Ode is not as strong or manly as he hopes to be at 15 years old. He and his friend Janis - a giant cat warrior from Norway - need to flee their little Medieval village in France when it gets attacked by the English. Ode fears his village will soon be wiped off the map, so he decides to go and ask France’s true hero for help: Jeanne D’Arc. Obviously, Ode needs to become a real man first. And what better way to start, then by losing his virginity? It is the first step for Ode in being confronted with the realities of growing up. He and Janis have always been dependent on each other, ever since Ode saved Janis’ life. Ode’s journey turns out to say a lot more about who he is as a man, and what it means to be a hero.
Ode to Orleans questions what it means to be strong, specifically the different kinds of being strong. It can be hard to value your own strengths and recognise them for what they are. The story also dives into the difficulties of finding a place for yourself in this world. All that, with a pinch of humor.