Artesia Volume 3: AfireThe Third Book Of Dooms by Mark Smylie

Artesia Volume 3: AfireThe Third Book Of Dooms Reviews

• 
  MerryMeerkat

  Artesia Volume 3 5 Stars, buy it.
   
  Self Purchase, Re-read review
   
  This is really an amazing comic series.  The only thing I don’t like is that there is just so much damned text and a lot of it is military maneuvering and I find it hard to follow a lot.  I still have to give it 5 stars because its just amazing. While I don’t read romance or erotica, I wish there was more of it in this series. Artesia is just plain hot. The writing is fantastic, the art is phenomenal (I Love watercolor art) and the story is superb. I honestly can’t say enough of the comic. Also, the characters are really kick ass as well.
  In the Prologue, 2 members of her troop (or whatever the correct military term is) go and get into trouble searching for treasure and Artesia has to rescue them. Issue one is more military maneuvering and Artesian agrees to a feast with people she has trapped into a corner. Issue 2 starts with a graphic bang. LOL. Definitely adults only.  It’s hysterical when Artesia is basically having an orgy and the parents, who are rulers of some sort, of some of the men walk in on them getting it on. And again in Issue 3 we have adult scenes at the very beginning. However, things turn more dramatic when a mysterious fog appears and something happens with the captives. Damn this series is amazing- even if a lot of time I have a hard time following it.    Issue 4-6 is basically all political maneuvering.  I really didn’t feel like finishing issue 6, so I just skimmed it.  I can’t remember if Artesia Besieged ever came out when I originally read this series, but I’m hoping if it wasn’t published back then that it will be published now.                                                     
• 
  47Time

  There is even more sex in this one, which is always welcome. Artesia will have to rethink has strategy as the captains around her make deadly mistakes that can decimate the army. This volume marks Artesia's first retreat.
  
  Artesia pushes onward, earning another victory on the field. She binds the Thessid general she fought with a magical oath that should ensure he doesn't attack her on her way to the Thessid main army. The oath relies on the lives of her prisoners of war. Upon reaching the high king's court, Artesia is accused by two minor kings who receive their due without much argument. Artesia offers one of them half the prisoners, but later it is found that the Thessids found and killed them. This also releases the bound Thessid general from his oath, so Artesia's army will likely be attacked from behind as well, unless it retreats to nearby fortress. They are harrassed by the enemy right up to the city gates. Artesia kills the remaining prisoners and binds them to the city walls, which determines the Thessids to not attack.
• 
  Lord Battle

  These books just keep getting better. I honestly am shocked how invested I am in the fantasy politics / religion of this world... I mean each book comes with a dense glossary (that I've been skipping) and I'm at a point now where I'm excited to dive into it.
  
  Fantastic series. 6 stars.
• 
  Holly

  AMazing art! My favorite character of all time. I truly hope this becomes a series of movies! This is adult content! Artesia is very faithful to her path, an amazing priestess, queen, and witch! Artesia worships her Gods with her body with passion and pride!
• 
  Greymalkin

  Whoa a lot more graphic sex in this one. Which is okay and even amusing when the other characters call her on it, but just a lot more than the other two books.
  
  I am finally starting to get a small grasp of the various political factions but it's still very confusing to me. The "Artesia as unstoppable superhero" was toned down a lot which helped. I just wish it had started with a smaller story, say perhaps her first campaign as Bran's captain, so I could get a stronger hold on the world and her background. That would give me a greater context for the later socio-political issues that come up due to her being a "highlands witch".
  
  I like how detailed the world is and the art is very good, I just wish it was an actual novel. I think I'd get a lot more into it if more was spelled out for me and not having to be compressed into tiny speech bubbles and thought squares.
  
  It is really nice to have all the strong female characters though. Ones with a range of personalities unlike the usual stereotypes.
• 
  Christopher Tower

  As I wrote before, the art is beautiful. However, the fantasy epic does not translate well into the graphic novel form. If Smylie had spent another 500 pages developing this world and these situations, it all may have played better. But the end result here is just very confusing despite his maps, glossaries, and other support materials. Also, he seems to be far more gratuitous in this volume with the sex and nudity that does not really serve the story at all. It seems to only exist to boost sales and delight fan boys who gobble up such materials. Still, the art is beautiful, but was all this sex necessary for the story? I don't think so. That said, I am an Artesia fan now after reading all three volumes and wish Mark all speed and good fortune toward completing and collecting the fourth part.
• 
  Lady Entropy

  The art keeps getting better and better and the story also more complex and interesting. I actually like the secondary characters better than the main character, who is just a WEE overpowered for my tastes. Oddly enough, I still endure it gladly while it's something that normally makes me reaaaally upset in main characters.
• 
  Melissa

  My spouse is into comic books and because I am not the caped superhero type, got this for me to try. This is a graphic novel with great art. The non-primary characters and wars are a little bit difficult to keep track but the lead female character has very interesting and unique dimensions.
• 
  RogueHireling

  The only thing I would add to make this an even better series then it already is, is a character index and possibly a more detailed map.
  There is much discussion of peoples and locations in the book and its hard to follow sometimes.
  
  Still much love! Let there be more soon!!
• 
  Megan

  At this point in the series... I sort of gave up hope. There haven't been any more volumes after this one, though, nor have I seen a new issue in ages so I'm not sure there ever will be.
• 
  Jeffrey De Guzman

  its getting more interesting as the series progresses, though not a lot of epic action than the last and sad becasue its the second to the last published issue.