Knights of Heliopolis

Starred review from April 1, 2021

In the 18th century, the Knights of Heliopolis--a secret order of immortals whose ranks include Imhotep, Lao Tzu, John the Apostle, and Nostradamus--gather in northern Spain to witness the initiation of a mysterious figure known only as Seventeen. Seventeen quickly proves adept at hand-to-hand combat and swordplay, and is soon revealed to be Louis XVII, the long-lost intersex legitimate heir to the French throne, who was raised in exile after being supplanted by their father's illegitimate son. After surviving a mystical ritual of rebirth, the dauphin is renamed Asiamar and tasked with assassinating Napoleon Bonaparte--a former prospective member of the Knights of Heliopolis until he was corrupted by an unquenchable thirst for power. When Asiamar decides to seduce Napoleon instead of killing him, the stage is set for a series of events that will play out across centuries and faraway universes. VERDICT The story begins as a riff on The Man in the Iron Mask but quickly twists, turns, and defies easy categorization. It includes mystical rituals, a secret history of the world, talking gorillas, an exploration of sex and gender roles, and brutal brawls between superhuman combatants. Fun to read and epic in scope.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 19, 2021
Alchemical wonder and arcane magic invigorate this dramatically illustrated synthesis of history and mysticism. Presented as a secret history of the world, the tale’s chronology spans the Age of Versailles to Blitz-era London and is told through the eyes of Asiamar—the hermaphrodite Dauphin and true Louis XVII of France. Aided by the Knights of Heliopolis—a legion of extraordinary alchemists from across history that includes Lao Tzu, Imhotep, St. John, Nostradamus, and a talking gorilla—Asiamar battles enemies and becomes a master warrior and strategist. The plot’s shot through with provocative spins on historical figures—an immortal Napoleon, a female Jack the Ripper. The Knights scheme behind the scenes of history to keep sacred knowledge out of the hands of despots like Napoleon, and Asiamar wages an unending battle, which will be won not by violence but through love—and the conversion of so-called villains to the Knights’ cause. Asiamar utilizes both male and female identities, traversing a timely subtext around gender identity. The art of Jérémy (the Barracuda series) is classic and wildly expressive realistic cartooning; every panel zooms in on exaggerated character expressions or swashbuckling high adventure in the Dumas tradition. This transcendent if bloody tale of duplicity and redemption takes adventure comics fans on an appealing and entertaining voyage.