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Amy Unbounded #3
Amy Unbounded: Belondweg Blossoming
Amy Unbounded: Belondweg Blossoming collects issues 7-12 of Rachel Hartman's award-winning comic book, and includes an introduction by Linda Medley, a dramatis personae for new readers, and a few extra pages of silliness at the back.
Belondweg Blossoming follows the lives of Amy and her neighbor Bran Ducanahan the summer they turn ten. Amy has begun reading the national epic, Belondweg, about a semi-mythical queen of the same name who united Goredd and saved her people from invaders. Amy only wishes her own life were half as exciting. But how is life supposed to live up to literature when your mother is a semi-domesticated barbarian, all the knights you know are banished, and the only dragon you have ever met is a geeky grad student?
Join Amy as she dances the Two-foot, wears a really ugly bridesmaid's dress, becomes friends (in spite of everything!) with Bran, imitates the patron saint of ducks, flees from rampaging sheep, learns that love doesn't always conquer all, chugs buttermilk, and begins to understand that even Belondweg didn't have to save the world all by herself.
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2002
1 person is currently reading
301 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Hartman
13 books3,964 followersRachel Hartman lives and writes in Vancouver, BC.
Her first YA fantasy novel, Seraphina, was published by Random House on July 10th, 2012. Here are some things that are already being said about Seraphina by some fabulous authors:
“A book worth hoarding, as glittering and silver-bright as dragon scales, with a heroine who insists on carving herself a place in your mind.” — Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of the Temeraire series.
“Seraphina is strong, complex, talented — she makes mistakes and struggles to trust, with good reason, and she fights to survive in a world that would tear her apart. I love this book!” — Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author.
“Just when you thought there was nothing new to say about dragons, it turns out there is, and plenty! Rachel Hartman’s rich invention never fails to impress — and to convince. It’s smart and funny and original, and has characters I will follow to the ends of the earth.” — Ellen Kushner, World Fantasy Award-winning author.
Her first YA fantasy novel, Seraphina, was published by Random House on July 10th, 2012. Here are some things that are already being said about Seraphina by some fabulous authors:
“A book worth hoarding, as glittering and silver-bright as dragon scales, with a heroine who insists on carving herself a place in your mind.” — Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of the Temeraire series.
“Seraphina is strong, complex, talented — she makes mistakes and struggles to trust, with good reason, and she fights to survive in a world that would tear her apart. I love this book!” — Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author.
“Just when you thought there was nothing new to say about dragons, it turns out there is, and plenty! Rachel Hartman’s rich invention never fails to impress — and to convince. It’s smart and funny and original, and has characters I will follow to the ends of the earth.” — Ellen Kushner, World Fantasy Award-winning author.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 13, 2015
Before she wrote Seraphina and the just released Shadow Scale, Rachel Hartman created comics set in the same rich and wonderfully elaborate world of humans and dragons. Amy Unbounded is a collection of stories 7 through 12 from that series, bound together to be like a graphic novel. Set some years before the events of Seraphina, these stories feature spunky 10-year-old Amy, a Goreddi combination of Anne of Green Gables and Harriet the Spy, as well as earlier versions of several of the characters (Dame Okra among them!) from the Seraphina duology.
Graphic novels and comics are not normally my thing, but it was great fun discovering all the connections to Seraphina. It’s a much lighter, slighter and of course shorter story than what’s in the Seraphina books.
Amy Unbounded is out of print and not an easy book to get your hands on if your library doesn’t have it. Amazon and other online sites sell copies for $30+. Fortunately for me my sister snatched one up when the price was lower.
Since I love the extensive world Hartman has created I was absolutely thrilled to learn she will not be leaving it behind now that the Seraphina series is complete. Hartman is planning another duology based in the same setting--Hooray!
Graphic novels and comics are not normally my thing, but it was great fun discovering all the connections to Seraphina. It’s a much lighter, slighter and of course shorter story than what’s in the Seraphina books.
Amy Unbounded is out of print and not an easy book to get your hands on if your library doesn’t have it. Amazon and other online sites sell copies for $30+. Fortunately for me my sister snatched one up when the price was lower.
Since I love the extensive world Hartman has created I was absolutely thrilled to learn she will not be leaving it behind now that the Seraphina series is complete. Hartman is planning another duology based in the same setting--Hooray!
August 1, 2012
I'd been wanting to read Rachel Hartman's SERAPHINA so much that I actually preordered it, and once I started reading it, I realized that I was loving it so much that I just HAD to immediately order this graphic novel she had done earlier, set in the same world, as well. And then I ended up reading it first. Graphic novels are my favorite storytelling medium, I must confess.
This story really has everything I want in a graphic novel, too. The characters are lovable. The world is intimate and well-rendered. It feels like a real place. It's a cozy place, too, although not one without tension. Still, this is a "cup of tea" book, which I have to say are my favorite kind. The kind I read again and again.
It is VERY much in line with Linda Medley's wonderful Castle Waiting, and knowing that the story does head in a more complicated direction with Seraphina, I am also reminded of my favorite graphic novel of all, Thieves and Kings.
Anyway, this is a lot of babble, that can be summed up more simply with: THIS IS LOVELY. GO READ IT.
This story really has everything I want in a graphic novel, too. The characters are lovable. The world is intimate and well-rendered. It feels like a real place. It's a cozy place, too, although not one without tension. Still, this is a "cup of tea" book, which I have to say are my favorite kind. The kind I read again and again.
It is VERY much in line with Linda Medley's wonderful Castle Waiting, and knowing that the story does head in a more complicated direction with Seraphina, I am also reminded of my favorite graphic novel of all, Thieves and Kings.
Anyway, this is a lot of babble, that can be summed up more simply with: THIS IS LOVELY. GO READ IT.
July 18, 2009
Completely utterly charming graphic novel through the eyes of Amy, a young daughter of a weaver father (and barbarian (sort-of) mother!). It has its triumphs, and also some very sad moments, especially with her friend the dragon Lalo (who is in the form of a young human scholar)... just... just perfect! Recommended to everyone, if you can find a copy.
May 17, 2015
I loved her book Seraphina. Unfortunately, her comics seem to be unavailable in most places where you buy comics, which means that I will have to suffer many pains to hunt this down. Things like THE NAME OF THE TOAD, a charming and hilarious webcomic Hartman made, guarantee it'll be worth it.
Oh, and the afforementioned comic has a bug early on that won't allow you to go from one page to another. Here is the link to the other page. But srsly - read it. It's just one big slice of delight, a trickster story bursting with wit and humor, and illustrated with great care. The medieval clothing is especially well-done.
(5 stars for THE NAME OF THE TOAD, and I'm sure eventually AMY UNBOUNDED)
Oh, and the afforementioned comic has a bug early on that won't allow you to go from one page to another. Here is the link to the other page. But srsly - read it. It's just one big slice of delight, a trickster story bursting with wit and humor, and illustrated with great care. The medieval clothing is especially well-done.
(5 stars for THE NAME OF THE TOAD, and I'm sure eventually AMY UNBOUNDED)
April 19, 2007
This is one of my favorite comics ever. It's about a young girl growing up, but it's neither kidsy nor overly "adult". It's got silly games and serious dilemmas and country recipes and folktales and mystery and scholarship and feminism and butterchurn accidents. I love this book and go back to it over and over.
May 24, 2011
I loved Amy Unbounded when it was coming out as a zine and I just ran across my old copies in a box of old comics. Can't wait to read them all again and share them with my son, who is now 8 and a fledgling comic geek in his own right.
February 24, 2011
I also have and very much enjoyed "amy unbounded, the ashcan series". #1,2,3,4 and 5.
August 5, 2021
I almost never reread, but I was on a reread kick this week. This is the middle book in a series (the last book of which will likely never be written and the first book of which is only available as individual chapters, which a kid I was trying to tempt into reading stole from me 15 years ago, which was a win at the time but now makes me regret not having a way to reread those out of print classics!).
Ahem. Run-on parenthetical aside, I adore Amy Unbounded. So sweet, with new depth when I reread it and girl-power characters I'll always adore. I've gone almost entirely digital, and this is one of a dozen books I still keep in paper form.
Ahem. Run-on parenthetical aside, I adore Amy Unbounded. So sweet, with new depth when I reread it and girl-power characters I'll always adore. I've gone almost entirely digital, and this is one of a dozen books I still keep in paper form.
January 7, 2008
I got this because it had an introduction by Linda Medley, author of the excellent Castle Waiting series. It has similar themes--a medieval setting, strong female characters, railing against the arbitrary patriarchy, and so on, but all through it, I found something missing.
It took me until I was three quarters of the way through to realize what it is--pacing. While Medley's stories move quickly, keeping the reader engaged, this was far slower, and once things slow down, your mind starts to focus on things like, "How would this be possible?" and the suspension of disbelief goes away. In addition, there's just a bit too much of a modern feel on this one--not much different from Medley's work, but it's a subtle enough difference to be noticeable to me.
However, all that being said, I like the world she's built--there's an uneasy treaty between dragons and the humans, not all cultures are quite the same, and there's a lot of clever trickery going on to escape the rules when they're unfair. The narrator, a nine year old girl named Amy, bounces around and interacts with her parents, the family of her best friend, a powerful female businesswoman, and a crafty exiled Knight.
As she tells us what happened over the summer, we see her grow as we learn (through her eyes) that there's a lot of the world that's not perfect. I only wish Hartman had let the imperfections stick a bit more than she did. (Library, 04/07)
Trebby's Take: Even though it's a bit slow, I'd still recommend it if you liked Castle Waiting.
It took me until I was three quarters of the way through to realize what it is--pacing. While Medley's stories move quickly, keeping the reader engaged, this was far slower, and once things slow down, your mind starts to focus on things like, "How would this be possible?" and the suspension of disbelief goes away. In addition, there's just a bit too much of a modern feel on this one--not much different from Medley's work, but it's a subtle enough difference to be noticeable to me.
However, all that being said, I like the world she's built--there's an uneasy treaty between dragons and the humans, not all cultures are quite the same, and there's a lot of clever trickery going on to escape the rules when they're unfair. The narrator, a nine year old girl named Amy, bounces around and interacts with her parents, the family of her best friend, a powerful female businesswoman, and a crafty exiled Knight.
As she tells us what happened over the summer, we see her grow as we learn (through her eyes) that there's a lot of the world that's not perfect. I only wish Hartman had let the imperfections stick a bit more than she did. (Library, 04/07)
Trebby's Take: Even though it's a bit slow, I'd still recommend it if you liked Castle Waiting.
Read
April 10, 2025The storytelling was pretty rough, the plot lines were... existent at best, and the art was frankly disappointing. Most of the characters growth was minimal or non-existent and much of the systemic issues of this world were used as an excuse for characters’ complaints or sneaky loopholes, rather than an obstacle for the characters to overcome or a lesson about equality for the reader. Amy served as a decent window into this world, but the author’s claim that she is essentially Jo March but “better suited for our post modern times” was certainly a stretch.
(It also feels important to mention that there are only 2 people of color in this story, and that out of the maybe 3 scenes that they’re in, one of them calls the other one “monkey”.)
Maybe I was so put off by this book because it was spoken of so highly to me and it’s amateur material was jarringly contrary to my expectations, but my experience reading this was lackluster.
(It also feels important to mention that there are only 2 people of color in this story, and that out of the maybe 3 scenes that they’re in, one of them calls the other one “monkey”.)
Maybe I was so put off by this book because it was spoken of so highly to me and it’s amateur material was jarringly contrary to my expectations, but my experience reading this was lackluster.
July 5, 2010
This was charming and fun (and I especially enjoyed it as a contrast to my mildly-depressing previous read).
February 15, 2017
Though I sometimes had problems remembering which characters were which, I did enjoy this graphic novel of characters from the world of Seraphina.
October 21, 2018
This was charming, and I loved the historical details and the humour.
November 2, 2021
Unfamiliar with the series so it was a bit difficult to follow, but I enjoyed it anyway.
January 22, 2022
Such gems of characters, interwoven stories, and ultimately interwoven reminders. I like how the stories didnt shy away from some harsh realities but had a hopeful, joyful ring throughout.
September 4, 2012
Of course it's not manga but with the little graphic novels I own I don't see the point of a new tag. This is a GREAT graphic novel for girls who are about to become teenagers, readers who love historical fantasy and humour and really strong heroines.
I wish she had written more in this world.
_____________________________
And she has, which is why I reread this after reading Seraphina, although the time-line has Amy happening earlier - the dragon character here is mentioned as a scholarly writerish book author in Seraphina and he obviously isn't that in this book yet.
The main character is Amy, growing up not too far from the capital of the country but in the countryside - her father is a progressive artisan, who has taken his weaving outside the city and outside the guild (which he gets grief for in this book - one of the many social explorations the book has in the background) and her mother is from a "barbarian" country where the women rules the household. Amy is their only child, nine years old - and this is the year she'll journey from child to teenager, I feel: There are so many changes afoot that her eyes will be opened to a much wider and weirder world than she knew.
She has a best frenemy called Bran who is her age and whose birth meant the death of his mother - something the oldest brother still doesn't seem to have forgiven him for. Or maybe that's just the oldest brother of the Ducanahan family? Because the oldest sister, Niesta, raised her two younger sisters and two younger brothers - sacrificing even her own chances at marrying so her younger sisters could do so (not that they appreciate the sacrifices) => the role of the woman in a medieval society at a rural and burgher level is a big part of what gets explored in this book, but always based on loveable characters and a lot of funny and also a lot of dangerous machinations by people with the best intentions ^^.
And then there's a love story - everyone who has read Seraphina will know it can't end HEA when they are introduced to the lovers. But Amy doesn't know that, she learns a lot about what adults see as love, what adults see as marriage or duty - and she'll even fall in crush for the very first time and get her heart broken...
And that's before she knows that Bran will be fostered away.
Very easy: Everyone who enjoyed Seraphina will enjoy this. I even had the feeling that because this collection of mini-comics had a longer incubation period than the book, the single strands gelled together in a more satisfying way (the downside is that you don't get the beautiful language as much, because it is a comic after all - then again you get to see the clothes and interactions exhaustive descriptions necessary).
Mentioning of some names in Seraphina lets me hope that eventually, I will be able to see more of the cast of characters from Amy Unbounded - however there already has been one cameo of a major character - Dame Okra is in here ^^ , working her wiles.
I wish she had written more in this world.
_____________________________
And she has, which is why I reread this after reading Seraphina, although the time-line has Amy happening earlier - the dragon character here is mentioned as a scholarly writerish book author in Seraphina and he obviously isn't that in this book yet.
The main character is Amy, growing up not too far from the capital of the country but in the countryside - her father is a progressive artisan, who has taken his weaving outside the city and outside the guild (which he gets grief for in this book - one of the many social explorations the book has in the background) and her mother is from a "barbarian" country where the women rules the household. Amy is their only child, nine years old - and this is the year she'll journey from child to teenager, I feel: There are so many changes afoot that her eyes will be opened to a much wider and weirder world than she knew.
She has a best frenemy called Bran who is her age and whose birth meant the death of his mother - something the oldest brother still doesn't seem to have forgiven him for. Or maybe that's just the oldest brother of the Ducanahan family? Because the oldest sister, Niesta, raised her two younger sisters and two younger brothers - sacrificing even her own chances at marrying so her younger sisters could do so (not that they appreciate the sacrifices) => the role of the woman in a medieval society at a rural and burgher level is a big part of what gets explored in this book, but always based on loveable characters and a lot of funny and also a lot of dangerous machinations by people with the best intentions ^^.
And then there's a love story - everyone who has read Seraphina will know it can't end HEA when they are introduced to the lovers. But Amy doesn't know that, she learns a lot about what adults see as love, what adults see as marriage or duty - and she'll even fall in crush for the very first time and get her heart broken...
And that's before she knows that Bran will be fostered away.
Very easy: Everyone who enjoyed Seraphina will enjoy this. I even had the feeling that because this collection of mini-comics had a longer incubation period than the book, the single strands gelled together in a more satisfying way (the downside is that you don't get the beautiful language as much, because it is a comic after all - then again you get to see the clothes and interactions exhaustive descriptions necessary).
Mentioning of some names in Seraphina lets me hope that eventually, I will be able to see more of the cast of characters from Amy Unbounded - however there already has been one cameo of a major character - Dame Okra is in here ^^ , working her wiles.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2025
I enjoyed Seraphina a great deal and wanted more, so I was excited to see that Rachel Hartman had written a graphic novel set in the same world. Because the author is the illustrator, this meant I could see the world through her own eyes (which I was very curious to do). Amy Unbounded does have a different setting than Seraphina (the former is concerned with the day-to-day activities of people in a small medieval village, whereas the latter took place mostly at court), but it's still clearly the same world with its all-saints religion, dragons disguised as humans, etc. They even share a character: Dame Okra Carmine. (Although she's not a half-dragon in Amy Unbounded, because she mentions having children.)
First, Rachel Hartman is a terrific artist. I'm really impressed that her drawing skills are as strong as her writing. (I'm envious! That's a lot of talent in one person.) This is a minor point, but I liked how she drew each of her characters in a unique style. They had different shapes of nose, chin, eyes, etc. Most graphic novel artists give everyone the same nose at the very least. (I realize that's a weird detail to comment on, but it's not easy to draw noses, and it suggests that she put effort into giving everyone a different appearance like they would have in real life. The dragon-sarantraas Lola had a very distinctive and characteristic appearance that I enjoyed.)
I wasn't very engaged by the comic at first, probably because it starts off in the middle of the story (I read that it's issues 7-12 of the Amy Unbounded series). However, by the end I thought it was a sweet story and I wanted more. I loved that the story didn't focus on Amy. Amy's personal experiences are mentioned, but they don't get center stage. Instead, we see the story of the adults around her through Amy's interactions with and observations of them. And the adult characters and dilemmas were well done. It's a great story for feminists, balancing female independence for some characters and romantic love for others, although also showing that love can't triumph over all obstacles. (The ending was actually pretty sad.)
In sum, great characters, great art, great story. I wish there were more, but given that this was published more than 10 years ago I know that won't be happening.
First, Rachel Hartman is a terrific artist. I'm really impressed that her drawing skills are as strong as her writing. (I'm envious! That's a lot of talent in one person.) This is a minor point, but I liked how she drew each of her characters in a unique style. They had different shapes of nose, chin, eyes, etc. Most graphic novel artists give everyone the same nose at the very least. (I realize that's a weird detail to comment on, but it's not easy to draw noses, and it suggests that she put effort into giving everyone a different appearance like they would have in real life. The dragon-sarantraas Lola had a very distinctive and characteristic appearance that I enjoyed.)
I wasn't very engaged by the comic at first, probably because it starts off in the middle of the story (I read that it's issues 7-12 of the Amy Unbounded series). However, by the end I thought it was a sweet story and I wanted more. I loved that the story didn't focus on Amy. Amy's personal experiences are mentioned, but they don't get center stage. Instead, we see the story of the adults around her through Amy's interactions with and observations of them. And the adult characters and dilemmas were well done. It's a great story for feminists, balancing female independence for some characters and romantic love for others, although also showing that love can't triumph over all obstacles. (The ending was actually pretty sad.)
In sum, great characters, great art, great story. I wish there were more, but given that this was published more than 10 years ago I know that won't be happening.
October 29, 2014
I picked this up based on the author only. With no other idea as to what it was about, I started out a big confused and not totally convinced. As I got to know the characters and watched Amy grow, I became more interested in the outcome.
In this book, there are several different problems, mostly related to the role of women in this past society and how they are treated and what rights they do or don't have. Some of these stories have happy endings, some have sad endings and some stories are simply not yet over, even though it feels like the end. This is a wonderful way to end a book. There are wonderful, happy endings in life. Sad things happen too, but it's important to recognize that just because you feel that something is the end, it doesn't mean it's all over. Life goes on and there is more to come!
In this book, there are several different problems, mostly related to the role of women in this past society and how they are treated and what rights they do or don't have. Some of these stories have happy endings, some have sad endings and some stories are simply not yet over, even though it feels like the end. This is a wonderful way to end a book. There are wonderful, happy endings in life. Sad things happen too, but it's important to recognize that just because you feel that something is the end, it doesn't mean it's all over. Life goes on and there is more to come!
September 6, 2012
Like many others, I stumbled across this graphic novel after reading Seraphina and desperately wanting more. This is a very sweet story told from the POV of Amy, a child who lives as a peasant in Goredd. I loved the little glimmers of Seraphina's world that I saw long before the book was ever written.
As a stand alone story, Amy Unbounded works. It's a coming of age story where Amy discovers that the world isn't always fair, but in the end still moves forward. I really enjoyed this and hope that Hartman revisits Amy at some later date.
As a stand alone story, Amy Unbounded works. It's a coming of age story where Amy discovers that the world isn't always fair, but in the end still moves forward. I really enjoyed this and hope that Hartman revisits Amy at some later date.
August 13, 2016
I read this book because I loved Seraphina and when looking at reviews on goodreads for this book, they were all very positive.
I really enjoyed it. Some parts (OK, most) were really funny, it was easy to distinguish (even for me) the different characters from each other. The only thing that really disappoints me is that I know there is as much material from the serial that hasn't been published in book form and I can't get!
I really enjoyed it. Some parts (OK, most) were really funny, it was easy to distinguish (even for me) the different characters from each other. The only thing that really disappoints me is that I know there is as much material from the serial that hasn't been published in book form and I can't get!
December 30, 2012
This was a cute story - as with Seraphina, I really appreciated how fleshed out the world is. So much detail! The characters are not as developed in this story, but it was still sweet. I am impressed that the author both wrote and illustrated this. 3.5 stars, if possible!
April 6, 2017
I stumbled upon this in an online discussion of Seraphina, and figured I should check it out. I liked it, but the pacing is a bit uneven. Still, it's cute, and a nice (early) glimpse into the same world as Seraphina.
June 13, 2007
PG/young adult loveliness. i really enjoyed the characters and the world this book exists in.
March 4, 2015
Pretty sure I read this a long time ago. Bout the same time I read the first Castle Waiting.
I liked it but I might need to reread
I liked it but I might need to reread
November 18, 2013
Charming.
Want to read
May 12, 2014yay, there's "balm in Goredd" for a fledgling Seraphina addict! I can't wait to look for this book.
I wonder if Amy and Bran Ducanahan are precursors of the meta-fictional Amaline Ducanahan?
I wonder if Amy and Bran Ducanahan are precursors of the meta-fictional Amaline Ducanahan?
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews