La Fée Assassine

by Sylvie Roge (Scénariste ), Olivier Grenson (Illustrateur)

"Nos destins étaient liés et rien ne pouvait les séparer.
Si elle souffrait, je souffrais. Si elle mourait, je mourrais."
Une jeune femme, en apparence douce et calme, vient d'être placée en garde à vue. Pour son compagnon, c'est la stupéfaction. Face à son avocat, elle livre peu à peu l'histoire de sa vie. Celle de deux sœurs jumelles, d'un père absent et d'une mère dure, amère et alcoolique.
Mais aussi celle d'un terrible secret de famille qui fera basculer leurs vies et mènera à un drame inéluctable.

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels, Comics, Ebooks, Drama, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

190 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2021

Reviews

[toointofiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We were like two free spirits...we didn't need anyone else. We were complete unto ourselves."

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❗This is a completely spoiler-free ARC review from NetGalley❗


Wow...my mind is blown and my heart is in ribbons. I'm not sure how if I can collect my thoughts long enough to write an adequate review but here we go. As usual, because this is an ARC and spoilers are huge oh-no-no's, this review will be shorter than usual, which I'm sure you'll enjoy more than my usual crazy rants.


This was INCREDIBLE!!! This story captured me and refused to let go until I finished it, beginning to end. Just...wow. It was beautiful, sad, and gruesome, all at the same time. I absolutely loved the structure, the way the story was told/narrated by the main character and accused murderer, Frannie. The way it is methodically revealed what her childhood was like, how she was raised, what was her relationships like with her mother, twin sister, uncle and aunt was very well written. It was all complicated in a very, very intriguing sort of way. There was only one short moment, near the beginning, where I felt confused and didn't really understand what was happening but that became clear quickly for me. It was all written in a way that caused anticipation. I went crazy waiting to see if she really was a murderer or not, and if yes, then who did she kill?? It was all sweet torture. In addition, the art was preeeettyy sweet. It wasn't just how well the character's expressions were drawn, I feel like it also captured the tone of the story, its mystery, its sadness, and its few moments of joy perfectly.


I found the characters to be incredibly well written. From Frannie, herself, to pretty much everyone else in the story. The only thing that bothered me a little is that, while it became completely clear what Frannie was like as a child, there was hardly any information on how she was like as an adult. There are several clues, including her boyfriend's various statements about her kindness, etc. but it was clear that she also kept a lot of things from him, including a lot of her past. I would have loved to see a little more of what she was like as a grown person, away from the traumas of her past, but still not healed from them, perhaps even the see differences between her and her sister now that they are adults. Especially since her relationship with her twin is the one with the most emphasis in the story.


If you're a fan of a good murder mystery, this would be a pretty good choice. I highly recommend it.

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Angel of Death is a sad life story of twins Tania and Frannie. After a traumatic event, Frannie remembers her life and where things went wrong. She and her sister had a rough childhood. The story itself has a hint of mystery. But in its essence, the genre is literary fiction.

The art is stunning and very beautiful. The mood in this graphic novel is sad, melancholic, and sometimes quite suffocating. Illustrator captured it very well. Light brown color dominates and enhances this mood.

Thanks to Europe Comics for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.

[itselv]

تحكي هذه الرواية عن توأم وعلاقتهما مع والدتهما التي انتهت بشكل مُبهم، لكنه يتضح لنا بشكل تدريجي. الأفكار المطروحة تستحق الطرح والمناقشة، طريقة عرض الفكرة كانت شاعرية ومذهلة، تخلق أجواء حية ببراعة مثيرة للإعجاب. المشهد الأخير عُرض بطريقة سينمائية رائعة للغاية.. أحببتها، أتمنى أن أقرا المزيد من القصص المصورة من هذا النوع.

[madame Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 étoiles parce que c’était bien triste. bien difficile et bien bouleversant à lire. j’aurais souhaité une fin plus douce 💭

[Sonya Ben Behi]

Je ne saurais comment noter cette lecture, l'histoire est assez simple, touchante certes et même à un moment glaçante, mais c'est une histoire très prévisible, très linéaire et somme toute basique. Ce qui a fait la beauté de cettw BD est le graphisme, les images sont à couper le souffle, d'une beauté éthérale. Le trait est d'une douceur...certaines planche m'ont laissée sans voix, et d'autres comme hypnotisée. Une bande dessinée d'une rare beauté, qui ne laisse pas indifférent !

[Eléna | Elena_prof_en_adapt · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai grandement aimé cette bande dessinée. Je ne m'attendais pas du tout à ce genre d'histoire. Tout au long du récit, on découvre pourquoi un tel drame est arrivé à dans la vie de Fanny. Un passé qui refait surface et qui explique peut-être un geste si violent près de la folie.

[Sonia Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

les planches sont tellement belles. Une des plus beau roman graphique que j'ai lu.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een boek waarin een vrouw een moord pleegt op Kerstmis en we langzaam zien waarom ze dat heeft gedaan. We lezen over haar jeugd, over haar tweelingzus, over haar moeder die psychisch niet gezond is en best slechte dingen doet en de tweeling ook tegen elkaar opzet op tijden (al mislukt dat vaak goed want de meiden hebben echt een bond die niet zo snel breekt). We lezen over vakanties met een oom/tante waar de meiden even gewoon blij konden zijn en niet bang hoeven te zijn voor hun moeder. Je ziet gewoon steeds meer en je snapt ook steeds meer de beweegredenen van de vrouw, waarom ze op die Kerstdag dit heeft gedaan. En dan komt Kerst zelf, en alle geheimen die daar uitkomen, holy hell. Wat een heks is die moeder (en dat is nog lief, want ik heb wat andere keuze woorden voor moeders gebruikt voor het hele boek).
Ik vond het heftig om te lezen. Helaas vond ik het einde erggggg teleurstellend, ik had graag een conclusie willen zien. Wat is er met de vrouw gebeurd? Hoe is de rechtszaak gegaan?
Mooie art!

[Imran Mahmud · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a very sad story of twins.
They had to deal with some ‘mystery issues’ throughout the childhood. As a reader, I am also had a journey of mysteries with them.
The artwork is gloomy, sometimes dark, but a complete match with the mood of the story.

[Karine Mon coin lecture · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 - Des dessins magistraux, tout en douceur et en finesse, mais une histoire un peu trop simple à mon goût.

[✿ K.B ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angel Of Death is a story of twin sisters who had a rough time growing up with their mother. Their only source of joy comes from their loving uncle and aunt who dote on them very much as their own. As they grow up they found out who their father was and why their mother was so cold to them. On Christmas, eve tragedy happens that forces one of the twins to recollect her childhood and the trauma both of them had to endure under their mother's care.

This story was captivating as it got me hooked from start to finish. It was sad, and melancholic but also had a few panels where it felt really happy as well. The twins didn't deserve the childhood trauma from their mother. Frannie got the worst of it, for no reason at all. On Christmas eve the least their mother could do was behave for once and be loving and caring. What happens after was as tragic as their lives. The narrative was flawlessly put together, as Frannie was recollecting her childhood from when she could remember things. Her mothers cold-shouldering them, trying to break them apart, and how she never failed to show her contempt towards them. She never made it easy for them, she always picked at them scolded and sometimes never cared at all. I also enjoyed the uncle's diary entry part. Such a smart and beautiful narration with baby pictures and true emotions jotted down.

The characters were genuine and very well written. The twins had a strong connection and bond between them, nothing breaking them apart. Uncle Louis and Aunt Pauli were my favorites because they were such a beautiful couple and parent figures for the twins. Thank God they had them, or else it would have been way worse for them growing up under their mother's care. Their mother was royal garbage because she wanted her lover back so much that she failed to see her children are a part of him and should have doted on them if not their runaway father. There was no character development for the mother, who needed it truly but it was also ok because some people are built that way, always loathsome. And it had to be shown and needed for the obvious tragedy to happen that brought our protagonist to be in this situation in the first place.

I was very pleased with the art style and the color palette. I hope the dullness of the palette with only red as the exception was intentional because it worked well with the story. The art style was lovely with its colored pencil texture and how it was detailed yet very simple. Truly spectacular for a murder mystery. In every panel you could see their emotions, a little pout here and a bit of scrunching their eyebrows there, the shock and sadness on the twin's faces whenever their mom did something unthinkably bad to one of them. Not just the twins but the grown-ups and their expressions were also nicely illustrated.

This awesome book was fast-paced, incredibly written, and had a beautiful art style. The mystery, the story, the characters and everything in between were super stunning.

[Ingrid Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Publisher’s description: A beautiful young woman is accused of an unspeakable crime that seems completely out of step with her sweet personality. As she tells her life story to her attorney, the book delves into the psyche and past of a young girl with a cold mother, an absent father, a twin sister with whom she shared an unbreakable bond, and a horrific family secret that leads to tragedy. 

This was one of the saddest graphic novels I’ve read that I can remember. Two beautiful twin girls, the love they have for each other is enviable. A rare and special love that seems to be unique to twins. The horrific family secret didn’t seem that horrific to me. It was no one's fault and just the luck of the draw in some identical twins.

The mother was a monster! But then that may be an insult to monsters. She married a man she loved, who did not want children, yet she got pregnant. Best laid plans and all, right? But his response was to just walk away as if she and his child did not exist. For her part, she waited for him to return forever and blamed her beautiful children for the loss of this man.

First, she gives the babies away to her brother, whose wife cannot have children, and they love these girls with everything they have. Then, of course, Mommy dearest wants them back when she sees how happy they are.

She makes their lives a living hell. She tells them she hates them, never wanted them, wishes they were dead. So why the heck take them back?

Both girls do what they can with the cards they have been dealt, and cling to each other for love. The tragedy that finally happens is heartbreaking. There is no happy ending here. Just crushed lives and hearts.

The story was excellent and the artwork was wonderful. Europe Comics has become one of my favorite publishers of graphic novels. So far I have not had one that wasn’t wonderful in some fashion or another. I will continue to look for them when I want above-the-ordinary graphic novels.

Thanks to @netgalley, Europe Comics, Sylvie Roge, and Oliver Grenson for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Graphic Novel

A graphic novel about depression, toxic relationship within family and love.

The story starts at Christmas time in Paris when a family is supposed to meet up for Christmas Eve dinner party. In the meantime, we meet Thibault, who is called to attend police station to find his partner Frannie arrested for, what at that time appears to be, a physical assault.

When Frannie meets her lawyer, in order to defend her at the tribunal at his best ability, he must have all necessary details which occurred prior to the attack. Therefore she starts telling him her story.

Frannie has a twin sister Tania with whom they share a special bond. Their mother seems to have untreated depression and is lacking any emotions towards to her children which results in her intrigues against twins to destroy their special bond by preferring Tania over Frannie.

Luckily for girls, they experience what a family life should like, thanks to their Uncle Louise and his wife Pauline. They spent holidays together (Easter, Summer, Christmas), Pauli shares her wisdom with girls in terms of growing up into womanhood, boys, makeup etc. and all four of them seem to have a special bond. Except girl's mother.

The story is fast paced and keeps you guessing of what is coming next. Illustrations easily awoke any emotions along with importance of the hidden message of the story. What I will take out of it is the importance to heal any wounds gained in the past. Otherwise, the pain can take control of our mind and dictate our future path. It is always easy to judge someone for their bitterness but to seek the truth behind it might not be always pleasant.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Europe Comics for an electronic ARC in return for an honest review.

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vermoorde onschuld. Scenario: Sylvie Roge. Tekeningen: Olivier Grenson.

Als fan van de foto’s van Maria Svarbova werd ik meteen verliefd op de prachtige cover van deze graphic novel. Ik hou ook enorm veel van zwemmen. Dat heeft er al voor gezorgd dat ik De meisjeskleedkamer als één van mijn lievelingsboeken kan noemen en dat zorgt er nu voor dat ik Vermoorde Onschuld aan dat lijstje kan toevoegen.

Uiteindelijk blijkt het amper over zwemmen te gaan maar dat kan de pret niet drukken. Hoewel pret een misplaatst woord is om bij dit boek te gebruiken. Hoe graag ik het ook gelezen heb: het leven van de hoofdpersoon Fanny (een jonge, lieve vrouw die dol is op haar tweelingzus) is verre van prettig.

We beginnen het verhaal met haar arrestatie op Kerstavond. Hoofdstuk na hoofdstuk reizen we terug in de tijd en zien zo Fanny en haar zus Tania opgroeien, als dochters van een verbitterde, boze moeder. De enige periodes in hun leven die echt fijn voelen zijn de zomervakanties met hun oom en tante aan zee.

In tekeningen die tegelijk realistisch en poëtisch zijn, uitgewerkt in een sober kleurpalet met enkele rode accenten, zien we de meisjes opgroeien. We worden meegesleept en ontroerd, we ontsteken in woede, voelen af en toe kinderlijke vreugde en lezen verslaafd verder. Het scenario van debutante Roge is spannend, raakt je in je hart en ziel en smeekt om een verfilming. Al vrees ik dat het moeilijk zal worden om de schoonheid van deze beeldroman te evenaren.

Nestel je in de zetel met een dekentje, een kussen (om deze zware klepper te ondersteunen) en een zakdoek. Geniet van de reis die je door dit boek gaat maken. Fanny en Tania vergeet je nooit meer. Bedankt Sylvie en Olivier: jullie samenwerking heeft een parel opgeleverd!

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book in less than a day, it was devastatingly beautiful.

The growth of the storyline and connecting timelines throughout reading it was oddly enjoyable considering the topics mentioned. You have a hint of what is going on throughout the first few chapters, but when all is revealed it’s like an obvious punch to the gut, it’s laid out for you with specific details hidden until the story progresses to divulge them.

I truly appreciate the movement through the timeline as it gives the reader a much more thorough understanding of Frannie’s life and her perspective on it.

Frannie understood her mother was filled with hatred, but also believed her to feel remorseful for acting as such: ‘When our mother wasn’t mad at us she would get mad at herself. Which for us, that was just as bad’. Even though her mother has only shown her and her sister negativity, they both hold onto the glimpses of happiness and positivity they’ve experienced. Though as a reader you can’t help but disagree with the optimistic outlook, especially considering the mother aged into even more hatred and anger.

I have to mention the symbolism with the balloons and the shade of red that sometimes also appears almost orange. Seeing the balloons progression throughout giving us a sneak peek into what was to come was heart wrenching. I may have shed a tear when the second balloon was erased from the scenery in the end. Red almost feels like the balance between good and bad within, it’s a constant throughout the book. Whether they were happy or miserable they always shared a shade of red.

The art, storyline, and execution were so well meshed it flowed incredibly, easy five stars.

[Mouffette masquée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Résumé : Paris, le 24 décembre. Ce soir Fanny, une jeune femme d'une trentaine d'années, accueille sa mère et Tania, sa sœur jumelle, pour le réveillon de Noël. Foie gras, champagne, dinde... Tout va être parfait pour ce festin en famille.
Thibault, son compagnon est de garde à l'hôpital ce soir-là. Il reçoit alors un appel urgent. La police. Fanny a été arrêtée. Un drame a eu lieu chez eux. Qu'a-t-il pu arriver pour qu'elle bascule à ce point dans cette folie meurtrière ? À son avocat, elle va livrer ses explications, l'histoire de sa vie, entre un père aux abonnés absents et une mère aigrie par ce départ.

Mon avis : Sans même avoir lu le synopsis, je suis immédiatement tombée sous le charme de la couverture de ce roman graphique. Un drame familial, lors d'un réveillon de Noël. Mais ce n'est qu'un prétexte pour que Fanny nous raconte son histoire et son enfance tout sauf agréable. Chapitre après chapitre, nous découvrons leur enfance auprès d'une mère aigrie et en colère. Elle ne s'est jamais remise du départ de l'homme de sa vie, et le fait payer à ses filles. Leurs principaux moments de bonheur sont avec leur oncle et leur tante, en vacance en bord de mer.
Les dessins à la fois réalistes et poétiques, aux couleurs douces avec quelques pointes de rouge sang m'ont bercée, me faisant ressentir une grande palette de sentiments. Beaucoup de mélancolie, de colère, de joies simples comme seuls les enfants peuvent les ressentir. Du désespoir aussi, que cette mère froide et distante ne change jamais. De l'incompréhension face à ce manque d'amour. Grandir de la sorte ne peut que déboucher sur un drame.
C'est une lecture passionnante que je ne peux que conseiller, triste, belle et inévitable.

[Sassenach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paris. Le 24 décembre 2006, Fanny effectue les derniers achats et préparatifs pour Noël. Thibault, son compagnon, médecin, est de garde et la jeune femme reçoit Tania, sa sœur et, par obligation, leur mère que Tania ne veut pas laisser seule en ce jour festif. Mais Thibault est appelé en urgence à son travail : Fanny a été placée en garde à vue. Quand il arrive au poste de police et qu’il découvre sa compagne prostrée et couverte de sang, il ne comprend pas comment cette femme si douce a pu faire quoi que ce soit de mal …
J’ai essayé de ne pas trop raconter de l’histoire pour conserver le cheminement de la découverte qui se déroule au fil des pages. Je peux juste dire qu’il est question de la famille, des relations entre sœurs, entre des parents et des enfants et dans un couple et bien sûr du passé qui pèse souvent lourdement sur les gens. Mais le titre parle déjà un peu de lui-même et ma surprise a quasiment été inexistante : je trouve qu’il est facile de deviner ce qui s’est passé, un peu plus difficile mais guère plus, pour en déduire les raisons mais j’ai quand même trouvé cette histoire intéressante dans sa construction. Qui plus est, le graphisme, très réaliste et tout en finesse, est superbe et j’ai apprécié les tons doux choisis, qui contrastent avec la teneur du récit. Difficile de développer une chronique plus détaillée sans en révéler trop mais je suis convaincue que c’est essentiellement le graphisme qui a porté cette lecture et m’a permis de l’apprécier.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Requested on Netgalley in return for a honest review

Atmospheric illustrations and a heartbreaking story of a woman and her troubled past.

Frannie, a beautiful young and sweet woman, is accused of a horrible crime. The novel starts with an intro of her on Christmas Eve, preparing for dinner with her identical twinsister Tania and her somewhat estranged mother.

Then, fast forward to her talking to an attorney, telling him why she did what she did and how her troubled youth and her upbringing played a part of it.

The story itself, combined with amazing illustrations really grabbed me. It's a good portrait of a girl who is formed by the mental illness her mother is fighting.

[Fons De Mey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic novel met heel mooie tekeningen en aangename spanningsopbouw. Met veel plezier en zin om door te blijven gaan gelezen.

De auteur slaagt erin empathie op te wekken, maar de emotionele impact had voor mij veel groter kunnen zijn. De spectaculaire, haast holywoodiaanse onthulling was onnodig en het oh-nee-moment deed voor mij af aan de diepmenselijke tragedie eigen aan de onverwerkte rouw die ook in het echte leven soms diepe sporen nalaat.

Zet wel aan het denken over hoe je houding je kinderen bewust of onbewust beïnvloedt.

[Iza Brekilien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une histoire sombre et désespérée enrichie par un graphisme absolument somptueux. Le scénario est triste, mais ne m'a pas captivée outre mesure.
Par contre, les illustrations d'Olivier Grenson sont magnifiques. Je me suis rendue compte en cherchant des infos à son sujet qu'il avait déjà dessiné la série Niklos Koda que j'avais commencé à lire il y a... quelques années. Vous pouvez trouver une interview au sujet de cette BD sur son site oliviergrenson point com.

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story this emotionally grueling could almost be called maudlin or manipulative, if it weren't handled so well. The emotional heights here are operatic even if the scope is tiny: a small handful of lives that touched few others. In fact, an opera or a musical based on this work would be absolutely perfect. Love, hate, resentment, sensuality, death and secrets- who could ask for anything more?

[Pascal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une BD qui fait froid dans le dos, qui glace, un drame dans une famille pas comme les autres, un secret qui explose, deux sœurs fusionnelles et une maman trahie et cruelle. A lire, peut être pas pour les dessins mais pour l'histoire, et la façon dont tout cela est mis en scène et devoilé...

[টক দইয়ের চা · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
'I’ve gathered this sprig of heather
Autumn is dead you will remember
On earth we’ll see no more of each other
Fragrance of time sprig of heather
Remember I wait for you forever'

-Guillaume Apollinaire

Though the artworks deserve the accolade, the story is below average.

[Rafaela Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je ne m'attendais pas à cette fin 🤔 très réussi !

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Je suis sans mot! À lire absolument!

[Stephane Savoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbe bd autant pour les illustrations que pour le scénario!

[Daniel Mossop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really depressing kinda stuck with me after. Nice art.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A murder mystery with an outcome so clearly telegraphed it loses much of its punch.

[Abir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke into a billion pieces and I don't think I can recover from this much pain.

[Oneirosophos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good art, average story...