‘A Sparrow’s Roar’ by Cristina Rose Chua and Paolo Chikiamco is a graphic novel about taking sibling rivalry too far and a sister who has to make up for a mistake.

Two warring armies fighting over Esterpike, one army led by brothers, the other led by two women, with one, Per, impersonating her dead sister. Per must be the face of her city-state to negotiate for war support. While she is doing this, she uncovers a vile conspiracy.

I was lost for the first third of this story, as if there is a previous volume I was unaware of. The art is a fine manga style and the story eventually came together for me, but I’m nor sure many readers will stick with it.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this graphic novel. This is a young adult graphic novel about duty, family, secrets, and being a knight. "When a seemingly harmless prank goes wrong, knight-in-training Per of Esterpike watches her sister Elena, famed hero and leader of Lions, murdered by a barbarian horde set on wiping Esterpike off the map. Together with Elena’s second-in-command Amelia, Per must impersonate her sister and travel to Unity’s capital to convince the Generals of each city-state to provide aid against the oncoming horde. But as Per moves forward on her quest, she comes upon a conspiracy that might just threaten Unity itself!"

I loved the art style and enjoyed the story overall. The book was a little too young for me, so it was pretty basic and there were no surprising turns.

A Sparrows Roar is a fantastical and adventure-driven story. It's as well about family and courage.

Have you ever daydreamed of being a prince or a knight to defend your kingdom? Have you ever wanted to defeat evil and rescue those who you love? Between politics and good deeds, there's always time for that imagination to flare.

Wanting to be the best knight there is out there is a difficult task. One to take seriously and it's a responsibility. I think everyone should read to find out more if you're curious to become a knight. It can be fun!


Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for a review.

"How could a night so bright...
...scar my soul with such darkness."

A Sparrow's Roar is easily one of the best graphic novels I've read in 2020. I picked it up on a whim and it hooked me from the very first page! The story follows Per as she, after witnessing her sister's death, tries to stop a conspiracy that can destroy everything they've worked for. Underlying is a tale about familial bond, loyalty, and finding yourself. It's a very engaging and fast-paced read—everything happens within three days with flashbacks here and there as the conspiracy unfolds. It's actually a lot more poignant than I expected, too. As for the art, it's absolutely gorgeous! From the soft color palette to C.R. Chua's fun, lively art style, it ticks all the boxes when it comes to what I like to see in graphic novels. Overall, if you like political intrigue, sisterly love, and warrior women being badass, this graphic novel is for you!

I really tried to get the file to open on any of my devices and simply couldn't make it work. I would have loved to review this, I'm sorry I wasn't able to.

First: very glad this is a standalone. I'm tired of books (especially graphic novels) getting split into a few inconsequential parts rather than one cohesive volume, but that's just personal preference.

Second: beautiful art. Vivid colors and interesting illustrations. Some of the characters looked the same to me, which I'm not sure was intentional or not.

The language was a little clunky at times, but overall a fast-paced, enjoyable read.

My only issue with "A Sparrow's Roar" is that it almost felt incomplete. The story is fun and I love the characters but I also want more. Based off my reading of it it feels like a one-shot and I just want a little more from it. Per and Elena have such a wonderful relationship and when you add in Amelia you really see what loyalty and leadership can look like. I"m always down for a strong female lead graphic novel and this one definitely delivers that. CR Chua's artwork add wonderfully to the narrative and really pulls the story they wrote with Paolo Chikiamco together. While there is sword violence, I would still feel fine with middle grade readers picking up the title. Hopefully we'll get some more from this team and see where Per's story takes her and more about the history of the medallion.

Christina Rose Chua and Paolo Chikiamco's <em>A Sparrow's Roar</em> is a graphic novel full of passion and heart. With their country near under attack from barbarians, when the leader of Esterpike is murdered, it falls upon her sister, Per, to impersonate her in order to convince the nearby Generals to join them in protecting her homeland and their own. But, with all the secrets and conspiracies, Per will soon realize that her journey and goal is a lot harder to achieve than she originally thought. An incredibly fun and emotional tale, this was a story I truly enjoyed reading.

<b> The highest of stakes.</b>

Honestly, I didn't realize how emotional I would feel about this graphic novel when I first went into it. It's the sort of story that doesn't really ever give you a moment of rest. From one moment to the next, you're always worried about what is going to happen. And then, when the worst does seem to happen, you're upset about it. And though this is a story about a young woman, Per, coming into her own, it remains fraught with moments of grief.

With her sister's death and her country on the line, Per has a lot to face along her journey. And she just might discover herself along the way.

<b>Graphics.</b>

I loved the illustrations in this book. Honestly, it was a huge selling point for me in the beginning and remains one long after I read it. The colors are so vibrant, the characters incredible. You can't help feeling a part of the story with the way it all drags you in. I think, above all else, the graphics were the piece of this novel that I loved the most.

All in all, this was a pretty great book and I'm incredibly happy to have read it.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

Unfortunately I couldn't figure out how to read this book; nothing was working and my Adobe Digital Editions didn't recognise it. I hope to read it when it is published though! Still keen to check it out.

This book was really hard to follow. Though it sported a really beautiful art style, I found that the story was really complex without much background information given to the reader. The beginning was probably the most jarring. It felt like I had been thrown in the middle of a series and I had to continuously look up the book to make sure I didn't start on the 3rd or 4th book in a series. I thought the lack of explanation of the world, character building, and overall chaos from the start really took me out of the immersion of the novel. As interested as I am in a character who suddenly has to take over an immense responsibility, like is shown in this book, I think there are a lot of other ways to display it more smoothly. Though I really appreciated the characters and the way they interacted with one another, the plot left me wanting something more.

This was a fantastic graphic novel. I loved every second of it and I would highly recommend it to anyone. This story is about Per and her sister Elena. Elena is the leader of the Lions and a badass with a bow. After something goes horribly wrong, Per watches as Elena is killed on the battlefield. Per assumes Elena's identity as this rapidly spiral out of control. Will Per be able to keep her home safe? Will she get revenge on Elena's killer? You'll have to check this out and find out for yourself!

This was a really great graphic novel and I would highly recommend it. If you like badass ladies doing badass things then this one will be right up your alley.

The artwork was lovely overall. The story was also very compelling and held my interest. I wish the story had stronger transitions.

I was not expecting such violence from the art style. I thought we could use a little more of an introduction into the characters and story before we were just dumped into the action.

This was a different graphic novel. I feel the story had a lot of work the it needed as the two main characters are barely even introduced before it dives into the plot. It is definitely worth the read though

Action-packed and fast moving graphic novel. Enjoyable plot, easy read and fun characters, Recommended.

This book was so fun! Lovely art style and very likeable protagonist. Reminded me a bit of Avatar the Last Airbender.

This title was different than I expected. When I started A Sparrow's Roar, I thought I would get something along the lines of political intrigue with a bit of action and adventure. This was a bit more violent than that.

This title has a very unique style in both its artwork and writing. The dialogue is fun and jestful, but there are inconsistencies in the language that draws you out of the story at times. There are more than a few jests that are made that do not line up with the dialogue of the rest of the characters, which are made to sound a bit more historical. The artwork is not superb, but it is fun and creative.

I think this plot is a bit fast paced, which made me not fall in love with any of the characters. I like that it was a single installation, but I do think an epic adventure/throne-take-over would benefit from more of a backstory. Also, the way the flashbacks were thrown in were jarring at times, especially at the beginning when we were supposed to be questioning which sister it was.

I would recommend to graphic novel readers, but this would not be one that I handed to those that are novel readers. I do not think this is a crossover title.

It's a good premise, with a grand general set to be elected between 4 medieval kingdoms. The execution is where I had problems. I had issues following what was happening in the story due to the unclear story and unfinished looking art. Having two sets of twins? (could have been just siblings?. Again it was unclear due to the art.) made it hard to tell who was who in the story. This could have been good if the storytelling was clearer.

The idea of this book sounded really exciting to me. Who doesn't love stories about knights and political intrigue? And Per's story is good. She fights with her sister, struggles to be the best knight she can be, and gets into some shenanigans as leaders of surrounding nations jockey for power.

There are a couple things that didn't work for me though. The characters didn't feel distinct for a good portion of the book. I had a hard time distinguishing between Per, her sister, and some of the other characters toward the beginning. Going back and reading it again might have helped alleviate that problem. Some of the better moments in the book didn't have quite the impact on me as they should have because of that confusion.

The structure of the political balance is cool. It plays a big part in the conflicts of the story. The way that Per gets involved and the impact it has on her lends to some of the strength of this book. This story felt aimed at a younger audience, and I think someone in their teens would get a lot out of reading Per's story.

A Sparrow’s Roar by C. R. Chua and Paolo Chikiamco, 160 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL
BOOM! Box, 2019. $15.
Language: PG (6 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Commander Elena is being recognized for her bravery and success by promotion to Great General, which will put her on the Council, but everything is thrown into chaos when they are attacked. With attacks seeming to come from every side, Elena’s sister, Per, finds herself playing a crucial role she never anticipated.
I love the illustrations of Per’s story -- they are full of energy and dynamically show readers the actions and emotions of the events. Each panel feels alive. This short story is not lacking action nor intrigue, but I found that I did not enjoy those elements as much as I would have liked to because of the confusion I felt when first reading it. Clarity was an issue for much of the book as it switches between characters and time periods. I think Per’s story is a good one, but I found that the first half needs to be read twice for comprehension.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen