Domovoi

by Peter Bergting

Jennie är en upprorisk och strulig tjej i tjugoårsåldern som jobbar på ett fik i Gamla stan. Ett fik som serverar spöken, älvor och andra varelser som kommit från sagor och myter.

Domovoi berättar om en levande, fascinerande och ibland skrämmande värld, där mytologins väsen tagit plats i skuggorna och lever sida vid sida med människorna. Det utspelar sig i nutid, men på samma gång för länge sedan.

Två vättar från Polen, som dessutom är lönnmördare på uppdrag från en häxmästare med ursprung i Vitryssland, har kommit för att hämta en påse med magiska ben. Jennie blir plötsligt indragen i en märklig historia där hennes farbror Ivan visar sig vara en ”domovoi”, en rysk hus-ande i exil. Jennies mormor visar sig samtidigt vara en ökänd häxa med ett långt förflutet, som hela tiden följs av den talande katten Bulka.

Berättelsen rör sig längs vägarna upp genom Sverige över Gamla Stan, på båtar vid Skeppsholmen, till loppmarknader på landsbygden där oväntade ledtrådar uppenbarar sig.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology

131 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2013

About the author

Peter is a professional artist and writer. Fluid in Swedish and English, Peter has written three young adult novels in Swedish for a major publisher (Bokförlaget Semic), two American English, graphic novels (for Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics) as well as numerous short stories. Peter is published in the US, Sweden, Norway, Spain, France, Germany, Denmark, and Italy.


His illustrations and art can be found all over the world. He has provided art and covers for authors such as J.R.R Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Jens Lapidus, and Astrid Lindgren to name but a few. In total, he has been featured in over 500 books.

He lives in a tiny town in Sweden with his wife, two daughters and three really strange cats.

Reviews

[Lena]

Skitsnygg och coola figurer. Kändes dock
som första delen i en serie (vilket det väl
mig veterligt inte är).

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Dark Horse allowed me to read this as an ARC via Netgalley. Thank you both!

Most people like to think fairy tales are sweetness and light, which, let’s face it, makes them cotton candy. Nice to eat but hardly satisfying no matter how much you wanted it. This is way, in most cases, the older folklore is far better than the clean version read to today’s children. It’s why authors (Gaiman, Pratchett, Rowling) that remember and even embrace that darkness tend to gain popularity because even though their stories might end happily, the darkness is not sugarcoated. Look at Andersen, darkness is even in the Ugly Duckling.

Peter Berting keeps to this traditional of folklore in his excellent graphic novel Domovoi. This is old time storytelling, influenced by not only Swedish folklore but Russian as well. Answers might not be what you want or even answers. For some reason, this way is better.

The story opens in Stockholm and introduces to Jennie. Jennie is in the tradition of Tiffany Achling and the Witches in Pratchett, though she is young. In other words, she is not typical YA (or new adult, whatever that is) female protagonist. She is young, but not stupid. She questions but actually thinks about the answers and takes advice. Her quest involves actions that her grandmother took years ago, and her helpers include her friend Bulka, Uncle Ivan, and two Poleviki (think lower level mobsters, who like waffles but not crayfish). Her means of transportation are a magical car that beats the one in Harry Potter by a mile.

There is magic in this tale, quite a bit, but like all good fairy and folk tales, the emphasis is on compassion and brain power. This isn’t to say that there isn’t plenty of action, but it is combined with great effectiveness with the use of compassion and intelligence. This is most powerfully done in the sequence with the Rusalka and Topielek.

And there is humor – not just with the waffle loving Poleviki.

And the art. Where to start with the art? The art manages to be both dark and light. It suits the moment from the first panel with Bulka’s comment on the beautiful morning to the last. Additionally, several panels hearken to Russian fairy tale and box illustrations, especially in regards to the use of shadow and light.

Berting has managed to capture the journey at the heart of any old story, the desire to grown and became not so much wise but to wade into the stream of life. He does this far better than most new Young Adult or New Adult books which seem to be about the young girl realizing that bad boy is the one for her and caving into him (in more ways than one). Berting’s graphic novel is for all ages, but thankfully features a young woman protagonist who does not have a tormented love life, does not want to marry Mr. Wrong, and does not condemn every other girl she meets. How come only men seem to write chosen young women like this? Don’t worry. You discover why Jennie is such a wonderful person by meeting her grandmother.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in folk and fairy tales, in particular stories from Russia as well as any person looking for a female central character who has something else besides boys on her mind. I can only hope that Jennie will make another appearance because I dearly want to read more of her adventures.


If you want music to go along with this graphic novel, I suggest Fairy Tales by Ole Lukkoye

[Alex Sarll]

The little spirits of the north, the domovoi and poleviki and rusalka, are an underused resource in fantasy, so it's always nice to see them get an airing, but a shame that here they could be most any urban fantasy mildly odd humanoids. Still, a different art style for each of them is a lovely touch, and the landscapes are gorgeous. The annoyingly poor introduction by John Arcudi (whom I usually like) suggests that the cityscapes, 17th century in many respects but dotted with TV aerials, suggest some strange alternate timeline. Nah mate - that's just northern Europe.

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Peter Bergting's art and visual storytelling since I first read his wonderful quest fantasy The Portent: Duende (in Swedish translation; for a few words in English on the piece, see an old blog post of mine), and have been reading some of his wife Sofia's and his fantasy series for children, set in the same universe.

So, upon hearing news of Domovoi, I immediately added it to my to-get list. And after reading it today, I cannot say that I am disappointed. Far from it in fact. Bergting has outdone himself here. The visual narration seems tighter and more efficient than anything by him I have previously seen, and the story itself is a lovely piece of urban fantasy, and beyond (meshing with what appears to be a larger fantasy universe of his creation).

At the heart of it, it is the story of Jennie – a young girl living in Stockholm, surrounded by spirits and magic, yet curiously uninitiated – who is drawn into a greater story following her grandmother's death, which leaves young Jennie with a strange inheritance: the bones of the sorcerer Bolshoi Korol.

If you enjoy urban fantasy, this is for you. If you enjoy, good fantasy in general, this is for you. If you enjoy comics as a medium, this is for you. If you simply enjoy good storytelling, then trust me, this is for you. Right here and right now, I cannot recommend this piece enough!

My hat is off for Master Bergting!

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young woman named Jennie, her crazy Uncle Ivan, her talking cat Bulka, and a couple crazy hitmen are a few of the wonderful characters to be discovered within Domovoi, a brilliant graphic novel by Peter Bergting. Within the first few pages, Jennie is being chased through the streets by a car driven by supernatural hit men, and the journey from there only gets stranger as secrets from the past are threatened to be revealed and must be protected.

Setting the story in the old town of Stockholm gives the story a classic fairytale feel, but touches of the modern world poke out around the edges in unexpected ways. Also, if all cats were like Bulka, the adorable and wise talking cat, I might actually like cats. Jennie is a smart, capable heroine who is in over her head, but willing to do whatever it takes to solve the problem. The hitmen provide some unexpected humor, when they are not trying to kill Jennie, and the story has some good twists and turns before it's all done.

The art is stunning. The panels don't feel crowded, but there is an amazing array of details and textures. This is an artist who knows how to use space. The color palette is subdued and tends to darken subtly as the story moves along. There are a limited number of colors used on each page, but they are used to great effect as colors highlight brighten, but never overwhelm. John Arcudi's introduction to the book is glowing of the talent here and I couldn't agree more. It all feels so well planned and deliberate, and I highly recommend it.

[Václav · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2 of 5 for an insensitive mashup of Slavic mythology which feels like Chinese "Mignolaverese" knockoff)
Slavic mythology is getting trendy and Domovoi is one of the results. And very confusing one. Bergting created some kind of Mignolaverse-ish setting where fairy/mythologic characters and magic live beside the normal people. And not only style but even the art would fit the Mignolaverse. It looks like Mike Mignola’s with a hint of Fegredo. But it utterly lacks the Mignola’s scholar approach. Bergting throws names and words like random cards on the skeleton of his story. He could use any other mythology (and it would be better because the Slavic on is pretty variable trough the different countries of Slavic heritage) and not even change the art. The story itself is simple – edgy girl gets some kind of artefact from her departed grandma, who was some kind of witch. The artefact is hot merchandise, so she put herself in danger deciding to hold on it, and in even bigger danger with a decision to confront its original owner. The storytelling feels like Gaiman on hist weakest day but without his finesse and the end is far from satisfying. The mainline suddenly conclude and that’s it. Bergting, judging by this piece, is a better artist than a writer. By afar. I would love to rate better, just for my beloved Mignolaverse-ish art, but the story is dull and the inclusion of the Slavic mythology is very poor.

[Ksenia Chernyshova · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’re using Slavic mythology, at least be considerate enough to check the correct translations and the difference between Russian, Ukrainian and Polish languages. Because it’s honestly ridiculous. Also the story was quite boring, but I would give a generous star for eye-catching and vivid art style.

[Anna (RattleTheShelves)]

Ugh, too many liberties with Slavic mythology and too much confusion of Polish/Ukrainian/Russian IT'S NOT THE SAME LANGUAGE AND NOT THE SAME CULTURE

[Emilia P · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty solid -- talking cats, red-eyed henchmen, river-wraiths, enchanted bones, hazy connections between our world and magical realms, but focusing mostly just the practical inconveniences of being connected to a legacy of supernatural intrigue. Even demonic henchmen have to stop the road trip to take a pee, man! And we have time for a crayfish feast before we battle the evil sorcerer right? I enjoyed this as it went along, and the settings were lovely - both city and countryside replete with shadowy spots and mysterious characters. So, I liked that. But perhaps due to my weakness in following tiny plot points, I found the denouement to be much less satisfying than the atmospheric details of the book. I like the world of this book a lot, but in the end, I'm not quite sure what the point was. So it goes, comic book. NetGalley strikes again. :)

[Emelie Johansson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am conflicted about this. I loved the artwork and would give it 4 stars, but the story was really confusing and the world and plot needed to be describe and explained so I would give it 2 stars. I enjoyed the book but I would have understood and enjoy it a lot more if things hade been explained. But once again, love the artwork!

[Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finns mycket potential här, men jag känner att historien inte är klar. Serie? Dessutom är karaktärerna inte speciellt välutvecklade. Känns som att de är ytligt berättade utan kärna. Historien hastas igenom, ingenting förklaras ordentligt. Men, mycket potential.

[Johan Thilander · Rating 3 out of 5]

För många scener och detaljer lämnades outskrivna, och läsningen blev ganska krånglig. Väldigt snygg dock!

[Mattias Olow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lovade mycket men levererade inte. Kändes i slutet tyvärr som ett slöseri av tid. Söta henchmen dock!

[Stephan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Förvirrande är väl det bästa sättet att beskriva berättelsen.
Hade det inte stått på baksidan att Jennie jobbar på ett fik som servar olika magiska varelser, så hade jag knappt anat det. Om nu Jennie är så bekant med den magiska världen, varför har hon aldrig lärt sig något mer om den än på en ren encyklopedisk nivå?
Ibland är det svårt att hänga med i berättelsen. Bilderna är väldigt välgjorda och vackra, men ibland hänger man inte med ändå.
vad sjutton gjorde den odöde med Jennie? Det ser ut som den bara kryper upp, väldigt långsamt, ur marken och petar på henne... Likväl så verkar hon ha fått ett mycket smärtsamt och blodigt sår. Vad hände egentligen? Jag ser inga klor eller något annat. Över huvud taget så kändes den delen av berättelsen väldigt konstig.
två lönnmördar-vättar och en husande... kunde gruppen inte bara vänt sig om och gått tillbaka i lugn takt?
Vad var det med lampan från loppisen, om vi bortser från att husanden klubbar en odöd med den, kom den alls till nytta?
Vad är det egentligen med lönnmördarna? De har uppenbarligen en egen hederskodex, även om de agerar högst professionellt och kallt när så krävs. Men varför studsar de då mellan att försöka köra över Jennie med bil, misshandla hennes husande och sedan bjuda in sig till deras lägenhet på lunch och erbjuda sina tjänster?


I grund och botten är det en snyggt tecknad historia med intressanta karaktärer. Det blev bara lite väl många förvirrande moment i läsningen.

[Elia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a special fondness for stories with sassy talking cats in them. Sadly, the cuteness that is Bulka, the talking cat in Peter Bergting's tale of Swedish Sorcery Domovoi.

Maybe it's the fact that I know nothing about Sweden, and occasionally even confuse it for Switzerland, and know nothing about the city of Stockholm where the story is set (though the city in the story does seem to be one in either an alternate history or set in a strange past where people have classic cars but no electricity), or even have any knowledge of Swedish myths and legends. So maybe the reason Domovoi left me scratching my head is that I really just didn't know enough going in to really "get" it. All I know is that I was left scratching my head after a buildup that took seemingly forever and a conclusion that was extremely abrupt and unsatisfying.

Full review available at http://www.shutupandreadsomething.com on 7/9/13

[S.M.M. Lindström · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read if you're in the mood for a fairytale (which you can see from my rating that I was.) The plot is clear-cut and the setting is interesting, with a lot of implied world-building. I say implied because the story isn't a long one and thus there's only room for so much exposition and backstory. Personally I think that fit the story. While it leaves the reader without a deeper understanding of the characters' motivations, they are still developed enough through dialogue and action to be understandable. That said, some motivations are unknown or only hinted at, which creates a feeling of being an observer, a listener to a fairytale that takes place in a world I'd love to know more about.

Also, talking cats are always awesome.

[Jesse Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art in this was so excellent that I wanted to like the story more. But it was confusing and the dialogue and pacing were choppy.

[Carola Strömstedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing illustrations and I really enjoyed the story.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, what is up with the summary on this site: "In the Old Town of Stockholm, where myths are alive and creatures of folklore haunt the night, an extraordinary young woman named Jennie is caught in the scheme of a cadre of villains who control the means to free the Domovoi--the lethally dangerous, poltergeist-like spirit of the entire city!" That has a vague resemblance to the actual work, like maybe if you rewrote all of the dialogue you could use the art to tell this story, but it is not at all what this book is actually about. And really, a domovoi is a relatively low-key household spirit, not a city-wide poltergeist. Where the heck did this summary come from?

Moving on to review the actual book. It was fairly enjoyable, reminiscent of Hellboy in good ways: something of the art style, the dark shadows and glowing eyes, especially of the poleviki. And it felt like Hellboy was often facing creatures from Slavic myth, when he wasn't fighting mad scientists or cthulhian eldritch horrors. The world-building is good, with a casual juxtaposition of slightly run-down mythical beings in a 20th-century urban setting (somewhat reminiscent of American Gods).

On the minus side, the pacing is not the greatest and characters charge hectically all over the place with little rhyme or reason: like at one point Jennie decides it would be a good idea to hang out with this trio of spirits while things cool down; she has one conversation with them then heads off, which is hardly laying-low. And then there is the weirdness of the ending; just one page messes with things so much. The majority of the story is set in summer, evidenced by the long daylight hours, but the end has snowy streets, like it is winter, or at least autumn. But the conversation seems like less time should have passed. And there is the weirdness of the little girl staring in the window of the cafe (as she had done earlier in the story), but reporting she was looking at nothing. It makes me think that maybe Jennie and all of the other characters she interacted with are some sort of spirit, and not a mix of humans and spirits as it first seemed. And then I reflect back on the very first scene where a cafe patron is leaving at dawn and says "I'm heading home before the normal folks hit the streets"; are the normal folk just humans? So my final impression of the story is something unsettled and uncertain, and therefore dissatisfying.

Another minor complaint: the back of the book blurb says that the story is set in Stockholm, but there is nothing in the story itself that provides any concrete setting. And all of the spirits, and most of the names of the characters are Slavic in origin. I'm sure there is some sort of cultural exchange, but if the story really is set in Stockholm, I'd expect at least some Nordic influences to show through. Maybe there is some detail in the cityscape that hints at the setting, but I think it is more the author is Swedish, so it was assumed the story was set in a major Swedish city.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It's off-kilter, beginning with little explanation as these two thugs beat up the main character's uncle looking for some bones her grandmother stole. There's lots of magic and a talking cat in this story that feels like European folklore. Bergting's art is terrific. The whole thing gives off a Mignola vibe without Hellboy or any of his cohorts involved.

[Adam Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to tell if this is a cool concept/story because the dialogue is just incomprehensible. It reads like it was translated by Google.

The art is beautiful but not extraordinary enough that I could get over the dialogue.

[Crystal E. Fall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fina illustrationer och okej tidsfördriv, men förstod inte handlingen nästan alls (mest pga den styltiga dialogen) eller varför karaktärerna gjorde som de gjorde? Kändes som mycket historia saknades för att göra den helhetlig och alls fångande för min del.

[Magnus Bergström · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the style, but it’s a really messy story and the dialogues are often weird in a flat kind of way.

[Katarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this so bad because the artwork was amazing, but the story was confusing and I never really got emotionally involved in it.

[Nighteye]

Lite skum historia men vackert tecknad. Slavisk mytologi inblandad vilket jag gillade.

[Ani J · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok, but it was hard to understand what was happening.

[Nina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork is beautiful and really made me feel excited to read the book. Unfortunately, the story does not live up to the same quality. It just didn't make a lot of sense to me.

[Antonio Jose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historia donde se nos mezcla la realidad actual con el folklore eslavo. Sencilla historia y bonito dibujo.

[Fredrik Strömberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stand-alone graphic novel by master fantasy illustrator Peter Bergting, set in the Portent/Morwhayle universe. Fantastic art and a good, solid story that does not require prior reading of any of the other books and short stories.

Story:
Set partially in a fictitious version of Sweden and Stockholm, a young girl inherits a pouch of magic bones from her recently deceased grandmother, who also happens to have been a witch. She is then sent out on a quest filled with mythical creatures and lurking monsters, leading to an alternative world and a final showdown with a monster that her grandmother once faced.

Art:
The semi-realistic, American inspired art is simply gorgeous, making it clear why Peter Bergting is one of the most nationally and internationally successful Swedish illustrators right now. The colouring is also very, very good, adding a lot to each scene with color schemes that are based on moods rather than realism. A great example of what makes comics such a good media to express things that are hard to capture in other media.

Critique:
I liked this little story, even though, as with many of Bergting's stories, you get a feeling that, even though it's a stand-alone story, it's part of something bigger, and that the end is really the start of something else, not an end in a traditional, narrative meaning. Domovoi is much sequel than the book The Portent: Ashes, which I reviewed a few weeks ago.

Still, I like the world that Bergting is building, mixing influences in a way I haven't seen much of in fantasy before (granted nowadays I mostly read Terry Pratchett and the odd fantasy comic, but i used to be a voracious fantasy reader in my teens). I like the fact that his stories mostly have strong, female main characters, something this genre desperately needs. And I also like the fact that this word is not divided into good or bad, black or white. In this story, for instance, the bad guys slowly evolve into, well if not good, then at least neutral entities, and the beloved grandmother is shown to have had secrets that were not all that good.

Then there are the little details; like the fact that one of the main characters is a little white and very strong-minded cat, the fact that two recurring spirit characters look and act like thugs from Eastern Europe and drive around in a magical car from the 1940s, or that most of the characters are rather short, making the young heroine often the tallest character. All of these unique features make this read less predictable than a lot of fantasy can be. It's a magical combination, and I'm really looking forward to the next instalment in the Portent/Morwhayle universe.

Comments:
Peter Bergting and his wife Sofia have been constantly building on their very own fantasy universe, creating not only graphic novels, but also novels for young readers, games and short comics stories. Sadly, as far as I know, not all of this is available in one language. Most of it is available in Swedish, though not this book, and most of the young reader's novels have not been translated into English as far as I know. The Bergting couple seem very determined in their building of this universe, though, so I'm sure this will be rectified over time.

For now, if you know Swedish, the related short story comics can be read online: http://www.bergting.com/temp/morwhayl...

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

Domovoi is a beautifully illustrated fairy tale drawing upon Scandinavian and Baltic influences to weave a coming of age tale of a young girl. The artwork nicely complements the story, bringing the folklore tales to life in a wonderful way. If only all graphic novels, especially with young protagonists and YA in general, were this magical (and even funny in places).

Our young Heroine, Jennie, has a legacy of supernatural dealings. When her grandmother dies, she sets upon a journey to confront a sorcerer who wants returned magic stolen from him by her relative. Along the journey she is joined by her talking cat and a house spirit - and she'll make friends of enemies as she goes.

Jennie is a grounded character making the best of impossible situations. She's very likeable in her pragmatism in that magical world. And for once, we have a female character not mooning after a cute boy (I fear if this had been written by anyone else, the cat would have turned into a hunky teen). The magical creatures are both fascinating and mystical, and the path she takes fascinating.

Really, the lure of this book is the artwork. The illustrator knows how to place and work with positive and negative space in a masterful way that brings out the whimsy, danger, supernatural, horror, and comedy perfectly. And though the characters may lack some depth or motivation, really, it added to the mystery of the story for me.

The book is necessarily short but made up for by the beautiful artwork. I wish the ending was a bit more drawn out (it feels abrupt) but otherwise I enjoyed this book, especially the Russian fairytales (Rusalka, anyone?).

Received as an ARC from the publisher.