Nefer #[nn]

A stunning image from Arnaud Boutle opens this Delcourt release: a tiny, regal warrior-queen — crowned, staff in hand, draped in red and gold — stands upon the outstretched palm of an enormous, serene stone colossus rising from a desert landscape. The subtitle Chants & contes des premières terres ("Songs & tales of the first lands") promises a mythic, ancient-world atmosphere, and the delicate contrast between the small living figure and the vast sculpted giant sets a tone of wonder right from the cover. Boutle's artwork is immediately inviting for anyone drawn to fantasy rooted in the imagery of early civilizations.