Talli, Daughter of the Moon Vol. 3

Talli, fille de la Lune #3

by Sourya Sihachakr, François Vigneault (Translator)

"Dynamic action and humorous dialogue personify this exhilarating series." —Publishers Weekly

Cartoonist Sourya’s manga and bandes dessinées-inspired adventure continues as Talli trains to master her mysterious powers before her pursuers lay siege to the city in the third exhilarating installment of the Daughter of the Moon series!

Talli is a Summoner, a being of immense but mysterious powers granted by the Moon Goddess, and shunned by society for that very power. After the vicious battle with the Forest King, Talli and her companions have finally found a much-needed refuge in a mountain village whose people are still loyal to the Children of the Moon.

Secluded atop the forbidding Diamond Peak with the enigmatic swordsman Lélo, Talli begins her training with the cantankerous Fara, and must confront her deepest fears and darkest memories. But time is swiftly running out for Talli’s bruised and battered companions as the relentless Lord Ulric’s forces lay siege to their mountain stronghold. Can Talli master the terrifying power that courses through her veins in time to save the people she loves from the unstoppable Lord Ulric?

French-Laotian cartoonist Sourya reaches new creative heights in this emotional and action-packed volume of Talli: Daughter of the Moon, seamlessly merging the best elements of manga and bandes dessinées in a powerful fantasy epic for the ages!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics Manga

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 22, 2021

About the author

Sourya est né en 1986 et vit aujourd’hui à Angoulême. Diplômé de l’Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués de Paris, et de l’École des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation Angoulême, il a notamment assuré la réalisation et l’animatique du pilote d’El Sistema pour Prélude Animation, et travaillé comme animateur sur Les Mondes de Pahé (Blue Spirit Animation). Il a reçu en 2009 le prix du public au concours Canal J : Les Espoirs de l’Animation pour La Leçon de Piano. Rouge est son premier album de bande dessinée.

Reviews

[S46354595 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this would get written faster...

Talli 1&2 Review

5/5 stars

I’ve been on a huge manga/graphic novel kick lately, so I nabbed these two from the library and gave them a try. I won’t be spoiling anything, so no worries. Onto the review!

I read the first two volumes of this French manga series this last week, because we had them at the library and they looked cool as heck. As I quickly found out, they are in fact really awesome.

We follow this girl, Talli, who has secret magical powers that allow her to summon giant creatures to fight for her. She does this every single time she bleeds, without fail. That’s just how it works. Imagine getting a paper cut and BAM! giant horned bird! There’s this running joke about her accidentally summoning for the first time when she got her first period, and oh wow, that’s horrifying. I never thought that experience could get any scarier until now. Holy crap.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this kind of power before, unless you count Sai from Naruto. But his thing is more about drawing animals and they come to life as little ink monsters. So yeah, this is very different from that.

At the start of this series, Talli has to leave her safe castle with her guard, because some people found out she was hiding there and want to kill her. The government is afraid of people with her powers, because they’re afraid of anyone and anything with power. I mean, yeah, she could use the powers for evil. We know that Talli would never be evil, but the government doesn’t know that.

Talli and her guard are headed to a neighboring country, where they were told the queen would help them. Along the way, they meet a washed up merchant and the boy staying with him who help them escape the soldiers chasing them. And…that’s pretty much the first volume. We mostly just meet the characters and are introduced to the conflict.

The second volume is where I really got invested. The soldiers cut them off from the main path, and they end up having to travel through this creepy forest. In this forest, there are a lot of angry wolves led by one giant wolf who want them to leave the forest. One of the top soldiers, this lady who looks a lot like Olivier Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist, ends up traveling with them, because she got separated from the group and can’t go back without being eaten by the wolves.

There’s some more discussion as to what Talli’s powers are and where they come from, because there are some villagers in the forest who worship the moon goddesses or something like that. I guess the powers all originally came from these goddesses and their descendants.

In order to get through the forest, they have to learn to work together with the soldier, or else the wolves will get them. I was getting major Princess Mononoke vibes from the second volume, with the big wolf being possessed by a demon.

There’s one panel in particular where I could picture a specific scene from Princess Mononoke. It was a reference to the one moment in the beginning of the movie when the first pig demon dies and his flesh rots off. I can stomach pretty much everything else in the movie with the blood and whatnot, except that one scene. You could have picked any scene to reference, and you go with that one? WHY? No one wants to remember that scene. But hey, it did the trick in making me immediately know that the author was intentionally taking inspiration from the movie.

I’m pretty sure there are also references to some of the Final Fantasy games in here. The author said in her notes at the end that those games were a huge inspiration to her. The world does feel a bit like the medieval worlds of Final Fantasy. Although, there’s a lot less creatures and the magic is nothing like the magic in the games. But you cannot tell me that the big horned bird Talli summons isn’t inspired by the Chocobo. She needs to learn how to ride it at some point. She just has to. I need that scene.

There’s a quote from some reviewer at the beginning of the first volume that says this is like a mashup of manga and French comics. I kept trying to figure out if there were references to Tintin or Archie or anything, but honestly it just felt like a typical shonen manga. Maybe that person was comparing the humor of manga to the humor of French comics. I mean, they’re kind of similar, I guess. At least from what I remember of watching the Tintin cartoon as a kid. I don’t think I’ve ever read the comics though, so I can’t say that for sure.

Overall, I had a fun time with these two volumes. Now I have to wait around for the third one to get translated. I have no clue how long the author is planning to keep this series going for, but I’m hoping it’s quite long. I love the characters already and I’m only two volumes in. If this ends up a short series I’ll be so sad we don’t get more. I’m also really hoping we eventually get an anime out of this. This would make such an amazing anime.

If this at all sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend giving it a try. But definitely read the first two back to back. You likely won’t be hooked until the second one.

Have a nice day/night everyone!

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Who ever said anything about containing your power!" crows the irascible old biddy. And thus, a new spectrum of possibilities opens up for a young woman whose blood inheritance, once believed the omen of humanity's demise, could become a source of true beneficence.

TALLI: DAUGHTER OF THE MOON v3 slows things down just enough for Talli and her team to catch their breath, bandage their wounds, and seek support from a few, new, close allies. The dense, snowy forest and its ensorcelled denizens nearly decimated the gang, but as Talli emerges from the deep valley, hope twines with panic: (1) An outpost known as Diamond Summit is said to house a wise old summoner (who can teach Talli a thing or two about her power); (2) Lord Ulric's manifestly brutal Special Brigade knows no sleep and continues tracking the group, step for step.

The balance of action and drama shifts accordingly in the current volume. Talli, a wounded Sir Alan, and a mindful Lélo, a wounded Pavel, and on and on, must make tough decisions about who to protect, how earnestly they must endeavor to protect those individuals, and acknowledge the risks they engender in doing so. Just how powerful are summoners? Is the written history as accurate as Talli believes it to be? What happens when the gray area between fighting for what one believes in, and fighting for the verifiable truth on the ground, widens and envelops everything in sight?

Sir Alan's investment in treating Captain Nina like a regular person will pay dividends (but only if the others believe in her as well). Lélo's boyish indifference to Maddie's skill is less cold ingratitude than it is a mute reflection of his individual, awkward charm (which may well translate to jealousy soon enough). But just as good deeds are often muddled by bad context, so also are bad deeds made more complex by ambiguous motives.

In TALLI v3, readers watch Lord Ulric drive his Special Brigade to the barricaded door of Diamond Summit, intimidate its citizens, demand the release of a certain white-haired girl, and proceed to threaten to slaughter innocent people and burn their homes to the frosted earth. Readers also encounter the hidden intrigue at the crux of Lord Ulric's violence: tales of untethered summoner powers; rumors of a humanity pressed against itself without remorse; and unwritten legends that detail "another version of the story of the Chimera War," which centers the peerless Tanin, the ancient summoner-swordswoman, not as a compassionate savior but as a vengeful, prejudiced demigod.

Often, the dogged pursuit of a presumably just cause will skew one's remit toward less conscientious endeavors. This theme held true in the time of ancient wars and it holds true with regard to Talli's repeated scraps with soldiers, knights, and more. Chief Reiner of Diamond Summit will do anything to protect the legacy of the summoners (and is convinced his citizens are all willing to sacrifice just as much as he). Fara, mistress of the sanctuary atop the summit, is a hilariously cantankerous old lady (but she never shies away from the possibility that what one fears and what one loves possess overlapping merits).

And the author's knack for beautiful background art continues with another lovely example: the inner home of the mountain-top recluse. Old Fara's home is large on the outside but is wonderfully snug and comfortable on the inside. Wreathes of vine-work, lattices of drying herbs, and terraced shelves of potted plants; dozens of homegrown root vegetables stew in a giant pot; woven baskets, stools, pottery, and the warm hearth, all cracked and weathered and aged but also warm and welcoming. When Fara mocks Lélo's sympathy for being so far away from civilization, she says "I do just fine on my own!" and she means it.

TALLI v3 pushes its characters to the fore, and while the book contains plenty of action (hand-to-hand combat with little sorcery), the graphic novel's focus is squarely on further developing its characters into rounder, more identifiable shapes. Notably, Lélo's dedication to Talli fritters from the obligatory to the duly sought-after, and both youngsters share a quiet moment or two. And while the infinitely scowling Lord Ulric is definitely an antagonistic figure, one shouldn't miss the man's hesitation when Talli witnesses his militant barbarity and pledges to return the favor. Alas, who is the perpetuator of bloodshed here? The black knight who kills in advance of an assumed merciless threat, or the untutored juvenile with the power of an unforgiving moon goddess?

[KSena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was the last part, but alas... I was wrong. It is the last part translated, yes. But there'll be more. I hope I won't have to wait to long for the rest.

This too had some INCREDIBLE artwork in the fightscenes. I mean, HO BOY! So good!

We find out more about the bad guys and the good guys. And suddenly things aren't so black and white anymore. There's actually a reason for the bad guys to act the way they do. Which is quite interesting. Let's just say they can hold a grudge...

I really do enjoy the friendship and maybe more between Lelo and Talli. It's really cute, both of them are so headstrong and tough. But in different ways. I lean more to having Lelo as a favorite. He's been so traumatized as a little kid I can't help but root for him!

The artwork over all of these have been incredible. And I like how fast-paced the story is, and also how we get just bits and pieces of the background for this world and the magic in it, not all at once.

And I'm glad the COOL badass Captain Nina changed side to the good guys side now. She's really kick-ass and I like her too! Never wrong with a good guy with a dark past. I've liked that for YEARS!

Oh well. Guess I have to be patient now and wait until they've translated part 4.

[Sunread26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2025/...

Extrait :
Troisième tome déjà pour la série, j’ai eu confirmation sur les réseaux que l’auteur va la continuer jusqu’au tome 5, comme il l’avait prévu. Je pourrais donc au moins lire la suite en format numérique, pour le physique, j’ignore s’il finira par proposer quelque chose. Quitte à attendre, je pense que le mieux est d’avoir fini la série au complet pour la proposer directement complète (quitte à refaire des campagnes de temps en temps). L’aventure de Talli continue et elle n’a pas fini de se battre !

Alors que le groupe pensait pouvoir souffler un peu, il apprend que l’unité spéciale n’est pas loin du village et qu’elle l’atteindra d’ici quelques jours. Pour Talli, le temps continu d’être pressant, elle doit se rendre au temple, dans l’espoir d’apprendre à mieux contrôler ses pouvoirs. Comme je m’en doutais, c’est une vieille invocatrice qu’elle retrouvera à son sommet. Celle-ci n’a clairement plus de problème mensuel, mais avec l’âge, elle est également affaiblie en termes de puissance. Elle montre qu’une invocatrice ne se contente pas d’invoquer, mais qu’elle peut aussi communiquer avec la faune ou attirer la flore, même dans un endroit aussi reculer et au climat extrême. En fait, c’est un peu comme des druides j’ai envie de dire, par contre, niveau caractère, on dirait que le cochon s’en rapproche le plus… Je me demande d’où vient cette expression, ça n’a pas l’air chiant un cochon pourtant (peut-être de son cri ?). En tout cas, j’aime beaucoup le design du temple et ce qu’il contient. Il ne semble pas bien grand, mais contient tout de même un espace dédié aux périodes dangereuses. Talli ne fera qu’une bouchée de cette pièce, preuve de sa puissance, mais apprendra aussi à mieux appréhender son pouvoir. Le changement est léger et cela se comprend, toutefois, elle est désormais sur la bonne voie pour continuer d’avancer. Ils vont reprendre leur route et je suppose que la fin de l’histoire sera quand elle arrivera enfin à destination, en maîtrisant un peu mieux ses pouvoirs. Reste à savoir quels problèmes elle va encore pouvoir rencontrer entre temps, l’unité spéciale à peut-être battue en retraite, mais elle peut revenir. Ce qui est bien, c’est que cette unité ignore qu’il y a une autre invocatrice cachée derrière le village, donc elle semble pouvoir continuer à vivre tranquillement.

La relation entre Talli et Lélo semble également enfin avancer un peu. Les deux personnages sont clairement attirés l’un par l’autre, même si, jusqu’à présent, c’est surtout Talli qui montrait ses sentiments. Je ne saurais dire ce qui a bien pu les charmer chez l’autre, mais bon, une scène assez cool a lieu dans le tome. Même entre Alan et Nina il semble s’installer quelque chose, je n’irais pas jusqu’à dire qu’il s’agit de romance, mais plutôt de respect mutuel. Alan admirant sa force et elle son intégrité et sa conduite digne d’un chevalier. Parce qu’il faut le dire, Nina n’est pas une chevaleresse, elle fait partie de l’unité spéciale oui, mais pas en tant que telle. Est-ce parce qu’elle manie un arc ? Qu’elle est une femme ? Non issue de la noblesse ? Ce n’est pas précisé. Elle finit par repartir avec ce qu’il reste de l’unité spéciale et notamment son mentor gravement blessé, mais épargné par Talli. J’aimerais croire en une rédemption de sa part, mais le gars à passer toute sa vie à chasser des invocatrices, je doute qu’il change maintenant. Arrêter cela revient à dissoudre son unité et à admettre qu’il ne sert à rien, chose qui doit être insupportable pour quelqu’un d’aussi fier que lui. J’ai donc un peu peur de sa réaction en apprenant ce que Nina a fait, lui-même n’allait pas hésiter à la tuer alors qu’elle souhaitait épargner les innocents. Elle avait encore une âme, et je doute que cela soit encore le cas de son mentor, même si elle souhaite y croire. Son destin semble partir vers la tragédie, même si moi-même, j’espère encore une fin où elle aura sa rédemption, sans avoir à y laisser sa propre vie.

[...]

[Crumble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moins bien que dans mes souvenirs (en même temps j’avais vraiment adoré à l’époque), la romance entre les deux personnages et un peu forcée (les deux personnages du genre opposés du même âge quoi), mais bon dommage que l’auteur est jamais pu publier les deux derniers tomes j’aurais aimé savoir la fin moi😭
Sinon j’aime beaucoup le style des dessins et le chevalier Alan a jamais dans mon coeur🗣️

[Niniane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bon, c'est très classique. C'est plein de dialogues et de situations que j'ai l'impression d'avoir vues mille fois (peut-être qu'un public plus jeune n'aura pas ce problème). Mais les scènes d'action restent dynamiques et efficaces, ce qui rend la lecture plaisante.

[Gianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

not to sound like a mf who reads fantasy for romance but FINALLY ROMANCE INTRODUCTION I WAS KICKING MY FEET THEY ARE SOOO CUTE!! also crazy ass battle sequence love that old lady at the top of the mountain we are checking off every fantasy trope guys /pos

[Erelah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! The art is beautiful and the story is so fun, I loved meeting the second summoner, fara, and all the interesting details we got to learn about Talli! Like her lost memory, that was great.

I will however say that the romance is not my vibe