Follows Napoleon's campaign into Russia. The book begins after three grueling months where Russians have fled while destroying all their crops and taking their livestock with them leaving the French tired and hungry as they enter a deserted Moscow. A deserted Moscow that is really one big trap...

I was ignorant of the details of Napoleon's invasion of Russia and was shocked at some of the tactics used by both sides. This book's strength doesn't just lie with the compelling storyline, but also in the stunning artwork.

Ok, I get that this is the beginning of a series, and that it's short, but even so there is NO story development here whatsoever.
It's 1812, and Napoleon has just "invaded" Moscow - except the city is empty and being slowly set on fire by a few scraggly rebels. There's a troupe of actor for some reason, and inexplicable "comic relief" from a dopey guy with a donkey, an angry one handed captain and a secretary that don't do much of anything except lust after an actress with GIANT boobs.
Totally pointless.

'Berezina, Vol. 1: The Fire' by Frederic Richaud with art by Ivan Gil is a historical fiction graphic novel about Napoleon in Moscow.

In 1812, Napoleon decided to try to invade Russia. Three months in to the campaign is where our story starts. The troops haven't met much resistance because the Russians have been fleeing and destroying crops along the way. This means by the time Napoleon's army gets to Moscow, they are tired and starving. What they find in Moscow is an empty city, but it's not really. It's really a carefully laid trap by an enemy willing to sacrifice their own city to defeat Napoleon.

This was a boondoggle of a campaign with an opponent who used their vast land to exhaust troops. I liked this story of what happened in Moscow. The writing is good as well as the art.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I was not fond of this book, the graphics were good but the story was confusing and hard to follow for me im not familiar with that time period

Once again I am indebted to NetGalley for providing a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
However when i requested the book i had just recently read Adam Zamoyski's book 1812 Napolean's fatal march on Moscow, which i thoroughly enjoyed and therefore assumed this book was a similar non-fiction work concentrating on the battle of Berezina. Which to some extent is the case, but it is a graphic novel, and therefore not the best format for an Amazon Fire.
The kindle version does not do justice to the amazing illustrations in this book, hence the three star rating.

Beautiful drawings, brilliant exploration of a lesser known bit of history (I'd never heard of the fires of Moscow before), and I liked the intermingling of personal drama with the historical action.

Marvelous work!

The drawer of this comic posseses impressive artistic skill. Though dealing with hard topics, it is a joy to look at the drawings, because they were made with a love for authenticity and detail. It doesn't get much better than this.

Other reviewers have said that they didn't like the storytelling very much and i can relate up to a point, because some parts seem confusing and unrelated, but I think it must be considered that this book is only the first of three, so there is much to be expected and to unfold still. And it is always much harder to tell a story through pictures and bits of dialogue than by being able to analyze every character and thought in words and thereby leading the thoughts iof the readers mind.
I, for my part learned a lot about the time it portrays and the seize of Moscow and a bit about Napoleon himself. I would love to read the second and third comic too and can only emphasize again, how impressed I was by the powerful drawings.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

From the first epic splash page image all the way through, this book is an example of how history and story can meet in a graphic novel. The illustrations are lavish and colorful, and the effect is that of a finished, polished product. Europe Comics presents wonderful work.

For some reason, I just didn't like this. It's strange. I usually love Europe Graphic novels. But there is something about this that just leaves me cold. The history is well done. The artwork is great. But there was a disconnection. Still if you like Bonaparte, this is well worth checking out.

The Fire is book one of the Berezina series which, as a whole, chronicles Napoleon’s failed invasion of Russia. It delves into the scorched earth tactics employed by the Russians during their retreat and there is a quick glimpse of the Battle of Borodino, but the bulk of the narrative takes place in the largely evacuated city of Moscow.

The destruction of the city it the heart of the book, but Richaud’s cast is also worth mentioning. As individuals, the characters are engaging and I liked how the author’s decision to showcase the experiences of both occupiers and refugees gave depth to the story.

Readers should approach these books with the understanding that the three installments are not written as standalones. The trilogy follows The Battle series and while I don’t feel it necessary to have read the earlier books, I admit I am curious to see how the two collectively link the larger story of Napoleon’s campaigns.

A tale of Napoleon which may not be what folks expect. A bit slower than you'd think for a war book, but you may learn a thing or two.

Beautiful sequences and color work throughout this graphic novel. The story is pretty good too in this graphic novel.

A mix of soapy goings-on when Napoleon and his armies invaded Russia for being pro-British, and hard-core historical accuracy likewise, don't make for a brilliant book. On the one hand you have what you have to assume are real characters, doing what they did, and on the other furtive looks between soldiers and buxom, abandoned actresses. It's a mix that doesn't really work – and the fact this trilogy-opener just stops in the middle of nowhere really doesn't help anyone either. The full story might engage some people with a passing interest in historical fiction concerning the time, but I doubt I'd rush back, actress or no.