Tamlin

by Aven Wildsmith

TAMLIN is a short graphic novel reimagining of a classic Scottish folk ballad written in fluid verse. Aven Wildsmith creates a magical and atmospheric tale through a colourful and queer lens, creating room for queer love and a queer hero in Scottish folklore.

Janet takes refuge in the forest and falls asleep, only to be awakened in the starry night by the ethereal presence of Tamlin. As they get to know each other, they fall in love, but Tamlin is not free - not free to love and embrace Janet or leave the fairy realm in which she is trapped. In order for Tamlin to be free of the Fairy Queen's hold and to be held by her loved one, Janet must step forward and break the spell.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, LGBT, Queer, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings

68 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2021

About the author

Aven Wildsmith is a queer, non-binary, and Autistic artist and writer from Devon. They have a deep, undying love of folklore, mystery, nature, and spooky stories.

Reviews

[Callum McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel is a queer retelling of a Scottish folktale. First and foremost, Wildsmith’s art is gorgeous; suitably lush to draw you into the forest setting and the whimsy of this classic story. The prose itself is simple yet lovely, reading like an extended free verse poem, while the loose, flowing nature of the panel structure adds to the dreamy quality.

It’s short, so I won’t go into any story details for those unfamiliar with the original, but its themes of forbidden love, feeling trapped, going unseen by society, and finding peace within our own bodies through (painful) transformation all lend themselves perfectly to being reimagined through a queer lens.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamlin is a beautifully illustrated reimagining of a classic Scottish folk ballad. It's the perfect companion for a quiet autumn or winter night in while rain pours outside. The art is as magical as the story, and captures the emotions of the characters beautifully. I was so taken with every page and especially with the illustrations of the challenges (no spoilers!) towards the end. Such a nice short read, but I'll be going back to it again and again to marvel at the art.

It's so lovely having a queer fairytale, I'm looking forward to future works from Aven Wildsmith!

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The art is really beautiful but I didn't connect to the writing at all

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

You see me like a
glimpse
in a mirror.
I am here with my
body in one world
and my dreams
in another.

It's unusual to have poetry in a comic but it worked very well, I feel. I didn't know the story of Tam Lin beforehand but this adaptation struck me as powerful and moving, full of really interesting imagery and metaphor. You can really feel the love shared between the two women, and the hardships that they both have to go through. And I love the way the poetry is integrated with the artwork, it flows really well.

[Ruth Hogger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, a small treasure.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quality Rating: Five Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

This book is everything. A queer retelling of a Scottish fairy tale written in verse and accompanied by absolutely stunning illustrations (I would hang half the pages in this book on my wall). My thoughts are short and simple because it’s everything I love told in such a creative, moving and magical way.

[Letty Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so much! A beautiful queer retelling that brings all the wildness and longing in the original to the fore, and Aven's art is so incredibly gorgeous! There is so much love of real forests in it, you can almost smell the leafmould. delicious.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!!!

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in under half an hour because it is quick and easy to read. It's a sapphic retelling of the Scottish Tamlin tale by a nonbinary author and artist.

I didn't know about the tale before, so it was nice to read the author's note and have more context on the original, and what they did with their take in this version.

The artwork was very dark (as in hard to determine). But then there were some nice panels in part 2 which were beautiful! So it balanced out.

It really isn't text heavy so I breezed through this and had a good time.

[bhakti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Jay Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really short but sweet graphic novel redone. Loved the art style too

[Elou Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely.

[elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

picked this up on an off chance after falling in love with the cover art at my local indie, and its safe to say im obsessed with both the illustrations and the poetic storytelling. I love a Queer retelling, and this was just so beautifully executed

[runa · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ 3.75

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featuring some of the most beautiful art I've ever seen, Aven Wildsmith's Tamlin is a beautiful reimagining that perfectly captures the spirit of the original folk ballad