scans_daily

(I know, I know: first reaction is probably, what the hell is this title?? ~~it sounds so dorky, and it's even worse in the original French because "Bergères Guerrières" rhymes; can it actually be good?~~ But look at the artwork, it's so cute~! (I don't know what you'll think but I for one get major Secret of Kells vibes from the graphics and I love it.))

It's a new children's series with a rather dark premise written by Jonathan Garnier and drawn by Amélie Fléchais, first published by Glénat in 2017. It's bordering on graphic novel format instead of regular album size ~~which mean massive scans not always well cropped as it's a pain to fit in a scanner~~.

«Ten years are the men gone, forcibly drafted into the Great War. Ten years nobody have heard of them nor of the conflict... Women have since created the order of Warrior Shepherdesses, handpicked amongst the bravest to protect their village!
From all her ten years of age, Molly can finally start training and hope for—if she proves herself worth it—join the order. She can count on her goat Blackbeard and her friend Liam to help her out along the way!»
(I apologize if my translation is a bit clunky, I'll try my best but it might not be enough.)

(First page is... not exactly setting the mood and place? but actually a bit of foreshadowing that'll take all its meaning in book #2.)

Get up, Molly! / Don't shout, I'm awake!
Hurry up or you'll never be ready for the ceremony. / But I am ready.
I've always been ready.. / What are you babbling about, child?
I was born ready!!
(Actually, she was so excited/anxious she didn't sleep at all.)

I'm going, Molly! / See you there, Mother. // Here we go!
Hey there Blackbeard!
Blackbeard, you rascal! // (Baaa!)

Ah ha, peachy as always, Blackbeard! // Good, that's the spirit! // We need to really shine out.
Better even... we'll blaze! // Hello Molly. / You look great, say! / Yeah, even though I didn't sleep at all last night.
Yeah well if it was just me I would still be in bed. / And I'd rather stayed home to sew. / You disappoint me, girls! // Don't you realize... our lives are going to change! / That's the problem...
Heads up, pals!

This year is special as it's been ten years now that our sons, our fathers, our brothers, our husbands were drafted... They left us for a place far off near the outer limits of the known country, a place knoown as the Dead Lands.
From this war of which we don't know anything, no man came back. / No news nor promise of return was ever brought to us. But of this sad, absurd situation, we, women of this village, wanted to be no victims. / We had to protect what was built, both for the ones who left and the ones who stayed. This is why we created the order of the Warrior Sherpherdesses! / Be you accomplished warriors or trainees, you take up a difficult path. You'll have to be brave!

New blood! You are now old enough to start training to become a member of the Order. You were born ten years ago, on this dark year, but you embody hope and renewal.
Be worthy of this mission. / I already admire the bravery of those who, to join up our ranks... / are ready to face off our rules...
But the Order is girls only. / Sorry, mister Mac Gregor!
I'll leave the rest to you, Mayor.

(So, training begins.)

(Molly has an unorthodox way of using her bow but she's good. Abbie is insanely good and resents it because she can't be arsed to crank it up further and become an elite Warrior. Ellen is Molly's rival, the best at everything else and loses her shit when shooting is the only thing she can't do. Erin is scared of everything... turns out her mother in her time was even worse, never made it past training, and is the reason their instructor wears his armor and codpiece.
Liam is forbidden from joining training, so Molly spends her free time at his place to brief him on everything he's missing. Even if being a good friend takes up all her time, including family time, and strains her relationship with her mother for a while. Liam has several older brothers; the oldest left of them, Cian, is married, has a baby girl, and he's the only one in the village disliking the Warriors. He even got his teenaged brothers and friends to cook up a rival order and resents Liam for not siding with them and keeping trying to tag along the Warriors. His family will explain:)

But why don't they like the Warrior Shepherdesses? // It's not that they don't like them, they're looking for their place in this world, is all. // It's not easy for them to become the men for this village. / Becoming men? Bah!
They were coddled, protected... / They never knew war! // Connor, don't start with this again! / And your eldest, Adam, left out for war when he was only fourteen!
It shouldn't have been this way... / Connor! We have a guest!
Erm... come on, Molly, tell me about your training. / No, it shouldn't have... / Everything's my fault...

I know your uncle's life no piece of cake, but I've seen him more joyful in his time...
At home we avoid talking about the men who left for war... / It puts him in an awful mood. But with the Ten Years ceremony... // So he's sad that they never came back? // Well... He feels guilty because my brother Adam wasn't supposed to go.
I didn't want to bother you with our stories but with what you heard tonight I can as well tell you... / As each family had to send away at least one man to war and Dad had died, it's Uncle Connor who should have gone, even with his peg leg. / Adam lied to the army about his age so he could go instead, without telling anyone. As Uncle said, he was only fourteen...
Wow... now I understand. / But don't talk about it, it's a touchy subject. // Kids!
(And it's not the only sad story. Even the seemingly comic relief instructor hides a heart-wrenching backstory.)

(And Molly gains more empathy towards the hardships her mother faces. She even smoothes things out with her rival.
And they train. They slowly get better. They keep up with the shepherding. Liam never gives up! They get handed their first missions: seeking magical treatments from the neighbouring Witch/Sorcerers community, fending off sheep rustlers, and even... wait. You'll see.)

It's too dangerous, Molly! / We can do it!
Got it!
Lots of little critters then a big creature. / A terrible creature! / The birds told me so. / Wh... what? What birds?

Blackbeard, stop!
Nothing wilted, little flower?
(That's a Sorcerer. They live like hippies in a swamp and speak with plants analogy.)

(...and they end up facing off a monstrous magical beast??)

And on this cliffhanger, book #1 ends.
Don't worry, book #2 was issued a couple of months ago, I can get scans of it and show you whether it devolves into horror or not later.

I have no idea whether international translations and releases might be planned or not, but rumours have it that the series is getting a cartoon adaptation: if that actually happens, subbing/dubbing should be easier? At least, I hope so!