The heroic fantasy continues to gain new followers as shown by the next version of The Lord of the Rings on Amazon but the series The Dreams of the Clawed King proposes to get out of the tracks folded down the genre with the first volume, The son of winter. Is the promise kept?
A Family Affair
In the snow-covered mountain, Owein and his sister Pellah catch a bear in the woods. But, on this particular day of winter solstice, the animal becomes a man as evidenced by the tracks in the snow. Fascinated, Owein wants to find him to earn money. Despite his sister's warning, he insists. The two peasants find traces up to a forbidden ritual. Frightened, they flee but Owein loses both consciousness and his older sister. To find her, he becomes a soldier. The dreams of the clawed king will tell this initiatory quest that can be reminiscent of another title released recently, We Live released by 404 comics. The pitfalls are numerous from the first volume. Owein confronts a dragon and encounters gigantic wolves. However, everything seems to happen in his dreams. Is he the clawed king of the title?
A king close to a lord…
In The Dreams of the Clawed King written by Cyrielle Blaire, we find the codes of fantasy. The medieval inspiration is marked by the social inequality between farmers and contemptuous soldiers. The country suffers a latent war between the lord of the plain and the old clans of the mountains. We eat teddy bear for a wedding. However, magic is also present. Runes mark the entrance to a forbidden path. A mysterious sleeping sickness affects the young boys of the region. As in The Lord of the Rings, the story of the Dreams of the Clawed King is made a posteriori by a narrator. While in the present, Owein is a child, we learn that he will become a celebrity known for his multiple exploits. Before becoming a hero by day, he lives adventures at night in his dreams. Owein experienced a meteoric social rise interrupted by a harmful omen. 
The screenwriter of the dreams of the clawed king goes further. Cyrielle Blaire, traces new tracks in this frequently ploughed genre. The struggle between lion and bear has repercussions in today's world. In this new post-war world, old cults are prohibited. This choice causes the magic to almost disappear. Is this symbolic vision of a fight between two kings inspired by historian Michel Pastoureau's analyses of the symbolism of animals in the Middle Ages? The designer Maïlis Colombié has a simple, legible style limiting the lines to the necessary. As a bonus, the drawings on the different characters show his research. During a fight in a cave, one can receive the influence of Mike Mignola. With this first volume of the dreams of the clawed king, the Delcourt publishing house offers a genre story but which still leaves many questions unanswered. Adults and teenagers alike will enjoy following this new series designed for everyone. Are you a fantasy fan? Check out the chronicles on The Last Dragon and Howlevent.
