A review by ashylibrarian
Squire by Nadia Shammas, Sara Alfageeh

adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas is a strong graphic novel that exposes readers to clear social class divisions, intense war training, and expansive imperial coverage. Readers join Ornu teen Aiza as she begins training to become a Squire and, hopefully, a Knight. This distinguished honor would grant Aiza citizenship (and heroism) into Bayt-Sajji, the empire that has colonized a majority of its surrounding territories. 

The story of Aiza’s journey is accompanied by a beautiful set of illustrations that use earthy tones as well as light and shadows to create depth and movement throughout each image. All of this helps immerse readers into the rich, detailed, and impressive world Alfageeh and Shammas have created. The inspiration for this fantasy world comes from Middle Eastern landscapes and is filled with beautifully elaborate architecture that is meticulous and complex.

The cast of characters is something to be admired, as well. Each character holds vast complexity and individualism. Aiza, Husni, and Sahar all come from different territories, leaving them with greatly different backgrounds and experiences. This character uniqueness is clearly intentional and is shown through the visual diversity as well as the personalities of each character. 

The weakness I want to point out is that the story is that some parts, like the beginning, felt a bit on the slower side. Though this slow pace helps with world-building and character introductions, it has the potential to cause some readers to lose investment and interest in where the story is going. However, when readers do stick it out, they will be pleasantly surprised by the moving story they explore. 

This fantasy epic is bound to draw in middle-grade and teen readers alike, whether they are looking to expand their knowledge of fantastical history, contemplate the impact of war and colonization, or read a new, fresh adventure. This story feels like something we have not seen before, especially in graphic novels, and it has the potential to appeal to a vast audience of readers. 
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