The voice of the beasts, the desire of men

Original title: The Voice of Beasts, the Hunger of Men

Translation: Fernando Ballesteros

Year of publication: 2023

Follow in the footsteps of Brunhilde, a wolf leader who travels through France in the late Middle Ages. Despite her misanthropy, our heroine does not give up her efforts to do good and try to ensure that nature, animals and humans coexist in harmony.

The story told in The voice of the beasts, the desire of men It is certainly interesting. It introduces dispensable scenes and discards some ideas abruptly, but it is generally correctly structured. I especially like the chapters that subdivide it, since they tend to close themselves without neglecting a larger plot arc.

The characters that splash The voice of the beasts, the desire of men They are, despite the simplicity of their designs and characterizations, extremely functional. Perhaps the most memorable are Paulin, a charismatic peddler, and the terrifying yet tragic antagonist.

For its part, I find Thomas Gilbert’s drawing style very attractive. He has a high level of detail but not overloaded, he knows how to give grace and movement to the figures, he composes the scenes excellently and uses a very successful color palette.

By the way, I would highlight three things that Gilbert’s skillful hand captures with absolute mastery: the landscapes, the animals and the fantastic-terrifying imagery. Above all, I like the full-page illustrations with which each chapter opens, and the originality it imbues with the Christian elements.