Priya and the Lost Girls

Priya's Shakti #3

by Ram Devineni, Dipti Mehta, Syd Fini (Illustrator)

Priya continues her adventures with her flying tiger, Sahas. She returns home and discovers all the young women have disappeared in her rural village including her sister, Laxmi. She learns from her parents that they were taken to an underground city called Rahu. Priya searches out for the city and discovers it is run by a demon living in a volcano, who gets his power through fear and entrapment of women in his brothel city. The city used to be a tranquil kingdom run by Manidhari, half-snake and half-woman and her husband, Paatal. But, Rahu tricked them and turned the kingdom into a wasteland and put his servant, Amrit, in charge of luring women and controlling them. Priya has to convince her sister and the other women to leave Rahu and break his spell over them. When the women escape and return home, they face the stigma and prejudices from their own people and family-- which angers Priya and leads to a dramatic conclusion. The third chapter in the "Priya's Shakti" comic book series.

There is a new weapon in the battle to prevent violence against women in India — a comic book. – Wall Street Journal

Priya’s Shakti is a path-breaking superhero who fights for women’s rights and equality. — India Express

Genres: Comics

44 pages, comic book

First published November 15, 2019

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This deals with the trafficking of girls into the sex trade, but unlike some stories, the focus in on the society that leads to such events. Good.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Instead of keeping girls safe from the world, create a world that is safe for them! We will wait for that world.”

Priya and the Lost Girls draws attention to the plight of young girls in India who are forced or tricked into working in brothels. Although the comic is short, the artwork is beautiful and the message is powerful.

In this story Priya, a rape survivor and divinely appointed defender of women, confronts prostitution. She journeys to the city of Rahu, searching for her missing sister Lakshmi. Once there, she discovers the city is full of young women trapped and must find the strength to save them.

[Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept of a graphic novel combating human trafficking is revolutionary! The visuals are so dazzling and the message so epic, that you'll find yourself reading it more than once.

The author chose to use comics to reach teenagers and engage them in a discussion about rape, trafficking, and gender inequality. I genuinely appreciated how the writer doesn't merely ascribe the blame of human trafficking to the acts of a few evil individuals, but rather he challenges us to hold ourselves accountable and reflect on how our cultural and societal roles/practices contribute to this deplorable practice. This is an absolute must read!

Another revolutionary feature of this novel is that it is absolutely free! So if you like it, be sure to support it.
- Priya and the Lost Girls - Download here
- Backing the project - Support here

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great comic book to gently teach younger (older elementary or high school aged) readers about human trafficking. Priya, the protagonist, is smart and courageous and I find the metaphor of having a tiger in one's heart to be so powerful. The different colours and scenes that artists Syd Fini and Neda Kazemifar created to tell the story really make it seem like you are walking through flames or, later, being cleansed by a rush of water.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

YAS. Now this is more like it.
Women-centric and focusing on women rather than male characters. The villain is secondary and strong women characters shine. This was a great volume. The first two were a bit rocky, but if this series continues in this vein, I think it can definitely see its message ring true.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Instead of keeping girls safe from the world, create a world that is safe for them! We will wait for that world".

Potente e riuscita metafora della condizione delle prostitute (ma, in generale, delle donne) indiane.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this one should have been longer for some reason.

[Will L · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best comic I have read in a while.

[Nathália Brum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito bom!!!!!