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Briar
Trapped behind an impassable wall of enchanted briar, Layka has been cursed by the shadow-sorcerer, Celik. Her one hope lies with Kaye, The Knight of Thorns, who searches for a way to break the curse and set her free.
Set within a time of myth and fairy tale, Briar follows the story of Princess Layka, who seeks an end to the curse that keeps her shut off from the world. Trapped for years behind the enchanted barrier of the briar, she awaits her one true knight, Kaye, who has been tasked with the quest to break the curse and set her free.
Inspired by European myth and folklore, Briar is an episodic series of nested stories woven into the fabric of Layka and Kaye’s ceaseless quest.
Set within a time of myth and fairy tale, Briar follows the story of Princess Layka, who seeks an end to the curse that keeps her shut off from the world. Trapped for years behind the enchanted barrier of the briar, she awaits her one true knight, Kaye, who has been tasked with the quest to break the curse and set her free.
Inspired by European myth and folklore, Briar is an episodic series of nested stories woven into the fabric of Layka and Kaye’s ceaseless quest.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
52 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Read
12 books83 followersBenjamin Read writes comics and makes films. He wrote the multiply award-nominated PORCELAIN: A GOTHIC FAIRY TALE, the silent comic BUTTERFLY GATE, and children’s book, NIGHT POST, as well as the TRUE GRIT and SUPER 8 comic adaptations. He also wrote and produced the films ARMISTICE and 500 MILES NORTH. He is one of the founder members of the Improper Books comics collective, and is fuelled principally by tea and whimsy. He is currently working on the rest of the Porcelain sequence, alongside writing his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 16, 2015
This is the second book I have picked up which is by Benjamin Read and Chris Wildgoose and I have to say I was pleasantly (or maybe more accurate would be brutally) surprised by this book. It starts out with a very classic fairytale of the valiant Prince riding up the the brambles in order to rescue the Princess, and then things start to get rather messy...
This book was a great little sneaky trick, because when I bought it I thought I was getting a fairly standard story, maybe a 2* read, but luckily when I did actually read it my rating was instantly bumped up to a 3.5*s as it's surprising, exciting and very different to how I foresaw it going. I do think that maybe there could have been some more of the story (as it was a little on the pricy side for the length) but honestly it was fun and beautiful so I can;t really complain!
I loved the artwork as Chris always does a fabulous job and after reading Porcelain I knew I needed to get this when it came out. I was enchanted by some of the beauty of the full page spreads, and I think that there is certainly nothing I could complain about there. I still prefer the art of Porcelain a little, but overall it's just stunning to look at in this one too.
A good 3.5* read which is a lot of fun and maybe not quite what you expect.
This book was a great little sneaky trick, because when I bought it I thought I was getting a fairly standard story, maybe a 2* read, but luckily when I did actually read it my rating was instantly bumped up to a 3.5*s as it's surprising, exciting and very different to how I foresaw it going. I do think that maybe there could have been some more of the story (as it was a little on the pricy side for the length) but honestly it was fun and beautiful so I can;t really complain!
I loved the artwork as Chris always does a fabulous job and after reading Porcelain I knew I needed to get this when it came out. I was enchanted by some of the beauty of the full page spreads, and I think that there is certainly nothing I could complain about there. I still prefer the art of Porcelain a little, but overall it's just stunning to look at in this one too.
A good 3.5* read which is a lot of fun and maybe not quite what you expect.
September 7, 2018
So frustrating that there are no more volumes! It's lovely.
October 22, 2018
The promise of a really great story, but only part of it - and so short! Gorgeous artwork and I would love to read more.
October 30, 2015
I picked up a preview of this at Thought Bubble a couple of years ago and have been looking forward to reading it since then, and it did not disappoint.
Briar takes the fairy tale trope of a princess trapped in a tower waiting for a knight to rescue her and turns it on it’s head. This book acts very much like a first issue, introducing the characters and giving you some clues about what is going on but it doesn’t give you everything. The art is amazing, full of little details. I especially loved the way each new character was introduced with a full page drawing. I am really looking forward to reading more, just hope I don’t have to wait another 2 years to do so.
Briar takes the fairy tale trope of a princess trapped in a tower waiting for a knight to rescue her and turns it on it’s head. This book acts very much like a first issue, introducing the characters and giving you some clues about what is going on but it doesn’t give you everything. The art is amazing, full of little details. I especially loved the way each new character was introduced with a full page drawing. I am really looking forward to reading more, just hope I don’t have to wait another 2 years to do so.
December 8, 2015
A promising start to a twist on the Sleeping Beauty story. I picked this one up at the Improper Books stand at Thoughtbubble (where i went for Porcelain Bone China) as fairy tales are my thing.
The art is good, the pacing and story telling are really good. It's nice to see another strong female character (which seems to be Chris Wildgoose and Benejamin Read's character staple.) My only real criticism is it seemed to end at a little of an odd place. (That and I would have liked more of it).
But eagerly awaiting volume 2.
The art is good, the pacing and story telling are really good. It's nice to see another strong female character (which seems to be Chris Wildgoose and Benejamin Read's character staple.) My only real criticism is it seemed to end at a little of an odd place. (That and I would have liked more of it).
But eagerly awaiting volume 2.
January 3, 2016
Briar is yet another wonderfully illustrated graphic novel from Chris Wildgose accompanying a twist on the Briar Rose fairytale written by Benjamin Read that surprises throughout by playing with the reader's expectations. The only problems with this graphic novel are that it's fairly short and, as the first installments, ends with many, many questions unaswered.
July 27, 2016
Another excellent example of Read and Wildgoose's skills, with fantastic storytelling that plays with your expectations and has a deep rooted love and knowledge of fairytales, and stunning, intricate art that is exciting, expressive and beautiful. The only downside really is the brevity, and waiting for what comes next.
November 19, 2016
Amazing artwork and a fresh and surprising take on the sleeping beauty tale.
December 12, 2016
Playing with fairy tales in a postmodern way, yet without sacrificing a genuinely rich archetypal atmosphere. Would love to read the rest of this tale / series.
December 28, 2018
Deliciously dark, with a very folky fairytale vibe, but none of the cringe or predictability that often comes with those kind of stories. Absolutely stunning art, and - even in what is essentially only a tiny snippet of a story - interesting characters and a gripping plot. I’m really loving the Read/Wildgoose team and can’t wait to read more from them. Two thumbs up.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews