Lucas Blogs About The Golden Age, Book 1

Oooh, the cherry trees are in bloom.

 So, what's this book's deal?

The deal with The Golden Age, Book 1 is that it's a comic book by Roxanne Moreil and Cyril Pedrosa (translated from French by Montana Kane). It's got sort of a historical fiction vibe with a few fantasy elements. It follows Princess Tilda who is about ascend the throne when her mother and the regent stage a coup to install her kid brother instead. With the help of Lord Tankred and her childhood friend Bertil, Tilda is able to make her escape but is wounded by an arrow while being chased through the woods. She and her companions are able to briefly take refuge in a commune of women hidden away in the forest. These women try to live in accordance with the egalitarian ideals of a rare book detailing a fabled—

Golden age?

No points for guessing. Anyway, these women also have another visitor, Frida, who is translating the book and smuggling the translation out to fuel a peasant uprising. After a disturbance forces Tilda, Tankred, and Bertil to flee again, they make their way to the peninsula where one of her father's old allies gives her a map to a treasure that might help her reclaim the throne. However, her brother is advancing towards them with an army. Not just to find her, but because that peasant uprising is starting to get pretty serious. Oh, and did I mention that throughout all of this Tilda's been suffering from visions/hallucinations? Because she has. So, anyway, let's talk about the book.

Okay, is it any good?

Yeah, it's pretty good. Like any story about political intrigue it has a large cast, but Moreil largely focuses the reader's attention on Tilda and Bertil, who start out aligned but drift apart as the story progresses. Tilda wants to reclaim her throne because she wants to use her power to improve the lives of her subjects, who are currently straining under the pressures of feudalism. However, as the book progresses and she is increasingly called out for her privilege, she becomes more isolated from the very people she professes to want to help.  Meanwhile, Bertil, an orphaned peasant raised by Tankred, initially agrees that society must be changed slowly from above; with old power structures remaining in place. However, as he is exposed the ideas of The Golden Age (the fictive book within a book) he begins to side more closely with the uprising's call for the decentralization and democratization of power. The increasing tension between them as they grow apart helps build and contrast their characters.

Okay, but quick question about the setting. You say it has a historical fiction "vibe." Maybe clarify that.

Sure. It takes place in a place not unlike medieval Europe, but it doesn't appear to take place in any country that actually exists. And I've talked about this kind of thing before. There are advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, Moreil and Pedrosa are freed from the burden of having to ensure that their story meshes with historical reality, on the other readers will still carry baggage from their own opinions about the historical period being mimicked. In this case it isn't so distracting because the period is more remote from the present and invented quasimedieval settings are common in stories with fantastic elements.

Speaking of, how fantastical is it?

Not very. It is implied that Tilda's visions are tied to some greater purpose, and the cliffhanger clear has fantastic or mystical implications, but there is very little that occurs without some kind of naturalistic explanation. That said, these elements might play a greater role in the Book 2 teased by the final page, so we'll see.

Now what about the art?

The art is fantastic. Pedrosa makes excellent use of slightly stylized and caricatured designs combined with surreal color schemes to convey mood. The line work is thin and precise, allowing for varying levels of detail, and he makes excellent use of long, flowing panels to depict characters moving through space. First Second Books has printed this as a large format hardcover which allows you to really appreciate the level of detail. Whether he's using clashing colors and overlaid imagery to communicate the confusion of one of Tilda's visions, or cool complimentary tones to convey the idyllic vibe of the commune, Pedrosa's visual choices always feel intentional and purposeful.

All right, so it sounds like a pretty strong endorsement.

Yeah, I liked the book. The striking visuals and thoughtful treatment of the story's themes made it an enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to Book 2.

The Golden Age by Roxanne Moreil and Cyril Pedrosa (trans. Montana Kane), First Second Books hardcover edition, 2020 (originally published in 2018 in France as L'áge D'or - Première Partie), 225 pages, pairs well with wine, cheese, and la révolution

Links:

Here's some more info on the writer and artist, if you're into that kinda thing.

Book 2 will apparently be available in the US in October!