Going into this graphic novel I had not completely read the synopsis, so I had the notion of this simply being a recounting of true historical events from the perspective of a young kid, which is why I was taken aback at first by the fantastical elements. I was also surprised at how dark the story got- for someone I figured that sense it was categorized as young adult it would gloss over the more darker aspects even though the plot is taken for true historical events, and history is dark. After reading this I definitely want to eventually look into more nonfiction about the Boxer rebellion.