Some ideas for Books from Isère authors as Christmas approaches

EVENT – As the end-of-year holidays approach, the editorial team offers you some ideas for Books to read, to give or to share. Written by Isère authors of origin or adoption or published by local publishers, some fall under the fan­tasywhile others approach the department from the angle of history or its landscapes.

Dreaming of adventure and magic

Princess Elyanore loves freedom. All her life, she dreams of leaving the golden prison represented by the castle in which she lives. On his birthday, his family throws a ball in his honor. But there, horror! She witnesses the assassination of those who represent her only family: her parents as well as her cousin, to whom she is close.

She is subsequently captured and sent to prison. She spent several years there, alone, isolated. Until the day she meets a woman there who subjected her to multiple abuses. Evil for good? Perhaps, because it allows her to awaken in herself the traces of an ancient and powerful magic. She then denies everything that defines her, even her identity, in order to find the man who decimated her family.

Intelligently written, The Witch's Mark is one of those books that are difficult to put down… It is the very first by its young author from Isère, Marie Duflot.

The Witch's Mark of Marie Duflot, 288 pages, 23 euros

A mix of history and fan­tasy

The Grenoble writer Olivier Gay, known for his detective and fantasy novels, is perhaps a little less so for his comic book scenarios. And yet, he stands out alongside the illustrator Brice Bingono with The Magi of Bonaparte.

In this work, it is about the Napoleonic campaigns… But with a slightly different perspective from that of historians. Here, magic replaces technology. The Mamluks are supported by mummies during the Battle of the Pyramids. For their part, golems defend Prague, in the Czech Republic. And when Baba Yaga prowls in Russia, Bonaparte uses powerful mages instead of his artillery…

Following the Erfurt meeting, which brought together Napoleon I, then emperor, and the Tsar of Russia Alexander I, peace reigned in Europe. Even if it is fragile. However, parchments disappear from the emperor's apartments… Napoleon I's Magi must then discover what happened to them. Be careful, however, because a demon could well be pulling the strings of this living chessboard…

The Magi of Bonaparte, Olivier Gay and Brice Bingono, 48 pages, 14.90 euros

The Isère territory, theater of Resistance

2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the city in Grenoble. A year chosen by Jean-Yves Le Naour (historian and author) and Philippe Tarral (illustrator) to launch their comic strip The Companions of the Liberation – Grenoble. In the latter, it is about the history of Grenoble, “ proud and courageous », during the Second World War. Because the capital of the Alps has paid a high price for having been the scene of numerous acts of Resistance. Of the ” frank groups » have in fact been very active in the Isère region.

Symbolic explosions, strafing of the militia headquarters, theft of files from the Compulsory Labor Service (STO)… But also dynamiting of factories. The Grenoble Resistance aimed to seriously harm the German war effort. As for the Nazis, they responded by increasing the number of arrests and shootings.

Written in the form of a story between an elderly person who lived through this era and a schoolgirl who must give a presentation on the duty of memory, the comic strip is very pleasant to read. With refined bubbles and bright colors – but black and white for the passages concerning the past – it allows you to remember the essentials about this historical period.

This work also received the Valérien 2024 Prize in the comics category.

The Companions of the Liberation – Grenoble, Jean-Yves Le Naour and Philippe Tarral, 56 pages, 14.90 euros

Discover the diversity of Isère’s landscapes

With Isère, incredible nature!the collective led by Pierre Jayet describes in a beautiful illustrated work all the beauty of the department. And, above all, the immense diversity of its landscapes. From the banks of the Rhône, in the commune of Sablons, at only 134 meters above sea level, to Pic Lory, in Oisans (4,087 meters high), the territory varies from one end to the other of its borders.

The book tells how Isère owes this variety to that of its preserved natural environments: regional natural parks of Chartreuse and Vercors, but also also sensitive natural spaces… Without forgetting the omnipresence of water. “ Shaped by the gigantic glaciers that covered it for centuries, the department of Isère has been richly endowed with postcard landscapes dotted with blue », writes the collective.

In short, a beautiful book to help you discover the richness of the Isère region… But also a responsible work published by Jayet Editions, an Isère publishing house specializing in beautiful regional books crafted in the heart of the French Alps. Its printing and shaping are done in Bresson and its paper comes from the Vizille paper mills.

Isère, incredible nature! Collective work of Pierre Jayet, Thomas Capelli, Antoine Ciceron, Gérard Schmitt, Lionel Tassan, Véronique Granger and Arnaud Callec

152 pages, 35 euros

Honoring the beauty of the Alpine territory

What if you traveled through original illustrations? With The Loustal Alps along the highwayart critic Jean-Louis Roux looks back on the works of illustrator Jacques de Loustal. The latter form paintings that depict landscapes in a completely original way. This album is in fact about exploring the territory according to… the highway signs.

Because the APRR motorway company commissioned illustrations several years ago from the designer to adorn the panels of its Alpine departments. Challenge met brilliantly. And this even though the constraints were multiple: format constraints, colors, immediate readability, imposed themes…

In this work published by Glénat, Jean-Louis Roux returns to this important work. “ Graphic adventure ” as much ” attractive and demanding », The Loustal Alps along the highway thus prove to be both instructive and delicate.

The Loustal Alps along the highway by Jean-Louis Roux, 144 pages, 30 euros