So if you like comics, and fairytales and princesses and heavily implied teenage lesbianism, have I got a book for you.
Spera! I bought it yesterday when I went to the comics store and Miss Kate kindly insisted that I take it home with me. Thanks Kate! It’s a graphic novel about two princesses—one rougish badass swordfighting princess who left her kingdom and seeks to make her way in the world, and one sheltered, quiet, daydreaming princess who must flee her home to save her own life. They team up and go on adventures! So like…sort of my dream book.
I loved it and devoured the whole thing at once. The art is stunning, the characters delightful and the plot intriguing. The thing that impressed me most was the texture of the narrative—so often things that are about fairytaleish things let the tropes do the legwork. But the story and the worldbuilding are really original, and it has nods towards meta elements about narratives and the meanings of stories without being heavy-handed about it. Literally my only complaint is that it’s the first book in a series and where is the rest of it. I want it right now! I’m really excited to see where the story goes and how the characters develop.
So yeah, you should read this!
