This was interesting and not quite what I expected. This is a mix of the comic and essay forms, which is not really what I thought I would be reading. I loved the art and the stories told from a feminist lens and I would have preferred all of it to be that form.

I’m a sucker for both HER-story and books with fun formats! This book provided some fun stories while being enjoyable to look at, the illustrations were great! I’ll definitely be getting this one for my daughter to have some stories of strong women in history!

I love that this book takes known stories and tales and flips them. Most of history and legends and stories are told from the male point of view... but what if this wasn't how it really happened? Retellings of famous tales... told from the female point of view.Very empowering. The illustrations are INCREDIBLE!

Ladies of Legend is not a usual graphic novel. It’s a visual presentation of different women from mythology, fairytales, or legends. Like Daphne, Joan of Arc, Little Red Riding Hood, Pocahontas, and others. They are presented differently. From a woman’s point of view. Some also contain different interpretations of the same story and some interesting facts.

The color illustrations are funny and very good. Some interpretations were interesting, some a bit less. I partly enjoyed this, but overall this graphic novel didn’t hold my attention for long. I think the idea behind this graphic novel is very good, but I’m not sure about the execution.

Thanks to Europe Comics for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

A non-fiction look at the distaff side of legends, myths and folklore, with a heavily feminist approach. Covering all bases, from Lilith to Frozen's Elsa, and from an allegedly nasty African woman to Joan of Arc, we see a handful of cartoon images on two pages about their story and what they mean, a final image/message/point/punchline, then a prose page discussing the subject further. It's actually a successful book, telling us of some characters we like as not know little of, and informing us of those we do – apparently, Joan of Arc would not have been alone in being such a militarily-minded woman, and the only surprise we should face was that she was of peasant birth.

But the history books have been rewritten so that these harrying harridans, these sword-wielding sorceresses, have been left of the page. And so we just think of Joan as a one-off. These pages remind us on multiple occasions of how stories, such as historical legend and folkloric myth, have been and continue to be altered, with only recently female agency and authorship entering into things.

As a graphic novel it's certainly not perfect – the cartoon pages are in a 2x2 grid, but with text above and below, a narrow gutter and with some quarters of the grid further split up as a 2x2. Therefore guessing the reading order wrongly cannot be ruled out. But beyond the use of hand lettering styles, and the use of such imagery as almost spot illustrations, there is little here to put off people not used to the BD or graphic novel approach. Meaning that this, a friendly guide to the subject that seems bitty and possibly ineffectual at first, soon proves a nice and very readable authority.

Um ótimo compilado de histórias/biografias de mulheres incríveis e históricas, sejam elas reais ou fictícias. Os textos em forma de quadrinhos são seguidos de pequenas observações que contextualizar a mulher citada historicamente, ou cita algum livro, filme ou graphic novel em que a personalidade apareça.

Os textos são fáceis de ler, inclusive indicado para quem, como eu, está usando os quadrinhos como uma forma de aprender outro idioma. Além disso, as informações são fadas de maneira objetiva, linguagem acessível, em um livro recheado de belas ilustrações.

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A great compilation of stories/biographies of amazing and historical women, whether real or fictional. The texts in comics form are followed by short observations that contextualize the woman cited historically, or cites some book, movie or graphic novel in which the personality appears.

The texts are easy to read, even indicated for those who, like me, are using the comics as a way to learn another language. Moreover, the information is presented in an objective way, in an accessible language, in a book filled with beautiful illustrations.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

(3.75/5 rounded up to 4) I found the formatting a bit difficult, but I'm sure it would be easier to comprehend not in a digital format. I loved to content of the stories as well as the added context, Something about switching between the graphic interpretation and the paragraph essays made the flow harder for me to read in one or two sittings. I found myself leaving the book a lot and coming back to it, but that could just be a me problem. Overall I enjoyed it and appreciated the goal for the book. I also thought the illustrations were well done. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this charming book!

Certainly, here is a short review of "Ladies of Legend" by Script and art by Blanche Sabbah.

"Ladies of Legend" is a visually stunning graphic novel that celebrates the achievements of women throughout history. Blanche Sabbah's art is both beautiful and dynamic, with each panel packed with intricate details and expressive character designs. Her use of color and composition is particularly impressive, conveying the tone and emotion of each scene with precision.

The script, also written by Sabbah, is equally impressive. Each story is carefully crafted, drawing upon a rich tapestry of historical and cultural references to create a cohesive and engaging narrative. The women featured in "Ladies of Legend" are diverse and fascinating, ranging from warriors and leaders to artists and activists. Through their stories, Sabbah offers a powerful and inspiring tribute to the resilience, strength, and creativity of women throughout history.

One of the standout features of "Ladies of Legend" is the way that Sabbah seamlessly weaves together the different stories, creating a tapestry of interconnected narratives that ultimately adds up to something greater than the sum of its parts. The result is a book that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant, offering a fresh and engaging perspective on the role of women in shaping the world around us.

Overall, "Ladies of Legend" is a beautiful and powerful graphic novel that deserves to be read by anyone interested in women's history and the power of storytelling. Sabbah's art and writing are both top-notch, creating a rich and immersive reading experience that will stay with you long after you've finished the book. Highly recommended.

An amusing romp through history’s myths, legends, fairytales, and historical figures to uncover some pivotal famous females. Ladies of Legend blends comic style art narrative with short, informative blurbs and book/movie recommendations. An interesting little read to lay out as a coffee book or to gift to someone interested in women’s studies.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of my honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and the book,s editors for made it possible. Reading this book aka graphic novel was a blast! Like a bunch of fresh air in your face, like the smell of fresh flowers early in the morning. It will make a really cool, funny and informative and educational book for the little curious minds. It was really a nice reading.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my honest review.
I absolutely loved it, and also learned so much about them. I rediscovered myths and stories of women in a different perspective. You find for each of them a graphic novel/comics and a bit of history and explanations attached to them and what they represent. The feminist that I am can’t thank you enough for this ! I am really looking forward to actually share this book with other and how much nice it is, in term of stories and also drawing. I have to give an extra love to it ! They are so nice and colourful it is a delight for the eyes. Plus the author is French and I feel even happier as a wonderful book like this is translated in English ! (Merci beaucoup pour cette découverte! - thanks a lot for this discovery)
Just wondering is this book could be read to a younger audience?

I enjoyed the style of this book -- mixing comic-style pages with narrative text, but it wasn't quite as accessible as I hoped. Excellent, on point analysis of these key figures, but harder to dive into for a casual read.

This was a lovely collection of legendary women! I enjoyed the setup of telling the story with pictures and following it up with historical perspectives, reasons for inclusion in this title, and connecting the story to other works.

I love the premise of the book but I really am not sure about the end product. I am fine with nudity and curse words, really. But it feels too edgy and not thought provoking enough. I would love to appreciate this more but I can't.

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced reading copy.

Ladies of legends presents familiar characters from myths and fairy tales in a new light - through a feminist lens. You will not see Snow white, pocahontas, Eve, the little mermaid, medusa, and many others in the same way again. How much have we been subtly brain washed by the patriarchal depictions of these female characters? It is refreshing and eye-opening to read this book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in gender studies; this book might be a soft introduction to what feminist perspectives are about. To parents of young children, this book is also good. It might change the way you narrate fairy tales to your young ones. The illustrations are beautiful and there's a commentary at the end of every short chapter that gives you more food for thought and is slightly more academic in tone.

A well illustrated history of amazing women studding the past.

Extensive research has been done for each individual in this book. So, not only will you enjoy the plots, you will also learn alongside the reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for giving me the opportunity to read this!

This was a really lovely and detailed, visually engaging set of tales of famous women, from folklore and mythology to disney films. With a feminist gaze, a multicultural lens, and an astonishingly beautiful set of comics which add nuance, depth and visual delight to the experience. A range of references, academic, pop culture, and indeed podcasts, also adds many elements to explore after this experience.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC!

I loved this book! The art style is super cute and fits the legends that are being told very well. I really liked the choice to center women in older narratives that often treat these female characters as objects instead. There’s a wide range of characters who are discussed and all are handled with care, characters like Daphne from Greek mythology to Frozen’s Elsa to Eve. At the end of the section about each character there’s a final page that provides more context to each character’s story which makes it even more interesting. The illustrations are fun and even the stories I already knew were interesting and told in an entertaining way while being empowering in discussing these characters.

I was disappointed with this book if I'm being honest. There is way too much nudity and vulgar jokes for this to be something you share with anyone else in my opinion. If we want to put out the vibe that women should be respected and the amazing things they've done in the past should be shared then this should have been made into a book that is more appropriate for all.

feminist, myths-legends, mythology, interpretations, graphic-novel, women-in-history*****

Wonderful!
Each set of comics style frames is an interpretation of the 21 women/lessons. These are each followed by a more scholarly validation of the kinds of abuse women have been put through over the centuries complete with bibliographies. Since I agree with pretty much all of it and have learned more than a little, I think it's great!
The artwork is classic in style and quite colorful. My only criticism is that it does not appear to be widely distributed for sale.
I requested and received a PDF of this book from Europe Comics via NetGalley. Thanks!