A loose work of historical fiction, Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis tells the story of Margaret, a 12-year-old girl who's being raised by nuns of the Elysian order on a tiny, tiny island near the fictional nation of Albion (i.e., England). After a series of events, a mysterious woman named Eleanor is brought to the island with a retinue of guards. Margaret spends time with Eleanor to learn more about who she is, and in turn, learns about herself.

This graphic novel was so lush; 400 pages zoomed by for me. The lettering and art style is gorgeous, and the story incorporates lots of fascinating reworkings of Tudor England and bits of daily life in the 16th century. The protagonist, Margaret, is engaging and complex, and while the writing clearly reflects a 12-year-old's understanding of the world, it never feels too simplistic. The art style for most of the book is this gorgeous watercolor style, but at times it switches to medieval-style illustration or even child's scribbles, according to changes in the narrative. My only gripe with the book is that it ended too abruptly. It felt like Book 1 of a longer series (which I hope it ends up being!), and I wanted more. Definitely pick up a copy!

Margaret lives at a convent on an island. Her only companions are the nuns until William and his mother arrive. They are exiled from the mainland because of his father's politics. Turns out the island is actually a political prison for those who go against the crown but who's crimes are not bad enough to be executed for or sent to a real prison. All the nuns are prisoners as well. This all comes to a head when Eleanor, the exiled queen, comes to the island. Margaret and Eleanor discover they have a lot in common and get to know each other. In the end surprising secrets are revealed.

I really enjoyed this alternative history of Queens Mary and Elizabeth. I loved the island setting and the character of Margaret. The island itself was fascinating with its remains of ancient peoples and the backstory of the convent and the nuns. I read an ARC of the book so I didn't get full color illustrations but the pencil drawings looked beautiful.

My thanks to Candlewick Press/Walker Books US for a digital edition of Dylan Meconis’ ‘Queen of the Sea’ in exchange for an honest review.

This was a hybrid graphic novel loosely based on the early life of Queen Elizabeth I and her period of exile when her sister Queen Mary came to the throne. It is an alternative history inspired by this period in English history.

It is set on a tiny island off the coast of Albion inhabited only by the nuns of a convent dedicated to St. Elysia. The format of the book is journal-like as Margaret, an orphan who had come to the island as an infant, tells her story. Along the way we learn about the community and of the troubles in Albion. How after the death of King Edmund, his youngest daughter, Eleanor, was crowned queen though her elder sister Catherine desired the throne and was plotting to depose her.

One day a ship unexpectedly arrives with the news that Catherine is now Queen. In addition, they bring with them Eleanor, who is to be exiled to the island convent. She is accompanied by a severe Reverend Mother of the Lamentine Order and soldiers to guard the former queen.

The rest of the book is dedicated to both Margaret and Eleanor and how over time they influence each other. They have adventures and some interesting twists are revealed before its final pages.

This is marketed for ages 10-14 though this was no barrier to my enjoyment. Margaret is a very appealing character and her openness makes an interesting contrast to Eleanor, who initially is quite cold and haughty. There was some delightful sea lore contained within the story including selkies and naturally the Queen of the Sea.

I loved the focus on the daily lives of the nuns and while a fictional tale it may inspire young readers to explore the history that informs it. Even though there were quite serious themes, there was also plenty of humour.

My NetGalley digital edition was low definition so the art work was in black and white rather than the vibrant colours of the final printed edition. However, I was able to gain a sense of the actual artwork from online images. Quite stunning.

This was a very entertaining reading experience and I do hope there will be more adventures for Margaret and Eleanor in the future.

Queen of the Sea is a great graphic novel. I enjoyed the story and the classic feel that it has. It is lightly based on Elizabeth 1 and her sister, Mary. We follow a girl who grows up on an island with nuns. We see her grow as a character. The way these character relationships change and develop over these pages. I enjoyed the way the royalty, religion, and government plays into this book. The art in the book is simple and have this classic art feeling that fits so well, I like the color tones and the vibe it puts off. However, I did find part of the story slow but I had fun reading it; finished it in one day.

A new graphic novel loosely based on the story of Queen Elizabeth's struggles with her half-sister Mary. Told from the viewpoint of a young girl (Margaret) who lives on an island where the character representing Elizabeth (Eleanor). I loved all the information on life in a convent in that time period. The explanation for Margaret's living there seemed a bit thin as did the appearance of a man from Eleanor's former court. Will give kids/teens some basic information, but the story itself is a work of fiction.

Thank you to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got super sucked into this one. I fell in love with sweet, loyal Margaret and couldn't wait to find out how she ended up on the island. I was disappointed that we don't get more resolution with William, though, since the pair's friendship was the main focus in the earlier parts of the story. The alternate history (in some cases only a thinly disguised parallel to the Tudors and the Wars of the Roses) was really interesting, although I can see how it might confuse kids who only have a vague knowledge of European history and think it's all real. I have mixed thoughts about the treatment of religion in this book: the author does a good job presenting a community of faith who aren't annoyingly pious, but the twists on Catholicism could be confusing or offensive to many. I thought the font was a little hard to read in the prose section, but the illustrations are gorgeous and a really clever way to tell this story.

This was a really interesting graphic novel. I think it may be my first historical fiction graphic novel and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I really liked the artwork and how it often changed depending on what was happening in the story.

Queen of the Sea is a hybrid graphic novel loosely based on the lives of Elizabeth I and her sister Mary I. It follows from Elizabeth's exile to her eventual becoming queen, and what she had to go through with her elder, Catholic sister on the throne. It doesn't completely follow what happened to Elizabeth, so it reads more like alternate history than anything.

The main character is Eleanor, our Elizabeth, who was a sweet character. This is a middle grade graphic novel so it didn't show Elizabeth's ambitious and slightly cruel side, which was a bit of a disappointment to me. But I understood why. Eleanor was definitely an innocent character.

The plot is quite slow, which I didn't mind. The whole novel takes place on the island Eleanor is exiled to, and follows her friendship with Margaret, a young orphan girl. Originally I thought this was a f/f romance, but it wasn't. The ending was a bit of disappointed, but I did enjoy most of the book.

This book was absolutely charming! I was dubious about a fictionalized story about Elizabeth I would play out for the Raina Telgemeier crowd but the protagonist of Queen of the Sea carries the book along; court intrigues are relevant because the reader can see how they affect Margaret and the people she loves, even at a distance. My vague conception of Tudor history did make things a little confusing for me at times because I couldn't tell what was supposed to be a direct adaptation of something that really happened and what was made up -- I would have liked an afterword that separated fact from fiction. But overall I think it's a great story that might get some children interested in a part of history that might not have felt relevant to them otherwise.

Queen of the Sea was not what I was expecting (though I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting), but it was much more in the vein of M.T. Anderson's 2017 Yvain, and stayed true to a much more medieval telling of a tale/history. That said, this is not history, but rather historically inspired, and I wish that was made clearer sooner than the author's note at the end. Younger readers who lack some of the historical backing and general knowledge of convents and medieval/Tudor history may struggle with reconciling events with modern sensibilities.

I very much enjoyed the well-thought out storyline and all of the characters. I was frustrated by the ending, because it was left open and there seems to be no sign of a sequel yet, although I sincerely hope there is one!
This book was definitely packed with a lot of information, and sometimes I felt just a little bit of boredom creeping in. But overall I really like the book and am eager for more of the story!

Loosely (very, very loosely) based on Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary, Queen of the Sea brings us the utter joy that is Margaret, a young girl who has grown up on an island convent, raised by nuns and surrounded by water. It says a lot about her life that the most thrilling thing that happens to her is when the ship that brings supplies twice a year shows up with first a young boy her own age, a quick and true friend, and later a mysterious lady.

This mysterious lady is Eleanor, an exiled queen whose sister has taken the throne and shoved Eleanor off to the far away island in a very out-of-sight-out-of-mind kind of way. Margaret takes a shine to Eleanor, despite her being stand-offish and not particularly kind towards Margaret, but they soon realise that they need each other in order to get what they want.

Thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the illustrations of Queen of the Sea. I was less thrilled about the chosen font, but I'm reasonably certain it's easier to read in actual physical book-form, compared to a small screen as I did. Definitely not something that should detract anyone from picking this up.

I've always been fascinated by British royal history, so when I came across this graphic novel I had to read it. It's a story inspired by Queen Elizabeth I's exile during her sister Queen Mary's reign. The author is quick to point out that this is not a history book and the characters and the plot that unfolds are all fictional. It's probably a testament to how much I enjoyed this story because now I actually wish this was history! I also really liked the art style and the presentation of the story; it's a mashup of traditional panel based graphics and picture book style storytelling. I read an ARC so the illustrations are not the high resolution ones we will find in the final published version, but I can imagine it's going to look absolutely lovely.

Margaret was left with an island convent when she was a baby, never knowing her true heritage. When the exiled Queen Eleanor is sent to the island, she befriends Margaret and tries to unravel the secret of the girl's unknown parentage. The nuns of the convent have dark secrets, and the rough life on the island holds many dangers.

Margaret is a beautifully complex character. She loves her home on the harsh island, despite the simple life there. She loves the nuns who raised her, and enjoys her work and her lessons. When their simple routine is disrupted by the arrival of Queen Eleanor, Margaret rises to the challenges and welcomes the danger with admirable courage.

I found all the supporting characters really interesting and complex too. All the nuns tell the stories of their secret past, and the various people who visit the island have their own stories to tell as well.

I loved the intriguing and engaging plot! There are so many secrets to be revealed, and cultural and religious history to be discovered. I was completely immersed in the story.

I can't really review the artwork, since the e-file that I received from NetGalley had low-resolution. As far as I can tell, the artwork is good.

I was really disappointed in the ending. It ended much too abruptly, and needed an epilogue to explain more of the last events in the story.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Inspired by Queen Elizabeth's exile when her sister Mary I ascended the throne, Queen of the Sea begins with the banishment of Queen Eleanor, a young monarch of an embattled kingdom, to an island where nuns live, pray, garden, and sew. Margaret is a young girl who has spent her entire life on the island in the care of the nuns and finds herself drawn to Eleanor. Margaret learns about the island and the reasons behind her presence there, and quietly begins planning with Eleanor and a mysterious man who washes up on the island one stormy night.

Queen of the Sea is gorgeously created historical fiction with fully realized characters and a solidly constructed plot filled with intrigue; revelations; world-building, even light romance. Dylan Meconis' pen, ink, and gouache artwork will appeal to Raina Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson fans; the characters are softly realistic with period costuming and soothing earth and sea colors. I particularly love the back-and-forth between present moment storytelling and Margaret's narration of history and myth, rendered to appear as stone or stained glass. The character growth is a joy to witness: Eleanor, from a taciturn exile to an embattled young woman embracing her feelings, and Margaret, a naïve child to a young woman coming into herself and her own intelligence make this a wonderful read. An author's note discusses Elizabeth I's inspiration of Eleanor. Graphic novel gold.

Queen of the Sea has starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal. You can read an excerpt at Candlewick's website.

DNF at page 45. This is definitely a me-not-you-thing, and I think if I was able to read a physical copy, I would have been able to finish it.

While the illustrations were visually engaging (the interplay between text and pictures was interesting) and the story seemed sweet, I had a lot of trouble with the font.

I did find the beginning after the prologue to be a bit slow, and my attention wandered a bit during some of the descriptions of life on the island, but if not for the format issues, I would definitely have been interested in continuing reading.

ARC Copy...sure to be a hit with history lovers plus the water colour illustrations were beautiful. I like how the narrative on the inter-plays with both the idyllic daily life of the island like food and textile work but also the political fabric dealt with which both the outside world of the royal courts where the women being sent from and internal politics and intrigue within the island itself.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

<i>Queen of the Sea</i> is a graphic novel that is loosely based on the life of Queen Elizabeth I, but set in a setting all its own. Margaret has never known life outside of the isolated island where she lives with a numerous nuns. A ship brings supplies twice a year, and otherwise the only new arrivals are swept in by the sea. The religion-regimented pattern of her life is shaken up by the arrival of another boy her age--and then by the coming of a haughty young woman kept under close guard. What Margaret learns from these new arrivals changes her views of her island and herself, but not her spirit. Indeed, she's a smart, feisty young girl who brims with compassion. She's a fantastic heroine to follow.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. It doesn't offer anything earth-shattering but there's a pleasant coziness to the bright, pleasant artwork and the story itself. The target audience is middle grade, but really, this could easily be read by and enjoyed by younger kids as well. As a history geek, I was unsure at first how much loyalty to the era to expect, and soon found that "loosely based" is the best way to look at the book. It still has a strong historical feel, though, as there is no presence of functional magic, just some mention about things like selkies (which made me very happy, as I love selkies).

In all, an enjoyable read. I sure would have adored this book at age 10, too.

Very, very loosely based on Elizabeth I and her sister, Mary’s story.
The art seems very watercolor. Mind of muted, I like it.
“But there are some important things that only a priest can do, and only men are allowed to be priests.” Nope nope nope.
The author does a great job of capturing an innocent child’s thoughts on the world around her.
I love a good story about the war of roses.
3.5 stars
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While this novel uses characters, events, and even countries that are entirely fictional, what I really liked about Dylan Meconis' "Queen of the Sea" was how historically accurate it "felt". Most of the book is structured almost like a diary, with Margaret, the orphan protagnist on the island narrating both the events of the book, but also providing valuable information both about the island she calls home and the people who live there. Margaret provides detailed information about how she felt doing chores, how she viewed the holy symbols of the church, and how she spent practically every hour. All of this was woven together with the surprisingly suspenseful and nuanced story of a dethroned queen and her desire to serve her country to the best of her ability. I think my biggest disappoint is that there isn't more to the story - just as as a critical decision is made the story ends. Though, I suppose it may be the end of part of Margaret's tale, and we could always return to hear the rest of the tale!