You’ll love this bewitching story and breathtaking artwork.
Welcome!
I am delighted to share with you today my first 5 star read of 2023.
Where do I start? What can I really say?
This was beautiful and bloody. Magical and mysterious.. And I’m completely obsessed.
Even those who are not fans of manga or graphic novels can appreciate this rich and fascinating story wrapped in such incredibly detailed, haunting artwork. It dares to be distinctive and demands to be shared.
Happy Reading!
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Monstress Vol. 1 by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda
Publication date: July 19, 2016
Pages: 192
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Horror
Book 1 0f 7: Monstress
First line: It took three years to find a name. Two years to find the person.
Characters: Unique. Fascinating.
Storyline: Dark. Compelling. Complex. Addictive.. I could go on.
Pace: Quickly moving.
Writing: Intelligent. Utterly Absorbing.
Artwork: 5/5 (can I give this a ten out of five?)
Cover: 5/5
POVs:
Multiple.. but we mainly follow Maika, the main character, and Sophia, a witch obsessed with proving the impossible.
The story moves between the recent past, the present, and the distant past.
Five Stars!
A young woman in a war torn land risks everything to get answers about her past.
“So much was destroyed during the war.
And yet some cities rebuilt themselves… as if nothing happened.
Too bad people don’t rebuild themselves so easily.”
Let the gushing commence.
After reading The Night Eaters last year, I knew Monstress was going to be good.. I just didn’t realize how good.
Seriously. I want to breathe in this stunning creation, paint it on my insides, and carry it with me always.
Yes. I said that. And yes. I now realize how creepy it sounds.
But wait! There’s more!
You know those stories.. the ones that exceed expectation so spectacularly that something inside of you shifts to make room? The ones that imbed themselves in your mind, sink into your skin, and leave you clinging to the pages as though you could bind yourself within them?
This was one such read.
I rarely fangirl over much.. but books? Art? I’m there. And these two rockstars hit all the right notes.
A war between two factions.
Two women searching for answers.
An artifact of great power.
Greed. Violence. Magic.
And of all things.. talking cats.
I will warn you though, this is no fairy tale. There are a lot of dark and sometimes brutal themes here that could be triggering to some..
You’ll come across: Slavery. Torture. Child Brutality. Blood and Gore. Graphic Violence. Murder and more—and that’s just Volume 1.
This is a series I not only recommend but encourage my fellow fans of dark deeds, old gods, and curious characters to grab a copy of your own.
You won’t regret it.
Annnd I refuse to ruin the full experience of this story with spoilers so.. that’s all you get.
I may have gotten a bit carried away in my excitement but I’m hoping what information is here has intrigued you.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Have you read anything by these two creative geniuses? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
This one is not for me, but I am glad that you enjoyed it.
That’s too bad.. but thank you.🌹
Oh. I was hoping you enjoyed the story, Sheri. I love the cover and really want to love the book. Now, I can jump over to Amazon and stuff another book into a bulging kindle. Thanks a lot! Hehe.
Ohmygoodness, it’s a must read. It’s dark fantasy at it’s best and I am not kidding about the art. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! (it’s worth the extra weight to your kindle)
Stay safe and have a beautiful weekend. ❤️
Lol. I grabbed the first one after reading your review. The artwork is stunning! It’s my first experience with a graphic novel.
The Night Eaters was my first graphic novel so I’m pretty new to them as well but I have to say, for firsts, I’m not sure they get better than what this author and artist have created here.
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it!
I have some ARCs to get to first, but it’s waiting for me. I flipped through some of the artwork. Amazing.
I know how that goes. My husband gifted me Vol. 2 for Valentine’s Day and I’ve been too busy to pick it up.
Best of luck and happy reading!