2.5 stars

At first, I thought I would really like this one. The art is simple but vivid, the story just pushes you straight into the griddy action, and I found myself in love. Then, I kept reading.

This book is about an orphan boy named Kriss, the outsider of a medieval village that no one likes, not even his adopted parents, except the blacksmith’s daughter, Anja. Kriss has known since he came to this village years ago that he is the son of the king of the long ago conquered kingdom of Darkovia (a real original name for a dark magical kingdom, I know). One day, a dark beast from that kingdom attacks Anja’s mother and Kriss goes after it in revenge, armed only with a pitchfork to slay the beast. As dumb as it sounds this scene was probably my favorite from the whole book. Kriss is such a badass. Kriss soon learns however that this beast has come to present him with a gift: his destiny as the prince of Darkovia, Wrath.

Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, this story goes absolutely fucking nowhere.

This first volume is just a sprinkle of revenge stories to show off Kriss’ AWESOME POWERS OF WRATH (™). None of the stories have build up or actual pay off to them. Instead as Kriss grows up and becomes stronger, I’m just left with wanting something more in its development. Speaking of development, there’s none of that in this one in regards to the characters and world building. The world is so generic and the characters are as flat as wet cardboard, especially the love interest Anja. AND THAT ENDING. Ugh.

Still the first 40 pages were good and the beast was a really cool, mysterious character. I would be interested to read the next volume just to see what happens next (and maybe get some more world building, if it’s not too much to ask).

Highly enjoyable and at times very dark art style. The story of a boy who doesn't belong.

Ten years ago soldiers marched through the little village of Varne, leaving behind a little boy called Kriss. He is the son of Darkovia's fallen king, raised by strangers, his only friend a girl called Anja.

When Kriss kills the polar sabercat that's preying on the villagers, the beast spirit tells him that he is to return to Darkovia and take his rightful place. After the spirit grants him the gift of wrath, Kriss finds himself torn between his destiny and staying at Varne, with the only person who cares for him.

It's so refreshing to have an angry and dark protagonist! Writers don't do this enough but they definitely should because Kriss' story was captivating from the beginning. Knowing that he's the son of a fallen king, Kriss is lost, condused and hurting from the abandonment. it's easy to see how wrath suits him so well. I love how the only time he allows himself to be soft is around his only friend (and probably possible love interest) Anja.
The art is beautiful and it really suits the story, giving it the extra gloominess where needed. Definitely interested in continuing Kriss' story and see if he'll reclame his father's throne.

e-ARC received from NetGalley

2.5 stars

Kriss: The Gift of Wrath is a graphic novel about an adopted teenage boy living in a small, icy medieval-esque village, who is in actual fact the lost prince of Darkovia. Will he stay in his village, or accept his magical heritage and leave to reclaim his father's kingdom?

This is the kind of story that will appeal to emo kids who want to leave their town, and I guess I'm just not its target audience. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy parts of the story - I did chuckle a couple of times, and I actually really liked the art style when things got fantastical/spooky. I just never really connected to any of the characters, and more could have been done to build Kriss and Anja's relationship. It feels as if we're told things a lot, rather than shown them, which is funny in a graphic novel.

This was a dark story with the imaginary to go with it. Kriss is drawn in a harsh light and while I typically like "emo" kids this was just a bit much for me.

An orphaned child named Kriss is given to a family to raise. When a polar sabertooth is attacking the village Keiss sets off to hunt it, but he gets more then he expected when he kills it. The cat was from his homeland and gives him the power of wrath. But it could destroy him.

The story is about an outcast. Someone who doesn't fit in and is struggling to find his place. You feel for Kriss and want him to find his happiness. The art is perfect for this story. I love the way they play with shadows and light. It fits so well.

I really enjoyed everything about this book.

*****3.5/5******

Kriss’s story is that of the underdog rising up and crushing his enemies. I really enjoyed the dark style of the comic. This almost read like the backstory of a future hero...or villain? Kriss has everyone against him, but he still shows tremendous strength and bravery. I wish his friendship with Anja would have been shown more. Although they are meant to be best friends, their bond is rarely shown. The world building is minimal and I don’t quit understand this magic system, or if there’s any at all. Or what the deal is with the cat that Kriss hears in his head. There are mentions of godly power, but no explanation to what those are. I am confused about those things. The ending is a bit up in the air, and Kriss searching for his destiny is a bit too general. Overall, though, it is a good set up that will hopefully develop more through future volumes.

I loved the art style, the way the story was told and Kriss.
He is a great character and I loved how his feelings affected the color tone of the sequences.

Sadly, it was a long time since I last read a graphic novel and therefor I struggled a bit to get into the story.
Still, I am curious for the next installment and would give it a try.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Kriss is an outcast in the little village where he lives. He's just a skinny teenager, dreaming about who he believes is his biological father and a few other superhero/godlike creatures. An enormous beast is wreaking havoc in the village and kills the mother of Anja, Kriss's only friend and he goes out on a hunt for the beast, nearly getting himself killed but in surviving, he's no longer quite who he used to be. This story can be taken at face-value, which is the general idea I think, but I did wonder whether Kriss might be having mental problems, like a psychosis.

An interesting story that kept my attention throughout. I was eager to find out what lay in store for Kriss. Nice graphics, although at times a little too rudimentary for my tastes (I like the people to have actual fingers, not mittens). The beast though, is amazing. Nice lettering, perfectly legible and a bit wilder and bolder for the narrator / the voice that speaks to Kriss in his mind. Excellent colouring, rather dark and subdued, but it matches the story perfectly and really conveys the cold (literally and figuratively) and wintery village, and the generally subdued colouring makes the bright colours, the reds and purples (blood, the carnival, ...), pop when they're used.

I liked how the art style matched the dark and brutal story, but the flow of the pannels and huge time gaps were a little confusing. The world and the wrath spirit werent explained all that well. I feel like a lot of elements needed to be more flushed out. I do love anything carnival related so those scenes were probably my favorite. Kriss is pretty miserable and I dont really enjoy following those kinds of characters. He's also felt very indecisive and without direction. I didnt understand his relationship with Anja. They seemed close at first, but that quickly faded. I wasnt getting those friendship scenes I wanted, but he also wasnt going after his destiny so the whole graphic novel felt very unproductive. The most Kriss did was learn how to forge from Anja father. I really would have liked more from either their relationship or him pursuing his goals. Thankfully there was an interesting rivalry between Kriss and Anja brother that helped keep me engaged.

Kriss does not seem to fit in. Even his adoptive parents seem to misunderstand him. The blacksmith’s daughter, Anja, is his only friend. When Anja’s mother is killed, Kriss vows to avenge her. His journey leads him to discover dark spirits and his true destiny. Anja needs him more than ever before. How can he choose between his true path and the one he loves? The artwork is stunning and captures the dark themes of the book. The relationship between Kriss and Anja is meaningful and pulls the reader into the story. Action-packed and gritty, fans of dark, medieval fantasy, graphic novels, and Neil Gaiman will enjoy reading this book.

Kriss is an orphan who, in revenge of his friend Anja's mother, is attacked by a beast, which is a dark spirit of Darkovia, his homeland and the subject that haunts him day by day. After a hard battle, Kriss manages to assassinate the beast, but in his last breath, it grants him a power that will allow him to defeat any enemy he has, although with a very high price: uncontrollable wrath.

This graphic novel addresses Kriss' quest to know his past, what really happened in Darkovia, who are the spirits that constantly communicate with him and understand what his place in the world is.

Graphically this is a powerful story because the nuances that the artist gives to the different moments that Kriss lives are superlative: vivid tones for his daily work, dark tones for his memories and more difficult moments, and intense tones for the wrath.

Already speaking of the writing, the beginning can be somewhat confusing because it seems not to go anywhere, but what is done is to give information to give context to the life of Kriss, the obsession with his past and his desire for answers. Perhaps some order in the points that want to be addressed at the beginning would have been adequate to avoid any confusion.

As for the characters, I think there is a right group, but with few highlights. Perhaps Kriss, Anja and his brother are the ones who contribute the most to history, giving moral dilemmas, convictions and motivators quite different to their ways and actions.

What is clear to me is that this initial volume is a perfect incentive to want to continue knowing the history of Kriss and unlock the mystery that hides his past in Darkovia.

This is a story for young people fifteen and older. It has a high burden of violence.

The graphics were great and the story definitely is intriguing but aside from Kriss I connected to zero other characters.

The blurb mentions a great friendship between Kriss and the blacksmith's daughter, Anja but I never really saw it. Sure she was less mean to him than the rest of the town and in the beginning she genuinely seemed to like him but I didn't understand why he took so much abuse all in the name of staying close to this girl. She didn't act like a great friend in the coming years and so this whole aspect of the story fell flat for me.

The beating he takes and the reason behind it also made me like Anja less. She came off as selfish and completely ungrateful for the sacrifices Kriss makes. The friendship definitely seemed one sided.

I hope the next installment focuses more on Kriss and his powers and has him actually leaving this crappy town (and Anja) far behind. Darkovia sounds so much more interesting than anything that could possibly tie Kriss down in this town.

I have definite mixed feelings about this book. The dialogue felt a little stilted to start, I think mostly because the world wasn't really established yet the main character was repeatedly being insulted for being "Northern". Later in the book, it felt like there was a bit of a disconnect as the book feels as though it is aimed towards a younger audience but the language and themes were definitely adult.

Overall, I think I really enjoyed the book and I am sad that it seems to finish just as it starts but I will be looking out for further books in the series.

Having spent most of his life in his small, medieval village, Kriss has always felt different. He knows he was adopted, but that's not all: both his appearance and his physical power indicate a hidden secret. When, in an act of bravery, Kriss kills a sabercat, he will finally step into the path his ancestors had meant for him to take all along. Kriss is the prince of Darkovia, and it's time for him to go back home.

Kriss is a surprisingly good graphic novel. Combining an interesting plot with fitting illustrations, it's a very good read that helps the reader step into another world. This is the introduction to Kriss's story, and hopefully there will be more to come.

A recommended read for fans of graphic novels.

With striking artwork we are propelled into a world of feudal lords, quests and heros, but before the quest begins we are introduced to Kriss. Kriss is a mysterious young man. He is adopted by a farmer and his wife but his origins are lost in a murky past. Kriss is also the outcast of the village but within him lies a power and a past.

Kriss knows he is different and he knows he should leave his small village and travel north to find out who he really is but he is tied to the village because it is all he has ever known, but there are shadows and powers and images that speak to him and haunt his dreams and these shadows call and push him to find his destiny.

This first volume is a brilliant start to what i hope will be an excellent YA series. The artwork was quite fitting for this story with jagged lines and shadows. Kriss very much comes across and a loner and outsider but yet there is power and a mysterious greatness within him. This first volume opens the reader up and prepares them for an exciting sequel. I hope we wont have to wait to long to see where this story takes us.

An excellent start and now we need more.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really liked this graphic novel, but it was so confusing.
Especially in the first part, we kept jumping back and forth in time without any explanation. I still have no idea what happened there and why it had to be so disorganized. Part of the story was very interesting. Kriss has immense powers and he seems to be haunted. However, this story isn't explored until later in the graphic novel.
In the meanwhile, we follow Anja and Kriss their friendship, which is... ok. There are some feelings left unanswered, she dates someone else, typical boring story. I do think that this story could develop further and become more interesting, however, not in this part, unfortunately.
Overall, this graphic novel has so much potential and it is enjoyable, but there are some questionable parts in it that could have been a lot better.

The graphics where amazing in this novel, however I wish Kriss's background would have been explored a little more. I did like the story line, it left the ending wondering, "what will happen next?" I usually don't read graphic-novels but the cover alone is what caught my attention.

Over all rating 3.5, this is my honest opinion!

Kriss: The Gift of Wrath by Ted Naifeh, 115 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL
Oni Press, 2019. $15.
Language: PG13 (10 swears, 0 “f”) ; Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Kriss struggles to understand what the purpose of his life is in a village that continually rejects his efforts. Listening to the voice that tells him that he comes from the northern kingdom, Kriss prepares himself to leave -- though one friend in the village isn’t ready to say goodbye.
Honestly, I’m still confused about what the story was about and where it was going, but I’m not as upset as I usually am about a book I didn’t understand. Instead, I find myself intrigued. I want to read more of Kriss’s story and see how this fits into the bigger picture of his life. As Kriss searched for answers of where he came from and where he is going, that desire was lit inside of me as well. Hopefully, we all get those answers sooner rather than later.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I really liked the premise for this graphic novel; I think it had a lot going for it. However, I felt like the story was a bit rushed and Kriss's story could have been a lot more flushed out than it was. The art was fine, but I wish there had been more reaction panels instead of there being dialogue in nearly every picture. I really enjoy those reaction panels in graphic novels and I think adding those into the mix brings some depth into the story.

The characters were all pretty one dimensional and with such an interesting premise I think there was a lot of room to have interesting characters. Some of it was a bit confusing in the beginning and I couldn't always tell who was speaking.

All in all, this has a great premise but the execution was lacking and the art was fine but not great.