If you regularly read our publications, you probably know that we fervently defend French fantasy, whether literary or cinematic. Today, we're shining the spotlight on a promising French-made fantasy work that could really use your support. We'll tell you everything!
French fantasy needs you
Being interested in French fantasy means you have access to a very diverse body of work, which has nothing to envy of English-language productions. Several novels (The Tales of the Old Kingdom by Jean-Philippe Jaworski, The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel, The Bastard of Kosigan by Fabien Cerutti), films (Kaamelott by Alexandre Astier), comics (Legends of the Forgotten Lands by Chevalier and Ségur, Complaint of the Lost Lands by Dufaux and Rosinzki), video games (Dofus), have succeeded in establishing themselves as references of the genre for hundreds of thousands of fans. The diversification of the French fantasy offering also testifies to the great openness of local artists to the evolutions of the genre.
Thus, the immense popularity of romantasy among the English-speaking public has inspired many French authors, as evidenced by their increasingly important presence at the Imaginales d'Épinal. A few months ago, a fascinating article by Anne Besson - an academic renowned for her work on fantasy - published in the magazine Chimères analyzed the economic success of romance. While this trend has obviously raised some eyebrows among fantasy fans, Anne Besson nevertheless emphasizes that its diverse body of work includes some interesting titles. It is in this context that writer J.K. Gras and illustrator Yannick Vicente have just launched a crowdfunding campaign for their project Faë Legacy. Presented as "a work in homage to J.R.R. Tolkien that combines an immoderate love for fantasy with resolutely modern, feminist and humanist themes", Faë Legacy immerses us in the world of Faesay. Here is the official synopsis available on the Ulule page:
When the last faë succeeded in putting the dragons to sleep, her species became extinct, abandoning the continent to her human, elven and dwarven descendants. Seventeen thousand years later, as the dragons awaken with the help of the Black General, a dangerous evil magician, a fae emerges from the void. She doesn't know who she is. She knows nothing of this world. Everything points to her being the fae of the prophecies. The one we've been waiting for. The one and only, capable of fighting the witches and protecting Faesay from the ferocity of the dragons. The General's mortal enemy. In a violent world where power is corrupt, where profit has replaced value, where the powerful aspire only to dominate the weak, she will do anything to find her own way. One encounter will change everything. An elven prince, with an aura as black as death. And yet, he alone holds the keys that will allow this faë to rediscover her true light.
According to writer Laure Enza (Chroniques du Monde-Hors, Le Sortilège de la Lune Noire), Faë Legacy stands out for its originality, which combines respect for and a diversion from the codes of the genre. She also praises a fantasy universe "thought out with rigor and elegance". To date, the funding has already convinced more than 680 contributors and has reached 137% of its initial goal. But the work isn't over yet; there are still many challenges to overcome thanks to the many rewards on offer. To find out all about it, click here.
Did this article interest you? Then don't hesitate to discover this cult fantasy saga, which will soon be coming to an end.
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