Monstress vol. 1: The Awakening by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda
Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Adult and Reference Services
Genre: Graphic Novel
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about?: Having a monster inside you is awkward. It’s even harder when you are trying to escape powerful sorceresses who are trying to kill you. I was immediately drawn to Monstress because of its beautiful cover art. I am a big fan of fantasy, so this graphic novel looked very intriguing. Marjorie Liu presents a steampunk alternate world where conflict exists between humans and animal hybrids called Aranics. The main character is an Arcanic named Maika Halfwolf, a teenage girl who is just starting to unravel the mystery behind her mother’s death and understand the dark powers within her own body. All of the central characters are strong, powerful women. Some are benevolent, but all are deadly. Maika relies on just a couple allies, including a talking cat, to help her escape the Cumaeans, or human witches. Her internal struggle to resist the darkness within her is just as powerful as the external conflict in this story.
My Review: The world building presented in Monstress is very impressive. To me, it was reminiscent of Frank Herbert’s Dune universe in terms of the political/religious backdrop and potentially epic storyline. The beautiful illustrations are inspired by Manga and reminded me of Princess Mononoke and H.R Giger’s artwork at the same time. If you like immersive fantasy, you will enjoy Monstress. This is a short read, but it will leave you wanting more. There are plenty of unanswered questions as well as hints of big revelations to come.
*This comic does include graphic content and would be most appropriate for mature readers.
Rating: 5/5
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Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!