SAGA (1-4) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Saga  by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Publication date: March 14th 2012 - Now (continuous)

Publisher: Image Comics

Format: Comic Books/Volumes

Buy it here: Amazon, The Book Depository, Reed Comics (recommended)

Now, let me start by saying I am not a fan of comic books. I have never collected them nor paid any particular interest to them, but Saga is something else entirely.

Part epic, part space opera, and part social satire - but all awesome. Saga was once described to me as being like Game of Thrones in space. Whilst being compared to such a modern masterpiece is a compliment indeed (in my opinion), it also does Saga a disservice in that it is incredibly unique.

Whilst the themes aren’t particularly groundbreaking and often focus on old tropes such as forbidden love and raising a child in dangerous times, Saga breathes new life into these themes and places them in a tremendously realised, although entirely fantastic universe and somehow still makes it believable.

The dialogue flows well and is laden with Britishisms, the artwork is beautiful; flitting effortlessly between stunning interstellar worldscapes and visceral sci-fi warfare.

And that’s another thing that struck me: it is surprisingly deep, yet rarely feels preachy or heavy handed in its message about the futility of war. For me the best representation of this in Prince Robot IV, (Yes there are robots in Saga as well a myriad of other weird and wonderful races) the television headed protagonist/antagonist who undertakes a dangerous mission to find our two star-crossed lovers and their newborn baby in order to return to his own young family. He also suffers from severe combat PTSD and his struggles with it adds layers to an already complex character whose morals are as grey as his skin.

Which brings me on to our main characters Alana and Marko - two rival combatants who got together over a love of literature and decided to take on a universe that wants to kill them. If it seems I am over simplifying this, it’s because I am. The story is driven by their interactions and efforts to eek out a safe existence for their child and fend of the numerous bounty hunters and robotic aristocrats that want them all dead.

Volume Four signed by Brian K. Vaughan

Without these interesting and well developed secondary and tertiary characters the story would be rather plain, but thankfully it isn’t. The art never falls short of stunning, and Fiona Staples is one of the best (although admittedly, I haven’t seen many) comic book artists I have ever seen.

To summarise, you can read all the reviews but the only way to do Saga justice is to read it for yourself. No character really seems to have plot armour except the main two and it surprised me how much I ended up caring about the bad guys, (I’m looking at you The Will).

Oh and it also has seal men and lying cats, if that isn’t enough to make you go and read it nothing will. Saga is one of the most refreshing, most fantastic things I have ever read and it is a must read for any sci-fi, fantasy or comic book lover.

A little tip: if you buy the comics from Reed Comics, there's a chance you will get one through the post signed (as we did above).

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard
Publication date: February 10th 2015
Publisher: Orion
Format: Audiobook and Kindle
Buy it here: Amazon, The Book Depository

Goodreads Description

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...

I loved this book. I also kind of hated this book. I feel so torn about the world, the characters and the storyline. Not because this book wasn't good, because it really was. There was a healthy dose of suspense, world building, complex characters and romance in every chapter. But as I read this book, I constantly felt déjà vu. Usually, I avoid looking too much into reviews on Goodreads because I prefer to experience books for myself and avoid any potential spoilers. But this time, I had a little browse through the reviews and found out I wasn't the only one feeling like the author had taken a little too much inspiration from elsewhere.

“It's our nature. We destroy. It's the constant of our kind. No matter the color of blood, man will always fall.” 

Mare Barrow (I'm sorry, but this name constantly made me think of a horse and I couldn't help but read it as Bone Marrow) has red blood in a world divided in two. The Reds are the builders, servants, seamstresses and soldiers in this society. They have no special abilities which makes them powerless, unlike the Silvers who each have their own special power (think mind reading, fire and water manipulating, telekinesis etc) and they make up the middle and the upper class. 

Mare's best friend loses his job as an apprentice, which had previously kept him from being sent to fight the war. Mare (who was also due to go to war) makes it her mission to set out and find a way to smuggle her and her friend out to somewhere safer where they cannot be found (notice any similarities here?). While on her mission she comes across a shady Silver guy who shows her great kindness and this is where the story begins.

We find out the shady Silver dude is a prince and he unintentionally drags Mare into a situation which changes her life and makes her discover things about herself that she and others never would have thought was possible. She's a Red with a Silver trait. She possesses a power - the ability to control electricity and lightning.

There's plenty of romance, action and betrayal in this book. The ending didn't shock me too much, as I thought you-know-who was a bit of an odd character anyway and I got quite bad vibes off him from the start. As I said, great book! However, the similarities between Red Queen and The Hunger Games and The Selection are a bit too obvious and this ruined the book slightly for me. I will be reading the next in the series to see if Aveyard has taken any of the comments from the readership on board though!