Red Sonja: Unchained

Red Sonja: Unchained #1-4

by Peter V. Brett, Jack Jadson (Illustrations)

An encounter with a devil leaves Red Sonja, the legendary swordswoman, bereft of her signature chainmail and fleeing murder charges, but a change of clothes and venue aren't enough to escape the guilt in her heart. Penniless and under pursu

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Adventure, Ebooks, Fiction, Action

152 pages, Paperback

Published April 8, 2014

About the author

Peter V. Brett is the internationally bestselling author of the Demon Cycle series, which has sold over four million copies in 27 languages worldwide. Novels include The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, The Daylight War, The Skull Throne, and The Core. Other works include the Red Sonja: Unchained graphic novel and the Demon Cycle novellas The Great Bazaar, Brayan's Gold, Messenger's Legacy, and Barren. The Desert Prince, the first installment of his Nightfall Saga, published in August 2021. The sequel, The Hidden Queen, is due early 2024. He lives in Brooklyn.

www.petervbrett.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/PVBrett
Instagram: https://instagram.com/pvbrett/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PVBrett/
TikTok: @PVBrett

Reviews

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to say I flat out didn't like this one. How could a Red Sonja comic about Red Sonja becoming a werewolf be boring? Yet, it is boring. The entire story basically is one long meditation on the "vow" of her only bedding the man who beats her in battle as well as the chainmail bikini. The fact that she spends much of the book wearing a slightly (accent on slightly) more covering but still cleavage-exposing fur bathing suit is really the point of the story. I mean, it's a lovely design and I would have read many more stories with her in it but the rest of the tale has severe issues.

The fact Sonja kills a boy who has a crush on her (twice) is also a major turn off.

Seriously, if you like Red Sonja, you just have to accept some strange things about the character like the outfit.

[♛ Garima ♛ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as 4 part series in kindle-unlimited books.

A different take on Red Sonja - in terms of her costume so she becomes Blue Sonja somehow. It is a different look from her regular chainmail bikini costume but I mean I never thought the said chainmail was ever for protection, it was to hide some choices bits anyways which can be accomplished by blue fur coat here.
The story is intriguing but comes to the abrupt conclusion to satisfy such build-up.

I want to like Red Sonja so much, like Geralt of Rivia, how can I not, she is such a bad-ass warrior. Shame that she doesn't get many interesting storylines and good practical costumes.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Dann Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a solid 5-star review.

This is a stand-alone series about Robert E. Howard's Red Sonja. In this story. Sonja's trademark bikini chain mail is broken and needs to be repaired. In the interim, Sonja ends up wearing the blue fur pelt of a demon that she has killed.

This is a straightforward sword and sorcery tale that is an earnest homage to RE Howard and his characters. The artwork is top notch as is the writing. I learned about this book while attending an author event for Peter V. Brett. I had no idea that he has written it.

The writing, in particular, is noteworthy as it works on two levels. The primary story is well crafted. At the same time, there are undertones that the reader can enjoy if they are so inclined. One of those undertones has to do with Sonja being portrayed in sexy armor that would be pointless in a real sword fight. She was created to give largely male readers a little more flesh to look at.

The side observations on that issue acknowledge that we are living in the 21st century where women are more than eye candy while at the same time not being dismissive to readers that frankly enjoy the eye candy. It is a subtle and sophisticated treatment of that issue.

[Tim Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and rather violent Red Sonja tale that is titled _Unchained_ but might as well be called _Blowback_ or _Unintended Consequences_. Written by Peter V. Brett, author of the Demon Cycle series and illustrated by Jack Jackson, it is the story of how one mercenary job for Red Sonja, saving an innocent young man from being sacrificed to a powerful demon named Bhamothes, Ruins Everything. In the end, Sonja fails in her task in every imaginable way, not saving the young man, not really, not stopping the demon from entering our world, as though she appears at first to stop the demon, thanks to her actions, the demon actually does enter our world, with Sonja even losing her trademark armor bikini, with even replacing that, even temporarily, causing still more problems both by its absence and by what she chose to replace it. Everything. Ruined. The story has Sonja wanted for murder and in danger from the demon, facing both mortal and supernatural threats a plenty.

It’s a violent and gory tale with some graphic depiction of killing a bunch of people. It doesn’t lack for supernatural danger, whether spells, the demon, undead, and even a trip to Hell for Sonja (I guess technically the demon’s spirit plane, but yeah Hell). The blue outfit you see on the cover that Sonja wears most of the story is pretty modest for Sonja, though that modesty comes at a very high price in terms of dangers to others around her, the world, and her own soul. There is a little bit of fan service pinup imagery before she gets the blue pelt outfit and after she loses it, but I don’t think too risqué.

There is a secondary character, a woman of color named Merisan, that is a complex and interesting ally for Sonja, and we meet a long dead (kind of) villain named Queen Gheta of the long-vanished Kingdom of Ilazarr, also interesting.

There is some great artwork of several of the settings, that was nice. All in all the artwork is really good to great, though some of the gore in a few scenes was a bit much for me.

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Sonja: Unchained Vol. 1 is another chapter in the She-Devil with a Sword saga. In this book, Red Sonja's miniscule armor is damaged when she fights a blue wolf demon, and she has to skin the demon and use his pelt to cover her privates. Of course, the pelt has magical powers and Sonja finds herself unable to remove it. Then, something even worse happens, binding her even more to the second skin she cannot seem to remove.

This story by Peter V. Brett is a hum-dinger. I liked the fact that Red Sonja's armor was damaged and she had to wear something else. It was nice seeing her in that blue fur, and she was right, it did compliment her. Like all Red Sonja stories, there is a lot of blood and killing, and some magic to go around. The story moves along at a nice pace and I had a wonderful time reading it. Red Sonja is a character I am really starting to love and I think she is quite the fantastic fantasy character. The author does a terrific job writing her and creating a wonderfully violent world where one woman can make a difference.

The artwork by Walter Geovani in the first chapter and by Jack Jadson in the last four chapters was pretty darned good. I am a big fan of Geovani, as he is an excellent artist, and I think that Jadson did a fantastic job too, although not quite as good. There is something about Geovani's work that I like a little more. His style really works well with this type of story.

The only thing that bothered me with this story was when Red Sonja lopped off the head of Bregan. Look, I know she had been drinking, but she had just saved this kid. I know he was hitting on her and trying to prove himself to be a man, but . . . come on! She could have easily defeated the boy without killing him. Is she just so used to killing people that one more life doesn't matter. He was no threat to her. Maybe if the author made the boy more of a threat to Red Sonja I wouldn't have had a problem with this.

Overall, Red Sonja: Unchained Vol. 1 is a great story that I really liked. As I have said before, Red Sonja is quickly becoming one of my favorite comic book heroines and she always leaves me wanting more. If you are new to the world of Red Sonja graphic novels, like I am, this book would be a great place to start. This series promises to be full of drama, action, magic, and gore, so what's not to like? So, go out there and pick up a copy of this book starting in April of 2014 and be prepared to be swept away into a world that was originally created by the writer of Conan the Barbarian, Robert E. Howard.

I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serious Badassery Never Looked or Acted Better

Up to now my favorite Red Sonja issue was the Red Sonja/Witchblade crossover, but I have to say this one is giving that a run for its money.

This volume collects the Red Sonja: Blue one-shot, and the four comics that made up the "Unchained" series. The knock on that series was that issue #1 mostly just recapped the one shot, and there seemed to be a lot of fill from comic to comic that left readers in the dark from month to month. I can see how that was a legitimate gripe, but the beauty of a single collected volume like this is that there is no break between comics and the recaps don't make you feel like you aren't getting your money's worth.

So, put that aside and turn to the actual book. Red Sonja looks particularly sharp. and the panels are done from many different perspectives and distances and angles, which gives the overall story a strong sense of action and place. Red Sonja always looks like she's moving even when she's standing still, and there is just a lot of energy and presence to her in this story. The big panels that show her progress through an underground tomb complex are particularly impressive.

Along with the requisite over-the-top violence there is a lot of humor and it covers a wider range than usual - you get hard boiled, snarky, rueful, conversational and good humored, flippant, and sometimes a little melancholy, which is quite a range indeed. (Heck, the running joke about whatever happened to her chainmail, (is that where the title "Unchained" came from?), is enough to completely carry a lesser series.)

On top of that you get a plot that starts small, seems to resolve, feints in the wrong direction once or twice, and then circles around twice before being resolved completely back where it all started. And none of it is cryptic/mystic, and all of it is interesting and interest-holding. How's that for an accompishment.

So, whether you re acquainted with Red Sonja or are finding her here for the first time, this is a strong entry in the canon that delights on many levels. A very nice find.

Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Red Sonja: Unchained, Volume One' is the kind of ridiculous. over the top sword and sorcery fantasy that I was in the mood for. Being written by Peter V. Brett just made it better. While I read the excellent Gail Simone Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues not too long ago, these books are slightly different, but not too different. Red Sonja is still a very capable warrior. She still wants not much to do with men because of the curse on her. This book comes across a bit sexier and maybe exploitative, but I don't think the character suffers for it. She's still not someone you want to try to take advantage of, unless you'd really like your head separated from your shoulders.

When down-on-her-luck Red Sonja is hired to save a young man trapped by a sorceror, she finds them in the midst of a sacrifice to a demon. In the fight with the demon, Red Sonja's chaimail is damaged. She takes the demon's pelt to wear until she can get a repair done. An excellent excuse is given by Red Sonja for why her choice of armor is a bit revealing. Taking another job reveals that the pelt might be trying to possess her. Can she lift the curse and will she ever get her armor repaired?

This had lots of the things I like it fantasy stories. Violent fights, encounters with magical creatures, and treasure hunts that are dangerous and may not be as enriching as one would hope. Men will never learn not to mess with Red Sonja and she will happily provide the lesson. My favorite scene was her plan of attack on a group of brigands, with step by step tactics on what she would do. It shows her for a clever tactician, albeit one that can drink most folks under a table. I enjoyed it.

I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous artwork, but the story is not quite as strong as the recent awesomeness from Gail Simone.

I enjoyed Sonja's reasoning behind the chainmail bikini and almost like the fact of her owning her sexuality and using it as a weapon just as fierce as her sword.

However, the lovesick would-be rapist Bregan really put me off the story. It is understandable that a man when saved would either be spiteful toward or fall in love with his savior. But it goes a bit far and was a bit of a trigger seeing him trying to "best" Sonja when she's drunk. Her reaction to him in the demon world is pretty damn strange too given his actions and completely off character.

So, an interesting read, but nothing that wowed me like other Sonja stuff in the past.

*Digital review copy provided by NetGalley & the publisher.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I expected to - its primary focus seems to be an exploration of why Sonja wears what she does, by putting her in a different (and relatively more conservative) outfit, and then causing problems because of that. There's actually a lot of talk (both between characters and in Sonja's monologues) exploring what makes Sonja the character she is, her motivations and her defining traits. But all of it is in service to an enjoyable action story, with some interesting twists and turns. Sonja makes mistakes, and learns from them, all the while retaining the attitude and aptitude that makes her the character she is; one who is too often overlooked due to costume choices.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's this one part where Red Sonja uses a sword to kill bad guys. It was pretty cool, but not as cool as Red Skelton: Unchained. Clem Kadiddlehopper is a whirling torrent of death.

[Marcelo Soares · Rating 2 out of 5]

A premissa é muito boa; nosso Demonhão Ruivo vira lobisoa.
Não tem como dar errado.
Na verdade, tem.
A Sonja é contratada para resgatar um rapaz virgem das garras de um feiticeiro inescrupuloso que quer sacrificá-lo para um demônio com cara de cachorro. Claro, com a Red Sonja é espada na mão, corpo no chão; ela mata o mago, o demônio, mas, no meio do caminho, o biquini armadura quebra e cai no chão, deixando ela peladona com um cara virgem. Vocês sabem o que vai acontecer, né?
Exatamente, ela resolve costurar um maiô com a pele do demônio cara de cachorro.
Perfeitamente lógico.
Afinal no covil do mago, no meio das nevadas montanhas hyrkanianas, não vai ter um cobertorzinho, um casaquinho de inverno, um manto, a única opção era esfolar o demônio e fazer um maiô.
Como a vida das Bad Girls da Dynamite é cheia de sangue, morte, piadas sexuais e pequenas promessas de lesbianismo chique; a Ruiva acaba derramando sangue inocente e nem tão inocente assim no maiô e é amaldiçoada pelo demônio cara de cachorro e precisa enfrentá-lo no plano demoníaco para recuperar o seu corpo. De novo, parece interessante, mas é chato.
A Sonja aqui é aquela sem muita personalidade, sem palavrão, sem a evolução que ela teve em outros volumes mais recentes - especialmente dos da Gail Simone -, uma espécie de cópia barata de um certo cimério. Então fica meio sem graça, e o final é bem do tipo: só isso? Não vamos explorar a selvageria? A libertação das amarras sociais? O instinto animal que se esconde nas profundezas do ser humano? Não, só vamos matar uns cachorros azuis e era isso.
Ah, mas tem uma explicação pro biquini armadura, em tradução livre: enquanto olham pros meus peitos, não olham pra minha espada.
A vida do leitor de Bad Girls da Dynamite não é fácil.

[Ocean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better Red Sonja stories as far as I can tell, but it still encounters some of the same pitfalls as other iterations. Unfortunately, she does seem to be a very challenging character to tackle. That said, I enjoyed the journey this time.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

After the high that was Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues, I had thought the character had been revitalized, given strong storylines and being more than the bimbo in a chainmail bikini. But wow, this book set Red Sonja back to caveman boorishness, with characters constantly making sexual innuendos and not-so-funny quips. Nothing in here is taken seriously: at the point that Sonja's bikini is ripped off, she strikes a pose and claims, "look all you want", then skins a furry demon and makes a new outfit out of the (untanned - yuck) pelt, I could figure out what was coming. And sure enough, girl on girl action only a few pages later told me that this was derivative at its worst.

Story: this is a collection of stories, mostly T&A oriented, with artwork of varying quality. It felt more like a collection of fan art to me - I didn't get into any of the stories. I do like continuity in my characters and Sonja changed faces and looks so much that only the red hair (and large chest) remained consistent. As well, a lot of the art was too busy without enough differentiation in colors/shadows. It wasn't muddled - just felt clumsy.

I have to admit, I ended this graphic novel with disgust. There are so many better books out there to buy that I would recommend putting your money elsewhere. Save this for the pimply teens in mommy's basement snickering over the boobage. Reviewed from an ARC.

[Reggie_Love · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason I gave this three instead of two stars was because it was about Red Sonja, and I love her like crazy. My low score is mostly due to the fact that I read Gail Simone's view of RS recently and I fell in love with her. This, however, is no where near as good. It's a male's we dream though. RS's boobs are gigantic, she ends up naked so quickly, and she spends so much bloody time talking about romance/sex. The fact that she feels bad because she fights the man who is determined to "woo" her is ridiculous. He is pretty much threatening to rape her; he doesn't take no for an answer. Why should she feel bad that she defended herself?! I do love that she remained a drunk, and I don't mind the violence when it comes to RS. One other thing that rubbed me the wrong way was when the spirit hit on RS. I realize it was just a tactic, but RS's response weird and made me uncomfortable as a queer woman. I'm not saying she should be gay, but it was abrupt and awkward. All that being said, I did enjoy the plot/story. I'm just not sure I would read more by Brett.

[Ian James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good read and it was nice to see Red Sonja get out of her Chainmail Bikini (I mean seriously how does that not pinch at her goodies i will never know)


Mr Brett's story telling is well done but you can definitely see that comics are a new thing to him in this series. I hope he gets contracted for more so we can watch him develop as a comics writer

as good reads does not allow half stars I read this 3.5 out of 5

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This was a NetGalley ARC.

I'm really digging the character of Red Sonja. This is the second Red Sonja book I've read so far and I enjoy the fact that she's such a badass heroine. With this book in particular there were a few odd bits, like when she fights some warrior queen, but the whole Bhamothes the demon stuff was intriguing, especially how he ends up living on throughout the story.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find my full review of this on my blog, The Itinerant Librarian. Click (or copy/paste to your favorite browser) the link below to read the review.

Review link: http://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.com/2014/06/booknote-red-sonja-unchained.html

[Gareth Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a reread, this went up in my estimation. Peter Brett weaves a solid tale of a seemingly easy victory returning to haunt Sonja and leaving her with issues to deal with. The villian is actually interesting and somewhat more out of the box than the stale A-B Thulsa Doom stories I have just read. The art is mostly excellent, with some great stuff from Walter Geovani!

[Valleri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads introduced me to Red Sonja, and I am not impressed. While Sonja the Red is billed as a strong, independent, free-thinking woman, all of these traits are manifest through the filtered viewpoint of a male perspective of what this sort of woman should be instead of what she actually is. This is an incredibly chauvinistic and disappointing series.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brett and Jackson worked well together in producing a Red Sonja tale that is adventurous, exciting and true to its universe. Red Sonja runs into a demon on a rescue mission that ends up haunting her the rest of book. There were some interesting characters interacting with Red Sonja. Enjoy!

[Annice22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Borrowed from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was Red Sonja at her best. I thought this was really good, the story was well written and action packed. And as usual no one can fight better than Sonja.

[Timo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice gorey art, some nice bits in the story but after reading, left a who-gives-a-shit-feeling.

[Mark]

http://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.co...