Dylan Meconis

The Island is the only home Margaret has ever known, and its kindly nuns the only family. Brought to them as an infant, she has grown up ignorant of who her parents were or why she was sent to live in this isolated convent whose only contact with the outside world comes and goes with the bi-annual visits of the supply ship.

But the Island is holding many more secrets than its constant nature would suggest. And so are its inhabitants. As Margaret unravels its secrets, the painful truths she show more learns rattle everything she thought she knew about her loved ones and herself, and as outside events seem to be piercing the protective, reliable shell of the convent Margaret must wade out into the harrowing sea of politics and treachery.

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Inspired as it is from real history, Queen of the Sea isn't just a straightforward retelling of Elizabeth I's early struggles that's been slapped with a thin veneer of originality. The characters and circumstances, even the alternate names and map, are recognizable, but History provides a guiding hand rather than a rigid path.

Dedicated Tudor fans might enjoy having a story that is all at once fondly familiar without well-known outcomes being a foregone conclusion. It may feel certain that Eleanor will eventually win the throne, but her journey to get there is far from rote and the fresh POV of the main heroine, Margaret, guarantees nothing is written in stone.

Details of life and protocol are embedded into the story's flow and will give children a solid, yet entertaining, taste of the era without slowing down the action. I enjoyed the layered handling of convent life as opposed to the starkly negative or positive treatment it's often given.

Margaret is inquisitive, adventurous, dedicated and curious. Her love and devotion for the nuns' work shines clearly even as it exists alongside loneliness and longing. Her anxiety in the choices she must make towards the end are completely understandable and sympathetic. I was carried along as her home was compromised along with her deep-help values and trust as well.

The rest of the cast is no less memorable. The circumstances that brought all of the inhabitants and visitors of the island together are slowly filled in to reveal an array of personalities and backstories as individual as their designs. I hope we get to see more of them.

The high quality of the artwork is immediately noticeable, and moves with a beautiful sense of vitality and purpose that instantly engages you with the story. Meconis deftly varies a soft and vivid watercolor palate to give the work coherence without it becoming boring. The detail ranges from the intricate (the pages of embroidery styles), to the more cartoon-ish and humorous in Margaret's fun asides. It would be so easy to mix up some of the characters, particularly the nuns, if they weren't all given their own unique design so that even if it might take some time for the readers to learn all of their names, it's easy to know which is which, even in less detailed panels.

If this was ever made into an actual film, the book could act as its own super-refined storyboard. The art and written story are woven together very well, working to form a strong rhythm with deftly paced beats that give the impression of animated timing.

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Everything from the artwork down to the details of daily living blends together to form a satisfying and unified whole.

People tired of Tudor-mania might be tempted to steer clear (as I confess I was) but I’d recommend giving this book a chance before dismissing it completely. Likewise, people looking for something that goes farther afield from it.

I echo Kate Beaton’s sentiment that this is the kind of book I wish existed when I was younger. While middle-grade, it should be enjoyable and accessible across a wide age-swath.

I hope it’s true that this is the first in a series. I’m eager to see what becomes of Margaret, the Elysian nuns, and everyone else we’ve gotten to know so far! show less

Full disclosure, I've been a huge fan of Dylan Meconis since her early webcomic days, so I was eagerly looking forward to this book. Meconis has always combined beautiful art, thoughtful writing, and hard-core nerding out about history in her work, and Queen of the Sea brings all of this to another level.

In this alternate history based on the exile of Elizabeth I, Margaret lives on an island with nuns, and wonders what lies beyond her small world. But when the princess Eleanor arrives, show more things change in ways Margaret could never have imagined. The story is simple but nuanced, and as Margaret encounters difficult situations and people, she learns more about them and herself. A bold and endearing heroine, she will undoubtably be welcomed by fans of Catherine, Called Birdy.

Meconis tells Margaret's story with warmth and humor, providing a vivid exploration of her daily life; there's clearly a lot of care put into the research but in a way that enriches the narrative instead of bogging it down. The gorgeous and expressive watercolor art is also full of detail that encourages careful reading. This is a really lovely and lovingly-crafted book, and a definite standout in middle grade graphic novels. show less

Margaret has spent her whole life on a lonely island off the coast of Albion, raised by the sisters at the convent there. When a mysterious prisoner arrives with the biannual supply delivery, it will change Margaret's peaceful life forever. Has the island always been a prison? Is Margaret herself a captive? Why?

This graphic novel is loosely based on history, specifically the relationship between Mary I and Elizabeth I of England. The artwork is just lovely, done in glowing earth tones. show more Margaret is a great character, and all of the secondary characters are fascinating and complex. Eleanor, in particular, is not very likable, but boy, is she interesting! The ending leaves me hoping for a sequel. Recommended. show less

This is an absolutely gorgeous and compulsively engaging graphic novel based (loosely) on some pretty big-time history. I had to look it up -- the story of Queen Elizabeth I (who reigned in the 16th century) and her crappy sister Mary, who usurped her and locked her up, but finally named her as successor when the time came, securing a line of British royalty that has lasted for centuries. I'm sure there were bumps in the road since then, but despite this inauspicious episode, it has been show more pretty solid. But I digress. This tale is actually that of Margaret, a precocious young girl who lives on a tiny island off the coast of Albion (Great Britain), which houses an isolated religious order of nuns whose primary mission is to care for those who traverse the seas. They are visited twice a year by a ship from the mainland, which brings them supplies, news, and occasionally, more inhabitants. Gradually, the history of Margaret, how and why she (and all the others) came to be on the island, is revealed. They are far removed from the politics of the mainland, yet even at such a distance, the nuns and servants are affected and even ruled by them. Eventually, a noblewoman who proves to be the deposed Queen arrives, exiled by her upstart sister, and changes the course of Margaret's life -- indeed, her very identity. This is a truly excellent book, the art and text marrying perfectly to tell a compelling and beguiling story -- and teaching a fascinating piece of history at the same time. show less