Reviews

Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 1: The Sunhawk by Anne Toole

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ghostlydreamer's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I didn't read the synopsis, so I was not expecting this book to be about Talanah, but I'm so happy that it was! I adored Talanah in the games. I recognize now that this book was meant to bridge some of the gaps in Talanah's stories between games, and I was wondering at first why everything felt so familiar; it's because she summarizes all of this to Aloy in HFW. But it was actually really cool to see that story in action. It brings it more depth, and provides a lovely background as to why Talanah asks Aloy for help the way that she does in HFW.

The art style was, admittedly, not my favorite, but it was not nearly the worst either. Overall I think it was actually rather fun, and it fit the story. I suppose I just prefer other art styles more.

The story was well written and not difficult to follow. I feel like the author actually took care to listen to the lore of the Horizon games and use that to make a compelling story. I see so many video games create graphic novels, and much of the time, they fall absurdly flat and fail to capture the very things that make us love the games so much (whether that be the lore, visuals, characters, or writing). This did an excellent job, and I think it's because it does directly tie into the game, or rather, provides background on some quests and characters from the game. I think it helped too that we weren't following Aloy, so there's a little bit more room for freedom in how Talanah is interpreted in book form.

So, for once, I feel like I can leave a positive review for a graphic novel inspired by the game. Everyone stayed in character, the plot was interesting, and the world, as always, absorbed me completely. I'd recommend it.

mirelleisreading's review

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4.0

This comic is great for horizon lovers

chayenne_'s review against another edition

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adventurous

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

valuxiea's review

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2.0

Eh? I don't want to be too harsh on this graphic novel, because I did like elements of it, but it's plagued by many of the same elements the writing of Horizon Zero Dawn had. Horizon Zero Dawn is a kickass video game with incredibly interesting worldbuilding, writing, and completely lackluster characters. I really did enjoy that game, and I can literally only tell you the main character's name. At the end of the day, this fantastic setting is in service of nothing except the main character, which becomes very obvious when you try to make a story about one of the side characters.