Kirkus Reviews

Determined to avenge her father's death, a young girl adopts a vigilante persona. In a time of swords, full skirts, tricorn hats, and horse-drawn carriages, 18-year-old Maud lives in the quaint French village of Perigord with her beloved father, a blacksmith. When Maud's father is viciously murdered one night, she vows to head to Paris for vindication and finds herself staying with her estranged, aristocratic grandfather, a man who thinks it best that she become ladylike and marry quickly. Tired of rigid social mores and inspired by a Robin Hood-esque masked man only known as the Fox, Maud decides to become the Scarlet Rose, a do-gooder working under the cloak of darkness (and clad in plunging bodice, very tight breeches, and thigh-high boots). Originally published over a decade ago in French, this quirky graphic import seems to rely on its heavily stylized, full-color, anime-inspired art to overcome narrative incoherence. Lyfoung's plotting feels like a clunky pastiche of Robin Hood and The Scarlet Pimpernel set against a lavish, evidently all-white pre-revolutionary backdrop. The panels, while small and orderly, are quite busy and crowded, working in unfortunate opposition to the detailed nuance of the time period. Maud embodies a stark dichotomy, quickly shifting from an independent and smart female character to a ditzier one who falls in insta-love and becomes irritatingly clingy. It ends with an unsurprising cliffhanger, but demand for subsequent volumes may be low. A patchwork conglomeration that does not quite hit its mark. (Graphic adventure. 10-14)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Even though she has never met him, 18-year-old Maud-s heart belongs to the Fox, a masked adventurer who helps France-s poor at the expense of the elite. After Maud-s blacksmith father is killed by a mysterious stranger, she discovers her inheritance as the granddaughter of Count de Laroche; shortly thereafter, she ends up in Paris with the resources to turn vigilante herself-as the Scarlet Rose-despite her grandfather-s wish that she become a traditional lady. As Maud pursues her father-s killer and hopes to meet the Fox, she builds her own reputation as a local legend, but such work lands her in deeper trouble. Lyfoung includes minimal exposition, instead focusing on dialogue and action sequences that vary from broad comedy (Maud falling into a pig sty while attempting to warn the Fox about a trap) to exciting (Maud knows her way around a rapier). Manga-inflected artwork amplifies the romance, drama, and danger while devoting attention to historical detail-though the time period is unspecified, the characters- dress suggests the story is set during the 18th century-and the heroine-s independence and daring. Ages 10-14. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Gr 7 Up-Maud is the teenage daughter of a village smith in France in a time of horse-drawn carriages, powdered wigs, and elaborate corsetry. Her indulgent father has trained her to fight with a sword and praises her independence and skill. When he is murdered, Maud vows to avenge his death and protect the travel diary that the killer was apparently seeking. She goes to live with her grandfather, the Count de Laroche, who is determined to make her into a "proper lady" and marry her off, but she is more interested in swordplay and strategy than embroidery and etiquette. She admires the efforts of The Fox, a masked stranger who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, and falls in love with him at first sight. In secret, Maud becomes The Scarlet Rose and begins her own Robin Hoodtype campaign. The characters are drawn with the big eyes and wide-mouthed smiles (or grimaces) typical of some shoujo manga. Well-done adventure sequences are full of motion and shifting perspectives, and color effectively sets the tone. However, the characters are one-dimensional, and the story falters. Maud fluctuates between independent or swoony; her grandfather is either cruel or kind. Readers will guess the true identity of The Fox before it is revealed but may be confounded by an undeveloped plotline that refers to the Knights Templar and "the Ottoman people." These loose threads suggest further volumes may be planned. VERDICT An additional purchase for middle school libraries where action romance is in demand. Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA