As young person of mixed ethnic background with a biracial Turkish mother and a Scottish father my origin and background are something I care deeply about. I am currently writing a novel based on my dede(Turkish for grandfather)’s early life in mid 20thc institutions which was a result of losing his father and having a sick mother. He was even was homeless for a while. My dede’s catchphrase is practically ‘life goes on’ something he personifies and I’m making it the title of the book. Family ties across boundaries are central to my life and so in Saga I see a tale of what it means to be from a mixed background. To be two things, but also neither…How having authentic self can be a challenge when you don’t seem to fit. Of course this fantasy story is a lot of other things, but I really believe this is an important element. In Saga we hear the tale of a family caught within an intergalactic war. The largest planet in the galaxy called Landfall is locked in conflict with the inhabitants of their own moon Wreath. On Landfall people have wings while on Wreath the people have horns and are versed in magic. This is a story of modern war as well as one about identity. For both sides no longer let battles ravage their own homes, but have outsourced war to other distant planets enabling those at home to practically ignore the conflict. This has obvious echoes of our own modern conflicts such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan which for many don’t have the immediacy of wars like ww2 and enable the populations of those involved to go about their lifes. The family in this tale is one created from the breaking of the barriers created by this war. Alana is from Landfall and falls in love with a POW called Marko who is from Wreath. The result of this love is a daughter called Hazel who narrates the graphic novel from the future. We watch as her parents battle to survive and keep the fragile connection binding them together alive. There isn’t a happy ending for them, Hazel seems to hint , and their marriage fails , but the power of their act in a galaxy of pain, war and suffering …that of ignoring differences and reaching out to others can’t be extinguished. In the book we also see how family doesn’t always need to be one of blood. Izabel who is a ghost from a planet caught in the war and a victim of it who becomes central to the young families life. We also see one of the bounty hunters chasing them called ‘The Will’ create the most unlikely of families during his quest. The volumes we have received which are 1-4 are engaging, beautiful, gruesome and incredible in equal turn. Characters are complicated and jump off the page and the art is amazing. Saga is a best seller and has won many awards for good reason. Its unmissable and a must read.
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