Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Eigyr by Jérôme Hamon and Damien Colboc.

I love a historical graphic novel, and I was really surprised by Eigyr. The art work was raw, bloody and cruel- but this juxtaposed the essence of the story- love.

A great graphic novel!

Wow,...
This was not at all what I expected and there was a lot more blood!!!

I thought this to be some Nordic story or something but it's actually based of of Arthurian myths and legends.
A very fast paced story of how it all began.
Eigyr finds herself pregnant at the time where the wizard Merlin is said to be reborn She has to avoid people who want her child dead or whom want to use it for their own agenda all the while trying to save herself as well.
A lot of action, cruelty and bloody violence in this book but ultimately it was a story of hope and love.

Thank you Netgalley for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Way, way too much plot and too much politics for one small comic. I would have loved a larger series that dived further into the divisions between the Celts, Christians, and Saxons in post-Roman Britain. But in this short book what we had was stock characters and stock action scenes which didn't allow the emotional payoff the author really wanted at the end.

i was captivated the whole time and wanted to read more. the art is wonderful and the main characters were lovely. also the art in not ya. this is definitely my favorite graphic novel and i felt a swirl of emtions while reading, from happiness to hope to sadness. definitely recomand.

This was an intriguing graphic novel rooted in the myth of Merlin and Arthur. It's a short but entertaining tale about a woman being sought out by various factions due to the legend/rumor that Merlin would be reborn in that area. It's a tale of unlikely allies and unforeseen enemies and surviving that persecution.

*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

What an engaging graphic novel! The story, inspired by Arthurian legend (as well as Ancient British history), hooked me from start to finish. The art work was brilliant; the plot fast paced; and the characters likeable.

I do hope this becomes a series, or that there is a follow up to Eigyr as I would love to step once more into this world.

4.5/5

This is a different origin of the King Arthur legend than I know. It has depth about characters that are only barely mentioned in the usual myths and the clash between Christianity and Pagans plays a major role in this story. It makes it a very interesting read. The illustrations are wonderful.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Eigyr is an interesting twist on the Arthurian Legends! The plot is engaging, and I loved the character designs, especially the side characters like Sigrid and Steren. The narrative progression has a good sense of energy, especially in fight scenes. The artist, Damien Colboc, was talented in setting up a visual tension that can be difficult to capture in graphic novels. I enjoyed the art and coloring overall, though sometimes the illustrative line was heavy and oddly weighted, facial features/general anatomy were oddly articulated. The color palate was well chosen, and a lot of the background/setting art was lovely.

Merlin rumored to be a sorcerer who foretold his reincarnation, and the country is in upheaval scrambling to try to find the newborn. his mother is in mortal danger and a monk and a ragtag soldier accompany her to a point where she is supposed to meet a fleet arriving. I loved every page of it.

I found the story of Eigyr to be interesting and beautifully illustrated. It was a unique take on the Merlin/Arthur story. I loved the illustration style. I haven't read many books with this setting, but it was interesting. I'd recommend Eigyr as a quick graphic novel for fantasy readers.

Early Christians and "barbaric" pagans are both searching for a baby said to be the reincarnation of Merlin, a powerful wizard. These Christians apparently believe in reincarnation only so that the authors can impose a re-telling of the Christian Massacre of the Innocents and a conversion narrative on Arthuriana, and it doesn't hang together well. The art is fine, but the lettering is often hard to read, and the dialogue isn't particularly good at differentiating characters, offering context, or even just sounding like normal speech. You can give this one a miss.

A very fast paced story of Arthurian legend and how it all began. Eigyr finds herself pregnant at the time where the wizard Merlin is said to be reincarnated. She has to avoid people who want her child dead while trying to save herself as well. A lot of action and gory violence occurred in this book but ultimately it was a story of starting again and hope.

Eigyr is pregnant at a time a newborn baby is being hunted by many people, for political and religious matters.
It's believed that upon the great wizard Merlin's death, he would be resuscitated as a new baby. But who might be that child?
Following the end of Eigyr's pregnancy, we learn about her journey trying to find safety for her and her baby.

I enjoyed everything about this book - the graphics, the narrative, the characters, everything.
It's interesting to watch how the circumstances can change a person's life.

Love everything about this comic and can’t wait to read more from the author. A fast but powerful read.

An interesting take on the origins of King Arthur. A young pregnant woman sought by three factions believing that her unborn child is the re-incarnation of Merlin. With a christian and a warrior of Avalon by her side she make a mad dash to the coast and to safety.

Comic that situates us at the beginning of the Arthurian cycle, although it can really be read without knowing anything about it.

There are quite a few Christian references, starting with the killing of the innocent and the persecution of the pregnant mother, who must flee to survive, and continuing with the Catholic group and the priest talking about Ichtys and the parallelism with the Celtic snake/fish. And I don't think it's just as a thread with the Arthurian knights.

The drawing is done by computer and it isn’t hidden, but the use of brushes is smart and it only seems to be accentuated in the coloring. I really liked the result and the chosen color palette.

Eigyr is a graphic novel about Britain during the 5th century after the Romans have with drawn when the island was in upheaval and the Britons, Saxons, and Christians fought for control. One child could determine the outcome, if only they can make it to safety.

With graphic novels I always want to see if the story and art are better for being attached. In the case of this graphic novel both can stand on their own, and do work together well, but neither needed the other. The story on it's own is impactful and I wish we could have delved deeper into each of the characters backgrounds and thoughts during the story. I left wanting more of the story, to find out what would happen next between them and in this world. The art did a good job of showing the characters emotions and the world they were in, but didn't shine as anything deeply unique. The best feature of the art work was how it showcased the different factions and their native art styles.

Over all I enjoyed this read and loved seeing a different take on this time period and the Arthurian Legends. Seeing these legends from the more historical accurate direction and from the perspective of peasants, monks, and those not wrapped up with the kings and courts, was a real pleasure. It felt like going back to the roots of these legends being told by villagers gathered around a campfire sharing the myths and legends of their homes.

I would recommenced this to those who enjoy:
- Historical Retellings of myths and legends
- British History
- Arthurian Legends
- Fantasy or History Graphic Novels

Overall this was a good read, that was a new perspective on an old legend.

I received an ARC of this book at no cost/for free, I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are wholly my own and unbiased.

This book was powerful and heartbreaking. Such resilience and an excellent portrayal of the legend of Merlin and Arthur, with a brilliant inclusion of British/Irish history and lore. Absolutely beautiful artwork! Would definitely recommend this to my friends, especially the fantasy and history buffs. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

Pensavo che gli avrei dato davvero un voto molto basso appena iniziato a leggere, visto che i disegni sono davvero pessimi. Li ho odiati per tutta la lettura. Mi sembrava di star leggendo lo storyboard a malapena schizzato della storia.
A tratti ogni tanto c'era qualche riquadro o scenario disegnato appena meglio, ma nel totale non riesco proprio ad amarlo questo stile. Mi spiace. E' un mio gusto personale, ma non riesco in alcun modo ad apprezzarlo.
E di certo non l'avevo capito di che sesso fosse il/la bretone. Per la miseria...dai...e disegna un po' meglio almeno i visi! E le espressioni...davvero incomprensibili.
C'è stata un po' più di attenzione ai disegni solo verso la parte finale del fumetto. Ma non è assolutamente accettabile per me, spendere dei soldi per un lavoro fatto a metà.

Per quanto invece riguarda la storia, è assolutamente promossa!
Quel colpo di scena finale! Signor Hamon sei riuscito a farmi commuovere dannazione!
Le scene scorrono bene e la storia è narrata senza creare confusione, nè creando alti e bassi nella tensione narrativa. E' giusta e perfetta così.

Sarebbe stato fantastico rivedere l'artista Jerome Lereculey di nuovo tornare a disegnare queste storie ambientate nelle terre celtiche. Un gran peccato!

Nel complesso è una buona lettura, ma assolutamente dimenticabile proprio a causa dei disegni che non lasciano alcun ricordo memorabile.

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo in anteprima.


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I thought I was going to give it a really low rating when I first started reading, since the drawings are really bad. I hated them for the entire read. I felt like I was reading the barely sketched storyboard of the story.
At times every now and then there were some panels or scenarios drawn slightly better, but overall I just can't love this style. I am sorry. It's my personal taste, I can't appreciate it in any way.
And I certainly didn't understand what gender the Breton was. For God's sake... come on... and at least draw the faces a little better! And the expressions...truly incomprehensible.
There was a little more attention to the drawings only towards the end of the comic. But it is absolutely not acceptable for me to spend money on a half-done job.

As for the story, it's absolutely great!
That final twist! Mr. Hamon you managed to make me cry damn it!
The scenes flow well and the story is told without creating confusion, nor creating ups and downs in the narrative tension. It's right and perfect like that.

It would have been great to see artist Jerome Lereculey back again to draw these stories set in the Celtic lands. A big shame!

Overall it's a good read, but absolutely forgettable precisely because of the drawings that don't leave any memorable memories.

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read it.

Interesting take on Arthurian legend. I liked the different groups fighting to get to Merlin's reincarnation first, and the action was exciting (sometimes). The art was hit or miss and some parts didn't flow well. I liked the reveal at the end.