These Savage Shores

The year is 1766 and the East India Company is seeking to establish a permanent trade route for its silk road. Fleeing one who hunts him, Alain sails aboard one of those ships to India, seeking freedom from his predator, only to find that his new home is even more dangerous than he thought, for the lands of India are home to a being more savage even than vampires.This graphic novel was very different from the ones I typically read. The character to which we are originally introduced turns out not to be the protagonist; nor is the one who hunts him across the seas. Instead, the protagonist is one that I even have trouble calling a protagonist, for he is a monster that most men would run from. Yet, in the story that is presented, in the violence that is perpetrated both by him and against him, we are shown his humanity and his mortality.The illustrations of this story very much match the title - they are savage, they are violent, and they run red with blood - yet in spite of that, or perhaps because of it, the illustrations are beautiful. I don't think this is a book I will read again, not because it wasn't good - it very much was - but rather because it ends as it began, and the truths presented in it are hard to sit with.

This is a really well-written comic book. What I found most impressive was how many well-developed characters there are for such a short read; The book feels much longer than it is because the author squeezes so many plots and sub-plots into the thing. However, he does a good job at developing and weaving all of these plots together and it never feels like too much or half-baked. I also really liked the relationships between the characters and found them to be very moving, especially the relationship between Bishan and the prince.As far as the actual story goes, I wouldn't really classify this as a vampire story, although vampires are involved. It is almost more of a history story with vampires thrown in. Definitely not a horror story. If you enjoy good art and a well-developed story and characters, you will probably like this.I gave it 4 stars because it is really, really good. I would only give 5 stars to the classic, all-time greats. Will I read it again someday? Most likely.

The vampires are not the big bad in this one, which is a nice change.

A must-read for all vampire fans and history buffs.

Great story and artwork!

I love monster stories and this one has a new one that is very intriguing. Here’s to hoping the monster will return.;)

This was a beautifully written and executed story with quite a punch. Using an urban fantasy tale to give strong metaphors as to the actual situation in 1770s India, there is a lot more here to enjoy that just a simple tale of new and old world monsters. The illustration, coloring, and lettering work are all superb, further enhancing the story. It can be difficult to create something truly original using the vampire genre but it is done extremely well here.Story: The old world vampires control the true power in England, including the extremely powerful East India Company. But they do so secretly for reasons of safety and security. When one aristo is caught indiscreetly supping on a servant, his brethren ship him off to India so the incident will be forgotten. But there are old world monsters in India, as well. Bishan is an immortal - a raakshas. When the aristo is killed after attempting to feed on a local girl, the aristos in England demand revenge. In the midst of the political machinations of sultans and the British, Bishan the raakshas and Count Jurre Granno the Vampire are about to clash.The story is told directly and also through letters from various characters in the story. Although Bishan and his mortal love Kori are the two main characters, there is also the Aristo Vampire Pierre, a vampire hunter, a prince, and a Sultan sharing time. This isn't just an urban fantasy; rather, it's an exploration of the politics of India and the influence of the English as they began to take over the subcontinent. Their stories are all interwoven quite skillfully, never following one character too long and showing just how dangerous it is to be around the immortals. Most importantly, none of the characters are fools; some are arrogant and overconfident but this is shown to be a fault that often causes their downfall.Most interesting for me was that there was a lot to say about the East India Company, a real entity at the time (they were the first corporation in the world) and extremely ruthless and powerful. In this story, the Vampires are a metaphor for what the Company really did to the people in South East Asia, especially India. Perhaps most telling was the fate of Kori in the story, which I won't go into here for spoilers but she is the embodiment of India. But this isn't a one-sided tale about the evils of England at the time; India's squabbling was shown to help create the perfect situation in which English greed could take root and flourish.The illustration work is solid - clean, easy to follow, and intriguing. The color scheme is rich and layered, which a nightly blue-green for England and a vibrant sunny yellow for India. It is no accident that the Britain scenes are all at night while the India scenes mostly take place in daylight. Panels are interesting and there are some wonderful angles drawn that make you want to stop and explore that page. But most impressive is the strength of emotions conveyed, from surprise to despair, resignation to avarice.If I have one issue, it's that once again the historical aspects as drawn are incorrect. For some reason, the artist has mixed 1770s Georgian male fashions with 1870s Victorian female gothic fashions. E.g., in later scenes Kori is wearing clothing that is 150 years too early and it just looks sloppy. Perhaps it was done for artistic reasons (pairing gotchic with vampires) but it makes no sense considering the men are all dressed in more era-appropriate clothing. Just imagine a story set in the 1950s where guys are wearing jeans and t-shirts while the women are decked out in American Revolutionary War era clothing and you get the idea of the mismatch.The above issue aside, I really enjoyed this book a lot. It improves even more upon re-reading and when you have a grasp of the history of this era. There is a lot being said about the people of both England and India within. This volume one contains a complete arc; I am intrigued on where it will go from here. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

'These Savage Shores Vol. 1' by Ram V with art by Sumit Kumar is a story of monsters in an India that is in conflict with Europe in the mid-1700s.When an English vampire goes too far in England, he is sent to Calicut by ship. Once there, he meets his death at the hands of a creature that is sworn to protect his land. The conflict for this land shows that we are all capable of being monsters, but this particular tale takes on the shape of a tragedy in the poignant ending.I didn't think we needed another vampire tale, but the setting and time period brings a real freshness to the story. The inherent tragedy of these sort of stories is ramped up nicely here. The art by Sumit Kumar is a standout.I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Vault Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I really enjoyed this book. Bought it on a whim and glad I did. Beautiful art and a good story that is something a little different. Take a chance on it.

One of the best comics I’ve read in a long time. If you like your horror to be about something then this book delivers.Smart writing and incredible art. Trust me this book is the whole package.

great story enhanced by even better illustration. a must for any graphic novel/comic collectors.

All good ,no problems.

📚 These Savage Shores✒️ Story: Ram V✒️ Artwork: Sumit Kumar✒️ Colours: Vittorio Astone✒️ Lettering: Aditya Bidikar✒️ Genre- Historical Fiction/Horror/Thriller✒️ Publisher: Vault Comics✒️ No. Of Pages: 181🚫Trigger Warning: Graphic Violence,Nudity 🚫📚Plot: The story is set in 18th century India and starts when a British Lord, Alain Pierrefont is revealed to be a vampire. He escapes London and arrives in Calicut where no vampire hunter would be able to find him. But what happens when in India, he encounters horrors far dangerous and older than vampires. You have to read the story to find out.The story is good and the conflict between East India Company and Haider Ali is woven perfectly with the supernatural and mythological elements of the main plot. A main character is taken from Hindu Mythology and he is not explicitly mentioned as such but if you have even a basic knowledge of Ramayan you would know which character is that.The art is superb with the colouring complementing the art so well.The best part about writing of Ram V is that the panels themselves tell you the story without the need for any captions or dialogue bubbles. The same can also be seen in his Aghori series.However, I would've preferred a bit more suspense in the story but I think the makers were aiming for horror thriller so it is a good read anyway.Overall if you're bored of Superhero genre, like me, this book is perfect for you.