These opinions come from reading the review copy which was 28 pages including cover, publishing info, and title page. Unfortunately, the file I downloaded was also not the highest quality. Regardless, the art style is expressive and can easily portray a strong, tall, stoic figure then shift to jokers. The character design is eye catching and matches the personality presented in these first pages. I love the fantasy elements and how they combine with West African lore. I'm very interested in reading more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got access to only 28 pages of this book and I got hooked from the start to the story . It was interesting but it ended when the real adventures started. Nice art that makes the story more captivating to follow.

While the introductory reading sample was blurry, pixelated, and difficult to read, it’s clear that Djeliya is a vibrant story with rich characters and stunning illustrations.

I Reviewed a sneakpeak copy made available by the publisher via Netgalley - Thank you very much for that.

I could only access the first 28 pages, hence the limited span of my review..
But I can say that the kind of illustration in that graphic novel is abstract in a way, that the color schemes, lineart and characters seem kind of off, but it‘s what makes the graphic novel so charming because it really fits into that Afrofuturistic folklore-ish vibes, that book is spreading.

I love the mythic feel of this book, and the colorful and well-illustrated pages capture the reader's eye. I would be glad to read beyond this preview and recommend this title to others.

4 stars *may change
This was a really charming West African folklore-inspired graphic novel about a prince and his storyteller going on a journey to stop the tower that caused destruction in their world.
The art was abstract in a sort of...realistic way? Does that make any sense? Like, you can clearly tell what everything is, but it's incredibly stylized and specifically done for the story and world. It really added a lot of character into the story by playing into the folklore-esq themes. I don't know, it was cute. It had a nice message to it and I didn't see the plot twist coming. As far as graphic novels go, it's a pretty solid one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader's copy.

The sneak preview of Djeliya is a delight, from the vibrant art style to the worldbuilding, characters, and plot. Even from this snippet it is clear that Juni Ba excels in his spin on West African folklore through gripping storytelling and wildly expressive illustrations.

This was really cool!! I mostly read manga/manhwa and other east asian comic formats, so trying something inspired by West African stories was really neat! In particular, I really enjoyed the art style and character design work. Unfortunately, the text on the Netgalley shelf was extremely pixelated which made it hard to read, so I don't think I picked up a lot of the story but the visuals definitely made up for it.

Based on West-African folklore, this book could hardly be any sweeter. It tells the story (actually, the stories) of a young prince, trying to find the wizard that destroyed his kingdom. He is accompanied by his djell, a young woman who serves as his 'royal storyteller', and also luckily as quite an effective bodyguard.

I love how the book is a frame to tell the smaller stories that encompass their adventure.

A book about the power of stories and storytelling, that has one of the better endings I've read in a long time.

And then there is Juni Ba's art.. which is nothing less than magnificent. Ba has his very own style, that plays with indigenous art (or the idea of it), and it feels practically alive on the page.

More people need to read this!

The Short Version: A unique story with cool characters and arresting artwork that jumps headfirst into the action

The Long Version: Since I only got to read a sneak peek, I can’t assess the work in it’s entirety as of yet, but it is very intriguing and one I will likely purchase once it’s available. Would have given a 5 out of 5 but with only the snippet can’t be sure it delivers the whole way

Component Ratings
Concept/Idea: 4.5 out of 5
Artwork: 5 out of 5
Characters: 4.5 out of 5
Dialogue: 4 out of 5