The Colours of Squire
"But the world is only how we make it. How will you make it?" - Squire, page 247.
Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas is a coming of age graphic novel set in the fictional empire of Bayt-Sajji.
It follows Aiza, an Ornu refugee - one of the groups colonised by Bayt-Sajji, who sees a procession of knights in the street one day proclaiming the opportunity to become a squire. This comes with an array of benefits; citizenship, free pass at checkpoints, wealth and most importantly - becoming a hero! Who wouldn’t want that? To be accepted into society, live a more comfortable life and be revered as a hero?
So Aiza wraps away her Ornu identity and signs up to train as a squire. She trains alongside Husni, a rich Al-Baharyi boy who wants adventure, Sahar from Gihre who has siblings counting on her success, and Basem, a proud son of a Senator who’s been training all his life for this. She also meets General Hende and Doruk, the groundskeeper. This is where she learns about what really makes heroes and the ghosts of empire.
Sara’s illustrations run across the pages, making it a seamless read. The rich hues, sweeping lines take you away to Bayt-Sajji. They’re simply beautiful, simple and intricate. Here’s a link to Sara’s website where you can see some excerpts.
This is such a heart-warming and awe-inspiring book. In the frenzy of fables and folklore of empire this story really brought home the point that no matter how you dress it up, empires and colonialism don’t have anything heroic about them.
"Is it giving, if it isn’t you bearing the burden? If the only one standing in the ashes is you?" - Squire, page 277.
Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas
How this isn’t already in the display section at Foyles I don’t know. But you can google it and purchase it from one of the options there. Thank you for reading my thoughts on Squire.
Now, I’ll continue my re-read of it…
Haricha
