Review: Lady Castle #1 by Dawson, Woods & Campbell

There is so much  creative talent in the world. I was fortunate to discover Delilah S. Dawson, from the Star Wars short story The Perfect Weapon . 

I’ve followed her work every since, so when she announced Lady Castle I ordered a copy right away.

Lady Castle on it’s surface is a gender bent exploration of the Arthurian stories, with a dash of exploration into female fairytale tropes.

The story opens with an exploration of daily life in Mancastle. Princess Aeve is locked in a tower while her Father and the rest of the men are out on a mission. Aeve has once again refused a would be suitor so the hunt is on for a better match.  Aeve whiles away the days baking, working out, and  answereing letters from other female residents of Mancastle, all  trapped into limited ways of life due to their womanhood. 

All that changes when a lone Knight returns to the castle with a tale of woe. All of the men save one were killed on the way back to the castle. Not only were they killed but they were placed under a curse that will now affect the castle. The last male survivor, Sir Riddick offers to take the throne,but the Lady of the lake has different plans. She offers a magnificent sword to the blacksmiths wife Merinor, (pictured above).

Merinor rises to the role of King( that’s right, not Queen, but King as annointed by the “disembodied arm”), and quickly forms a Round Table, offering all a chance to train for Knighthood.

I loooove this book! I’m a nerd for Arthurian legends in all forms and I’m excited for this story.

This is the first time I have seen Ashley A. Woods art and I’m an instant fan of it. There is a slight feel of animation in the renderings of the characters and locations. The art doesn’t “POP” like most four color books but has  slightly muted shades that work well for the story. A wonderful first issue!