Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant

Delilah Dirk #1

by Tony Cliff

Lovable ne'er-do-well Delilah Dirk has travelled to Japan, Indonesia, France, and even the New World. Using the skills she's picked up on the way, Delilah's adventures continue as she plots to rob a rich and corrupt Sultan in Constantinople. With the aid of her flying boat and her newfound friend, Selim, she evades the Sultan's guards, leaves angry pirates in the dust, and fights her way through the countryside. For Delilah, one adventure leads to the next in this thrilling and funny installment in her exciting life.

A little bit Tintin, a little bit Indiana Jones, Delilah Dirk is a great pick for any reader looking for a smart and foolhardy heroine... and globetrotting adventures.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is set in 1807 Istanbul but it’s a fantasy/anachronistic version of 1807 replete with flying boats, feminist protagonists and Roman-style aqueducts! Sword-wielding Indiana Jones-type Delilah’s out to steal treasure from an evil pirate villain and Selim, the titular Turkish Lieutenant, gets caught up for the ride.

I didn’t dislike Tony Cliff’s book but it’s definitely one for the kiddles rather than older readers like my increasingly ancient self. The story is far too simple for my blood - goodie steal valuable thing from baddie - as is the characterisation of the villain, who basically just “grrs” while his helmet covers his eyes. It also has kid’s book logic with the characters jumping off of their plummeting plane and surviving a many-thousands-feet drop because they landed in a tree!

Delilah is an unstoppable force. Whatever obstacle is in her way, she effortlessly overcomes it and that doesn’t make for interesting reading, as well as undercutting any tension the many action sequences could potentially drum up.

Still, Cliff’s art is lovely throughout and, despite the book being easy to put down, I couldn’t say I was ever bored - I just wasn’t that engaged because I’m clearly not the target audience for this kind of book. Older readers probably won’t be quite taken with this one but Delilah Dirk will bound to be a hit with teen comics readers instead.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A swashbuckling tale through Constantinople with Delilah Dirk and English lady who has become a fierce warrior and scoundrel. While escaping from jail, she accidentally implicates the Turkish Lieutenant and they join up on adventures.

Delilah is a whole lot of fun. She is sassy and she kicks whole armies of butt at one time. She is Fierce. I think the art is excellent with a hint of classical style with plenty of action thrown in. I could see this being a TV show.

First Second does a great job with this one. I had fun reading it and I will read the 2nd one.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great artwork. Not sure it had an actual story in it, just a lot of "boom" and "smash".

[Seth T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, I never had any concern with finding myself in the heroes of adventure stories. Being white and male, I had the privilege of being more than adequately represented in the protagonists of these adventures. Or at least roughly represented. Really roughly. Roughly enough so that no hero of any of the books or movies I loved remotely resembled me save that, perhaps, they had penises and skin that was lighter than it was dark. They might not have actually had penises—I never had the opportunity to check, nor would I have even considered the attempt. In truth, regardless my privilege, the heroes of my favourite adventures were always indelibly alien to me. The depth of their foreignness was complete. I did not have their strength, their skills, their abilities, their wit. Moreover, I could not conceive that I might ever share any of that je ne sais quoi that made them suitable heroes.

And here, on the cusp of Age Forty, I can look back and applaud the considerable judgment I possessed as a seven year old—because I have acquired none of those heroic traits (save perhaps a smidgeon of wit). I have always then wondered at those who are sad about not seeing themselves in their heroes. Chalk it up to privilege if you care to, or perhaps to the fact that I just never seemed to share in the growing-up experiences that so many of my friends had, but I have always imagined that I would feel as much disconnect between myself and my heroes as if I had been black or Asian or female. Because heroes were never even human to me. They were this Alien Other. When Spider-Man was Peter Parker, he wasn't like me. He was this non-human creature with amazing skills that was pretending to be me. He was the privileged one and he was wearing some equivalent of black-face to try to blend in, some human-face camouflage. It didn't work. Not for me.

Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy heroes or their adventures. I did. I ate that stuff up. I loved Spider-Man. I loved Rick Hunter. I loved Wolverine and Groo and Rogue and pre-ninja Psylocke and Nightcrawler and Tintin and Power Pack. And Kitty Pryde. While still foreign, Kitty Pryde was the adventure hero whom I could most relate to. I would of course never be able to be her or possess near a third of even her non-superhuman abilities. But if I were forced to relate to one of these fictional figures, it would have been her. And that's kind of the point: I didn't love these characters because I could relate to them. I loved them because they were unbelievable and fantastic. The stories they got wrapped up in were ludicrous and impossible and kind of delicious. And while I've mostly graduated from adventure tales[1], I'm still able to take great joy in the occasional episode—despite not feeling that I am remotely represented in the protagonist. Bone is fantastic and amazing, even though Fone Bone isn't even human. Raiders of the Lost Ark is thrilling, even though Doctor Jones is an immortal possessed of uncanny luck. The Sea Hawk is exciting and daring, even though there's nothing in my make-up that could possess me to commandeer a tallship or run a guy through with a rapier.

And I found Delilah Dirk as delightful a hero and her adventures as blisteringly exciting as any other—despite the fact that she is a woman and I, clearly, am not. And a woman that has skills and fortune greater than those of any man or woman in all of the combined histories of the real world. She has a winning personality and a basketful of impossible abilities. I don't know whether my daughter will take after me and feel no need to see herself in her protagonists,[2] but if she does hope to find herself in her heroes, she won't find that in Delilah. All the same, I expect she'll take as much joy in this episode as I do. Delilah Dirk may be unconvincing in terms of realism or relatability, but it's a grand little adventure.



While Delilah may be the book's hero, its narrator is someone who flies a little closer to the earth, the mostly accessible Turkish lieutenant, Selim. It is through the eloquent Selim that we encounter the whirlwind, Delilah Dirk. He is as incredulous as we might be when encountering a woman who is trained in forty-seven sword-fighting techniques, who sits as a high-ranking member of three royal courts, and who—in the preindustrial Mediterranean[3]—claims the power of flight. Selim is just a normal guy, mostly. He's a janissary lieutenant with astonishingly good taste in tea and a certain loquaciousness, but with no other skills to recommend him. Delilah helps him out of a bind and they begin their travels together, moving from hot water to scalding.



Only, when one is on Delilah Dirk's side, things can't get too hot—just more interesting. The only time when Miss Dirk isn't entirely in command of her situation, Selim is able to provoke her to action simply because in the present crisis he has far less to lose and so is less shocked by their predicament. Delilah Dirk is a woman-run show. Honestly, it'd be a delightful romp either way, but it's refreshing to see an overly competent woman in the Doctor Jones role for a change.

And beyond the easy romp of adventure, Cliff does allow for a moment's meditation on the risks and benefits associated with both adventure and a more staid provincial sort of life. The characters are, at a point, afforded the opportunity to retire free of the kinds of consequences that would plague William Munny in Clint Eastwood's masterpiece, Unforgiven. Each character gets to choose between quietly settling down to enjoy the fruits of labours and leaping once more into the unknown, with all the associated joys and terrors. In a more critical world, we might read Cliff as contemplating the tension between liberty and security—marking Delilah Dirk, for all its old-world Mediterranean elegance, as a thoroughly Third-Millennial American work. Delilah and Selim each make their own decisions for their own reasons, but the reader may enjoy the opportunity to exercise the question along with the two companions. For myself, I was reminded how adventurous I once was and wanted to be, but how with age crept in so great a desire for comfort and reliability that any remnant thirst for adventure is nearly quenched. A bittersweet acknowledgement, but I'm grateful to Cliff's book for bringing it to mind and giving me another opportunity to evaluate my own history and decisions.



Tony Cliff's art and writing are perfectly enjoyable. It was Delilah Dirk's gorgeous cover that first attracted me to the volume. I saw its beauty and dynamism and knew this was a book I'd need to pay attention to. Cliff's illustrations are fluid and graceful and his cartooning expressive. There is no ambiguity in his visual storytelling. Delilah is conveyed as a woman somewhere between elegant poise and a child's crafty mischief. Selim is drawn lean and astounded, wiry and witful despite being out of his element. Their dialogue is peppered with smarts and humour and keeps an enjoyable cadence. Even though Delilah Dirk is lighter fare, it's expertly conceived. I can't wait for more and hope the wait won't be too long.

I'm cheered that more and more great stories are featuring female protagonists. I'm grateful for Zita the Spacegirl , Spera , Broxo , Twin Spica , Friends with Boys , the works of Hope Larson and Raina Teglemeier, and the Hilda stories. And now, I'm grateful for Delilah Dirk. Not so much because these will be characters whom certain young women will be able to relate to (if that happens, I consider it a bonus), but because the proliferation of good, solid female heroes is a hint that things are getting better. That maybe the world my daughter grows up into won't bear women quite so much animosity as it did when my mother was growing up. That maybe it could be entirely good and safe and joyous to be a woman in the coming age.



One cannot escape one's privileges and so I cannot ever know what it feels like to be a woman. And yet, with great privileges come great responsibilities—so even if I cannot know that experience, I owe it to my daughter, my wife, my mother, my friends, and my whole society to listen to what I can't understand. To learn of what is hidden. To care deeply for the well-being of those who are other from me. And to invest in what is made mysterious by nature of my privilege. And if part of that involves taking joy in good books about great women, then consider me the luckiest of men.

More Delilah Dirk, please.
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[Review courtesy of Good Ok Bad.]
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Footnotes
1) Real big of me, I know, right?

I shouldn't by now, but I still do feel like I need to clarify when I say things like that. Probably because of the tongue-in-cheek way that I say them. I don't honestly think adventure stories are lesser stories, even though my personal history has trained me to believe that. For me, it's a matter of taste—yet my tastes are historically tied to different periods of my life. It's like metal. I listened to heavy metal, speed metal, and thrash metal from 8th grade to maybe a little before my high school graduation. So for me, justified or not, metal will always feel like something you listen to when you're a kid. Something you grow out of.

Because my taste in film and literature shifted away from adventure stories after highschool, I unconsciously associate those kinds of stories with my immaturity, and so adventure will always feel like something you grow out of. It will feel like that even if my rational mind denies the connection.

2) I'm not too concerned this won't be the case, as the character with whom she currently most identifies is Bartleby the rat creature.

3) The Ottoman janissary corps existed between AD 1383 and 1826, so Delilah Dirk occurs sometime within that window, probably earlier than later.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delilah is a rogue's rogue. She grew up travelling the world of the 19th century. Now she flits from town to town looking for adventure. Selim is her complete opposite, content to sit with his tea and friends for a night of companionship. They wind up on the road together when Selim gets blamed for something Delilah did.

The relationship between these two is delightful. Delilah is a strong, irreverent woman comfortable in her own skin. Selim reluctantly tags along out of a sense of obligation. The two of them together make for a very engaging read. Action-adventure at the top of its game. If you haven't read this, what are you waiting for?

[First Second Books]

Are you a fan of Robin McKinley's wonderful book THE BLUE SWORD? If so, you should read this book.

(If your answer to that question is 'no,' please note here that we are shocked and dismayed.)

I love how there was that whole period of the past where you could go to places and they could be poorly documented enough that there was magic there. (Or else -- everything is so different and un-like Britain! It _must_ be magic. -- which is just as amusing.)

Delilah Dirk is from just that period: she's a globe-trotting British heroine who is awesome! And instead of being all H. Rider Haggard-y, looking down upon the natives and also women until some sort of nature mother-goddess-y ritual experience has occurred, at which point there is problematic pastoralization, Delilah Dirk _is_ a woman, and then she teams up with a guy from Turkey to have adventures together in which Erdemoglu Selim (former lieutenant in the Turkish Janissary Corps) is the tea-drinking, what-the-hell's-going-on-with-this-flying-boat, probably-we-shouldn't-solve-this-problem-with-killing-people character and she's the uncivilized hoyden.

It's great!

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Delilah Dirk is such a badass she learned swordplay in Japan when the Shogun still enforced the policy that all foreigners must be beheaded. And she visited the American West possibly before Lewis and Clark (their expedition: 1804, this book, at which time her visit to the West is sometime in the past: 1807).

It is at this point that I put the book down to go read Connie Willis. Having fortified myself, I elected to give it a second try.

Selim manages to get tea from Ceylon about forty years before the British stole tea from China and transplanted it there.

And then there's Miss Dirk's wholly impractical and wildly anachronistic outfit. And the flying boat. With no method of propulsion.

Okay, look, if you can't be bothered to do historical research (or pay attention to physics), set your frolicking adventure in a fantasy world.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Effortlessly fun to read, Delilah Dirk is a fun, light weight, beautifully illustrated adventure comic, set in the Middle East of the early 19th century. I had high hopes for this book from looking at the cover, showcasing title character Delilah. On the cover, she looks like an active character, and pleased to be so, and attractive without being sexualized. It's an accurate reflection of her character within the book. Delilah is a deeply fun character to read about, a joyous swashbuckler. The Turkish lieutenant of the title, Selim, acts as her initially reluctant sidekick and the viewpoint character. It's basically a buddy book, and together Delilah and Selim remind me of Ferris Bueller and Cameron more than any other duo. And yes, it is a book that pairs an attractive man and an attractive woman together, then proceeds to make their relationship non-romantic. Sure, something may develop in later books, but here Delilah and Selim are good friends, and I like it that way.

And I really do have to mention the art, which is fantastic. Cliff's characters have great expressions, but the real stunners are his backdrops. Cliff's landscapes are simply gorgeous, a real pleasure to look at. His colors are vibrant and natural, which can be tough to pull off. There's a balance between "real life is brown" and primary color bonanza, and he hits it.

The prologue and first two chapters are available to read online.

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun graphic novel about adventure finding you when you least expect it. Ergemoglu Selim is a Turkish soldier who isn't much good at actual soldiering, though he does brew excellent tea. In Constantinople in 1807, that's not a recipe for career success in the military. Selim has at least one other skill, speaking English, which brings him into contact with adventurer and thief Delilah Dirk. She's imprisoned, he's assigned to question her... which somehow ends with his head on the chopping block, accused of abetting her escape. Spoiler alert: he gets away.

The book is named for Dirk, and she is a kick-ass woman with awesome hair that defies the laws of physics. Selim, though, is the narrator and the heart of the story. She's the impetuous adventurer, he's the realist. It's not an odd couple dynamic, but a complementary pair of friends who didn't know how much they needed each other until they met. She brings him out of his shell, and he finds his place in the world.

Had a great time reading this and the sequel!

[Blue Butterfly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the art style. The story was a lot of adventure but there was no real meaning behind what was happening. I think the backstory of Delilah will be explored in the next book.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars. This book was super interesting. The strong "hero" in this story is a female instead of a male. The male in the story is actually kind of helpless. This scenario was really refreshing and I absolutely loved it. The art was beautiful and the over all plot was entertaining. short review to come.

[Sincerae Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is the fourth graphic novel I've ever read. It's not quite as literary as Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical pair Persepolis or raunchy, orientalist claptrap as Craig Thompson's Habibi. It is the delightful first in a series.

Delilah Dirk has a complex background. She's a swashbuckling female sword master who is the daughter of an Englishman and a Greek woman. Delilah has been traveling around the world since she was a little girl living the adventurous life and getting into all kinds of trouble. Her father is an ambassador. She is also connected to European aristocracy, but the aristocratic side of her heritage is tedious and pretentious to her. She prefers living a tough and rugged existence out on the road, up in the air in her flying boat, and sailing on the high seas.

Delilah meets Lieutenant Erdemoglu Selim while in jail in Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey in 1807. He is her interrogator, and he wants to know why she's in his city and why she dresses the way she does, like a cross between a pirate and a Greek goddess. Mr. Selim says she looks like she would be at home on a street corner. This is the meanest he ever is toward her because he's a nice guy and a topnotch gentleman. He offers Delilah tea and some biscuits, and she is impressed with his tea. Lieutenant Selim is a kind soul who isn't quite cut out to be a soldier. He's a member of the elite Ottoman Turkish Janissary corps, but he's a Turkish gentleman who speaks in flowery courtly language and is fluent even in English. Even though he's a military man there is very little that's warlike about him. Delilah is the warrior. Lieutenant Selim wants the quiet life of chatting with a few friends and making and drinking tea. He's a master tea maker and aficionado. So Delilah Dirk and Lieutenant Selim are extreme opposites who find themselves drawn together into adventure and friendship.

When I discovered this book on Amazon I did a Google search and found the author's page. On it he has a 40 page preview of Delilah Dirk. I wanted to see if the book might be filled with orientalist depictions, but what I found was not. Though flawed, and the author humbly admits that his story has its' shortcomings, Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is lighthearted. I liked Lieutenant Selim even better than Delilah. In some ways his character is more developed. One of the people that Tony Cliff says consulted him about the book is Turkish, so he wasn't totally relying on his imagination on his own.

I would have loved to give this graphic novel 5 stars, but a handful of drawings were a little too small. plus the dialogue and art in these were a little difficult to see or confusing in arrangement. Also Lieutenant Selim's teapot is not the two tiered Turkish caydanlik. However, perhaps in Ottoman times the teapots were not always two tiered.

Nevertheless, I do recommend this book for not solely its' designated age group (12-18), but for adults as well. Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is a lovable comic. It's a humorous, escapist, historical graphic novel.

The preview to Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant can be read at the following link.
http://www.delilahdirk.com/

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant was such a wonderful surprise! WOW. It takes place in 1807 Mediterrenean/Middle East area all the way to parts of Southern Europe I believe. It follows Delilah and Selim (the Turkish Lieutenant) on a great adventure!

Characters: ★★★★★
Delilah is funny, sassy, and doesn't take herself too seriously. She's also this kick ass, sword yielding BAD ASS. I really love her. Selim is this every day man who would be very content to lead quiet life drinking a cup of tea with a few good friends. I loved them both. Their development was great. I really adored Selim's development. Really wonderful.

Plot: ★★★★★
ACTION PACKED. I like the way Tony Cliff used this setting and these characters as a way to explore the yearning for adventure even if we are content with a normal, quiet life. It's a common feeling many feel. I feel it myself at times, and I like the way Selim really grabs life with both hands and goes for it. Delilah's back story was really great too. I want that to be explored even more!

Art (in lieu of writing): ★★★★
I quite enjoyed the art. It's pretty beautiful.

Feels: ★★★
I experience quite a few especially at the end. I liked that it didn't get sappy, but I felt the weight of the bond between Delilah and Selim form so nicely!

Ending: ★★★★
Great closure, but at the same time open for many, many adventures! So I liked it alot!

Overall Enjoyment: ★★★★
Overall, I loved it, but I have a feeling now that everything is established the next volume is going to be even better.

Final Rating: 4.17 stars to be specific --- ★★★★

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel is about the swashbuckling (mis)adventures of Delilah Dirk. I especially like that the story starts in Constantinople and includes a Turkish angle. The art is good, and while I enjoyed all the action, I'm not sure that there was an actual plot. Still, this a fun read with an unorthodox heroine.

[Kayla Charisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel was a fun read and I really liked the art style, however I wish there would've been more depth with the characters. Overall, I enjoyed it and will be picking up the next Delilah Dirk adventure when it's released!

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun! I hadn't heard of Delilah Dirk (what a great name!) before I received a galley copy through Netgalley. I had a bit of trouble getting it downloaded (this probably because it is a galley - Kobo couldn't manage it, Overdrive would not take pdf and finally our library's eReader, iDCL Reader, was up to the task), but once I got going, I dropped everything else and read straight through.

I loved the artwork, love the story and characters, style, time period...all of it. Both Delilah and the Turkish Lieutenant (Selim) are wonderful characters; she's walking trouble with big personality - funny, feisty, adventuresome, self-sufficient and unapologetic, and he's an unassuming, good natured, self-deprecating kind of guy with a taste for tea (which won me over immediately anyway) and, as surprising to him as anyone else, adventure.

There's some great comedy and ironic humor to enjoy, along with nonstop action and adventure. I could have gone another hundred pages or so. Give me more!!

I was reminded of a couple other "action/adventure" movie characters, but I think we can all draw the same conclusions on those and let this just be what it is. It WOULD be fantastic fodder for a movie with the right actress, I've got to say.

Recommended for:
Tweens, Teens & Adults
Strengths: strong female character & well adjusted male character.
Weakness: dialogue font is a little thin on the larger ipad. May be difficult to read on other tablet devices.

[Dov Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

To quote Raina, "Manic Pixie Dream Girl with light-hearted sword-murder."

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And to quote Skye "Fun graphic novel about adventure finding you when you least expect it. Ergemoglu Selim is a Turkish soldier who isn't much good at actual soldiering, though he does brew excellent tea." I love this. And her review continues, "In Constantinople in 1807, that's not a recipe for career success in the military. Selim has at least one other skill, speaking English, which brings him into contact with adventurer and thief Delilah Dirk. She's imprisoned, he's assigned to question her... which somehow ends with his head on the chopping block, accused of abetting her escape. Spoiler alert: he gets away." Yep!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And as Calista says,

"A swashbuckling tale through Constantinople with Delilah Dirk and English lady who has become a fierce warrior and scoundrel. While escaping from jail, she accidentally implicates the Turkish Lieutenant and they join up on adventures. Delilah...is sassy and she kicks whole armies of butt at one time."

yep, that too!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I enjoyed reading this. It's a fun, light, (murdery) adventure. And also, I don't know that I will read any more of the books. The story line is just not all that compelling to me. But I'm still very glad I read what I read.

[Greyson | Use Your Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delilah Dirk Series Ratings:
Vol 1: ★★★★
Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling: ★★★★
Delilah Dirk and the Pillars of Hercules: ★★★★★
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What is it with me and Delilahs? I love them!
—
I read this book as part of my 2018 Library Love binge, where I read as many library books as possible to take advantage of my great local library network before I move interstate!
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│Blog│Instagram│Twitter│Tumblr│

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, which can be read for free on Tony Cliff's website. It's so nice to see an adventure story which isn't grimdark.

[Nazish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulously mesmerizing!

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a read!

Thank you Amanda for putting this on my radar!!

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely delightful!! I can't believe it took me so long to find out about it - I see so many articles about "graphic novels for teen girls" and "empowering books for teen girls" etc etc, but this book is not on most of them, AND IT SHOULD BE!! This was almost completely perfect.

Delilah and Mr Selim are both really great characters. When they first meet, Delilah has been imprisoned in Constantinople, and Mr Selim (the Turkish lieutenant) interviews her; she lists off her many accomplishments and abilities, she can, "pick any lock and escape any restraint, no matter how well-built or complex, she can dismember a man in seconds,*" and the Agha doesn't believe a word of it ... until she escapes! She's like a superhero, but still a regular human. Sort of a James (Jane?) Bond in the 1800s, able to escape any prison, defeat any soldier, and steal any treasure she wants. When Selim asks if she is a witch, she scoffs. There's no magic here, she has skills! The one fantastical element is that her sailboat can fly, but this appears to be more of an engineering marvel than anything magical.

(*A note about the dismembering; this has such a casual and jocular tone, I thought this would be one of those comedic adventure novels in which no one is ever really seriously injured ... but no, Delilah Dirk is definitely killing people. Various bad guys are shown impaled on her swords, but there is not a lot of explicit blood and guts.)

The Agha - incapable of admitting that he himself was wrong to doubt Selim's report - blames Selim for Delilah's escape, sentencing Selim to "a ceremonial death," and so Selim ends up somewhat involuntarily escaping with Delilah.

And the writing is really pitch perfect, exciting and witty and so entertaining. Here, as an example, is a crappy photo I took with my phone:

The artwork was really pretty amazing. Tony Cliff has that gift of being able to depict a specific face with a specific emotion in just a few strokes. Plus, no one is exceptionally gorgeous or buff or deformed, they are all just regular people. I do wish Mr Selim was a little more recognizable, in a few scenes I had trouble figuring out which one he was, and I had to peer and figure out which one had the red fez on to find him.

Which brings me to my only complaint: the book is too small. Mr Cliff favors a very busy page of panels, and in a standard comic size, this leads to panels that are sometimes less than an inch across. With a busy action scene, on a busy page, my old eyes had a hard time on a few pages. I wish this was bigger, like the Buffy season 8 "library edition" books. I really want to sit back and appreciate this, but I instead I was bent forward peering at the tiny pictures on some pages.

In sum: I can't believe this amazing book flew under my radar for so many years, and I can't' wait to read the second installment!

[Prince William Public Libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delilah Dirk is globetrotting troublemaker who left her life of English wealth and privilege behind to be true to who she really is, a swordfighting, acrobatic thief who “repatriates” valuable goods from the rich and corrupt. On one of her many journeys she is caught attempting to stealing some royal scrolls in Constantinople. It is here that she meets Turkish Lieutenant, Erdemoglu Selim, a young, gullible officer who loves nothing more than a good cup of tea and a conversation with friends. After such a conversation and cup of tea with Delilah during her imprisonment, Selim begins to believe that many people underestimate her sneakiness, intelligence, and cleverness. Selim wants to report his suspicions to his commanding officer, the Agha, but fears his disapproval. Surely a mere woman can’t really fly a boat, dismember a man in seconds, turn invisible, and walk through solid walls? After Delilah proves she is indeed a woman of legend by escaping her prison right in front of Selim and his Agah, Selim is accused of helping her and is set to be executed! To return Selim’s earlier kindness, Delilah rescues him from his own execution and the two make a daring swordfighting escape on Delilah’s flying boat toward more adventures. Together they travel the world and learn that a life of adventure is never boring.

The continuing adventures of Delilah and Selim are fast-paced, exciting, and will easily hook the reader in just a few pages. Written with a sweet, quipping humor and fantastic illustrations from Tony Cliff, readers will easily finish the book in a matter of hours as each adventure blends into the next. The subtle, non-romantic relationship between Selim and Delilah shows wonderful lessons about being friends from opposite genders, personalities and cultures and how trying to understand one another, and expanding your mind and sense of adventure is a good thing.

Teens and adults who love this fast paced graphic novel series and should also check out the next issue “Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling” and the short story, “Delilah Dirk and the Seeds of Good Fortune” by Tony Cliff. For more action-adventure graphic novels with strong female characters, check out “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” by Ryan North, “Broxo” by Zack Giallongo, “The Adventures of Superhero Girl” by Faith Erin Hicks, “Cleopatra in Space” by Mike Maihack and “Princeless” by Jeremy Whitley.

-Rosanne NJ

Click here to find the book at the Prince William County Public Library System.

[Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is another terrific graphic novel published by First Second Books. I loved everything about this book. It’s fast-paced and full of fun escapades. It’s definitely a thrill-ride from the very first page.

Tony Cliff’s illustrations are amazing. They are incredibly vivid and expressive. I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what comes next. Selim’s dream was amazing. I loved the images; so surreal but humorous at the same time. So creative!

Delilah is a terrific character; not your typical female heroine. She’s independent, confident and full of life. That’s what I love about her. She’s not afraid to LIVE life; not afraid to see what’s around the next corner.

Selim is Delilah’s opposite in life. He wants to be secure and stationary. He only wants to create his splendid teas. Then he meets Delilah. She takes him from his sad little world and slams him into hers. Let the craziness begin! I love their chemistry together. Delilah brings Selim out of his protective shell and brings adventure to his life. At the end, he finds it just as addictive as she does. And a wonderful partnership begins!

This graphic novel is another not-to-be-missed treasure in the First Books catalog and I’m definitely a new fan of Tony Cliff. If I were you, I would pick up a copy right now. GO!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swashbuckling heroine Delilah Dirk stumbles in and out of a Turkish prison, teaming up with former Turkish lieutenant (and excellent maker of tea) Erdemoglu Selim in the process. With Selim tagging along, it's up to Delilah to outwit a brutish warlord and escape with her ill-gotten gains.



This adventure is all action, mayhem and unbridled fun with a bit of historical dressing and compelling characters! Part Indiana Jones with a bit more history, Delilah is the brash action heroine I always wanted.

See full series review here!

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love! Delilah Dirk is my new hero, hands down. Review forthcoming.

Delilah Dirk may just be my new favorite heroine. Smart, sassy, and a force to be reckoned with, the Robin Hood-esque Delilah Dirk is always in the center of the action, having usually instigated it herself.

After breaking out of prison in Constantinople, Delilah is joined by Selim, a tea-loving Turkish lieutenant, who has mistakenly allied himself with her. Now, with Delilah's enemies hot on their trail, the unlikely pair is on the run. Selim never asked for this high-stakes life, but there's something about the always moving Delilah and heroic way of life that draws him in and shows him that, perhaps, he's more than the tea-loving homebody he thinks himself to be.

[Tova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm supposed to be working on my CAP project, but I'm curious as to why Selim is called a Lieutenant (if he sells tea). Because isn't a lieutenant which would belong in the military (a.k.a the janissaries). Also, this book is roughly set around 1807, which ironically was Selim iii who was corrupt and was later disposed of by the janissaries in favor of his cousin Mustafa iv because Selim was reform-minded and he wanted to modernize the ottoman army. So he got overthrown by the very thing he wanted to improved. What does this mean? I am intrigued. And yes, I did just give you a history lesson.
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RTC.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manic Pixie Dream Girl with light-hearted sword-murder.
Odd Couple, where the square is an arab dude and the wacko is an English lady.


Beautifully colored, well-drawn. Fun, but I'm not falling over myself.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was confusing to start with, but Selim was adorable and the art was nice.

[Emma Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed something fun to read on a weekend campout and this fit the bill perfectly! Full of fun, adventure, and harrowing escapes, I fell right in love with Selim & Delilah and their unlikely friendship. I wish this first installment was longer!