I've had this sapphic romantasy graphic novel on my Libby hold list since before the debut. I watched eagerly as the line went from "several months wait" to one with actual numbered weeks. And then was overcome with joy when another of my libraries acquired the book license, and had a shorter line. And as soon as it was ready to borrow, i downloaded and read it.

What this queenly tale does very well is establish a romantic atmosphere amongst turmoil and portray anxiety disorder very well. While the world is enticing and the plot is ready to capture your engagement - they fall to the background of the romance, consistently. I can't help but wonder if the medium was a wrong fit - perhaps a novel with the occasional illustrated panels would've better worked with the story. Or splitting the events up into 2 volumes. I don't feel like I know this storyworld. The parts I do know, I do not feel invested in. Several key characters are seemingly introduced in 1 panel and don't show up again until the climax. Other key characters that were consistently present, I did not feel emotionally invested enough to emotionally respond to what became of them during the climax. And the pacing was quite off at multiple points in the book.

I still ultimately enjoyed the story though. I breezed through the work not just because of its size but because I eagerly wanted to know and see more. I hope we get a sequel. I hope we see some more of the characters who succeeded in snagging my attention despite their brief appearance (my pirate lady especially). And I hope that subsequent installments to the series will help deliver the worldbuilding and prevalence that I was seeking of a true romantasy.