The Daughters of Ys

March 27, 2020

In ancient Breton dwells the magnificent city of Ys, where the sea's power is kept at bay by the same arcane sorcery that has given it wealth beyond measure. The king and his late wife had two children, the eldest Rozenn, who thrives in nature, and younger Dahut, who retains her mother's gift for magic. Initially close, their reactions to their mother's death splits them. Rozenn pursues an existence of her own making while avoiding courtly duties, whereas Dahut embraces royalty and trods a darker path that ties her directly into the secret sins of Ys and the true cost for the magic that prevents the sea's tumult from flowing in and submerging the entire cityscape. When a traveling prince enters the city and climbs to the bedchamber of sly conniving Dahut, it sets in motion events that could topple the most powerful city in the world and even unleash the hellish sea denizens bound to it. Can the two sisters come together and save Ys, or is the rotten core at its heart deserving of destruction? VERDICT National Book Award-winning author Anderson (Traitor to the Nation) and artist Rioux (Cat's Cradle) present delicate, soft-hued picture-book imagery that disarmingly explores the corruptive legacy of raw power in this most compellingly philosophical and thoughtful fantasy. [Previewed in Douglas Rednour's "Picture This," LJ 4/20.]--Douglas Rednour, Georgia State Univ. Libs., Atlanta

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
An ancient Breton folktale finds new life as a graphic novel. King Gradlon won his wife's hand by murdering her first husband. Upon her mysterious death, their two daughters, Rozenn and Dahut, are sickened by their father's debauchery and consumed by grief. Several pages of wordless panels show the girls growing up and growing apart. Rozenn retreats to the countryside, meets Corentin, a "holy hermit," and falls in love with a fisherman. Dahut commits herself to learning her mother's magic, including seducing, murdering, and sacrificing a string of young men to protect the city. Dahut's ultimate betrayal of her sister brings about the deadly denouement. Anderson drew on multiple sources to retell this story of Ys, a "famed city of pleasures" stolen from the sea and doomed to destruction. Overtones of other tales, from the lost land of Lyonesse to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, echo through the pages of this morality tale. Blood and betrayal permeate the plot while natural sounding dialogue and perfect pacing draw readers along smoothly. Rioux's art adds a suitably Celtic feel, with swirling patterns, medieval costumes, and a red-haired sorceress at its center. While nudity and sexual activity both occur, as do beheadings and drowning, neither the text nor the pictures are particularly explicit. Main characters are white; clothing and textual references indicate contact with Near and Far Eastern nations. Intriguing and accessible, this thought-provoking tale will be new to many. (source note) (Graphic fantasy. 16-adult)

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April 20, 2020
Drawing on Celtic folklore, this haunting graphic novel by Anderson (Feed) pays homage to an ancient Breton myth. Rozenn and Dahut, daughters of the fairy Queen Malgven, are left grieving with their father, King Gradlon, after their mother’s death. The king falls into a deep depression, while the girls grow up following different paths: Rozenn avoids her responsibilities as heiress to the throne of the land of Ys, in favor of caring for wildlife (and a certain friendly commoner), whereas Dahut is tasked with keeping their kingdom prosperous through harnessing magic and—unbeknownst to others—the souls of royal suitors whom she lures into her bedroom. But when a mysterious merchant arrives and catches Dahut’s eye, both she and Rozenn discover that magic always comes at a hefty price. Anderson’s lyric version of the original lore marries different interpretations to focus on the complex relationship between the two sisters, and draws the reader into the eerie mystical world of Ys. Rioux’s enchanting classical artwork employs rustic pencils in a romantic style that recalls Emily Carroll, and autumnal colors which harken back to Breton culture. Readers keen on Celtic mythology will appreciate this whimsical tale with a dark turn, with crossover for Anderson’s teen fans likely.

Starred review from May 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Anderson and Rioux team up for this graphic novel retelling of an ancient Breton folktale. Lady Malgven, a sorceress and the wife of the Wizard Duke of Wened, grants Gradlon, the King of Kerne, a powerful kingdom and children if he kills her husband and marries her. He agrees, and years later, they have two daughters, Rozenn and Dahut. Malgven's sudden death leaves the two young girls reeling: How will they carry on her magical legacy and rule the shining seaside city of Ys? When they discover their father in flagrante delicto with two young maidens, the girls are even more wounded and set out on two different paths. Elder sister Rozenn chooses a simple life of caring for animals in the moors, while Dahut embraces her role as a magical princess and flourishes in the royal court. With Dahut's magic, the king has grown more powerful but also more wicked: capturing slaves and looting and destroying rival cities. But when Dahut's magical sacrifices endanger Rozenn's happiness, the girls must face the truth that the city of Ys is fortified by evil. Anderson and Rioux have woven a lush folktale filled with magic, lust, and feminine power. Rioux's pencil illustrations are melancholic, with dramatic shadows, glowing moonlight, and swirling seas. Her depiction of water is particularly dynamic. The cliffside scenes evoke C�zanne's airy landscapes. Some mild nudity and sexual scenarios make this more appropriate for slightly older readers. VERDICT A haunting rendering of an ancient folktale, packed with magic.-Anna Murphy, Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Based on an old Breton folktale, this graphic adaptation uses rich, warm hues and soft shapes to depict a haggard king; an enchanted, if sinister city; and the titular pair of sisters, who could not be more different. The day Dahut and Rozenn become aware of their father's corruption, they start on different paths, and the passing of time is artfully depicted in a series of extra-wide, wordless panels. As adults, Rozenn prefers dwelling outdoors, far away from the lavish parties in the city, while Dahut is deeply embroiled in the enchantment keeping the sea from swallowing Ys. When an act of betrayal brings the city to account, the true cost of maintaining the enchantment is revealed and devastation rushes in. Anderson adds compelling depth to the story with just a few details beyond the original tale, and Rioux's lush, dense artwork, full of dynamic figures, swirling lines, dramatic angles, and colors that seem to glow, cultivates a fantastic, magical folk-tale atmosphere. Water figures prominently, of course, and her deep teal waves and curly billows of foam roil menacingly across the pages. This is an old story, but Anderson and Rioux give it vivid new life, and fans of fairy tales will be utterly bewitched. Though this is not directly marketed to teens (likely thanks to some largely obscured nudity and sex), they're the ideal audience here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)