I really like Gail Simone’s run of Red Sonja comics. I was very intrigued to see what she would do in a longer format without pictures. Red Sonja:Consumed is very good. It takes a little time to bring the pieces together, but once it does, it flies. I definitely recommend it for appreciators of a barbarian adventure, women who take charge of their own destinies, and cranky horses.
It starts with a queen and a jeweled asp. Sonja has stolen a prized piece of jewelry from Queen Ysidra. She seduced Ysidra and gained her trust with the intention of stealing the asp for a client. Sonja is a hurt people who hurts people. She had a client, yes, but she was also scared of the loving future Ysidra imagined for them. The trauma Sonja suffered as a child reverberates through the book, from the prologue to the aftermath of victory.
Simone has reimagined Red Sonja’s background and fleshed out her character. Characters are pushed into action by love and by revenge, but this isn’t a romance. There’s no happily ever after for the lovers to enemies to lovers, but there are other kinds of satisfaction in the ending.
I will warn you though, if you have a spider phobia, Red Sonja: Consumed is not going to help. Along with the sword and sorcery fantasy is a healthy dollop of horror. A lot of people and creatures die, often horribly. It gave me a cathartic cry in the end. I’m excited to see where Simone takes Red Sonja next.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Orbit Books and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
