This is not at all what I was expecting. Not bad, just not for me. I appreciate the art and story in this graphic novel.

Lengthy fantasy graphic novel, where a large old man character writing down the testimony of one of the lead protagonists frames a saga about two siblings on the run from nasty evil sorts, and trying to find a new life first in the country next door, and then the Other World. Both the interview/interrogation/whatever and the quest itself get to be haunted by the titular Shadows. I think I'd have been expected to enjoy this more than I did, and I can't really pin down why I felt this so burdensome. Certainly, prime among the reasons is that all the characters in the incredibly rich and designed world come at you with macabre faces, or wearing a mask from either Africa or Noh theatre, or something like that. The world, then, ends up being Studio Ghibli goes Gormenghast, and I really couldn't worry too much about the main characters, for they were among the most faceless, genderless, ageless and – yup – characterless. As it is, then, however wonderful the hand-created imagery conveys mood and place, and however inventive things get, what we're seeing is the struggles of some ciphers across the page, in order to generate empathy in vain for an extended allegory, and not much more. Two and a half stars, perhaps, for it is well-drawn.

Bizarre, surreal, and haunting. I found much to appreciate about the story, art, and use of coloring in this book. A fascinating visual reading experience.

The Shadows was not the kind of book I was expecting from the blurb. the description made it seem like this was going to be a book that dealt with the idea of having to flee your home in search of somewhere new, of escaping death and danger for a new home. These are themes that are hugely important today, as refugees very much exist, and their plight is often held up as a divisive issue by politicians and news pundits, who usually try to demonise such people as 'immigrants coming to steal you jobs' and so forth.

Because of this, I was expecting a very grounded and realistic take on the topic, but instead of that Zabus has decided to convey these important themes and narratives with a fantasy, almost mythological veneer. The characters are often stylised, and some don't look human. Hell, some are actually completely inhuman, such as the giant snake who smuggles people inside its massive belly. Despite the fantastical visuals that go with the story, it's still a very grounded, and very important tale.

The story follows an unnamed brother and sister, who come home from playing in the woods one day to find their home and parents gone. They've both been taken away by a roving gang of vicious killers, who will continue to hunt the two siblings if they don't flee. From this early stages of the book I found myself having to stop and think why Zabus never makes it clearer who these two characters are, as they even lack any kind of name. I came to the conclusion that the lack of names, and the fact that the two of them wear masks that hide their faces can be seen in two ways; the first is that they are supposed to be faceless so that they can represent anyone, that any refugees in similar situations could easily slot into their place, therefore allowing readers to be able to empathise more easily with people in the real world. However, they could also have been left faceless and nameless as that's how the system sees them. They're not people trying to flee for their safety, they're just part of a faceless mass, coming to try and enter your country, to gain access. Perhaps this is Zabus trying to show people that see refugees as a faceless mass that actually, these are real people.

Over the course of the book the siblings meet others, some who go on to be friends and allies, others who are dangers that the siblings must overcome and survive. Whichever side these people fall on, they too lack any names. They are presented as the capitalist ogre, looking to use the siblings for their own ends, chewing them up and killing them in the process. There's the smuggler snake, who wakes everything they have in the promise of helping them, only to leave them stranded and far from help. They're presented as broad caricatures, not meant to be real people, but representations of the dangers that refugees face on their journeys.

All the while on this journey the brother is faced with the titular shadows, echoes of the people that they have known and lost, friends and family long dead. These shadows literally haunt the brother, and shout in his ear demanding to be heard, demanding that he tell his story truthfully, even if it means that this truth could be used against him. These shadows represent his fears, his conscience, and his doubts. they're with him constantly, with the faces of these beings often hidden in the background, watching him on his journey.

The Shadows ended up telling a very real and important story, one that shows the plight of refugees, of the dangers they face, and how even when they reach their destinations how they face whole new horrors and pain. It's a story that's important and needed, though told in a fantastical way that allows readers to process these important themes without feeling like they're being preached to or taught a lesson. I'm sure that a lot of people who read this who are against allowing refugees asylum in their country won't be moved to change their mind by this book, but there's a chance that some people who read this who have never really thought about the idea, who haven't yet made up their mind might be taught to empathise a little, to understand, and ultimately open their hearts up. Because of this, The Shadows may end up a book that can do some real good in the world.

The Shadows was a very interesting read. I really couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. The art alone is just so astounding to look at and seems lovingly made. There is so much detail in every panel, the colors are muted but completely complement the narrative. Even panels with no text make perfect sense. The art is certainly stylized, and that may not appeal to everyone, but it is nonetheless beautiful.

The story itself is heavy. The story follows a refuge telling the story of his life. The tale he presents is bleak, but never gratuitous. This story meanders in dark places but never abandons the reader there completely. It is very meaningful reading about the protagonist's life and the things they have overcome. It was clearly a long and difficult journey, so I hope people will read about it.

This rather depressing graphic novel depicts the horrors of life, seen through the eyes of immigrants trying to move to where they can live a better life. I thought it rather lengthy (cut in half and it would be better), and found it confusing at times as it introduced fantasy characters like trolls. I take many of the characters to represent those preying on the poor, but the graphic nature of the pictures is more of a turn-off than an intriguing read.

---Thanks are given to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review---

The Shadows is this sad very melancholy tale of a boy, refugee 214, retelling his story to a man at a desk in hopes of gaining entry into the Other World. The story starts out throwing the reader right into the midst of Refugee 214 starting his story and immediately you are introduced to these shadows demanding he tell the real truth. Your pulled right into the story by wondering who these shadows are, can anyone else seem them, how do they connect to the boy, what is their real story.

Then the boy starts his tale, the real tale and the reader is then taken on this very heavy, melancholy tale of what this boy has gone through, the places he has been, the places he has seen, the people he has met, and every little story is fit in perfectly with just enough coverage that you don't feel overwhelmed by them but you also don't feel underwhelmed. Just the right amount of time is spent on each moment of the story. One element I did appreciate was when they boy made the attempt to deter from the real story, the present moment was drawn back into the readers focus and were shown the shadows getting angry with him. The jump from past to present was always seamless and placed in just the right moments.

The other thing I really appreciated was the stylistic choice in character creation, the characters are very simple with mask like faces as the only real way to differentiate them but many of the panels aren't zoomed in on them and this really helps to focus on the story at hand and less on the characters as its the tale that is important not what any of the characters look like. You don't come out of this story with a favorite character as that was clearly not the intention.

The art in general is a very interesting style that I feel like will only reach a certain demographic and that saddens me as the tale itself is very beautiful and the style really fits it, The wordless panels were seamless and did an amazing job at explaining what was happening through the use of the art, not once did I ever feel lost or confused. I will say the scenes on the boat were one of the more "creepy" aspects of the story and art but it worked well for what was being told. Its not a "Pretty" art style, but I personally don't think its "ugly" either and I feel this will fall heavily in that category by many and they will ultimately lose out on reading a genuinely interesting melancholy tale.

The tale does deal with darker themes, such as death, mention of rape, sickness, loss, but I do feel it was presented in a beautiful manner, and I honestly loved the ending, it was such a realistic heavy handed ending that just makes you sit back and go "oh man"

Refugee 214 doesn't have an easy story to tale but its an important one, a truthful one that needs to be told, and this is his sad, harrowing tale.

Sorry to say the advance reading copy had no other pages than the cover page and two more pages to say thanks for downloading and reading.

At the end of an arduous journey, refugee 214 finally gets his chance to enter the Other World. But to see his wish granted, the boy must first tell his story. He and his sister were forced to flee their homeland to escape a band of bloodthirsty horsemen. Frightened and helpless, they crossed forests, deserts, and seas, encountering creatures each more mysterious and frightening than the last: the capitalist ogre, the smuggler-snake, and the ever-present shadows from the great beyond... The boy's story must be told in every detail—but will the truth save him, or condemn him? This is the odyssey of a brother and sister who are forced to fight for their freedom and survival at every turn, all while trying not to forget about where they've come from, and what they've left behind. A subtle and captivating tale about exile and refugees today
The artwork was really interesting and the story was unique.