WHEN THE BLOOD HAS DRIED GN

A formidable woman is forced to settle old scores when her vengeful ex-compatriots come to town intent on taking what’s hers in Moloney’s graphic novel.

Meabh of Cklonia violently broke with the Adventurers’ Guild ages ago and was on the run for a long time (“No one’s bigger than the Guild”) before she met the kindly Traolock, a marksman who offered her a home at The Lough Inn in the medieval-like town of Carraig an Bhun. When Traolock died, Meabh became the proprietor of the tavern and something of an upstanding citizen, although she has maintained a crusty exterior and continues to drink way too much ale to drown out painful memories. The relative calm of this life is smashed when the corrupt Darius of Ard Gaothain and his band of sketchy “heroes” decides The Lough Inn would make a perfect outpost for Queen Grainne’s upcoming war. The only thing standing in their way is Meabh, their old-comrade-in-arms, and her avid hatred for everything they represent. Moloney and illustrator Romero weave a compelling visual narrative paralleling Meabh’s conflicted past with the challenges threatening her present circumstances. The well-conceived panels flow easily, conveying a real sense of weight and drama as the plot unfolds. The pacing is sharp, allowing space for both the quiet and chaotic moments to cast their magical spells over the reader. Character relationships are well established and packed with real feeling; the hatred between Meabh and Darius is palpable but so is the love between Meabh and Fergus the dwarf. The internal dynamics of Carraig an Bhun are equally alive as the denizens grapple with their complex relationships with Meabh and the other “blow-ins” who emigrate to their town. Domesticity is never as safe and solid as it may appear on the surface—it’s this fragility that the devious and cunning Darius hopes to exploit and Meabh, the ultimate outsider, must defend. The final showdown may be a foregone conclusion but the climax takes readers right to the knife’s edge before all is said and done.

A wonderfully immersive fantasy tale that easily transcends its familiar milieu and characters.