Dynamic art and interesting post-apocalyptic premise. Besides the very stylized art, the focus on Awa, the young woman serving as bard/bodyguard/vizier to the prince of the story, was one of the strongest points of the book. The story was difficult to follow at points and seemed very disjointed or lacking necessary context that the reader simply wasn't given. Since it is based on West African folk tales/myths perhaps already knowing those stories would make this one easier to follow.

I enjoyed this very much, and think public libraries would do well to add it to the collection, but the highly stylized art may be a deterrent for some readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow where to begin with this book? This is one of the most phenomenal graphic novels I have ever read.
The art was so stylized and unique, and just an absolute treat to look at every single detail on every page. Character designs were beyond phenomenal, and the issue that so often plagues graphic novels (not feeling like a complete story, feeling rushed) was not a problem at all here.
Excellent job by the author in all forms, storytelling, art, characters, pacing, action, style, absolutely everything.
I can't wait for Juni Ba's next work!

I just love a good looking graphic novel. The visuals alone is enough for me to be honest. Digital interactions with "Djeliya" for me personally won't have the same hit as a physical read. I think the physical form itself would be even more gorgeous and nice to the touch as you go through the adventurous and mystical world unraveled. The lines are clean and great. The creatures are just fun to look at. And I honestly am always going to be full into a narrative that is Black centered, in this case West African focused. The lines are vibrant--It reminds me a little of Hellboy, mostly the way Juni Ba handles shaping, sloping of shoulders and the very artistic emphasis on the beasts therein. I personally enjoyed the emphasis on the beings. Overall, a fun read.

'Djeliya' with story and art by Juni Ba is a graphic novel inspired by West African folklore.

Mansour Keita, the last prince of a dying kingdom, is going to meet a great wizard with his Djeli, or storyteller. As they travel, they meet others in person and in story.

I like the concept of this, but the execution left me flat. The story is a bit hard to follow as it jumps around. The art felt a bit too cartoonish and the coloring was kind of flat and dimensionless.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from TKO Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Firstly, the illustrations and color scheme were great. I did read this digitally on the computer, so sometimes seeing the panels was a bit difficult, but all in all, it was a solid graphic novel. I was a bit confused at the beginning, but I really enjoyed the resolution. There were also moments of storytelling and music, which elevated the way this narrative was portrayed.
I also loved the excerpt that came after the narrative that discussed aspects of African folklore and symbology that may not be known prior to reading the book. As a western reader, This helped me understand the story and folklore elements much better.

I love the art style and colors so far. This was only a small sample of the full book and the quality wasn’t the best, but I was easily pulled into the fast-pace action of it all. I like that this combines West African lore and fantasy / sci-fi and the characters all seem well-developed. Definitely interested in seeing the full story for this!

Thanks NetGalley and TKO Studios for my copy!

I wa extremely lost on this book. There didn't seem to be any connection frame to frame. It seemed based on a story the reader was supposed to know beforehand. The illustration wasn't to my liking either. It never changed from shades of orange and white.

An astounding visual language here from Ba, and a great Afrofuturist story. I’ve been lucky enough to read the whole thing, and I’d highly recommend picking up the entire graphic novel - that’s all I’ll say. :)

The art style of this book is really unique, which is always great for a graphic novel. The character design really stands out, and I liked it a lot! The book was obvious with its intention to weave elements of culture into the story, and I appreciated what was there. It's nerdy to say but I thought the foreign words were beautiful lol, I love language.

My only issue was that it was hard to get into the story because the worldbuilding was confusing. There was ancient tradition mixed with modern concepts and yet apparently an apocalyptic backdrop? It was a challenge to handle all of that plus take in the unique cultural ideas that were paramount for understanding the story. All in all, a lot to process, but manageable. I'd absolutely read the full version!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a (partial?) digital ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

It's difficult for me to rate/review this fully, because the copy provided to me appears to only be a sneak peek. It bothers me a little that I can't rate based on the entire book and thus feel like this may be a bit of a misleading review. In any case, the 28 pages I was provided was an interesting take on folklore. I think this is my first Senegalese graphic novel, and I really liked the striking, bold art. Lots of blacks, lots of reds, and very bold lines.

The story was a little confusing to follow, especially considering the short preview I received. You're dumped straight in the middle of the story, and much like Mansou, have to find your own way. There's a brief page or two of exposition at the beginning, talking about a wizard who brought the apocalypse down and sealed himself in his ivory tower, and then we're straight in the thick of it. I found it rather confusing to follow though, even with the inclusion of side notes and clarifications by the author in-line. It didn't help that the digital copy was blurry and hard to read as well (no stars removed for the technical details, as it doesn't matter to the average reader).

In short, an intriguing but a little confusing glimpse into a post apocalyptic fantasy/sci fi world using folklore as the framework for a new story.

*three and a half stars

this was really cool in the way that the art was graphic and expressive through telling a story with a familiar plot, but unfamiliar (to many) foundation. it's very much epic and has a multitude of interesting aspects -- from design down to the woven in folklore. storywise it has a very solid fable setup which I think all of that and everything inbetween. there was definitely some heaviness in terms of how much you had to absorb, but I think that's easily overcome if you're truly interested in what djeliya and ba have to offer.

I LOVE that he decided to provide translations on-page and that the red of it fit in with this awesomely saturated colour scheme. speaking of love: my favourite was definitely, undeniably awa. half because she's simply a babe and half because, while I wouldn't call this character-heavy (in the way most fables are), I just thought every aspect we were given of her was cool. look forward to her if you give this one a go. also ba's growth out of 2000s cartoon network is so apparent and wonderful, I think anyone who loved those cartoons will for sure get an extra kick out of this art.

now I didn't have this portion in my review on goodreads because this was (hopefully) just a preview issue, but I've had the same problem as everyone else. the pixelation is awful in the netgalley view -- to the point the story is distorted beyond real recognition. thankfully, the version the publisher sent out is of a quality I could fully read this, but honestly, it was still fuzzy enough I wonder if I enjoyed it to the full extent I could. hopefully this isn't an issue for the real comic because I did enjoy it even with the visual issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and TKO Studios for providing this early sneak peek of Djeliya.
As readers, we are thrown into this world with some narration but are largely left to fend for ourselves, just like Djeliya. The beginning is fast-paced and is a great introduction to this world that, I can only assume, gets expanded and utilized as the story progresses.
One thing that stands out above all the rest is the art. The color palette is limited, but the bold use of black shapes gives Djeliya a sinister vibe, and in combination with vibrant hues, makes it visually unique and absolutely stunning.
This book is for readers who appreciate a fast-paced plot, attentive world-building, and a spin on the superhero comic book genre.

Review for the preview - Charming story in graphic novel format. I enjoyed the art and the story but I, too, had difficulties with the quality of the upload. No stars removed for this, it's obviously a technical issue and not an issue with the book itself.

I really wanted to read this excerpt but the text was super blurry on all my devices. It may not be the case on a physical book. I was intrigued by the description and wanted to read it because I have not come across many Senegalese Graphic Novels.

I've struggled to write this, but I'm not exactly sure what to say. Upon receiving this it appears to be a sample of the book, only 28 pages long.

A blend of old folklore and new world, that seemed interesting.
I enjoyed the coloring and art style, but found the story confusing to follow.

Neutral rating left. Didn't feel there was enough material to say more.

**Thank you to TKO Studios and NetGallery for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

This is a post-apocalyptic fantasy story based on West-African folklore. The world is a wasteland in which everyone who remains is trying to survive and some want to secure a position of power. We follow our hero and heroine on their journey to the evil wizard tower as they face adventures and their pasts.

I was a little bit lost at first, but I often am in graphic novels, especially ones based in fantasy worlds. But the very clean layout and the wonderful characters made it easier and easier to follow the story and connect with the world and the story as the book went on. I LOVED the linework and the colors, so beautiful and distinct! The art gave me 90s cartoons flashbacks and made me so nostalgic, wonderful! The story, though, that is much more complex and beautiful and diverse and interesting than any of those 90s cartoon-network shows could have ever dreamed to be!

The folklore inspiration makes this so unique and interesting and I loved it a lot. The overall plot was a little too straight forward for me, but as this is targeted towards a YA audience I think it is fitting. If you like post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories and graphic novels, I would definitely recommend this one!

ARC kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

i liked this a lot! everything from the art to the storyline to the characters was done really well, but what i loved the most was the west african setting and having the story being based on west african folklore was truly magnificent to see translate into art panels. the art style was expressive and the color scheme fit really get with the aura of the graphic novel. i enjoyed this so much!

— thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

The copy I received was incomplete (it had only 28 pages) and was in such a bad condition (very pixelated pdf) that it is impossible to 1) judge the storyline and 2) judge the art style. The parts I could read sounded interesting and I would have liked to be able to fully read and experience this graphic novel.

Since I need to give a star rating on here I will give it a rating of 5 stars believing that the interest that was sparked would have been confirmed while reading the whole thing. Obviously take this with a big grain of salt.

I will not post a Goodreads review since this could distort how this book is received when it comes out.

2.5/5 Liked the art and representation.

I read this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The PDF/e-book I was given was a bit blurry and was only 28 pages so I cannot speak for the full book so I rated up. What I could make out I enjoyed and I wish I had gotten a preview with a little more of the action. I love the art in this and may pick up a full copy in the future.