Title: The Blood
Author: Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
Series: Monstress #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Graphic novels, Steampunk
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: image
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Oh, no.

Maika Halfwolf is on the run from a coalition of forces determined to control or destroy the powerful Monstrum that lives beneath her skin. But Maika still has a mission of her own: to discover the secrets of her late mother, Moriko.

In this second volume of MONSTRESS, collecting issues 7 – 12, Maika’s quest takes her to the pirate-controlled city of Thyria and across the sea to the mysterious Isle of Bones. It is a journey that will force Maika to reevaluate her past, present, and future, and contemplate whether there’s anyone, or anything, she can truly trust – including her own body.

I enjoyed this more than volume one of the Monstress series. Awakening was a great introduction, it was incredibly violent. And it was weirdly beautiful (especially considering the violence). But The Blood had a storyline that I found much more engaging, and a lot simpler to follow.

There was a lot more light in the panels of this novel – it acted as a brilliant counterpoint to Maika’s memories and internal conversations with the Monstrum. It also highlights the potential hope for the future, against the dark backdrop of her past. All interwoven in such beautifully illustrated panels that I frequently found myself stopping and staring at the pages, unable to move on until I had absorbed every minute detail.

The complexity of this picture story still makes me feel as though I have probably missed a lot in this reading. And I’m going to need to read it a few more times to really let the tale sink in. But, something about The Blood helped me to understand Maika’s world in a lot more detail than Awakening. Now to wait until the next volume is released…

Image source: Amazon

Title: Awakening
Author: Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
Series: Monstress #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Graphic novels, Steampunk
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: image
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Let us hope that will be enough to bring down this wild child.

Set in an alternatie world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, Monstress tells the epic story of Maika Halfwolf, a teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the Arcanics. In the face of oppression and terrible danger, Maika is both hunter and hunted, searching for answers about her mysterious past as those who seek to use her remain just one step behind… and all the while, the monster within begins to awaken…

This is my first ever hardcore graphic novel. And, although it was seriously enjoyable, it was also a little twisted. A little confronting. And a little bit addictive.

I’ve read a few graphic novels before, but they are always an addition to a novel series. So the introduction and personification of the main character has already occurred. As has the world, and most the rules by which they live. To read a graphic novel that must do all of this from the outset with pictures was an interesting experience, and did I mention confusing? I think that this is one of those stories that the more times I look through it and read it, the more I’m going to notice about it.

I loved the imagery that was used in this graphic novel. It was a great mixture of anime-style drawings and what I imagine the world of steampunk would look like. There was a lot of violence in this, but it was beautifully, and a little disgustingly drawn. The emotions that are shown throughout the piece are great drivers of the story, and I can’t wait to read the next volume in this series.

Image source: Booktopia