Lewis Trondheim, the great French artist, has given me more joy in more varied ways than I can count. His versatility as a storyteller is magnificent, and this unexpected tome from his oeuvre only solidifies my love for his work. Based on the true story of French slaves and colonists on the small Indian Ocean territory, this is a harrowing account of greed, murder and popular revolt. While Trondheim uses his trademark funny animal characters, this is a deadly serious book retelling an age when humans lived and died as commodities. Together with co-writer Olivier Apollodorus, Trinfheim has crafted a highly atmospheric tale employing all the mystique of a pirate tale while leaving out all of the false romance such stories usually force upon us.

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