Absolutely loved this manga/graphic novel! Reminded me of Yona of the Dawn, with a beautiful fantasy/adventure plot, engaging and fun characters, and a blossoming romance in the works. Super entertaining and perfect for reluctant readers!

Tallia is forced to flee with Sir Alan when her adopted father's castle is seized by Lord Ulric's Special Brigade. They were hunting Talia since she is the last of the Summoner women - women who can create chimeras with their blood. Heading toward a sanctuary they join up with a pair of adventurers - Lelo and Pavel - hunting for treasure. But with the Special Brigade and now the Ghost Guild after them will they survive to make it to the promised sanctuary? We will have to read the next volume and find out! A nicely paced and drawn adventure tale !

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this volume!

I loved this!! This was a great Medieval fantasy and very quick paced which is what I love. You are thrown straight into the manga with no context so you do have to stick with it till you get told.

The art is good but a little rough around the edges, but I can’t wait to read More!

The art style draws a nice balance between detail and simplicity, perfectly highlighting the fantasy nature of this manga. I have not seen characters drawn like this before and I absolutely loved it. The characters all had such unique looks that added to their personality's which made reading about them a lot of fun.

The setup for this first volume was fantastic as it balanced introducing the characters and plot with mystery, intrigue and epic fight scenes.

I will let everyone know that this is formatted as a graphic novel reading style rather then a manga style, which did really confuse me at the start.

Summoners have been all wiped out by those who fear their powers. Talli was adopted by Lord Bourin and lived in safety until Lord Ulric attacked. Talli escaped with Sir Alan in the chaos, but Ulric's Captain Nina is tracking them. The two gather a group of companions on their journey, including the swordsman Lélo and former guild leader Pavel.

Sourya is of French and Laotian descent and is a famous cartoonist blending aspects of classic anime styles with the bandes-dessinee of the French tradition. The blended style reminds me of the manga and anime of Berserk, as characters don't have the big eyes and small mouth of traditional anime and resemble more European comics.

We open with the siege on the castle, and Alan ardently taking on his responsibility to care for Lady Talli. This nearly gets them into trouble in the market, but luckily the old merchant and Lélo agree to help for a fee. Along the way, we discover that the heretics condemned by the king had worshipped the moon goddess Meness. In time, we discover why the Summoners are so special, how fear turned the populace against them, and what the Chimera War was. Talli is the last Summoner, and because Borin had thought to protect her from the king, she has little understanding as to how her powers work, other than it involved drawing her own blood to use them. It's out of her control and occurs every month. This is what brought Ulric to the castle and gives a timetable for when her escape to sanctuary must be accomplished. Of course, nothing goes smoothly, including her escape.

The art is smooth black and white, with plenty of action lines to give the effect of movement during the fights and battle scenes. There is definitely a lot of action as the group goes from one predicament to another. The summoning itself is not a simple or contained method as it might be in other anime or manga. This one requires Talli's blood to be shed, regardless of the reason for it, and then a massive creature manifests with lightning and crackles of power. Even if they look cute, the creature can still be vicious and bloodthirsty. For all that Talli is being hunted, she still refuses to harm defenseless enemies or allow others in her party to do so. Inevitably, this will lead to consequences for later volumes to pick up. I enjoyed the story in this volume, and I would love to see where it goes in future volumes.

This is a nice enough story, as far as it goes, but it stops in the middle. Talli has a special power, one that many people are afraid of, and she is fleeing to sanctuary - but this volume ends when the journey is only halfway done, and left me with a sense of incompletion. Much of the story is told with pictures, as is appropriate to a graphic novel, but it can make it hard to follow if the reader doesn’t pay close attention to the images. The artist’s style is very distinctive, but certain parts of it don’t really appeal to me; others may like it. Overall, this volume feels like it needs to be smoothed out and finished.

Overall, I enjoyed the pacing of this volume. The narrative arc followed a satisfying loop of mystery and explanation that leaves just enough excitement ahead to hook the reader. The art style is intricate and renders the fantasy setting well to showcase movement without it becoming confusing. Similarly, the character designs, though the main party generally follows archetypes of typical manga characters of this genre and age group, are unique and have enough charm and intrigue to them so as not to seem tired.
One thing I would critique is the ethnic diversity of the characters. On page 10 one soldier had lips that could be seen as a racist stereotype.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book!

Talli escapes into the night when her castle is ransacked. Employing the help of a bandit-turned-merchant and his sleepy sellsword partner, Talli and her knight Alan make for Blue Whale to escape, General Nina hot on their tails...

This story gives manga vibes, but it was actually written by a French-Laotian, which is really cool! This story gives classic fantasy vibes which I just love. A lady fleeing her land, hiding a terrible secret of her powers... That never gets old to me. Though I don't think I've read one that involves menstruation like this one.

I really love the character designs. They're unique, with sharp noses and thick eyebrows, which is much more interesting that standard "pretty" character designs. I also love them as characters! Talli is fun and her relationship with Melissa is very cute. Alan is great, too!

I will definitely pick up the next volume of this graphic novel!

It’s solidly ok. It’s manga style so a lot of it is setup for what could be a very long running series. There’s some pages that are just fights but there’s a lot of story here too. The title character is a likable character who is getting chased about by folks who are afraid of her potential power. Interesting world and the side characters are fun too. If you’re looking for a new fantasy manga is worth trying.

Read more graphic novel reviews at <a href= "www.graphiclibrary.org"> The Graphic Library</a>.

We open on a castle under siege, and Lady Talli receiving the final words from her father, Lord Borin, before he sends her and her noble knight, Alan, off on into the wilderness on a speedy horse. Cunning archers see the fleeing pair, and one lands an arrow in the horse’s haunches while other soldiers on horseback pursue. Lady Talli and Alan manage to evade capture in the next town over with the help of a bumbling old man and his grandson. The two agree to take Lady Talli to the port in exchange for lots of money. Lelo, the grandson, and Pavel, the old man, have some secrets of their own - Lelo is a highly skilled fighter with unnatural speed, and Pavel used to be a famous adventurer and treasure seeker. The four are helped along the way by true believers who recognize Talli for who she really is: a descendent from the Moon Goddess, and the last Summoner.

This was a decent fantasy story, albeit a little bit formulaic. The main girl has no idea of her hidden past and the power she truly possesses; she comes to have a protector who is really lazy but actually incredibly strong; there's a bumbling, jolly old man who secretly has had a powerful life; and she's shadowed by a knight who wants everything done on the up-and-up. These characters and the story seem right out of a D&D campaign, so this might have a following among readers who also enjoy role-playing games. There's a lot of action and the story moves along at a decent pace. This might not be a smash hit flying off the shelves, but it's satisfying enough to see a decent amount of readership from fantasy fans. The cliffhanger will definitely hook readers and lead them right into the second volume.

There is some violence on the page with some blood, but so far, this would be appropriate for younger readers as well as high school.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 5-12

I received an e-galley of Talli, Daughter of the Moon Vol. 1 by Sourya from OniPress in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Talli is on the run from those who know who she really is - she is a summoner with powers that others fear. She is protected by a knight she's known ever since she was taken in by Lord Koska and along the way, she finds aid from others including the heretics who continue to protect and pass down the stories of the summoners. In this first volume, readers are quickly introduced to these characters and the plot hurries along at a good pace. The adventure is thrilling and I am eager to see how Talli will master her skills as she strives to survive against those who continue to hunt her down.

Thank you Oni Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book! I really enjoyed this medieval fantasy adventure Loved the world building, character development and nonstop action from page 1. Can’t wait for volume 2! Highly recommend.

ARC Copy...Honestly surprised a western project could replicate the Manga style and format so well and did like the high fantasy world building so far. So a promising start so far.

Plot:4
Characters: 4
Cover: 3.5
Enjoyment: 5
Buyable/Re-readable?: Yes.

This has an absolute anime feel, to the point where I can both see and hear it play out. Thumbs up all-around. The story starts straight into the action. There are knights, guilds, magic, heretics, deities that used to live on “Earth” (or wherever this takes place), chimeras, patriarchal genocide of demi-gods, Summoners, and as such, Summoned creatures...it's a lot of fun, honestly. I liked Lélo instantly, and his chemistry with our "main" character, Talli, is palpable. And, again, fun, heh. I laughed a lot. Also, they openly talk about mensuration?? LET'S GO! I like the artwork and the action is both laid out and played out very well. There are no awkward language translation issues, either.

Talli: Daughter of the Moon is the first volume in an incredibly epic adventure from French-Laotian cartoonist Sourya that evokes the best of manga and bandes dessinées in one sweeping narrative. In this, Meness is the Goddess of the Moon, however, Mēness (Latvian: “Moon”) in the Baltic religion is a God and his monthly renewal of strength is imparted to all growing things. I also learned the following - "Bandes dessinées, abbreviated BDs and also referred to as Franco-Belgian comics, are comics that are usually originally in French and created for readership in France and Belgium. These countries have a long tradition in comics, separate from that of English-language comics." Makes sense why this is so good then, heh.

Great cliff-hanger, I'm hooked and ready for the rest. The author graciously includes a nifty "A Making Of" in the back!

Upon attack of King Borin's castle, his daughter Talli and a trusted knight must flee to try to reach safety. Talli's existence was a secret from most, because the King knew her life would be in danger if others knew. Because Talli is the last of the summoners or daughters of the moon. With their blood, they can summon large creatures to do their bidding. As Talli and the knight flee, they join forces with unexpected allies and encounter enemies along the way. This series will especially appeal to teen readers of adventurous, action-packed manga. Bonus points for its open discussion of menstruation, and its relation to summoner powers.

*Special thanks to Oni Press and NetGallery for the eARC of this manga*

TW: Blood, lynched body, decapitations (lots!)

Sourya stated in the (really insightful) end note that he was aiming to capture the spirit of a JRPG, with the unique characters, classic quests and medieval themes. Specifically he referenced Dragon Quest VIII, which is one of my favourite games. Honestly I was comparing this manga to that game while reading - feeling the same epic grandeur, yet cozy characters of a great JRPG/fantasy manga.

My only complaint would be our main character, Talli, falls a bit flat. She is more of a blank space for the reader to project themself, and while this works in a video game setting, it doesn't so much in a book setting. She drifts along where the story takes her, and doesn't have any traits that really put her apart from the other party members aside from her summoning ability. I felt far more attached and intrigued by Lélo. His temperament and abilities and character design just made him stand out more to me. In fact, all the other characters had such great designs and personalities that I often entirely forgot it was Talli's story at all.

While that may sound quite negative, in all honesty the rest of the manga, the art, the action, the mystery and concept and all other characters were so good it honestly makes up for our more bland 'main' character. But even then I almost hesitate to call her the protagonist because it does seem the story is more about the group than Talli, and it's really refreshing.

One of the most impressive moments was the chase towards the end. The way the art was framed and storyboarded was SO good it felt interactive, which my brain easily filling in music and sound effects. The tension and speed were conveyed so well. Truely a masterpiece of a moment.

Talli: Daughter of the Moon 3.75/5🌟
This is the first volume in an epic fantasy graphic novel saga by the French-Laotian artist Sourya. And it is really fun!! It feels like a manga in the way the characters are displayed, and has some of the banter that you know in manga. Talli is of course magical and you dont know about her powers and mythological background until halfway through this volume, which is why this feels more of a prequel / prologue rather than an adventure. But now that I know I am hooked!!
It all starts with Talli running away as her adoption father Lorf Borin is taken prisoner due to an evil lord looking for Talli and her powers.
I am very excited about the other volumes in this series and might pick them up in French to truly appreciate the story!
Thank you Onipress for the Netgalley arc in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this! Not only was this graphic novel an enjoyable, quick read, but the art style was beautiful and conveyed fighting, food, and emotions beautifully! The characters are well established in this universe and the author so gracefully encapsulates the nuances of well thought out characters who fit well in their environment, while also having them be fleshed out enough to generate meaningful interactions with those around them. I also like how these devices play well with the exaggerated expressions the illustrator chose to use with the characters. This is truly an enjoyable story that I intend to purchase when it is released in September, as well as subsequent novels to come so I want to know where the story goes after the ending of Vol.1! The combination of beautiful writing, a well thought out story, and an impeccable art style will definitely see me recommending this graphic novel to my fantasy / graphic novel loving friends!

Thank you Netgalley and Oni-Lion Forge Publishing for the complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't want this to end! More accurately, I wanted to have the next volume in my hands now! This is a pretty basic fantasy story that doesn't do anything absolutely mind-blowing, but everything it does (although by the book) is done well. All the characters are unique and the art style is clear and detailed when it needs to be. The character's personalities are all very well developed in a very short amount of time and the central plot arc is delivered succinctly and engagingly.

I always felt the plot moving forward. The pace of this volume is incredible, considering that it is the first volume and it's got heavy exposition to give, I still feel like all the action and character work came through for this story. I am also supremely interested in the magic of the world and the feminist angle of it.

Overall, this executes on tried and true high fantasy (EU-centered fantasy) flawlessly and gives you great characters to follow. I couldn't ask for more.

It was ok. I wasn’t really crazy about the story line. Not crazy about the characters. The illustrations would be better in color. A little more graphically violent than I was expecting. I probably won’t look for the next ones in the series.