Scott Chantler’s Squire & Knight
Description
A dragon has moved into the area, and the people of Bridgetown now live in fear – fortunately an adventuring Knight is willing to solve the problem.
Sir Kelton and his squire walk into Bridgetown and quickly note the obvious damage. Finding the townsfolk hiding indoors, they learn the source of all the destruction: a dragon has taken to the area and laid a curse on the town.
The valiant Sir Kelton sets off directly to deal with the problem, leaving the squire back in town, safe and awaiting the knight’s triumphant return. But his return is delayed, and the squire starts asking questions about town – questions with what seem like obvious answers to the townspeople, but leave the squire with more questions than answers.
Disclosure
I borrowed this book for free from our library system, it was provided for my personal use. There was no agreement with the author, publisher, or any third party that I would publish a review. The following review is unsolicited, unbiased, and all opinions are my own.
Review – Spoiler Free
I am always looking for good graphic novels to read with our kids, and Squire & Knight fit the bill perfectly. We have taken out many graphic novels that we haven’t actually read because of their level of dark or violent images that are OK for an older audience, but inappropriate for a younger audience.
I happened upon Squire & Knight in the library, flipped through it and brought it home; upon read-through, both the art and the story continued to impress. I can’t accurately express how nice it was to not have any qualms with the imagery in Squire & Knight. Set in a fantastical world where ghosts, curses, dragons, humanoid creatures, and battle are commonplace, Chantler could have easily gotten dark with many illustrations, but not one caused me pause.
The plot is interesting and easy to follow, the art is simple and expressive, and the characters are fun. The writing that brought the reader right along with the story, and illustrations that furthered the story in their own right. This beautiful marriage of the two lending itself to some great spreads. There were more than a few text-free pages that perfectly conveyed what was happening, or what a character’s emotions or thoughts were. And right along side it, there were lines of dialogue that subtly poked at things bigger than a fantastical dragon pillaging a fictional town – ideas and issues like morality, assumptions, and truth.
Another thing that made Squire & Knight an enjoyable read for both the kids and I was the comedy – subtle and not – that was laced through the story. From the illustration of a simple look between characters, to the dragon’s whole personality (described in Squire & Knight’s back matter as “a smug, wisecracking comedian”), it added a fun, unexpected aspect.
Overall, Squire & Knight was a fantastic read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories in the slightest, or anyone looking for a good graphic novel. And I will definitely be checking out more of Chantler’s work, both for reading with the kids and for reading on my own.
Quote
“People of Bridgeton! Is the dragon the cause of the curse … or only a symptom of it?”
“I beg your pardon, squire?”
“Let me put it this way: even if you could kill the dragon, would it actually end the curse?”
“It would end the dragon, sure enough!”
“But is the dragon your real enemy?”
Squire & Knight, Scott Chantler
Ratings
- Quality of Writing – 5
- Plot – 4
- World Building – 4
- Characters – 4
- Ease of Reading – 5
- Pictures/ Illustrations – 4
- Appropriate for Intended Age – 5
- Overall Enjoyment – 5
- Final Rating – 4.5 (Actual: 4.5) –Really Liked It / It Was Amazing
Want to learn more about the numbers I use for rating, and the qualities I’m thinking about when writing a book review? Check out my post How I Rate and Review.