The heartfelt and charming characters absolutely make this story, which admirably balances between the systemic and the personal, between idealism and realism, and between community and individualism.

There's few things better than a story that has girls with swords, but girls with swords reckoning with the ugly realities of war, imperialism and oppression? <i>And</i> set in a beautifully illustrated, Middle Eastern inspired world? Fantastic. Sign me up.

The art is absolutely stunning and definitely my favorite part of <i>Squire</i>. The story itself is a pretty classic adventure story with knights. I do feel like this graphic novel is more "realistic" than other knighthood stories, when it comes to addressing propaganda and the impacts of war. It doesn't necessarily do anything "new" for the genre, outside of being far more diverse than most knight stories, which does instantly make it more interesting and complex, IMO.

Book Summary:
Born a second-class citizen, Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It’s the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the Ornu people, her only path to full citizenship. She has to hide her Ornu status in order to blend in while training as we all navigate friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the merciless General Hende. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her and that the recruits might be in more danger than she ever imagined.

Review:

Firstly I want to talk about the art, since the art of a graphic novel is a vital tool for the story. Not only is it stunning, but it is also very fitting for this story overall. I can't picture this story with a different art style honestly. It enhances everything as it should.

For the story itself, it's quite layered and interesting. The topic of individual identity versus national unity is interesting and also very relevant to this day. And this goes beyond just Aiza as we learn more about the other recruits and their own backstories. There are moments of foreshadowing throughout that makes you want to keep reading to know what will happen. The pacing is nicely done, particularly once we're at the training and onward.

I want to highlight the characters because the characterization of them all is well done and they all are unique and memorable. We get pieces of their backstory in a way that blends in so well, and they develop along with the story nicely. The characters really sell this story and make it impactful.

Overall I enjoyed reading Squire. The story is captivating and meaningful, the characters are interesting, and the artwork is beautiful. It has humor alongside the seriousness plus a little mystery to keep you reading. So if the premise at all sounds interesting to you, give it a read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

What is the price of war? That is always the question. Aiza wants to be a knight to improve her chances of attaining a better life. Her parents know that it's a bad idea but she points out that she hasn't had a choice about people looking down on her because she's Ornu. Heck, she can't even sell apricots without riffraff harassing her.

This is an unsettling story, one where nations use hope to sell the youth into war, and generals are more than happy to sacrifice the new blood and cannon fodder. Totally recommend, but definitely know that it's not an adventure story of grandeur.

This is one of the best graphic novels that I've read so far this year. The story and characters were amazing and so were the coloring and artwork. This is one graphic novel that I will be recommending to everyone to check out! I will definitely be reading more work by this author as soon as possible.

Wow, where do I begin? What a fantastically well written and designed graphic novel. Aiza's development and journey are incredibly relatable. There are so many readers I know, of all ages, who will find this story appealing. A necessary story that I can't wait to share with others.

This was a super enjoyable graphic novel! I really enjoyed the fantasy aspect and that the story focused on a female character wanting to be a hero. I loved the characters and the discoveries they come to along the way of our story. My biggest complaint is that I wanted it to be longer. The middle of the story felt a little rushed and I could have used an additional 50 pages or so to develop the characters more.

Not my favorite art style in a graphic novel but this was an enjoyable read! I think it had just the write about of fantastical elements but still felt like the story line was realistic

Thank you to NetGalley for the early edownload of Squire! I ended up reading the physical version after it was published instead, but I do appreciate the option. It took me awhile to read because of my schedule and the thickness of the book intimidated me.

Squire was so fun and enjoyable! I love all the varied opinions and how clear it was that the characters all existed in the world before and after meeting. I also liked seeing the way Aiza was thought of when she was elsewhere; as in, hearing what her friends and other students thought of her. I adored her relationship with her nighttime mentor (I'm bad with remembering names and I can't find his in any of the other tags! Sorry!). I adored him in particular. I think he added a lot of depth and nuance to Aiza. I also liked the inclusion of her peer that clearly had a separate justice-system and morals. Aiza's will and sacrifice for her friends were so strong. She was such a lively, animated character. I want her to have everything and more. And I'm so proud of all her for all she went through in this.

I do think the ending was a bit rushed. I'd like to see more of this world. It's ending felt both too ambiguous and too easy. I think the art and story were incredible, but that the ending came on fast. I hope there will be more to this world.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. I was drawn in by the cover that seemed to promise adventure, and the idea of a scrappy girl who wanted to become a knight. What I got was so much more than a story about a girl surviving in a man's world.
First of all it turned out the army and the knights wasn't just a man's world, but was open equally to men and women. And on top of that the hero's Aiza looked up to weren't the heroes she'd imagined them to be. This book with its beautiful art and heroine who can't be told no, took me on a journey about knowing the difference between right and wrong, heroes and conquerors, and deciding where and how to draw the line you aren't willing to cross. It was tactfully done and an excellent read.

With incredible art and impeccable story telling, "Squire" is a must read journey. The story follows, Aiza, who desparately wants to become a squire for a kingdom that ostracizes her cultural group. She must hide who she is from the people in charge and her new friends. With risk of another war and political schemes among the high members of the military, can Aiza rise the ranks and earn her citizenship?

This was incredibly enjoyable. I can only hope that there will be more to continue Aiza's story. I found myself entirely invested. Even this novel could have been split to balance the storyline.

This book's stunning art and age-appropriate tale for middle grade/early YA readers examines racism, patriotism, and friendship through a compelling story. I loved learning at the end how much cultural perspective and research went into designing the story as well as the art. Young fans of fantasy will enjoy this title immensely.

3.5 rounded up

Beautifully illustrated graphic novel (the cover art is why I requested this ) about a young girl fulfilling her dreams of becoming a sword-wielding Squire of the Empire. I typical coming-of-age story where the young, slight (female) underdog finds a tough, gruff, beefy (male) mentor to train her into top form (I'm looking at you, Ayra Stark). I was hoping for some new take on this theme. Important representation of characters on the page.

This one really didn't capture me. I sometimes have a hard time with graphic novels, but am aware of that and still read them, concentrating on the illustrations if I wish there were more background in the story. But this book still just didn't speak to me - It was both too involved and not explained enough. A miss for me.

A lovely and deceptively simple graphic novel about a girl longing for something more than her lot.

Squire weaves in themes of found family, colonialism, and sacrifice, deftly tying them together into one neat, sharp, funny, heartfelt package.

I'm not always sold on the art in graphic novels, but I really enjoyed the art here, especially the occasional nods to manga that made me laugh with their quirky displays of strong emotions. The art here is colorful, detailed, and intricate, and I felt immersed in the world as I was moving through the story.

This is a lovely, quick, but memorable read for young 'uns and adults alike.

I like that this is more than just a simple adventure story. Shammas incorporates elements of politics, power, and racial identity. We see the balance between being true to yourself and how prejudices can limit your chances for success. There's also solid exploration of legends and the idea of the victor driving the narrative. We aren't surprised for our characters to learn to define "right" for themselves, to stand for good things rather than just the accumulation of wealth and power. A solid read.

I went into this book with no knowledge of it other than liking the cover and the publisher. That doesn't always work out, but this time it very much did. I read this book in one sitting and now I want to make everyone else read it, too. The setting is beautifully drawn, the world is well-built and relatable, and the message is important. I assumed from the title and from the first chapters that this would be a standard knight-in-training story, but it wound up being an interesting narrative about imperialism, war, and propaganda. It is a message that has certainly been told by other stories, as well, but what I appreciated most here was the bluntness of delivery and the fact that the ending, while hopeful, is not neat and perfect. It states clearly why and how there are no winners in war and why it matters to speak up against violence, even if nobody else wants to listen at first. I'd recommend this to fans of stories like Avatar: The Last Airbender, because to me they have similar vibes and messages. Highly recommend checking this out.

Tired of being poor and persecuted for who she is, a young girl answers an advertisement to join her country's army and become a squire. If she fails training, she'll be sent straight to the front lines, an absolute death sentence. To bring honor to herself and her family, she practices hard to become a squire, but is everything with the army really as it seems.

Hopefully this is the beginning of a series, because I want to see more! The lore for this world seems like it could go deep and I am interested to see how Shammas and Alfageeh develop the story.

I really enjoyed this MG graphic novel, which had the exciting story and easy-to-root-for heroine of early Tamora Pierce novels but set in a fantastical Middle Eastern-inspired world. Aiza is a wonderful main character--loved her temper and her big heart--and her cohort were similarly well developed. The art style of the novel is absolutely stunning and adds so much to the story Shammas is telling. I will certainly be handselling this title to adventurous young readers!

This was such an adventure! I love Azia and her band of friends. I liked the dynamics of the story and the plot progress nicely through the end.