Tag: Marjorie M. Liu

Monstress 5: Warchild by Marjorie M. Liu

“The only plan that truly matters is the one you have for yourself.”

4/5 stars.
ebook, 174 pages.
Read September 20, 2021.

An 8 sentence review:

I won’t pretend that I always know everything that’s going on within each of the Montress volumes but with every single one I read, my body of knowledge of the world that Maika Halfwolf inhabits expands and I’m drawn further in. Further, with each one I read, I continue to be blown away by the artwork of Sana Takeda. Breathtaking beautiful, elegant, and vicious.

In this volume, the second war between the Federation and the Arcanics is in full swing and some messy sacrifices have to be made as Maika begins to show and embrace her darker side. The violence and seriousness of the plot are playfully balanced by the cuteness and resilience of Kippa, where even she too, has had to find her fierceness in the face of war.

This volume is a solid piece of work in Maika’s story and while there is little resolution by the end of this volume, it just means that the Liu and Takeda duo have more for their readers in-store, which I happily look forward to. While the collection of lore that is presented to the reader is overwhelming at times it is also one of the many reasons readers return to this world. Monstress is an acclaimed series of graphic novels for a reason and is not to be missed.

Monstress, Vol. 4: The Chosen by Marjorie M. Liu

Are you ready for volume 5? It comes out on October 6, 2020.

4/5 stars.
ebook, 176 pages.
Read July 15, 2020 to July 21, 2020.

Well, at least I don’t have to wait long for the next volume in this awesome series as it looks like the fifth volume is set to come out next week. Perfect timing.

Maika, joined by Covin, is trying to reunite with Kippa. In this volume, you learn more about Kippa’s back story and to see that there is a lot more to Kippa than you first gathered. In looking for Kippa, Maika meets someone unexpected, someone, she never thought she’d meet that she has a personal connection with. The scheming that this particular individual has done while the impending war is building is alarming to Maika and needless to say, she isn’t overly thrilled about her connection to them. Maika is finally starting to get some of the answers that she seeks and as a reader, you are also starting to get a bigger picture of the issues that she is dealing with and the bigger scope of the war that is ready to implode.

Somehow things have managed to get even more convoluted in this volume than the last two and I really struggled to keep up with everything that was going on. I think a reread of the four volumes before tackling the fifth one will help me better grasp everything this time around. With that said, I still rated this volume high because the story and artwork are still immensely captivating even if I’m not sure of what was going on sometimes. Kippa’s story was the best section of this novel in my opinion as her character really became more dynamic in this volume and I’m looking forward to seeing how she continues to progress.

Overall, a great series and a must-read for any graphic novel lovers or fantasy lovers.

Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie M. Liu

“What happened once, will happen again…but in a different form. To become a future-teller, one needs only to study history.”

4/5 stars.
ebook, 196 pages.
Read on July 12, 2020.

The cryptic saga continues in Monstress Vol. 3. I read this in one sitting but I slightly regret doing so and may place this volume on my re-read list. 

This particular volume focuses heavily on the Old Gods, which as we’ve learned from previous volumes is what the entity that lives within Maika and his name is Zinn. Zinn betrayed the Shaman Empress, of which Maika is believed to be connected to and much of the plot focuses on this lore. As a reader, you somewhat expect to get more information on what is starting to unfold but the you’re often left with more questions as some aspects of the the lore and plot are quite cryptic.

Further, the Cumea and the Dusk Court are both out looking for Maika because of her connections with the Old Gods, and an impending war between the two sides looms again.  Maika and Kippa finds themselves in a city called Pontus, in which we learn that the city managed to stay safe during the last war due to a piece of armor that shielded the city. Unfortunately it is broken and knowing that a war is likely occur soon, Maika gets recruited by the city to help repair it. Kippa leaves and goes her own way shortly after this occurrence leaving Maika wondering about her connections to the people around her and how she has lived in survival mode for so long. Maika also comes to learn that she is not the only one with an Old God inside of her…

There is a lot to take in with this volume, it’s almost overwhelming, even more so than the first two volumes. However, it’s hard to complain when the artwork is so stunning and details such a visceral picture. Even though the lore is expansive in this volume, as a reader you start to really piece all the histories together to get a firmer grasp on this story and setting. I am looking forward to what awaits in the next volume. 


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