Yona of the Dawn, Volume 1

December 12, 2016
On Princess Yona’s 16th birthday, she’s trying to plot a course through her marriage proposals—until a coup forces her to flee her castle with a childhood friend, the edgy General Hak. Add in a likable villain she loves and you have a shojo love triangle ready to rumble... but not much rumbling happens. The story’s fictitious setting is reminiscent of the fantastic ancient China in the classic reverse harem manga Fushigi Yuugi, but without the humor or the magic. In fact, aside from the eye candy of the costumes, the book is lacking all around: the plot and characters are simple and stale. By the end of this first volume, Yona hasn’t developed personal agency or become the warrior the cover suggests. However, what story there is has good pacing and layout, and the art is high quality. There’s promise for the future volumes, if Kusanagi (NG Life) can bring the characters to life.

November 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-In the very first image of Princess Yona, a beautiful illustration depicting her cloaked and standing powerfully against a dawn-lit sky, readers immediately get a sense of who she is. This is a confident, courageous, and capable young woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders. But she wasn't always like this. She used to be carefree, a princess of a peaceful kingdom, doted on by her family. But a betrayal and a coup force Yona to flee, along with her childhood friend, the brash yet kind General Hak. This first volume spends its time well, establishing the characters through differing perspectives, interactions, and flashbacks, as well as the overall feel of the series. In particular, moments of remembered sweetness and even levity temper the tragic tone. The art is strong, with Kusanagi tweaking the shoujo style as needed and delivering on the emotional notes. To help readers equate the setting with the place of inspiration-ancient Korea-she puts a fair amount of care into the period details of buildings and clothing. VERDICT This title shows great promise as an emotional coming-of-age story, perfect for lovers of fantasy and historical romance. Especially recommended for fans of Yuu Watase's "Fushigi Yugi" or Sorata Akizuki's "Snow White with the Red Hair."-Rachel Forbes, formerly at Oakville Public Library, Ont.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.