I didn't realize this was a sample instead of an ARC, si I can't properly review incomplete material. However, I will try and do my best effort. Taking into account that the plot seemed to lack a solid focus 120 pages in and that the historical social commentary portrayed didn't forward a precise concept, all I can say is ths could be either cut down or expanded in order to form a cohesive narrative. Having that said, it is impossible for me to knoe whether things pick up and rationally converge, but some minimal narrative path should have been established that further into the story. On the bright side, I did quite like the illustrations.

The feminist ideals of rebelling against patriarchal norms within this oppressive time period is the type of story I won't ever tire of. It's difficult to get emotionally attached in any of the characters though. It's unclear whether that would change if I were to read the entire graphic novel, but so far both the narrative and the art style don't have me invested in anyone. I will continue to read the rest of the story to figure out how the two women's stories will turn out.

A very interesting style of graphic novel. Hard to review based on just the first third, but what I read so far was shaping up to be a fascinatingly intersectional story of brilliant women, shackled by marriage and status in deeply patriarchal societies. I'll be kind of upset if this ends up being NOT sapphic. I found Amelie a bit disjointed in her mix of scientific curiosity and religious righteousness. And the sample read ended just as interesting dynamics were beginning. I will probably seek out the full work up on release.

Publishing date: 15.07.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

This one was a miss for me. As witha different book I read the exact same day, they suffer from mostly the same problems. Overly sexualizing women and exploiting them and their pain for story. I understand that at this time in history women were not treated well, but did we have to have several sex scenes within just the 130 page sampler? No, no you didn't.

I will be missing a lot of context for this as the copy I received is missing a little over half the story (just a sampler as mentioned). From what little I gather the two women might make a deeper connection later, but their relationship so far seems dysfunctional, so does the main character's relationship with the servants and not to mention her husband. It just seemed so unnecessary for everyone to treat her like that. This might get better in the complete story, but ...

I am not interested in continuing. Sadly.

Giving this 2 stars. Pretty artstyle doe

I’ve only read the first 132 pages of Raging Clouds, but I can already tell you this: I’m hooked—and desperate for more. Set in 16th-century Netherlands, Yudori’s Raging Clouds is a lush, slow-burning period drama centred on the unlikely collaboration between two women: a proper Dutchwoman confined by convention and her husband’s enslaved mistress. Together, they pursue a scientific discovery that could offer them liberation, not just from patriarchal rule, but from the suffocating roles assigned to them by class, race, and gender.

Yes, it’s historical fiction, but don’t let that fool you—it’s also sensual, radical, and unexpectedly subversive. This is the print debut of Korean manga artist Yudori, and it’s a stunning one. I normally gravitate toward colour comics, but Yudori’s black-and-white art is so richly expressive and atmospheric that I didn’t miss colour for a second. Every panel is meticulously composed, balancing elegant restraint with moments of simmering emotion—and sometimes, erotic tension. The artwork is delicate but powerful, just like the story it tells.

What impressed me most—beyond the breathtaking visuals—is the book’s quiet, assured feminism. There’s no grand speech or moral hammering. Instead, Yudori gives us layered, intelligent women navigating the limits of a world built to contain them. The main character’s quiet rebellion—her refusal to submit to the role of obedient housewife, her hunger for knowledge—is captivating. She speaks softly, but her resistance roars.

Raging Clouds is ultimately a story about the power of thought, the radical potential of women who dare to question, and the dangerous beauty of solidarity across divides. It’s a stark reminder of the historical silencing of women—and a celebration of what can happen when they begin to speak, to study, to dream.

This is only the beginning, and I’m already all in. If the rest of the volume delivers on the promise of these first chapters, Raging Clouds might just be one of the most exciting feminist graphic novels I’ve read in years.

Thank you to the author Yudori, the publisher Fantagraphics and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This fast-paced historical fiction graphic novel tells the story of Amélie, a noblewoman confined in a loveless marriage with a merchant that psychologically and sexually abuses her.

Amélie wants to fly away. She wants to make her own life and follow her dreams and aspirations. She wants to keep working on the mechanics of flight.

Heaven is when her husband go on a work trip for months - she finally finds herself happier and freer of cruel, capricious men. She finds solace in books, in loneliness and in her own work with her advances in the mechanics of flight.

When her husband arrives, he is not alone. He's bought a foreign mistress, Sahara.

Sahara, as well as Amélie, is not of her free will there, chained to the cruelty of men.


What I loved most about this book is the way it is so beautifully illustrated.

Also, I thought both women will fall in love with each other, and it did not happen. I was kind of disappointed because of this. Despite this, overall I enjoyed it.

#RagingClouds #Netgalley

I liked this. The colors and art were so lovely. The expressions and imagery and designs of the characters expressed a lot without saying it directly. I liked where it was going and am curious to read the whole book when it comes out!

With this being a partial ARC, I can't give my full opinion on this book, but I certainly enjoyed what I read. The linework of the art is gorgeous, and each character is so expressive, you can tell their personalities at just a glance.

While the story is heavier than I expected, and the pacing at the very beginning felt a bit off to me, I am definitely hooked enough to seek the book out to finish reading. I can't wait to see where the story of these two women goes!

This was a really good start to a manhwa/manga and I'm excited to keep reading once the full version is released. I can't really give it a complete review, based on only the part I read, but so far it would be on track for a 5 star rating. Unfortunately, the English-language version isn't even sold where I live, so I guess I'll have to go with the German one, as it's the only available one here.

Conceptually, Raging Clouds is fascinating. It's a powerful feminist critique of 16th-century Dutch patriarchy. The main character is compelling in her quiet rejection of the housewife role in favor of intellectual pursuits. The story serves as a stark reminder of the deplorable treatment women have historically endured.

However, while the ideas are strong, I found the execution in this sample fell short. The black-and-white artwork felt inconsistent—some panels are beautifully imagined, while others lack detail. More significantly, the narrative pacing is quite slow, and the story is often told through a flat, simple narration that fails to build emotional depth.

It is crucial to state that my review is based on a 130-page partial ARC, not the complete work. It's entirely possible the full context addresses these pacing and artistic issues. However, based on this sample alone, the story felt underdeveloped and didn't live up to its brilliant potential.

This was an interesting read but I'm also conflicted with how I feel about it because I don't think I enjoyed my time reading it? The art was interesting and well done but I found the story itself to be a little shallow and lacking. Like, I could see where it was going and what it wanted to do and say but it feels like it never quite gets there. We get no real motivations for the characters or relationship building. I mean, this was okay but nothing that is going to stay with me.

I really enjoyed this little snippet I got to read from this graphic novel. Firstly, the art style was positively gorgeous, and that is a major factor to determine whether or not I will enjoy a graphic novel. The premises of the story seemed quite interesting, and I'll definitely read the rest of it out of curiosity!

I'm not sure if I received the entirety of this book, and it was vol. 1, or if I only received a partial copy. Either way, when I got to the end the story was not over.

Amélie is a clever and curious girl who is living a suffocating life as the wife to a Dutch merchant. She does what she can to be a good wife to Hans, but finds herself with no time (or room) to exercise her mind. When Hans leaves on a year-long journey, Amélie finally feels the freedom she desires to look where her heart lies: in the sky. She spends a spring, summer, and fall watching and studying birds, trying to create a flying contraption of her own.

When Hans suddenly returns, it's not only the return of her prison that catches Amélie by surprise; Hans has brought a beautiful young woman from the Orient as his mistress. Feeling jeaouls and threatened, Amélie attempts to dispose of the woman, but is surprised to find they have something in common. They both want to fly free.

I was expecting an LGBTQIA+ element to the story, but there doesn't seem to be one. I also would have liked some more information on Amélie's life before Hans, to understand her better. Overall, though, it was enjoyable.

The artwork is gorgeous. The preview was interesting enough where I’ll be purchasing a finished copy. I really want the two characters to be lesbians

I only read the preview containing the first 130 pages but I am hooked! At first I was confused because the art didn’t seem to match the quality of the cover but that quickly became irrelevant as I got more into the story. I cannot wait to read the full version of this book!

I really wanted to love this book. The feminist themes, the historical setting, and the emotional weight behind the story all had so much potential. And the art? Absolutely stunning. There’s no denying how much care went into the visuals and the atmosphere.

A little blurb about the book: Set in the 16th-century Netherlands, Raging Clouds tells the story of Amélie, a brilliant woman trapped in a suffocating marriage, and Sahara, a slave brought into her household from her husband’s trading voyage. As the two women connect through shared pain and unexpected understanding, they begin to imagine a different kind of future; one that defies the roles forced on them by patriarchy, colonization, and violence. It’s a lush, emotional graphic novel that explores womanhood, science, desire, and resistance.

But something about the execution just didn’t land for me. It felt a little too heavy-handed at times, like the message was more important than the characters. I wanted more nuance, more emotional buildup, and I think I expected a payoff that never really came. The ending especially left me feeling conflicted, like the story had built up all this tension and power but didn’t quite follow through. That said, I can still appreciate what the book was trying to do. I think some readers will connect with it more deeply than I did. For me, it was a beautiful but ultimately frustrating read. I’m glad I read it, but I didn’t love it.

3 ⭐️
Thank you Fantagraphics Books for my early copy.

Four-stars is my preliminary rating after reading a preview of the first third of this graphic novel. I am very anxious to read the whole book in the near future.

Set nearly 500 years ago in the Netherlands, the story follows Amelie Adelbert, née van Hoenbroek, an unhappy housewife who would prefer to be dissecting birds and bats to analyze their ability to fly rather than cooking and cleaning or sharing her husband's bed.

Already bitter and resentful, she really explodes when her husband brings back a most unwelcome surprise from his latest expedition abroad.


Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.

Wow, it was just getting interesting! Raging Clouds is about Amelie, a Dutch woman married to the handsome Hans. Hans is not very caring and treats Amelie terribly. Amelie is bursting with intelligence, but Hans downplays her ambitions. When Hans leaves home for business, Amelie can finally be herself. When Hans returns, he brings back a slave mistress. Amelie doesn't like the slave mistress at first, but soon form a friendship.

The story cut off when it was getting good! At first I thought this was a lesbian love story based on the cover, but I love anything to do with female empowerment and friendships. This ARC is a sample of the first 130 pages only. I can't wait for it to come out so I can read the rest!

Since the advanced copy it’s only the first 130 pages of the book, I think it’s not enough to get gripped by the story and feel a connection with the characters.
Nonetheless, I did like the art style and I think the plot has potential. I honestly really hope this is a sapphic graphic novel by the end.

First of all, thanks a million Netgalley and publisher for granting my wish to review this graphic novel.

Secondly, I just couldn’t like it. I honestly thought it was boring like all you’re getting is bland characters shagging each other every time you’re reading every chapter. Honestly the only character I like is the cat tbh like the rest were just meh unfortunately….