Sons of Chaos by Chris Jaymes Book Review

I received this book from the publisher in the hopes of providing an honest review of the book, and that is what you get below. The book targets a more adult audience. Just want to stress that this is not a book for a young child.

Graphic novels aren't just for kids anymore. Actually, they haven't been for some time. I've seen so many manga books trying to teach tough subjects in a friendlier style, like The Manga Guide to Cryptography. This category of books is almost like comic books on steroids, given their sheer size and length. Sons of Chaos goes even further in the size department, as the book is 10 1/2" x 13 1/2". Its 190ish pages is in line with other manga books. This isn't manga, but the comic-nature is a good comparison.

From the publisher:

IDW Publishing proudly presents Sons of Chaos (July 2019; ISBN 978-1-68405-479-4; $39.99; 192-page, full-color hardcover, 13.5” x 10.5"), a lavishly illustrated graphic novel written by Chris Jaymes and illustrated by Ale Aragon that relates the real-life, heartrending story of the war that quietly shaped the Western world.

This over-sized graphic novel provides an immersive, panoramic experience for readers, transporting them back to the Mediterranean shores of 1821 as seen through the eyes of Marcos Botsaris, the son of a respected Greek leader taken prisoner as a child and raised in the dungeons of history’s most infamous Ottoman Pasha, Ali Pasha of Ioannina, known as the “Napoleon of the East”.

Hundreds of years of Ottoman rule gave the Greeks a reason to fight. Marcos Botsaris gave them a leader. Sons of Chaos follows Marcos as he escapes captivity, falls in love, and fiercely leads Greece to a bloody revolution that shattered the Ottoman Empire and shaped Western civilization as we know it. As we approach the war’s 200th anniversary, its lingering tensions still plague the Eastern and Western worlds.

Before looking into the depths of the book, it is important to tell the category of the book. According to Amazon, it is categorized, or at least ranked, in War Fiction, Historical & Biographical Fiction Graphic Novels, and Literary Graphic Novels. So, while the book tells you about the history of the Greek War of Independence from back in the 1820s, it is loosely based on the facts of the war. The exact conversations within the book may or may not have actually happened, but the war absolutely did. And, if you're from the United States, and not of Greek heritage, this would probably be the first time you've even heard of the Greek War of Independence. It certainly was for me.

According to Justin Eisinger, Editorial Director of Graphic Novels & Collections for IDW Publishing, "Sons of Chaos brings the real-life history of the Greek War of Independence to the comics pages in a thrilling, & shooter epic that marries Mediterranean history with the sensibilities of Game of Thrones."

Boy is this a big book, weighing in at over three pounds, and the pages are like 10" x 13". That isn't a complaint (well, maybe on the weight side), but just shows that  the bigger size offers a larger than life view about the topic, the ever-encompassing Greek War of Independence. Author Chris Jaymes helps bring the story Greek War of Independence to a modern audience. With the help of book illustrator and famed comic-book artist Ale Aragon, you get a real feel for the enormity of the war through the eyes of a single participant. 

While the book is 190+ pages in length, there are no page numbers. What you do get is the whole book broken up into multiple "books" within, where each of those is broken into chapters. So, you might have a Book Two, Chapter One, which follows Book One, Chapter Three. It sounds more complicated than it is. Primarily, you get natural places to take a break. One can certainly read the entirety of the book in one sitting. I don't know if I'd recommend it. Yes, you're certainly pulled into the life and times of character Marcos Botsaris. I just think it would be more enjoyable if read in an unrushed manner.

I do love the history lesson offered by the book. And I like the manner it is presented with its excellent graphics. Just trying to figure out the right target audience of the title. Manga books typically target a younger audience, and that is one audience they are not targetting for this title, Sons of Chaos. And, if you were a fan of Games of Thrones, you'll probably enjoy the title, too. No nudity, but you get spillage of blood and guts.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions stated are my own and may differ from yours. This post contains affiliate links in which those links are clicked I may be compensated for. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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