Ariadne- L'empire céleste #19

Norihiro Yagi's *Ariadne — L'empire céleste* reaches its nineteenth volume with a cover that radiates quiet, steely resolve. A long-haired young woman stands alone on what appears to be a raised platform or rail, gripping a large battle-axe planted firmly at her side, her billowing cape catching an unseen wind against a pale, hazy sky. The muted blue-grey palette and her steady, downcast gaze give the image a contemplative weight that suggests someone who has come a very long way — and has further still to go.