potatomcgee's review against another edition
4.0
I breezed through this graphic. The illustrations are stunning and I began to care about the characters very quickly. The story is a bit difficult to come to terms with (a 20 year old woman married and possibly in love with a 12 year old boy), but I still found myself rooting for them.
My only problem was that the story moved very slowly and each chapter felt episodic, instead of creating a full story. This is only volume 1 though, so I'll chalk it up to trying to lay the groundwork for later volumes. I'm looking forward to volume 2.
My only problem was that the story moved very slowly and each chapter felt episodic, instead of creating a full story. This is only volume 1 though, so I'll chalk it up to trying to lay the groundwork for later volumes. I'm looking forward to volume 2.
snazel's review against another edition
4.0
I did not expect a manga about arranged marriage to be a.) so un-sexy and b.) so good. CENTRAL ASIA FTW.
starch_potato's review against another edition
Review for the first couple of chapters:
One of the most beautiful and visually-detailed mangas I have ever read. Truly beautiful.
The slow-paced historical / romance / slice-of-life story failed to grab my attention, so I don't plan on reading further at the moment, but i have no specific complaints about the writing.
There's the obligatory "if the genders were reversed no one would read this". There are some scenes that would be considered very inappropriate if that were the case.
One of the most beautiful and visually-detailed mangas I have ever read. Truly beautiful.
The slow-paced historical / romance / slice-of-life story failed to grab my attention, so I don't plan on reading further at the moment, but i have no specific complaints about the writing.
There's the obligatory "if the genders were reversed no one would read this". There are some scenes that would be considered very inappropriate if that were the case.
cassiefleurs's review against another edition
5.0
I am falling in love, the pattern, the embroidery, everything is so richly detailed
bluenicorn's review against another edition
4.0
The story was, at first, not that interesting to me, but it grew on me (as did the characters and the icky age difference situation). What really grabbed me (aside from strong female heroine!) was the pacing of the story, the artwork, and the framing overall. The scene when Amir is hunting rabbits is a really amazing sequence, where you can hear the horse hooves, her breath, and feel the wind on your face (and I don't gush like that very often). I don't know how much further I want to read this series, but it was pretty good, so maybe I can finish it when I get my 'to read' list under 400.
v_nessa's review against another edition
2.0
It seems I'm in the minority on this manga and I don't believe I'll continue reading the series. Amir is an interesting character by herself, 20 years old, able to ride and shoot a bow, hunt, and make clothing but she has been sent by her clan to be wed to someone to improve their territory. This itself is not off-putting as it is a thing of that time, a woman essentially being sold into betrothal, the off-putting bit for me is that her husband is 12. I wasn't interested enough in the story, it's a slice of life of the Silk Road with Amir, her new husband, and their tribe but by the end of the first volume Amir's tribe wants to reclaim her to offer her to a different tribe for better territories. It wasn't bad, just not for me.
melhara's review against another edition
4.0
I was initially drawn to [b: A Bride's Story|10105459|A Bride's Story, Vol. 1 (A Bride's Story, #1)|Kaoru Mori|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1331910205s/10105459.jpg|15002691] because it was a hardcover manga. I think this was my first time seeing a manga in hardcover and that definitely caught my attention. The artwork did the rest.
Set in Central Asia in the late 19th century, [b: Kaoru Mori|14781536|Kaoru Mori Anything and Something|Kaoru Mori|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371756889s/14781536.jpg|20434598] does a wonderful job depicting the nomadic culture and history through her artwork and story. I love the intricate details and patterns that she included in the clothes, tapestries and architecture of the world she built in this manga.
I was a bit unsettled to find out that Amir Halgal (age 20) was sent by her clan to marry Karkul Eihon (age 12). This is completely inappropriate in today's day and age, but even back then, this was not considered normal as 20 is quite old and way past the appropriate marrying age. However, I'm glad to see that this manga is mainly historical fiction and not romance. Furthermore, the relationship between Amir and Karkul seems a bit awkward, which is understandable what with the huge age gap.
Overall, I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
Set in Central Asia in the late 19th century, [b: Kaoru Mori|14781536|Kaoru Mori Anything and Something|Kaoru Mori|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371756889s/14781536.jpg|20434598] does a wonderful job depicting the nomadic culture and history through her artwork and story. I love the intricate details and patterns that she included in the clothes, tapestries and architecture of the world she built in this manga.
I was a bit unsettled to find out that Amir Halgal (age 20) was sent by her clan to marry Karkul Eihon (age 12). This is completely inappropriate in today's day and age, but even back then, this was not considered normal as 20 is quite old and way past the appropriate marrying age. However, I'm glad to see that this manga is mainly historical fiction and not romance. Furthermore, the relationship between Amir and Karkul seems a bit awkward, which is understandable what with the huge age gap.
Overall, I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
superkamiguru's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
sssnoo's review against another edition
5.0
The Bride’s Tale is my first time reading a Japanese manga tale, this one set in the Turkmenistan region along the ancient Silk Road. As a western reader I had to first get oriented - this volume from the library, while in English, was still formatted as if in Japanese. It took a few minutes to realize i needed to start at the “back” and read right to left, (book, pages, cells within pages). Oh, my brain is programmed for left to right.
Once got the hang of it it was fun and the story flowed. I never thought that historical fiction could come off in comic book format, but this was a beautifully rendered book. The illustrations and portrayals of everyday life in 19th century central Asia added tremendously to the story. I’m ready for volume 2.
If you enjoy historical fiction, and drawings, then try expanding your reading genre to mangas. This is a fantastic place to start.
Once got the hang of it it was fun and the story flowed. I never thought that historical fiction could come off in comic book format, but this was a beautifully rendered book. The illustrations and portrayals of everyday life in 19th century central Asia added tremendously to the story. I’m ready for volume 2.
If you enjoy historical fiction, and drawings, then try expanding your reading genre to mangas. This is a fantastic place to start.
mzjai117's review against another edition
3.0
A brand new manga series that I picked up at my local library. The book's cover truly drew me in. It was beautifully dawn and colorful. When I started reading the story initially I was a little shocked and slightly grossed out knowing that a 20 year old women was married to a 12 year old boy until I had to remember the time and the culture. This book is beautifully drawn with so much intricate detail. The story in itself is simple but the illustrations help tell the story in a better way. I don't think that without the illustrations the story would be half of what it is.