EDITOR'S SIDEBAR: Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 1

A red-haired princess loses her family and her kingdom—now she must rise and fight for her throne!

By Amy Yu August 17, 2016

As the editor of the Yona of the Dawn manga, it's my pleasure to introduce this fantasy adventure shojo series that many fans of the anime have already fallen in love with. With battles and dragon gods, love lost and newfound friends, this story never stops being exciting as Yona and her companions journey across treacherous lands in order to push their boundaries, learn and grow.

暁のヨナ1 D(4c)

One of the major strengths of this series is the myriad of strong characters whom the reader attaches to very quickly. There's the heroine Yona, of course—when you first meet her, she's pretty much a pampered princess who lives a very comfortable and sheltered life in Hiryuu Palace in the Kingdom of Kohka.

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However, Yona's world turns upside down on her 16th birthday when she witnesses her father's murder—by Su-won, the man she's loved for years! Talk about unbelievable shock and not knowing how to survive such a horrific tragedy…

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Luckily, Yona has always had a childhood friend protecting her (even as he teases her mercilessly). Son Hak, General of the Wind Tribe, is not someone you want to mess with! Nicknamed The Thunder Beast of Kohka, Hak can slash through his enemies with a single wave of his trusty glaive…

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Unfortunately, Hak can't possibly take on Su-won and all the palace guards. There's no recourse other than for Hak and Yona to flee and fend for themselves as they're being hunted down.

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What makes this series so interesting is that Su-won isn't your typical evil, power-hungry bad guy. In fact, he grew up with Hak and Yona, and the three of them were very close as children.

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Su-won's sweet nature had provided Yona with a great deal of emotional support, especially after her mother died. It's no wonder that she developed romantic feelings for him, and it's all the more heart-breaking when he kills her father to take over the throne.

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Yona's journey is just beginning with volume 1! I don't want to offer too many spoilers, but I will say that she's actually considered a reincarnation of a past king…who had four dragon warriors! It's a journey of growth and discovery for all involved, and volume 1 is just the tip of the iceberg. I hope you guys keep reading the series because it keeps getting better and better…

(By the way, I was laughing out loud as I was editing the script for volume 4 this afternoon… It's not all dark and tragic!) ;)

Check out a free preview of volume 1.