Monstress Book One (Monstress, Volumes 1-3)

by Marjorie M. Liu

[nannah]

Damn, I love Monstress so much.
I was waiting for this monster of a collection since it was announced, and waited again when it said it would be published around July - but wasn't - and then finally in October ... I got my hands on it. And it's perfect.

Content warnings:
LOTS of blood and gore. Lots.

Representation:
no one is white (takes place in 1900s fictional Asia - and yes, that includes S. Asia! Finally!)
many characters are sapphic, including our protagonist, Maika

So, in this 1900s re-imagined matriarchal Asia, Maika "halfwolf" not only struggles with PTSD (because that's definitely what it is; it's just not acknowledged) from war and slavery from her childhood, but now has to deal with a horror of a monster living inside of her. One that causes her to hunger for living flesh. And one that makes her the target of pretty much everyone, because not only is this monster a, well, monster, but a terrifying old god from before the days of the Ancient's (Maika's ancestors).

The world of Monstress is one of my favorites when it comes to world building. This place is vast and the mythology is so well developed. There's so much these writers haven't shown us yet, but give us in tiny pieces, teasing us. I want more! And they know that. They're also masters of tension, and each chapter increases the stakes, though often I just want Maika to have a break. Some bit of happiness. Anything.

Speaking of Maika, she's the "badass with a secretly kind heart" done right. Especially with trauma. She's not one of those annoying "tough girls" that swoons once she sees a hot guy (that would soon be her love interest in most man-written stuff). The graphic novels are very plot-driven, and it focuses more on character goals and arcs than romance. And if it does venture into romance, it definitely wouldn't be Maika swooning before a man, lmao! I love how strong the women are. Even little Kippa, who seems at first to be the weakest link. Her growth from the beginning of this collection to the end (from being a rescued slave to leading the fox refugees to safety) nearly makes me want to cry. Especially when relating it back to what's going on today.

Anyway, there's so much to talk about in this collection, but basically: world building is a+, and though more could be done with Maika character-wise, I'm sure it will be long and drawn-out with such a long series like this. I can't wait to see it though, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

But there's no denying it: this collection is BEAUTIFUL. There's no reason Sana Takeda had to go all out with the art like this, but she did. And the result is stunning. Together, she and Marjorie Liu are one hell of a force.