même semble s’inquiéter un minimum de son cas, puisqu’il demande s’ils ont retrouvés son corps, ou alors, il cherchait juste à savoir si elle était encore en vie et donc utilisable, qui sait ? En attendant, elle se retrouve désormais avec Talli et les autres, n’ayant pas d’autres choix que de coopérer pour survivre. Elle sait qu’elle ne pourra pas sortir seule de la forêt et surtout, je pense qu’elle n’a pas oubliée son objectif de capturer Talli. Même si elle semble devenir plus agréable au côté du groupe, elle pourrait vite se retrouver les fesses entre deux chaises si le Lord vient à apparaître. J’aime beaucoup ce personnage avec un fort caractère, mais ayant la tête sur les épaules, j’espère donc qu’elle deviendra une véritable alliée par la suite, même si la voir en antagoniste, peut aussi être une bonne chose. Comme le Lord est montré à la fin du tome, j’imagine qu’il rattrapera le groupe d’ici un tome ou deux.

Une fois de retour dans le présent, on apprend que le groupe est rentré dans une forêt maudite. Ce qui est à la fois très effrayant mais aussi une bonne opportunité. Après tout, si elle est crainte pour sa dangerosité, leurs ennemis pourraient être ralentis. Mais d’un autre côté, cela pourrait aussi leur retomber dessus… Ce qui finit évidemment par arriver comme ils sont entrés en premier. Des loups les attaquent en groupe, Talli et les autres parviennent à les repousser tant bien que mal, mais ce combat n’est que le déclencheur de quelque chose de bien plus grand. On apprend par exemple, que la déesse de la lune n’est pas la seule à avoir des représentants ou que sais-je (j’ignore s’ils ont une nomination particulière). Un dieu maléfique en a également ou du moins, il lui en reste d’une certaine manière. Le but de ses morceaux est de semer le chaos dans le monde et surtout, d’éliminer les invocatrices. Décidemment, elles n’ont pas de chances, elles sont pourchassées de toutes parts. Une autre révélation a lieu, grâce à la rencontre avec deux nouveaux personnages, mais j’en parlerais dans la chronique du prochain tome. Le chef de la meute de loup, n’est rien d’autre qu’un loup gigantesque et si ses subornés semblent infinis, ce n’est pas son cas. Toutefois, pour le vaincre, il faudra faire preuve d’habileté et de précision, car l’animal est loin d’être idiot. Le résultat est un combat très dynamique et réussi avec un superbe travail d’équipe. Le passé de Lélo aussi est montré, afin d’indiquer pourquoi il ne peut plus dormir la nuit et ça se comprend le pauvre. J’imagine que son évolution à lui sera d’arriver à combattre cette peur qui le prend en otage.

[...]

[TheReadingAngel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5

Volume 2 of Talli picks up right where they left off. Only 2 days ahead of the usurper, Talli and the gang find themselves struggling to make their way through the mountains until they come across new allies but also new enemies.

Another solid book from French creator Sourya. I love the artwork and I was excited to see new characters. It’s setting up to be an epic story for sure.

I feel like this series could easily be adapted into a show. The action is so well drawn and executed, it’s almost like watching an animated version already.

I’m excited to continue reading this series. This volume was too short!

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

This volume picks right up after the ending of the first one and is immediately fast paced and action packed. I don't normally enjoy a faster pacing just because the plot sometimes suffers because of it, but this series doesn't seem impacted too much by that. I particularly enjoyed getting to know more of Captain Nina's character and learning more of Lelo's backstory. I also still really love the artwork. I'm really excited to see where the story will take us next.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for granting me an arc of Talli.

This is the second volume in the Daughter of the Moon series and it doesn't disappoint.

It could have been a little longer, I was really getting into the story but what I read was great.

There's a couple of scenes with a large wolf and it made me think of Ghibli's Princess Monoke, whether or not the film inspired what I saw in Talli is something I don't know, but I loved it just the same.

I can't wait for volume 3!

[Sarah Szeszol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't sing my praises enough, this manga is exquisitely executed! I get so excited whenever I see a new volume has been posted. The art is incredible, the characters are well rounded and give me ghibli vibes, and the story is incredibly compelling!

Also Alan gives me Rock Lee vibes and I'm obsessed.

[Kindall [Unlimited] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is a little muddled due to the lack of color, there's a pretty detrimental lack of detail that I'd prefer to have. The "sound effects" they scrawled all over every photo in the last 3rd of the book were really distracting and, quite frankly, didn't make any sense. Other than those petty gripes this is quite the enjoyable series so far, I'll def pick up the others once translated.

[Cydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally get a little more unfolding of the backstory. Pacing felt a little slow, the narrative is still intriguing though, so I’ll continue reading.

[S46354595 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talli 1&2 Review

5/5 stars

I’ve been on a huge manga/graphic novel kick lately, so I nabbed these two from the library and gave them a try. I won’t be spoiling anything, so no worries. Onto the review!

I read the first two volumes of this French manga series this last week, because we had them at the library and they looked cool as heck. As I quickly found out, they are in fact really awesome.

We follow this girl, Talli, who has secret magical powers that allow her to summon giant creatures to fight for her. She does this every single time she bleeds, without fail. That’s just how it works. Imagine getting a paper cut and BAM! giant horned bird! There’s this running joke about her accidentally summoning for the first time when she got her first period, and oh wow, that’s horrifying. I never thought that experience could get any scarier until now. Holy crap.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this kind of power before, unless you count Sai from Naruto. But his thing is more about drawing animals and they come to life as little ink monsters. So yeah, this is very different from that.

At the start of this series, Talli has to leave her safe castle with her guard, because some people found out she was hiding there and want to kill her. The government is afraid of people with her powers, because they’re afraid of anyone and anything with power. I mean, yeah, she could use the powers for evil. We know that Talli would never be evil, but the government doesn’t know that.

Talli and her guard are headed to a neighboring country, where they were told the queen would help them. Along the way, they meet a washed up merchant and the boy staying with him who help them escape the soldiers chasing them. And…that’s pretty much the first volume. We mostly just meet the characters and are introduced to the conflict.

The second volume is where I really got invested. The soldiers cut them off from the main path, and they end up having to travel through this creepy forest. In this forest, there are a lot of angry wolves led by one giant wolf who want them to leave the forest. One of the top soldiers, this lady who looks a lot like Olivier Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist, ends up traveling with them, because she got separated from the group and can’t go back without being eaten by the wolves.

There’s some more discussion as to what Talli’s powers are and where they come from, because there are some villagers in the forest who worship the moon goddesses or something like that. I guess the powers all originally came from these goddesses and their descendants.

In order to get through the forest, they have to learn to work together with the soldier, or else the wolves will get them. I was getting major Princess Mononoke vibes from the second volume, with the big wolf being possessed by a demon.

There’s one panel in particular where I could picture a specific scene from Princess Mononoke. It was a reference to the one moment in the beginning of the movie when the first pig demon dies and his flesh rots off. I can stomach pretty much everything else in the movie with the blood and whatnot, except that one scene. You could have picked any scene to reference, and you go with that one? WHY? No one wants to remember that scene. But hey, it did the trick in making me immediately know that the author was intentionally taking inspiration from the movie.

I’m pretty sure there are also references to some of the Final Fantasy games in here. The author said in her notes at the end that those games were a huge inspiration to her. The world does feel a bit like the medieval worlds of Final Fantasy. Although, there’s a lot less creatures and the magic is nothing like the magic in the games. But you cannot tell me that the big horned bird Talli summons isn’t inspired by the Chocobo. She needs to learn how to ride it at some point. She just has to. I need that scene.

There’s a quote from some reviewer at the beginning of the first volume that says this is like a mashup of manga and French comics. I kept trying to figure out if there were references to Tintin or Archie or anything, but honestly it just felt like a typical shonen manga. Maybe that person was comparing the humor of manga to the humor of French comics. I mean, they’re kind of similar, I guess. At least from what I remember of watching the Tintin cartoon as a kid. I don’t think I’ve ever read the comics though, so I can’t say that for sure.

Overall, I had a fun time with these two volumes. Now I have to wait around for the third one to get translated. I have no clue how long the author is planning to keep this series going for, but I’m hoping it’s quite long. I love the characters already and I’m only two volumes in. If this ends up a short series I’ll be so sad we don’t get more. I’m also really hoping we eventually get an anime out of this. This would make such an amazing anime.

If this at all sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend giving it a try. But definitely read the first two back to back. You likely won’t be hooked until the second one.

Have a nice day/night everyone!

[Niniane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malgré un début un peu lent, ce tome se termine par une scène d'action bien dynamique et spectaculaire. J'espère que la série aura une conclusion satisfaisante avec le tome 3 !

[Erelah · Rating 4 out of 5]

the art is beautiful!! I definitely recommend it!! I can’t wait to grab book 3 from the library!

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Oni Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. The story continues as lady Talli and her crew continue their journey full of danger and battles big and small. We also learn more about the characters. Can’t wait to see how the story continues! Highly recommend!

[BreAnna (Bre'sBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Talli, Daughter of the Moon Vol. 2 by Sourya picks up right where the first installment left off. Talli and the gang are still on the run, but this time with a hostage? Can she be trusted? Will she kill them all in their sleep? We also meet a couple new friends while traveling through the ominous Forbidden Forest and they have to work together to defeat the ferocious Forest King.

I don't know what it is about this series that's so palatable, even when horrifying things happen, but it is so good. It's non-stop action, adventure, and mystery, all while giving you characters to cheer for and boo for, and yet it feels so fresh and unlike any other story I've read. Solid recommendation and eagerly anticipating volume 3!

[Tilda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skulle vilja denna delen 3,8 ⭐ av 5

Berättelsen kommer upp i takt och det händer mer saker som hänger samman. Vi får bakgrundshistoria till Lelos beteende till varför han inte sover om nätterna. Tecknarstilen tar tag i sig och blir bättre, något som gör att de fångar mig som läsare. Sedan älskar jag de enkla klara linjerna och tydligheten i tecknadet. Ett bra slut på del två och ser framemot att läsa del tre om det blir på svenska eller franska, får bara tiden utvisa.