Content levels
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program. It's not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" that Bayt-Sajji's military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined. Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.
Is Squire appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
This graphic novel depicts military training with combat violence typical of war stories, themes of systemic oppression and discrimination, and the moral dilemmas of a teen hiding her ethnic identity to serve an empire that subjugates her people.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include class struggle, discrimination, and political violence (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will connect with Aiza's struggle to belong while staying true to herself in a competitive military academy where she must hide who she really is.