really great, very lovely, looking forward to the sequel! (hopefully coming out in 2025) ( )

The art is spectacular, the main character is charming, and gives the book a sweet, youthful perspective.. The story is so interesting. ( )

Wow! I got completely absorbed in this and read it in one sitting. It's a big, heavy book, but it didn't take long to read. It has elements of mystery, history, and feels like book one in a series (a series that I will definitely keep reading).

I've watched all 17 hours of the BBC's Monarchy documentary, so I know a thing or two about British royalty. I really enjoyed that this was similar enough to real history see the connections, but different enough to be intriguing and surprising. This is a weird comparison, but it reminded me of why I like the HBO show Succession -- it can be as outrageous as it wants to be because it's fiction, but it still feels like it's about real people.

There's a lot of great explaining in this book about convent life, island life, and political machinations. It will appeal to historical fiction readers even though "Albion" isn't a real place. There's an author's note at the end that explains how Eleanor is based on Elizabeth but the plot is entirely made up.

Though they are dissimilar in many ways, fans of [b:My Lady Jane|22840421|My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies, #1)|Cynthia Hand|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1444923765l/22840421._SY75_.jpg|42397220] may also enjoy this alternate-England. ( )

Y'all. This book! Am I super late in reviewing this? Hell yeah, but i'm coming back now to tell you - TOTALLY worth the read. The illustrations are top tier, the writing is great. I finished it all in one sitting. I totally recommend it. 5/5 stars. ( )

This is an absolutely gorgeous and compulsively engaging graphic novel based (loosely) on some pretty big-time history. I had to look it up -- the story of Queen Elizabeth I (who reigned in the 16th century) and her crappy sister Mary, who usurped her and locked her up, but finally named her as successor when the time came, securing a line of British royalty that has lasted for centuries. I'm sure there were bumps in the road since then, but despite this inauspicious episode, it has been pretty solid. But I digress. This tale is actually that of Margaret, a precocious young girl who lives on a tiny island off the coast of Albion (Great Britain), which houses an isolated religious order of nuns whose primary mission is to care for those who traverse the seas. They are visited twice a year by a ship from the mainland, which brings them supplies, news, and occasionally, more inhabitants. Gradually, the history of Margaret, how and why she (and all the others) came to be on the island, is revealed. They are far removed from the politics of the mainland, yet even at such a distance, the nuns and servants are affected and even ruled by them. Eventually, a noblewoman who proves to be the deposed Queen arrives, exiled by her upstart sister, and changes the course of Margaret's life -- indeed, her very identity. This is a truly excellent book, the art and text marrying perfectly to tell a compelling and beguiling story -- and teaching a fascinating piece of history at the same time. ( )