The Daughters of Ys

Queen Malgven of Ys has just died. In his grief, King Gradlon recounts a grisly tale to his two daughters, Dahut and Rozenn, that ends with murder and marriage. It is the story of how he first met Lady Malgven and made her his wife and how she used sorcery to push back the sea and build the city of Ys. Dahut and Rozenn have inherited their mother’s legacy of taming the monsters under the sea. Rozenn is the oldest, a dark-haired beauty, who rebels against it. She spends most of her time in the moors, preferring to “lie out in a field, watching the stars turn in the sky.” Dahut is beautiful, too, with red hair. Her anger at her father’s lust takes her down a darker path, using powerful spells to maintain the wealth and privilege of Ys. But that kind of power comes with a price.

M.T. Anderson’s graphic novel, The Daughters of Ys, is a modern retelling of an ancient Breton folktale. It is the story of love, loss, and intrigue. Both sisters are powerful characters and follow their clashing destinies to its tragic end. Jo Rioux’s art is Celtic in design, with images as ghostly and haunting as the tale.