天幕のジャードゥーガル 1 [Tenmaku no Jaadugar 1]

天幕のジャードゥーガル [Tenmaku no Jaadugar] #1

by Tomato Soup, トマトスープ

後宮では賢さこそが美しさ。13世紀、地上最強の大帝国「モンゴル帝国」の捕虜となり、後宮に仕えることになった女・ファーティマは、当時世界最高レベルの医療技術や科学知識を誇るイランの出身。その知識と知恵を持ち、自分の才能を発揮できる世界を求めていたファーティマは、第2代皇帝・オゴタイの第6夫人でモンゴル帝国に複雑な思いを抱く女・ドレゲネと出会い、そして……!?
大帝国を揺るがす女ふたりのモンゴル後宮譚!

Genres: Manga, Historical, Graphic Novels, Comics, Historical Fiction, Josei, Bande Dessinée

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2022

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Yen Press for an eARC of this book to read and review.

Well, this was DARK. It's historical and it doesn't pull punches when it comes to the horribly brutal things humans have done to other humans, and usually for the stupidest of reasons. If you enjoy violent revenge fantasy set in historical times, then this is the series for you.

It's not bad, the artwork and story are fine, but it doesn't resonate with me.

2, not my cuppa, stars.

[Corn8lius · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

J’ai passé un très bon moment de lecture avec Jaadugar. Comme son nom l’indique, le livre nous raconte le récit historique de Fatima. Esclave Perse capturée après que sa ville ait été conquise et décimée par les Mongols, et traversera toute l’Asie pour vivre dans les steppes Mongoles, au service de la reine du Khan.

Si le fond du récit peut paraître violent et cruel, et les magnifiques et très doux dessins le rendent beaucoup plus digeste et agréable à lire.
Je lirais les tomes suivants avec grand plaisir !

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in the 13th century during the expansion of the Mongol Empire, this historical fiction gets off to a rocky start under the weight of its heavy Osamu Tezuka influence.

It's ostensibly based on the life of a real woman from the city of Tus in what is today Iran. Fatima will one day become an influential figure in the Mongol court, but at the start of this book, she is just a slave girl named Sitara, who -- despite her temper -- strives to better her situation through education.

But just as she starts to find her groove -- BAM! -- Mongol invasion!

I don't know much of the actual history here, but a little research shows that the author is probably taking a lot of liberties, which would be fine if the story were engaging on its own, but it comes off like a juvenile adventure story, specifically like one produced by Tezuka, who, despite his huge reputation in manga, never has done much for me with his broad style of writing and cartoonish art.

Honestly, reading this just made me wish I had the newest volume of Kaoru Mori's A Bride's Story, which is also set in Central Asia, though hundred of years later. The drawing and writing are just so much stronger than anything on display here.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapters 1-7

[Laura A. Grace]

This was not for me 😅

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that this is a historical tale set in the Mongol Empire was enough to make my history loving heart sing :)
This did a great job of spotlighting the cultural diversity of the region as well. Mood whiplash and poorly handled time jumps abound and somehow there is more math involved than I would have expected??? ( which is to say none). The heavy lines of the art style won’t resonate with everyone but, I didn’t mind. Reminded me a bit of Persepolis or maybe that old movie everyone always gets confused with Aladdin, The Thief and the Cobbler.

[Roshan · Rating 5 out of 5]

خب میخوام درمورد مانگاهایی که شخصیت 'ایرانی' دارن صحبت کنم. یه نمونش این اثر:

اسم این مانگا "جادوگر" هست و شخصیت اصلی کتاب یه دختر ایرانی هست
من هنوز این مانگا رو نخوندم ولی جایزه مهمی برده و تعریفش رو زیاد میبینم. آرتش با آرت های معمول حوزه مانگا به شدت فرق داره و خاص هست و داستانش هم تازه است.ترجمه انگلیسی (فن اسکنلیشن)‌هم شده و ترجمه رسمی اش هم در دست چاپ هست. [ مطلب رو زیر ترجمه رسمی فرانسوی اش مینویسم چون زودتر از نسخه ی انگلیسی منتشر شده]‌ خلاصه اگر با خوندن مانگا در حال انتشار مشکلی ندارید بخونید و لذت ببرید..

یه اثر ژاپنی دیگه که شخصیت های ایرانی داره مجموعه "افسانه قهرمانی ارسلان" هست که مانگاکاش،مانگاکای سری معروف کیمیاگر تمام فلزی هست و براساس یه مجموعه رمان معروف تصویر شده که نویسنده اش همون نویسنده رمان (و انیمه) به شدت معروف legend of galactic heros هست. حالا افسانه ارسلان دو تا ورژن انیمه داره: یکی که قدیمی و مال دهه نود میلادیه ؛ یکی که دو فصلیه براساس مانگای در حال انتشاری هست که گفتم. اون ورژن قدیمی به مراتب طراحی کاراکتر بهتری داره و واقعا چشم نواز هست.خود مجموعه رمان اش ولی تکمیل شده گرچه میدونم پایان بندی خوبی نداشته و بعید میدونم نسخه ترجمه انگیسی کامل داشته باشه.در ظاهر تاریخی ولی حقیقتا فانتزیه و نویسنده فقط از عناصر ایرانی الهام گرفته.

[ فلسفه جدیدم (فعلا) در مورد مانگا خوانی، خوندن مجموعه های تموم شده است. اینقدر دنبال کردن مانگاهای در حال انتشار برام سخت بوده که به این ترجیح رسیدم]

[Deb]

j’adore

[seaside · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, I need the rest of this series translated right now—I’m truly enamoured 💕

[Maude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga is such a breath of fresh air! Unique setting and premise, and the most intriguing and unique artsyle made this story stand out from other new releases this year for me. I'm looking forward to reading more.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Witch's Life on Mongol follows the life of a young girl named Sitara in 13th century Persia whose life is upended by the invasion of the Mongol Empire. I was aware going in that this was a historical manga and not to expect magic, but I was really surprised to learn it was based off of a real life historical figure! There's obviously going to be a fair amount of dramatization to the history given how long ago all these events occurred, but the author stays true to the details of the time period even if not to Fatima's actual life. The sad part of history is that so much is lost or never recorded, and I still appreciate that the author is looking to highlight this time period.

I can definitely see comparisons made to Tezuka with both the storytelling and the simplified style of this, but what comedic elements Tezuka usually infuses even in his most serious work are totally lacking here. A Witch's Life in Mongol is pitch black in tone and themes, and explores the atrocities of war without hesitation. If you get tonal whiplash from a chibi art style being used to depict some of the worst things in human history, then know going in that this won't work for you. It still worked for me, and I felt drawn in to the time period and Sitara's quest for knowledge and revenge.

This manga is a breath of fresh air in its subject matter, art style, and appreciation for history. If you like tragic, dramatic explorations of the past, A Witch's Life in Mongol will definitely appeal.

Thank you to Yen Press for my ARC provided through Netgalley.

[Julie (Ju_lev) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Dieudonné Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je suis tellement hype par le récit historique inspiré d'une femme qui a bouleversé la politique de sont continent, j'ai hâte dans savoir plus. Le dessin est semblable à persepolis et J'ADORE

[XA · Rating 5 out of 5]

una historia conmovedora, con un principio fuerte pero real. para los amantes de la historia y para los amantes del shoujosei♡

[Eressea · Rating 5 out of 5]

文案說住在伊朗東部的女奴主角
因蒙古西征被俘
之後為了報仇，變成伊兒汗國的魔女
但第一集還講不到那麼遠去
只寫到主角所居的城市被屠城
主角被蒙古人帶著往東走而已

作者挺厲害的是嵌合史實不著痕跡
第一集畫主角被往東運的時候
恰好碰到丘處機正往西去朝見成吉思汗
於是主角偷聽到了長春真人養生的秘密
其他還有好多有點認識又不熟蒙古大臣名將

畫風很明顯模倣波斯細密畫的風格
但古拙可愛，劇情又十分特別
這種冷門到不行的劇情
不知道尖端能撐幾集
等完結我大概奔五了，看得到嗎????

[Tachan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soyons honnête, malgré la belle promo de l’éditeur autour de ce titre, j’avais quelques a priori dus tout simplement au dessin un peu enfantin de l’autrice et à leur rendu très ancré en grand format. Je suis donc contente d’avoir eu l’opportunité de dépasser cela pour découvrir une histoire extrêmement riche et puissante, qui résonne fort en nous en ce moment.

Depuis 2021 Tomato Soup nous propose avec ce josei d’aller à la rencontre d’un peuple souvent méconnu : les Perses, à travers l’histoire d’une petite fille d’abord esclave au sein d’une famille de scientifiques perses, puis sur les routes après les attaques des troupes mongoles du XIIIe avec les célèbre Gengis Khan et ses fils. Comme ont pu le faire avant lui des titres comme Bride Stories ou Isabella Bird, Jaadugar ouvre notre regard à ces cultures autres, à cette histoire souvent raconté avec un regard assez biaisé pendant longtemps en Occident.

Alors oui, le dessin de Tomato Soup m’a surpris d’abord. Sorte d’hommage aux premiers mangas à la Tezuka, il a cette rondeur enfantine qu’on trouvait chez le maître et qui donne des allures d’enfants mêmes aux adultes. C’était le cas aussi chez Tezuka dans son célèbre Bouddha dont je retrouve certains échos ici. Mais l’autrice se l’est approprié pour en faire un vrai vecteur culturel et retranscrire par son dessin les particularités de ses cultures. Elle a ainsi construit un dessin très riche en traits et motifs, qui viennent compléter la simplicité de celui des personnages et qui rappelle un peu les représentations qu’on trouve dans les textes illustrés des Mille et une nuits. Ambiance, ambiance.

Côté histoire, là aussi, l’autrice s’approprie parfaitement ces lieux et nous offre un discours tout en nuances. Elle est là pour nous faire découvrir et non juger ces peuples et j’ai adoré cela. Ainsi avec elle, nous plongeons dans le quotidien d’une famille perse musulmane et nous découvrons la place de la science et de la connaissance dans leur vécu de la religion, à travers l’adoption d’une jeune esclave pour l’instruire, à travers le voyage d’un jeune garçon pour élargir ses horizons. La religion musulmane est loin de la représentation fermée et archaïque que certains cherchent à donner actuellement ici. Elle est à l’inverse un vrai moteur de savoir et de partage. L‘autrice nous parle donc sans tabou de religion, d’esclaves domestiques et on se rend compte de la vision faussée véhiculée. J’avais déjà écouté une excellente émission du »Cours de l’Histoire » sur France radio qui évoquait cela dans les sérails !

De la même façon, elle s’intéresse au fil des aventures de Stella, qui prendra ensuite le nom de Fatima, au rôle des pénétrations mongoles et aux perturbations provoquées. C’est à nouveau assez cru, brutal, sans concession. Là où elle bousculait nous idées sur la religion musulmane dans la Perse du XIIIe, elle dresse un portrait tout aussi nuancé du désir d’expansion de ceux-ci, montrant la violence subie d’un côté par les victimes et c’est normal, mais les désirs de découvertes, de connaissances et de partage des savoirs de l’autre également. Tout n’est pas si simple.

Et notre jeune héroïne se retrouve être celle qui, balancée au milieu de tous ces troubles, va nous faire pénétrer ses univers. Stella doit d’abord s’acclimater à la vie d’esclave, puis perdre cette place durement acquise pour affronter un destin plus cruel et en tirer à nouveau son épingle du jeu. J’ai beaucoup aimé la résilience de cette jeune héroïne, sa curiosité et sa force à toute épreuve. Parfois elle chute, elle vit durement ses pertes et c’est normal, mais ça ne l’arrête pas. Je suis donc très curieuse de voir comment elle va à nouveau s’adapter à cette nouvelle vie, ce nouveau peuple, elle qui déjà souhaite apprendre sa langue et comprendre ses coutumes pour s’intégrer.

C’est vraiment une vaste fresque ethnologique passionnante qui se dessine au côté de cette jeune héroïne curieuse de tout et dotée d’une belle logique. Quand science, histoire et humanisme se mélangeant, cela donne comme dans Du Mouvement de la Terre un récit passionnant qui embrase et embrasse le coeur du lecteur, le conduisant à revoir ses préjugés et à élargir son esprit pour accueillir d’autres cultures.

Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....

[Benjamin Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world...is truly wide, is it not?

Is manga, or comics more generally, the best medium for conveying historical stories? Are illustrations accompanied by text and narrative more effective at helping audiences to understand history and other peoples? Or, like certain television shows and movies, are they just as prone to propagandizing and miseducating?

I don't ask the above questions because I have any answers. They're questions which kick around inside my brain sometimes when enjoying a work of historical fiction, which I'm happy to say was the case with this first volume of A Witch's Life in Mongol.

This is the tale of Sitara, a slave in the Iranian city of Tus, 1213 AD. Adopted by a family of scholars as part of a transaction, Sitara is educated and integrated into the family. Her initial urge to escape becomes tempered by her want for knowledge and her affection for her owners. Unfortunately for her and the city of Tus, this is also the era of Genghis Khan. The Khwarazmian Empire, of which Tus is part of, is soon to be predated on by the Khan's armies...

I was drawn to A Witch's Life by three things: the beautiful artwork, the promise of a glimpse into Iranian history, and the news of Science Saru adapting it. I expected to learn from the book, to find it fascinating. What I wasn't prepared for, perhaps naively, was to be reminded so much of what's happening the Middle East today. As the title and synopsis gives away, this manga is perhaps more about the Mongols than Persia itself. Their arrival, about midway through the book, marks a painful shift in the narrative. Without spoiling much, the images of what happens to Tus reminded me of photos out of Palestine today, and even of the Zionist aggression Iran experienced scant months ago. It made me think of all the Middle East has endured at the hands of the West in the past two centuries. I didn't expect to cry reading this book, but these real-life associations, along with the raw emotion of Tomato Soup's characters, got to me.

Speaking of characters, Sitara is eminently relatable. Deprived of her agency by her status as a slave, she fights to survive through learning, through proving herself too useful to ignore. She's an immediately compelling character, especially as Tomato Soup uses her experiences to illustrate how multi-dimensional and fucked up humanity is. It sets up a tale of using learning to find freedom in a world where freedom and life are too often ripped from people who just want to live and love.

This being a historical tale, it does move rather fast, jumping between years in Sitara's development and introducing characters just as quickly as they're killed off. While Tomato Soup doesn't shirk on giving us intimacy with Sitara, this does give the events in the book something of a sense of passing quickly. It did make me wish for a few more moments of lingering on events in Sitara's life, especially considering how beautiful the art and relationships between the characters is.

And that art. It all has a lovely, storybook-quality to it that weaves in classical Persian art with Tezuka-esque character design, making for very clean blacks and whites. It made some of the violence which occurs feel even starker in contrast to the relative peace of other scenes. Consider me very curious to see how Science Saru will translate it to animation.

This volume ends with Sitara arriving at the next phase in her life, just before the Mongols are to experience a massive shift in their leadership. The promise of what the volume sets up, along with how endearing a character Sitara is and emotional power of the tale, were enough for me to put in an preorder with my local comic shop for volume 2. I look forward to it, and hope Tomato Soup takes more time to let the narrative and relationships within it breathe. This could be a rich, beautiful run of manga if we're fortunate.

[Enairolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’étais vraiment très curieuse de découvrir ce titre. Le résumé m’a donné envie d’en savoir plus. Je trouvais que l’histoire allait être très enrichissante sur tous les plans et ce fut le cas. J’ai vraiment été très surprise par cette lecture puisque je ne m’attendais pas du tout à autant apprécier ma lecture. J’ai adoré le style graphique. Les dessins ont un côté très innocent alors que l’histoire relate des choses vraiment horrible. Mais vraiment les dessins m’ont beaucoup plu j’ai adoré.

Dans ce premier tome, la jeune esclave Sitara découvre ce qui sera sa seule et unique arme pour survivre : le savoir. Lorsque sa route croise celle de Töregene, la sixième épouse de l’empereur, tout bascule. Dans ce monde ravagé par les conquêtes et la guerre, parviendra-t-elle à trouver sa place ? Pourra-t-elle seulement exercer ses talents ?

Comme je viens de le dire, le style graphique m’a vraiment beaucoup plu j’ai adoré découvrir toutes ces pages. Du côté de l’histoire, j’ai trouvé que c’était hyper intéressant à découvrir. Déjà j’ai beaucoup aimé le côté savoir de l’histoire. La famille dans laquelle Sitara atterrit est une famille de savants. Elle va donc apprendre des tas de choses au fil des ans. Ensuite, c’est une histoire très intéressante du côté des personnages. La petite Sitara m’a tellement impressionné! Le courage qu’elle a au vu de son jeune âge, c’est vraiment remarquable. J’ai adoré son caractère au début c’était limite assez drôle. Elle possède une force en elle c’est juste wow. J’ai adoré voir son personnage évoluer au fil des ans, elle est devenue encore plus courageuse je trouve. Elle va se retrouver dans une situation des plus difficiles mais ne va clairement pas se laisser abattre et va faire face à tout ça avec bravoure. Franchement ce personnage était génial à découvrir et à suivre, j’ai très hâte de voir ce qu’elle va faire par la suite en tout cas. Nul doute qu’elle va m’impressionner de plus en plus, je le sens.

C’est un premier tome plein de surprises que l’on a ici. J’ai adoré cette histoire que j’ai trouvé hyper enrichissante et très intéressante. L’intrigue est elle aussi plus qu’intéressante. Je me pose pas mal de questions pour la suite et je suis impatiente de voir ce que Sitara va finir par faire dans la situation dans laquelle elle se trouve! J’ai hâte de voir ce que le second tome va nous réserver!

[AP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admittedly thought the witch part of this story meant a shaman or something down that line, not just an academic/learned woman. I thought we would be introduced to some more superstitious folklore elements from persia/asia mixed with their science at the time. At least this doesn't really happen in volume 1.
That said it is an interesting read, perhaps a tad crammed/info dumping at times. My biggest gripe with this is the choice of art style which I don't personally vibe well with. The story seems to be meant for an older/adult audience, but the style choice makes it seem like the series is meant for young kids, which seems doubtful due to the complexity of the story and information given. At least not a lot of younger kids would sit down and read this! It's not a bad story so far, but it's difficult for me personally to take the seriousness of the plot serious because of that stylistic choice. Had this series had a similiar artstyle to "A bride's story" I would have been more inclined to read this story over that. But after seeing this, I'm almost tempted to give "A Bride's story" a second chance and read vol. 2. I only dnf'ed that series because it didn't really grab my attention enough by the end of the day. AWLIM grabbed my attention a lot better so perhaps I should just give both series a second volume whenever my library has them available.

So TLDR: I preffered the story of AWLIM vol. 1 over ABS vol. 1, while the opposite was true for the art style.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has what I'd call an Osamu Tezuka-like style. Everyone's a chibi, so at times it's hard to tell who's an adult or who's a child, aside from their interactions with each other. This isn't a style that I typically resonate with, especially when events get very dark.

This historical fiction stars Fatima, nee Sitara, an Iranian slave in the early 13th century. She's lucked into an education that includes both religion and science, and is able to fairly quickly find her way close to the levers of power in the Mongol empire that's conquered her home.

The mangaka's love and respect for their subject matter pervades this whole book. Culture and clothing, historical events, household goods and housework, are all convincingly detailed. Some of the worst side effects of war are elided, but it's very apparent that Fatima hasn't had--and won't have--an easy time as a captive scholar of the Mongols.

This title is far more serious than most of the manga I read, and takes more mental investment. I appreciate that, since the low effort required to read the majority of comics gets trying after a while. This one's well worth a look if you can get around the character designs.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Award-nominated manga A Witch's Life in Mongol now available in English! This story follows Sitara (later Fatima) from childhood until a time skip into her adult life as her city of Tus in 13th century Iran is invaded and destroyed by the nomads under Genghis Khan's fourth son. As a slave, she was educated in a home of scholars, and now as one of the few survivors of the attack, she volunteers her knowledge to the prince's wife...

I've wanted to read this series for a while; I think the art style is so unique (even if some characters occasionally get that Osamu Tezuka style face they lack the almost slapstick comedy quality of a lot of his work) and beautiful, and I love a historical fiction manga (also... anime next year??). I'll be interested to see where this one goes, especially as it's loosely/dramatization-ally based on a real person/set of events!

Thank you to Yen Press and NetGalley for the eARC for review!

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this so far!

It reads more like a historical fiction/family drama than your typical manga.

Through Sitara’s journey, readers are introduced to not only the inner-workings of the ancient Muslim world but also to the Mongol empire. There’s lots of commentary on class and gender throughout. Sitara being a young female slave who has received an education and been pseudo-adopted into a family prior to the siege of their city puts her in a precarious position—making her both a commodity and a liability.

It’s very interesting.

Plus, the art style is so distinct here. I love the “flow” of it. It’s very dynamic—with lots of swirls and curves.

Definitely looking forward to reading more~

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Fatima, previously a slave in Tus known as Sitara, is taken by the Mongols to serve Töregene, the sixth wife of Ögedei. She harbors resentment towards them and secretly plans to undermine her captors.

I really enjoyed both the story and the art style of this manga. There is a pleasant mix of fictional storytelling within a historical background. I am looking forward to reading the next volume.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Yen Press and NetGalley for the electronic review copy of this book. This is a first volume in what seems to be a historical manga series that starts with the Mongol invasion of Iran. We are following Sitara/Fatima, a young slave girl who is trying to survive and later rise to power in the Mongol court, based on a real person. A unique art style along with historical context based on real events makes this an interesting read. I’m looking forward to the next volume and would recommend it to any historical fiction lover.

[Vitobito (silverfishread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute historical manga
The story follows a young Persian girl later named Fatima and her life as a slave in the Khwarazmian city of Tus: before her village got attacked and she was taken by the Mongols, she was able to learn science thanks to her masters.

I unfortunately can't give much of an opinion on the story, since I've only read the first volume, but the plot is laid out well and (personally) make me want to seek out more.
The art-style is the key selling factor here, it's very pretty. I really loved how the characters looked, and the panelling was nicely done and laid out.

Honestly I don't have much to say about this manga expect that it was really, really nice! I'll be looking forward to read the rest of the story.

Final vote: 4/5

[Zaidee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the art style of this book. It brought to mind Osamu Tezuka's work and felt nostalgic, while still being appropriate for the time place and setting. I learned some new things from the information contained in the story, and while I didn't feel particularly strongly about the characters I felt they were enmeshed with the plot enough to keep me curious. Interested to see how the story progresses and how the witch aspect comes to be, as that hasn't really come up yet. Looking forward to the next volume!

[Tobias Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift from my wife, what a star. Found a comic book which follows the fantastic life of Fatima Khatun, the advisor to the empress Töregene Khatun who ruled the Mongol Empire. It is a story ripe for telling, so cool to have found this. Relatively well-grounded historically too, so that is always awesome! Looking forward to the 2nd volume.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, this manga was very different from what I expected it to be. The plot blurb for the manga describes the main character as an adult woman. She's not, for this entire volume, she's either a child or a teenager. I was also expecting more of a political thriller with hints of fantasy. I admit that I got tripped up on the Witch part of the title, and didn't realize they meant as in"Educated woman", not "Woman with magic powers". This manga is mostly telling historical facts and feels like I was reading one of those comics meant to be used in a history class instead of a textbook. The plot is a little all over, there are multiple time skips. I think this first volume is trying to do a LOT of setup and explaining the world for people who don't know Islamic or Mongolian history in a very short amount of time. It doesn't quite work and just makes the story feel crammed. Also, the art style is very kiddish. It's pretty jarring to have such a simplistic and cutesy smile you expect to see in comedies but use in a story that's supposed to be a historical political drama that covers some horrific events. It makes you think it's a children's story when you look at the art style. And yes, I know that style =/= story, but still, my point still stands.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this when I started it, but as it went on and I got to know the characters, I was hooked. There were a few time jumps that were a little confusing, but I don't think it took away from the story much. Overall, a really interesting historical fiction manga that I will definitely continue reading.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Copy...Well that was a very interesting read many ways. I love the historical content of that era and area's advanced understanding of sciences and mathematics which Fatima truly exhibits and in addition the art style is unique. It's iconic, stylized yet still embedded with the cultural feels of the different tribes.

[Clara Lash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful historical fiction, Volume 1 gives us an interesting look into the time period of Mongolian conquest in the time of Khan rule. The art is simple and very stylized. This manga gives a lot of Red River vibes, in terms of how historically accurate it does try to be! I can't wait to see more volumes and learn more!