Author: Riana Dorsey
Status: 8 chapters, ongoing
Read at: suihira.com
O Akia, let us find the city of Suihira, where water is plentiful and where you rest, cherished and adored…
Life is sweet for the two princesses of Iona. Their city has been graced with water, a true gift in the harshness of the desert land. As children, they pray to Akia, Goddess of Balance and Water, so that one day, she might show them the way to Suihira, a promised land above the lake of their cherished Goddess. But growing older, you must face new responsibilities. It is their destinies to become Queens, and fairytales are for children…
The style of this comic is really pleasant to look at. It is absolutely beautiful, painted digitally with some lines when needed. The styles of the characters is pretty cartooney, which suits the comic well; the faces may be a bit similar for all characters, but they have enough details, like beards and such, to make them easily recognizable. I have to applaud the sense of lighting and ambiance; it is completely mastered, and gives the painted comic such a great ambiance and mood. The backgrounds are breathtaking, with loads of details that make you want to stop and look at each page for a good while. This comics also shows a great sense of paneling, and it really doesn’t surprise me that the author was Eisner nominated for their work. I felt like the style could be a bit messy at first, but looking at more recent pages, it gets a lot cleaner, and you can feel the author really found their momentum and mastered their style. Overall, it is a real treat for the eyes, and something that I would read even only for the art, genuinely.
But the story is not a drawback at all, completely the opposite. The first chapter serves as a bit of a prologue; we follow Hadima and Wahida, sisters and princesses of Iona, a major city in their desert world. As children, they find a book telling them of the Divine War that opposed Ignis, the God of Fire, and Akia, the Goddess of Water. Ignis won the war, and Akia abandoned the humans, but not before gracing Iona, their city, with the gift of water. Growing up, the two sisters pray to Akia, so that she may one day show them the way to her city, Suihira. But according to their mother, this is only a myth. As they grow up, their duties become more apparent; they are to marry and continue their bloodline. Hadima looses her faith for Akia, but Wahida persists, even when her future husband tries to talk her out of believing in fairytales. She will desperately pray to Akia, who will reveal to her a secret, sending the young woman on a quest to find her cherished Goddess…
The lore of this comic is fairly simple, but not less interesting for it. As they live in a desert land, water holds an importance place, but it seems Akia has abandoned humans. Faith plays an important role, and how devotion can lead to true change. The reduced number of character makes it easy to follow the story and get attached to them. Things really kick in after the end of chapter 2, and I can assure you, you’ll want to keep reading.
Suihira is not a short read; and with an art style this polished, you’ll want to savor reading this little gem. It’s been around since 2014 and is still going, big respect for that. The story is interesting and full of lore, and keeps you wanting more. It’s a great comic for fantasy and adventure lovers, so if that’s up your alley, get to it!
Would I recommend: Highly!
Will I keep reading: I’ll check in from time to time to read new pages, yes.
Where to find the author:
Twitter: @suihira
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