A graphic retelling of the old Breton folktale of the ocean city of Ys that sank beneath the sea. It doesn't actually deviate that far from the story though, so don't expect a happier ending.

I've never read anything by MT Anderson before and I'm not exactly sure that I would pick up anything else by him. The writing itself was quite shallow, with little development between the sisters. What should have been the emotional driving force - two sisters bound by duty and dealing with it in their own tragic ways - fell more like a damp squib towards the end.

However, the artwork is beautiful. Jo Rioux's style is childlike, almost too simple, you might think at first, until you notice the gruesome details and occasionally gory narrative turn. But the scratchy pencil lines and lush colour-drenched panels show a depth you don't expect as you read further. Any weaknesses in prose was made up for in the complexity of Rioux's art. ( )

I decided to dip my toes back into the graphic novel world and I’m not quite sure if this was the best start.

Things I liked:
The characters
The general story
Some stellar poignant sentences
Quick read
A lot of things happen

What I didn’t like:
Story felt quite clipped - very little writing lots of skipping ahead in timeline
Relationship between sisters seems nonexistent
The whole thing with the fisherman???
And the bad guy “merchant”??
I was left a little confused tbh - things are quite vague and choppy and almost nothing is explained
And even with dahut at the end…

Overall it was a super fast read and somewhat entertaining but I’m left scratching my head as to what actually went on ( )

I had never heard of Ys, but I am definitely going to look into the Breton legend, because this was such an interesting and dark story. ( )

This is the book for you if you like:
1) messy sister relationships
2) magic, used for both good and evil
3) a distinctive art style with emphasis on watery tones and pops of red
4) folktales

The Daughters of Ys is a retelling of an old Breton folktale, set in a magically protected and constructed seaside city called Ys. (Similar to Atlantis, it's a magical city that's now sunken and never seen again.) The Queen, possessed of faerie magic, has just passed away and her two daughters are left with an irresponsible, grieving mess of a father. The elder sister takes to the countryside, bonding with animals and local people, even finding love with a commoner. The younger sister takes her anger and magic and uses them to keep the city going with her father. She does all the things no one else is willing to do and it's unclear whether she's actually "bad" or just does evil things. If she didn't do them, the city would fall into the sea and the sea monsters that guard it would attack all the inhabitants, so is all the murdering she does to feed the monsters and magic really that bad? Hmm.
Like many folktales, there's a fairly straightforward message here: be good and kind, not selfish and envious. (Also the evil sister is the one who has sex. I'm not a big fan of folktale slut-shaming, but there it is.) I think it's pretty clear here that the sisters have both been trying to deal with their father's mess in their own way. The elder by avoiding him and her responsibilities, the younger by taking what pleasures she can while doing what no one else will.
I came away from the book with a strong dislike of their father and empathy for both sisters. I can't say much about the way their relationship turns out without spoiling the book entirely, but when Rozenn asks what their life might have been like if they had stayed together instead of fracturing apart after the death of their mother? A defining moment.

As for the art, I was initially put off by the characters' faces. Everyone's face is square, with a flat profile and no cheekbones. Or a totally sunken face and massive cheekbones like their father.
However, the scenery is beautiful and once you sink into the story (ship jokes, you're welcome) the odd faces are not noticeable except as a distinctive style. Fitting the ocean setting, the color palette is full of greens and blues, seaweed browns and pops of white and red. Panels are full of movement, hair and dresses flowing along with the water and hillside landscape.
I read the hardcover edition and under the dust jacket is a beautiful ocean scene with a modern boat, suggesting that inside the book, under the waves, lies a story of adventure and mystery. It's really clever and lovely packaging all around.
If you're looking for a folktale retelling for young adult and adult audiences, this is a great pick.

Content Note - I won't be passing this off to my nine year-old just yet. While the sex scenes are not terribly explicit, there are at least three. I think the way they're drawn is perhaps PG-13? More importantly, the violence is well... violent. Decapitation, stabbing, feeding people to sea monsters...

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review. ( )

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for a review*

With beautiful art and an encompassing atmosphere, this graphic novel isn't necessarily "easy," since there's a lot left unexplained and the ending's a real downer. An engaging story with interesting additional material at the end. ( )