The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon

May's Review: So the growing trend these days is to take a highly popular work of literature and adapt to the graphic novel/manga format. We have already seen a number of this year with Sherrilyn Kenyon's urban fantasy/romance novels, Patterson's Maximum Ride books, and Meyer's Twilight series. I suppose these graphic novels/manga are done to appeal mainly to the author's fans because in some cases, I don't necessarily find the new adaptions to be as interesting as the original.

Mind you, I have to have read the original which brings up the whole Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Romance blog readers will know that I am largely a historical romance reader while some of my close friends, like JC, also know that I also happen to like my romances set in Scotland. But for some unexplainable reason, I have never managed to read Outlander, the first book in Gabaldon's hugely popular romance series. The book which won the 1991 RITA award for Best Romance novel, centers on a nurse, Claire Randall, who is vacationing with her husband in Scotland sometime in 1940s. While exploring, Claire inadvertently is transported back in time to 18th century Scotland where she meets our red-headed hero, Jamie Fraser, a fugitive with a complicated past. The rest of the story basically involves Claire trying to get back to her own time while trying to fight her immense physical attraction to Jamie.

The graphic novel picks up this complicated storyline by telling it from Jamie's prospective. I suppose that this was a new way to retell the familiar story but I admit that I wished it had told it from Claire's point of view instead. I felt Jamie's characterization wasn't quite as well developed and had difficulty following the rather convoluted plot at times. I assume that Claire develops very strong feelings for Jamie prior to being forced to marry him in the book because in the graphic novel, she just grudgingly seems to "go along" with everything and as a result, I don't find her all that compelling at times. It probably doesn't help that the illustrator likes to focus on Claire's buxom figure especially in the later half the of the novel making Claire more of a 1950s pin-up model rather than the intelligent and highly-compassionate heroine she is suppose to be portraying.

Fans of the series will likely flock to this graphic novel and fall in love with the series again. As for me, I just thought this novelization ranked a "Meh". Kinda mediocre as far as I'm concerned.

Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa

Color of Water by Kim Dong Hwa

Color of Heaven by Kim Dong Hwa

May's Review: Described as a "trilogy about a girl coming of age, set in the vibrant, beautiful landscape of pastoral Korea", this series does not disappoint. In sequence, readers watch as our heroine Ehwa discovers the opposite sex in Color of Earth, fall in love with Duksam in Color of Water and eventually marry Duksam in Color of Heaven. Intertwined in Ehwa's story is the story of her mother who develops a romantic attachment to the "picture man", a traveling artist. Yet, the real story here is not so much the various love stories or entanglements, but rather, Ehwa's progression from childhood to adulthood and her evolving relationship with her own mother. Although I will have to warn you that there are times where the story does drag especially as the characters ponder the various growth stages of flowers or learn about the more amorous adventures of Ehwa's friend (it was interesting at first but tiresome by the third book). But thankfully, overall this is beautifully told story with unforgettable characters making this trilogy a must read for those who enjoy coming-of-age stories.

Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 by David Petersen

May's Review: Thanks to
JC's earlier review, I totally fell in love with Mouse Guard: Fall 1152. I recently had the opportunity to read its sequel, Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, which was equally enthralling as its predecessor. What's not to love? Heroic mice battling overwhelming odds--harsh winter elements, food and medicine shortages, and scary 'monsters' in the form of an owl and vengeful bats--to save family and friends as well as their kingdom. Terrific artwork. Action-packed storyline. Complex character development. Highly recommended to those who enjoy historical fiction set in a fantasy world.

Abel by Williams Harms and Mark Bloodworth

Summary: Set in Friend, Nebraska during World War II, Abel is the story of racism, betrayal, and murder. At the center is 13 year old John Vitosh, a lonely boy who lives under the constant violence of his older brother Philip. Friendless, John is taken under the wing of Mr. Mar, a Chinese man-servant for the wealthy Mr. Harrison, but it is a friendship which threatens to not only rip apart the Vitosh family, but the entire community of Friend as well.

May's Review: A tragedy that simply grips your heart and does not let go even after you finished reading the book. The story touches on powerful themes such as racism, poverty, violence, compassion and perhaps, even forgiveness. The ending is both expected and shocking and yet, abrupt as there is no possibility of closure for John, the young protagonist. If this story was your typical literacy fiction book, the author would have been compelled to write some sort of closure for John but in this format, readers are simply left to ponder if this tragedy could have been been prevented given John's circumstances and his character. The best read-alike I can come up for this graphic novel is John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men. Chances are that this graphic novel will not appeal to everyone but give it a shot and let me know what you think.

There's a new Robin Hood title on the shelves called Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood. In this one, Robin's prowess with a bow is explained after he sees the execution of a thief, and is angered by his father's powerlessness to stop it. The book then follows Robin in his adult years as he joins the crusades, returns to a corrupt England, and meets Marion. I wasn't too fond of the artwork in this one, but it was a quick read, so I would suggest it to all the Robin Hood fans out there.