I'd had some experience with Kurtis Weibe's work before, having read the comic series Rat Queens, so was looking forward to another fantasy series helmed by him, but got so much more than what I was expecting in this first volume of what I hope goes on to be a long running series.

The story follows Morgan and Yale Glass, a young couple who begin the book travelling through a forrested wilderness with their twin infant children. We don't get a huge amount of information here, other than they're trying to get away from 'the city', and that they've been through fights to protect their children, with Morgan having lost part of an ear in the process. Eventually, after discovering some ancient ruins, the two of them find the small village of Frostbrook, and believe that this could be the safe haven they've been looking for.

Jumping forward fifteen years and we find that the Glass family have become well respected members of this small society, with Yale taking on the position of a teacher for the children of the village, whilst his wife Morgan acts as something of a protector, fighting of monsters that cause the inhabitants harm. Despite having a good home Morgan seems somewhat restless, and this seems to be echoed a little in their children, who have now grown into teens.

Griffon and Rana are now much older, and don't always enjoy the confines of the village, so when their friends decide to sneak away one night to explore the ruins on the outskirts of the town they jump at the chance, wanting to do something exciting for once. However, when a mysterious door is opened inside these ruins a group a hostiles are able to enter Frostbrook, and it changes the lives of the Glass family forever.

I have to admit, I loved the first issue, and thought that it was a great, entertaining fantasy setting with some interesting mythology and characters that immediately grabbed my attention. In some ways the fist few pages, with the clearly battle hardened parents trying to find a new home for their young children reminded me of Saga, and this got me excited for the series. Whilst this search for a home didn't really last, the jump forwards in time wasn't disappointing, and I enjoyed seeing how the family fitted into this village.

Despite enjoying this fantasy setting, I was given something of a surprising change when the book suddenly started introducing sci-fi elements to the story. Yep, it turns out that whilst there elves, orks, magic, and monsters, this isn't your typical fantasy setting, and that Frostbrook is nothing more than an isolationist village that shuns the technology of the outside world. Yep, the book pulled out the twist from M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, but did it so much better.

After a couple of issues the book takes a sharp turn and starts introducing science fiction elements, essentially making a surprise chance to the books genre as the Glass family are plucked from their quiet life and thrown into a huge city filled with flying vehicles, holograms, and augmented people. Turns out fantasy and cyberpunk mix really well together.

Not only does the reader learn that the world the twins grew up in was a lie (and that through only being shown certain things the audience has been lied too as well), but that there are much deeper conspiracies at work too. This volume doesn't answer every question, but it does reveal to the readers that Morgan and Yale were involved with some dangerous people, and that escaping with the twins made them some dangerous enemies.

The book is a great introduction to this new world, and the sudden shift in expectations was both unexpected and brilliantly done. Whilst I'm a little sad that this isn't a more conventional fantasy world I'm extremely interested in the one that Wiebe has created, and can't wait to find out more in the next volume. I was also hugely impressed by the artwork by Justin Osterling, who's a new, uo-and-coming artist. Not only was every panel just superbly drawn, but the designs for the characters and environments were unique and interesting. This is definitely an artist worth watching.

Dryad is one of the more impressive first volumes in a graphic novel series that I've read in a while, and I think its one that deserves both attention and note as an exciting series that's doing some great new things.

I think me and this title may not be meeting at the right time, but none of the setting really clicked with me. Starting off on toilet humor is also not a strong way to win me over. It seems the characters are endearing and well realized, it just didn't strike a chord with me. Felt very similar in its opening and boderline bizarre setting to Vaughan's Saga.

Pros: I loved the art and character stylization. That alone was very entertaining. I also appreciated the diversity.
Cons: The story didn’t particularly grab me. I didn’t know what was going on most of the time.
I liked it but probably not enough to read the next issue.

This unfortunately was not for me - I thought it would be along the line of d&d and while it started this way it swiftly moved to a breakneck speed Sci fi.

I'm left wondering what on earth has just happened and unfortunately won't be continuing with this series

ENG - PT REVIEW

ENG
"There's poetry in finding ancient things beneath the ruins of young empires."


trigger warning: graphic violence.

thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange of an honest review of the book via NetGalley. 💙


I read this whole story feeling the same warmth in my heart that I felt when I read Saga (Brian K Vaughan).
the story is not similar, but this style "family together killing monsters" remembered it 😭

obviously, my favorite part of the comic was this family relationship that involves trust and secrets at the same time.

it is all very human and natural, I was moved by them several times and became attached to the family!
at the same time that all relationships were similar, the way each relationship was demonstrated was different in small details of how they spoke and gestures!!!!!
I LOVED THEM SO MUCH 😭❤


I liked all the characters too much, but my favorite was Morgan (the mother) BECAUSE SHE IS PERFECT 🗣🗣🗣
a strong, intelligent woman, full of secrets AND A GOOD FIGHTER she did NOTHING and I was like WOW!!!

this book is a presentation of the universe, the characters and all the secrets.
but even so, SEVERAL things happen during history!!

we know several characters and we have MANY questions that go unanswered, leaving us curious for the continuation

one of the things I liked most about this universe was the contrast between a fantastic place, with pointed ears and wooden huts and a futuristic world with giant androids, super fast cars and huge buildings !!!

the arts are SO PERFECT 😭😭😭

the scenes that showed environments are FULL of details that made me feel inside that universe together with the protagonists !!!!!!!

the design of each character is also VERY beautiful (especially Morgan) and I fell in love with each one of this universe !!!

I really want to read the sequel and learn more about the universe + characters


I recommend this comic to anyone who wants a story with a complex universe and that leaves a lot of openness for a continuation. those who like these familiar plots in between wars and monster hunting and robots will also LOVE.

~~~
PT

"There's poetry in finding ancient things beneath the ruins of young empires."


aviso de gatilho: violência gráfica.

obrigado à editora por disponibilizar um eARC em troca de uma review sincera sobre a obra via NetGalley. 💙


eu li essa história inteira sentindo o mesmo quentinho no coração que senti quando li Saga (Brian K Vaughan).
a história não é parecida, mas esse estilo "família unida matando monstros" matou minha saudade 😭

obviamente, a minha parte favorita da HQ foi essa relação familiar que envolve confiança e segredos ao mesmo tempo.

é tudo muito humano e natural, eu me emocionei com eles várias vezes e fiquei apegado com a família!
ao mesmo tempo que todos os relacionamentos eram parecidos, a forma como cada relação era demonstrada eram diferentes em pequenos detalhes de como falavam e gestos!!!!!
EU AMEI DEMAIS ELES 😭❤


eu gostei demais de todos os personagens, mas a minha preferida foi a Morgan (a mãe) POIS ELA É PERFEITA 🗣🗣🗣
uma mulher forte, inteligente, cheia de segredos E QUE SABE LUTAR
ela fazia QUALQUER coisinha e eu AUAUAU

esse livro é uma apresentação do universo, dos personagens e de todos os segredos.
mas, mesmo assim, acontecem VÁRIAS coisas durante a história!!

conhecemos várias personagens e temos MUITAS perguntas que ficam sem resposta, deixando curioso para a continuação

uma das coisas que eu mais gostei nesse universo foi o contraste entre um local fantasioso, com orelhas pontudas e cabanas de madeira e um mundo futurista com androides gigantes, carros super rápidos e prédios enormes!!!as artes são MUITO PERFEITAS 😭😭😭

as cenas que mostravam ambientes são CHEIAS de detalhes que fizeram eu me sentir dentro daquele universo junto com os protagonistas!!!!!!!

o design de cada personagem também é MUITO lindo (especialmente a Morgan) e eu me apaixonei por cada um desse universo!!!

quero muito ler a continuação e conhecer mais do universo + personagens


recomendo essa HQ para quem quer uma história com um universo complexo e que deixa muita abertura para uma continuação. quem gosta dessas tramas familiares em maio a guerras com monstros e robôs também vai AMAR.

How this book started, I never imagined it would end where it did. I'm so intrigued by this world and it's mythos. Just as I would start to get confused and wonder what was happening, a new revelation would occur and give just enough new information to keep me keep going. I can't wait to read vol. 2 to find out what happens!

Also, certain aspects of this story gave me strong Saga vibes (which is awesome because I love Saga).

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for my digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was overall a good story, like with most graphic novels they leave the end up in the air. I found myself wanting to read more which is good and bad. It was good cause the writer obviously wants you to pick up the next volume, but bad in the sense that i didn't feel like it was complete. I enjoyed the characters but because the story is nowhere complete I was left confused.

I liked the concept of this graphic novel, and I really enjoyed the artwork. However, it felt a bit like a Saga remix and the second part of the story just felt like a completely different story overall. And sometimes the story just jumped and I felt like I completely missed a page or two. Yeah, I might pick up the sequel because I want to know how the story goes on (it ended with a bit of a cliffhanger) but I'm not going to be the first in line tbh.

This wasn't long enough. I need more! Why are they running. How do they have this amish like community when they have such high technical around them?! WHAT ARE THE TWINS!?!

I NEED ANSWER'S.

BUT

The art was so beautiful and the story buzzing from the get go. I love how they have people of all shapes sizes and colors it's wonderful and I can't wait to see what's next

3.5/5 stars
A fun, fast-paced graphic novel. I'm not sure what it is, but it felt like there was something missing. Even though there was action, it still felt slow. I did like the plot twist at the end, and I'm super interested to see where it goes. I will be picking up the next volume when it comes out!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A baby needs a nappy change in a forest. This is how we're introduced to the elven woman, Morgan and her husband, a human named Yale. They are two city folks, struggling through a forest in search of something. In the first few pages, they stumble through a cave filled with ruins of an ancient civilization. The ruins exit into an idyllic valley with a storybook village.

13 years later, we find the woman is working as a protector, slaying monsters in the village called Frostbrook. The man became a schoolteacher, giving a boring a tour through the ruins built by a race called the Vihri. The tour is for a group of students and his bored kids, Rana and Griffon. These early encounters and subsequent talks set the stage, letting us know god left and magic is uncommon.

That night the children decide to investigate the ruins, accidentally encountering beings in the Vihiri ruins. From this point on things ramp up considerably. It's hard to give an accurate description of what happens without spoilers, so I'm going to have to be vague.

A debt is collected, the family return to the city on an adventure. Rapidly the world becomes more Shadowrun and Arcanepunk than high fantasy.
The storyline grows in complexity, plots intertwine and branch off to seed future plot threads and a richness of depth and flavour to come. In many ways, the story reminds me off tad Williams "The War of the Flowers".

The art is smooth and soft. There is detail to the images, however not an overwhelming amount such as in Frank millers "Harb boiled". The colouring is well done, with great use of different colours to focus attention on the essential plot, whilst at the same time allowing readers to enjoy the artwork. To my delight, all the text is easily visible and easy to read.

I've enjoyed reading this book and look forwards to continuations of the story; it's just a shame I have to wait to continue reading. I highly recommended this graphic novel.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me a copy of this graphic novel I ended up not finishing it but I love almost everything I’ve read from this publisher

I didn't quite know what to expect in this graphic novel, but I found myself really enjoying it.
I was gripped from the very beginning and our main characters are set to have much potential. I will definitely be continuing with the series.
The only downside I could point out is that I felt a little bit lost midway through the volume. There were references to past events we didn't know about yet and some new characters were introduced. Despite being engaged with the story I felt lost. However, it is somehow understandable as it is the first volume of a series.
Definitely recommended!
TW: graphic violence and gore, child injury, non-explicit sex on-page.

English/ Spanish
Wow! This comic is incredible, it is a mix between fantasy and cyberpunk, it is also seasoned with adventures, family relationships and ... eroticism?
For Rat queens and Saga lovers, this is going to be your new favorite comic series.
The story begins quite calm, with a couple who are looking for something, and they take their 2 children with them, and everything is love and happiness in a small grove and suddenly ... BAM! Death, blood, and destruction everywhere. Some characters are very enigmatic and we will learn more about their story as the story progresses, but, we can take a minute to appreciate Yale, I already love him madly and with passion. My new literary crush. 4/5 because it leaves you with MANY unknowns, but even if you don't understand much, you love every moment.

Español
¡wow! Este cómic es increible, es una mescla entre fantasia y ciberpunk, además esta aderezada con aventuras, relciones famiiares y .... erótica?
para los amantes de rat queens y saga, esta va a ser su nueva serie de comics favorita.
La historia comienza bastante tranquila, con una pareja que esta buscando algo, y llevan con ellos a sus 2 hijos, y todo es amor y felicidad en un pequeo bosquecillo y de repente ...BAM! . Muerte, sangre y destrucción por todos lados. Algunos personajes son muy enigmaticos y aprenderemos mas de su historia conforme avance la historia, pero, podemos tomarnos un minuto para apreciar a Yale, ya lo amo con locura y con pasión. Mi nuevo crush literario.
4/5 porque te deja con MUCHÍSIMAS incognitas, pero aunque no entiendas mucho vas amando cada momento.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the e-ARC.

"Dryad" tells a story of a couple who had to escape the city and find a safe haven as far away from it as possible. Together with their newborn twins, they settle down in the countryside and reinvent their lives in peace and tranquility, keeping their past locked away. Until one day many years later, a coincidental meeting with an old acquaintance ruins everything they built on their own and forces them to face everything they've been running away from and more.

This comic is a perfect position for all Saga aficionados. Not only the art style is very similar, but also the story is somewhat reminiscent of Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples's comic series: young parents representing different classes (or races) defying society's norms and making their own path. Moreover, the comic mixes modernistic, cyberpunk-looking settings with the concept of dryads and elemental magic, and does so with success.

All in all, I really enjoyed the time I've spent with "Dryad" - it was pleasant to look at, the characters were interesting, and the story was engaging. This first volume sets the story quite nicely. It already brings forward a mystery that will possibly unravel in later installments. Definitely would recommend giving it a go.

To say that I was in love from the first page would in no way be an understatement Justin Osterling art kept me enraptured from the first page; watching it change and develop with the story was a joy that I can't understate. It truly made the differences apparent and, at times, striking while also showing the beauty of the melding of the worlds.

While Wiebe's writing honestly made me smile. Morgan felt so much like the type of strong-willed character that my friends play in tabletop RPGs, and the interesting use of tech and magic is amazing. I was left in aw to learn more about this world.

My only real turn-off was the depictions of sex, which, while acting to build the characters and relations, left the prudish side of me squirming in discomfort.

Well, this is definitely the start of a series. Like most graphic novel series, the first book is a bit rough. However, underneath the issues is a complex and interesting new world, and characters with an obvious backstory. If I had to describe this graphic novel in one sentence, it would be "Dungeons and Dragons meets Space Opera" Although images like helicopters and video games are familiar to us, to two of the main characters, these are as alien as well, an alien spaceship. I am excited to see the next volume. #DryadVol1 #NetGalley

I was able to read this through Netgalley.

I spent just as much time trying to figure out what was going on as I did reading the story itself. It was just set up a but weird where you don't actually know why anyone is making the choices they are making just the action of them making them. I would be interested in reading more but I am not going to go out of my way to do so.

This is a cross-posted review.

https://beta.thestorygraph.com/reviews/11421238

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3630281321

I am absolutely hooked on this fantastic new series. I picked up Dryad because it gave off major Saga vibes so I thought I might enjoy it and this hooked me even faster than Saga. The first few pages had me questioning if the story was going to be a little bit bit derivative but they completely turned my expectations upside down. The artwork was fantastic, the dialogue was tight, and I could not put it down. I am very excited to see what comes next in this new series. I will definitely be recommending this series.

Morgan and Yale have been living in Frostbrook for 13 years, with their children Rana and Griffon. But Morgan and Yale have been keeping a secret from their kids, and when Muse Corp comes to find them, their secrets are unearthed.
This gave me extreme ptsd from Saga (which I hated), but thankfully, this was much more enjoyable. The art style was a perfect match to the story and I really love it. I also really like the concept of the story, sci-fi meets cyberpunk. I really liked Morgan and Yale, not so much their children, but hopefully the latter will be developed further in the next volumes. Furthermore, I enjoyed the ending, even though a lot of new information was dumped. However, I did feel like the story was slightly confusing, both at the beginning and at the end and that it went by a little to fast for me.
Overall, a enjoyable read and I would read the next volumes.