Review of The Seventh Spark - Knights of the Trinity
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Radhika Nair
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Review of The Seventh Spark - Knights of the Trinity
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Seventh Spark - Knights of the Trinity" by J.B. Lion.]
The Seventh Spark is the first volume in J. B. Lion’s upcoming epic fantasy saga Knights of the Trinity. Please note that this is the review of a beta reading sample through which the author sought feedback from the target audience. This is not a complete book. But since I fit the specified criteria for the target audience, I thought it would be interesting to look at a fantasy series in the making, and I was not disappointed.
This is a pretty standard high fantasy story with elements derived from Greek, Norse, and Christian legends. But it is no typical fantasy novel. The author has made extensive use of visual material for depicting various characters and settings as well as for the layout and general representation of this book. His intention in doing so was to create an immersive reading experience, and there can be no doubt that he succeeded brilliantly in this regard. The images are gorgeous, like video game graphics. The layout suits the general theme, with brown pages reminiscent of parchment emblazoned with designs that evoke the feel of some prized, esoteric document. The characters are individuated by their detailed visual representations in greater and more suggestive ways than can be expected from prose.
Using images to convey much of the visual detail gives the author greater space to use written text to its particular advantage in emphasising the grandeur of the story. Thus, the prose is tight and full of purpose, and the dialogue is energetic and easy, without much need for elaborate disclaimers or context. Without the images that constitute so much of the sample and complement the written material in it so thoroughly, such a prompt leap into the action would likely feel like too much information, too fast, thereby unsettling readers. With the images and the panel-based comic book layout, it was relatively easy to keep track of the story, because many of the characters and their conversations were depicted on the same page. This made it easy to keep track of them all. However, this had one drawback, at least for me. I found it difficult to figure out the reading order for the comic book panels, even though I am quite familiar with comics. Subtle arrows would have been helpful, although this confusion could also have been caused by ambiguous continuity in this part of the narrative.
The visual element and its relationship with the corresponding written text were the primary experimental elements of this sample. Epic fantasy and high fantasy rely greatly on elaborate and evocative descriptions, primarily of scenery, but also of characters. Thus, I feel that it is a fairly novel approach to render epic fantasy stories into the form of a graphic novel. No doubt this has been done before, but I have never read anything like it. As striking as this pictorial approach might be, the other aspects of this sample are no less impressive. Much of the narration is in verse, in four columns across a page. Songs are common in fantasy literature, but using verse for narration added to the feeling of reading an ancient document. The prose used is lofty enough to suit the general scale of the narrative. The dialogue is plausible and appropriately archaic for the setting. The humour, philosophy, and power politics depicted in the sample add depth and texture to it and have the potential to lead in interesting directions.
The only thing about this sample that I did not like was the formatting which at times made the reading order confusing. But since I do not feel that this issue was severe enough to deserve the deduction of any points, I am rating this sample 4 out of 4 stars. I found it highly enjoyable, and I would recommend avid readers of epic fantasy to keep an eye out for this book. It is most appropriate for a mature audience interested in graphic novels.
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The Seventh Spark - Knights of the Trinity
View: on Bookshelves
The Seventh Spark is the first volume in J. B. Lion’s upcoming epic fantasy saga Knights of the Trinity. Please note that this is the review of a beta reading sample through which the author sought feedback from the target audience. This is not a complete book. But since I fit the specified criteria for the target audience, I thought it would be interesting to look at a fantasy series in the making, and I was not disappointed.
This is a pretty standard high fantasy story with elements derived from Greek, Norse, and Christian legends. But it is no typical fantasy novel. The author has made extensive use of visual material for depicting various characters and settings as well as for the layout and general representation of this book. His intention in doing so was to create an immersive reading experience, and there can be no doubt that he succeeded brilliantly in this regard. The images are gorgeous, like video game graphics. The layout suits the general theme, with brown pages reminiscent of parchment emblazoned with designs that evoke the feel of some prized, esoteric document. The characters are individuated by their detailed visual representations in greater and more suggestive ways than can be expected from prose.
Using images to convey much of the visual detail gives the author greater space to use written text to its particular advantage in emphasising the grandeur of the story. Thus, the prose is tight and full of purpose, and the dialogue is energetic and easy, without much need for elaborate disclaimers or context. Without the images that constitute so much of the sample and complement the written material in it so thoroughly, such a prompt leap into the action would likely feel like too much information, too fast, thereby unsettling readers. With the images and the panel-based comic book layout, it was relatively easy to keep track of the story, because many of the characters and their conversations were depicted on the same page. This made it easy to keep track of them all. However, this had one drawback, at least for me. I found it difficult to figure out the reading order for the comic book panels, even though I am quite familiar with comics. Subtle arrows would have been helpful, although this confusion could also have been caused by ambiguous continuity in this part of the narrative.
The visual element and its relationship with the corresponding written text were the primary experimental elements of this sample. Epic fantasy and high fantasy rely greatly on elaborate and evocative descriptions, primarily of scenery, but also of characters. Thus, I feel that it is a fairly novel approach to render epic fantasy stories into the form of a graphic novel. No doubt this has been done before, but I have never read anything like it. As striking as this pictorial approach might be, the other aspects of this sample are no less impressive. Much of the narration is in verse, in four columns across a page. Songs are common in fantasy literature, but using verse for narration added to the feeling of reading an ancient document. The prose used is lofty enough to suit the general scale of the narrative. The dialogue is plausible and appropriately archaic for the setting. The humour, philosophy, and power politics depicted in the sample add depth and texture to it and have the potential to lead in interesting directions.
The only thing about this sample that I did not like was the formatting which at times made the reading order confusing. But since I do not feel that this issue was severe enough to deserve the deduction of any points, I am rating this sample 4 out of 4 stars. I found it highly enjoyable, and I would recommend avid readers of epic fantasy to keep an eye out for this book. It is most appropriate for a mature audience interested in graphic novels.
******
The Seventh Spark - Knights of the Trinity
View: on Bookshelves
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FunkyFlowerLady
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Amazing review! You've perfectly summed up the gist of the book in your review.
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