The Breath of Things: The Mist-Walker, Volume 1
by Stéphane Fert
Summary
One day, everything was lost in the mist. No, not those little morning wisps or the thin type that follows rain. The really dense stuff. A pea-souper, a dark fog, thick and black like atomized ink. A mist that engulfs everything. But the mist also left something a mutant, an ogress—or perhaps just a little girl that a grouchy old witch would decide to call Temperance and who would be brought up in a quiet village by a group of contented old women. Then one day, the mist returns. It wants her back. Now it’s time for the witches to dust off their charms and try to remember their old incantations and kung fu techniques as they set out on a great adventure that will determine young Temperance’s destiny.
My Review
First off, this is NOT a kids’ book, which I thought it was, so I was surprised to see such a mature subject matter. It includes foul language, nudity, and adult content. After getting over my initial shock, it was an interesting story, but not my favorite graphic novel that I’ve ever read.
The illustrations are beautiful. I really enjoyed this art style and color palette. It helped to tell the story in a fun, unique way. The scenes in the forest were gorgeous!
Overall, it’s an interesting post-apocalyptic story about witches, a half-ogre, and creatures of the dark, or in this case, in the mist. But I felt like there was a lot going on, and at times, it felt a bit muddled and confusing. There wasn’t much cohesiveness throughout the whole novel. There were a lot of characters in this story, and unfortunately, we didn’t get too in-depth with character development or backstories, so it was hard for me to connect with any of them. I didn’t feel like I was fully invested in any character, so I did start to lose interest in the story.
Also, why do men who write about female ogres usually make them lesbians? (Legends & Lattes also did this.) I feel like making female ogres (and in this case, also witches) gay is cliché and stereotypical, which is just plain boring and tiresome. It feels like lazy writing to me.
While I enjoyed the camaraderie and found family element of the witch coven (and there was quite a bit of humor), they bickered A LOT. It felt like they were arguing more often than not, which I didn’t care for, and it started to annoy me. However, when it mattered, they were there for each other and helped one another. I also enjoyed watching Temperance, the half-ogre, come into her power and realize her strengths. We see the most character development with her, but I wanted a lot more so that I could care more. But this is very witchy and perfect for Halloween/Spooky Season.
The story felt a bit rushed, especially toward the end. There is a cliffhanger ending and many open questions, which I don’t like because now I feel obligated to pick up the next volume to see what happens. I’m not sure if I care enough to move on to book two at this moment. Maybe… but it was all just okay for me. The artwork was the best part of this novel.