Graphic Novel Review – Monstress Vol 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Graphic Novel/Steampunk
Length: 192 pages
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: July 19, 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1632157096
Stand Alone or Series: 1st volume in the Monstress series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.”
I really loved this dark and steampunky fantasy graphic novel. The illustration is amazingly beautiful and the story is unique and engaging. It’s very intriguing to watch our heroine struggle between wanting to be more powerful through her connection to this monster (especially since she’s been in a lot of bad situations) and watching her be concerned about how much damage she can do to those around her with this power.
The world is incredibly interesting as well. There is a lot of world building here and I loved the steampunky fantasy world we are introduced to. You just scratch the surface of all the complexities of this world in this book and I can’t wait to read more books and delve deeper into it.
Additionally I loved the talking cats; I mean you can’t go wrong with talking cats…even if they are slightly evil at times in this book. I can’t wait to meet more types of species and monsters.
The illustration is absolutely beautiful; it’s done in dark lush tones and adds a ton to the story. The novel is easy to follow and highly entertaining.
There are tons of strong female characters in here as well and I always enjoy that. From the heroine, to her companions, to the villains…there are many intriguing strong female characters throughout.
Overall this was amazing graphic novel and I am excited to read more about this story and world. The characters are complex and amazing and the whole story and artwork is beautifully put together.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge
– Steampunk Reading Challenge
– Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge