Sleepless Vol 1 - Sarah Vaughn, Alissa Sallah, Leila del Duca, Deron Bennett

Date Published: July 10, 2018

Format: Print

Source: Library

Date Read: September 23, 2019

 

Blurb:

Lady "Poppy" Pyppenia is guarded by the Sleepless Knight Cyrenic, but becomes endangered when an assassin threatens her life in the new king's reign. As Poppy and Cyrenic try to discover who wants her dead, they must navigate the dangerous waters of life at court, and of their growing feelings for one another.

Collects issues 1-6.

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Review

 

So good, I bought the second volume on Kindle because my libraries didn't have a copy. I picked this up to read for the A Grimm Tale square. Poppy is the illegitimate (in the eyes of her father's subjects) daughter of the dead king and niece of the new king (she is considered legitimate by her mother's people). Poppy wants to leave the kingdom and go home (back to her mother's land), but the new king wants her to stay to be a companion/tutor to his daughter (the future queen), who was raised in her mother's land and is a stranger to the land that she now somewhat rules. And someone at court wants Poppy dead - is it the future queen? Is it the king's nephew, who is looking for a advantageous marriage to the future queen but will settle with marrying Poppy?

 

On the journey to survive court intrigue is Poppy's official bodyguard, Cyrenic of the Sleepless Knights, and maybe the future queen herself. The relationship with Cyrenic is romantic but also respectful; the relationship between the princess and Poppy is about both royals throwing truth bombs at each and being real with each other. It is weird in a good way. The star reader from her mother's land allows Poppy to keep a connection with that land strong while also giving her a surrogate mother figure. 

 

The artwork is elevated by the colors used - it is a very autumn-y. The dresses are just as big, silky, and beautiful as the ones in Disney movies. The bags and undereye circles on the Sleepless Knights makes them (especially Cyrenic) made them different than the typical knight in shining armor perfection, more relatable. The balance between the characters and the plot is quick but fits the graphic novel format so well.