The story of a teenage boy who wakes up on a beach with no memory. He's taken on as part of the crew of a ship when he's discovered by its captain. There he travels from Asia back to England. Along the way he picks up all of the duties on the ship as if he's done them before. When he returns to Plymouth, he's taken in by three sisters who are trying to run an inn after their father was accused of treason and disappeared. He also meets a madame that he reads poetry to every day. It's a good story if a little long at 300 pages. Like a lot of European comics there is plenty of nudity and adult situations. It's all illustrated in gorgeous, highly detailed, black and white pencils. Good stuff.

<em>They call it "the forbidden harbor." It appears and disappears in the mist but not everyone is able to see it, by all accounts...</em>

Teresa Radice and Stefano Turconi's <em>The Forbidden Harbor</em> is one of the better graphic novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Often, I've found that graphic novels can often run into the issue of being too short or not telling a complete story. But they can also run into the issue of trying to do too much at once, thus rushing through important parts of a story. Amazingly, <em>The Forbidden Harbor</em> runs into absolutely <em>none</em> of these issues and in fact tells a complex and engaging tale about a young man found shipwrecked with amnesia.

<b>A Ghost Upon the Shore</b>

The truth is that it's difficult to delve into the details of this story's plot without giving away various intricate plot points. Radice and Tuconi's book is one of intrigue and betrayal. The further I read, the more entranced I was by the many threads woven into this plot. To say this is an excellent work would be an understatement. In fact, it's perhaps the best graphic novel I've ever read. If nothing else, it's certainly in the top three.

I have never read a graphic novel that more expertly told a story. Not only was this the perfect length, but it was also beautifully developed and written.

<b>Rides out O'er the Sea</b>

The story begins with Abel, rescued off the coast of Siam. Taken in by a ship's first officer, he soon learns the tale of its lost Captain, a man said to have stolen treasure and run off with it. The boy remembers nothing of his life and thus follows the first officer and starts to make a life of his own. Eventually, he comes into contact with the three daughters of the disgraced Captain. Before he knows it, Abel is thrown into a world of complexities with many secrets he has yet to learn.

What I loved <em>most</em> about this story is how elaborate and intelligent the narrative is. You learn slowly alongside Abel as you follow his tale. And, quite honestly, it's <em>magical</em>. It is a novel with sophisticated and complex characters, captivating circumstances, and exalting conspiracies. Truly it should come as no surprise that I adored this story.

<b>Finally, to Find Himself</b>

Meanwhile, the art of this graphic novel was <em>excellent</em>. There's some criticism for the black and white pencil sketch nature of it, of course. But as far as I'm concerned the art was gorgeous. I frankly don't think this story would have been as amazing as it is without it. The characters are beautiful, depicted in a way that allows you to really get to know them. Similarly to the text, the artwork pulls the reader in. You almost feel as though you are experiencing the story alongside Abel.

There's not a single moment where you don't feel entrenched with the events. Every moment pulls you in and I honestly left this book thoroughly amazed with it all.

<b>In the End</b>

In conclusion, <em>The Forbidden Harbor</em> is one of the best graphic novels I've read. Featuring murder and sex throughout, it is certainly meant for more mature audiences. And though pieces of that don't exactly align with my typical preferences, I can honestly say that I was incredibly impressed with the complexities within this story. You'll be guessing all the way to the end and it truly is an amazing adventure.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

I have had this book on my virtual shelf for a very long time. Given my tendency to try any graphic novel that looks even mildly interesting, I end up picking up more than I can chew at any given time. 

One of the main reasons I initially struggled with was the length, I had not paid attention to the number of pages, and that took me by surprise. The next has to be its intensity. If it looks like I am criticizing the book, bear with me till I get to my point. My complete copy was not in colour, it had only gorgeous pencil drawings which seemed to radiate colour despite not having any! The dialogues and thought processes the further I got into the story, got more profound, and that slowed my speed considerably because they were not the kind that can be lightly read and moves on from. Finally, I should point out that this is not a book for children, there are very graphic scenes of carousing sailors and some intimate moments which were tastefully done but still unexpected!

The story holds on to its secrets till almost half the book is done, we find a navy ship which has lost its captain and picks up a drowning boy with no recollections about his past. He sails with the boat and is taken to a temporary home by the current captain. All this while, he does not know who he is. Once he figures it out, he has an even bigger job to do. The forbidden harbour looms above the horizon as the beginning and end of the story itself. It was unlike anything I have read before, and despite liking it, I do not know if I will reread it. I will, however, recommend this to any adventurous person who likes to pick something different up now and then.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience (however late that has been)

'Forbidden Harbor' with story by Teresa Radice and art by Stefano Turconi is a story I got to read the first half of earlier this year. The story is now complete in this edition.

A young man is found shipwrecked on an island. He has no memory of who he is or how he got there. It turns out he is quite adept at the ship trade, so he finds himself a cabin boy and a favorite among the officers. He finds himself drawn in to help the daughters of a captain Stevenson, and begins to unravel the mystery behind what happened. On a new boat with a new captain, he finds himself back where he was found.

Filled with poetry and a good sense of naval history, this graphic novel feels literate as well as bittersweet. I just wish the art had a more finished look to it. The art feels like the pencils that inkers get to finish. Perhaps someday this will happen. For now, this is a pretty good story and I'm glad I was able to finish this story.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from NBM Publishing, Papercutz, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

On an island near Siam a Royal Navy ship picks up a lost boy. The boy has no memory of anything other than his first name: Abel. The ship's officer, William Roberts, puts him to use and his sailing skills soon make him very useful.

As they return home to Plymouth, Abel sees a mysterious sight: a Forbidden Harbour that others can't see. An old salt tells him that only those who see it can go there, and only when the harbour calls them.

Roberts introduces Abel to the daughters of his ship's old captain, who has been disgraced as a traitor, thief and murderer. Abel stays with them and gradually starts to find his feet and starts trying to work out who he is and what his past is. He is helped by Rebecca, the madam of the local bordello, who feels a bond with him. As he grows more confident, Abel decides to do whatever he can to help the girls.

Teresa Radice's story is full of mystery and romance. There's action in the naval scenes and some intrigue over a missing prize of gold, as well as the magic of the Forbidden Harbour. The black and white artwork from Stefano Turconi is excellent. He does a great job of representing a wide variety of locations, at sea and at land, in Asia, England and South America. I especially enjoyed his panels on showing the action on the various ships, with sailors working the decks and rigging, and fighting in sea battles. Good fun.

One reason I love reading comics/graphic novels is the fact they don't take as long to get through as regular books and you get that sense of accomplishment that much sooner. That said, this novel was wonderful. The graphics are drawn by pencil, so they are grey and white. Not that I'm complaining. I thought they were stunning. The storyline is riveting and kept me thoroughly entertained. Course, what book about pirates isn't loads of fun? I would recommend this book to anyone. 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you, Netgalley, for a complementary copy in exchange for an honest opinion!!

Wow, what did I just read!!!! My emotions are all over the place. This is the first graphic novel that made me cry. The story is heartwarming, the characters are amazing, I love the illustrations (all in pencil)!!! If I could I would give this one 10 Goodreads stars!!! I hope this couple will be able to launch more of their graphic novels on the English-speaking market. This story would also make a great illustrated prose novel.

A British sailor does away with a bundle of loot in far too close a fashion to the pirates he's supposed to be fighting, so sends his whole family into ignominy and poverty. The chap who replaces him in command, who wants the hand of one of the older guy's daughters, finds an English boy washed up on a distant shore with no memory – surely the three of them aren't going to be connected in some bizarrely dramatic scenario?

Well, of course they are – if you stick with it. You have to wade through a lot of artwork that might be good in and of itself, but doesn't convey the energy, drama and colour of the exotic plot. You also have to ignore a huge amount of "hey, look at me, I did my research" sections, where sea shanties and nautical terms are slathered across the page for little reason other than to show the author's done their homework.

In fact, however, the full piece is greater than the sum of its parts. I first read just the opening half, in one of those asinine decisions of publishers to discredit their audiences with half a story. So coming back to the opening 50% after a few months at sea, as it were, was like revisiting a good associate. The first half of the new material kind of passed me by – well, they do go through the doldrums – but the final quarter did prove this to be a quite singular graphic novel. Taking themes from classical poetry, and weighty nautical novels, and I guess some form of real life, it becomes a quite mature drama, if you can absorb the supernatural elements. It's certainly a lot more thoughtful than the norm for these historical stories, and while it needed tightening and losing the flashy "here's my research" bits, it definitely brought some interesting characters into our company.

Complex, Thoughtful, Compelling

Abel, a young amnesiac castaway, is rescued and experiences a ripping sea adventure on his way home to England. So far, so good. Upon his return he glimpses a distant shrouded harbour that reveals itself only to a select few. Hints of the ineffable and the supernatural? Nice. Turns out that Abel was rescued by a ship whose Captain had earlier turned traitor before disappearing entirely. Oddly, Abel ends up being taken in by the three daughters of that very same disgraced Captain, and he ends up living with them in the Captain's now abandoned Inn. As he connects with these three very different lost and struggling souls he also befriends the local brothel keeper, a sophisticated woman with many secrets of her own.

Abel reads to this woman every day, and eventually we get to Coleridge and the more obscure and mystical works of William Blake. At the same time we begin to wonder who this Abel person really is, or was, and we note some subtle bits of Gothic foreshadowing that suggest the tale may get creepier and darker. NO SPOILERS, but it does. And it does so in an elegant, literate, restrained, and almost philosophical sort of way. This isn't a ghost or ghouly sort of tale, or a creepfest. It's about lost souls and second chances and living for the moment and other interesting, romantic notions.

One can't really say much more about the plot without risking ruining the fun. It is safe to say, though, that all of the main characters have distinctive and engaging voices, the dialogue is fresh and often witty, and the book is loaded with much more energy and thought provoking insight than one might suspect from a plot summary. All three of the Captain's daughters have distinct and nicely realized personalities, and the mysterious woman from the brothel has great romantic weight and substance and presence. The mystery is very good and the resolution of all of the plot lines is satisfying and rather touching.

Many readers were disappointed by the art, and I get that. The art is just rough pencils, and looks like storyboards before lines and inking. At first this is a bit disorienting, because it does look so unfinished. As I read, though, I realized that the panels were more finished than they first appeared, and that everything important to the story was clear. The main characters are very expressive, and it's always evident what's happening and why. This book is driven mostly by dialogue and narrative anyway, so the unfinished feel of the art eventually became unimportant.

The upshot for me was that this was much more interesting and complex a tale than I ever expected, and it ended up being a pleasantly surprising and rewarding find.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Forbidden Harbor has detailed art and complex storytelling with multiple historical characters. I can see this graphic novel as a fantastic resource for general and historical literacy — as well as to be enjoyed on its own as a well-told illustrated adventure.