Parliament of Rooks #1: Spring

Parliament of Rooks #1

by Abigail Jill Harding (Writer/Illustrator), Richard Starkings (Writer/Letterer)

After waking from a strange dream, architect Darius Ravenscar makes plans to head to the city of Eborvik to show the princess the designs she had commissioned. However, at the masquerade ball it becomes clear that something is terribly wrong.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

50 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2023

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's got this very Poeesque haunt-y vibe to it.



The story opens with this demon-bird-looking guy visiting the deathbed of an old woman.
I don't really know what's going on yet, but so far there's this somewhat gothic love story thing happening between this rich dude with family secrets and the princess of the kingdom he lives in. <--of course, the king hates his guts.
As fathers do.



An assassin attacks him on the way home and this triggers the death-bird powers he didn't know he had.
Interesting.



I liked it.
The art is cool and so far the story has a good hook.

[James Rivett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read a graphic novel before, so I didn't know what to expect. This is fantastically drawn by Harding, predominantly in monochrome with splashes of colourful exsentuation when most effective- gothic black and white and lurid red blood. The combination of detailed penwork and hazy scratchy hatching motion and milky washes exude atmosphere and capture character perfectly. The dialogue is a tad hackneyed, but there is also an almost poetic nature to some of the narrative. This is terribly short, the first instalment, so I feel like I've read an opening chapter of a gothic novel. I shall now turn an eye to the next few to gain a better understanding of this new world of Harding and Starking.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started this graphic novel, but it was weird.

[W.J. Long III · Rating 3 out of 5]

Impressive, but not yet compelling.

As opening acts go, Parliament of Rooks is fine. The art is beautiful. The narrative format is interesting, but the characters fail to shine here especially when stacked against the overall problem that comes to light.

I wanted to be dragged by the nose into issue #2, but I was left wondering if I cared enough to proceed. Perhaps I will one day, but mostly because the art is so incredibly gothic and haunting.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read all 5 comics but cba adding all individual issues.
I enjoyed this, it was nap time when I was reading it and I was fighting to keep reading it and I’m glad I did.
I like the story and the art, I feel like everyone has a Moon Maiden and I found mine and I am her servant too.

[pothreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

7.5/10 - The art style is nice, very dark and gothic. Interested where the story will go.

[Nev March · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great gothic story build. Needs an ending.
Terrifying illustrations but wonderful complex characters and the story within a story is a nice structure. Now it needs a build and a conclusion.

[Iggy Ginova · Rating 5 out of 5]

really, really loved the art style

[LittlePiscesReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final chapter the comic promises as we’re introduced to ruins, looming and dark beneath a full moon. The rooks the only trace of life left. It could almost be peaceful if not for the bleed of red onto the page. Harding’s eye for colour is as striking as it is exquisite and every subsequent invasion of colour into this monochrome world only illustrates this more perfectly than the last. And I include white for the way certain characters seem to be lit from within at times.

It goes without saying that the atmosphere is impeccable. A Parliament of Rooks is deeply, lovingly gothic from Darius Ravenscar’s lonely manor and his burgeoning transformation to its narrative framework. Unfortunately this also extends to its depiction of its Romani coded character which errs to tired stereotypes.

Nonetheless I found this issue enthralling. I mentioned the narrative framework. Darius’ relationship with the Seraphina is introduced towards the end of her life. This is a reminiscence. And it gives their relationship more texture than it otherwise would have. Darius’ transformation is delightfully grotesque and the portentous dream that preceded it fascinates me.

[Tim Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this moments ago and wow… what a captivating first issue! The haunted protagonist, the forbidden love, the Victorian inspired world, the ravens- omg the ravens! Their presence was the creepily depicted- and those red eyes juxtaposed with a black and white background- so brilliantly gothic. The bar’s been set high! Looking forward to issue #2 🤘🏼

[Alexander Lisovsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Номинант на Айснера'24 в рубрике "лучший цифровой комикс" (победила Friday). Очень красиво нарисованный высокопарный готический хоррор, который на протяжении своих пяти выпусков всё больше и больше тонет в приторной патоке подростковой романтики и разрушительной до зубной боли любви. Начинается как пересказ "Красавицы и чудовища" в антураже викторианской Англии и закосами в Эдгара По и Ктулху, а заканчивается монументальной битвой Света и Тьмы и диалогами, взятыми из тетрадок тринадцатилетних школьниц. В общем, произведение на любителя. Мне понравились приветы "Ночному кошмару" Фюссли. Вот, как обычно, небольшое превью.

[♛ Garima ♛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It isn't easy to rate only #1 since I read all #5 volumes together.



Like Max, I inhaled the entire series, it is an age-old love story. Fallen angel troop, a disgraced prince of Hell, falls in love with a pure moon maiden.

The artwork is amazing, it is not perfect in any sense but adds to the allure. I prefer this kind of messy artwork.

This is free on Amazon Prime read but I am going to start saving for the hardcover to buy if/when it releases. It will be great for my collection...

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feathers

Love the monochrome artsyle with red as the accent/highlight color, and ravens/crows will always hook me. If you loved Julian from The Arcana (guilty af), then you'll probably be drawn to this.
1 star removed for the use of a slur/stereotype for the fortune-teller character.
I loooove cyclical stories where you see the ending (or part of it) and go back to the beginning to see how we got here, so bonus points for that as well.

[Leslie Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rather beautiful and interesting.

I enjoyed reading this book after a slightly confusing start. I soon discovered that this confusion was all just because of my ignorance of this new world I had fallen in to. The monochromatic art really suits the story and, when colour is introduced, it is startling and effective.

A very good read and I would not hesitate to recommend it to any of my fellow fantasy readers, especially those of a gothic persuasion.

[Amanda Zamorano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow that was a gripping first episode. Bravo! The art is KILLER to boot. I am so in love with this style, I cannot wait to find more of this artists projects. The only thing I am not too thrilled about (And hopefully later I will be proven wrong).But, I feel like visiting characters and reliving the past removes an element of danger in their relationship.

[Claudia Riendeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gothic strange love story between a princess and an architect. There is an ambiance similar to Tim Burton's corpse bride and Neil Gaiman's Sandman in this story. The darkest nature of Darius will reveals itself at the end of the tome. The mystery around the house, his family and his powers/transformation stay intact.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark and moody tale. Darius Ravenscar is engaged by the Princess of Eborvik to design a library; however, her father, the King, does not agree. At a masquerade ball, things go off the rail for Darius, and we are drawn into the world of a beast. What are his origins? What will he do next? Beautiful artwork accompanies the story.

[Jes · Rating 1 out of 5]

***Comments for my own recollection and reflection only***

I haven't read many comics--only Maus I and Maus II. So, I am not very familiar with the comic book genre. This particular graphic novel didn't seem to offer a very coherent story. It seemed like just a snippet. The characters were not at all developed. I wasn't invested in any of the characters or the story.

[RSC_Collecting · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting start. Not too sure how I feel about it. A man learning to deal with this "thing" inside of him. A demon? Something else? Whatever it is, it is causing him pain and change and he must learn to live with it. It's fine. I don't think get the second one, but I would like to hear from other people how it progresses. Maybe get the collected edition.

[Rebecca Alexx · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a gothic love story with horror elements mixed in. The art suits the gothic style very well and is largely detailed greyscale with flashes of colour. The premise is intriguing but the dialogue wasn’t always the best. It left me interested enough to want to read the next issue. The story itself isn’t anything new so far but enjoyable. The art is the real selling point of the issue.

[Corbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but Gripping

I took a chance on this title while perusing through my Kindle store. I'm glad I gave it a chance. You can read it in at least 20 minutes. I was gripped the entire time. I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to reading the next issue.

[GENARO PEREZ]

Dark fantasy romance!

Looking forward to the rest of the series. Was seeking something dark and moody, this did not disappoint. Truly amazing art, writing, characters, and storytelling. Dark fairytale and monster horror vibes.

[Bookworm With a B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for a fantastic intro.

I picked this up on a whim, and I'm impressed. I wouldn't say that it has a lot of information, but it definitely draws you in. I'll decide more when I'm done with Summer

[Snowstorm416 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, Sweetly Mysterious

I actually really like how this went, though I felt that it was a bit too short for what it is? I haven't read comics in a long time so I guess I'm used to something longer. I really like the start and I can't wait to read the rest.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

Parliament of Rooks is exactly the kind of dark horror story I have wanted. The art is amazing and the writing is un matched. I can wait to read the next book. If you are looking for a dark jack the ripper kind of story this is a must read.

[Rob-sf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric

Great art ,gothic fairy tale,body horror elements.well paced story just enough mystery and intrigue to maintain interest for book 2. Love story fairly standard stuff. Enjoyed.

[BookishDramas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ for me.
A deliciously devilish start to the series with an old fairy tale style similar to Grimm tales.
Dark story, Ill fated love story with melancholic but violent art with beautiful pencilled pages with patches of occasional color, accenuating the story.

[Red Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gothic and intriguing

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird but I liked it.