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Le roi de paille #1
The Pharaoh's Daughter
Egypt, 7th century BCE. Neith and Sennedjem are two of many royal children too far down the inheritance ladder to matter. Facing limited prospects—she’s likely to wind up in her own father’s bed, and he won’t even wind up an advisor—they set out instead to see the world. But the ancient world is full of dangers, and soon enough, the royal pair find themselves sold off to the court of Babylon by slave traders. As a lady-in-waiting, Neith becomes entangled in another royal family’s power struggles, while her brother falls victim to a bizarre religious ritual: the Straw King…
56 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 22, 2020
59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
August 21, 2020
The story of a son and daughter of the Pharaoh. They both have reasons to run away from Egypt. They are soon captured and sold as slaves to Babylon where their royal heritage is found out. The Prince is put into position as the Straw King where he will be sacrificed on a certain day. I like these historical fiction comics Europeans put out. Dethan's art is very good.
Received a review copy from Europe Comics and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Europe Comics and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
June 18, 2020
The Straw King: 1 - The Pharaoh's Daughter by Isabelle Dethan
The daughter of Pharaoh (Lady Neith) is unhappy with her lot and decides to run away. A brother catches her on her way out, and he too decides to run away, though he is doing so to protect his sister. After leaving Egypt, they are captured by slavers and sold to the Babylonian King. The King knows who the two are and their royal blood. He recently had an Oracle tell him of a coming doom to claim his person and decides that the Pharaoh's son 'Min' is to become a straw King, taken the Kings place during the period of danger and ultimately sacrificed to the Babylonian Gods by burning at the stake. Lady Neith becomes a servant to his son, who has no interest in her, and passes her to his concubine, a woman whom he fiercely loves and has children with.
A few more lines and I'll expose the whole plot. I have this to say. The story line is well crafted.as was the artwork. I am an artist and never tried drawing a graphic novel and can only imagine the hard work that went into it.
Yes I think I will keep my eyes peeled for the next part of this series. I enjoyed this taste of the story. I should mention that I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The daughter of Pharaoh (Lady Neith) is unhappy with her lot and decides to run away. A brother catches her on her way out, and he too decides to run away, though he is doing so to protect his sister. After leaving Egypt, they are captured by slavers and sold to the Babylonian King. The King knows who the two are and their royal blood. He recently had an Oracle tell him of a coming doom to claim his person and decides that the Pharaoh's son 'Min' is to become a straw King, taken the Kings place during the period of danger and ultimately sacrificed to the Babylonian Gods by burning at the stake. Lady Neith becomes a servant to his son, who has no interest in her, and passes her to his concubine, a woman whom he fiercely loves and has children with.
A few more lines and I'll expose the whole plot. I have this to say. The story line is well crafted.as was the artwork. I am an artist and never tried drawing a graphic novel and can only imagine the hard work that went into it.
Yes I think I will keep my eyes peeled for the next part of this series. I enjoyed this taste of the story. I should mention that I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2020
I've received digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
I have been a big fan of Ancient Egypt since I was a little kid. There's something charming about its mythology, architecture and even pharaohs. That's why I couldn't pass an opportunity to try The Straw King.
The Straw King is first in the two-book series, The Pharaoh's Daughter. It's focused on Netih, daughter of the Pharaoh and her brother, escaping from their country and being enslaved and sent to Babylon. Author focused on many aspects of the society back then - monarchy itself, politics and relationships, slavery and female position in the society. Story itself was very intriguing, gripping and unpredictable. I would personally appreciate more of Egyptian setting, but Babylon was surely interesting enough to keep me interested.
One thing I must pinpoint is art of the comics. It's very vivid, colorful and eye-catching. It sets the atmosphere perfectly, especially bigger panels with no text. Comics itself is not very long, which was a bummer because I wanted more, but I am sure we'll get nice conclusion in second volume.
I'd recommend this comics to anyone interested in Ancient Empires (especially Babylonia and Egypt), strong female lead and lot of politics.
4/5*
I have been a big fan of Ancient Egypt since I was a little kid. There's something charming about its mythology, architecture and even pharaohs. That's why I couldn't pass an opportunity to try The Straw King.
The Straw King is first in the two-book series, The Pharaoh's Daughter. It's focused on Netih, daughter of the Pharaoh and her brother, escaping from their country and being enslaved and sent to Babylon. Author focused on many aspects of the society back then - monarchy itself, politics and relationships, slavery and female position in the society. Story itself was very intriguing, gripping and unpredictable. I would personally appreciate more of Egyptian setting, but Babylon was surely interesting enough to keep me interested.
One thing I must pinpoint is art of the comics. It's very vivid, colorful and eye-catching. It sets the atmosphere perfectly, especially bigger panels with no text. Comics itself is not very long, which was a bummer because I wanted more, but I am sure we'll get nice conclusion in second volume.
I'd recommend this comics to anyone interested in Ancient Empires (especially Babylonia and Egypt), strong female lead and lot of politics.
4/5*
September 26, 2020
Full review to come!
June 1, 2020
“A bizarre religious ritual: the Straw King.
This one had really beautiful, lush full art.
Just a pity I didn't connect to the story at all.
There just wasn't anything that demanded my attention or kept my interest.
*I received this copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
This one had really beautiful, lush full art.
Just a pity I didn't connect to the story at all.
There just wasn't anything that demanded my attention or kept my interest.
*I received this copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
May 26, 2020
This was a pretty good first part to a graphic novel that, as I understand, is being published in two halves.
Neith and Sennedjem are two of the pharaoh’s ‘lesser’ children. The fate that awaits them is for Sennedjem to be a servant to one of his older brothers and for Neitn to become her father’s concubine. Understandably, neither of them are thrilled at this prospect, so the runaway. They are caught immediately by slave traders and taken to the Babylonian palace as slaves.
Firstly, the art in this book was just lovely. It had a vivid watercolour feel to it and managed to evoke the Babylonian court perfectly, including the heat.
The plot was pretty interesting. I know almost nothing about Egyptian/Babylonian society from this period, so it did teach me a few things. There was a big jump, though, between escaping the pharoah’s palace and getting caught by the slave traders, which felt weird.
Neith was a great character, very strong and determined to save her brother. I kind of thought she’d be better off on her own (her brother was kind of helpless) but I admired her loyalty. I want to read the next book to find out what happens to her (although given the time period it’s set in, I can’t imagine her fate is nice).
This would have been better with the second part to the story bound with the first; as it is, the story stopped, just kind of stopped suddenly and now I have to wait to find out what happens next.
Neith and Sennedjem are two of the pharaoh’s ‘lesser’ children. The fate that awaits them is for Sennedjem to be a servant to one of his older brothers and for Neitn to become her father’s concubine. Understandably, neither of them are thrilled at this prospect, so the runaway. They are caught immediately by slave traders and taken to the Babylonian palace as slaves.
Firstly, the art in this book was just lovely. It had a vivid watercolour feel to it and managed to evoke the Babylonian court perfectly, including the heat.
The plot was pretty interesting. I know almost nothing about Egyptian/Babylonian society from this period, so it did teach me a few things. There was a big jump, though, between escaping the pharoah’s palace and getting caught by the slave traders, which felt weird.
Neith was a great character, very strong and determined to save her brother. I kind of thought she’d be better off on her own (her brother was kind of helpless) but I admired her loyalty. I want to read the next book to find out what happens to her (although given the time period it’s set in, I can’t imagine her fate is nice).
This would have been better with the second part to the story bound with the first; as it is, the story stopped, just kind of stopped suddenly and now I have to wait to find out what happens next.
May 10, 2020
I loved this graphic novel that I read via NetGalley. I think readers who enjoy ancient settings with a good storyline will love it. The drawing is impressive with warm colors and a lot of nice details, the characters are well-defined and relatable for an adventure with a timeline in ancient history.
The story is paced well enough to enjoy the visual elements in each scene. I especially enjoyed general views of the ancient cities that look rather realistic, and I took my time to study them closely.
There is also a short glossary with the names mentioned in the book that includes very brief information about the history of ancient Egypt and Babylon empires.
I will be looking forward to the second part.
The story is paced well enough to enjoy the visual elements in each scene. I especially enjoyed general views of the ancient cities that look rather realistic, and I took my time to study them closely.
There is also a short glossary with the names mentioned in the book that includes very brief information about the history of ancient Egypt and Babylon empires.
I will be looking forward to the second part.
May 15, 2020
4 stars
This was an amazing read for me personally felt that i was in the graphic novel in Egypt.
It has been my dream to enter the place and be mesmerize with the king and princess, they are known to have the best art and crafts in Egypt.
The storyline for this graphic novel was smooth and very easy to understand. Loved the illustrations a lot.
Neith was very determined and loyal to her brother. The way she saved the princess kid was amazing and shocking at the same time. i wanted more for this book personally and cannot wait for book 2.
I've received digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This was an amazing read for me personally felt that i was in the graphic novel in Egypt.
It has been my dream to enter the place and be mesmerize with the king and princess, they are known to have the best art and crafts in Egypt.
The storyline for this graphic novel was smooth and very easy to understand. Loved the illustrations a lot.
Neith was very determined and loyal to her brother. The way she saved the princess kid was amazing and shocking at the same time. i wanted more for this book personally and cannot wait for book 2.
I've received digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
June 1, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.
'The Straw King' is a historical graphic novel with an Ancient Egyptian setting. In the novel, two children of the king try to run away from the life they know. However, they end up in a very messy situation where both are in danger. Will death follow? Or maybe not?
This graphic novel has beautiful drawings. They are very detailed, lovely colors are used and the drawings truly speak. This artist has a great style and it suits the Ancient Egypt theme. The only thing that bothers me was the font. Sometimes it was hard to read, not all letters were very clear in their shape.
There are some great characters in this graphic novel, also loved the setting and atmosphere. The surrounding was very creative and fun.
The story, on the other hand, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Some parts were very complicated and harsh to understand what was going on. Not everything was explained well which showed very early on. It feels as if the reader needs to have a certain knowledge about Ancient Egypt, to understand the story itself.
It isn't a long graphic novel, and apparently it's split into two issues. Which I wouldn't have done. The story ends abruptly and there is no climax.
The graphic novel has great art, but I personally wasn't a large fan of the story.
'The Straw King' is a historical graphic novel with an Ancient Egyptian setting. In the novel, two children of the king try to run away from the life they know. However, they end up in a very messy situation where both are in danger. Will death follow? Or maybe not?
This graphic novel has beautiful drawings. They are very detailed, lovely colors are used and the drawings truly speak. This artist has a great style and it suits the Ancient Egypt theme. The only thing that bothers me was the font. Sometimes it was hard to read, not all letters were very clear in their shape.
There are some great characters in this graphic novel, also loved the setting and atmosphere. The surrounding was very creative and fun.
The story, on the other hand, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Some parts were very complicated and harsh to understand what was going on. Not everything was explained well which showed very early on. It feels as if the reader needs to have a certain knowledge about Ancient Egypt, to understand the story itself.
It isn't a long graphic novel, and apparently it's split into two issues. Which I wouldn't have done. The story ends abruptly and there is no climax.
The graphic novel has great art, but I personally wasn't a large fan of the story.
May 7, 2020
It was beautiful drawings and that i really liked, but the novel felt too informative and i wasn`t too fond of the whole story. I had other hopes for this story, but they kind of crashed. I give it 3 stars, but that is actually mostly for the beautiful graphics/drawings.
May 18, 2020
As the author says, much of what we know about Egypt comes from the Greeks, and although this is based on history, there is only so much that has filtered down to us. The two main characters, Neith and Sennedjem, are children of the Pharaoh, who thought they could go on adventure, and end up being sold as slaves to the royal court of Babylon. Although they wanted to run away from home, they don't want to be slaves, and so try everything they can to escape, especially since Sennedjem is set to be the Straw King, the king figure that is killed in order to appease the gods, and take away bad luck from the real king.
The art is fantastic, and the story is good, but it is part 1 of 2, so hard to say how this will all end, but oh, my, so far so good.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The art is fantastic, and the story is good, but it is part 1 of 2, so hard to say how this will all end, but oh, my, so far so good.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
May 25, 2020
'The Straw King' with words and art by Isabelle Dethan is a story set in 7th century BC Egypt.
Neith and Sennedjem are siblings and children of the Pharoah. On a trip to see the world, they are captured by slave traders and sold to the court of Babylon. Neith finds herself serving in the court, but hears that her brother may be in danger, so she begins a daring rescue mission.
I liked this story of Ancient Egypt. I found Neith to be an engaging protagonist. The art is really good, and I liked that they included a glossary of terms at the end of the book.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Neith and Sennedjem are siblings and children of the Pharoah. On a trip to see the world, they are captured by slave traders and sold to the court of Babylon. Neith finds herself serving in the court, but hears that her brother may be in danger, so she begins a daring rescue mission.
I liked this story of Ancient Egypt. I found Neith to be an engaging protagonist. The art is really good, and I liked that they included a glossary of terms at the end of the book.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
November 8, 2020
Special thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 2.5 stars rounded up
I feel like I'm definitely in the minority with my feelings on this book. The cover was what caught my eye and I've always been interested in historical fiction but haven't read much (as an adult) about historical Egypt. Although the artwork ended up being different from what I expected, I thought it really fit the story well. The colour palette of browns, oranges, and yellow really fit with my idea of the dessert and Egypt, but the use of certain bright colours like red helped to accentuate the richness of clothing and jewellery.
The story of The Straw King moves pretty quickly which, in my opinion, didn't leave much space for the characters or even the plot to develop very well. The story's progression skipped over periods of time which also made the change in situations seem abrupt. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters and although I found Neith interesting, we don't really learn much about her other than she's a princess, a beautiful dancer, and she escapes Egypt to avoid being bedded by her pharaoh father. I really wish that we got some more "meat" in both character arcs and plot so that I could feel something beyond a passing curiosity.
Still, the historical aspect was interesting and I think if you have an interest in ancient Egypt or historical fiction you'd probably find this comic enjoyable! I don't know if I will continue with the story but I'm glad that I gave it a try!
I feel like I'm definitely in the minority with my feelings on this book. The cover was what caught my eye and I've always been interested in historical fiction but haven't read much (as an adult) about historical Egypt. Although the artwork ended up being different from what I expected, I thought it really fit the story well. The colour palette of browns, oranges, and yellow really fit with my idea of the dessert and Egypt, but the use of certain bright colours like red helped to accentuate the richness of clothing and jewellery.
The story of The Straw King moves pretty quickly which, in my opinion, didn't leave much space for the characters or even the plot to develop very well. The story's progression skipped over periods of time which also made the change in situations seem abrupt. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters and although I found Neith interesting, we don't really learn much about her other than she's a princess, a beautiful dancer, and she escapes Egypt to avoid being bedded by her pharaoh father. I really wish that we got some more "meat" in both character arcs and plot so that I could feel something beyond a passing curiosity.
Still, the historical aspect was interesting and I think if you have an interest in ancient Egypt or historical fiction you'd probably find this comic enjoyable! I don't know if I will continue with the story but I'm glad that I gave it a try!
May 6, 2020
I was sent an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
3.5
I love the artwork, the style and colours go really well with this type of story and setting. Real effort has go into it even the backgrounds. The setting and historical context used is fascinating especially the whole straw king ritual. The main character is determined and is very loyal to her brother. However I think that there could have been more to the story, it's very short especially since it's only a 2 book graphic novel series. Maybe show snippets of them being siblings growing up together (we don't actually get to see why they are so loyal to each other) and the 2 days that don't get shown between them escaping the palace to becoming slaves. The main character also gets a lot of breaks, she never seems to be in danger which seems quite unrealistic for her situation.
Overall it was enjoyable and if you are a fan of Ancient Egypt it's worth a read.
3.5
I love the artwork, the style and colours go really well with this type of story and setting. Real effort has go into it even the backgrounds. The setting and historical context used is fascinating especially the whole straw king ritual. The main character is determined and is very loyal to her brother. However I think that there could have been more to the story, it's very short especially since it's only a 2 book graphic novel series. Maybe show snippets of them being siblings growing up together (we don't actually get to see why they are so loyal to each other) and the 2 days that don't get shown between them escaping the palace to becoming slaves. The main character also gets a lot of breaks, she never seems to be in danger which seems quite unrealistic for her situation.
Overall it was enjoyable and if you are a fan of Ancient Egypt it's worth a read.
June 17, 2020
Gorgeous art and an interesting story with a lot of ancient politicking and intrigue.
When two lesser children of the Egyptian pharaoh decide to leave Egypt and seek out better fortune elsewhere, they are immediately captured and sold as slaves to Babylon. Neith, the girl, is send to be a nanny for the illegitimate daughters of the prince, while her brother is fated to become a ritual sacrifice in a tradition known as the "straw king" in which a man is crowned king only so he can absorb the bad fortune that is SUPPOSED to befall the real king and thus bring the kingdom prosperity.
Lots of twists and turns as the two try to find a way back to Egypt keep the action going throughout.
When two lesser children of the Egyptian pharaoh decide to leave Egypt and seek out better fortune elsewhere, they are immediately captured and sold as slaves to Babylon. Neith, the girl, is send to be a nanny for the illegitimate daughters of the prince, while her brother is fated to become a ritual sacrifice in a tradition known as the "straw king" in which a man is crowned king only so he can absorb the bad fortune that is SUPPOSED to befall the real king and thus bring the kingdom prosperity.
Lots of twists and turns as the two try to find a way back to Egypt keep the action going throughout.
May 8, 2020
Politics is personal in ancient Egypt and Babylon. Focused on the ins and outs of court (of Pharoh Amasis II) and palace (of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon) intrigue, the characters were engaging, the art was well-drawn, but the plot wasn't quite byzantine enough for my tastes. Fun and well worth a read.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2020
As is often the case with Europe Comics, the art is lovely but the plot is a little disjointed. Though the script mostly follows a fairly straightforward narrative, too many characters are introduced in a short period of time and the plot at that point is moving quickly. Yet for all that plot, the characters don't grow or change as people. Since it's the first volume in at least a two part series, I'm hoping for that to happen in the next installment.
I'd call this something like a historical sibling adventure set in ancient Egypt. If that appeals to you, give it a shot!
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'd call this something like a historical sibling adventure set in ancient Egypt. If that appeals to you, give it a shot!
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2022
Magnifiques dessins et chouette histoire, je regrette l’usage à 3 reprises de termes tels que « merde » ou « bordel » dans une histoire sur l’Égypte antique.
May 6, 2020
This graphic novel is about Neith and her brother Sennedjem who are the pharoah’s children. They decide to run away together because Neith doesn’t want to become her own father’s concubine, and Sennedjem is not the heir but one of many sons down the ladder, so he isn’t really important to his father. He would most probably end up as a leaf bearer for one of his older brothers.
Unfortunately they are caught by slave traders, and are sold to the King of Babylon, who is an enemy of the Egyptians. The King decides to use Sennedjem as a Straw King. This means that Sennedjem would be forced to pretend to be the King and then sacrificed at the temple to get rid of all the bad omens and curses that would befall the real King otherwise. Neith is horrified to learn this and decides to save her brother from this terrible fate.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel as I learnt a lot of facts about ancient Egyptian and Babylonian customs and traditions, that I did not know before. I do really like reading about that time period and this was very interesting for me.
The illustrations were really beautiful and a treat to behold. Very vibrant, rich and colorful. It felt like they transported me back in time.
This was volume 1 of the two part series and now I really want to read the second part, to know what happens next, as the story was so engrossing.
I recommend this book for people who love history, and love reading comics and graphic novels with beautiful illustrations.
Unfortunately they are caught by slave traders, and are sold to the King of Babylon, who is an enemy of the Egyptians. The King decides to use Sennedjem as a Straw King. This means that Sennedjem would be forced to pretend to be the King and then sacrificed at the temple to get rid of all the bad omens and curses that would befall the real King otherwise. Neith is horrified to learn this and decides to save her brother from this terrible fate.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel as I learnt a lot of facts about ancient Egyptian and Babylonian customs and traditions, that I did not know before. I do really like reading about that time period and this was very interesting for me.
The illustrations were really beautiful and a treat to behold. Very vibrant, rich and colorful. It felt like they transported me back in time.
This was volume 1 of the two part series and now I really want to read the second part, to know what happens next, as the story was so engrossing.
I recommend this book for people who love history, and love reading comics and graphic novels with beautiful illustrations.
September 22, 2020
I received The Straw King by Isabelle Dethan via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This short story was amazing and an intriguing main character Neith. A strong character, hands-on and not afraid to get her hands dirty. What really kept my interest was the detailed artwork and beautiful illustrations. The story is well-paced, interesting plots and twists, along with detail to historical accuracy. In short, the story centers around two royal siblings Neith and Sennedjem. They want to escape the roles that they were being forced into following eventually. Sadly, their escape was short-lived as they are soon discovered by slave traders and captured. They are sold to the enemy kingdom. Talk about unlucky! Neith becomes a royal sitter for the children. Whereas, Sennedjem is being groomed, here is where the title comes into play, into being the Straw King. Don't worry, I won't give anything away.
This is just part one of the series and naturally leaves everything on a cliffhanger. I truly recommend this for all and any who love everything related to the ancient Eygpt and strong female leads. One more thing, I like that there's a glossary of the time periods of what was happening in Eygpt and Babylon, in addition, to their kingdom history.
Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I truly enjoyed it.
This short story was amazing and an intriguing main character Neith. A strong character, hands-on and not afraid to get her hands dirty. What really kept my interest was the detailed artwork and beautiful illustrations. The story is well-paced, interesting plots and twists, along with detail to historical accuracy. In short, the story centers around two royal siblings Neith and Sennedjem. They want to escape the roles that they were being forced into following eventually. Sadly, their escape was short-lived as they are soon discovered by slave traders and captured. They are sold to the enemy kingdom. Talk about unlucky! Neith becomes a royal sitter for the children. Whereas, Sennedjem is being groomed, here is where the title comes into play, into being the Straw King. Don't worry, I won't give anything away.
This is just part one of the series and naturally leaves everything on a cliffhanger. I truly recommend this for all and any who love everything related to the ancient Eygpt and strong female leads. One more thing, I like that there's a glossary of the time periods of what was happening in Eygpt and Babylon, in addition, to their kingdom history.
Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I truly enjoyed it.
May 6, 2020
Thank you NetGalley for providing this arc for review.
The Straw King is a graphic novel set in ancient Egypt. I love reading and studying anything Egypt so when I saw this, I was really intrigued. The story mainly follows Neith and her brother who went on an adventure to escape Egypt and became enslaved to Babylon. I am not the hugest fan of graphic novels… but I loved each illustration as it depicts the time period and the way of life.
I can’t wait to read the next one!
The Straw King is a graphic novel set in ancient Egypt. I love reading and studying anything Egypt so when I saw this, I was really intrigued. The story mainly follows Neith and her brother who went on an adventure to escape Egypt and became enslaved to Babylon. I am not the hugest fan of graphic novels… but I loved each illustration as it depicts the time period and the way of life.
I can’t wait to read the next one!
May 8, 2020
The art in this book was fabulous! With all colored pages and nice detailing, also had in engaging story to back it up!!!
January 14, 2023
Trouvaille en BD, ce premier tome convient à tout âge. Prenant place en Antiquité, entre Égypte des Pharaons et l'empire de Babylone, nous suivons les déboires d'un couple de frère et sœur, enfants secondaires de Pharaon, qui en tentant d'échapper à leur destin, se retrouvent achetés comme esclaves par le roi de Babylone. Comme un malheur n'arrive jamais seul, le roi songeait justement à user d'un stratagème visant à confondre les Dieux: le Roi de Paille. Ce dernier prend temporairement la place du Roi, accumulant la charge malchanceuse à sa place, puis est sacrifié pour détruire cette malchance. D'où viens cette malchance? D'un mauvais alignement des étoiles. Oui, les Babyloniens sont forts superstitieux et comble d'ironie, c'est justement sur le jeune prince égyptien que se porte le choix du Roi en tant que "roi de paille". Mais Neith, sa jeune soeur, n'est pas prête à le laisser ainsi voué au sacrifice.
Une Bd au dessin curieusement doux malgré des personnages aux airs sombres, le tout surmonté d'une palette de couleurs d'aquarelle comme je les apprécie. Les paysages et les jardins sont magnifiques et j'aime toutes ses chevelures noires ébouriffées. ( Parce que d'ordinaire, les égyptiens sont représentés avec des coupes de cheveux carrées) Il y a un manque à combler sur certaines expressions faciales, comme la tristesse ou l'horreur, alors que d'autres, comme la surprise sont assez réussies. Les corps ont une belle façon de se mouvoir.
C'est une histoire qui ne manque pas d'intérêt ni d'action. Déjà, avec cette supercherie étrange qu'est le "roi de paille", ça suscite une certaine curiosité. Neith est un personnage intéressant, qui progresse pour devenir de plus en plus active et altière. Elle tente de sauver son frère, ce qui nous sort de l'histoire inverse de princesse en détresse. Et merci à elle, c'est un personnage féminin qui ne vit pas d'histoire d'amour, en voilà une nouveauté! Surtout pour une Bd qui peut convenir à la jeunesse.
J'ai bien hâte de voir le tome 2.
Catégorisation: BD historique française, littérature jeunesse adolescente, premier cycle secondaire, 13-15 ans+
Note: 7/10
Une Bd au dessin curieusement doux malgré des personnages aux airs sombres, le tout surmonté d'une palette de couleurs d'aquarelle comme je les apprécie. Les paysages et les jardins sont magnifiques et j'aime toutes ses chevelures noires ébouriffées. ( Parce que d'ordinaire, les égyptiens sont représentés avec des coupes de cheveux carrées) Il y a un manque à combler sur certaines expressions faciales, comme la tristesse ou l'horreur, alors que d'autres, comme la surprise sont assez réussies. Les corps ont une belle façon de se mouvoir.
C'est une histoire qui ne manque pas d'intérêt ni d'action. Déjà, avec cette supercherie étrange qu'est le "roi de paille", ça suscite une certaine curiosité. Neith est un personnage intéressant, qui progresse pour devenir de plus en plus active et altière. Elle tente de sauver son frère, ce qui nous sort de l'histoire inverse de princesse en détresse. Et merci à elle, c'est un personnage féminin qui ne vit pas d'histoire d'amour, en voilà une nouveauté! Surtout pour une Bd qui peut convenir à la jeunesse.
J'ai bien hâte de voir le tome 2.
Catégorisation: BD historique française, littérature jeunesse adolescente, premier cycle secondaire, 13-15 ans+
Note: 7/10
May 7, 2020
I've received a digital ARC in Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Straw King is about an Egyptian princess named Neith and her brother Sennedjem. They escape from Egypt because Neith fears her pharoah father wants her in his bed. They travel to Babylon and find themselves in the halls of the royal family after they did not want to be discovered, but Sennedjem is chosen to be the straw king, aka, a false king.
I enjoyed reading this. The central characters, Neith and Sennedjem are great together and I love the way the plot moves. Neith is one of the strongest female leads I've encountered on graphic novels. She's not a pushover and fights for her brother with everything she's got, and I find that a worthy quality for her and it makes her bold and caring. I really sympathized with her. I would have liked to have seen more development between the siblings, maybe a few more conversations in the beginning of the story so I can understand the nature of their relationship, but all in all, the siblings are amazing and I can tell their relationship is strong, I would just like to see more of them together.
The underlying plot about the straw king is well done and seems so well researched. I found myself glued to the page in an effort to find out what would happen to the straw king, and the way it all ended? I won't spoil it here but I really loved how it ended.
The artwork is beautiful. Absolutely stunning. The colors are vibrant and lively and truly do help with the depiction of the story as the colors pop off the page, but aren't over the top. It's subtle but vibrant at the same time and I really love that quality about it.
I cannot wait to read the second volume of the Straw King. This was a beautiful story.
The Straw King is about an Egyptian princess named Neith and her brother Sennedjem. They escape from Egypt because Neith fears her pharoah father wants her in his bed. They travel to Babylon and find themselves in the halls of the royal family after they did not want to be discovered, but Sennedjem is chosen to be the straw king, aka, a false king.
I enjoyed reading this. The central characters, Neith and Sennedjem are great together and I love the way the plot moves. Neith is one of the strongest female leads I've encountered on graphic novels. She's not a pushover and fights for her brother with everything she's got, and I find that a worthy quality for her and it makes her bold and caring. I really sympathized with her. I would have liked to have seen more development between the siblings, maybe a few more conversations in the beginning of the story so I can understand the nature of their relationship, but all in all, the siblings are amazing and I can tell their relationship is strong, I would just like to see more of them together.
The underlying plot about the straw king is well done and seems so well researched. I found myself glued to the page in an effort to find out what would happen to the straw king, and the way it all ended? I won't spoil it here but I really loved how it ended.
The artwork is beautiful. Absolutely stunning. The colors are vibrant and lively and truly do help with the depiction of the story as the colors pop off the page, but aren't over the top. It's subtle but vibrant at the same time and I really love that quality about it.
I cannot wait to read the second volume of the Straw King. This was a beautiful story.
Read
June 18, 2020I went into this with no expectations except to enjoy a graphic novel about ancient Egypt written and illustrated by a female creator, and requesting for this ARC was good decision making on my part. LOL
The story revolves around royal siblings Neith and Sennedjem and their escape from lives they were doomed to live. Their newfound freedom is short-lived, however, bec soon they are found by slave traders and are sold to the enemy kingdom. Here Neith becomes a sitter to the royal children, and Sennedjem is groomed to be the Straw King, a scapegoat of sort in an ancient ritual that's supposed to save Babylon from misfortune in exchange of The Straw King's Life.
There are at least three things I absolutely liked about this graphic novel. 1) is the rich cultural setting of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia. The artstyle only adds to the intense beauty of this ancient civilization. 2) is the plot. The way it is set up for the siblings to want to leave their current situation, as well as the twist and turns the story takes after they leave Egypt are solid and written well. 3) is it's fast pace and how compelling the story took hold of my attention. The complexity of the characters, including Neith's new master, the slave masters in Babylonia, and even the Pharaoh were effectively incorporated in the span of just a few pages.
This is just the first of a series and so it ends on a cliffhanger, but it's intriguing enough that I am excitedly looking forward to the release of the next English translated volume. I highly recommend this to lovers of ancient Egypt, of stories with strong female leads, and stunning art.
*The eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. It doesn't affect my opinion of the book. Thank you.
The story revolves around royal siblings Neith and Sennedjem and their escape from lives they were doomed to live. Their newfound freedom is short-lived, however, bec soon they are found by slave traders and are sold to the enemy kingdom. Here Neith becomes a sitter to the royal children, and Sennedjem is groomed to be the Straw King, a scapegoat of sort in an ancient ritual that's supposed to save Babylon from misfortune in exchange of The Straw King's Life.
There are at least three things I absolutely liked about this graphic novel. 1) is the rich cultural setting of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia. The artstyle only adds to the intense beauty of this ancient civilization. 2) is the plot. The way it is set up for the siblings to want to leave their current situation, as well as the twist and turns the story takes after they leave Egypt are solid and written well. 3) is it's fast pace and how compelling the story took hold of my attention. The complexity of the characters, including Neith's new master, the slave masters in Babylonia, and even the Pharaoh were effectively incorporated in the span of just a few pages.
This is just the first of a series and so it ends on a cliffhanger, but it's intriguing enough that I am excitedly looking forward to the release of the next English translated volume. I highly recommend this to lovers of ancient Egypt, of stories with strong female leads, and stunning art.
*The eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. It doesn't affect my opinion of the book. Thank you.
May 12, 2020
Thank you to Isabelle Dethan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fine graphic novel.
My primary complaint is that the story is split into two books, so I have only completed half of the story. The art is colorful and visually appealing. There is some violence and minor sexual content, but nothing so severe as to cause me concern to showing this comic to a teenager. The violence and sexual content of this comic are rather subdued when compared to many other similar titles.
The book begins by focusing on two primary characters, a half-brother and half-sister, both children of a Pharaoh. After the half-sister feels she has attracted unwanted sexual interest from their father, she flees with her half-brother, who wants to travel, against the wishes of Pharaoh. They are subsequently kidnapped and sold as slaves to an enemy kingdom, where he is to be sacrificed and she is to be a concubine in service of the prince. The bulk of the book focuses on their time in captivity, planning and performing the escape. The action did not seem that compelling, and the initial kidnapping took place entirely off panel.
It seems that this could have been done in one volume if this first half was shorted a little, and I think some of the panels could have been deleted to make this fit into one volume. I was able to finish the book and enjoyed what I read, but it felt like I was making slow progress. I do not mean to denigrate the fine artwork provided by the book, and it is possible I would have been satisfied if I was able to finish the story in one read, instead of having to wait for the release of the second half of the story.
My primary complaint is that the story is split into two books, so I have only completed half of the story. The art is colorful and visually appealing. There is some violence and minor sexual content, but nothing so severe as to cause me concern to showing this comic to a teenager. The violence and sexual content of this comic are rather subdued when compared to many other similar titles.
The book begins by focusing on two primary characters, a half-brother and half-sister, both children of a Pharaoh. After the half-sister feels she has attracted unwanted sexual interest from their father, she flees with her half-brother, who wants to travel, against the wishes of Pharaoh. They are subsequently kidnapped and sold as slaves to an enemy kingdom, where he is to be sacrificed and she is to be a concubine in service of the prince. The bulk of the book focuses on their time in captivity, planning and performing the escape. The action did not seem that compelling, and the initial kidnapping took place entirely off panel.
It seems that this could have been done in one volume if this first half was shorted a little, and I think some of the panels could have been deleted to make this fit into one volume. I was able to finish the book and enjoyed what I read, but it felt like I was making slow progress. I do not mean to denigrate the fine artwork provided by the book, and it is possible I would have been satisfied if I was able to finish the story in one read, instead of having to wait for the release of the second half of the story.
June 8, 2020
I read this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My review is based on the version available online through NetGalley, and do not reflect the opinions of anyone other than myself.
**
The Straw King is an excellent choice if you want to read a ancient historical political thriller, but can’t decide if you’d rather watch a movie or read a book.
(Note: possible content warning for references to incest, which we thankfully don’t see)
Neith, the daughter of one of Pharaoh’s many concubines, takes the chance to flee the palace with her half-brother when she learns she is about to share the same fate as some of her half-sisters: her father’s bed. They are kidnapped (or rescued?) by slave traders and sold to Nebuchadnezzar, emperor of Babylon. Neith’s adventures next are about escaping her new world, and her old one.
I really enjoyed this story, and I want to see more about the adventures of Neith.
The art is breathtaking: the comic has many scene changes (all of which are impressively clear), uses beautiful techniques to draw out subtle differences in focal planes, and the painted backgrounds are consistently gorgeous. The whole novel feels very much like a cinematic experience.
I loved the complexity, the history, the language and the traditions referred to in the comic. The comic’s world is richly researched and I appreciated the footnotes and the glossary explaining the terms used in the comic.
But I think the thing I’m most excited for is the next volume: this comic felt like a necessary origin story for Neith. It was exciting, it set up a clear world and mythology, and it was fun to read, but I’m more excited about what Neith will do next and how she defines herself in a totally new world.
I read a digital version of this comic, but I feel like this comic may work better in print: the map in the opening pages doesn’t read so well onscreen, and I initially found the font a bit difficult to read - but got used to it pretty quickly. These are small issues in a beautiful graphic novel.
**
The Straw King is an excellent choice if you want to read a ancient historical political thriller, but can’t decide if you’d rather watch a movie or read a book.
(Note: possible content warning for references to incest, which we thankfully don’t see)
Neith, the daughter of one of Pharaoh’s many concubines, takes the chance to flee the palace with her half-brother when she learns she is about to share the same fate as some of her half-sisters: her father’s bed. They are kidnapped (or rescued?) by slave traders and sold to Nebuchadnezzar, emperor of Babylon. Neith’s adventures next are about escaping her new world, and her old one.
I really enjoyed this story, and I want to see more about the adventures of Neith.
The art is breathtaking: the comic has many scene changes (all of which are impressively clear), uses beautiful techniques to draw out subtle differences in focal planes, and the painted backgrounds are consistently gorgeous. The whole novel feels very much like a cinematic experience.
I loved the complexity, the history, the language and the traditions referred to in the comic. The comic’s world is richly researched and I appreciated the footnotes and the glossary explaining the terms used in the comic.
But I think the thing I’m most excited for is the next volume: this comic felt like a necessary origin story for Neith. It was exciting, it set up a clear world and mythology, and it was fun to read, but I’m more excited about what Neith will do next and how she defines herself in a totally new world.
I read a digital version of this comic, but I feel like this comic may work better in print: the map in the opening pages doesn’t read so well onscreen, and I initially found the font a bit difficult to read - but got used to it pretty quickly. These are small issues in a beautiful graphic novel.
June 29, 2020
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
The Straw King – The Pharaoh's Daughter, Book 1 (of 2), by Dethan Isabelle
★★★★★
56 Pages
Wow! This little 50+ page book packs a really big punch. So much story in so little pages, I forgot how short it was supposed to be. It was absolutely the perfect length. It had a complete storyline, with only a small cliffhanger that made perfect sense, due to the events of the story.
I absolutely loved Neith as a main character. She was strong, feisty, not afraid of getting her hands dirty, and was brave enough to be the only one interested in saving her brother. Brave enough to run, when she discovered she was her father's “favourite” and would probably end up his new wife. Yet, I also really liked Sennedjem. He was an interesting character, had (almost) equal characterisation and page-time as his sister. I'd like to learn more about him in the next volume.
I also really liked that this was a two-volume series. I kind of wished I'd waited for Volume 2 to be ready, so I could go straight into it, but it just means I'll have to re-read this one when Volume 2 comes out. Frankly, there's so much story, it'll be for the best.
The historical accuracy, the attention to detail, and the STUNNING artwork all made this a really enjoyable read. It was well paced, well plotted, and had just the right amount of story to keep me hooked from page-to-page.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
The Straw King – The Pharaoh's Daughter, Book 1 (of 2), by Dethan Isabelle
★★★★★
56 Pages
Wow! This little 50+ page book packs a really big punch. So much story in so little pages, I forgot how short it was supposed to be. It was absolutely the perfect length. It had a complete storyline, with only a small cliffhanger that made perfect sense, due to the events of the story.
I absolutely loved Neith as a main character. She was strong, feisty, not afraid of getting her hands dirty, and was brave enough to be the only one interested in saving her brother. Brave enough to run, when she discovered she was her father's “favourite” and would probably end up his new wife. Yet, I also really liked Sennedjem. He was an interesting character, had (almost) equal characterisation and page-time as his sister. I'd like to learn more about him in the next volume.
I also really liked that this was a two-volume series. I kind of wished I'd waited for Volume 2 to be ready, so I could go straight into it, but it just means I'll have to re-read this one when Volume 2 comes out. Frankly, there's so much story, it'll be for the best.
The historical accuracy, the attention to detail, and the STUNNING artwork all made this a really enjoyable read. It was well paced, well plotted, and had just the right amount of story to keep me hooked from page-to-page.
May 16, 2020
First of all: this book is beautiful. The overall colour scheme blew me away immediately, and made me stare at the drawings for minutes, trying to discover more details. I only recently started reading graphic novels and have been enjoying them so much, so I got very excited when I found this book.
This is the story of Neith and Sennedjem, children of the Pharaoh who set out to see the world but end up being sold to the enemy Babylonian empire as slaves. When Sennedjem is chosen to represent the Babylonian king in an ancient religious ritual that will end with his death, Neith tries everything in her power to rescue him...
As I have said before, the art in this book is absolutely stunning. Ancient egypt is really brought to life in this story, and makes you feel completely immersed. The characters are amazing, and the plot so gripping that you can't stop flipping the pages. The only negative thing I can say about this book is that sometimes, the plot seemed to jump a bit too quickly for me, and I was confused what exactly was happening. Then again, it is possible that that's just because I was reading too quickly, wanting to find out what happens next.
All in all: If, like me, you are trying to get into graphic novels or like to try out something new, I can really recommend picking up this wonderful book!
Thank you netgalley for the earc of this book!
This is the story of Neith and Sennedjem, children of the Pharaoh who set out to see the world but end up being sold to the enemy Babylonian empire as slaves. When Sennedjem is chosen to represent the Babylonian king in an ancient religious ritual that will end with his death, Neith tries everything in her power to rescue him...
As I have said before, the art in this book is absolutely stunning. Ancient egypt is really brought to life in this story, and makes you feel completely immersed. The characters are amazing, and the plot so gripping that you can't stop flipping the pages. The only negative thing I can say about this book is that sometimes, the plot seemed to jump a bit too quickly for me, and I was confused what exactly was happening. Then again, it is possible that that's just because I was reading too quickly, wanting to find out what happens next.
All in all: If, like me, you are trying to get into graphic novels or like to try out something new, I can really recommend picking up this wonderful book!
Thank you netgalley for the earc of this book!
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