Early Reader Review: Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas

Source: From the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Squire by Sara Alfageeh and 

Nadia Shammas
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Publication Date:  March 8. 2022

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.

It's not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" that Bayt-Sajji's military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.

Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.

Review: 

Squire is a young adult graphic novel featuring Middle Eastern characters, beautifully illustrated images and a strong female main character ready to fight for herself and her friends. 

The story follows Aiza as she decides that she wants to join the Knights and become a squire in order to better her life, become a hero, and have some adventure, only she soon finds out that war is a strange thing and sometimes you aren't sure who or what you are fighting for. 

This plot was very interesting, with a focus on prejudice and expansion, it is surprisingly non-violent in a lot of ways. although the messages are clearly received. I found that in some places the graphic novel was a little too wordy, but overall the story was portrayed well in this format. The characters were animated through teh illustrations, they were also a diverse group which lended well to the overall theme. 

Azia, our main character, shows so much growth throughout this story. She soon realizes the price of war and expansion and that price is oppression and prejudice. While this might have been her dream, she realizes that there is a complexity to everything that she had not understood before and as she learns more about the politics and war she is upset by what is happening.

Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was really well done, the illustrations were vibrant and told the story well. I think that the ending was a little rushed in comparison to the rest of the build up, but I would like to read more about Aiza and her friends if they have more story to tell.