Cover Image: Brindille

Brindille

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Member Reviews

I absolutely loved this graphic novel. I’m not usually a fan but this I really enjoyed.

The illustrations were absolutely beautiful, the muted tones made the pictures really atmospheric.

Loved the story and how it developed going through.
Really did enjoy it and hopefully i get a physical copy of this and whatever follows after this.
Highly recommend

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A young girl runs from a fire and wakes up in a fairy world. She lost her memory and no one remembers the fire. So she sets out on an adventure to find answers. Brindille is done by the same team from the Love series.

I can't count the number of pages I want to frame and put on my all. This is by far one of the most beautiful book I have read. Within a couple pages I asked my local comic shop to reserve one for me. It reminds me of The Black Cauldron. The character designs were perfect for the fantasy setting.

I could not put the book down. When I review books I keep a notebook by my side so I can write down thoughts and things that I want to make sure and remember to include in my review. With Brindille I was so invested in the story and what would happen to the girl that before I knew it the book was over and I had only written down the blurb from Goodreads.

When the book was released in hardcover I was able to see how the physical copy would look compared to reading it on my phone and I was not disappointed. A truly phenomenal book that is interesting and beautiful. A perfect combination.

Creative Team:
Written by Frederic Brremaud
Illustrated by Federico Bertolucci
Translated by Jeremy Melloul
Layout, Letters, and Edits by Mike Kennedy

5 stars

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The graphic novel 'Brindille' was the first to catch my attention at the NetGalley with its description and its beautiful cover. And it turned out to be a direct hit.

The novel begins with a fire. And a naked girl fleeing from the fire in the forest. She manages to escape, but she loses consciousness and regains it only the next day in a village inhabited by a strange forest people. Small creatures want to know who she is, where she is from and why she looks like a fairy. However the girl cannot answer them because she does not know - she has lost her memory completely. In search of herself, the heroine will face dangerous adventures, new friends and mysterious enemies.

The plot of this gloomy fairy tale has developed quite typical for the genre. But I couldn't stop reading. I simply fall in love with the illustrations! The drawing and spreads are beautiful. I liked just sitting and looking at the pieces of this magical world, studing the details. It was impossible to stop. The design of the characters, the overall mood of the story and some of the magical world's details reminded me a bit of the cartoons 'The Secret of Kells' and 'Song of the Sea'.

I also really loved that I could not predict the ending. Yes, it didn’t turn out to be amazing, but it really did suprise me. Therefore, I was satisfied with the novel, I would have acquired it for my collection for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.

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Brindille is easily among the most beautiful graphic novels I've ever read, and I loved its atmosphere with lovely magical creatures, but I didn't like the story's rhythm as much.

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Brindille is so far one of my favorite graphic novels of the year. The storyline, characters, and artwork grabbed my attention immediately and kept me hooked. I had to read this in one sitting. Then I went back and read it again!

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Brindille is a graphic novel written by Frederic Brremaud and illustrated by Federico Bertolucci. A frail young girl flees a roaring forest fire in the middle of the night desperately taking refuge in a cave where she quickly loses consciousness. She wakes up in a strange, tiny village populated by fairy-like creatures. Her hosts seem intrigued by the sparkles of light that seem to surround her. The village chieftain explains that one of their hunters found her passed out in the forest and brought her back here for treatment. He asks who she is, but she remembers nothing except for a wall and flames. The chief is baffled by her tale as there has not been any fire in the forest lately, and yet the young woman does indeed show signs of burns. Somewhat recovered and dressed in woodland clothes made by the villagers, the young lady asks to meet the hunter who found her in the forest. She asks her savior to take her to where he found her, hoping that seeing the place will restore her memory. But Meliss refuses -- the rules of the village say that only hunters can enter the forest, and all of the sparkles surrounding the girl would catch the eyes of predators living in these woods. What follows is a tale of discovery, magic, tragedy, and adventure, as the girl discovers powers that may or may not be borne of an ancient evil. She befriends a cunning, talking wolf along the way, and together the two set out on a journey.

Brindille is a graphic novel that is suitable for middle grade and older readers, including adults of course. I liked the detail, movement, and expression in the art work. I thought it showed great skill and talent. I thought some of the color choices could have been different, to help clarify some of the differences of characters and meanings in the story- but it is very possible that I messed some significance there. There were some really good moments where I thought I had it all figured out and a grasp of what exactly was happening, but more often than not I was a little lost. I liked the book, and saw great skill in both the story and the art, but wonder if there is a bit of folklore I do not know or something of the story that I either missed or was lost in translation, because even when the story was over I was still confused about some of what happened.

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Ok, I really wanted to like this because the illustrations are absolutely stunning - but that ending was SO FREAKING DUMB. Ugh. REALLY??? No.
Did not enjoy the ending at all, and it was also old in a very disjointed and nonsensical manner in several parts. Did not live up to its promise.

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THE CHARACTER DESIGN IN THIS IS AMAZING!
With every page, I wanted to show it to my friends so they could be brought into this gorgeous world with me as well.

The story was also enticing, and the ending honestly was not what I had expected but was not the least amazing.

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This was a beautiful story that encompasses all the wonderful aspects of the best stories of magic and fairy tales. While this might appeal more to young teens and emerging adults, I (person in their 30's) was riveted. It's also worth noting that this graphic novel is from he same team behind the wordless wildlife graphic novel series LOVE, so it was sure to be visually stunning and breathtaking.

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"Discover who you are and you will be saved."

The literary device of a character searching for a forgotten identity has been done before, but never as beautifully as in this graphic novel.

Here we meet a young girl who can't recall her past, but knows she does not belong in the quaint Hobbit-like village near where she was found. She heads deep into the forest to discover her true identity. Things get a little bewildering there, and it's hard to figure out just who the villains are, and, indeed, what's going on with them. The artwork, however, is transplendent, with lush scenery, and charmingly depicted characters.

So, I'm assigning five stars to the illustrations, three to the story, making the book an overall four star read.

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ARC from Netgalley.
“Discover who you are and you’ll be saved!”

A young girl has escaped a fire. Waking in a cave, she finds herself the guests of animal people who call her “Fairy”. But she cannot remember who she is or where she came from. As snippets of her memory return, she begins an adventure that will cross through dangerous woods, encounters a very helpful guardian angel in the guise of a fox, fight “Shadow Hunters” and “The Horde”.

Who is Brindille? Who is this girl? And what is going on with the world around her?

Frederic Brremaud (LITTLE TALES, LOVE) brings this epic story to life that not only pulls at your heartstrings for this lost girl, but also has an ending that is very deep and meaningful, making the reader question their own dreams. The unique artstyle of Frederico Bertolucci makes this graphic novel more on par with painted artworks than the page. Strongly recommend you pick this up and take the journey of self-discovery along with the girl lost in a strange land.

Ages 12+

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The artwork in this story is what we readers like to call absolutely stunning! It totally stole the show away for me. The story in itself was not as impressive. It was a bit too fast and unclear. I couldn't really connect to the characters because of the rushed pace and for readers who prefer character-driven books, this could be a bit of a downside. But it was admittedly a very unique and new concept, and I loved following the girl as she made her way through forest fires and memories. One of the best parts of this book was that it had a very enchanting feel to it, which goes a long way in keeping the reader's attention. Highly recommend this book to readers who live for great artworks and I will be checking out more from this author in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an e-arc of the book. I voluntarily read it and all opinions are of my own.

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(actual rating: 3.5/5)

I'm a total sucker for good art, and this really proved that.

'Brindille' tells the enchanting tale of a girl who finds herself in an unknown village, following a forest fire and the loss of all of her memories. She sets out through the forest, looking for answers, and makes an unlikely friend. But the more she learns about herself, the more complicated things seem to be.

The very first thing that needs to be mentioned about this graphic novel is just how absolutely stunning the art is. It's genuinely amazing how detailed and effective the art is, and how easily it conveys the emotions of the main character and story. Even though the storyline doesn't make sense at certain points, the art is consistently wonderful.

Speaking of the plot, while fairly disjointed, it was intriguing enough to keep my interest. I was reasonably invested in the girl's backstory and how it would play out with the rest of the book. The ending, although somewhat confusing and leaving many unanswered questions, was ultimately satisfying to what the book was trying to accomplish and express. Or at least, that's the conclusion I've come to, having had a few days to ruminate on the ending.

Overall, I'd recommend this book for its fantastical storyline and excellent art, and think that it would especially appeal to anyone looking for an encompassing yet quick graphic novel read.

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The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning! The illustrations are so magical, fantastical and atmospheric - they get 5 stars from me! I could marvel at them for hours on end and would gladly buy art prints from the artist if possible.
However, I can't give 5 stars to the story itself. It was too confusing and disorienting, too fast, we didn't really get to know the characters and the conflict well enough, which saddens me. I'd love to immerse myself in this world (which reminds me of The Lord of the Rings at times) and wholeheartedly root for the main characters, but that just wasn't possible in this short graphic novel.

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The story began shrouded with mystery. A tale of a girl who doesn't know who she is or where she comes from, a wolf who becomes her guardian angel and a horde that she must face. I loved the rich illustrations and nuances of the plot.

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Thank you NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributers for this early review copy!

Brindille is an absolutely gorgeous graphic novel and is perfect for any fantasy lover. The artwork is absolutely stunning and the story was so much fun and really action packed!

It does start out a little confusing but it is definitely worth it to keep reading!

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this book was full of whimsical vibes and was what I was looking for in a book. it was a good story with a nice art style that added to the whimsical magical feel. the only problem I had was that sometimes the panes were laid out in a confusing way so I read parts that I should have read after other parts i hadn't read but that may be my problem and not the books.

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The artwork in this is absolutely amazing, that's why I requested it in the first place. Everything is beautiful, and the fairy looks so pretty. The story was a bit confusing, but I don't really mind it so much in graphic novels? The artwork definitely made it worth it.

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The story is a tad ambiguous, which I really didn't mind. I liked Memento. I can follow. I got Narnia vibes, too. It has one of those storylines that seems like it's trying to teach you something, or reveal some metaphorical truth. Like an arthouse film. I didn't really enjoy how it made me feel.

Obviously, the artwork needs to be shared with the universe. The different styles for different things and the colors were just...listen, it was a pretty book!

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I read and received a DARC through the publisher and NetGalley. Thank you so much! The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Brindille is a fairy tale adventure about facing your fears and discovering who you truly are. The story follows a young girl who escaped from a forest fire and seek refuge in a village with fairy-like creatures. When asked who she is or what happened to her, she has no memories other than escaping the fire. What follows is a tale of discovery, magic, tragedy, and adventure, as the girl discovers powers that may or may not be borne of an ancient evil. She befriends a cunning, talking wolf along the way, and together the two set out on a journey that will not soon be easily forgotten.

The graphic novel cover lured me in. Bertoculli's illustrations are visually stunning. I was in awe with the wildlife details and couldn't help but turn page after page. I was definitely pulled into a dream and fantasy-like world, with thoughtful color choices that set the mysterious mood and atmosphere.

If there was one thing that could have been improved would be the plot. I had more questions than answers by the end of the story. It was a bit confusing to follow and I wished it could have been a little bit clearer with some back story and the characters. I may give this another reread or so, but I believe the plot can be determined based on the reader's interpretation of what happened. Nevertheless, this magical fairy tale took my breath away.

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