A red-haired princess loses her family and her kingdom… Now she must rise and fight for her throne!
Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Su-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when tragedy strikes her family!
Yona and her friends leave the Water Tribe lands and meet a boy named Karugan in an Earth Tribe town near the nation's border. When they cross the border to take him back home, one of the Dragon Warriors unexpectedly collapses!
More importantly, this volume marks a turning point for Yona as she begins to realize why her father was so opposed to war: it's not just the soldiers who suffer, it's the everyday people who carry the heaviest burden. That means that Yona is starting to see herself not as someone defending Kohka, but all people who suffer when rulers like Su-won decide that war is the best way to make a point.
I'm not sure Su-won is ready to learn that for himself.
Princess Yona is the pampered daughter of her kingdom's king. Isolated and doted on she has two childhood friends, Hak, a general who also protects her and her cousin, Suwon who helped her mourn her mother's passing and who she is crushing on big time. On her 16th birthday her entire world implodes to to a crippling betrayal... She must decide if she will fall in line or rise up and take back her kingdom.
Ever since we stopped collecting dragons Yona of the Dawn has gotten better and better. In this volume we get more Suwon and learn of the trouble he makes for Yona who has traveled to an earth tribe town on the border with South Kai, a nation they are always fighting over land with. Yona of the Dawn vol 17 brings us Kalgan a curious boy caught in that struggle and with Suwon on the move anger and resentment are stirring up as well. It's always the little peasants trying to live that get caught in the cross hairs. This time though I was shocked at the danger Hak and the dragons came under... if you've been wanting more battles... we've been blessed with them now!
We actually get to see Zeno step up and reveal a bit about himself. I was blown over by his revelations and his action in the face of events in Yona of the Dawn vol 17. We start as always with a personable and comedic meeting that showcases what we love about the series and the tension just builds and builds from there. I NEVER thought I'd actually see the day Hak is in danger physically and I will say my heart was in my throat for ALL of them!! We don't just get massive action but we continue to see the heartache involved when emperors have agendas. Yona feels this keenly...
I have to say that Kalgan won me over almost upon first meeting in Yona of the Dawn vol 17!! He is so adorable the crush that he forms for our princess until he notices Yona's eyes are lingering on one particular person... and its hilarious how he handles that knowledge. We also get a bonus chapter where we learn about Jaeha's childhood. We've been dying of curiosity to learn what caused him to abandon his village and its just as bad as we suspected! My heart totally broke for him... when he hugs Yona later and Hak sees I couldn't help but wonder who would be better for the princess.
Yona of the Dawn vol 17 takes the art up a notch!! The battles... Mizuho Kusanagi has missed her calling as a battle artist!! Seeing Hak go to is so gorgeous. Normally its him and the dragons and so everyone is amazing, but this time we see just what a warrior Hak is... And we get an unexpected dragon all hot and bothered and WOW!! The frames at the end of the volume about KILL YOU! I kid you not... I gasped out loud and about fell over. The visuals have had to win my over slowly through the series but now I bow to a master.
Yona of the Dawn vol 17 starts us in a new part of the country far from the palace. This turns out to be an unexpected hindrance to Yona and her dragons that seriously threatens their lives. Will everyone come out the other side unscathed?! I'm not sure but I know I'll be the first in line to find out!! Yona of the Dawn is a seriously good series... if you haven't started it yet... what are you waiting for?!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
Thanks to Edelweiss and VIZ Media for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
This is a multi-volume series and there may be references to the plot of those volumes... SO READ WITH CARE! Here is my review of 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
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a mysterious illness befalls three of the four dragon warriors, and zeno is fatally wounded, but somehow survives?! apparently the dragon warriors succumb to mortal illnesses and wounds if they stray to far from the kingdom they were born to protect… i love when there are power loopholes!
OH MY GOSHHH THE AGONY READING THISSSS!!!! AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! I was, let’s say, literally jumping around freaking out and not ok. 😂 So please give me the next one! NOW!!
It didn't start out too heavy (and was thankful that the battle was not the main focus, though Su-won looked incredibly dashing in his armor), but seeing our dragons under the weather was a lot harder then I thought. Though I "enjoyed" seeing the dragons converse among themselves and discuss something that only they can understand (or at least question). I think it was sobering learning the fact that those with dragon blood don't typically live long.
One thing I've come to really appreciate are the stolen moments between Hak and Yona that are NOT romantic. Just as the dragons share a certain bond, so do Hak and Yona. When they have certain conversations like they did in this volume, it feels extremely inclusive and always gives the reminder the deep history these two have and the pain they both have endured along the way.
Now with that, I love how Yona said that the real enemy here is war. So well said, Yona! Though the battle that takes place after that conversation made me shocked and SUPER in denial! Some of those panels I could have done without seeing. Not because they were graphic, but because I never want to see anyone in pain. Time to apply the secret we learn about the dragons and get them out of there!!
And not only do we learn about that secret, but Zeno! :o :o :o :o That was quite the surprise and never would have expected THAT to be his secret! And spoiler alert I hope his backstory/childhood was a lot happier then Jaeha's because that bonus chapter was a depressing way to end this volume. Makes me thankful that at least Gija had a happy-ish backstory concerning his dragon blood.
Also the character popularity poll! I was very happy with Sinha and Gija being where they were! Rightfully deserved!! Not going to deny that I was surprised by number three though!
Overall, a good and another hard volume (at least it wasn't as stressful as the previous). The art continues to be absolutely amazing!
This volume is heartbreaking in so many ways! Now we know that the four dragons have shorter life span and they're happy to have met and served Yona while they possess the power of the dragons. Zeno is also sweet and thoughtful, saying he will protect the other dragons because they are weak in times of illness. And now we also know his power, he's made to be Yona's shield so as long as Yona is in his care, no harm will come to her. The extra chapter also made me cry. Jae ha's story is touching and even though his predecessor used to beat him up, he still wanted to bring him outside and let him feel the power of the dragon's leg for the last time.
Ay, se me ha ido rompiendo el corazoncito página a página con este libro por la situación en que se encuentran los dragones; además la revelación final, aunque me la esperaba, me ha dejado ojiplática de todas formas.
THIS IS NOT A DRILL! WE GOT A KISS!!! WITHOUT YONA’S IN-DENIAL RESPONSE!! *SCREAMS UNINTELLIGIBLY* ALSO, I FUCKING KNEW IT!! ZENO’S ABILITY IS A LITERAL SHIELD!! Love this so much, albeit sad about Jaeha’s past—gosh, I’m loving him even more. And the intense of that blood-drawing, never ending war with the Kai Empire.
Vaya! Al empezar a leer volví a pensar que ahora sí lo dejaba, que era una serie muy larga y mejor dejarlo ahora que empezaba un arco nuevo y como las otras veces, luego la historia da un giro, te explican el pasado de un personaje y hasta se te escapa una lagrimita... Pues hala! a seguir!
Can't really say anything without spoiling this series at this point... just read it! The art is amazing, the characters are well developed and there is even a wee bit of romance.
The Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch leave the Water Tribe and head to the Earth Tribe lands. There they meet a young boy from the Kai Empire, who they offer to escort home.
Part of me feels like I missed something because I’m still confused as to why our characters have decided to visit the Earth Tribe, but whatever. The first chapter of this volume provided some much needed comic relief after the intensity of the previous volume. Because of it, I thought this volume was going to be more easy going, but I was very much mistaken. Su-won decides to carry on with his plans to retake Kin Province, and I’m glad that wasn’t a super large aspect of the story as there wasn’t enough build up to warrant it. Instead the real issues arise when Yona and crew need to deal with the repercussions of Su-won’s war. And boy oh boy, was the price steep, you know an author is doing a great job when you believe the stakes are high and the situation is dire, and I was constantly wondering how our characters were going to turn things around.
What I loved most about this volume every volume really was the character interactions. The little kid the gang temporarily picked up created some really embarrassing situations for Yona and I loved every second of it. That girl needs every push possible in order for her feelings to fully bloom. And Kija was such a sweetheart in this volume. Watching the HHB look out for each other and take care of each other always warms my heart.
I also really enjoy this series’ attitude towards parents. They’re barely present, but whenever they’re discussed it’s always in an endearing way, as if all parents are meant to be cherished. It really makes me sad that so many of these characters are orphans. I also really enjoyed the discussions had in regards to the dragon powers. I like that their powers aren’t some sort of be all end all, they can’t venture too far from Hiyruu palace and their lives are tragically short something I try not to think about too much. It was especially wonderful that the dragons had a moment for just the four of them, they experience things no one else could possibly understand, yet the real highlight was Yun walking in on that conversation. Yun is so soft and sweet and I love him so much.
Just as an aside, up to this point I’ve had a really hard time imagining Yona reclaiming the throne, and one major reason for that is that I could not picture her and Hak as rulers, but hearing Hak talk political tactics makes me think otherwise, I don’t give him enough credit as a formal general.
And finally, finally! We get to see Zeno’s dragon power in action. I’m sorry that it’s taken Hak and the other dragons expending themselves in order for it to come about (reading about the dragons being sick was painful) and of all the powers I’d say it’s easily the most taxing and traumatic for everyone involved.
This volume was super action packed but now I know we have a lot of emotional times ahead of us now that Zeno’s arc is starting.
As for the Jaeha bonus story, I’ve been waiting for this chapter! All the dragons have pretty tragic upbringings with the exception of Kija. The attitudes of their villages are all pretty awful. Jaeha was so kind even as a kid, and it was nice to finally get his backstory.
FIVE STARS. That entire volume was such an emotional rollercoaster 😭. The amount of death-scares in this one was TERRIFYING, especially in Chapter 99 (iykyk). Not only that, but we got even more politics and battles??? I swear, ever since I read the Poppy War trilogy I have been a HUGE fan of war and politics in fiction. I might not understand it fully and I may have to reread some lines that my brain can't comprehend, but it's just so much fun to do it!
Besides the incoming war/battle, this volume was definitely my favorite so far for two main reasons. One...we finally found out what Zeno's ability is!! AND I KNEW HE WAS SECRETLY THE MOST POWERFUL OUT OF ALL OF THEM. I know it's not a conventional fighting ability like Sinha's eyes or Jaeha's leg, but Zeno's essentially unbeatable in any battle. I also feel like his ability was revealed at the right time too. Up until this point, we haven't fought in any battles where the opponent had a significant upper hand. The three other dragons literally had to get sick just so that Zeno could have his time to shine, and I am so so grateful for it.
Second, we got Jaeha's bonus chapter! I almost cried while reading it, which adds onto the emotional rollercoaster of this whole volume. It's so interesting that both Jaeha and Sinha's villages want to keep the dragons a secret, and Gija's village is the opposite and worships the white dragon. I really want to read Zeno's backstory now. Maybe we'll get it in the next volume, especially since Zeno's on the front cover of the volume!
i really like how yona's journeying across kohka is letting her see the perspective of ordinary people and what war does to them. i think kusanagi is setting up a good argument for why she'd make a better ruler than su-won -- he's smart and politically astute but i think he loses the trees for the forest
(also the murder and betrayal. haven't forgiven him for that one)
Review: The crew meets a young boy from the neighboring country, and on their trip taking him back home, the Dragons slowly get sick one by one. At the same time, Su-Won invades nearby to take the land back. They win that battle, but the losing army decides to take revenge by destroying everything. This doesn't go well for them, when the Dragons even though sick decide to protect the village they are in. And here is when they discover the truth about Zeno. I already knew some of this from watching the OVA of the anime, but there is a sequence that is not in that anime that makes me wish more and more that it had more than one season. I keep bringing it up, but I can't help it. This story has a cast of very interesting and compelling characters. Even Su-Won, arguably the main antagonist, is very compelling. You want to hate him for what he did to the people who were his best friends, but when you see that he truly did want what was best for the country, he just went about getting there the wrong way. But I'm getting ahead of myself. This volume was just so good, and I can only hope that one day it gets picked up again to make into an anime, and they can get the same voice actors. (not for the dub though, I really didn't like the voice actor they got for Yona)
Okay, so Yona's beginning to understand that things aren't black and white when it comes to ruling. She's seeing that the country doesn't suffer from war but the people do.
Also we get Zeno info! I think he's the ORIGINAL yellow dragon!?
RECAP: Yona and gang run into a kid who's actually a Kai citizen. They bring him back to his village, when Gija falls ill. They realize that Suwon is also waging a war to reclaim a part of Kouka's land. Jaeha, Sinha also fall ill. After Kai loses, their soldiers decide to raze all the villages. Hak intervenes, Yona tries to help but he KISSES HER CHEEK and tells her to get to safety. The other dragons rally and help fight. We find out Zeno is her shield and unkillable. But they're just too far from the palace so their bodies are weaker.
Ends with a bonus story about Jaeha's past and MY HEART. I CAN'T TAKE IT. He was chained all his life, and when he finally got the full powers, his predecessors held off the village so he could fly away.
We're getting a Kashmir story line. There are a lot of territories that would fall into this example (especially considering Russia & Ukraine and Israel & Palestine conflicts that are happening now) but I'm the most familiar with Kashmir. I'm really hoping that the magaka will opt for Yona to have complex emotions for Sun-Wo especially since he killed her father in cold blood. This manga also is showing the darker side of war. If the manga as a whole is going to have a commentary on war I'm hoping for a nuanced view rather than just black and white, which is what we're bouncing between now. Learned more about the yellow dragon, but it felt anticlimactic. I liked the green dragon back story.
The intensity in this volume came out of nowhere! I'd gotten a slight spoiler awhile ago that lessened my surprise for one of the big plot twists, but everything leading up to it kept me on my toes!
It's so sweet to see how the main group has grown closer to each other. However, it is NOT sweet to see them get hurt. Everybody had better be okay—or I won't be! 😭