Marjorie M. Liu

Devastatingly Gorgeous Artwork & Intricate World-Building Make Monstress a Must-Read

-- 4.5 stars --

To quote the poets...murder is terribly exhausting.

I pre-ordered Monstress based on the cover alone; and, the more I learned about it, the more excited I became. A steampunk fantasy set in turn-of-the-century Asia, featuring a diverse cast of mostly-female characters, written and illustrated by two women of color? Sign me up!

As it turns out, Monstress is everything I'd hoped for and then show more some. The story takes place in 1920s Asia, though you might not know it at first glance: this alternate 'verse is so very different from our own. Humans are not the only - or even the first - sapients to walk the earth. (To borrow a term from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.) We were preceded by Cats, the children of Ubasti: Multi-tailed, talking creatures, who can wield a weapon as easily as a sarcastic comeback. The immortal Ancients assumed the forms of beasts and, like their Greek cousins, enjoyed toying with humans. It is from such relationships that Arcanic halfbreeds were born: some are human in appearance, while most are not; yet all Arcanics possess great powers, powers which can be extracted from their very bones. Last but not least are the Old Gods, of which precious little is known. Some believe them to be monsters.

While humans and Arcanics coexisted in peace for generations, war broke out for reasons that aren't entirely clear. An infernal bomb, which rained destruction down upon the city of Constantine, resulted in a stalemate. Now both races live on their respective sides of the wall. Yet the Cumaea - a powerful order of nun-witches that rules the human federation - is intent resurrecting the war and exterminating the Arcanics.

Enter: Seventeen-year-old Maika Halfwolf, a human-like Arcanic who lost her mother and an arm in the conflict. Freed from a prison camp, Maika now lives in another kind of cage; one of her mother's making, perhaps. Deep inside Maika dwells a hungry, tentacled monster; one that could tip the scales in favor of the arcanic - or destroy them all. Though it longs to break free, Maika has other plans: find and kill the nun-witch who betrayed her mother.

Monstress doesn't waste any time: the opening scene shows Maika's daring infiltration of the Cumaea's compound in the border city Zamora. I was hooked from the first panel, and quickly found myself immersed in the story. Maika is a compelling and fascinating heroine; you can't help but dig her devil-may-care attitude, not to mention her steampunk Furiosa mechanical arm. And the little fox-girl Kippa is just the cutest; every time she hugged her fluffy fox tail in fear, I wanted to scoop her up and give her snuggles.

Between the rich colors, the fantastical creatures, the art deco vibe, and all the badass white-haired ladies, the art is simply stunning. I all but devoured it with my eyeballs. Sometimes I have trouble following the action in comic books, especially when two or more of the characters are a little too close in appearance (insert your generic white guy here). But the breadth of diversity in Monstress is just amazing: women of all skin tones, with some diversity in body shape, and a wide variety of lovely and intricate hairstyles. Not to mention all the richly colored robes and masks! The landscape is just all kinds of gorgeous.

What with all the double-crossing and shifting alliances, I did sometimes have trouble keeping track of the plot. It's pretty intricate, and I felt at times like I should maybe be taking notes. The lecture excerpts from Professor Tam Tam (a totally squeezable blue-eyed cat) proved immensely helpful, though sometimes they came a little late. I suspect that some readers won't be too keen on the showing-not-telling aspect of these little "cheat sheets." I'm a fan.

Either way, I feel like Monstress might merit a re-read, to see I might discover any new information the second time around. Hence the 4.5 stars. I eagerly await the Hollywood adaptation (no whitewashing please!), but I'll settle for Volume 2.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2016/08/15/monstress-volume-1-awakening-by-marjorie-m-... show less

A bold and beautifully rendered vision, Monstress presents a universe populated by mythological creatures like unicorns, angels, talking cats and little fox girls, but while at first glance the characters may say “kawaii”, this female-centric graphic is more creepy than cute. No matter how delightful to the eyes, this world is for fighters and survivors, full of secrets, deceptions and mixed loyalties, and people both profane and violent.

The story is dark, and some of the images are show more quite brutal and disturbing. Suggested for mature readers only, and highly recommended, particular for readers of “Bitch Planet” and “Promethea.”

4.5 stars show less

TW: Childhood abuse

You know what I love? Stories! Know what else I love? Art!

Those two things being true, it’s really surprising that I don’t end up reading more comic books and graphic novels. As it stands, I really love the ones I do read. Then again, the few I’m picking up might just be extraordinary.

That’s certainly true for Monstress, a fantasy story written by Marjorie M. Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda.

Before I start raving about Monstress: The Blood, I need to point out show more that this is Volume 2 of Monstress. And that this story really needs to be read in order. Maybe even preferably back to back? I waited a couple of months, and man I wished I hadn’t. I was eventually able to find my footing, but there was a lot I’d forgotten. Anyway, head over to my review of Monstress: Awakening if you are just starting the series.

Before anything else, I want to talk about just how gorgeous the art in Monstress is. Sana Takeda does a phenomenal job of bringing this strange, dark world to life. From the details to the design to the color work… I’m in love. And those art nouveau influences? *swoons* I’m lucky enough to have an edition that came with a small poster, and you better believe I have it taped up over my bed. I need more of Sana Takeda’s stunning work in my life.

I think that’s about enough gushing for now. Let’s get to the story! I remembered the vague outlines of the first volume of Monstress, but as I mentioned, I’d forgotten the details. This made reading Monstress: The Blood a bit challenging, since this is an incredibly complex story and world.

In Monstress: The Blood, Kippa finds an old bone key that belonged to Maika Halfwolf’s mother. Maika believes she knows where this bone came from, and she hopes if she ventures to that mysterious, dangerous island, she’ll be able to trace the path her mother took that led to the monster beneath Maika’s skin.

Monstress: The Blood does what any good sequel should do: expand the world, further develop the characters, and add complexity. We find out more about the Old Gods, who they are, where they came from, and the history of the one inside Maika (correct me if I’m wrong — the monster is an Old God, right?). Taking central importance is the shattered fragments of an ancient mask, which if pieced together could open a portal between the Old Gods and the world. Opening the portal might be the only hope for Maika to save herself from being devoured and devouring others… but it also might end the world.

When I read Monstress: Awakening, I fell in love with the character of Maika, a prickly anti-heroine. If anything, Monstress: The Blood made me love her even more. Maika is hostile and bitter, and she often lashes out emotionally at those around her (particularly Kippa, who’s unflagging loyalty she takes for granted). The Blood dives deeper into her character, especially when it comes to her relationship with her dead mother. And, wow. That woman was a piece of work. It’s not hard to see how she had a hand into making Maika what she is today.

When it comes to world building, The Blood takes us to new locals. Most notable is the isolated island, the destination of Maika’s journey. It’s an eerie, haunting place, and as ever, Takeda’s art is so wonderfully immersive.

In all likelihood, I’ll have to wait until summer of 2018 for a volume three. While Monstress: The Blood may have given me some answers, it also gives me many more questions. Who is Maika’s father? What will happen if she puts on the mask? Is the end of the world imminent? It sounds like things will be bad no matter what, and this series doesn’t pull its punches.

I can’t wait to find out.

Review from The Illustrated Page. show less

Monstress tells the tale of Maika Halfwolf, an Arcanic searching for answers to her own existence in the aftermath of a holy war which sees a tenuous peace between humans and Arcanics, which still allows for the slavery of the later by the former. Of curiously unknown half-human half-Ancient origin, Arcanics are fantastic humanoid characters of highly variable appearances, treated as beasts by humans, and literally consumed by witches who use their flesh for the production of illium, a show more magical solution. Mysteriously more powerful than expected, and carrying a dark presence even she is unaware of at the first, Maika is driven by the death of her mother, the secrets the woman took with her, and a hunger that frightens both herself and the characters around her. The narrative offers careful world and story-building, showing bits of history interspersed with the present to maintain the enjoyable uncertainty of the story without wholly confusing the reader. Complex characters with strong histories and motivations drive the story, and the fantasy of the time and place encourages immersion in a place that is entirely other, but eerily family and thus seemingly possible. The cover offers Neil Gaiman's critique that the book is "Remarkable: a beautifully told story of magic and fear," and I wholeheartedly agree. Well done. show less