This is a beautiful graphic novel, an original fantasy story that goes to some interesting places narratively. I enjoy the vibrant world that it’s set in, and even though the plot can be thin at times, the themes it pulls out are lovely, especially in light of the afterword.
Young Adora, a nobleman’s daughter, finds the routine of her studies disrupted by disturbing recurring dreams of The Distance, a mysterious force that destroys everything in its path. Knowing that it’s coming for her, Adora feels her only choice is to leave home in order to keep it away from her city. Setting off with her beloved protector, her handmaid, and a collection of seasoned adventurers, she takes a journey to protect her home and outrun her fate for as long as she can.
For a fantasy quest story, the world-building is light. It’s not a long book, and it doesn’t go into much heavy exposition. It relies heavily on the artwork to make the setting, what looks to be a Spanish-inspired port city, come alive. A lot of details, like the specifics of what The Distance is, are left intentionally vague, and for most of the characters, we get to know them based on what we see them do, not on backstories.
Because that’s not really what this book is setting out to do. It’s a story that runs more on emotion and vibes, in a compelling way. Things are left unsaid in a way that often feels tantalizing, but we don’t ultimately need to know. We see how they affect Adora and her companions, we see they respond in kind, and that’s enough. While the graphic novel is ostensibly for everyone, the afterword reveals that’s it’s also, in a way, an overture from author Marc Bernardin to his daughter—certain elements are specific family in-references that were written for an audience of one.
Adora is such a rootable young heroine. She’s intelligent, she’s compassionate, and ultimately, she’s incredibly brave. The Distance isn’t something that can be fought. It’s not something that can be outrun forever. Adora certainly doesn’t want to be lost to it, and she and her companions push hard to keep out of its clutches, but she embarks on this quest more for the sake of others than for herself, getting them out of the path of the destructive force that’s heading toward her.
I also enjoy her relationships with her companions, especially the taciturn warrior El Moor. The supporting characters are shaded lightly but well, the dialogue and the artwork coming together to make us feel like us know them better than we do. Any quest story with a party of unlikely comrades is going to feel familiar at this point—The Lord of the Rings is obviously the Mac Daddy of the narrative, but I was also reminded at times of The Wizard of Oz and The Fall (did anyone else see that movie?)
The ending of the novel, and the accompanying afterword, add new dimensions to the story in really interesting, emotional ways. I’ll avoid giving any details on the specifics—I knew a little about this aspect going in, and it was thought-provoking to look for resonant ideas as I was reading, but I also think discovering it cold could make for a rewarding experience.
Warnings
Violence and thematic elements.
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