Gorgeous illustrations give new life to this retold Celtic legend by M. T. Anderson. The Daughters of Ys follows a family from conception, through the death of the powerful matriarch, and to the demise of the father as two daughters forge very different paths, both riddled with difficult truths. Despite the gentle appearance of the cover art, the story is dark and works well as an upper-teen/adult crossover pick. Fans of fairy tales, folklore, and Atlantean mythology will devour this one. Recommended.

The Daughters of Ys is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel. This was my first experience with Breton legends and I can't wait to learn more about it.

The artwork is beautiful, it´s stunningly illustrated and the story is so pretty, heartbreaking and dark at the same time! It kind of reminded me of Frozen but with the vibes of Through the Woods by Emily Carroll. I think that fans of Emily Carrol could really love this graphic novel because the story itself was incredibly haunting. It gave me all the chills, really. It was darker and more adult than I initially expected and I fell in love with it.

Readers who love mythology, folktale adaptations, fairylike-like, yet dark stories will love this.

I´m definitely buying the printed copy to add it to my collection.

Thank you to First Second Books & NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Daughters of Ys is a beautiful retelling of the story of Ys, a mythical city that was submerged off the coast of Brittany. This book varies somewhat from the majority of myths in that Dahut, the sorceress daughter of King Gradlon, is not solely at fault for the downfall of the city. It also adds a second daughter, Rozenn, who doesn't seem to be in any version of the myth that I can find. Her addition gives another sisterly dynamic to the myth.
The illustrations are quite lovely, and I think they added so much atmosphere to the story.
All in all, a wonderful book. I recommend it for anyone who likes retellings, especially those that are a bit more obscure to English-speaking audiences.

I didn’t know anything about Breton folklore, so had to do a little research. Breton folklore is from Brittany, which ‘is a cultural region in the west of France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period of Roman occupation. It became an independent kingdom and then a duchy before being united with the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province governed as if it were a separate nation under the crown.’ – Thanks, Wikipedia

The Daughters of Ys is based on one of these folklores, and follows the story of Princesses Rozenn and Dahut as they grow up in the city of Ys. Rozenn is a land-loving gal, who prefers to spend her time with the animals and the birds in the forest, while Dahut is set on staying in the palace, using her mother-given magic.

The story has some very alarming, dark twists that sort of jarred the story at times. I was not prepared for beheadings! I don’t know what the original tale is like – perhaps something to look into – so I don’t know how far from the tale this graphic novel deviates, but the plot was pretty intense. At times the storyline was a little tricky to follow, so I don’t think I quite got the full story, which was a shame.

The illustrations weren’t my favourite, however they were really well done. The one thing that was really weird to me was the monster near the end; it was just a strange rendition, and didn’t seem scary at all to me, just sort of … meh.

All that being said, I did overall like the story, but I wouldn’t read it again. Like I said, I’d be interested to read some original Breton folklore to check it out.

First and foremost, this graphic novel is *stunning.* Jo Rioux's style is everything I would want mine to be if I was artistic and I could also pick who I want to emulate, haha. This art style was right up my alley and I adored it. I felt that there was a consistent color scheme throughout that consistently matched the tone of the novel as a whole, which I found really interesting.

Regarding the content, I have never heard of the city of Ys before. I made the decision to read this adaptation in its entirety first and, as someone with no knowledge of Breton folklore and an appreciation of female power, I think it was the right decision. After finishing I read a few descriptions I found on the internet and I think I really like the decisions that M.T. Anderson made. I'm not sure if they change the cultural or emotional significance of the legend, but as an outsider, I was all for it. I am particularly interested in learning more about Dahut and Anderson's decision to include French composer Eduardo Lalo's characters of Rozenn and her lover.

Dark and rich, this graphic retelling of a Celtic myth is well-done. After their fae mother dies and they find their mourning father in a compromising situation with a couple of women, two princesses grieve in different ways and are left to care for their country Y. While I enjoyed the graphic novel, it would not serve my middle school population being fit for readers grades 10-12 for sexual content and nudity.

Oh, this graphic novel will stay with me forever. I adore everything about it: the art, the story, the characters. How lovely and gruesome it is. Has a similar vibe as the works of Emily Carroll or Kerascoët. This is a hauntingly beautiful read, one you will go back to again and again because it is that good. Thank you so much for allowing me to read it!

This haunting story, based on a folktale from Brittany, is about two sisters of a king and faerie mother. The mother passes away, and the two daughters grieve very differently. When they find their father in a questionable situation with two young ladies, their opposite reactions shape the course of their lives. Dahut, the strong-willed red-head, follows in her mother’s magical footsteps and does what she can to protect the city of Ys from the sea. Rozenn, the kind and gentle brunette, retreats to the country and tries to live among the folk. She, being the heir, does not understand her sister’s life and what the price has been to keep Ys prospering. It turns out, that price is seducing young men and then decapitating them to feed heads to a vengeful spirit. The last half of the story is full of heart-breaking moments as the two sisters make many sacrifices to keep their people safe. In the end, this story has half a happy ending, but mostly chilling and unsettling.

This story is mystical, chilling, and beautiful. I was completely pulled in and forgot I was reading until the last page when the story abruptly shifted to show how this myth is still alive off the coast of France. The art is beautiful with some slight unnatural human contortions, but overall, was perfect in emulating earlier art styles, and bringing to life a classic myth.

There are sex scenes throughout the story, as this is part of the price to keep Ys safe, but no bits are shown, and most of the scene happens off the page.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley.

This graphic novel has absolutely stunningly illustrated. The legend is treated so well and while it does get violent, the heartbreak gets me every time. I do hope there is a companion graphic novel to this with an expanded universe.

I really enjoy this comic, the illustration where so cool and the story whas great, i read this in an hour couse i could not stop. It was a bit dark but i love that something in the story surprise me i was not expecting what happen in this comic.

I love the graphics, reminiscent of 1960s cartoons with muted, aquatic tones and two dimensional human forms. The story itself is thin. I calls up archetypes of good, evil, falls back on dichotomies of humanity and of the feminine in particular in the witch and the maiden images. Yet it entertains even though offering nothing new nor telling an ancient tale with a contemporary relevance.

This is amazing. Brittany/galiec tales are so often overlooked in this recent fad to retell fairy tales. The Daughters of Ys is a story I have never heard of before. I need to know more. The artwork is beautiful. The last panel is amazingly creepy with out being overt. Even if you do not like graphic novels this is one to read.

A story of an ancient Celtic city similar to Atlantis. There is a dark secret that keeps this city running, what happens after the queen dies?

Lady Maigven came from the sea. I love this aspect of old Celtic stories. She came and convinced a king to marry her. The story follows her girls and how they are coping with everything. It gives the story a powerful emotional connection that is sometimes missing in retellings of old stories. The art just further gives the feeling of being an old story. It is beautiful and reminds me of old medieval books and their art. It is beautiful and sad, and everything you want in a story.

Creative Team:
Writer: M.T. Anderson
Art: Jo Rioux
Published by First Second

Ooh, I love a good folktale, and I hadn’t heard of this one before. Good storytelling, great art. Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for the eARC

I really enjoyed this take on Celtic Mythology. The story was creative and the illustrations were amazing.

Such a beautiful artwork with a heartbreaking but empowering take on classic legend. It was so dark but, like most folklore and fairy tales, it still has some relevance with our daily lives.

An interesting story of dark magic and its consequences. I wasn't a huge fan of the art style, but it was simple enough to read and quick. A bit predictable, but aren't all old legends anymore.

Amazing artwork and lyrical prose make this a memorable read. I did not know the myth prior to reading this book, but the art conveyed a heavily Celtic style giving a strong sense of time and place to the reader. The ending felt a bit flat, but it was definitely a unique and beautiful story

This graphic novel of an old folktale was good. There were parts that felt a bit rushed, but the art had a fluid feel that matched the kingdom by the sea aspect of the story. While reading, it isn’t quite clear what Dahut’s father was doing that drove her to make a deal with a demon and that could have been fleshed out better, along with the deal itself, and why Rozenn never gained any magic power.

Due to scenes of nudity, the graphic novel would be good for history lovers over the age of 14 years old.

Review from a Netgalley copy.

Hear me out: the artwork. Its amazed me so much, so pretty and dark at the same time!
The Daughters of Ys is one of the most beautiful and shocked graphic novels that I've read in a time.
I enjoyed how the story goes deeper every time that you turn the page. You will be able to find out about the darkest secrets of Ys without any warning, because this story is about dark and family and beautiful landscapes of Breton and be able to learn a little more about their folklore.