ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Talli: Daughter of the Moon,’ Volume 1

Talli: Daughter of the Moon Volume 1 is a fantasy manga published by Oni-Lion Forge Publishing, written and art by Sourya, with letters and translation by Francois Vigneault. Princess Talli has spent all her life in hiding. But Lord Ulric has learned of her existence and, now, accompanied only by her faithful Knight Alan, she must flee into the wilderness beyond the castle if she is to have any chance of finding a safe haven.

Inspired by classic Japanese Role-Playing games like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, Talli: Daughter of the Moon Volume 1‘s story will feel instantly familiar in its trappings and tone for anyone who grew up on the classic entries in those series. Talli’s flight from her home with the servants of the malicious Lord Ulric nipping at her heels, to her chance encounter with two unassuming strangers who prove to be far more than either initially appears, every beat of this tale harkens back to the grand-high fantasy style of adventure, danger, and struggle.

While adhering to this classic energy and story setup, Talli: Daughter of the Moon Volume 1 does a beautiful job of crafting its world and the history that brings Talli to her current predicament. The various introductions are done at a great pace, as the book allows each reveal to be separated by moments of adventure that keep the story from getting bogged down in exposition. Sourya also does a great job of knowing just how much to tell about the various elements of the world. Only the aspects of things that are necessary to understand the moment are bothered with. This further helps the story keep its bustling pace.

Another aspect of the story that mostly helps the book sweep the reader along is its generally strong cast. The villains are dastardly, Talli is empathetic and noble, and the companions she picks up along the way each bring their charm to the story. The only character that never managed to land for me is Taili’s knight, Alan. Alan is the classic sort of sidekick who constantly seems like he should be far less capable than he is. His over-eagerness and his tendency to get caught up in himself make him feel too much like a stooge for me. How he seems to magically change the moment swords are drawn into someone far more accomplished feels too far-fetched. However, this sort of personality is nothing new for this style of a tale and happily, Sourya doesn’t take Alan’s antics as far as some stories I’ve read would’ve.

The art of Talli: Daughter of the Moon Volume 1 does a fantastic job of merging the story’s Medieval European style setting with its classic manga art. If it wasn’t for the fact that I know this is a new release I would swear I was reading something nearly as old as I am.

While the way the art harkens back to a bygone era is certainly going to be the thing that grabs readers’ initial attention, it isn’t the only thing the book has going for it visually. Firstly, I love the character designs Sourya gives to the cast. The creator manages to give every major character strong visual cues to make them stand out within the panels, while never resorting to anything outlandish or out of place.

The action moments that litter the book are generally brief, but always manage to get the danger of the moment and power of each fight’s participants across with due skill and clarity.

Wrapping up our look at this book is the lettering. The letters work wonderfully with the art style, complementing its classic look perfectly. Combined with how cleanly it guides the reader through the story, you have a first-rate lettering job here.

When all is said and done, Talli: Daughter of the Moon Volume 1 does a great job delivering what it sets out to. While it doesn’t reinvent any wheels, it does deliver a fantasy tale with characters and a narrative that are both engaging and enjoyable.

Talli: Daughter of the Moon Volume 1 is available this September wherever comics are sold.