Jo Rioux

''For you, I will build walls to push back the sea and will spin you a palace of domes and towers.''

Lady Malgrev of the Faerie Folk comes to the rescue of a brave, young prince. Through her powerful spells, they succeed in creating a mythical city and a beautiful family. But greed is a sickness and the Faerie Folk becomes weaker as the Old Ways disappear. With their mother passing away, the two princesses have to rely on their own abilities and gifts. Rozann and Dahut. One wild, dwelling in show more the moors, away from the machinations and the extravagance of the court, and the other retaining her mother's gift for miracles and the darkest kind of witchcraft.

''We live by devouring those we love. How can we help it? They're the ones within closest reach.''

Based on a Breton folktale, this is the wonderful story of the city of Ys, a city of marvels, sin and hidden terrors. Above all, it is the story of two sisters, so different and, yet, so alike, and their fight to fulfill their destiny. Witchcraft, bravery, obsession, betrayal. Doubts and the fear of carrying out an unwelcome duty. The struggle to keep the faith in yourself alive and the flame of hope that may seem out of reach. Both sisters are extraordinary characters with traits that will be familiar to all of us and weaknesses that are necessary to bring balance and drive their actions forward. Even if the dialogue is a bit off from time to time, the beautiful illustrations and the heart-pounding plot will not disappoint you.

And on a superficial note, Dahut is given the most magnificently outstanding array of green gowns ever!

''There is no trace of Ys, though sometimes fishermen say they hear the bells of the sunken steeples ringing in the deep, rocked by the tides. Or the singing of a maiden beneath the waves.''

Many thanks to First Second Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ show less

This is the book for you if you like:
1) messy sister relationships
2) magic, used for both good and evil
3) a distinctive art style with emphasis on watery tones and pops of red
4) folktales

The Daughters of Ys is a retelling of an old Breton folktale, set in a magically protected and constructed seaside city called Ys. (Similar to Atlantis, it's a magical city that's now sunken and never seen again.) The Queen, possessed of faerie magic, has just passed away and her two daughters are left with show more an irresponsible, grieving mess of a father. The elder sister takes to the countryside, bonding with animals and local people, even finding love with a commoner. The younger sister takes her anger and magic and uses them to keep the city going with her father. She does all the things no one else is willing to do and it's unclear whether she's actually "bad" or just does evil things. If she didn't do them, the city would fall into the sea and the sea monsters that guard it would attack all the inhabitants, so is all the murdering she does to feed the monsters and magic really that bad? Hmm.
Like many folktales, there's a fairly straightforward message here: be good and kind, not selfish and envious. (Also the evil sister is the one who has sex. I'm not a big fan of folktale slut-shaming, but there it is.) I think it's pretty clear here that the sisters have both been trying to deal with their father's mess in their own way. The elder by avoiding him and her responsibilities, the younger by taking what pleasures she can while doing what no one else will.
I came away from the book with a strong dislike of their father and empathy for both sisters. I can't say much about the way their relationship turns out without spoiling the book entirely, but when Rozenn asks what their life might have been like if they had stayed together instead of fracturing apart after the death of their mother? A defining moment.

As for the art, I was initially put off by the characters' faces. Everyone's face is square, with a flat profile and no cheekbones. Or a totally sunken face and massive cheekbones like their father.
However, the scenery is beautiful and once you sink into the story (ship jokes, you're welcome) the odd faces are not noticeable except as a distinctive style. Fitting the ocean setting, the color palette is full of greens and blues, seaweed browns and pops of white and red. Panels are full of movement, hair and dresses flowing along with the water and hillside landscape.
I read the hardcover edition and under the dust jacket is a beautiful ocean scene with a modern boat, suggesting that inside the book, under the waves, lies a story of adventure and mystery. It's really clever and lovely packaging all around.
If you're looking for a folktale retelling for young adult and adult audiences, this is a great pick.

Content Note - I won't be passing this off to my nine year-old just yet. While the sex scenes are not terribly explicit, there are at least three. I think the way they're drawn is perhaps PG-13? More importantly, the violence is well... violent. Decapitation, stabbing, feeding people to sea monsters...

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review. show less

I really enjoyed this adaptation of a Breton folktale. It captures the whimsy and darker moods of such tales perfectly in both the way the story is told and the artwork. I love how the personalities of the daughters is clear right from the beginning and how real their choices feel to them. They're not sketches or stand-ins, but people trying to do their best despite the circumstances they find themselves in. Ultimately, the most interesting thing isn't the magic or the fae or the art (which show more is gorgeous and the perfect accompaniment to the tale), but about the sisters and their relationship -- the tragedy of their mother's death pushing them apart and into completely different emotional worlds. I highly recommend this, with the caveat that there is no happy endings in tales of ancient dark magic. show less

With way more sex and violence than I usually associate with First Second books, this one is definitely aimed at the YA or adult market. And yet it is a sort of simple fairy tale about sibling rivalry between princess sisters and the lengths to which one of them is willing to go to protect their kingdom.

It's fascinating for quite awhile until its fizzle of an ending. But I was unaware until the end matter, that this is based on a folktale from the Brittany region of France that I had never show more heard of, so the ending is probably excused by those roots. Folktales and the French often fail to stick the landing. show less