Artesia: Afire is the third, and to date most recent, trade paperback in the Book of Dooms fantasy series by Mark Smylie. It's published by Archaia Studios Press and includes Artesia: Afire #1-6, plus short stories from Artesia Annual #2, Dork Tower #16-18, and Dork Tower #25.
This review covers some general plot points, and obliquely spoils some of the plot points from volumes 1 & 2, but not any of the major surprises from volume 3.
This volume also contains a "Mature Readers" warning that is well warranted. There is clearly portrayed, if still implicit, sex in a couple of places in this book. I found it interesting and attractive, but was also a bit embarassed to read it in a public place. YMMV.
If you have no idea what Artesia is, I instead suggest reading my review of the first volume and to offer a quick synopsis: it's a great fantasy comic with a dark, god-ridden mythology and a very well described world.
The Story
Volume 3 of Artesia begins with a set of short stories set in the aftermath of the major battle of Volume 2. We have "Right Hands, Left Hands", which gives some characterization to Artesia's guard, "Treasure Hunt", a humorous one-page tale, and "Into the Dark", a story of An Athair and some of what lies beneath the Known World.
The arc of the main story has two thrusts.
First, there is the tale of Artesia's army, as she moves slowly south, to confront first the remnants of the Empire's vanguard at Tauria, and then the main army which recently fought a pitched battle with the main Middle Kingdoms force at Berrina. Much of the physical story is about this slow advance of the war. In addition we learn a bit more about the horrifying allies that the Empire has allied with, and in some fairly horrifying scenes see their handiwork.
Second, as with the previous volume of the book, there is also a more personal story, as Artesia realizes that she must now comport herself not just as a warrior, but also as a leader of men, and we begin to see what acclaim & recognition this may bring her.
The Continuity
Everything in this book--short stories and main story alike--follows quickly on the heels of volume 2 of Artesia.
This was also the first volume where, when I got done, I really felt like I had a good understanding of the Known World and Artesia's place within it. This is partially due to the fact that the amount of material I'd read on the Known World had finally hit critical mass, and partially due to the fact that there are a set of three beautiful maps at the end of the book: one of the Known World, one of the Middle Kingdoms, and one of lands west.
The Storytelling
This third volume of Artesia continues to have the strengths of the previous volumes: an epic story, a deeply detailed setting, a strong central character, and good plotting.
The arc of the overall story was again solid, but I also felt a bit frustrated by it. It tells the story of the thrust and riposte of war, and that often means that you have setback and backtracking. By the time I finished this volume I had a somewhat unsatisfied feeling, like not a lot had happened. There's still a strong personal arc, which I think is meaningful, and we do continue to learn more about the world and the foes that the Middle Kingdoms face. This is all enjoyable, and was well worth reading, but in many ways I felt like this particular volumes had the characteristics of the middle volume of a trilogy: lots of playing pieces being moved around the board with nothing final or decisive being done with any of them.
On the upside, I felt like the subsidiary characterizations of this volume continued an upward trend, possibly because we're meeting people from more cultures, that are thus easier to tell apart, the further Artesia moves into the Middle Kingdoms. Here we come to know a few members of the nobility of the Middle Kingdoms and they're generally well characterized and memorable. After finishing this volume I feel like I can recognize a number more of Artesia's comrades, allies, and friends, and that I understand a bit more about who they are. Since I felt like this was an issue in previous volumes, I'm happy to see this improvement.
Overall, despite my complaints about feeling a bit like I was spinning my wheels as I read this volume, it continues to be a strong, enjoyable read. There's a lot of good, dense, and enjoyable writing here, built on top of a well defined world, and thus the comic earns a solid "4" out of "5" for Substance.
The Artwork
The artwork in Artesia Afire continues the stunning work that Mark Smylie has done in this series to date. I felt like the artwork was a bit brighter in this newest volume. I don't know if that's due to changes in style or changes in the printing process. It didn't make a big difference, but any difference it made was definitely positive.
As I noted above, there are also three maps at the back of the book, one of which was reprinted from Artesia Annual #2. They're all attractive, stylistic, and informative.
There's little more to say here, other than the fact that Artesia's art continues to earn a "5" out of "5" Style rating.
Conclusion
Artesia Afire feels like a middle volume in the Artesia story, which is probably a fairly accurate assessment of where we are, since the original series is intended to last seven volumes. It continues to have beautiful art, and there's some good character development here. The main arc seems to be stall out a bit, but still continues to be an interesting and worthwhile read.
Review Summary