Graphic Novel Review [Blog Tour]: Shattered Warrior

I am so excited to be kicking off the blog tour, as well, as talking about  Shattered Warrior with all of you today on the blog! Sharon Shinn and Molly Knox Ostertag created such a great graphic novel... so let's get down to "business" and talk about why I thought it was such a good read!!

Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn and illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag, May 16, 2017. 256 pages. Published by First Second. Source: Publisher.

It is eight years after Colleen Cavanaugh's home world was invaded by the Derichets, a tyrannical alien race bent on exploiting the planet's mineral resources.

Most of her family died in the war, and she now lives alone in the city. Aside from her acquaintances at the factory where she toils for the Derichets, Colleen makes a single friend in Jann, a member of the violent group of rebels known as the Chromatti. One day Colleen receives shocking news: her niece Lucy is alive and in need of her help. Together, Colleen, Jann, and Lucy create their own tenuous family.

But Colleen must decide if it's worth risking all of their survival to join a growing underground revolution against the Derichets ... in Sharon Shinn and Molly Knox Ostertag's Shattered Warrior.

Shattered Warrior pleasantly surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. Not only was the story itself interesting, but the artwork and character growth were all great. Like I said, it turned out to better than I could have hoped for.

• Graphic novels, they can be somewhat hit-and-miss sometimes. So, as excited as I was to read Shattered Warrior I was also somewhat hesitant to let myself hope for too much... Yet, the story of Colleen, who had lost her entire family after the Derichets arrived, pulled me in from the get-go. 

• After all she had been through, the loss of her family and home, it was interesting to see how the she slowly changed after being reunited with her missing niece. It was the whole despair to blossoming hope that really got me with the story. It was just so well written the subtle transition as she started to live again. Just seeing how well the story and artwork flowed together to present the slow change, well, that more than made it worth reading the book. I would love nothing more than to talk about this part of the book, but then I'd spoil the entire book for y'all, so...

• Well, the world that the characters know, that of one ruled by the Derichets, is dark, cold and lonely world. While it does sound like your typical dystopian world, I really enjoyed it because the illustrations went so well with it. I guess you could say that the art and writing were well paired; both worked really well to bring the story to life. Even though certain aspects of the story were predictable, or should I say not new ground, it was still interesting.

• If I had to say anything negative about the book, well, that would be that the ending, while good, left me somewhat unsatisfied. It was a good ending tinged with happiness, yet was it truly the end or a lead in to more. I DON'T KNOW AND IT'S BOTHERING ME!!! On the one hand, I would be totally cool with the story ending the way it did. But the other side of me wants a more solid conclusion. Still, the entire story is well worth reading!!

Final Verdict: Shattered Warrior- A really interesting look at how the smallest things can rekindle one's hope. There was so much to like about Colleen's story!!

Shattered Warrior earns

Be sure to check out tomorrow's tour stop by visiting Writing My Own Fairytale!!

About the Author:

Sharon Shinn has published more than twenty-five novels, one collection, and assorted pieces of short fiction since her first book came out in 1995. Among her books are the Twelve Houses series (Mystic and Rider and its sequels), the Samaria series (Archangel and its sequels), the Shifting Circle series, and the Elemental Blessings series. She lives in St. Louis, loves the Cardinals, watches as many movies as she possibly can, and still mourns the cancellation of “Firefly.”

About the Illustrator: 

Molly Knox Ostertag grew up in the forests of upstate New York and read far too many fantasy books as a child. She studied cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and now lives in Los Angeles, where she enjoys the beach year-round but misses good bagels. While at school she started drawing the award-winning webcomic Strong Female Protagonist, which continues to update and be published through Kickstarter and Top Shelf Comics. She draws comics about tough girls, sensitive boys, history, magic, kissing, superpowers, and feelings.

A copy of this book was received from the publisher in consideration for review. All thoughts are my own.