And a New Week Begins....

So here it is, already the 2nd Monday in January of this new year. I'm off to a bit of a slow start with my reading but making steady progress.  I'm enjoying A Darker Domain by Val McDermid very much and have just started a graphic novel by Nadia Shammas, Squire. I'll provide the synopsis for that and then continue with my ongoing look at Women Authors whose Works I'm Enjoying. Who will it be today??? 

Just Started

1. Squire by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh (2022).

"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 subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.

It's not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" that Bayt-Sajji's military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.

Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire."

Women Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Emily Carroll

Emily Carroll

E.M. Carroll is a Canadian comics author from London Ontario. I discovered her work when I purchases A Guest in the House and was struck by her artwork and gothic way of story telling. I've since read two more of her graphic novels and enjoyed them all. Let's look at them, shall we?

1. A Guest in the House (2023).

"A Guest in the House is the latest graphic novel / horror story by Canadian graphic novelist Emily Carroll. They have written other stories, probably most notable, When I Arrived at the Castle, which I will now have to find.

A Guest in the House is a wonderful mix of stark black and white portraits intermingled with dramatic colored portions of the story. The story follows Abby, a grocery store clerk in small town Ontario who is newly married to the new town dentist David and his daughter Crystal. David's first wife died when they lived out on the West Coast. Abby is a quiet, somewhat insecure young lady, adjusting to this new life. She is generally happy but there are things going on under the surface in this new family.

As a child, Abby lived in a bit of a fantasy world, imagining herself as a gallant knight (these portions are wonderfully colored). In her current life, she begins to suspect or feel a presence in the house and starts seeing a ghostly presence; first as a drowned misshapen lady and then when she finds it too scary, as a beautiful woman. The presence indicates that she is David's first wife and we begin to start unravelling the mystery of her death. 

Krystal also seems to see her mother's ghost. David refuses to let Krystal on the dock, demanding that she stay out of the water of the lake. Mind you, he does let her swim when they go camping (all of which Abby finds very strange). The story begins to get stranger. Who is the lady who says she's living in a house down the road with her family for the summer? Why does David keep the attic locked? 

It's a confusing, intense at times, wonderfully drawn story. I have to say, I ended up confused by the ending, but how the tension ramps up to this final interaction is very well presented. A dark, creepy (especially for its apparent normalcy), building to quite scary story. I look forward to exploring Emily Carroll's work more. They have definitely whetted my appetite for their unique style of horror. (4.0 star)"

2. Through the Woods (2014).

"Through the Woods is the 3rd graphic novel I've enjoyed by Canadian comic creator, Emily Carroll. Each one, from When I Arrived at the Castle, to A Guest in the House and finally Through the Woods offered beautifully drawn and colored gothic horror tales. 

Through the Woods was actually her first published work (2014) and is a collection of graphic short stories, all set in the woods. (What a surprise) From abandoned children in Our Neighbor's House to the Lady in the Walls of the castle in the woods (A Lady's Hands are Cold), the 'dead' brother in His Face is All Red, telling ghost stories (maybe) (My Friend Janna) and what is going on in that abandoned tunnel (The Nesting Place), Carroll has a knack for making you uncomfortable and nervous. The endings also tend to leave you wondering and questioning what actually happened!

Carroll's art work is splashed of reds and blacks, eerie shadows, dead faces, flushed cheeks and blank eyes. Even her pencil work adds to the gothic effect. All in all, the stories draw you in and make you question why the heck you would ever wander through the woods alone! DON'T DO IT! (3.5 stars)"

3. When I Arrived at the Castle (2019).

"I recently finished A Guest in the House, a horror graphic novel, by Canadian author Emily Carroll which I enjoyed very much. Deciding to explore her work more, I found When I Arrived at the Castle a short but powerful gothic horror graphic. It was originally published in 2019 but Silver Sprocket released their version in 2024. 

For a short novella, When I Arrived is powerful, erotic, bloody and beautifully drawn and colored. A girl (well, maybe a cat girl) arrives at a castle, ruled by a dangerous Countess with the aim of killing her. And then this gothic horror story begins, a battle between the girl and beautiful Countess. Creepy, sexy, violent, dark colors (blood reds and blacks). She is led to the basement and must try various doors, each with their own story, each a fantasy or truth. It's all a bit overwhelming.

Confusing but it doesn't matter. Just a powerful, gothic novella. Wow. (4.0 stars)"

You can find out more about E.M. Carroll's work at her web page or at Wikipedia. She's worth checking out.